DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-8 are pending in this application.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Oath/Declaration
The applicant’s oath/declaration has been reviewed by the examiner and is found to conform to the requirements prescribed in 37 C.F.R. 1.63.
Priority
This application is a 371 of PCT/JP2021/030175 filed on 08/18/2021.
Drawings
The applicant’s drawings submitted are acceptable for examination purposes.
Information Disclosure Statement
As required by M.P.E.P. 609(C), the applicant’s submissions of the Information Disclosure Statements dated 02/08/2024, 05/10/2024, 05/29/2025 are acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending. As required by M.P.E.P 609 C(2), a copy of the PTOL-1449 initialed.
Title of Invention
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 and 8 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 1 recites “A transmitting station comprising: … receive a wireless signal using a first channel) is unclear how transmitting station receive a wireless signal. Examiner believe applicant intend to describe limitations of claim 1 performing by a terminal device (see specification Fig.5-6). Similar issue applies to a receiving station described in claim 8 in a vice versa direction.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 7 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 7 recites the limitation "the same ACK reply timing" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because there is no disclosure of ACK reply timing.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
(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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Umehara (US 2022/0322432 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Umehara teaches a transmitting station (station (STA) 103 see Umehara: Fig.2; ¶[0026]) comprising:
a first wireless signal processing unit, comprising one or more processors, configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal using a first channel (STA 103 includes a MAC unit for wireless Link A 211 to send and receive wireless signals over a channel (such as channel 175) see Umehara: Fig.1-2; Fig.5; ¶[0066]; ¶[0021]);
a second wireless signal processing unit, comprising one or more processors, configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal using a second channel different from the first channel (STA 103 includes a MAC unit for wireless Link B 212 to send and receive wireless signals over a second channel (such as channel 207) see Umehara: Fig.2; Fig.5; ¶[0066]; ¶[0021]); and
a transmission timing adjustment unit, comprising one or more processors, configured to adjust transmission timings of first data associated with the first wireless signal processing unit and second data associated with the second wireless signal processing unit (control unit 202 reads out program and executes the program with MAC unit 211 and 212 to confirming idle state and Station 103 decrements the backoff counter value by 1 “The MAC unit 211 and the MAC unit 212 start random backoffs 503 to 510 after confirming that the idle state (link idle state) of the corresponding wireless medium has continued for the DIFS period” see Umehara: ¶[0063]; Fig.5; Fig.3; ¶[0032]; ¶[0054]; ¶[0048]),
wherein the transmission timing adjustment unit is configured to adjust the transmission timings of the first data and the second data on the basis of a first status associated with the first wireless signal processing unit and a second status associated with the second wireless signal processing unit (random backoff values 503-504 are based on CW set X to determine whether signal is interrupt signal or idle signal see Umehara: ¶[0064-0065]; Fig.5-6; ¶[0069]; ¶[0074]).
Regarding claim 2. Umehara taught the transmitting station according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. Umehara further teaches wherein the first status is a status of a channel access procedure of the first wireless signal processing unit, the second status is a status of a channel access procedure of the second wireless signal processing unit, and the transmission timing adjustment unit is configured to manage the first status and the second status (The state in which transmission opportunity for one wireless link is obtained is corresponding to “a case in which the first state is a status indicating completion of a channel access procedure” and determine whether the radio medium of wireless radio links is idle corresponding to “second status” see Umehara: ¶[0060]; ¶[0073-0074]).
Regarding claim 3. Umehara taught the transmitting station according to claim 2 as described hereinabove. Umehara further teaches wherein the transmission timing adjustment unit is configured to confirm the second status in a case where the first status is a status indicating completion of a channel access procedure (The state in which transmission opportunity for one wireless link is obtained is corresponding to “a case in which the first state is a status indicating completion of a channel access procedure” and determine whether the radio medium of wireless radio links is idle corresponding to “second status” see Umehara: ¶[0060]; ¶[0073-0074]).
