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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-2, 5, 8-9, 12-16, 21-30 have been considered but are moot due to new ground of rejection.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5, 12-16, 21-24, and 27-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chitrakar et al. (US 2022/0209825 A1) in view of Fujimoto (US 2022/0150162 A1), and further in view of Asterjadhi et al. (US 2015/0124704 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chitrakar discloses a communication device (e.g. Master AP) comprising: a signal processing circuit that: divides data according to a predetermined division method in order to form divided shared data (e.g. fig. 5B, paragraph [0079], data frame 550 divided into or composed A-MPDU subframes), the data being data that is to be shared with another communication device in order to perform cooperative transmission by the communication device and the other communication device to a communication terminal (figs. 13-33; e.g. paragraph [0116]-[0132]; [0068]; [0110]; and so on, illustrating that the Master AP shares shared A-MPDU data with the cooperating Slaves AP1 and AP2 to transmit to a Target STA), generates a plurality of units of data from the divided shared data (e.g. paragraph [0126]; [0169]-[0171]; [0109]; [0064]; [0060]; and etc., transmitting the data unit or MPDUs to the Slave APs and to Target STA), transmits the plurality of units of data to the other communication device via the transmission path (e.g. fig. 2C; paragraph [0064]-[0065]; and etc., describing the data units are transmitted via link(s)), and performs the cooperative transmission to the communication terminal with the other communication device, the cooperative transmission being based on the plurality of units of data wherein the signal processing circuit divides the data according to each of a plurality of data information types (paragraph [0048]-[0056]; [0068]-[0070]; [0082]-[0085]; [0118]-[0121]; and so on, coordinate or cooperating transmission and dividing the data units based on the data information type such as MAC, CCMP, Padding, FCS, and so on), wherein the plurality of data information types comprises: a media access control (MAC) header data type (fig. 3; paragraph [0066]-[0067]; [0070]; [0075]; [0082]; [0085]; [0089]; and so on), a Counter mode Cipher block chaining Message authentication code Protocol (CCMP) data type (fig. 3; paragraph [0067]-[0068]; [0070]; [0111]; [0118]; [0120]; [0124]; [0126]; [0131]; and [0133]), an encrypted MAC Service Data Unit (MSDU) data type (paragraph [0067]-[0070]; [0111]; [0118]-[0120]; [0124]-[0126]; [0131]; and [0133]), and a Frame Check Sequence (FCS) data type (fig. 3; paragraph [0066]-[0067]; [0126]; [0133]), wherein the divided shared data comprises: one or more control Multi-AP (MAP)-MSDUs (MAP-MSDUs) (paragraph [0066]; [0152]; [0156]), and
Chitrakar does not disclose each unit of data of the plurality of units of data having a size less than or equal to a size of a maximum transmission unit in a transmission path between the communication device and the other communication device, and one or more data MAP-MSDUs, wherein the one or more control MAP-MSDUs each comprise a corresponding MAP-MSDU header, wherein a first control MAP-MSDU of the one or more control MAP-MSDUs includes formatted MAP data and common header information, and wherein at least one of the one or more control MAP-MSDUs includes at least one of individual MAC header information or CCMP header information.
Fujimoto teaches each unit of data of the plurality of units of data having a size less than or equal to a size of a maximum transmission unit in a transmission path between the communication device and the other communication device (paragraph [0068]).
Fujimoto does not teach one or more data MAP-MSDUs, wherein the one or more control MAP-MSDUs each comprise a corresponding MAP-MSDU header, wherein a first control MAP-MSDU of the one or more control MAP-MSDUs includes formatted MAP data and common header information, and wherein at least one of the one or more control MAP-MSDUs includes at least one of individual MAC header information or CCMP header information.
Asterjadhi teaches one or more data MAP-MSDUs, wherein the one or more control MAP-MSDUs each comprise a corresponding MAP-MSDU header, wherein a first control MAP-MSDU of the one or more control MAP-MSDUs includes formatted MAP data and common header information, and wherein at least one of the one or more control MAP-MSDUs includes at least one of individual MAC header information or CCMP header information (paragraph [0082]-[0084]; [0145]-[0147]; [0150]-[0151]; [0154]-[0156]; [0158]-[0162]; [0173]-[0174]; and etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use each unit of data of the plurality of units of data having a size less than or equal to a size of a maximum transmission unit in a transmission path between the communication device and the other communication device, and one or more data MAP-MSDUs, wherein the one or more control MAP-MSDUs each comprise a corresponding MAP-MSDU header, wherein a first control MAP-MSDU of the one or more control MAP-MSDUs includes formatted MAP data and common header information, and wherein at least one of the one or more control MAP-MSDUs includes at least one of individual MAC header information or CCMP header information as taught by Fujimoto and Asterjadhi into Chitrakar in order to reduce congestion and dropping of data packets, and to improve quality of service and security of data.
Regarding claim 13-14 and 21, the claims include features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 1. The claims are mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding communication method, a communication device, and method of the communication device, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto.
Regarding claim 2, 15, 22, and 28, Chitrakar further discloses comprising; a communication control circuit that notifies the another communication device of the predetermined division method (e.g. paragraph [0117]-[0121]; [0123]-[0125]; [0128]-[0132]; and so on).
Regarding claim 5, 16, 23-24, and 29-30, Chitrakar discloses wherein each of the one or more data MAP-MSDUs further comprises at least one of a corresponding MAP-MSDU header or a corresponding FCS field, or wherein the communication control circuit instructs the another communication device to generate a corresponding FCS field for each of the one or more data MAP-MSDUs (Asterjadhi, e.g. figs. 10A-16C; paragraph [0082]-[0084]; [0145]-[0147]; [0150]-[0151]; [0154]-[0156]; [0158]-[0162]; [0173]-[0174]; and etc.).
Regarding claim 12 and 27, Chitrakar discloses wherein the communication control unit performs control to transmit a signal requesting the another communication device to delete the shared data from a memory (paragraph [0176]-[0181]; [0188]; [0193]-[0200]; and so on).
Claim 8-9 and 25-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chitrakar in view of Fujimoto and Chitrakar, and further in view of Ho et al. (US 2010/0135212 A1).
Regarding claim 8-9 and 25-26, as applied above, Chitrakar discloses divisions of the shared data. However, Chitrakar does not disclose wherein the communication control circuit notifies the another communication device of a total number of divisions of the shared data, and wherein as the total number of divisions, a total number of divisions of the header information and a total number of divisions of payload information of the shared data are notified.
Ho teaches wherein the communication control unit notifies the another communication device of a total number of divisions of the shared data, and wherein as the total number of divisions, a total number of divisions of the header information and a total number of divisions of payload information of the shared data are notified (paragraph [0067]-[0073]; and so on).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use wherein the communication control unit notifies the another communication device of a total number of divisions of the shared data, and wherein as the total number of divisions, a total number of divisions of the header information and a total number of divisions of payload information of the shared data are notified as taught by Ho into Chitrakar in order to reduce wasting available capacity and to improve efficiency of processing of the data.
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 KIBROM T HAILU whose telephone number is (571)270-1209. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, HUY D VU can be reached at (571)272-3155. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIBROM T HAILU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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