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 .
Specification
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.
The following title is suggested: AP-initiated and Peer-STA initiated Handover.
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.
Claims 1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 18, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bajko et al (USPN 20170070950) in view of Nogawa (USPN 20130079056) and Ogura (USPN 20120076069).
Regarding claim 1, Bajko discloses
an electronic apparatus comprising: (device, FIG. 1 #101, comprising [0014, 0015]
receive a change request from a currently connected access point (AP) to change a connection destination AP to connect to (STA, FIG. 1 #111, receives BSS Transition Management Request frame from current AP, FIG. 1 #111, identifying candidate Aps to transition to [0019-0021]
perform a process of connecting to an AP in (STA reviews list of candidate APs and lets current AP know what’s it’s going to do [0024, 0025]
Bajko does not expressly disclose acquire, from a terminal device, connection information for connecting to a specific AP; perform a process of connecting to the specific AP in accordance with the connection information, perform control to execute/not execute a connection destination change to change the connection destination AP after a connection is made to the specific AP
Nogawa discloses acquire, from a terminal device, connection information for connecting to a specific AP (first PC, FIG. 6 #82, or terminal device forming first PAN and transmits wireless setting data to multi-function device, FIG. 6 #10, that includes information of AP function/specific AP hosted by first PC [0085, 0041-0043, 0055]
perform a process of connecting to the specific AP in accordance with the connection information (multi-function device connects to AP function/specific AP hosted by first PC [0055]
perform control to execute/not execute a connection destination change to change the connection destination AP after a connection is made to the specific AP (connection between multi-function device, FIG. 6 #10, and AP function on first PC, FIG. 6 #82, has been disconnected and multi-function device determines to reconnect to first PAN or connect to second PAN [0056-0058, 0075], FIGs. 2, 6
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “acquire, from a terminal device, connection information for connecting to a specific AP; perform a process of connecting to the specific AP in accordance with the connection information, perform control to execute/not execute a connection destination change to change the connection destination AP after a connection is made to the specific AP” as taught by Nogawa into Bajko’s system with the motivation enable Bajko’s system to utilize Nogawa’s automatic wireless setup to allow faster network setup.
Combined system of Bajko and Nogawa does not expressly disclose “at least one memory and at least one processor that are configured to:; perform control to execute a connection destination change based on the change request to change the connection destination AP in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied; perform control not to execute the connection destination change based on the change request in a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied”
Ogura discloses at least one memory and at least one processor that are configured to: (device, FIG. 2B 15, comprising memory, FIG. 2B #153, 157, 159, and processor, FIG. 2B #151 [0043-0050]
perform control to execute a connection destination change based on the change request to change the connection destination AP in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied; perform control not to execute the connection destination change based on the change request in a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied (the setting-change unit changes form the first wireless setting to the second wireless setting in response to the setting change request when a condition is met/second terminal device not present and keeps the first wireless setting without changing when the condition is not met/second terminal device present [0009, 0010, 0055, 0061-0068], FIGs. 3A, 3B
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “at least one memory and at least one processor that are configured to:; perform control to execute a connection destination change based on the change request to change the connection destination AP in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied; perform control not to execute the connection destination change based on the change request in a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied” as taught by Ogura into combined system of Bajko and Nogawa with the motivation enable to obtain a more robust condition-dependent control over whether to honor an AP’s steering request.
Claim 18 is rejected based on similar ground(s) provided in rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 19, Bajko discloses
an electronic apparatus comprising: (device, FIG. 1 #101, comprising [0014, 0015]
receive a change request from a currently connected access point (AP) to change a connection destination AP to connect to (STA, FIG. 1 #111, receives BSS Transition Management Request frame from current AP, FIG. 1 #111, identifying candidate Aps to transition to [0019-0021]
perform a process of connecting to an AP in (STA reviews list of candidate APs and lets current AP know what’s it’s going to do [0024, 0025]
Bajko does not expressly disclose acquire, from a terminal device, connection information for connecting to a specific AP; perform a process of connecting to the specific AP in accordance with the connection information, perform control to execute/not execute a connection destination change to change the connection destination AP after a connection is made to the specific AP
Nogawa discloses acquire, from a terminal device, connection information for connecting to a specific AP (first PC, FIG. 6 #82, or terminal device forming first PAN and transmits wireless setting data to multi-function device, FIG. 6 #10, that includes information of AP function/specific AP hosted by first PC [0085, 0041-0043, 0055]
perform a process of connecting to the specific AP in accordance with the connection information (multi-function device connects to AP function/specific AP hosted by first PC [0055]
perform control to execute/not execute a connection destination change to change the connection destination AP after a connection is made to the specific AP (connection between multi-function device, FIG. 6 #10, and AP function on first PC, FIG. 6 #82, has been disconnected and multi-function device determines to reconnect to first PAN or connect to second PAN [0056-0058, 0075], FIGs. 2, 6
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “acquire, from a terminal device, connection information for connecting to a specific AP; perform a process of connecting to the specific AP in accordance with the connection information, perform control to execute/not execute a connection destination change to change the connection destination AP after a connection is made to the specific AP” as taught by Nogawa into Bajko’s system with the motivation enable Bajko’s system to utilize Nogawa’s automatic wireless setup to allow faster network setup.
