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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 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.
For example, claim 1, recites, in part:
“determining whether a channel-access period specified by the RTS frame exceeds a remaining on-channel time for a wireless band……….; and
in response to the channel-access period of the RTS frame exceeding the remaining on-channel time”
As the claim initially recited, “a remaining on-channel time for a wireless band” it is unclear what the “the remaining on-channel time is referring to”. The office recommends amending the claim to recite:
“in response to the channel-access period of the RTS frame exceeding the remaining on-channel time for the wireless band”.
Claim 2-8 which depend on claim 1 are similarly rejected for their dependency on claim 1 and for failing to cure the deficiencies therein.
Claim 9, recites:
“detecting that an on-channel time period of the first wireless band is within a predetermined period of ending; and
in response to the detecting…..”
The claims are indefinite because “the detecting” is not specified in the claim. The office requires the amendment of the claim to “in response to the detecting that the on-channel time period of the wireless band is within the predetermined period of ending” in order to render the claims definite.
Claims 10-12 are rejected for their dependency on claim 9 and for failing to cure the deficiencies therein.
Claim 13 is parallel in scope with claim 1 but directed to a device, and is rejected for the same reasons as given for claim 1.
The office notes that claims 14-20 are rejected for their dependency on claim 13, and for failing to cure the deficiencies therein.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Benveniste (US 7, 688,783 B1) “Mixing Basic Service Set (BSS) Traffic and Mesh Forwarding Traffic”
Li et al. (US 2013/0272288 A1) “Transmission Method and Device in Wireless Local Area Network”
Wu (US 2016/0323776 A1) “Channel Reservation Method and Communication Device”
Jiang et al. (US 2020/0132829 A1) “Methods of Ranging for Next Generation Vehicle-to-Everything (NGV) Systems” par.[0137] describes an AP transmitting a CTS-2-Self to itself in order to reserve the channel for itself.
Geethanjali (US 2020/0214039 A1) “Increasing Downstream Network Throughput From Access Points in Data Communication System Using Transmit Opportunities From RTS (Request to Send) Frame Errors”
Ciochine et al. (US 2022/0174725 A1) “Communication Devices and Methods”
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMAAL HENSON whose telephone number is (571)272-5339. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thu: 7:30 am - 6:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached at (571)272-3123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JAMAAL HENSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2411
/JAMAAL HENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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