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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on April 24, 2024 and November 17, 2025 have been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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 of this title, 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.
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.
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.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2021/0258115 A1) in view of Noh et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2022/0360397 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Liu et al. teach a method in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system (Fig(s).6-7), the method comprising:
receiving, by a receiving station (STA), an Aggregated-Physical Protocol Data Unit (A-PPDU) from a transmitting STA (Fig(s).6 and 7 @ 710); and
decoding, by the receiving STA, the A-PPDU (Fig(s).6 @ 610, 622 and 7 @ 720),
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein the A-PPDU includes a first PPDU for a primary 160MHz channel and a second PPDU for a secondary 160MHz channel,
wherein the receiving STA is allocated to the secondary 160MHz channel by Subchannel Selective Transmission (SST),
wherein the first PPDU is transmitted based on a first sequence for 160 MHz and a first preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz, and
wherein the second PPDU is transmitted based on a second sequence for 160 MHz and a second preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein the A-PPDU includes a first PPDU for a primary 160MHz channel and a second PPDU for a secondary 160MHz channel (read as “… the A-PPDU transmission includes transmission of multiple sub-PPDUs with different variants; …”(Abstract)),
wherein the receiving STA (Fig.1 @ 120) is allocated to the secondary 160MHz channel by Subchannel Selective Transmission (SST) (read as “EHT TB PPDU on the secondary 160 MHz channel based on SST operation …”(Fig.1; Paragraph [0119])),
wherein the first PPDU is transmitted based on a first sequence for 160 MHz (read as first sequence (Abstract)) and a first preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz (read as 20 MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5)), and
wherein the second PPDU is transmitted based on a second sequence for 160 MHz (read as second sequence (Paragraph [0038])) and a second preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz. (read as 40 MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5))
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for preamble puncturing at 160 MHz for A-PPDUs comprising of at least two sequences as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Regarding claim 9, Liu et al. teach a receiving station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system (Fig.6 @ 620, 622), the receiving STA (Fig.6 @ 620, 622) comprising:
a memory (Fig.6 @ 614, 624);
a transceiver (Fig.6 @ 616, 626); and
a processor (Fig.6 @ 612, 622) being operatively connected to the memory (Fig.6 @ 614, 624) and the transceiver (Fig.6 @ 616, 626), wherein the processor (Fig.6 @ 612, 622) is configured to:
receive an Aggregated-Physical Protocol Data Unit (A-PPDU) from a transmitting STA (Fig(s).6 and 7 @ 710); and
decode the A-PPDU (Fig(s).6 @ 610, 622 and 7 @ 720),
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein the A-PPDU includes a first PPDU for a primary 160MHz channel and a second PPDU for a secondary 160MHz channel,
wherein the receiving STA is allocated to the secondary 160MHz channel by Subchannel Selective Transmission (SST),
wherein the first PPDU is transmitted based on a first sequence for 160 MHz and a first preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz, and
wherein the second PPDU is transmitted based on a second sequence for 160 MHz and a second preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein the A-PPDU includes a first PPDU for a primary 160MHz channel and a second PPDU for a secondary 160MHz channel (read as “… the A-PPDU transmission includes transmission of multiple sub-PPDUs with different variants; …”(Abstract)),
wherein the receiving STA (Fig.1 @ 120) is allocated to the secondary 160MHz channel by Subchannel Selective Transmission (SST) (read as “EHT TB PPDU on the secondary 160 MHz channel based on SST operation …”(Fig.1; Paragraph [0119])),
wherein the first PPDU is transmitted based on a first sequence for 160 MHz (read as first sequence (Abstract)) and a first preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz (read as 20 MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5)), and
wherein the second PPDU is transmitted based on a second sequence for 160 MHz (read as second sequence (Paragraph [0038])) and a second preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz. (read as 40 MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5))
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for preamble puncturing at 160 MHz for A-PPDUs comprising of at least two sequences as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Regarding claim 10, Liu et al. teach a method in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system (Fig.6 and 8), the method comprising:
generating, by a transmitting station (STA), an Aggregated-Physical Protocol Data Unit (A-PPDU) (Fig(s).6 @ 610, 622 and 8 @ 810); and
transmitting, by the transmitting STA, the A-PPDU to a receiving STA (Fig(s).6 and 7 @ 820),
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein the A-PPDU includes a first PPDU for a primary 160MHz channel and a second PPDU for a secondary 160MHz channel,
wherein the receiving STA is allocated to the secondary 160MHz channel by Subchannel Selective Transmission (SST),
wherein the first PPDU is transmitted based on a first sequence for 160 MHz and a first preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz, and
