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.
Claims 1, 2, 8 – 11, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Srivastava et al. (Pub. No.: US 2017/0041106; hereinafter Srivastava) in view of Liu et al. (Pub. No.: US 2010/0091669; hereinafter Liu).
Regarding claim 1, Srivastava discloses a scheduling method, applied to a master node in a mesh network, wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of nodes comprising the master node (see para. 0016, communication management resource (ex: controller, server, etc…)) and a plurality of child nodes (see Fig. 1, a plurality of access points 105-1) configured to connect a terminal device to the mesh network (see Fig. 1, communication device 120-1 in a network environment), and wherein the terminal device is configured with a resource parameter comprising at least a preset bandwidth which satisfies a bandwidth required by the terminal device for executing a target service (see para. 0056, 0062, certain types of communication devices such as communication device 120-1 may require only low bandwidth (such as less than 3 MHz bandwidth) wireless capability, para. 0070, the communication management resource 140 allocates use of the wireless spectrum (such as a selected channel bandwidth of 20 MHz, minimum sized WiFi™ channel, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 channel, etc.) in different time frames for use by the different communication devices 120), the method comprising: receiving reporting information sent by the child nodes in the mesh network (see para. 0057 0060,… the communication device 120-1 (ex: terminal) transmits the unique identifier value such as network address information 2225 along with the request over wireless communication link 127-1 to the communication management resource 140, see Fig. 1, where the communication management resource 140 maybe located within the access point 105-1 so the communication management resource 140 (ex: master node) may receive the unique identifier along with the request (ex: report) from the access point 105-1 (ex: child node)); determining, according to the reporting information, whether a target link exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on the target link is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2, 0058 – 0062, the communication management resource 140 can be configured to take into account the classification type (based on the received network address reported) of the communication device requesting wireless bandwidth when subdividing available wireless bandwidth for use by each of the different communication devices. For example, it may be known that the communication device 120-1 (which is a refrigerator) may require use of only low bandwidth (such as less than 5 MHz) to convey data for communicating to the access point 105-1).
Srivastava does not disclose the following claimed features: regarding claim 1, in response to determining that the target link does not exist, determining whether a target child node exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on a link from the terminal device to a network egress through the target child node is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device; and in response to determining that the target child node exists, scheduling the terminal device from a child node to which the terminal device is currently connected to the target child node.
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses in response to determining that the target link does not exist, determining whether a target child node exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on a link from the terminal device to a network egress through the target child node is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device (see Fig. 1, para. 0031, RALA metric incorporates channel available bandwidth awareness and load balancing, para. 0034 – 0035, When an end device selects an AP/RN with which to associate/connect (either during its initialization period or during a handoff period to a new AP/RN due to access link quality deterioration of its current AP/RN)… When an end device compares the RALA (ex: channel available bandwidth awareness) of other APs with that of the AP/RN with which it is currently associated/connected, in an effort to determine whether to switch to another AP/RN…); and in response to determining that the target child node exists, scheduling the terminal device from a child node to which the terminal device is currently connected to the target child node (see Fig. 1, para. 0035, 0046, … the end device initiates an association with/connection to a new AP/RN (after disconnecting from/disassociating with the current AP/RN)).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Srivastava, and have the features, as taught by Liu, to jointly consider the access link quality between the end device and the AP/RN and the path quality of the AP/RN to the GW/BS during AP/RN selection in the multi-hop wireless networks greatly improves the communication quality by providing higher throughput and lower end-to-end delay, as discussed by Liu (para. 0050).
Regarding claim 2, Srivastava discloses wherein a plurality of terminal devices access the mesh network, the resource parameter further comprises a priority, and determining, according to the reporting information, whether a target link exists in the mesh network comprises: sequentially determining, according to the reporting information and in a descending order of priorities of the plurality of terminal devices accessing the mesh network, whether a target link from each of the plurality of terminal devices to the network egress exists in the mesh network (see Fig. 3, where there is a descending order of service/security level priorities associated to the terminals making a request for bandwidth, para. 0065 – 0068, the communication management resource 140, when identifying an amount of bandwidth to allocate for use by respective communication devices, can be configured to identify service level settings associated with an application and/or mobile communication device generating the request for the wireless bandwidth. The communication management resource 140 then subdivides the wireless channel in accordance with the service level settings…).
Regarding claim 8, Srivastava discloses wherein the preset bandwidth is a minimum bandwidth required by the terminal device for executing the target service (see para. 0056, 0062, for example, it may be known that the communication device 120-1 (which is a refrigerator) may require use of only low bandwidth (such as less than 5 MHz) to convey data for communicating).
