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
The following is a final office action in response to the communication filed on 04/22/2026. Claims 1, 5, 14 and 20 have been amended. Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments and remarks filed on 04/22/2026 have been fully considered.
Applicant’s amendments overcome the objections to the specification.
Applicant’s arguments provided for the U.S.C. §102 and §103 rejections of claims 1-4 and 6-20 have been considered but moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 4-5 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.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "determine a distance" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim, as “a determined distance” has already been introduced in claim 1, and it is not clear if the distance of claim 4 is the same or different as that of claim 1.
Claim 5 is also rejected because it depends on claim 4.
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 1-11, 13 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US-20180310194-A1; hereinafter Yang) in view of Sheriff et al. (US-20230007976-A1; hereinafter Sheriff).
Regarding claim 1, Yang discloses [note, what Yang fails to teach is strike-through]:
A client device (see at least Fig. 14, communications device 1100), comprising:
a processor (see at least Fig. 14, processor 1120); at least one network interface controller (see at least [0266]; The processor 1120 is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory, to control the transceiver 1110 to receive or send information.”) configured to provide access to a network (see at least [0109]; “A communications device and a response device may both communicate with one or more core networks by using a radio access network (RAN). Each of the communications device and the response device may be a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone (or referred to as a “cellular” phone) or a computer with a mobile terminal. For example, each of the communications device and the response device may be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer built-in, or in-vehicle mobile apparatus, which exchanges voice or data with the radio access network or may exchange voice and data at the same. Each of the communications device and the response device may also be a device such as an access point AP (Access Point) or a base station. Generally, a terminal having a Wi-Fi function may be a communications device or a response device.” See also [0277] – [0278]); and
a memory (see at least Fig. 14, memory 1130) communicatively coupled to the processor (see at least [0266]; “The processor 1120 is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory, to control the transceiver 1110 to receive or send information.”), wherein the memory comprises a
fine timing measurement (FTM) logic that is configured to:
receive an FTM frame via a multi-user (MU) frame (see at least [0267]; “The transceiver 1110 is configured to: send a fine timing measurement FTM request frame to a response device; and receive a first FTM measurement frame that is sent by the response device according to the FTM request frame, where the first FTM measurement frame includes a measurement parameter of each of at least two devices and identifier information used to indicate each device.”);
transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) frame based on the MU frame (see at least [0269]; “Optionally, the first FTM measurement frame received by the transceiver 1120 includes feedback indication information, and the feedback indication information is used to indicate a time interval at which the communications device sends response information after the communications device receives the first FTM measurement frame. Optionally, the transceiver 1110 is further configured to: send the response information to the response device according to the first FTM measurement frame…”);
calculate a round-trip time (RTT) associated with a network device and the client device based on the FTM frame or the ACK frame (see at least Eq. 1 in [0128], where the numerator of the fraction represents the RTT before being scaled by the speed of light to find a distance. See also [0128]; “After receiving the two FTM request frames, the response device may broadcast a first FTM measurement frame, and a moment of sending the first FTM measurement frame by the response device is T1. The first FTM measurement frame may include a first measurement parameter of the first communications device, a second measurement parameter of the second communications device, first identifier information used to indicate the first communications device, and second identifier information used to indicate the second communications device. After receiving the first FTM measurement frame, the first communications device may obtain the first measurement parameter of the first communications device according to the first identifier information. A moment of receiving the first FTM measurement frame by the first communications device is T2. The first communications device sends first ACK to the response device, and a moment of sending the first ACK by the first communications device is T3. The response device receives the first ACK sent by the first communications device, and a moment of receiving the first ACK is T4…After receiving the second FTM measurement frame, the first communications device can learn of, by using the first identifier information, the receiving moment T4 corresponding to the first communications device.”);
determine (see at least Eq. 1 in paragraph [0128], to determine the distance between the response device and communications device);
Yang discloses a FTM method where frames are communicated to multiple users, and Sheriff is directed to estimating distances between a user device and an access point based on a series of FTM ranging bursts exchanged between the user device and the access point. Sheriff teaches:
A fine timing measurement (FTM) logic that is configured to:
receive FTM frames (see at least [0023]; “The device 104 exchanges FTM ranging bursts 122 with the access point 106A. The FTM ranging bursts 122 include one or more packets or messages communicated by the device 104 to the access point 106A.”);
calculate a time associated with a network device and the client device based on the FTM frame (see at least [0024]; “The access point 106A determines time intervals 124 between the receptions of the FTM ranging bursts 122. The time intervals 124 represent the time that lapsed between the receptions of consecutive FTM ranging bursts 122. The access point 106A then uses these time intervals 124 to estimate distances 126 between the access point 106A and the device 104.”);
determine a quality of a determined distance between the network device and the client device (see at least [0025]; “The access point 106A calculates a variance 127 of the estimated distances 126. The variance 127 represents the variability in the estimated distances 126, which reveals inaccuracies in the estimated distances 126. The lower the variance 127, the more accurate the estimated distances 126 are. The higher the variance 127, the more inaccurate the estimated distances 126 are.”); and
compare the determined quality of the determined distance to a threshold (see at least [0025]; “The access point 106A compares the variance 127 to one or more thresholds 126.”).