Regarding claim 4. Umehara taught the transmitting station according to claim 3 as described hereinabove. Umehara further teaches wherein the transmission timing adjustment unit notifies is configured to notify the first wireless signal processing unit of an instruction to wait for transmission of the first data in a case where the second status is a status indicating that the channel access procedure is being executed (the wireless medium related to the wireless link A is in a busy state due to a transmission signal 601 from the STA 104, after a random backoff 518 and detect wireless link in busy state until the transmission of these signals is completed see Umehara: ¶[0071-0073]; Fig.6).
Regarding claim 5. Umehara taught the transmitting station according to claim 3 as described hereinabove. Umehara further teaches wherein the transmission timing adjustment unit notifies is configured to notify the first wireless signal processing unit and the second wireless signal processing unit of an instruction to transmit the first data and the second data in a case where the second status is a status indicating completion of the channel access procedure (The state in which transmission opportunity for one wireless link is obtained is corresponding to “a case in which the state is a status indicating completion of a channel access procedure” and determine whether the radio medium of wireless radio links is idle see Umehara: ¶[0060]; ¶[0067]; ¶[0073-0074]).
Regarding claim 6. Umehara taught the transmitting station according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. Umehara further teaches wherein the transmission timing adjustment unit receives is configured to receive the first data and the second data and transmits transmit the first data and the second data (transmit and receive first and second data over wireless link A and B and transmit data frame S310 see Umehara: Fig.5-6; ¶[0050-0052]).
Regarding claim 8, Umehara teaches a receiving station (base station 102 see Umehara: Fig.1-2; ¶[0026]) comprising:
a first wireless signal processing unit, comprising one or more processors, configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal using a first channel (base station 102 includes a MAC unit for wireless Link A 211 to send and receive wireless signals over a channel (such as channel 175) see Umehara: Fig.2; Fig.5; ¶[0066]; ¶[0021]); and
a second wireless signal processing unit, comprising one or more processors, configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal using a second channel different from the first channel (base station 102 includes a MAC unit for wireless Link B 212 to send and receive wireless signals over a second channel (such as channel 207) see Umehara: Fig.2; Fig.5; ¶[0066]; ¶[0021]),
wherein the first wireless signal processing unit and the second wireless signal processing unit are configured to return an ACK to the transmitting station on the basis of an ACK reply timing instruction received from a transmitting station that transmits is configured to transmit a wireless signal (ACK signal received at S311 when transmit data frame at data frame S310 over each link see Umehara: Fig.3; ¶[0050-0052]).
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Umehara (US 2022/0322432 A1) in view of Naribole et al. (US 2022/0264597 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Umehara taught the transmitting station according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. Umehara does not explicitly teaches wherein the transmission timing adjustment unit is configured to notify the first wireless signal processing unit and the second wireless signal processing unit of either the same ACK reply timing, a block ACK request (BAR) reply timing, or a data transmission completion timing on the basis of a maximum value of time required for the first wireless signal processing unit and the second wireless signal processing unit to transmit data.
However, Naribole teaches wherein the transmission timing adjustment unit is configured to notify the first wireless signal processing unit and the second wireless signal processing unit of either the same ACK reply timing, a block ACK request (BAR) reply timing (after the transmission from the non-STR STA to the access point on link A, the access point provides a multi-channel busy status feedback in the corresponding acknowledgment (ACK or Block Ack) indicating an ongoing reception (of a frame from the second station STA 2) by the access point on link B see Naribole: ¶[0090]; ¶[0098]), or a data transmission completion timing on the basis of a maximum value of time required for the first wireless signal processing unit and the second wireless signal processing unit to transmit data in order to enhance medium utilization in asynchronous multi-channel operation (see Naribole: ¶[0015]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Umehara to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein the transmission timing adjustment unit is configured to notify the first wireless signal processing unit and the second wireless signal processing unit of either the same ACK reply timing, a block ACK request (BAR) reply timing, or a data transmission completion timing on the basis of a maximum value of time required for the first wireless signal processing unit and the second wireless signal processing unit to transmit data as taught by Naribole in order to enhance medium utilization in asynchronous multi-channel operation (see Naribole: ¶[0015]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUANG W LI whose telephone number is (571)270-1897. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday 7AM-5PMET.
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GUANG W. LI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2478
March 20, 2026
/GUANG W LI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478