DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
This communication is in response to the amendment of 7/7/2026. All changes made to the claims have been entered. Accordingly, Claims 1, 2, 4-23 are currently pending in the application.
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 1, 7, 16, 20, 21-23 is 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 1 recites the limitation "the specific requested service" in lines 13-14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Dependent Claim 7 recites the subject matter of “an AP”. It is however unclear on what is meant by such subject matter. It is unclear if such AP is referring to an access point (AP) introduced in the independent claim or a different AP. Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Dependent Claim 16 recites the subject matter of “an AP”. It is however unclear on what is meant by such subject matter. It is unclear if such AP is referring to an access point (AP) introduced in the independent claim or a different AP. Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the identified service" and “the specific requested service” in lines 5-7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 21 recites the limitation "the specified service" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 22 recites the limitation "the specified service" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 23 recites the limitation "the specified service" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 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.
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.
Claim(s) 20, 23, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al. (US 2024/0040642), in further view of Hong (US 2021/0204333).
Regarding claim 20, 23, Han discloses a method of operating an electronic device, comprising:
identifying a service through the electronic device (detecting, by a station(STA), a triggering event, the STA being served by an associated access point (AP); analyzing, by the STA, the STA's service needs in response to the triggering event, [0011]-[0012] and [0017] and [0041] and [0048] and [0052]);
negotiating multi-AP coordination for the service (a request for initializing multi-AP coordination…the message/request is included a designated frame and an AP-to-AP negotiation process for multi-AP coordination and After the AP receives and evaluates the request from STA 210, the AP will further decide whether to initiate multi-AP coordination 220, or simply follow the routine of standalone transmission 205, [0012]-[0013] and [0060]-[0061] and figure 5 and [0047]-[0048] and figure 4 and [0077] and figure 6 and [0010]) by transmitting information about the service for which the multi-AP coordination is requested (When STAs roam across multiple BSS, their service requests can be leveraged to trigger multi-AP coordination and sending, by the STA to the associated AP, a message about a change in multi-AP coordination parameters includes: i) sending timeliness parameters: (acknowledgement) ACK delay, jitter; ii) bandwidth parameters: effective throughput, buffer size; and iii) reliability, stability, and availability parameters: SINR variation, average bit error rate and average frame loss rate, [0041] and [0012] and [0052]); and
receiving traffic for the service through the multi-AP coordination (communication using multiple access points (multi-AP) and the AP will further decide whether to initiate multi-AP coordination 220 and the multi-AP coordination starts 770. Data packet will be transmitted by using one of the previously discussed multi-AP coordination schemes, [0002] and [0061] and [0079] and [0034] and [0065]).
Han however fails to disclose a specified/specific requested service and transmitting information about the identified specified service. However in a similar field of endeavor, Hong discloses a specified/specific requested service and transmitting information about the identified specified service (service type sent by the terminal is received, and the service type is used to characterize the real-time service initiated by the terminal and when the terminal initiates a real-time service, it needs to first indicate its service type to the first AP; after receiving the service type sent by the terminal, the first AP will determine that the channel needs to be configured for the real-time service initiated by the terminal, and detect whether there is a second AP that needs channel coordination, [0095]-[0098] and [0014]-[0015] and [0104]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of initiating a specified service, such as a real-time service, and transmitting information of a service type as disclosed by Hong into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame and service requests as disclosed by Han in order to improve the method and flexibly configure coordination dependent on service type initiated by a UE.
Regarding claim 23, Han discloses using the multi-AP coordination to coordinate the traffic of the service (communication using multiple access points (multi-AP) and Data packet will be transmitted by using one of the previously discussed multi-AP coordination schemes, [0002] and [0079] and [0034]).
Han however fails to disclose specified service. However in a similar field of endeavor, Hong discloses specified service (service type sent by the terminal is received, and the service type is used to characterize the real-time service initiated by the terminal and when the terminal initiates a real-time service, it needs to first indicate its service type to the first AP; after receiving the service type sent by the terminal, the first AP will determine that the channel needs to be configured for the real-time service initiated by the terminal, and detect whether there is a second AP that needs channel coordination, [0095]-[0098] and [0014]-[0015] and [0104]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of initiating a specified service, such as a real-time service, and transmitting information of a service type as disclosed by Hong into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame and service requests as disclosed by Han in order to improve the method and flexibly configure channel coordination dependent on service type initiated by a UE.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7, 11, 12, 16, 21, 22, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al. (US 20240040642), in view of Hong, in view of Lu et al. (US 2025/0294633).