Both Yang and Sheriff use the measured timing FTM messages exchanged between devices to calculate the distance between the two devices. Sheriff measures the variance of calculated distances in order to assess their accuracy. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Yang to measure the variance across multiple distance measurements and compare those measurements to a threshold, as taught by Sheriff. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to compute the variance in order to assess the measurement accuracy and take appropriate action, as taught by Sheriff (see at least [0025]; “The variance 127 represents the variability in the estimated distances 126, which reveals inaccuracies in the estimated distances 126… Depending on which of these thresholds 128 the variance 127 exceeds, the access point 106A may instruct the device 104 to take different remedial actions to reduce the variance 127.”).
Regarding claim 2, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 1. Yang further teaches:
wherein the MU frame is received from the network device (see at least Fig. 3, where S220 FTM measurement frame is sent from the response device to multiple communications devices. Lists of network devices that can embody the response device are given in [0109].), and the ACK frame is transmitted to the network device (see at least Fig. 3, where the Response Information S240 is sent from the communications device to the response device).
Regarding claim 3, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 2. Yang further teaches:
wherein the MU frame is associated with a first transmit time and a first receive time (see at least [0128]; “After receiving the two FTM request frames, the response device may broadcast a first FTM measurement frame, and a moment of sending the first FTM measurement frame by the response device is T1. The first FTM measurement frame may include a first measurement parameter of the first communications device, a second measurement parameter of the second communications device, first identifier information used to indicate the first communications device, and second identifier information used to indicate the second communications device. After receiving the first FTM measurement frame, the first communications device may obtain the first measurement parameter of the first communications device according to the first identifier information. A moment of receiving the first FTM measurement frame by the first communications device is T2.”), the ACK frame is associated with a second transmit time and a second receive time (see at least [0128]; “The first communications device sends first ACK to the response device, and a moment of sending the first ACK by the first communications device is T3. The response device receives the first ACK sent by the first communications device, and a moment of receiving the first ACK is T4-”), and the RTT is calculated based on one or more of the first transmit time, the first receive time, the second transmit time, or the second receive time (see at least Eq. 1 in paragraph [0128], where the RTT is calculated using T1 through T4).
Regarding claim 4, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 1. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM logic is further configured to determine a distance between the network device and the client device based on the RTT (see at least Eq. 1 in paragraph [0128], to determine the distance between the response device and communications device).
Regarding claim 6, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 1. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM logic is further configured to:
transmit an FTM request frame to the network device (see at least Fig. 3, S210 FTM request frame transmitted from communications device to response device), the FTM request frame comprising an indication of support for an MU mode (see at least [0142]; “Optionally, in the measurement method 200, at least one of the FTM request frame or the first FTM measurement frame may include function indication information used to indicate that the communications device supports multi-user measurement.”).
Regarding claim 7, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 6. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM logic is further configured to: receive an FTM response frame from the network device, the FTM response frame comprising an indication of the MU mode (see at least [0142]; “Optionally, in the measurement method 200, at least one of the FTM request frame or the first FTM measurement frame may include function indication information used to indicate that the communications device supports multi-user measurement. That is, the FTM request frame may include the function indication information; or the first FTM measurement frame may include the function indication information; or both the FTM request frame and the first FTM measurement frame include the function indication information.”).