wherein the second PPDU is transmitted based on a second sequence for 160 MHz and a second preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein the A-PPDU includes a first PPDU for a primary 160MHz channel and a second PPDU for a secondary 160MHz channel (read as “… the A-PPDU transmission includes transmission of multiple sub-PPDUs with different variants; …”(Abstract)),
wherein the receiving STA (Fig.1 @ 120) is allocated to the secondary 160MHz channel by Subchannel Selective Transmission (SST) (read as “EHT TB PPDU on the secondary 160 MHz channel based on SST operation …”(Fig.1; Paragraph [0119])),
wherein the first PPDU is transmitted based on a first sequence for 160 MHz (read as non-TB sounding sequence (Paragraph [0198])) and a first preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz (read as 20 MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5)), and
wherein the second PPDU is transmitted based on a second sequence for 160 MHz (read as TB sounding sequence (Paragraph [0198])) and a second preamble puncturing pattern for 160 MHz. (read as 40 MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5))
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for preamble puncturing at 160 MHz for A-PPDUs comprising of at least two sequences as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Regarding claims 2 and 11, and as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, Liu et al., as modified by Noh et al., teach a method wherein the first PPDU is a High Efficiency (HE) PPDU or a first Extreme High Throughput (EHT) PPDU, wherein the second PPDU is a second EHT PPDU. (Fig(s).3A-3B and 4A-4B)
Regarding claims 3 and 12, and as applied to claims 2 and 11 above, Liu et al. teaches an apparatus executing “a method may involve receiving an aggregated PPDU which is transmitted over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs. The method may also involve decoding a preamble of a specific one of the plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths.”(Paragraph [0007]) Also, Liu et al. teach an apparatus executing “ a method may involve generating an aggregated PPDU. The method may also involve transmitting the aggregated PPDU over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs.”(Paragraph [0008])
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein when the first PPDU is the HE PPDU,
the HE PPDU includes a Legacy-Short Training Field (L-STF), a Legacy-Long Training Field (L-LTF), a Legacy-Signal (L-SIG), a Repeated Legacy-Signal (RL-SIG), and a High Efficiency-Signal (HE-SIG), a High Efficiency-Short Training Field (HE-STF), a High Efficiency-Long Training Field (HE-LTF), and a first data field,
wherein the first sequence includes sequences of the L-STF, the L-LTF, the L-SIG, the RL-SIG, the HE-SIG, the HE-STF and the HE-LTF for the 160 MHz.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein when the first PPDU is the HE PPDU, the HE PPDU includes a Legacy-Short Training Field (L-STF), a Legacy-Long Training Field (L-LTF), a Legacy-Signal (L-SIG), a Repeated Legacy-Signal (RL-SIG), and a High Efficiency-Signal (HE-SIG), a High Efficiency-Short Training Field (HE-STF), a High Efficiency-Long Training Field (HE-LTF), and a first data field, wherein the first sequence includes sequences of the L-STF, the L-LTF, the L-SIG, the RL-SIG, the HE-SIG, the HE-STF and the HE-LTF for the 160 MHz. (Fig.5)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for formatting an HE-PPDU as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Regarding claims 4 and 13, and as applied to claims 3 and 12 above, Liu et al. teaches an apparatus executing “a method may involve receiving an aggregated PPDU which is transmitted over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs. The method may also involve decoding a preamble of a specific one of the plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths.”(Paragraph [0007]) Also, Liu et al. teach an apparatus executing “ a method may involve generating an aggregated PPDU. The method may also involve transmitting the aggregated PPDU over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs.”(Paragraph [0008])
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein the first preamble puncturing pattern includes first punctured channel information for the 160 MHz,
wherein the first punctured channel information is included in a BandWidth (BW) field in the HE-SIG,
wherein the first data field is transmitted in a punctured channel based on the first punctured channel information.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein the first preamble puncturing pattern includes first punctured channel information for the 160 MHz (read as 20 MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5)),
wherein the first punctured channel information is included in a BandWidth (BW) field in the HE-SIG (read as UL BW field (Paragraph [0100])),
wherein the first data field is transmitted in a punctured channel based on the first punctured channel information. (Fig(s).1 and 5)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for formatting an HE-PPDU as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Regarding claims 5 and 14, and as applied to claims 2 and 11 above, Liu et al. teaches an apparatus executing “a method may involve receiving an aggregated PPDU which is transmitted over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs. The method may also involve decoding a preamble of a specific one of the plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths.”(Paragraph [0007]) Also, Liu et al. teach an apparatus executing “ a method may involve generating an aggregated PPDU. The method may also involve transmitting the aggregated PPDU over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs.”(Paragraph [0008])