Regarding claim 1, Han discloses an electronic device (a station (STA) device including at least one processor, [0017]-[0021] and [0086]-[0088] and figure 8), comprising:
at least one wireless communication circuit configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal;
at least one processor comprising processing circuitry operatively connected with the at least one wireless communication circuit; and at least one memory configured to store instructions, wherein the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor to cause the electronic device to (a station (STA) device including at least one processor; at least one wireless interface for communicating with at least one access point (AP); and machine readable memory storing machine readable instructions. The machine readable instructions, when executed by the processor configures the STA for, [0017]-[0021] and [0086]-[0088] and figure 8):
transmit, to an access point (AP) associated with the electronic device, a request frame requesting multi-AP coordination for a service through the electronic device (a request for initializing multi-AP coordination…the message/request is included a designated frame and After the AP receives and evaluates the request from STA 210, the AP will further decide whether to initiate multi-AP coordination 220, or simply follow the routine of standalone transmission 205, [0012] and [0060]-0061] and figure 5 and [0047]-[0048] and figure 4 and [0077] and figure 6), the request frame including information about a service for which the multi-AP coordination is requested (When STAs roam across multiple BSS, their service requests can be leveraged to trigger multi-AP coordination and sending, by the STA to the associated AP, a message about a change in multi-AP coordination parameters includes: i) sending timeliness parameters: (acknowledgement) ACK delay, jitter; ii) bandwidth parameters: effective throughput, buffer size; and iii) reliability, stability, and availability parameters: SINR variation, average bit error rate and average frame loss rate, [0041] and [0012] and [0052]); and
communicate traffic of the service through the multi-AP coordination (communication using multiple access points (multi-AP) and the AP will further decide whether to initiate multi-AP coordination 220 and the multi-AP coordination starts 770. Data packet will be transmitted by using one of the previously discussed multi-AP coordination schemes, [0002] and [0061] and [0079] and [0034] and [0065]).
Han however fails to disclose a specified/specific requested service and transmitting information about a specified requested service. However in a similar field of endeavor, Hong discloses a specified/specific requested service and transmitting information about a specified requested service (service type sent by the terminal is received, and the service type is used to characterize the real-time service initiated by the terminal and when the terminal initiates a real-time service, it needs to first indicate its service type to the first AP; after receiving the service type sent by the terminal, the first AP will determine that the channel needs to be configured for the real-time service initiated by the terminal, and detect whether there is a second AP that needs channel coordination, [0095]-[0098] and [0014]-[0015] and [0104]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of initiating a specified service, such as a real-time service, and transmitting information of a service type as disclosed by Hong into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame and service requests as disclosed by Han in order to improve the method and flexibly configure coordination dependent on service type initiated/requested by a UE.
Han and Hong fails to disclose in response to the request frame, receive a response frame through the AP. However in a similar field of endeavor, Lu discloses in response to the request frame, receive a response frame through the AP (The STA1-2 first transmits an R-TWT request to the AP1 associated with the STA1-2, and the AP1 and the AP2 negotiate to establish the multi-AP coordination-based R-TWT after the AP1 receives the R-TWT request. The multi-AP coordinated transmission mode (for example, the joint transmission) within the R-TWT SP may be specified. In a case where the AP1 and the AP2 agree to establish the multi-AP coordination-based R-TWT, the AP1 transmits the R-TWT response to the STA1-1 to confirm successful establishment, [0173]-[0174] and [0176] and [0008] and [0109]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of receiving a response frame for a request for an establishment of multi-AP coordination as disclosed by Lu into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame as disclosed by Han and Hong in order to improve the method and flexibly indicate to a station when initializing multi-AP coordination is established.
