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
This office action is in response to the application filed on 02/26/2024.
Claims 1-30 are currently pending.
Claims 4-5, 8-9, 12-13, 17-18, 20-21, 24-25, 29-30 are objected to as being dependent upon rejected base claims.
Claims 1-3, 6-7, 10-11, 14-16, 19, 22-23, 26-28 are rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(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.
Claims 1-3, 6-7, 10-11, 14-16, 19, 22-23, 26-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dennis Sundman et al (US 20230292363 A1).
For Claim 1, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication device (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0009, lines 3-6, that In the example of FIG. 1B, the TXOP owner, i.e., AP1 first sends a CTI (CAP TXOP Indication) message, and the APs willing to participate in the sharing of the TXOP, i.e., AP2, AP3, and AP4), comprising: a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the first wireless communication device to:
receive a first message, from a second wireless communication device, that indicates the second wireless communication device has obtained access to a wireless medium for a duration of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0047, lines 1-3, that AP1 gains access to the carrier and sends a CTI message to offer sharing of a TXOP. The CTI message at the same time reserves the TXOP);
transmit, in association with receiving the first message, one or more medium management messages configured to inhibit one or more other wireless communication devices associated with the first wireless communication device from transmitting (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0037, that each of the APs 10 sharing the TXOP performing an RTS/CTS procedure before utilizing the shared TXOP to transmit data to their respectively associated stations … These messages can be overheard by potential interfering devices and cause these devices to refrain from transmitting during the intended data transmission) during a second duration associated with a second message (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0043, that The destination stations of the RTS frames each respond with a CTS message. The CTS message indicates the remaining duration indicated by the RTS message minus the length of the CTS message and, if provided, the SIFS); and
receive the second message from the second wireless communication device during the second duration, the second message indicating a set of one or more communication parameters for the first wireless communication device to share a portion of the TXOP for communication with the one or more other wireless communication devices (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0007, lines 27-33, that In the second phase the TXOP owner informs the participating APs about their allocated resources and a TX start time, and the participating APs inform their client STAs about their respective resource allocations. In the third phase the participating APs transmit on their respective allocated resources in the TXOP, beginning at the TX start time).
For Claim 2, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein a first medium management message that includes a channel occupancy indication that corresponds to a duration associated with the first medium management message, wherein the channel occupancy indication is configured to cause the one or more other wireless communication devices to refrain from transmitting to the first wireless communication device for the duration associated with the first medium management message (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0037, that each of the APs 10 sharing the TXOP performing an RTS/CTS procedure before utilizing the shared TXOP to transmit data to their respectively associated stations … These messages can be overheard by potential interfering devices and cause these devices to refrain from transmitting during the intended data transmission).
For Claim 3, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless communication device to: receive an uplink transmission from a third wireless communication device of the one or more other wireless communication devices subsequent to the duration associated with the first medium management message indicated by the channel occupancy indication (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0055, lines 1-3, that upon receiving the MU-RTS message from AP3, STA31 and STA32 each respond with a CTS message) and prior to receiving the second message (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0054, lines 14-17, that In a third time window, AP3 sends its MU-RTS message, then receives the CTS messages transmitted in response, and then transmits its DL data).
For Claim 6, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein a first medium management message that includes an indication to the one or more other wireless communication devices to perform a ready-to-send (RTS) and clear-to-send (CTS) exchange prior to uplink data transmissions from the one or more other wireless communication devices to the first wireless communication device (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0039, that the AP, transmits an RTS message to its destination … After SIFS (Short Interframe Space) time has passed, the destination then answers with a CTS message. The RTS message and the CTS message contain the remaining duration needed for the intended data transmission. Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0054, lines 14-17, that In a third time window, AP3 sends its MU-RTS message, then receives the CTS messages transmitted in response, and then transmits its DL data).
For Claim 7, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless communication device to: receive an RTS message from a third wireless communication device in accordance with the RTS and CTS exchange Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0059, lines 4-5, that the CTAS message causes AP2 and AP3 to send each a respective MU-RTS message); and transmit a CTS message to the third wireless communication device in accordance with the RTS and CTS exchange when communication associated with the RTS message are expected to be completed prior to an expected transmission time of the second message (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0039, that the AP, transmits an RTS message to its destination … After SIFS (Short Interframe Space) time has passed, the destination then answers with a CTS message. The RTS message and the CTS message contain the remaining duration needed for the intended data transmission).
For Claim 10, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein a first medium management message that includes a channel occupancy indication that corresponds to a third duration between the first medium management message and an expected transmission time of the second message (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0042, lines 5-8, that The indication message may further indicate the duration of the TXOP minus the length of the indication message, i.e., a remaining duration of the TXOP).
