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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on August 5, 2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-3, 5-7, 9-13, 16-18, and 20 have been considered but are moot due to the new ground of rejection.
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 1-3, 5-7, 10-13, 16, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2023/0413343 A1) in view of Cavalcanti et al. (US 2023/0180208 A1).
Regrading claim 1, Kim discloses a long-distance Wi-Fi communication method, which is performed by an apparatus (e.g. fig. 2; paragraph [0051]-[0057]; [0143]; and on, illustrating Wi-Fu communication between STA and AP), comprising: connecting with a network node at a contention access stage (paragraph [0004]; [0134]-[0135]; [0142]-[0146]; [0058]; and etc., explaining connecting the STA and AP at contention-based channel access); receiving a target wake time (TWT) configuration at the contention access stage from a network node, wherein the TWT configuration comprises a TWT service period (SP) and a TWT interval associated with the apparatus (figs. 3, 17-18, 24, 32-33, paragraph [0058]; [0157]; [0118]-[0120]; [0184]; [0204]; [0250] and so on, describing the reception of TWT configuration at the contention-based access from the AP, where the TWT configuration comprises TWT SP and interval or duration or time period related to the STA); and performing a communication with the network node during the TWT SP based on the TWT configuration at a contention-free stage (paragraph [0250]; [0143]-[0145]; and so on, the STA communicates with the AP during the TWT SP at a contention-free channel access), wherein the TWT SP associated with the apparatus overlaps with another TWT SP associated with another apparatus (figs. 3-4; 7-8, 14-15,19-21, paragraph [0062]; [0093]; [0113]; and so on); wherein the another TWT SP is configured to the another apparatus by the network to communicate with the network node during the another TWT SP (figs. 3-4; paragraph [0058]-[0062]; and so on), wherein the TWT configuration is received from the network node through an un-solicited TWT response (e.g. paragraph [0078]).
Kim does not explicitly disclose the un-solicited TWT response is carried in an association success response transmitted by the network node during an association process.
Cavalcanti teaches the un-solicited TWT response is carried in an association success response transmitted by the network node during an association process (paragraph [0264]-[0266]; and so on).
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 un-solicited TWT response is carried in an association success response transmitted by the network node during an association process as taught by Cavalcanti into Kim in order to improve efficiency of communication and quality of service.
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses a long-distance Wi-Fi communication method, which is performed by a network node (e.g. fig. 2; paragraph [0051]-[0057]; [0143]; and on), comprising: connecting with at least one station (STA) at a contention access stage (paragraph [0004]; [0134]-[0135]; [0142]-[0146]; [0058]; and etc.); transmitting at least one target wake time (TWT) configuration to the at least one STA at the contention access stage, wherein each TWT configuration comprises a TWT service period (SP) and a TWT interval associated with the STA (figs. 3, 17-18, 24, 32-33, paragraph [0058]; [0157]; [0118]-[0120]; [0184]; [0204]; [0250] and so on); and performing a communication with the at least one STA during the corresponding TWT SP based on the at least one TWT configuration at a contention-free stage (paragraph [0250]; [0143]-[0145]; and so on), wherein the at least one STA comprises a first STA and a second STA, the first TWT SP associated with the first STA overlaps with a second TWT SP associated with a second STA (figs. 3-4, 7-8, 14-15,19-21, paragraph [0058]-[0062]; [0093]; [0113]; and so on).
Regarding claim 18, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejected to claim 1. The claim is a mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding apparatus, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto.
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses wherein the step of performing the communication with the network node comprises receiving or transmitting a data frame or a management frame from or to the network node (paragraph [0063]-[0064]; [0071]; [0080]; [0092]-[0094]; [0097]-[0098]; and etc.).
Regarding claim 3, 13, and 20, Kim further discloses comprising: not receiving or transmitting data from or to the network node at the contention access stage (paragraph [0143]-[0145]; [0152]-[0156]; and so on).