Regarding claim 8, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 6. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM request frame further comprises an indication of a requested channel bandwidth that is greater than a threshold (see at least [0142] – [ 0143]; “That is, the FTM request frame may include the function indication information… The function indication information may be carried in the measurement parameter field. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the measurement parameter field (e.g., Fine Timing Measurement Parameters Field Format). As shown in FIG. 5, the measurement parameter field may include… an FTM format and bandwidth used to indicate an FTM frame type and an occupied bandwidth (for example, the type is an 11n type or an 11ac type, and the bandwidth is 20 M, or 40 M, or 80 M); and a measurement group period (e.g., Burst period) used to indicate duration of a measurement group (burst).”).
Regarding claim 9, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 1. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM frame occupies a subset of a plurality of resource units (RUs) of the MU frame (see at least Fig. 4 and [0140]; “FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an action field in an FTM measurement frame… The first FTM measurement frame may be understood as a measurement frame including public information and dedicated information. The public information is information that can be shared by multiple communications devices, and the dedicated information is dedicated information of each communications device. The dedicated information may include a measurement parameter of each communications device.”).
Regarding claim 10, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 9. Yang further teaches:
wherein one or more RUs in the plurality of RUs not occupied by the FTM frame comprise data destined for one or more other client devices different from the client device (see at least Fig. 4 and [0140]; “FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an action field in an FTM measurement frame… The first FTM measurement frame may be understood as a measurement frame including public information and dedicated information. The public information is information that can be shared by multiple communications devices, and the dedicated information is dedicated information of each communications device. The dedicated information may include a measurement parameter of each communications device.”).
Regarding claim 11, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 1. Yang further teaches:
wherein the MU frame is associated with a channel bandwidth that is at least 80 MHz (see at least [0143]; “…an FTM format and bandwidth used to indicate an FTM frame type and an occupied bandwidth (for example, the type is an 11n type or an 11ac type, and the bandwidth is 20 M, or 40 M, or 80 M)…”).
Regarding claim 13, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 1. Yang further teaches:
wherein the network device comprises an access point (see at least [0109]; “Each of the communications device and the response device may also be a device such as an access point AP (Access Point) or a base station.”).
Regarding claim 20, Yang discloses:
A method for wireless ranging (see at least [0128]; “It can be learned according to a formula (1) that, by means of the method, a distance between the first communications device and the response device can be obtained; and similarly, a distance between second communications device and the response device can be obtained…”), comprising:
receiving a fine timing measurement (FTM) frame via a multi-user (MU) frame (see at least [0267]; “The transceiver 1110 is configured to: send a fine timing measurement FTM request frame to a response device; and receive a first FTM measurement frame that is sent by the response device according to the FTM request frame, where the first FTM measurement frame includes a measurement parameter of each of at least two devices and identifier information used to indicate each device.”);
transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) frame based on the MU frame (see at least [0269]; “Optionally, the first FTM measurement frame received by the transceiver 1120 includes feedback indication information, and the feedback indication information is used to indicate a time interval at which the communications device sends response information after the communications device receives the first FTM measurement frame. Optionally, the transceiver 1110 is further configured to: send the response information to the response device according to the first FTM measurement frame…”);
calculating a round-trip time (RTT) associated with a network device and a client device based on the FTM frame or the ACK frame (see at least Eq. 1 in [0128], where the numerator of the fraction represents the RTT before being scaled by the speed of light to find a distance. See also [0128]; “After receiving the two FTM request frames, the response device may broadcast a first FTM measurement frame, and a moment of sending the first FTM measurement frame by the response device is T1. The first FTM measurement frame may include a first measurement parameter of the first communications device, a second measurement parameter of the second communications device, first identifier information used to indicate the first communications device, and second identifier information used to indicate the second communications device. After receiving the first FTM measurement frame, the first communications device may obtain the first measurement parameter of the first communications device according to the first identifier information. A moment of receiving the first FTM measurement frame by the first communications device is T2. The first communications device sends first ACK to the response device, and a moment of sending the first ACK by the first communications device is T3. The response device receives the first ACK sent by the first communications device, and a moment of receiving the first ACK is T4…After receiving the second FTM measurement frame, the first communications device can learn of, by using the first identifier information, the receiving moment T4 corresponding to the first communications device.”);
