Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/701,676

COMMUNICATION METHOD AND COMMUNICATION APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK SENSING MEASUREMENT

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Apr 16, 2024
Priority
Oct 22, 2021 — nonprovisional of PCTCN2021125736
Examiner
GHAFOERKHAN, FAIYAZKHAN
Art Unit
2476
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
87%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
5m
Est. Remaining
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 87% — above average
87%
Career Allowance Rate
498 granted / 572 resolved
+29.1% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+8.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
16 currently pending
Career history
587
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
68.1%
+28.1% vs TC avg
§102
19.4%
-20.6% vs TC avg
§112
6.8%
-33.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 572 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
DETAILED ACTION Claims 19-20 have been canceled. Claims 7, 16, 21, and 22 have been amended. Claims 1-18 and 21-22 have been examined. 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 Objections Claims 4-5 and 13-14 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 4, line 1, “in a case” should be changed to “in response to”. Claim 5, line 1, “in a case” should be changed to “in response to”. Claim 13, line 1, “in a case” should be changed to “in response to”. Claim 14, line 1, “in a case” should be changed to “in response to”. Appropriate correction is required. 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)(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, 9-15, 18, and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 20220386272 A1 to Omer et al. (hereinafter “Omer”) As per claim 1, Omer discloses a communication method for wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing measurement (Omer [0004,0048-0049]), the communication method being performed by a WLAN-sensing initiator (Omer [0007] Systems and methods are provided for Wi-Fi sensing. In an example embodiment, a method configured for Wi-Fi sensing is described. The method is carried out by a sensing initiator device including at least one transmitting antenna, and at least one receiving antenna. The method comprises transmitting, via the at least one transmitting antenna, a sensing measurement setup request message, the sensing measurement setup request message including a requested sensing measurement parameters element, and receiving, via the at least one receiving antenna, a sensing measurement setup response message. In an embodiment the sensing measurement setup response message includes one or more of a transmission capability indication associated with a sensing responder device, and a delivered sensing measurement parameters element.) and comprising: determining at least one message frame for setup of a sensing measurement procedure, wherein the at least one message frame respectively corresponds to at least one sensing measurement procedure, each of the at least one sensing measurement procedure comprises at least one sensing measurement event (Omer [0048] As disclosed in embodiments herein, a wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing procedure allows a station (STA) to perform WLAN sensing. WLAN sensing may include a WLAN sensing session. In examples, WLAN sensing procedure, WLAN sensing, and WLAN sensing session may be referred to as wireless sensing procedure, wireless sensing, and wireless sensing session, Wi-Fi sensing procedure, Wi-Fi sensing, and Wi-Fi sensing session, or sensing procedure, sensing, and sensing session. [0049] WLAN sensing is a service that enables a STA to obtain sensing measurements of the channel(s) between two or more STAs and/or the channel between a receive antenna and a transmit antenna of a STA or an access point (AP). A WLAN sensing procedure may be composed of one or more of the following: sensing session setup, sensing measurement setup, sensing measurement instances, sensing measurement setup termination, and sensing session termination. [0050] In examples disclosed herein, sensing session setup and sensing measurement setup may be referred to as sensing configuration and may be achieved by a sensing configuration message and may be confirmed by a sensing configuration response message. A sensing measurement instance may be an individual sensing measurement and may be derived from a sensing transmission. In examples, the sensing configuration message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup request, and the sensing configuration response message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup response. [0080] A term “sensing trigger message” may refer to a message sent from the sensing device to the remote device to trigger one or more sensing transmissions that may be used for performing sensing measurements. In an example, the term sensing trigger message may be referred to as sensing sounding trigger message or sensing sounding trigger frame. [0173-0174]), and the message frame corresponding to each of the at least one sensing measurement procedure comprises information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event of the corresponding sensing measurement procedure (Omer [0048] As disclosed in embodiments herein, a wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing procedure allows a station (STA) to perform WLAN sensing. WLAN sensing may include a WLAN sensing session. In examples, WLAN sensing procedure, WLAN sensing, and WLAN sensing session may be referred to as wireless sensing procedure, wireless sensing, and wireless sensing session, Wi-Fi sensing procedure, Wi-Fi sensing, and Wi-Fi sensing session, or sensing procedure, sensing, and sensing session. [0049] WLAN sensing is a service that enables a STA to obtain sensing measurements of the channel(s) between two or more STAs and/or the channel between a receive antenna and a transmit antenna of a STA or an access point (AP). A WLAN sensing procedure may be composed of one or more of the following: sensing session setup, sensing measurement setup, sensing measurement instances, sensing measurement setup termination, and sensing session termination. [0050] In examples disclosed herein, sensing session setup and sensing measurement setup may be referred to as sensing configuration and