Regarding claim 11, Han discloses the electronic device (a station (STA) device including at least one processor, [0017]-[0021] and [0086]-[0088] and figure 8) comprising:
at least one wireless communication circuit configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal;
at least one processor comprising processing circuitry operatively connected with the at least one wireless communication circuit; and at least one memory configured to store instructions, wherein the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor to cause the electronic device (a station (STA) device including at least one processor; at least one wireless interface for communicating with at least one access point (AP); and machine readable memory storing machine readable instructions. The machine readable instructions, when executed by the processor configures the STA for, [0017]-[0021] and [0086]-[0088] and figure 8) to:
transmit, to an access point (AP) associated with the electronic device, a request frame requesting multi-AP coordination, the request frame including information about a service for which the multi-AP coordination is requested (When STAs roam across multiple BSS, their service requests can be leveraged to trigger multi-AP coordination and sending, by the STA to the associated AP, a message about a change in multi-AP coordination parameters includes: i) sending timeliness parameters: (acknowledgement) ACK delay, jitter; ii) bandwidth parameters: effective throughput, buffer size; and iii) reliability, stability, and availability parameters: SINR variation, average bit error rate and average frame loss rate, [0041] and [0012] and [0052]); and comprising traffic flow information of a service (a request for initializing multi-AP coordination…the message/request is included a designated frame…message about a change in multi-AP coordination parameters includes: i) sending timeliness parameters (correlating to flow information): (acknowledgement) ACK delay, jitter; ii) bandwidth parameters (correlating to flow information): effective throughput, buffer size; and iii) reliability, stability, and availability parameters: SINR variation, average bit error rate and average frame loss rate and After the AP receives and evaluates the request from STA 210, the AP will further decide whether to initiate multi-AP coordination 220, or simply follow the routine of standalone transmission 205, [0012] and [0060]-0061] and figure 5 and [0047]-[0048] and figure 4 and [0077] and figure 6 and [0017] and [0056]); and
receive traffic of the service through the multi-AP coordination (communication using multiple access points (multi-AP) and the AP will further decide whether to initiate multi-AP coordination 220 and the multi-AP coordination starts 770. Data packet will be transmitted by using one of the previously discussed multi-AP coordination schemes, [0002] and [0061] and [0079] and [0034] and [0065]).
Han however fails to disclose a specified requested service and transmitting information about a specified requested service. However in a similar field of endeavor, Hong discloses a specified requested service and transmitting information about a specified requested service (service type sent by the terminal is received, and the service type is used to characterize the real-time service initiated by the terminal and when the terminal initiates a real-time service, it needs to first indicate its service type to the first AP; after receiving the service type sent by the terminal, the first AP will determine that the channel needs to be configured for the real-time service initiated by the terminal, and detect whether there is a second AP that needs channel coordination, [0095]-[0098] and [0014]-[0015] and [0104]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of initiating a specified service, such as a real-time service, and transmitting information of a service type as disclosed by Hong into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame and service requests as disclosed by Han in order to improve the method and flexibly configure coordination dependent on service type initiated/requested by a UE.
Han and Hong fails to disclose in response to the request frame, receive a response frame to the request frame through the AP. However in a similar field of endeavor, Lu discloses in response to the request frame, receive a response frame to the request frame through the AP (The STA1-2 first transmits an R-TWT request to the AP1 associated with the STA1-2, and the AP1 and the AP2 negotiate to establish the multi-AP coordination-based R-TWT after the AP1 receives the R-TWT request. The multi-AP coordinated transmission mode (for example, the joint transmission) within the R-TWT SP may be specified. In a case where the AP1 and the AP2 agree to establish the multi-AP coordination-based R-TWT, the AP1 transmits the R-TWT response to the STA1-1 to confirm successful establishment, [0173]-[0174] and [0176] and [0008] and [0109]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of receiving a response frame for a request for an establishment of multi-AP coordination as disclosed by Lu into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame as disclosed by Han and Hong in order to improve the method and flexibly indicate to a station when initializing multi-AP coordination is established.
Regarding claim 2, 12, Hong discloses wherein the specified requested service is a real-time service (service type sent by the terminal is received, and the service type is used to characterize the real-time service initiated by the terminal and when the terminal initiates a real-time service, it needs to first indicate its service type to the first AP; after receiving the service type sent by the terminal, the first AP will determine that the channel needs to be configured for the real-time service initiated by the terminal, and detect whether there is a second AP that needs channel coordination, [0095]-[0098] and [0014]-[0015] and [0104]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of initiating a specified service, such as a real-time service, and transmitting information of a service type as disclosed by Hong into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame and service requests as disclosed by Han in order to improve the method and flexibly configure channel coordination dependent on service type initiated/requested by a UE.