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein when the first PPDU is the first EHT PPDU, the first and second EHT PPDUs include a L-STF, a L-LTF, a L-SIG, a RL-SIG, a Universal-Signal (U-SIG), an EHT-SIG, an EHT-STF, an EHT-LTF, and a second data field, wherein the first and second sequences include sequences of the L-STF, the L-LTF, the L-SIG, the RL-SIG, the U-SIG, the EHT-SIG, the EHT-STF, and the EHT-LTF for the 160 MHz.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein when the first PPDU is the first EHT PPDU, the first and second EHT PPDUs include a L-STF, a L-LTF, a L-SIG, a RL-SIG, a Universal-Signal (U-SIG), an EHT-SIG, an EHT-STF, an EHT-LTF, and a second data field, wherein the first and second sequences include sequences of the L-STF, the L-LTF, the L-SIG, the RL-SIG, the U-SIG, the EHT-SIG, the EHT-STF, and the EHT-LTF for the 160 MHz. (Fig.6)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for formatting an EHT-PPDU as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Regarding claims 6 and 15, and as applied to claims 5 and 14 above, Liu et al. teaches an apparatus executing “a method may involve receiving an aggregated PPDU which is transmitted over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs. The method may also involve decoding a preamble of a specific one of the plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths.”(Paragraph [0007]) Also, Liu et al. teach an apparatus executing “ a method may involve generating an aggregated PPDU. The method may also involve transmitting the aggregated PPDU over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs.”(Paragraph [0008])
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein the first and second preamble puncturing patterns include second punctured channel information for the 160MHz, wherein the second punctured channel information is included in a Punctured Channel Information field in the U-SIG, wherein the second data field is transmitted in a punctured channel based on the second punctured channel information.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein the first and second preamble puncturing patterns include second punctured channel information for the 160MHz (read as 40 MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5)), wherein the second punctured channel information is included in a Punctured Channel Information field in the U-SIG (read as U-SIG (Fig.6)), wherein the second data field is transmitted in a punctured channel based on the second punctured channel information. (read as DATA field (Fig(s).1 and 6))
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for formatting an EHT-PPDU as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Regarding claim 7, and as applied to claim 6 above, Liu et al. teaches an apparatus executing “a method may involve receiving an aggregated PPDU which is transmitted over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs. The method may also involve decoding a preamble of a specific one of the plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths.”(Paragraph [0007]) Also, Liu et al. teach an apparatus executing “ a method may involve generating an aggregated PPDU. The method may also involve transmitting the aggregated PPDU over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs.”(Paragraph [0008])
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein when the A-PPDU is transmitted in a non-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex Access (non-OFDMA) scheme,
the second punctured channel information consists of 5 bits,
wherein the secondary 160MHz channel includes first to eighth 20MHz subchannels,
wherein the first to eighth 20MHz subchannels are arranged in frequency order from low to high, wherein when a value of the second punctured channel information is 1, the first 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel,
wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 2, the second 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel,
wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 3, the third 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 4, the fourth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 5, the fifth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 6, the sixth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 7, the seventh 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 8, the eighth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 9, the first and second 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 10, the third and fourth 20 MHz subchannels are punctured in the secondary 160 MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 11, the fifth and sixth 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 12, the seventh and eighth 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein when the A-PPDU is transmitted in a non-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex Access (non-OFDMA) scheme (read as non-OFDMA transmission (Paragraph [0072])),
the second punctured channel information consists of 5 bits (read as “For non-OFDMA cases, 5 bit of punctured channel indication is used to signal the non-OFDMA puncturing pattern of the entire PPDU bandwidth as shown in Table 3.”(Paragraph [0072])),
wherein the secondary 160MHz channel includes first to eighth 20MHz subchannels (read as 20MHz puncturing (Table 3, page 5)),
wherein the first to eighth 20MHz subchannels are arranged in frequency order from low to high (Fig.16),
wherein when a value of the second punctured channel information is 1, the first 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel (Fig.16),
wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 2, the second 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel (Fig.16),
wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 3, the third 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel (Fig.16),
wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 4, the fourth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 5, the fifth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel (Table 3, page 5),
wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 6, the sixth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel (Table 3, page 5),
wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 7, the seventh 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel (Table 3, page 5),
wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 8, the eighth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 9 (Table 3, page 5),
