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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 16 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 16, said claim is dependent upon claim 8, which is cancelled. Examiner infers that Applicant may have intended for claim 16 to depend upon claim 12.
Regarding claim 27, claim 27 recites the limitation "for the trigger-based uplink transmission" in the last line of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination, the Examiner shall interpret the aforementioned limitation as “for a trigger-based uplink transmission.”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) is/are NOT directed to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter. The claimed “computer-readable storage medium” is/are defined in Applicant’s specification (page 7, last paragraph) in an open-ended manner, where a storage medium may be “a floppy disk, a CD-ROM, a hard disk drive, a magnetic tape device or a solid-state memory device and the like. A transient carrier medium may include a signal such as an electrical signal, an electronic signal, an optical signal, an acoustic signal, a magnetic signal or an electromagnetic signal, e.g., a microwave or RF signal.” The Examiner notes that although a tangible, non-transitory carrier medium is disclosed as comprising a storage medium, the specification does not indicate that the storage medium itself is exclusive to such media. Given the open-ended nature of the examples given to represent a storage medium, the broadest reasonable interpretation in light of Applicant’s own specification would be that a storage medium may include transient carrier media. Examiner suggests amending the claims to recite "A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium" where appropriate. See Official Gazette Notice 1351 OG 212 (February 23, 2010).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 7, 10-13, 16, 18, 21-27, 36-38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 20210259033 A1 to Kim; Namyeong et al.
Re: Claim(s) 1, 12, 23, 25-27
Kim discloses a communication method in a wireless communication network comprising an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) having multiple affiliated access points, and a station MLD, having multiple affiliated stations, both station MLD and AP MLD being able to exchange data using one or more links (Fig. 29 and 0323 - FIG. 29 illustrates an example of a BSR operation considering a multi-link. 0324 - Referring to FIG. 29, an AP MLD may include an AP 1, an AP 2, and an AP 3. A non-AP MLD may include an STA 1, an STA 2, and an STA 3. The AP 1 and the STA 1 may be connected through a link 1. The AP 2 and the STA 2 may be connected through a link 2. The AP 3 and the STA 3 may be connected through a link 3),
the method comprising at the station MLD: transmitting to the AP MLD a multi-link buffer status report (ML-BSR) comprising an information relating to an amount of data to be transmitted, for the AP MLD to schedule a resource to the station MLD to transmit data (Fig. 29 – Buffer status report for STA 1, STA 2, STA3. Fig. 30 and 0329 - FIG. 30 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a multi-link device (MLD). 0330 - in step S3010, the MLD may identify data buffered in the MLD. 0343 - In step S3030, the MLD may transmit information on the data buffered in the MLD. According to an embodiment, the MLD may transmit the information on data buffered in the MLD, through the first STA. For example, the information on data buffered in the MLD may be transmitted through a buffer status report (BSR) frame. 0317 - Conventionally, buffer status information for one STA indicated in one RA can be indicated. However, according to an embodiment of the present specification, there is an advantage in that buffer status information for all STAs in a non-AP MLD can be indicated through one frame. In addition, an AP MLD which has received this may allocate a resource for a UL-MU operation by considering a buffer status of all STAs in the non-AP MLD);
and wherein the ML-BSR further comprises information relating to a link on which the resource is expected station to be scheduled to the station MLD for the transmission of the amount of data to be transmitted (See at least Fig. 28 and 0316 - a BSR control subfield 2800 may include a control ID subfield 2810 and a control information per link subfield 2820. The control information per link subfield 2820 may include at least one BSR control information subfield. The at least one BSR control information subfield may be configured contiguously in the control information per link subfield 2820).
Kim further discloses:
A corresponding method performed by an AP MLD (see as analyzed above) as required by claim 12;
An AP MLD comprising a microprocessor (Fig. 19 – 610) as required by claim 23;
An station MLD comprising a microprocessor (Fig. 19 – 610) as required by claim 25;
An computer-readable storage medium corresponding to the method of claim 1 (Fig. 19 – 620) as required by claim 26; and
A method corresponding to the method of claim 1 that is trigger-based (see as analyzed above and 0318 – solicited BSR method).
Re: Claim(s) 21, 24
Kim discloses a communication method in a wireless communication network comprising an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) having multiple affiliated access points, and a station MLD, having multiple affiliated stations, both station MLD and AP MLD being able to exchange data using one or more links (Fig. 29 and 0323 - FIG. 29 illustrates an example of a BSR operation considering a multi-link. 0324 - Referring to FIG. 29, an AP MLD may include an AP 1, an AP 2, and an AP 3. A non-AP MLD may include an STA 1, an STA 2, and an STA 3. The AP 1 and the STA 1 may be connected through a link 1. The AP 2 and the STA 2 may be connected through a link 2. The AP 3 and the STA 3 may be connected through a link 3),
the method comprising at the station MLD: transmitting to the AP MLD a multi-link buffer status report (ML-BSR) informing about a determined link and comprising an information relating to a resource allocation on the determined link to be used for a subsequent uplink transmission, and information relating to an amount of data that the allocated resource is capable to convey (Fig. 29 – Buffer status report for STA 1, STA 2, STA3. Fig. 30 and 0329 - FIG. 30 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a multi-link device (MLD). 0330 - in step S3010, the MLD may identify data buffered in the MLD. 0343 - In step S3030, the MLD may transmit information on the data buffered in the MLD. According to an embodiment, the MLD may transmit the information on data buffered in the MLD, through the first STA. For example, the information on data buffered in the MLD may be transmitted through a buffer status report (BSR) frame. 0317 - Conventionally, buffer status information for one STA indicated in one RA can be indicated. However, according to an embodiment of the present specification, there is an advantage in that buffer status information for all STAs in a non-AP MLD can be indicated through one frame. In addition, an AP MLD which has received this may allocate a resource for a UL-MU operation by considering a buffer status of all STAs in the non-AP MLD. The Examiner notes that per the claim language, the function of the ML-BSR appears to only be directed to resource allocation for an uplink transmission on a particular link).