determining (see at least Eq. 1 in paragraph [0128], to determine the distance between the response device and communications device);
Yang discloses a FTM method where frames are communicated to multiple users, and Sheriff is directed to estimating distances between a user device and an access point based on a series of FTM ranging bursts exchanged between the user device and the access point. Sheriff teaches:
Receiving FTM frames (see at least [0023]; “The device 104 exchanges FTM ranging bursts 122 with the access point 106A. The FTM ranging bursts 122 include one or more packets or messages communicated by the device 104 to the access point 106A.”);
calculating a time associated with a network device and the client device based on the FTM frame (see at least [0024]; “The access point 106A determines time intervals 124 between the receptions of the FTM ranging bursts 122. The time intervals 124 represent the time that lapsed between the receptions of consecutive FTM ranging bursts 122. The access point 106A then uses these time intervals 124 to estimate distances 126 between the access point 106A and the device 104.”);
determining a quality of a determined distance between the network device and the client device (see at least [0025]; “The access point 106A calculates a variance 127 of the estimated distances 126. The variance 127 represents the variability in the estimated distances 126, which reveals inaccuracies in the estimated distances 126. The lower the variance 127, the more accurate the estimated distances 126 are. The higher the variance 127, the more inaccurate the estimated distances 126 are.”); and
comparing the determined quality of the determined distance to a threshold (see at least [0025]; “The access point 106A compares the variance 127 to one or more thresholds 126.”).
Both Yang and Sheriff use the measured timing FTM messages exchanged between devices to calculate the distance between the two devices. Sheriff measures the variance of calculated distances in order to assess their accuracy. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Yang to measure the variance across multiple distance measurements and compare those measurements to a threshold, as taught by Sheriff. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to compute the variance in order to assess the measurement accuracy and take appropriate action, as taught by Sheriff (see at least [0025]; “The variance 127 represents the variability in the estimated distances 126, which reveals inaccuracies in the estimated distances 126… Depending on which of these thresholds 128 the variance 127 exceeds, the access point 106A may instruct the device 104 to take different remedial actions to reduce the variance 127.”).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang in view of Sheriff, further in view of Ramasamy et al. (US-20180310133-A1; hereinafter Ramasamy) and Cariou et al. (US-20200015041-A1; hereinafter Cariou).
Regarding claim 12, Yang in view of Sheriff discloses the client device of claim 1. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM logic is further configured to:
transmit a first FTM request frame to a first network device (see at least Fig. 3, S210 FTM request frame transmitted from communications device to response device), the FTM request frame comprising an indication of support for an MU mode (see at least [0142]; “Optionally, in the measurement method 200, at least one of the FTM request frame or the first FTM measurement frame may include function indication information used to indicate that the communications device supports multi-user measurement.”);
receive an FTM response frame from the first network device (see at least Fig. 3, “ACK” sent by response device in response to S210 FTM request frame),
receive a first FTM frame via a first MU frame from the first network device (see at least Fig. 3, First FTM measurement frame S220 sent from response device to both communications devices);
transmit a first ACK frame based on the first MU frame to the first network device (see at least [0269]; “Optionally, the first FTM measurement frame received by the transceiver 1120 includes feedback indication information, and the feedback indication information is used to indicate a time interval at which the communications device sends response information after the communications device receives the first FTM measurement frame. Optionally, the transceiver 1110 is further configured to: send the response information to the response device according to the first FTM measurement frame…”); and
calculate a first RTT associated with the first network device and the client device based on the first FTM frame or the first ACK frame (see at least Eq. 1 in [0128], where the numerator of the fraction represents the RTT before being scaled by the speed of light to find a distance. See also [0128]; “After receiving the two FTM request frames, the response device may broadcast a first FTM measurement frame, and a moment of sending the first FTM measurement frame by the response device is T1. The first FTM measurement frame may include a first measurement parameter of the first communications device, a second measurement parameter of the second communications device, first identifier information used to indicate the first communications device, and second identifier information used to indicate the second communications device. After receiving the first FTM measurement frame, the first communications device may obtain the first measurement parameter of the first communications device according to the first identifier information. A moment of receiving the first FTM measurement frame by the first communications device is T2. The first communications device sends first ACK to the response device, and a moment of sending the first ACK by the first communications device is T3. The response device receives the first ACK sent by the first communications device, and a moment of receiving the first ACK is T4…After receiving the second FTM measurement frame, the first communications device can learn of, by using the first identifier information, the receiving moment T4 corresponding to the first communications device.”).