Regarding claim 9, Srivastava discloses a master node (see para. 0016, 0101, communication management resource (ex: controller, server, etc…)) comprising: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, wherein, the memory stores an instruction executable by the at least one processor which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a scheduling method applied to the master node in a mesh network (see Fig. 7, para. 0100 – 0108, computer readable storage media 812 is encoded with communication management application 140-1 (e.g., software, firmware, etc.) executed by processor 813 (hardware)), wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of nodes comprising the master node (see para. 0016, communication management resource (ex: controller, server, etc…)) and a plurality of child nodes (see Fig. 1, a plurality of access points 105-1) configured to connect a terminal device to the mesh network (see Fig. 1, communication device 120-1 in a network environment), and wherein the terminal device is configured with a resource parameter comprising at least a preset bandwidth which satisfies a bandwidth required by the terminal device for executing a target service (see para. 0056, 0062, certain types of communication devices such as communication device 120-1 may require only low bandwidth (such as less than 3 MHz bandwidth) wireless capability, para. 0070, the communication management resource 140 allocates use of the wireless spectrum (such as a selected channel bandwidth of 20 MHz, minimum sized WiFi™ channel, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 channel, etc.) in different time frames for use by the different communication devices 120), the method comprising: receiving reporting information sent by the child nodes in the mesh network (see para. 0057 0060,… the communication device 120-1 (ex: terminal) transmits the unique identifier value such as network address information 2225 along with the request over wireless communication link 127-1 to the communication management resource 140, see Fig. 1, where the communication management resource 140 maybe located within the access point 105-1 so the communication management resource 140 (ex: master node) may receive the unique identifier along with the request (ex: report) from the access point 105-1 (ex: child node)); determining, according to the reporting information, whether a target link exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on the target link is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2, 0058 – 0062, the communication management resource 140 can be configured to take into account the classification type (based on the received network address reported) of the communication device requesting wireless bandwidth when subdividing available wireless bandwidth for use by each of the different communication devices. For example, it may be known that the communication device 120-1 (which is a refrigerator) may require use of only low bandwidth (such as less than 5 MHz) to convey data for communicating to the access point 105-1).
Srivastava does not disclose the following claimed features: regarding claim 9, in response to determining that the target link does not exist, determining whether a target child node exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on a link from the terminal device to a network egress through the target child node is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device; and in response to determining that the target child node exists, scheduling the terminal device from a child node to which the terminal device is currently connected to the target child node.
Regarding claim 9, Liu discloses in response to determining that the target link does not exist, determining whether a target child node exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on a link from the terminal device to a network egress through the target child node is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device (see Fig. 1, para. 0031, RALA metric incorporates channel available bandwidth awareness and load balancing, para. 0034 – 0035, When an end device selects an AP/RN with which to associate/connect (either during its initialization period or during a handoff period to a new AP/RN due to access link quality deterioration of its current AP/RN… When an end device compares the RALA (ex: channel available bandwidth awareness) of other APs with that of the AP/RN with which it is currently associated/connected, in an effort to determine whether to switch to another AP/RN…); and in response to determining that the target child node exists, scheduling the terminal device from a child node to which the terminal device is currently connected to the target child node (see Fig. 1, para. 0035, 0046, … the end device initiates an association with/connection to a new AP/RN (after disconnecting from/disassociating with the current AP/RN)).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Srivastava, and have the features, as taught by Liu, to jointly consider the access link quality between the end device and the AP/RN and the path quality of the AP/RN to the GW/BS during AP/RN selection in the multi-hop wireless networks greatly improves the communication quality by providing higher throughput and lower end-to-end delay, as discussed by Liu (para. 0050).
