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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment, filed 23 February 2026, has been entered and carefully considered.
Claims 1-9 and 11 are amended.
Claims 10 and 12 are canceled.
Claims 13-17 are newly added.
Claims 1-9, 11 and 13-17 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
The Office notes that Applicant’s arguments pertain to the sections of Xia (i.e., Figure 25) cited to reject the claims filed 20 November 2023, specifically with regards to Claim 1. However, in light of Applicant’s amendment, different sections of Xia are now cited to reject the claims (i.e., Figure 29 and corresponding disclosures). Therefore, Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the citations applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 6-9, 11, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Xia et al (United States Pre-Grant Publication 20210410149), hereinafter Xia.
Regarding Claim 1, Xia discloses an access point, comprising:
control circuitry (Figure 10 and paragraphs 0116-0118 – the station circuitry, which can be programmed to perform the functions of an AP, comprising CPU 18), which, in operation, generates a control signal for allocating, a transmission performed by a plurality of communication apparatuses, a portion of a transmission opportunity which is obtained by the access point (Figure 29 and paragraphs 0207-0211 – the AP acts as a coordinator for sharing the TXOP (i.e., obtains the TXOP) and generates signals (518, 528 and 532) for sharing a portion of the TXOP); and
transmission circuitry (Figure 10 and paragraph 0117 – the station comprises RF module 24 for transmitting and receiving), which, in operation, transmits the control signal in the transmission opportunity which is obtained by the access point (Figure 29 and paragraphs 0207-0211 – the AP sends a MU-RTS share message during the shared TXOP initialization stage and broadcasts a TXOP access request trigger to the non-AP participant stations to allow transmission during the shared TXOP schedule and access stage).
Claim 11 is a method claim comprising the same steps performed by the access point of Claim 1. Therefore, Claim 11 is rejected for the same reasons as presented above for Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 3, Xia discloses the control circuitry configures a common information field common to the plurality of communication apparatuses in the control signal with information indicating, to the plurality of communication apparatuses, sharing of the transmission opportunity (Figure 50 and paragraph 0274 – the MU-RTS share frame comprises a common info field).
Regarding Claim 4, Xia discloses when configuring the information indicating the sharing of the transmission opportunity, the control circuitry configures the control signal with a user information field specific to each of the plurality of communication apparatuses (Figure 50 and paragraph 0276 – the MU-RTS share frame comprises user-specific subfields 1056, shown in further detail in subfields 1057).
Regarding Claim 6, Xia discloses the control circuitry configures a common information field common to the plurality of communication apparatuses in the control signal with information on a time duration of an uplink transmission signal in the portion of the transmission opportunity (Figure 50 and paragraph 0274 - A UL Length subfield indicates the value of the L-SIG LENGTH field of the solicited HE TB PPDU).
Regarding Claim 7, Xia discloses the control circuitry associates a transmission order of the plurality of communication apparatuses in the portion of the transmission opportunity with an arrangement order of user information fields specific to the plurality of communication apparatuses in the control signal (Figure 50 and paragraph 0274 – the user information is arranged in an order in subfield 1056, where each of the user information subfields comprise a resource unit (RU) allocation subfield identifying the size and location of the RU; paragraph 0345 – the advertised configuration includes the RU allocation and order of access for each potential shared TXOP participant station).
Regarding Claim 8, Xia discloses wherein the control circuitry configures the control signal with information indicating a time duration of the uplink transmission performed by the plurality of communication apparatuses in the portion of the transmission opportunity (Figure 50 and paragraph 0273 – the MU-RTS share frame comprises a Duration field containing NAV information used for CSMA/CA channel access).
Regarding Claim 9, Xia discloses the control circuitry configures, in the control signal, at least one of a common information field common to the plurality of communication apparatuses and/or a user information field specific to each of the plurality of communication apparatuses with the information indicating the time duration of the uplink transmission (Figure 50 and paragraph 0273 – the MU-RTS share frame comprises a Duration field in the MAC header (common information field) containing NAV information used for CSMA/CA channel access, thereby meeting the claimed alternative limitation).
Regarding Claim 15, Xia discloses the access point is not included in the plurality of communication apparatuses (Figure 29 – the AP is separate from the non-AP participant STAs).