may be achieved by a sensing configuration message and may be confirmed by a sensing configuration response message. A sensing measurement instance may be an individual sensing measurement and may be derived from a sensing transmission. In examples, the sensing configuration message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup request, and the sensing configuration response message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup response. [0080] A term “sensing trigger message” may refer to a message sent from the sensing device to the remote device to trigger one or more sensing transmissions that may be used for performing sensing measurements. In an example, the term sensing trigger message may be referred to as sensing sounding trigger message or sensing sounding trigger frame. [0007,0173-0174]); and transmitting the at least one message frame (Omer Fig. 10 and [0007]). As per claim 2, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one message frame further comprises a sensing measurement procedure identifier for identifying a sensing measurement procedure corresponding to the message frame (Omer Table 1 and [0105,0187]). As per claim 3, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 2, wherein the information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event comprises, for each of the at least one sensing measurement event, at least one of: a sensing measurement event identifier for identifying the corresponding sensing measurement event (Omer Table 1, Table 7, and [0175]); a first identifier for identifying a transmitter of the corresponding sensing measurement event (Omer [0105]); a second identifier for identifying a receiver of the corresponding sensing measurement event (Omer [0149-0151]); or a third identifier for identifying a sensing measurement method used by the corresponding sensing measurement event (Omer Table 1 and [0081,0149-0152]). As per claim 4, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 3, wherein in a case where the WLAN-sensing initiator is not used as a transmitter or a receiver of each of the at least one sensing measurement event, the information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event comprises, for each of the at least one sensing measurement event, at least one first identifier and at least one second identifier corresponding to the sensing measurement event. With regards to claims 4, per MPEP 2111.04 (II) (“The broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met.”), the claim comprises contingent limitations and therefore not required to be performed. Therefore, a rejection is not provided. As per claim 5, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 3, wherein in a case where the WLAN-sensing initiator is used as a transmitter of each of the at least one sensing measurement event, the information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event comprises, for each of the at least one sensing measurement event, at least one second identifier corresponding to the sensing measurement event. With regards to claims 5, per MPEP 2111.04 (II) (“The broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met.”), the claim comprises contingent limitations and therefore not required to be performed. Therefore, a rejection is not provided. As per claim 6, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 3, wherein in response to that the third identifier is set to a first value, the sensing measurement method is identified as performing sensing measurement in a first sounding mode (Omer Table 1, Table 8, and [0081,0149-0152]); in response to that the third identifier is set to a second value, the sensing measurement method is identified as performing sensing measurement in a second sounding mode (Omer Table 1, Table 8, and [0081,0149-0152]). As per claim 9, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 1, wherein the communication method further comprises: setting, for each of the at least one sensing measurement procedure, a sensing measurement clock corresponding to the sensing measurement procedure, wherein in response to that a corresponding sensing measurement clock expires, the corresponding sensing measurement procedure is deactivated (Omer [0041,0072,0175]). As per claim 10, Omer discloses a communication method for wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing measurement (Omer [0004,0048-0049]), the communication method being performed by a WLAN-sensing responder (Omer [0007] Systems and methods are provided for Wi-Fi sensing. In an example embodiment, a method configured for Wi-Fi sensing is described. The method is carried out by a sensing initiator device including at least one transmitting antenna, and at least one receiving antenna. The method comprises transmitting, via the at least one transmitting antenna, a sensing measurement setup request message, the sensing measurement setup request message including a requested sensing measurement parameters element, and receiving, via the at least one receiving antenna, a sensing measurement setup response message. In an embodiment the sensing measurement setup response message includes one or more of a transmission capability indication associated with a sensing responder device, and a delivered sensing measurement parameters element. [0008] In some implementations, the requested sensing measurement parameters element includes a plurality of requested transmission parameters to be used for one or more sensing transmissions from the sensing responder device.) and comprising: receiving at least one message frame for setup of a sensing measurement procedure from a WLAN-sensing initiator, wherein the at least one message frame respectively corresponds to at least one sensing measurement procedure, each of the at least one sensing measurement procedure comprises at least one sensing measurement event (Omer [0048] As disclosed in embodiments herein, a wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing procedure allows a station (STA) to perform WLAN sensing. WLAN sensing may include a WLAN sensing session. In examples, WLAN sensing procedure, WLAN sensing, and WLAN sensing session may be referred to as wireless sensing procedure, wireless sensing, and wireless sensing session, Wi-Fi sensing procedure, Wi-Fi sensing, and Wi-Fi sensing session, or sensing procedure, sensing, and sensing session. [0049] WLAN sensing