DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min et al. (US 2021/0051513 A1) in view of He et al. (US 2010/0265864 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Min discloses an access point (AP) for traffic indication in a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the AP is affiliated with an AP multi-link device (MLD) which is configured with a first link on which the AP is parking and at least one second link (e.g. figs. 1C-2), and the AP comprises: a processor (406), configured to set a Beacon frame which comprises a traffic indication map (TIM) element (260) and at least one Extended TIM element (262) (figs. 1C-2; paragraph [0022]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0059]; [0066]; [0018]-[0019]; and so on, illustrating a Beacon frame includes TIM element and ML-TIM), wherein the TIM element is set to indicate traffic indication information for a first link of the AP MLD (paragraph [0018]-[0019]; [0022]-[0028]; and so on, explaining the TIM element is set to indicate traffic information or indication for a first link of the AP MLD), and the at least one Extended TIM element is set to indicate traffic indication information for the at least one second link of the AP MLD (paragraph [0022]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0059]; [0066], describing that the ML-TIM element is set to indicate traffic information or indication for an additional or second link of the AP MLD), and a transceiver (410), configured to send the Beacon frame to a plurality of stations (STAs) (e.g. figs. 1C-2; paragraph [0018]-[0022];[0050]-[0051]; and etc., illustrating sending the Beacon frame to plurality of STAs such as STAs 210 and 212), wherein the processor (406) is further configured to set the TIM element and the at least one Extended TIM element according to a traffic indication virtual bitmap for each link of the AP MLD maintained by the AP MLD (paragraph [0018]; [0024]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0055]; [0058]-[0059]; [0065]-[0066]; [0105]-[0106]; [0109]-[0111]; [0115]-[0116], describing that the TIM element and ML-TIM are set based on logical/virtual bitmap for links in the AP MLD).
Min doesn’t explicitly disclose the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information, and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information.
He teaches the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information (paragraph [0032]-[0035]; [0041]; [0044]; and so on), and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information (paragraph [0052]; [0037]-[0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information, and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information as taught by He into Min in order to increase efficiency of communication and to reduce delay.
Regarding claim 11, Min discloses a station (STA) (120, 400, or 500) for traffic indication in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the STA comprising: a transceiver (520), configured to receive a Beacon frame from an access point (AP) affiliated with an AP multi-link device (MLD) which is configured with a first link on which the AP is parking and at least one second link (e.g. figs. 1C-2, 5), wherein the Beacon frame comprises a traffic indication map (TIM) element (260) and at least one Extended TIM element (262) (figs. 1C-2; paragraph [0022]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0059]; [0066]; [0018]-[0019]; and so on, illustrating a Beacon frame includes TIM element and ML-TIM), wherein the TIM element is set to indicate traffic indication information for the first link of the AP MLD (e.g. 214) (paragraph [0018]-[0019]; [0022]-[0028]; and so on, explaining the TIM element is set to indicate traffic information or indication for a first link of the AP MLD), and the at least one Extended TIM element is set to indicate addressed traffic indication information for the at least one second link of the AP MLD (paragraph [0022]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0059]; [0066], describing that the ML-TIM element is set to indicate traffic information or indication for an additional or second link of the AP MLD), and a processor (502), configured to the received Beacon frame to determine whether any unicast and/or groupcast traffic is buffered at any AP for the STA or any STA affiliated with a same non-AP MLD with the STA (figs. 1C-2; paragraph [0018]; [0026]; [0052]-[0054]; and so on, explaining the Beacon frame is received to determine that the traffic, unicast, such as, as in fig. 1C, is buffered or included in the AP for the STAs related to the AP-MLD), wherein the TIM element and the at least one Extended TIM element are set according to a traffic indication virtual bitmap for each link of the AP MLD maintained by the AP MLD (paragraph [0018]; [0024]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0055]; [0058]-[0059]; [0065]-[0066]; [0105]-[0106]; [0109]-[0111]; [0115]-[0116], describing that the TIM element and ML-TIM are set based on logical/virtual bitmap for links in the AP MLD).
