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 Restriction
Applicant’s Restriction arguments, see remark on page 1, filed on 05/26/2026, with respect to claims 1-20 have been acknowledged. The applicant elects, without traverse, Group I, claims 1-10, 16-25.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 16, 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kholaif et al. (Pub No.: 2012/0213138).
Regarding claim 1, Kholaif et al. discloses an access point (AP) (see AP 106 in fig. 3) comprising: a transceiver (see wireless transceiver 312 in fig. 3); and a processor (see processor 302 in fig. 3) coupled to the transceiver, configured to:
transmit, via the transceiver, a beacon indicating an availability window (read as the available activated service intervals in para. 0047-0048) having a first duration (Kholaif et al. see fig. 4, beacon 402, service interval 420 (e.g., 0-5ms); para. 0047-0049; In para. 0047, … The data which indicate the activated service intervals may do so directly by listing the activated service intervals by identifiers associated with the activated service intervals… In para. 0048, …In one embodiment, the AP may regularly broadcast or advertise these data to the end stations (e.g. these data may be regularly broadcasted in each beacon frame).). Thus, the AP regularly broadcasts beacon frame that comprising the available activated service intervals/window having a first duration or length;
receive, via the transceiver, first data within the first duration (Kholaif et al. see abstract; see para. 0052; Active end stations are permitted to access only those activated SIs that are either assigned to them by the AP, or are randomly-selected by best-effort stations after associating with the AP.). The AP and the end stations are permitted to communicate during those activated SIs;
modify, during the first duration, the availability window by extending the first duration by a second duration (Kholaif et al. see fig. 5, service interval 520 (e.g., 0-7ms); para. 0052, 0053, 0058; In para. 0052, …If the new traffic stream is accepted, the AP may activate additional SIs and adjust their durations in order to meet the requirements for the admitted traffic stream. In para. 0058, …the AP extends the admissible part of SI.sub.1 as shown in FIG. 5). The AP extends the activated service interval by an additional Sis (e.g., second duration); and
transition the transceiver to a power save state after the availability window expires (Kholaif et al. see fig. 5, inactive intervals 530; para. 0053; sets all other service intervals 530 as inactive for AP power conservation). After the activated SI 520 expires, the AP sets all other service interval 530 as inactive for AP power conservation.
Claims 16 and 21 are rejected similarly to claim 1.
Regarding claim 3, Kholaif et al. discloses to modify the availability window by extending the availability window for a third duration (Kholaif et al. see fig. 6, activated SIs 680; para. 0049, 0051, 0052, 0054; In para. 0054, the number of activated service intervals 680 is changed (increased) to two (2) activated service intervals (SI.sub.1 and SI.sub.5) in accordance with a change (increase) in the traffic requirement.). The AP operates to dynamically, activate additional SIs to a third duration depending on traffic requirement.
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 factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Kholaif et al. (Pub No.: 2012/0213138).
Regarding claim 2, Kholaif et al. discloses wherein the second duration extends the availability window until a next beacon transmission time (Kholaif et al. see fig. 4, plurality of SIs 406, beacon 404; para. 0049, 0051, 0052; In para. 0049, Referring now to a timeline 400 of FIG. 4, a superframe 450 is divided into a plurality of N service intervals (SIs) 406, some of which may be activated/deactivated by the AP depending on the detected traffic requirement. In para. 0052, …If the new traffic stream is accepted, the AP may activate additional SIs and adjust their durations in order to meet the requirements for the admitted traffic stream.). Although Kholaif et al. does not explicitly disclose the second duration extends the AW until a next beacon transmission time, an official notice is taken that activating additional SIs until a next beacon is well known in the art. As an example in fig. 4, the AP may activate all SIs 406 until the next beacon transmission 404 depending on the traffic requirement.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the disclosure of Kholaif et al. and to implement the obviousness to extend the AW until a next beacon transmission based on traffic requirement.
The motivation would be to improve transmission flexibility.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kholaif et al. (Pub No.: 2012/0213138) in view of Liu et al. (Pat No.: 9,137,823).
Regarding claim 4, Kholaif et al. does not explicitly disclose the feature wherein the beacon is a Traffic Indication Map (TIM) beacon or a Delivery Traffic Indication Map (DTIM) beacon, wherein the first duration of the availability window corresponding to the TIM beacon is shorter than the first duration of the availability window corresponding to the DTIM beacon.
Liu from the same or similar fields of endeavor discloses the feature wherein the beacon is a Traffic Indication Map (TIM) beacon or a Delivery Traffic Indication Map (DTIM) beacon, wherein the first duration of the availability window corresponding to the TIM beacon is shorter than the first duration of the availability window corresponding to the DTIM beacon (Liu et al. see fig. 13, DTIM and TIM; see column 19, lines 15-25; Each of the DTIMs may include indications of subsequent TIMs and/or DTIMs, such as: times of the TIMs and DTIMs; periods of the TIMs and DTIMs; and/or AID group, set, and/or subset assignments.). The duration corresponding to the TIM is shorter than the duration corresponding to the DTIM.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the disclosure of Kholaif et al. and to implement the feature as taught by Liu et al. where the duration corresponding to the TIM is shorter than the duration corresponding to the DTIM.