Regarding claim 7, 16, Han discloses wherein the request frame comprises information about an AP desired to participate in the multi-AP coordination with the electronic device (the message about a change in multi-AP coordination parameters includes a request for initializing multi-AP coordination…the request includes a report of analysed conditions…sending, by the STA to the associated AP, a message about a change in multi-AP coordination parameters includes: i) sending timeliness parameters: (acknowledgement) ACK delay, jitter; ii) bandwidth parameters: effective throughput, buffer size; and iii) reliability, stability, and availability parameters: SINR variation, average bit error rate and average frame loss rate and After the AP receives and evaluates the request from STA 210, the AP will further decide whether to initiate multi-AP coordination 220 (correlating to an AP desired to participate in multi-AP coordination), or simply follow the routine of standalone transmission 205. If the multi-AP coordination is selected, the first step is to perform AP-to-AP negotiation 230, [0012] and [0061] and [0017]).
Regarding claim 21, 22, Han discloses use the multi-AP coordination to communicate the traffic of the service (communication using multiple access points (multi-AP) and Data packet will be transmitted by using one of the previously discussed multi-AP coordination schemes, [0002] and [0079] and [0034]).
Han however fails to disclose specified service. However in a similar field of endeavor, Hong discloses specified service (service type sent by the terminal is received, and the service type is used to characterize the real-time service initiated by the terminal and when the terminal initiates a real-time service, it needs to first indicate its service type to the first AP; after receiving the service type sent by the terminal, the first AP will determine that the channel needs to be configured for the real-time service initiated by the terminal, and detect whether there is a second AP that needs channel coordination, [0095]-[0098] and [0014]-[0015] and [0104]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of initiating a specified service, such as a real-time service, and transmitting information of a service type as disclosed by Hong into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame and service requests as disclosed by Han in order to improve the method and flexibly configure channel coordination dependent on service type initiated by a UE.
Claim(s) 4, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al., in view of Hong, in view of Lu et al., in further view of Liu (US 2007/0189274).
Regarding claim 4, 13, Han, Hong, Lu fails to disclose wherein the information about the service comprises Internet protocol (IP) information on traffic generated by the service. Han however discloses a request by a bandwidth-hungry or delay-sensitive applications executing on the STA device ([0048]) and of QoS metrices such as bandwidth ([0050]-[0052]). In a similar field of endeavor, Liu discloses wherein the information about the service comprises Internet protocol (IP) information on traffic generated by the service (The resource request signaling contains the reservation parameters of the resource needed by a customer terminal, which includes customer traffic identification information (e.g., an IP 5-tuple message), a bandwidth requirement parameter and a QoS requirement parameter, etc., [0060] and [0063]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of including service IP information in a request by a terminal as disclosed by Liu into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame associated with applications running on a station as disclosed by Han, Hong, and Lu in order to improve the method and flexibly indicate the proper parameters for a bandwidth hungry application.
Claim(s) 5, 6, 14, 15, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al., in view of Hong, in view of Lu et al., in further view of Huang et al. (US 2025/0063620).
Regarding claim 5, 14, Han, Hong, Lu fails to disclose wherein the information about the service is included in a traffic classification (TCLAS) element comprised in the request frame. However in a similar field of endeavor, Huang discloses wherein the information about the service is specified in a traffic classification (TCLAS) element comprised in the request frame (STA may report the low-delay traffic stream by sending an SCS request frame to the associated AP, and indicate a corresponding QoS parameter and SCS descriptor includes the following fields:…a traffic classification (TCLAS) element, a TCLAS processing element, a QoS characteristics element, [0173]-[0176] and [0182] and figure 10). It 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 to incorporate the concept of including TCLAS element in a request by a terminal as disclosed by Huang into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame associated with applications running on a station as disclosed by Han, Hong, and Lu in order to improve the method and flexibly indicate the proper parameters for a bandwidth hungry application.
