DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in responsive to Application 18/682802 filed on 2/9/2024. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims:
Claims 1-8 and 12 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)s comply with 37 CFR 1.97 provisions. Accordingly, the Examiner has considered the IDS.
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.
Claims 1, 4, 6-8 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by IDS entry 1 under foreign patent documents WO 2018/140187 to Chen.
Regarding Claim 1, Chen teaches a method for transmitting a null data packet (NDP) feedback report response in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the method performed by a station (STA) (¶0143-¶0146 & Figs. 8-11 and 18; the method 1800 may continue at operation 1806 with when the HE station is scheduled for an NDP feedback report response perform operations 1808-1814) comprising:
receiving an NDP feedback report poll (NFRP) trigger frame (¶0104; method 800 continues at operation 854 with the HE AP 502 transmitting a trigger frame for null data packet (NDP) feedback report poll (TF for NDP feedback) 808 [NFRP trigger frame], in accordance with some embodiments. The TF for NDP feedback 808 may include one or more of a feedback type field 830, starting association identification (AID) field 832, bandwidth (BW) field 834, and spatial streams field 836. The feedback type field 830, starting AID field 832, BW field 834, and spatial streams field 836 may be as described in conjunction with FIGS. 10 and 11) requesting an NDP feedback report response from an access point (AP) (¶0104, ¶0143-¶0146 & Figs. 8-11 and 18; HE AP 502 transmitting a trigger frame for null data packet (NDP) feedback report poll (TF for NDP feedback) 808, in accordance with some embodiments… method 1800 begins at operation 1802 with decoding a TF for a NDP feedback report poll, the TF comprising a feedback type field, the TF received from an HE access point…method may continue at operation 1804 with determining whether the TF indicates that the HE station is scheduled for an NDP feedback report response. The HE station 504 may determine if the HE station 504 is scheduled based on the TF for NDP feedback report poll 808 as disclosed in FIGS. 8-11);
and transmitting a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) carrying the NDP feedback report response to the AP, in response to the NFRP trigger frame (¶0124, ¶0162 & Figs. 8-11 and 18; the NDP feedback 808, 810, 812, may be a HE TB NDP PPDU 900 as described in conjunction with FIG. 9. [00125] Each HE station 504.1 through 504.N transmits a NDP feedback…configure the HE station to transmit a HE trigger-based (TB) Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU), where each tone of the RU tone set is part of a HE-LTF of the HE TB PPDU),
wherein the PPDU is transmitted in a frequency resource corresponding to a tone set index assigned to the STA (¶0122-¶0126 & ¶0162-¶0165; NDP feedback 808 may be transmitted on a 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz, 160 MHz, or on multiple 20 MHz channels. The NDP feedback 808 may be L-STF 902 through HE-STF 912. The HE stations 504.1 through 504.N may then transmit on subcarrier or tones 810, which may be the HE-LTF 914…the HE stations 504.1 through 504.N may determine their RU tone set 1024, and the feedback 1026. The HE stations 504.1 through 504.N may then transmit on the subcamers or tones 810 that correspond to the RU tone set 1024…where each tone of the RU tone set is part of a HE-LTF of the HE TB PPDU),
and wherein, based on one or more subchannels in the bandwidth of the PPDU being punctured, the tone set index assigned to the STA is determined so that the frequency resources in the one or more punctured subchannels are not included (¶0162-¶0168; when the HE station is limited to transmitting a 20 MHz response, and the bandwidth field indicates the bandwidth to transmit the NDP feedback report response is greater than 20 MHz, tones of the RU tone set are not part of a group of tones of the 20 MHz response that are punctured to align with punctured tones of the 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz, or 160 MHz NDP feedback report response of other HE stations. In Example 12, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-11 optionally include where the processing circuitry is further configured to: configure the HE station to refrain from transmitting energy on tones that are not part of the RU tone set).
Regarding Claim 4, Chen further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein, even though tone set indices are configured for the punctured one or more subchannels, the tone set index assigned to the STA is determined from among tone set indices other than a tone set index for the punctured one or more subchannels (¶0120-¶0140, ¶0160-¶0175 and ¶0180-¶0210, Fig. 8 & 11-19 all provide examples of determining a tone set for punctured subchannels like 20Hz).
Regarding Claim 6, Chen further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the tone set index assigned to the STA is indicated by the NFRP trigger frame (¶0155-¶0170 provides many examples with respect to RU tone set indicated by trigger frame. Also see ¶0124, ¶0162 & Figs. 8-11 and 18; the NDP feedback 808, 810, 812, may be a HE TB NDP PPDU 900 as described in conjunction with FIG. 9. [00125] Each HE station 504.1 through 504.N transmits a NDP feedback…configure the HE station to transmit a HE trigger-based (TB) Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU), where each tone of the RU tone set is part of a HE-LTF of the HE TB PPDU).
Regarding Claim 7, Chen further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein information on the tone set index assigned to the STA in a user info field in the NFRP trigger frame is included (¶0155-¶0170 provides many examples with respect to RU tone set indicated by trigger frame. Also see ¶0124, ¶0162 & Figs. 8-11 and 18; the NDP feedback 808, 810, 812, may be a HE TB NDP PPDU 900 as described in conjunction with FIG. 9. [00125] Each HE station 504.1 through 504.N transmits a NDP feedback…configure the HE station to transmit a HE trigger-based (TB) Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU), where each tone of the RU tone set is part of a HE-LTF of the HE TB PPDU).