The motivation would be to improve transmission efficiency.
Claim(s) 5, 6, 17, 18, 22, 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kholaif et al. (Pub No.: 2012/0213138) in view of Chu et al. (Pub No.: 2024/0147363).
Regarding claims 5, 17, 22, Kholaif et al. does not explicitly disclose the feature to receive, via the transceiver operating in a low power receive (LPR) state, a wake-up frame within the first duration, wherein the wake-up frame is one of an uplink (UL) Multi-user (MU)-Request to Send (RTS) frame or a data frame; and transition the transceiver to a full power state responsive to receiving the wake-up frame.
Chu et al. from the same or similar fields of endeavor discloses the feature to receive, via the transceiver operating in a low power receive (LPR) state, a wake-up frame within the first duration, wherein the wake-up frame is one of an uplink (UL) Multi-user (MU)-Request to Send (RTS) frame or a data frame; and transition the transceiver to a full power state responsive to receiving the wake-up frame (Chu et al. see para. 0080, 0081; Each AP may switch from low power listening mode to full capacity mode by an RTS or an MU-RTS received by the AP to initiate a new TXOP.). The AP receives the MU-RTS during low power listening mode and switches to full capacity mode accordingly.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the disclosure of Kholaif et al. and to implement the feature as taught by Chu et al. to receive MU-RTS during low power listening mode and switches to full capacity mode accordingly.
The motivation would be to conserve network power resources.
Regarding claims 6, 18, 23, Chu et al. discloses the feature to transmit a wake-up response frame responsive to receiving the wake-up frame; and receive second data via the transceiver operating in the full power state (Chu et al. see para. 0085; … then a CTS 508 (Clear to Send) in response, and a wide BW A-MPDU 510 (Aggregated MAC Protocol Data Unit). A successful A-MPDU 510 is answered with a BA 512 (Block Acknowledgement).).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the disclosure of Kholaif et al. and to implement the feature as taught by Chu et al. to receive MU-RTS during low power listening mode and switches to full capacity mode accordingly.
The motivation would be to improve transmission reliability.
Claim(s) 7, 19, 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kholaif et al. (Pub No.: 2012/0213138) in view of Chu et al. (Pub No.: 2024/0147363) as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Damnjanovic et al. (Pub No.: 2018/0098225).
Regarding claims 7, 19, 24, Kholaif et al. in view of Chu et al. does not explicitly disclose the feature wherein the wake-up response frame comprises the second duration of the availability window, and wherein the wake-up response frame is configured to be received by a STA associated with the AP.
Damnjanovic et al. from the same or similar fields of endeavor discloses the feature wherein the wake-up response frame comprises the second duration of the availability window, and wherein the wake-up response frame is configured to be received by a STA associated with the AP (Damnjanovic et al. see para. 0096; A CTS signal may be transmitted in response to the RTS, and may include, among other things, a duration of time when the channel may be available for the transmission, and the identity or address of the receiving device.). The CTS or the wake-up response frame comprises availability duration and the CTS is configured to be received by a device associated with a BS.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the disclosure of Kholaif et al. in view of Chu et al. and to implement the feature as taught by Damnjanovic et al. wherein the CTS or the response frame comprises availability duration and the CTS is configured to be received by a device (e.g., UE) associated with a BS.
The motivation would be to improve transmission efficiency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10, 20, 25 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.
Examiner's Note
The Applicant is welcome to request a telephonic interview if the Applicant has any questions or requires any additional information that would further or expedite the prosecution of the application.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Jeong et al. (Pub No.: 2015/0163666) discloses a method for changing an AID in a wireless LAN system. The method for changing an AID of a terminal by an access point comprises: a step of receiving an AID reassignment frame from the access point; a step of extracting an AID reassignment counter value from the AID reassignment frame; and a step of changing the AID of the terminal to the new AID included in the AID reassignment frame after the beacon periods of the access point indicated by the AID reassignment counter value extracted from the AID reassignment frame reception time have elapsed. Thus, a conflict between AIDs can be prevented.
Vandwalle et al. (Pub No.: 2015/0163828) discloses a method and apparatus are provided for conducting peer-to-peer communications while channel hopping among two or more wireless channels, at least one of which is a restricted channel. One type of restricted channel requires the use of DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) or a similar scheme for avoiding use of the channel during certain circumstances (e.g., for radar avoidance). Communicating peers may synchronize a channel-hopping sequence with TBTTs (Target Beacon Transmission Times) of the restricted channel(s), so that they switch to such a channel in time to capture a beacon and determine whether the channel is free. If the channel is free, or if no beacon is received, they may immediately begin or resume their communications. They may also quiesce just before another TBTT so as to capture that beacon. Thus, the peer-to-peer communications do not diminish a peer device's ability to receive and comply with channel switch announcements.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAN YUEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1413. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10:30am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Ngo can be reached at 571-272-3139. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KAN YUEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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