Min doesn’t explicitly disclose the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information, and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information.
He teaches the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information (paragraph [0032]-[0035]; [0041]; [0044]; and so on), and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information (paragraph [0052]; [0037]-[0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information, and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information as taught by He into Min in order to increase efficiency of communication and to reduce delay.
Regarding claim 2 and 12, Min discloses wherein the traffic indication virtual bitmap for each link of the AP MLD is maintained based on an association identifier (AID) space for each link of the AP MLD, wherein the AID space for each link of the AP MLD is maintained by the AP MLD and/or a corresponding AP affiliated with the AP MLD (paragraph [0024]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0105]-[0106]; [0109]-[0111]; [0115]-[0116]).
Regarding claim 3 and 13, Min discloses wherein the processor is further configured to put the TIM element and the at least one Extended TIM element together in the Beacon frame (paragraph [0022]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0059]; [0066]).
Regarding claim 4 and 14, Min discloses wherein the processor is further configured to locate the at least one Extended TIM element (262) immediately after the TIM element (260) in the Beacon frame (fig. 2; paragraph [0022]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0059]; [0066]).
Regarding claim 5 and 15, Min discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set each of the at least one Extended TIM element in the Beacon frame to indicate traffic indication information for a corresponding second link of the AP MLD (figs. 1C-2; paragraph [0022]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0059]; [0066]).
Min doesn’t explicitly disclose Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information.
He teaches the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information (paragraph [0052]; [0037]-[0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information as taught by He into Min in order to increase efficiency of communication and to reduce delay.
Regarding claim 6 and 16, Min discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set each of the at least one Extended TIM element (262) in the Beacon frame to include a Link ID field (266) which is set to indicate a link ID of the corresponding second link of the AP MLD, and a Partial Virtual Bitmap field (268) for the corresponding second link (fig. 2; paragraph [0052]).
Regarding claim 7 and 17, Min discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set each of the at least one Extended TIM element in the Beacon frame to indicate traffic indication information for one or more of the at least one second link of the AP MLD (figs. 1C-2; paragraph [0022]-[0028]; [0052]-[0053]; [0059]; [0066]).
Min doesn’t explicitly disclose Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information.
He teaches the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information (paragraph [0052]; [0037]-[0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information as taught by He into Min in order to increase efficiency of communication and to reduce delay.
Regarding claim 8, Min discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set each of the at least one Extended TIM element (262) in the Beacon frame to include one or more than one first field, wherein each first field includes a Link Info field which is set to indicate a link ID (266) of a corresponding second link, and a Partial Virtual Bitmap field (268) for the corresponding second link (fig. 2; paragraph [0052]).
Regarding claim 9, Min discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set the Beacon frame to include one Extended TIM element which includes one or more than one first field, wherein the number of the first field is equal to the number of the at least one second link of the AP MLD (paragraph [0052]-[0053]).
Regarding claim 10 and 19, Min discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set the TIM element to include a first delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) Count field and a first DTIM Period field, and set each of the at least one Extended TIM element to include a second DTIM Count field and a second DTIM Period field, wherein the first DTIM Count field and the second DTIM Count field are set to a same value, and the first DTIM Period field and the second DTIM Period field are set to a same value (paragraph [0024]).
Regarding claim 18, Min discloses wherein each of the at least one Extended TIM element (262) includes one or more than one first field, wherein each first field includes a Link Info field which is set to indicate a link ID (266) of a corresponding second link, and a Partial Virtual Bitmap field (268) for the corresponding second link (fig. 2; paragraph [0052]), wherein the Beacon frame includes one Extended TIM element which includes one or more than one first field, wherein the number of the first field is equal to the number of the at least one second link of the AP MLD (paragraph [0052]-[0053]).
Regarding claim 20, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 11. The claim is a mere reformulation of claim 11 in order to define the corresponding chip, and the rejection to claim 11 is applied hereto. Min further discloses the claimed chip (paragraph [0081]; [0094]; [0136]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIBROM T HAILU whose telephone number is (571)270-1209. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
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/KIBROM T HAILU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461