Regarding claim 6, 15, Han, Hong, and Lu fails to disclose wherein, when a plurality of the TCLAS elements are comprised in the request frame, a TCLAS processing element is comprised in the request frame. However in a similar field of endeavor, Huang discloses wherein, when a plurality of the TCLAS elements are comprised in the request frame, a TCLAS processing element is comprised in the request frame (STA may report the low-delay traffic stream by sending an SCS request frame to the associated AP, and indicate a corresponding QoS parameter and SCS descriptor includes the following fields:…a traffic classification (TCLAS) element, a TCLAS processing element, a QoS characteristics element and The TCLAS processing element indicates how to process multiple TCLAS elements when the multiple TCLAS elements exist, [0173]-[0176] and [0182] and [0187]-[0188] and figure 10). It 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 to incorporate the concept of including TCLAS elements and TCLAS processing element in a request by a terminal as disclosed by Huang into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame associated with applications running on a station as disclosed by Han, Hong, and Lu in order to improve the method and flexibly indicate the proper parameters for a bandwidth hungry application.
Claim(s) 8, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al., in view of Hong, in view of Lu et al., in further view of Zhou et al. (US 2024/0023003).
Regarding claim 8, 17, Han, Hong, and Lu fails to disclose wherein the request frame comprises information about the AP, and wherein the information about the AP comprises a basic service set identifier (BSSID) or basic service set (BSS) color information. Zhou discloses wherein the request frame comprises information about the AP, and wherein the information about the AP comprises a basic service set identifier (BSSID) or basic service set (BSS) color information (the STA (such as STA2) that needs the multi-AP service recommends one or more AP identifiers from the plurality of AP groups included in the common AP group information to the MAP…via a Group Recommend frame and group recommend frame includes at least a group recommend field, and the group recommend field includes a field indicating a supported type of multi-AP coordinated transmission,…and a field indicating a BSSID of each AP, [0163] and [0185] and [0150] and [0214] and [0223] and [0101] and [0198] and [0246] and [0294]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of including AP identifier (such as BSSID) information regarding surrounding APs in a message from a STA as disclosed by Zhou into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame associated with applications running on a station as disclosed by Han, Hong, and Lu in order to improve the method and flexibly recommend surrounding APs for multiple access point coordination from a UE.
Claim(s) 9, 10, 18, 19, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al., Hong, in view of Lu et al., in further view of Seok et al. (US 2014/0204821).
Regarding claim 9, 18, Han, Hong, and Lu fails to disclose wherein the request frame comprises scheduling information for the service. Han however discloses the elected leader AP calculates and determines the most cost-effective coordination scheme, then performs resource scheduling according to STA's request ([0078] and [0012] and [0017]). In a similar field of endeavor, Seok discloses request frame comprises scheduling information for the service (scheduling information on the started scheduled service periods may be implemented by service period duration and a service period interval, and such information may be determined and shared by the STA and/or AP. For this, the service period duration information and service period interval information may be determined by the STA and be then sent to the AP…The service period duration information and the service period interval information may be sent included in a scheduled service period start request frame, [0211] and [0008]-[0010] and [0128]-[0130]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of including scheduling information such as interval and duration in a request frame as disclosed by Seok into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame associated with applications running on a station as disclosed by Han, Hong, and Lu in order to improve the method and flexibly provide scheduling information to an AP such that resources may be correctly allocated.
Regarding claim 10, 19, Han, Hong, Lu fails to disclose wherein the scheduling information comprises a service interval and a duration. Han however discloses the elected leader AP calculates and determines the most cost-effective coordination scheme, then performs resource scheduling according to STA's request ([0078] and [0012] and [0017]). Seok discloses wherein the scheduling information comprises a service interval and a duration (scheduling information on the started scheduled service periods may be implemented by service period duration and a service period interval, and such information may be determined and shared by the STA and/or AP. For this, the service period duration information and service period interval information may be determined by the STA and be then sent to the AP…The service period duration information and the service period interval information may be sent included in a scheduled service period start request frame, [0211] and [0008]-[0010] and [0128]-[0130]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of including scheduling information such as interval and duration in a request frame as disclosed by Seok into the method for multiple access point coordination comprising a request frame associated with applications running on a station as disclosed by Han, Hong, and Lu in order to improve the method and flexibly provide scheduling information to an AP such that resources may be correctly allocated.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 2, 4-23 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NGUYEN HOANG NGO whose telephone number is (571)272-8398. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang Yao can be reached at 571-272-3182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/NGUYEN H NGO/Examiner, Art Unit 2473