Claims 8 and 12 are substantially similar to claim 1, thus the same rationale applies.
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen.
Regarding Claim 2, Chen teaches the method of claim 1, wherein no tone set index is configured in the one or more punctured subchannels, and tone set indices are configured only in non-punctured subchannels (¶0167; when the HE station is limited to transmitting a 20 MHz response, and the bandwidth field indicates the bandwidth to transmit the NDP feedback report response is greater than 20 MHz, tones of the RU tone set are not part of a group of tones of the 20 MHz response that are punctured to align with punctured tones of the 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz, or 160 MHz NDP feedback report response of other HE stations… when the HE station is limited to transmitting a 20 MHz response, and the bandwidth field indicates the bandwidth to transmit the NDP feedback report response is greater than 20 MHz, tones of the RU tone set are not part of a group of tones of the 20 MHz response that are punctured to align with punctured tones of the 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz, or 160 MHz NDP feedback report response of other HE stations, see claim 11);
and wherein the tone set index assigned to the STA is determined among the configured tone set indices (obvious from ¶0120-¶0140 because RU tone set index to AID determiner 1114 may determine based on the RU tone set table 1112, prohibited tones 1106, and HE-LTF sequence 1104 which RU tone sets 1024 had energy transmitted on them. And, determine which AID of the associated HE stations AIDS 1108 transmitted on the RU tone sets 1024 based on the starting AID 832, BW 834, spatial streams 836, and RU tone set table 111).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to realize and reach the current claim in view of common knowledge in the art before the effective filling date in view of Chen system in order to determine a RU tone set based on the RU tone set index and the response, and map each tone of the RU tone set to a corresponding tone of a HE long-training field (HE-LTF) sequence (abstract).
Regarding Claim 3, Chen teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the tone set index assigned to the STA is determined based on a number of the punctured one or more subchannels and an association identifier (AID) of the STA (¶0114 & ¶0121; if the value of the starting AID 832 is 100 and the value of AID 1012 is 1 10, then the value of the RU tone set index 1018 may be 10 (or 9 or 11)… The RU tone set index to AID determiner 1114 may determine based on the RU tone set table 1112, prohibited tones 1106, and HE-LTF sequence 1104 which RU tone sets 1024 had energy transmitted on them. And, determine which AID of the associated HE stations AIDS 1108 transmitted on the RU tone sets 1024 based on the starting AID 832, BW 834, spatial streams 836, and RU tone set table 1112. Also the limitation is obvious from ¶0120-¶0140, ¶0160-¶0175 and ¶0180-¶0210, Fig. 8 & 11-19 because starting AID field 832 may indicate a starting AID of AIDs that are being polled by the TF for NDP feedback 808. A total number of AIDs that are being polled by the TF for NDP feedback 808 may be determined based on the value of the BW field 834, spatial streams field 836, and a number of RU tone sets per 20 MHz. The value of the BW field 834 may indicate a bandwidth for the response, e.g., 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz, and 160 MHz. The value of the spatial streams 836 may indicate a number of spatial streams to be used for the response to the TF for NDP feedback 808…HE station 504 may be the same or similar to the HE station 504 of FIG. 5. The HE station 504 may include a resource allocation determiner 1010, an AID 1012, a feedback determiner 1014, a HE-LTF sequence 1016, a RU tone set index 1018, and a RU tone set table 1020. The AID 1012 is an AID assigned to the HE station 504 by a HE AP 502 that transmitted the TF for NDP feedback 808).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to realize and reach the current claim in view of common knowledge in the art before the effective filling date in view of Chen system in order to determine a RU tone set based on the RU tone set index and the response, and map each tone of the RU tone set to a corresponding tone of a HE long-training field (HE-LTF) sequence (abstract).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Lin et al. (hereinafter Lin) US 2024/0275566 A1.
Regarding Claim 5, Chen teaches the method of claim 1, but does no expressly teach wherein the punctured one or more subchannels are indicated by a disabled subchannel bitmap transmitted from the AP.
Lin teaches wherein the punctured one or more subchannels are indicated by a disabled subchannel bitmap transmitted from the AP (¶0002; The STA may transmit, to the AP, a feedback report frame including channel state information (CSI) feedback, wherein the CSI feedback is based on measurements that the STA performed on the received NDP frame using the indicated subchannels for measuring channel characteristics. The beacon frame may include an indication of at least one punctured subchannel and an indication of at least one subchannel that is not punctured. The indication of the at least one punctured subchannel and the indication of the at least one punctured subchannel may be indicated as a disabled subchannel bitmap. The subchannels for measuring channel characteristics may be equal to or a subset of the at least one subchannel that is not punctured).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed limitation to incorporate the teachings of Lin into the system of Chen in order to provide channel sounding reports, which may be used in wireless local area network (WLAN) systems (¶0002). Utilizing such teachings enable the system to indicate that the STA may feedback the best VI among all or its selected the layers and For the modified STA Info field with multiple VI Index feedback, in some examples (e.g., beam nulling in MAP scenario), some beam direction may need to be avoided. Therefore, the AP may request the worst channel index and the best channel index (¶0141-¶0144).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHRAN ABU ROUMI whose telephone number is (469)295-9170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6AM-5PM.
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MAHRAN ABU ROUMI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2455
/MAHRAN Y ABU ROUMI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2455