the first and second 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 10 (Table 3, page 5),
the third and fourth 20 MHz subchannels are punctured in the secondary 160 MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 11 (Table 3, page 5),
the fifth and sixth 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel, wherein when the value of the second punctured channel information is 12, the seventh and eighth 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the secondary 160MHz channel. (Table 3, page 5)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for formatting a non-OFDMA scheme as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Regarding claim 8, and as applied to claim 6 above, Liu et al. teaches an apparatus executing “a method may involve receiving an aggregated PPDU which is transmitted over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs. The method may also involve decoding a preamble of a specific one of the plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths.”(Paragraph [0007]) Also, Liu et al. teach an apparatus executing “ a method may involve generating an aggregated PPDU. The method may also involve transmitting the aggregated PPDU over a plurality of 80-MHz bandwidths with data for a plurality of STAs.”(Paragraph [0008])
However, Liu et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein when the A-PPDU is transmitted in an OFDMA scheme,
the secondary 160MHz channel includes first and second 80MHz subchannels,
wherein the first and second 80MHz subchannels include first to fourth 20MHz subchannels, wherein the second punctured channel information consists of a 4-bit bitmap for each of the first and second 80 MHz subchannels, wherein the first and second 80 MHz subchannels are arranged in frequency order from low to high, wherein the first to fourth 20MHz subchannels are arranged in frequency order from low to high, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 0111, the first 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 101, the second 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 1101, the third 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 1110, the fourth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 0011, the first and second 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 1100, the third and fourth 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 1001, the second and third 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel.
Noh et al. teach a method wherein when the A-PPDU is transmitted in an OFDMA scheme (read as OFDMA transmission (Paragraph [0072])),
the secondary 160MHz channel includes first and second 80MHz subchannels (read as 80 MHz subblocks (Paragraph [0072])),
wherein the first and second 80MHz subchannels include first to fourth 20MHz subchannels (read as 20 MHz subchannel(s) (Paragraph [0072])),
wherein the second punctured channel information consists of a 4-bit bitmap for each of the first and second 80 MHz subchannels (read as “For OFDMA cases, a 4-bit bitmap that tells which 20 MHz subchannel is punctured in the relevant 80 MHz subblock is defined where a value of 0 indicates that the corresponding 20 MHz subchannel is punctured.”(Paragraph [0072])),
wherein the first and second 80 MHz subchannels are arranged in frequency order from low to high, wherein the first to fourth 20MHz subchannels are arranged in frequency order from low to high, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 0111 (Table 3, page 5), the first 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 101, the second 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 1101 (Table 3, page 5), the third 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 1110 (Table 3, page 5), the fourth 20MHz subchannel is punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 0011 (Table 3, page 5), the first and second 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 1100 (Table 3, page 5), the third and fourth 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel, wherein when the 4-bit bitmap is 1001 (Table 3, page 5), the second and third 20MHz subchannels are punctured in the first or second 80MHz subchannel. (Table 3, page 5)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the function for formatting an OFDMA scheme as taught by Noh et al. with the devices as taught by Liu et al. for the purpose of improving packet puncturing for A-PPDUs by devices in WLAN.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure:
Der-Jiunn Deng, Ying-Pei Lin, Xun Yang, Jun Zhu, Yun-Bo Li, Jun Luo, and Kwang-Cheng Chen (“IEEE 802.11ax: Highly Efficient WLANs for Intelligent Information Infrastructure”, December 2017) teach IEEE 802.11ax PPDU formats. (pages 53-55)
Gong et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2024/0235757 A1) teach a “method includes: determining an aggregated physical layer protocol data unit A-PPDU, where the A-PPDU includes at least two PPDUs belonging to different protocols, the A-PPDU includes a first sequence, the first sequence includes N segments of subsequences, any of the N segments of subsequences is obtained by performing phase rotation on a high efficiency-long training field HE LTF sequence and/or an extreme high throughput-long training field EHT LTF sequence based on a phase rotation parameter corresponding to the HE LTF sequence and/or a phase rotation parameter corresponding to the EHT LTF sequence, N phase rotation parameters corresponding to the N segments of subsequences include at least one phase rotation parameter whose value is −1, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; and sending the A-PPDU.”(Fig.5; Abstract)
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or early communications from the Examiner should be directed to Salvador E. Rivas whose telephone number is (571) 270-1784. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 7:00AM to 3:30PM.
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/SALVADOR E RIVAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
March 18, 2026