is a service that enables a STA to obtain sensing measurements of the channel(s) between two or more STAs and/or the channel between a receive antenna and a transmit antenna of a STA or an access point (AP). A WLAN sensing procedure may be composed of one or more of the following: sensing session setup, sensing measurement setup, sensing measurement instances, sensing measurement setup termination, and sensing session termination. [0050] In examples disclosed herein, sensing session setup and sensing measurement setup may be referred to as sensing configuration and may be achieved by a sensing configuration message and may be confirmed by a sensing configuration response message. A sensing measurement instance may be an individual sensing measurement and may be derived from a sensing transmission. In examples, the sensing configuration message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup request, and the sensing configuration response message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup response. [0080] A term “sensing trigger message” may refer to a message sent from the sensing device to the remote device to trigger one or more sensing transmissions that may be used for performing sensing measurements. In an example, the term sensing trigger message may be referred to as sensing sounding trigger message or sensing sounding trigger frame. [0173-0174]), and the message frame corresponding to each of the at least one sensing measurement procedure comprises information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event of the corresponding sensing measurement procedure (Omer [0048] As disclosed in embodiments herein, a wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing procedure allows a station (STA) to perform WLAN sensing. WLAN sensing may include a WLAN sensing session. In examples, WLAN sensing procedure, WLAN sensing, and WLAN sensing session may be referred to as wireless sensing procedure, wireless sensing, and wireless sensing session, Wi-Fi sensing procedure, Wi-Fi sensing, and Wi-Fi sensing session, or sensing procedure, sensing, and sensing session. [0049] WLAN sensing is a service that enables a STA to obtain sensing measurements of the channel(s) between two or more STAs and/or the channel between a receive antenna and a transmit antenna of a STA or an access point (AP). A WLAN sensing procedure may be composed of one or more of the following: sensing session setup, sensing measurement setup, sensing measurement instances, sensing measurement setup termination, and sensing session termination. [0050] In examples disclosed herein, sensing session setup and sensing measurement setup may be referred to as sensing configuration and may be achieved by a sensing configuration message and may be confirmed by a sensing configuration response message. A sensing measurement instance may be an individual sensing measurement and may be derived from a sensing transmission. In examples, the sensing configuration message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup request, and the sensing configuration response message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup response. [0080] A term “sensing trigger message” may refer to a message sent from the sensing device to the remote device to trigger one or more sensing transmissions that may be used for performing sensing measurements. In an example, the term sensing trigger message may be referred to as sensing sounding trigger message or sensing sounding trigger frame. [0007,0173-0174]); and performing WLAN sensing measurement based on the at least one message frame (Omer Fig. 10 and [0007]). As per claim 11, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 10, wherein each of the at least one message frame further comprises a sensing measurement procedure identifier for identifying a sensing measurement procedure corresponding to the message frame (Omer Table 1 and [0105,0187]). As per claim 12, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 11, wherein the information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event comprises, for each of the at least one sensing measurement event, at least one of: a sensing measurement event identifier for identifying the corresponding sensing measurement event (Omer Table 1, Table 7, and [0175]); a first identifier for identifying a transmitter of the corresponding sensing measurement event (Omer [0105]); a second identifier for identifying a receiver of the corresponding sensing measurement event (Omer [0149-0151]); or a third identifier for identifying a sensing measurement method used by the corresponding sensing measurement event (Omer Table 1 and [0081,0149-0152]). As per claim 13, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 12, wherein in a case where the WLAN-sensing initiator is not used as a transmitter or a receiver of each of the at least one sensing measurement event, the information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event comprises, for each of the at least one sensing measurement event, at least one first identifier and at least one second identifier corresponding to the sensing measurement event. With regards to claims 13, per MPEP 2111.04 (II) (“The broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met.”), the claim comprises contingent limitations and therefore not required to be performed. Therefore, a rejection is not provided. As per claim 14, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 12, wherein in a case where the WLAN-sensing initiator is used as a transmitter of each of the at least one sensing measurement event, the information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event comprises, for each of the at least one sensing measurement event, at least one second identifier corresponding to the sensing measurement event. With regards to claims 14, per MPEP 2111.04 (II) (“The broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met.”), the claim comprises contingent limitations and therefore not required to be performed. Therefore, a rejection is not provided. As per claim 15, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 12, wherein in response to that the third identifier is set to a first value, the sensing measurement method is identified as performing sensing measurement in a first sounding mode (Omer Table 1, Table 8, and [0081,0149-0152]); in response to that