However, Yang does not explicitly teach the FTM response frame comprising an indication of the MU mode and an association identifier (AID) for the client device.
Yang discloses a FTM method where frames are communicated to multiple users, and Ramasamy is directed to wireless network positioning methods, including methods involving FTM. Ramasamy teaches:
transmit an FTM request frame, the FTM request frame comprising an indication of support for a mode (see at least [0127]; “In some embodiments, STA 100 may initiate negotiation phase 420 by transmitting FTM request (FTM_REQ) frame 425 to AP 240. In addition to signaling or requesting the ranging operation 400, the FTM_REQ frame 425 may be used to request the number of ranging parameters and capabilities.”);
receive an FTM response frame from the first network device (see at least [0127]; “AP 240 may receive FTM_REQ frame 425 and may acknowledge the requested ranging operation by transmitting an FTM acknowledgement (ACK) frame 427 to STA 100.”), the FTM response frame comprising an indication of the mode for the client device (see at least [0127]; “In some embodiments, ACK frame 427 may be used to indicate the capabilities of AP 240 (as described above), and may accept a number of the ranging parameters requested by STA 100.”);
receive an FTM frame from the first network device (see at least Fig. 4, where AP 240 sends an FTM frame 432 after sending the ACK 427 frame).
Both Yang and Ramasamy teach FTM measurements following a similar sequency: receiving a FTM request frame, sending an acknowledgement, and subsequently sending FTM measurement frames. Yang does not explicitly teach what is contained in the sent acknowledgement. Ramasamy teaches that the acknowledgement may be used to indicate the AP capabilities. 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 acknowledgement of Yang to also indicate the available capabilities, as taught by Ramasamy. Because one of the available capabilities the “response device” of Yang is multi-user mode capabilities, it would likewise have been obvious to indicate this capability in the acknowledgement.
However, neither Yang nor Ramasamy explicitly teach the FTM response frame comprising an association identifier (AID) for the client device.
Cariou is directed to enhanced location service negotiation. Cariou teaches the FTM negotiation phase messages comprising an association identifier (AID) for the client device (see at least [0016]; “Conventionally, the negotiation phase comprises the STA performing an FTM negotiation with each AP in the APs to determine an identification (e.g., unique IDs (UIDs), associated IDs (AIDs), ranging AIDs (R-AIDs), etc.) that the STA can use during a subsequent measurement phase with the APs. In other words, a conventional FTM procedure is mostly used as a single input single output protocol.”).
Yang teaches using an association identifier AID as identification information in a FTM measurement frame (see at least [0115]). Yang furthermore teaches a negotiation phase preceding the measurement phase (see Fig. 3; the FTM request frame and ACK message correspond to the negotiation phase. Compare to the negotiation phase of Ramasamy Fig. 4.). Cariou teaches that the negotiation phase prior to FTM measurements is conventionally used to determine AIDs used in the measurement phase. It would therefore have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to perform the AID determination taught by Cariou in the negotiation phase taught by Yang, such that the ACK message in the negotiation phase of Yang would include AID information.
Claims 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang in view of Sheriff, further in view of Ramasamy.