Regarding claim 5, Kim further discloses comprising: receiving a trigger frame from the network node at a beginning of the TWT SP (paragraph [0076]; [0080]-[0081];[0083]-[0084]; [0120]-[0121]; [0124]-[0126]; [0129]-[0131]; [0133]-[0140]; and so on); transmitting a power saving (PS)-poll frame to the network node to indicate the start of handshake of the TWT SP (paragraph [0080]; [0084]; and etc.); and receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) frame for the PS-poll frame from the network node during the TWT SP (paragraph [0080]; [0084]; and so on).
Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses the step of performing the communication with the network node further comprising: receiving a downlink (DL) data frame from the network node during the TWT SP (figs. 7-9; paragraph [0080]; [0084]; [0089]); and transmitting a block acknowledgement (BA) frame for the DL data frame to the network node during the TWT SP (figs. 7-9; paragraph [0080]; [0084]; [0089]).
Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses the step of performing the communication with the network node further comprising: receiving a buffer state report poll (BSRP) frame from the network node during the TWT SP (paragraph [0133]; [0154]; [0193]; [0228]; [0248]-[0252]); transmitting a buffer state report (BSR) in response to the BSRP to the network node during the TWT SP (paragraph [0133]); receiving a BA frame for the BSR from the network node during the TWT SP (paragraph [0133]); receiving a trigger frame from the network node during the TWT SP (paragraph [0120]-[0121]; [0135]; [0224]; and so on); and transmitting an uplink (UL) trigger-based (TB) packet protocol data unit (PDDU) to the network node during the TWT SP (paragraph [0124]; [0172]-[0173]; [0241]-[0242]; and so on).
Regarding claim 10, Kim further discloses comprising: setting a timer to a specific value to disable the contention access procedure after receiving the TWT configuration (paragraph [0212]; [0205]-[0206]; [0186]).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses wherein the step of performing the communication with the at least one STA comprises transmitting or receiving a data frame or a management frame to or from the at least one STA to realize a time division multiple access (TDMA) communication (paragraph [0063]-[0064]; [0071]; [0080]; [0092]-[0094]; [0097]-[0098]; and etc.).
Regarding claim 16, Kim discloses when the communication between the first STA and the network node is completed before the first TWT SP ends, the method further comprises: transmitting a trigger frame to the second STA at in a section of the second TWT SP overlapping with the first TWT SP after the communication between the first STA and the network node is completed (figs. 3-4, 7-8, 14-15,19-21, paragraph [0058]-[0062]; [0093]; [0113]; and so on); receiving a PS-Poll frame for indicating a start of handshake of the second TWT SP from the second STA during the second TWT SP; and transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) frame for the PS-poll frame to the second STA during the second TWT SP (figs. 7-8, 14-15, and19-21).
Claims 9 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim and Cavalcanti, and over Jeong et al. (US 2018/0213464 A1).
Regarding claim 9 and 17, as applied above, Kim discloses block acknowledgement (BA) and acknowledgement (ACK). However, Kim doesn’t disclose comprising: setting a BA waiting timeout or an ACK waiting timeout in the long-distance Wi-Fi communication, wherein the BA waiting timeout or the ACK waiting timeout in the long-distance Wi-Fi communication is longer than a default BA waiting timeout or a default ACK waiting timeout.
Jeong teaches BA and ACK. However, Kim doesn’t disclose comprising: setting a BA waiting timeout or an ACK waiting timeout in the long-distance Wi-Fi communication, wherein the BA waiting timeout or the ACK waiting timeout in the long-distance Wi-Fi communication is longer than a default BA waiting timeout or a default ACK waiting timeout (paragraph [0213]; [0236]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the invention to use BA and ACK. However, Kim doesn’t disclose comprising: setting a BA waiting timeout or an ACK waiting timeout in the long-distance Wi-Fi communication, wherein the BA waiting timeout or the ACK waiting timeout in the long-distance Wi-Fi communication is longer than a default BA waiting timeout or a default ACK waiting timeout as taught by Jeong into Kim in order to improve efficiency and quality of communication.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, HUY D VU can be reached at (571)272-3155. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIBROM T HAILU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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