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
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) 1, 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim US 20250261258 above, and further in view of Kurian US 20210212062 and KR 102940983 ‘KR.
Regarding claim 1 Kim teaches a communication apparatus, comprising:
a processor (fig. 1 box 111) configured to generate a first frame, wherein the first frame comprising a supported rates and basic service set (BSS) membership selectors element, wherein the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element comprises first indication information, and
a transceiver coupled to the processor and unit, configured to send the first frame on the first link (For example, the probe request frame body may include SSID, Supported Rates
and BSS Membership Selectors, Request, Extended Supported
Rates and BSS Membership Selectors, DSSS Parameter Set, Supported Operating Classes, . . . , Vendor Specific, [0540]).
Kim is silent on the first indication information indicating that a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup with the communication apparatus on a first link.
Kurian teaches the first indication information indicating that a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup with the communication apparatus on a first link ( Selective multi-link setup information element, which includes one or more of a fields to specify out-of-band wake up latency, whether the resident band is currently in use, whether one or more alternative band(s) are in use and the order of the band(s) for switching, traffic flow identifier(s) (TID(s)) that specify whether the device is allowed to use the selective multi-link switch scheme, [0129]). The Examiner maintains specifying whether the device is allowed to use the selective multi-link switch scheme corresponds to the first indication information indicating that a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup with the communication apparatus on a first link.
Therefore 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 system of Kim by the first indication information indicating that a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup with the communication apparatus on a first link, as shown by Kurian. This modification would benefit the system by enabling the network to know which non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup.
The combination is silent on the first indication information further indicates that a single-link station
supporting an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) protocol is disallowed from setting up an association with the communication apparatus on the first link.
KR teaches information indicating that a single-link station supporting an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) protocol is disallowed from setting up an association with a communication apparatus (fig. 23, FIG. 23 shows an exemplary TIM bitmap 2300, an exemplary TID information presence bitmap 2304, and an exemplary TID information bitmap set 2306 in a beacon frame/TIM frame. The TIM bits corresponding to AIDs 11, 12, 35, 57, 77, and 255, which are respectively assigned to Legacy 2, Single Link EHT STA, MLD 1, Legacy 7, MLD 3, and Single Link MLD 4, are set to 1, indicating that the AP MLD has one or more buffered frames transmitted to these STAs/MLDs. If there are no restrictions on the assignment of AIDs, the AIDs of the Legacy STA (e.g., Legacy 7) and the AIDs of the non-AP MLDs may be mixed. The Starting AID field 2302 may represent the AID of the first non-AP MLD (i.e., the minimum AID associated with the non-AP MLD) to which the Link/TID/AC information is included in the Link/TID/AC information set. In this case, the Starting AID field 2302 represents 35 as the Starting AID. This allows Legacy 2 and Single Link EHT STAs to be easily excluded from the TID information bitmap set).
Therefore 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 system of the combination by the first indication information further indicates that a single-link station supporting an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) protocol is disallowed from setting up an association with the communication apparatus on the first link, as suggested by KR. This modification would benefit the system by optimizing communication on the first link.
Regarding claim 5, the first frame is any one of the following: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an
association response frame, or a reassociation response frame (probe request/response frames, [0536], probe request frame, [0540]).
Claim(s) 19, 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim US 20250261258 above, and further in view of Kurian US 20210212062 and Patil US 20200137550.
Regarding claim 19, Kim teaches a communication apparatus, comprising:
a processor (fig. 1 box 111) configured to generate a first frame, wherein the first frame comprising a supported rates and basic service set (BSS) membership selectors element, wherein the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element comprises first indication information, and
a transceiver coupled to the processor and unit, configured to send the first frame on the first link (For example, the probe request frame body may include SSID, Supported Rates
and BSS Membership Selectors, Request, Extended Supported
Rates and BSS Membership Selectors, DSSS Parameter Set, Supported Operating Classes, . . . , Vendor Specific, [0540]).
Kim is silent on the first indication information indicating that a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup with the communication apparatus on a first link.
Kurian teaches the first indication information indicating that a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup with the communication apparatus on a first link ( Selective multi-link setup information element, which includes one or more of a fields to specify out-of-band wake up latency, whether the resident band is currently in use, whether one or more alternative band(s) are in use and the order of the band(s) for switching, traffic flow identifier(s) (TID(s)) that specify whether the device is allowed to use the selective multi-link switch scheme, [0129]). The Examiner maintains specifying whether the device is allowed to use the selective multi-link switch scheme corresponds to the first indication information indicating that a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup with the communication apparatus on a first link.
Therefore 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 system of Kim by the first indication information indicating that a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup with the communication apparatus on a first link, as shown by Kurian. This modification would benefit the system by enabling the network to know which non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) is disallowed from initiating a multi-link setup.
The combination is silent on sending, on a second link, a beacon frame or a probe response frame comprising a reduced
neighbor report (RNR) element, wherein the RNR element comprises a neighbor AP information field corresponding to a first AP operating on the first link, and wherein the neighbor AP information field comprises a channel number field set to 0.
Patil makes obvious the limitation sending, on a second link, a beacon frame or a probe response frame comprising a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, wherein the RNR element comprises a neighbor AP information field corresponding to a first AP operating on the first link, and wherein the neighbor AP information field comprises a channel number field set to 0 (fig. 10, FIG. 10 depicts an example of an RNR element 470 of an FD frame format that includes discovery information about a Multiple BSSID set. The RNR element 470 includes an element identifier 1010, a length 1012, and neighbor AP information fields 1014. In the traditional RNR element 470, the neighbor AP information fields 1014 includes information about a neighboring AP (including a target beacon transmit time (TBTT) information header 1020, an operating class 1022, a channel number 1024, and a TBTT information set 1026), [0074]).