Regarding claim 14, Yang discloses [note, what Yang fails to disclose is strike-through]:
A network device (see at least Fig. 12, communications device 900), comprising:
a processor (see at least Fig. 12, processor 920);
at least one network interface controller (see at least [0244]; “The processor 920 is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory, to control the transceiver 910 to receive or send information.”) configured to provide access to a network (see at least [0109]; “A communications device and a response device may both communicate with one or more core networks by using a radio access network (RAN).”); and
a memory (see at least Fig. 12, memory 930) communicatively coupled to the processor (see at least [0244]; “The processor 920 is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory…”), wherein the memory comprises a
fine timing measurement (FTM) logic that is configured to:
receive an FTM request frame (see at least [0245]; “The transceiver 910 is configured to receive fine timing measurement FTM request frames sent by at least two communications stations…”), the FTM request frame comprising an indication of support for an MU mode at a client device (see at least [0019]; “In one embodiment, at least one of the FTM request frame or the first FTM measurement frame includes function indication information used to indicate that the communications device supports multi-user measurement.”);
transmit an FTM response frame (see at least Fig. 3, “ACK” sent by response device in response to S210 FTM request frame),
transmit a multi-user (MU) frame, the MU frame comprising an FTM frame for the client device (see at least [0245]; “The transceiver 910 is configured to receive fine timing measurement FTM request frames sent by at least two communications stations; and is configured to send a first FTM measurement frame according to the FTM request frame, where the first FTM measurement frame includes a measurement parameter of each of the at least two communications stations and identifier information used to indicate each communications station, so that each communications station obtains the measurement parameter of each communications station according to the identifier information.”); and
receive an acknowledgement (ACK) frame based on the MU frame (see at least [0247]; “Optionally, the transceiver 910 is further configured to receive the response information that is sent by each communications station according to the first FTM measurement frame.”) ;
determine (see at least Eq. 1 in paragraph [0128], to determine the distance between the response device and communications device);
Yang discloses a FTM method where frames are communicated to multiple users, and Sheriff is directed to estimating distances between a user device and an access point based on a series of FTM ranging bursts exchanged between the user device and the access point. Sheriff teaches:
A fine timing measurement (FTM) logic that is configured to:
receive FTM frames (see at least [0023]; “The device 104 exchanges FTM ranging bursts 122 with the access point 106A. The FTM ranging bursts 122 include one or more packets or messages communicated by the device 104 to the access point 106A.”);
calculate a time associated with a network device and the client device based on the FTM frame (see at least [0024]; “The access point 106A determines time intervals 124 between the receptions of the FTM ranging bursts 122. The time intervals 124 represent the time that lapsed between the receptions of consecutive FTM ranging bursts 122. The access point 106A then uses these time intervals 124 to estimate distances 126 between the access point 106A and the device 104.”);
determine a quality of a determined distance between the network device and the client device (see at least [0025]; “The access point 106A calculates a variance 127 of the estimated distances 126. The variance 127 represents the variability in the estimated distances 126, which reveals inaccuracies in the estimated distances 126. The lower the variance 127, the more accurate the estimated distances 126 are. The higher the variance 127, the more inaccurate the estimated distances 126 are.”); and
compare the determined quality of the determined distance to a threshold (see at least [0025]; “The access point 106A compares the variance 127 to one or more thresholds 126.”).
Both Yang and Sheriff use the measured timing FTM messages exchanged between devices to calculate the distance between the two devices. Sheriff measures the variance of calculated distances in order to assess their accuracy. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Yang to measure the variance across multiple distance measurements and compare those measurements to a threshold, as taught by Sheriff. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to compute the variance in order to assess the measurement accuracy and take appropriate action, as taught by Sheriff (see at least [0025]; “The variance 127 represents the variability in the estimated distances 126, which reveals inaccuracies in the estimated distances 126… Depending on which of these thresholds 128 the variance 127 exceeds, the access point 106A may instruct the device 104 to take different remedial actions to reduce the variance 127.”).
However, neither Yang nor Sheriff explicitly teach the FTM response frame comprising an indication of the MU mode for the client device.