Kim further discloses An AP MLD comprising a microprocessor (Fig. 19 – 610) as required by claim 24.
Re: Claim(s) 2, 13
Kim discloses wherein the method further comprises: receiving from the AP MLD scheduling information for the transmission of the amount of data to be transmitted; and transmitting the amount of data to be transmitted according to the received scheduling information (0317 - Conventionally, buffer status information for one STA indicated in one RA can be indicated. However, according to an embodiment of the present specification, there is an advantage in that buffer status information for all STAs in a non-AP MLD can be indicated through one frame. In addition, an AP MLD which has received this may allocate a resource for a UL-MU operation by considering a buffer status of all STAs in the non-AP MLD). The Examiner notes that the intended use implies a subsequent transmission in accordance to the resource allocation).
Re: Claim(s) 3
Kim discloses wherein the ML-BSR comprises a first field comprising information relating to the amount of data in a buffer of the station MLD, a second field comprising information relating to the link on which the resource is expected to be scheduled to the station MLD for the transmission of the amount of data to be transmitted, and a third field comprising information reporting the type of data (Fig. 28 – Queue size, Link ID, ACI bitmap).
Re: Claim(s) 7, 16
Kim discloses wherein the method comprises at the station MLD: sending a link bitmap indicating one or more links for which an amount of data to be transmitted is provided (Fig. 28).
Re: Claim(s) 10, 18
Kim discloses wherein the transmission of the ML-BSR is in response to a receiving of a request to provide information relating to an amount of data to be transmitted by the station MLD for a given type of data and information relating to a link on which the resource is expected to be scheduled to the station MLD for the transmission of the amount of data to be transmitted, wherein the request is from the AP MLD (0318 - According to an embodiment, an example of a field format of the aforementioned embodiment (e.g., the embodiment of FIG. 27 or FIG. 28) may be applied to a BSR control frame based on a solicited BSR method and an unsolicited BSR method. Fig. 29 and 0328 - the non-AP MLD may perform a solicited BSR operation. The non-AP MLD may receive a frame (e.g., a buffer status report poll (BSRP) frame) for requesting for the BSR. The non-AP MLD may transmit the BSR to the AP MLD, in response to the frame. Similarly to the unsolicited BSR operation, the non-AP MLD may transmit the BSR for all STAs in the non-AP MLD through one link).
Re: Claim(s) 11
Kim discloses wherein the ML-BSR is transmitted using a link different from the link indicated within the ML-BSR (Fig. 29 and 0325 - the STA 1 of the non-AP MLD may transmit buffer status information of all STAs (e.g., the STA 1, the STA 2, and the STA 3) by using one frame (i.e., BSR frame) to an AP MLD through the link 1).
Re: Claim(s) 36
Kim discloses wherein the ML-BSR further comprises an information reporting a type of data which is associated with the amount of data to be transmitted (Fig. 28 – ACI bitmap).
Re: Claim(s) 37
Kim discloses wherein the station MLD is a non-AP MLD, whose affiliated stations are non-AP stations (Fig. 29).
Re: Claim(s) 38
Kim discloses wherein the station MLD is an AP MLD, whose affiliated stations are AP stations (0365 - The aforementioned technical feature of the present specification may be applied to various apparatuses and methods. For example, the aforementioned technical feature of the present specification may be performed/supported through the device of FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 19. 0052 - For example, the STAs 110 and 120 may serve as an AP or a non-AP. That is, the STAs 110 and 120 of the present specification may serve as the AP and/or the non-AP. The Examiner notes that in the given context of the Kim disclosure, the entities performing the BSR transmission are interchangeable as a station MLD or an AP MLD).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 20110275316 A1 to Suumaki; Jan et al.
Re: Claim(s) 39
Kim discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 1 above.
Kim further discloses wherein the station MLD is a non-AP MLD, whose affiliated stations are non-AP stations (Fig. 29).
Kim does/do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein the AP MLD is a software AP supporting Wi-Fi Direct protocol.
However, further attention is directed to Suumaki which discloses said limitation (0054 - The Wi-Fi Alliance is preparing a new WLAN device-to-device specification entitled Wi-Fi Direct, to enable Wi-Fi devices to connect to one another, point-to-point, without joining a network. The specification may be implemented in any Wi-Fi device. Devices that support the specification will be able to discover one another and advertise available services. Wi-Fi Direct devices will support typical Wi-Fi ranges and the same data rates as can be achieved with an infrastructure connection. Wi-Fi Direct provides point-to-point connections for networks by embedding a software access point into any device that wishes to support Wi-Fi Direct).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Kim invention by employing the teaching as taught by Suumaki to provide the ability to implement a software AP supporting Wi-Fi Direct in the AP MLD device of Kim. The motivation for the combination is given by Suumaki (0054) where the specification may be implemented in any Wi-Fi device and since Kim is directed to Wi-Fi devices (see at least 0003, 0048, 0057, and 0243).
Conclusion
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/KASHIF SIDDIQUI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415