Regarding Claim 16, Xia discloses wherein the transmission performed by the plurality of communication apparatuses causes one or more communication apparatus other than the plurality of communication apparatuses to set a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) (Figure 29 at 520 – NAV (MU-RTS share) is initiated after the AP (i.e., other than the plurality of communication apparatuses) sends the MU-RTS).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 2, 5 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xia in view of Xin et al (United States Pre-Grant Publication 20220053560), hereinafter Xin.
Regarding Claim 2, Xia discloses the limitations of Claim 1, as described above. However, Xia does not disclose the plurality of communication apparatuses includes a terminal that performs peer to peer (P2P) communication. In an analogous art, Xin discloses this. Specifically, Xin discloses a scenario in which a TXOP is shared and a P2P (inter-terminal) transmission is scheduled first (Figure 46B and paragraphs 0246-0247). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia and Xin. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce contention times and accelerate channel access (see paragraph 0009 of Xin).
Regarding Claim 5, Xia discloses the limitations of Claim 1, as described above. Xia further discloses the control circuitry configures a user information field specific to each of the plurality of communication apparatuses in the control signal with information indicating whether communication in the portion of the transmission opportunity is communication between the access point and each of the plurality of communication apparatuses (Figure 50 and paragraph 0276 – the MU-RTS share frame comprises user-specific subfields 1056, shown in further detail in subfields 1057 for configuration of uplink transmission to the access point). However, Xia does not disclose the control circuitry configures a user information field specific to each of the plurality of communication apparatuses in the control signal with information indicating whether communication in the duration of the transmission opportunity is peer to peer (P2P) communication. Specifically, Xin discloses a scenario in which a TXOP is shared and a P2P (inter-terminal) transmission is scheduled first (Figure 46B and paragraphs 0246-0247), and the AP sends a P2P trigger frame comprising a user info field which is used to determine the packet should be transmitted uplink to the AP or to a receiver specified in a P2P receiver ID field (Figure 57 and paragraphs 0303-0306). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia and Xin. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce contention times and accelerate channel access (see paragraph 0009 of Xin).
Regarding Claim 17, Xia discloses the limitations of Claim 1, as described above. However, Xia does not disclose each of the plurality of communication apparatuses performs peer to peer (P2P) communication. In an analogous art, Xin discloses this. Specifically, Xin discloses a scenario in which a TXOP is shared and a P2P (inter-terminal) transmission is scheduled first (Figure 46B and paragraphs 0246-0247). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia and Xin. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce contention times and accelerate channel access (see paragraph 0009 of Xin).
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xia in view of Kim et al (United States Pre-Grant Publication 2023/0413327), hereinafter Kim.
Regarding Claim 13, Xia discloses the limitations of Claim 1, as described above. However, Xia does not disclose the control signal is a Multi-User Request-To-Send Transmission opportunity sharing (MU-RTS TXS) Trigger frame. In an analogous art, Kim discloses this. Specifically, at Figure 19 at s1910 and paragraph 0199, Kim discloses an access point (AP) transmits a multi user-request to send (MU-RTS) frame to a first station (STA). The MU-RTS frame may be a MU-RTS trigger frame or a MU-RTS TXOP Sharing (TXS) trigger frame. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia and Kim. One would have been motivated to do so in order to avoid collisions between stations (refer to paragraphs 0190 and 0192 of Kim).
Regarding Claim 14, Xia discloses the limitations of Claim 1, as described above. However, Xia does not disclose the transmission performed by the plurality of communication apparatuses is a non-trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (non-TB PPDU) transmission. In an analogous art, Kim discloses this. Specifically, at paragraph 0146, Kim discloses the triggered TXOP sharing procedure allows the AP to allocate only one non-AP STA a portion of the time in the acquired TXOP to transmit one or more non-TB PPDUs). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia and Kim. One would have been motivated to do so in order to avoid collisions between stations (refer to paragraphs 0190 and 0192 of Kim).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Xia et al (United States Pre-Grant Publication 2022/0174732) discloses sharing portions of TXOPs (Figure 11C and paragraphs 0162-0166).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW W. CHRISS whose telephone number is (571)272-1774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm ET.
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/ANDREW W CHRISS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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