Yang discloses a FTM method where frames are communicated to multiple users, and Ramasamy is directed to wireless network positioning methods, including methods involving FTM. Ramasamy teaches:
receive an FTM request frame, the FTM request frame comprising an indication of support for a mode at a client device (see at least [0127]; “In some embodiments, STA 100 may initiate negotiation phase 420 by transmitting FTM request (FTM_REQ) frame 425 to AP 240. In addition to signaling or requesting the ranging operation 400, the FTM_REQ frame 425 may be used to request the number of ranging parameters and capabilities.”);
transmit an FTM response frame (see at least [0127]; “AP 240 may receive FTM_REQ frame 425 and may acknowledge the requested ranging operation by transmitting an FTM acknowledgement (ACK) frame 427 to STA 100.”), the FTM response frame comprising an indication of the mode for the client device (see at least [0127]; “In some embodiments, ACK frame 427 may be used to indicate the capabilities of AP 240 (as described above), and may accept a number of the ranging parameters requested by STA 100.”);
transmit an FTM frame for the client device (see at least Fig. 4, where AP 240 sends an FTM frame 432 after sending the ACK 427 frame).
Both Yang and Ramasamy teach FTM measurements following a similar sequency: receiving a FTM request frame, sending an acknowledgement, and subsequently sending FTM measurement frames. Yang does not explicitly teach what is contained in the sent acknowledgement. Ramasamy teaches that the acknowledgement may be used to indicate the AP capabilities. 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 acknowledgement of Yang to also indicate the available capabilities, as taught by Ramasamy. Because one of the available capabilities the “response device” of Yang is multi-user mode capabilities, it would likewise have been obvious to indicate this capability in the acknowledgement.
Regarding claim 15, Yang in view of Sheriff and Ramasamy teaches the network device of claim 14. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM request frame and the ACK frame are received from the client device (see at least Fig. 3, where FTM request frame S219 and Response information S240 are received from the communications device).
Regarding claim 16, Yang in view of Sheriff and Ramasamy teaches the network device of claim 14. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM request frame further comprises an indication of a requested channel bandwidth that is greater than a threshold (see at least [0142] – [ 0143]; “That is, the FTM request frame may include the function indication information… The function indication information may be carried in the measurement parameter field. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the measurement parameter field (e.g., Fine Timing Measurement Parameters Field Format). As shown in FIG. 5, the measurement parameter field may include… an FTM format and bandwidth used to indicate an FTM frame type and an occupied bandwidth (for example, the type is an 11n type or an 11ac type, and the bandwidth is 20 M, or 40 M, or 80 M); and a measurement group period (e.g., Burst period) used to indicate duration of a measurement group (burst).”).
Regarding claim 17, Yang in view of Sheriff and Ramasamy teaches the network device of claim 14. Yang further teaches:
wherein the FTM frame occupies a subset of a plurality of resource units (RUs) of the MU frame (see at least Fig. 4 and [0140]; “FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an action field in an FTM measurement frame… The first FTM measurement frame may be understood as a measurement frame including public information and dedicated information. The public information is information that can be shared by multiple communications devices, and the dedicated information is dedicated information of each communications device. The dedicated information may include a measurement parameter of each communications device.”).
Regarding claim 18, Yang in view of Sheriff and Ramasamy teaches the network device of claim 17. Yang further teaches:
wherein one or more RUs in the plurality of RUs not occupied by the FTM frame comprise data destined for one or more other client devices different from the client device (see at least Fig. 4 and [0140]; “FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an action field in an FTM measurement frame… The first FTM measurement frame may be understood as a measurement frame including public information and dedicated information. The public information is information that can be shared by multiple communications devices, and the dedicated information is dedicated information of each communications device. The dedicated information may include a measurement parameter of each communications device.”).
Regarding claim 19, Yang in view of Sheriff and Ramasamy teaches the network device of claim 14. Yang further teaches:
wherein the MU frame is associated with a channel bandwidth that is at least 80 MHz (see at least [0143]; “…an FTM format and bandwidth used to indicate an FTM frame type and an occupied bandwidth (for example, the type is an 11n type or an 11ac type, and the bandwidth is 20 M, or 40 M, or 80 M)…”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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.
The subject matter of claim 5 requires requesting a reduction of bandwidth after determining a distance based on the measurement quality being higher than a required threshold. Cha et al. (US-20230020648-A1) teaches requesting a reduction in bandwidth based on not needing high accuracy (see at least [0453]), but does not teach making this request after the calculation of a location, as required by claim 5. A modification would require significant redesign, and therefore it would not be reasonable to modify.
Conclusion
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.
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/ASHLEY BROWN RAYNAL/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/VLADIMIR MAGLOIRE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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