For Claim 11, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein the first message includes an indication that the wireless medium will be occupied by the second wireless communication device through an expected transmission time of the second message (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0044, that The CTS message indicates the remaining duration indicated by the RTS message minus the length of the CTS message and, if provided, the SIFS).
For Claim 14, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless communication device to: receive, prior to receiving the first message, an indication of whether the one or more other wireless communication devices associated with the first wireless communication device are to be inhibited from transmitting during any portion of the duration of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0061, that Reception of the CTS message from STA32 causes STA41 to set its intra-BSS NAV for the remaining duration of the TXOP, … STA41 is prevented from transmitting during the shared TXOP and interference on the transmission of DL data by AP1, AP2, and AP3 can be avoided. As compared to the examples of FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B, this protection may start earlier in the TXOP already after transmission of the CTI message. As further shown, reception of the CTI message from AP1 could also cause STA41 to set its intra-BSS NAV for the remaining duration of the TXOP).
For Claim 15, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication device (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0009, lines 3-6, that In the example of FIG. 1B, the TXOP owner, i.e., AP1 first sends a CTI (CAP TXOP Indication) message, and the APs willing to participate in the sharing of the TXOP, i.e., AP2, AP3, and AP4), comprising: a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the first wireless communication device to:
obtain access to a wireless medium for communication with one or more other wireless communication devices during a transmission opportunity (TXOP), the TXOP corresponding to a duration during which the first wireless communication device has the access to the wireless medium (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0047, lines 1-3, that AP1 gains access to the carrier and sends a CTI message to offer sharing of a TXOP. The CTI message at the same time reserves the TXOP);
transmit a first message that indicates an occupancy time interval within the TXOP during which the wireless medium is reserved for communication of the first wireless communication device (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0047, lines 1-3, that AP1 gains access to the carrier and sends a CTI message to offer sharing of a TXOP. The CTI message at the same time reserves the TXOP); and transmit a second message to a second wireless communication device indicating communication parameters for the second wireless communication device to share a portion of the TXOP (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0007, lines 27-33, that In the second phase the TXOP owner informs the participating APs about their allocated resources and a TX start time, and the participating APs inform their client STAs about their respective resource allocations. In the third phase the participating APs transmit on their respective allocated resources in the TXOP, beginning at the TX start time) that is outside of the occupancy time interval for communication with the one or more other wireless communication devices associated with the second wireless communication device (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0054, lines 3-6, that the timing of the individual RTS/CTS procedures is coordinated by dividing the remaining duration of the TXOP after transmission of the trigger message into a sequence of time windows, each being assigned to one of the cooperating APs. The respective RTS/CTS procedure is performed at the beginning of the respective time window, and the transmission of the DL data is performed in the remaining part of the time window).
For Claim 16, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein: the occupancy time interval corresponds to a duration associated with the first message (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0042, lines 5-8, that The indication message may further indicate the duration of the TXOP minus the length of the indication message, i.e., a remaining duration of the TXOP).
For Claim 19, Sundman discloses a first wireless communication, wherein the occupancy time interval indicates that the wireless medium will be occupied by the first wireless communication device through an expected transmission time of the second message (Sundman teaches, in ¶ 0044, that The CTS message indicates the remaining duration indicated by the RTS message minus the length of the CTS message and, if provided, the SIFS).
For Claims 22-23, please refer to the rejection of Claims 1-2, above.
For Claim 26, please refer to the rejection of Claim 11, above.
For Claim 27, please refer to the rejection of Claim 14, above.
For Claim 28, please refer to the rejection of Claim 15, above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 8-9, 12-13, 17-18, 20-21, 24-25, 28-30 are objected to as being dependent upon rejected base claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 4-5, 8-9, 12-13, 17-18, 20-21, 24-25, 28-30 are considered allowable because the prior art does not teach limitations comprised in these enumerated dependent claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: KADOUS (US 20170048047 A1) is pertinent to a communication method for contending for access to a communication medium for a first transmission opportunity (TXOP) spanning a first duration; transmitting during the first TXOP a scheduling grant to an access terminal granting the access terminal uplink resources for a second TXOP spanning a second duration; contending for access to the communication medium for the second TXOP; and receiving uplink signaling from the access terminal over the granted uplink resources during the second TXOP.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMED A KAMARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5629. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, CHARLES JIANG can be reached at 5712707191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOHAMED A KAMARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412 /CHARLES C JIANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2412