the third identifier is set to a second value, the sensing measurement method is identified as performing sensing measurement in a second sounding mode (Omer Table 1, Table 8, and [0081,0149-0152]). As per claim 18, Omer discloses the communication method according to claim 10, wherein each of the at least one sensing measurement procedure corresponds to a sensing measurement clock, wherein in response to that a corresponding sensing measurement clock expires, the corresponding sensing measurement procedure is deactivated (Omer [0041,0072,0175]). As per claim 21, Omer discloses an electronic device (Omer Fig. 5), comprising: a processor (Omer Fig. 5); and a memory storing computer programs executable by the processor (Omer Fig. 5 and [0151-0152]), wherein the processor is configured to: determine at least one message frame for setup of a sensing measurement procedure, wherein the at least one message frame respectively corresponds to at least one sensing measurement procedure, each of the at least one sensing measurement procedure comprises at least one sensing measurement event (Omer [0048] As disclosed in embodiments herein, a wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing procedure allows a station (STA) to perform WLAN sensing. WLAN sensing may include a WLAN sensing session. In examples, WLAN sensing procedure, WLAN sensing, and WLAN sensing session may be referred to as wireless sensing procedure, wireless sensing, and wireless sensing session, Wi-Fi sensing procedure, Wi-Fi sensing, and Wi-Fi sensing session, or sensing procedure, sensing, and sensing session. [0049] WLAN sensing is a service that enables a STA to obtain sensing measurements of the channel(s) between two or more STAs and/or the channel between a receive antenna and a transmit antenna of a STA or an access point (AP). A WLAN sensing procedure may be composed of one or more of the following: sensing session setup, sensing measurement setup, sensing measurement instances, sensing measurement setup termination, and sensing session termination. [0050] In examples disclosed herein, sensing session setup and sensing measurement setup may be referred to as sensing configuration and may be achieved by a sensing configuration message and may be confirmed by a sensing configuration response message. A sensing measurement instance may be an individual sensing measurement and may be derived from a sensing transmission. In examples, the sensing configuration message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup request, and the sensing configuration response message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup response. [0080] A term “sensing trigger message” may refer to a message sent from the sensing device to the remote device to trigger one or more sensing transmissions that may be used for performing sensing measurements. In an example, the term sensing trigger message may be referred to as sensing sounding trigger message or sensing sounding trigger frame. [0173-0174]), and the message frame corresponding to each of the at least one sensing measurement procedure comprises information associated with the at least one sensing measurement event of the corresponding sensing measurement procedure (Omer [0048] As disclosed in embodiments herein, a wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing procedure allows a station (STA) to perform WLAN sensing. WLAN sensing may include a WLAN sensing session. In examples, WLAN sensing procedure, WLAN sensing, and WLAN sensing session may be referred to as wireless sensing procedure, wireless sensing, and wireless sensing session, Wi-Fi sensing procedure, Wi-Fi sensing, and Wi-Fi sensing session, or sensing procedure, sensing, and sensing session. [0049] WLAN sensing is a service that enables a STA to obtain sensing measurements of the channel(s) between two or more STAs and/or the channel between a receive antenna and a transmit antenna of a STA or an access point (AP). A WLAN sensing procedure may be composed of one or more of the following: sensing session setup, sensing measurement setup, sensing measurement instances, sensing measurement setup termination, and sensing session termination. [0050] In examples disclosed herein, sensing session setup and sensing measurement setup may be referred to as sensing configuration and may be achieved by a sensing configuration message and may be confirmed by a sensing configuration response message. A sensing measurement instance may be an individual sensing measurement and may be derived from a sensing transmission. In examples, the sensing configuration message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup request, and the sensing configuration response message may be referred to as a sensing measurement setup response. [0080] A term “sensing trigger message” may refer to a message sent from the sensing device to the remote device to trigger one or more sensing transmissions that may be used for performing sensing measurements. In an example, the term sensing trigger message may be referred to as sensing sounding trigger message or sensing sounding trigger frame. [0007,0173-0174]); and transmit the at least one message frame (Omer Fig. 10 and [0007]). As per claim 22, Omer discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer programs that, when executed by a processor (Omer Fig. 5 and [0151-0152]), cause the processor to perform the method according to claim 1 (see claim 1). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 7-8 and 16-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FAIYAZKHAN GHAFOERKHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7161. The examiner can normally be reached Flex. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayaz R Sheikh can be reached at (571) 272-3795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. FAIYAZKHAN GHAFOERKHAN Primary Examiner Art Unit 2476 /FAIYAZKHAN GHAFOERKHAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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Prosecution Timeline

Apr 16, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 03, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
87%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+8.4%)
2y 8m (~5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 572 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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