Therefore 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 system of the combination by sending, on a second link, a beacon frame or a probe response frame comprising a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, wherein the RNR element comprises a neighbor AP information field corresponding to a first AP operating on the first link, and wherein the neighbor AP information field comprises a channel number field set to 0, as suggested by Patil. This modification would benefit the system by providing information on the neighboring AP.
Regarding claim 23, the first frame is any one of the following: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an
association response frame, or a reassociation response frame (probe request/response frames, [0536], probe request frame, [0540]).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination Kim, Kurian, and KR as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Patil.
The combination is silent on sending, on a second link, a beacon frame or a probe response frame comprising a reduced
neighbor report (RNR) element, wherein the RNR element comprises a neighbor AP information field corresponding to a first AP operating on the first link, and wherein the neighbor AP information field comprises a channel number field set to 0.
Patil makes obvious the limitation sending, on a second link, a beacon frame or a probe response frame comprising a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, wherein the RNR element comprises a neighbor AP information field corresponding to a first AP operating on the first link, and wherein the neighbor AP information field comprises a channel number field set to 0 (fig. 10, FIG. 10 depicts an example of an RNR element 470 of an FD frame format that includes discovery information about a Multiple BSSID set. The RNR element 470 includes an element identifier 1010, a length 1012, and neighbor AP information fields 1014. In the traditional RNR element 470, the neighbor AP information fields 1014 includes information about a neighboring AP (including a target beacon transmit time (TBTT) information header 1020, an operating class 1022, a channel number 1024, and a TBTT information set 1026), [0074]).
Therefore 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 system of the combination by sending, on a second link, a beacon frame or a probe response frame comprising a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, wherein the RNR element comprises a neighbor AP information field corresponding to a first AP operating on the first link, and wherein the neighbor AP information field comprises a channel number field set to 0, as suggested by Patil. This modification would benefit the system by providing information on the neighboring AP.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Kim, Kurian, and KR as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lu US 20210212118.
The combination is silent on the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element comprises a BSS membership
selector, and wherein the first indication information is that the BSS membership selector in the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element is set to a preset value.
Lu teaches the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element comprises a BSS membership selector, and wherein the first indication information is that the BSS membership selector in the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element is set to a preset value (Alternatively, or additionally, the non-STR AP MLD may transmit one or more management frames (e.g., beacon frame(s) and/or probe response frame(s)) indicating appropriate BSS membership selector and/or basic rate set values on a secondary link. The appropriate BSS membership selector and/or basic rate set values may not allow any STA to associate to the AP on the secondary link or may only allow non-AP MLD to associate to the AP on the secondary link, [0065]).
Therefore 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 system of the combination by the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element comprises a BSS membership selector, and wherein the first indication information is that a-the BSS membership selector in the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element is set to a preset value, as shown by Lu. This modification would benefit the system by using optimal values used by the BSS membership selector.
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination Kim, Kurian, and Patil as applied to claim 19 above, and further in view of KR.
The combination is silent on the first indication information further indicates that a single-link station
supporting an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) protocol is disallowed from setting up an association with the communication apparatus on the first link.
KR teaches information indicating that a single-link station supporting an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) protocol is disallowed from setting up an association with a communication apparatus (fig. 23, FIG. 23 shows an exemplary TIM bitmap 2300, an exemplary TID information presence bitmap 2304, and an exemplary TID information bitmap set 2306 in a beacon frame/TIM frame. The TIM bits corresponding to AIDs 11, 12, 35, 57, 77, and 255, which are respectively assigned to Legacy 2, Single Link EHT STA, MLD 1, Legacy 7, MLD 3, and Single Link MLD 4, are set to 1, indicating that the AP MLD has one or more buffered frames transmitted to these STAs/MLDs. If there are no restrictions on the assignment of AIDs, the AIDs of the Legacy STA (e.g., Legacy 7) and the AIDs of the non-AP MLDs may be mixed. The Starting AID field 2302 may represent the AID of the first non-AP MLD (i.e., the minimum AID associated with the non-AP MLD) to which the Link/TID/AC information is included in the Link/TID/AC information set. In this case, the Starting AID field 2302 represents 35 as the Starting AID. This allows Legacy 2 and Single Link EHT STAs to be easily excluded from the TID information bitmap set).
Therefore 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 system of the combination by the first indication information further indicates that a single-link station supporting an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) protocol is disallowed from setting up an association with the communication apparatus on the first link, as suggested by KR. This modification would benefit the system by optimizing communication on the first link.
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Kim, Kurian, and Patil as applied to claim 19 above, and further in view of Lu US 20210212118.
The combination is silent on the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element comprises a BSS membership
selector, and wherein the first indication information is that the BSS membership selector in the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element is set to a preset value.
Lu teaches the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element comprises a BSS membership selector, and wherein the first indication information is that the BSS membership selector in the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element is set to a preset value (Alternatively, or additionally, the non-STR AP MLD may transmit one or more management frames (e.g., beacon frame(s) and/or probe response frame(s)) indicating appropriate BSS membership selector and/or basic rate set values on a secondary link. The appropriate BSS membership selector and/or basic rate set values may not allow any STA to associate to the AP on the secondary link or may only allow non-AP MLD to associate to the AP on the secondary link, [0065]).
Therefore 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 system of the combination by the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element comprises a BSS membership selector, and wherein the first indication information is that a-the BSS membership selector in the supported rates and BSS membership selectors element is set to a preset value, as shown by Lu. This modification would benefit the system by using optimal values used by the BSS membership selector.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-13, 16-18 are allowed.
Claims 6-9, and 24 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the independent claim(s) have been considered but are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RONALD B ABELSON whose telephone number is (571)272-3165. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayaz Sheikh can be reached at 571-272-3795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RONALD B ABELSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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