Regarding claim 10, Srivastava discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a scheduling method applied to the master node in a mesh network (see Fig. 7, para. 0100 – 0108, computer readable storage media 812 is encoded with communication management application 140-1 (e.g., software, firmware, etc.) executed by processor 813 (hardware)), wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of nodes comprising a master node (see para. 0016, communication management resource (ex: controller, server, etc…)) and a plurality of child nodes (see Fig. 1, a plurality of access points 105-1) configured to connect a terminal device to the mesh network (see Fig. 1, communication device 120-1 in a network environment), and wherein the terminal device is configured with a resource parameter comprising at least a preset bandwidth which satisfies a bandwidth required by the terminal device for executing a target service (see para. 0056, 0062, certain types of communication devices such as communication device 120-1 may require only low bandwidth (such as less than 3 MHz bandwidth) wireless capability, para. 0070, the communication management resource 140 allocates use of the wireless spectrum (such as a selected channel bandwidth of 20 MHz, minimum sized WiFi™ channel, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 channel, etc.) in different time frames for use by the different communication devices 120), the method comprising: receiving reporting information sent by the child nodes in the mesh network (see para. 0057 0060,… the communication device 120-1 (ex: terminal) transmits the unique identifier value such as network address information 2225 along with the request over wireless communication link 127-1 to the communication management resource 140, see Fig. 1, where the communication management resource 140 maybe located within the access point 105-1 so the communication management resource 140 (ex: master node) may receive the unique identifier along with the request (ex: report) from the access point 105-1 (ex: child node)); determining, according to the reporting information, whether a target link exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on the target link is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2, 0058 – 0062, the communication management resource 140 can be configured to take into account the classification type (based on the received network address reported) of the communication device requesting wireless bandwidth when subdividing available wireless bandwidth for use by each of the different communication devices. For example, it may be known that the communication device 120-1 (which is a refrigerator) may require use of only low bandwidth (such as less than 5 MHz) to convey data for communicating to the access point 105-1).
Srivastava does not disclose the following claimed features: regarding claim 10, in response to determining that the target link does not exist, determining whether a target child node exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on a link from the terminal device to a network egress through the target child node is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device; and in response to determining that the target child node exists, scheduling the terminal device from a child node to which the terminal device is currently connected to the target child node.
Regarding claim 10, Liu discloses in response to determining that the target link does not exist, determining whether a target child node exists in the mesh network, wherein each node on a link from the terminal device to a network egress through the target child node is capable of providing the preset bandwidth for the terminal device (see Fig. 1, para. 0031, RALA metric incorporates channel available bandwidth awareness and load balancing, para. 0034 – 0035, When an end device selects an AP/RN with which to associate/connect (either during its initialization period or during a handoff period to a new AP/RN due to access link quality deterioration of its current AP/RN… When an end device compares the RALA (ex: channel available bandwidth awareness) of other APs with that of the AP/RN with which it is currently associated/connected, in an effort to determine whether to switch to another AP/RN…); and in response to determining that the target child node exists, scheduling the terminal device from a child node to which the terminal device is currently connected to the target child node (see Fig. 1, para. 0035, 0046, … the end device initiates an association with/connection to a new AP/RN (after disconnecting from/disassociating with the current AP/RN)).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Srivastava, and have the features, as taught by Liu, to jointly consider the access link quality between the end device and the AP/RN and the path quality of the AP/RN to the GW/BS during AP/RN selection in the multi-hop wireless networks greatly improves the communication quality by providing higher throughput and lower end-to-end delay, as discussed by Liu (para. 0050).
Regarding claim 11, Srivastava discloses wherein a plurality of terminal devices access the mesh network, the resource parameter further comprises a priority, and determining, according to the reporting information, whether a target link exists in the mesh network comprises: sequentially determining, according to the reporting information and in a descending order of priorities of the plurality of terminal devices accessing the mesh network, whether a target link from each of the plurality of terminal devices to the network egress exists in the mesh network (see Fig. 3, where there is a descending order of service/security level priorities associated to the terminals making a request for bandwidth, para. 0065 – 0068, the communication management resource 140, when identifying an amount of bandwidth to allocate for use by respective communication devices, can be configured to identify service level settings associated with an application and/or mobile communication device generating the request for the wireless bandwidth. The communication management resource 140 then subdivides the wireless channel in accordance with the service level settings…).
Regarding claim 16, Srivastava discloses, wherein a plurality of terminal devices access the mesh network, the resource parameter further comprises a priority, and determining, according to the reporting information, whether a target link exists in the mesh network comprises: sequentially determining, according to the reporting information and in a descending order of priorities of the plurality of terminal devices accessing the mesh network, whether a target link from each of the plurality of terminal devices to the network egress exists in the mesh network (see Fig. 3, where there is a descending order of service/security level priorities associated to the terminals making a request for bandwidth, para. 0065 – 0068, the communication management resource 140, when identifying an amount of bandwidth to allocate for use by respective communication devices, can be configured to identify service level settings associated with an application and/or mobile communication device generating the request for the wireless bandwidth. The communication management resource 140 then subdivides the wireless channel in accordance with the service level settings…).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 – 7, 12 – 15 and 17 - 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Anh Ngoc M Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 270-5139. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang Bin Yao can be reached on ((571) 272-3182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH NGOC M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473