Combined system of Bajko and Nogawa does not expressly disclose “a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to:; perform control to execute a connection destination change based on the change request to change the connection destination AP in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied; perform control not to execute the connection destination change based on the change request in a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied”
Ogura discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to: (comprising memory, FIG. 2B #153, 157, 159, comprising instructions executed by processor, FIG. 2B #151, to perform [0043-0050, 0017, 0019]
perform control to execute a connection destination change based on the change request to change the connection destination AP in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied; perform control not to execute the connection destination change based on the change request in a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied (the setting-change unit changes form the first wireless setting to the second wireless setting in response to the setting change request when a condition is met/second terminal device not present and keeps the first wireless setting without changing when the condition is not met/second terminal device present [0009, 0010, 0055, 0061-0068], FIGs. 3A, 3B
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “at least one memory and at least one processor that are configured to:; perform control to execute a connection destination change based on the change request to change the connection destination AP in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied; perform control not to execute the connection destination change based on the change request in a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied” as taught by Ogura into combined system of Bajko and Nogawa with the motivation enable to obtain a more robust condition-dependent control over whether to honor an AP’s steering request.
Regarding claim 6, Bajko does not expressly disclose “acquire the connection information when the electronic apparatus is being connected to the terminal device without intervention of an AP”
Nogawa discloses connection between multi-function device and PC 82 is a direct probe-request/probe-response exchange the two devices and multi-function device has been disconnected to an AP/LAN 60 [0054]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “acquire the connection information when the electronic apparatus is being connected to the terminal device without intervention of an AP” as taught by Nogawa into Bajko’s system with the motivation enable Bajko’s system to utilize Nogawa’s automatic wireless setup to allow faster network setup.
Regarding claim 7, Bajko does not expressly disclose “acquire the connection information in a wireless LAN setup process of the electronic apparatus”
Nogawa discloses exchange being called communication for automatic wireless setup during which wireless setting data is acquired and registered [0051, 0054-0058, 0076, 0077]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “acquire the connection information in a wireless LAN setup process of the electronic apparatus” as taught by Nogawa into Bajko’s system with the motivation enable Bajko’s system to utilize Nogawa’s automatic wireless setup to allow faster network setup.
Regarding claim 13, combined system of Bajko and Nogawa does not expressly disclose “execute the connection destination change based on the change request, after a connection is made to an AP in accordance with connection information input from a user, even if the specific condition is not satisfied”
Ogura discloses perform control to execute a connection destination change based on the change request (the setting-change unit changes form the first wireless setting to the second wireless setting in response to the setting change request when a condition is met/second terminal device not present and keeps the first wireless setting without changing when the condition is not met/second terminal device present [0009, 0010, 0055, 0061-0068], FIGs. 3A, 3B
“after a connection is made to an AP in accordance with connection information input from a user, even if the specific condition is not satisfied” a manager of the multi-function device or the like may pre-register the wireless setting data to the wireless setting lists and by operating the operation section [0088]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “execute the connection destination change based on the change request, after a connection is made to an AP in accordance with connection information input from a user, even if the specific condition is not satisfied” as taught by Ogura into combined system of Bajko and Nogawa with the motivation enable to obtain a more robust condition-dependent control over whether to honor an AP’s steering request.
Regarding claim 14, combined system of Bajko and Nogawa does not expressly disclose “perform control to execute printing on a print sheet”
Ogura discloses device, FIG. 2B #15, operable to execute a printing process in response to printing instruction [0052]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “perform control to execute printing on a print sheet” as taught by Ogura into combined system of Bajko and Nogawa with the motivation enable to obtain a more robust condition-dependent control over whether to honor an AP’s steering request.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bajko in view of Nogawa and Ogura as applied to claim 1 and in further view of Suzaki (USPN 20210306943).
Regarding claim 2, combined system of Bajko, Nogawa, and Ogura does not expressly disclose “wherein the specific condition includes a condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since the connection was made to the specific AP”
Suzaki discloses after communication apparatus, FIG. 1 #151, enters the connection setting mode and enables BLE advertising, the communication apparatus will be set in a state that can receive BLE pairing request for a predetermined period, if BLE pairing request is not received during the predetermined period, the communication apparatus will disable BLE [0053
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the specific condition includes a condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since the connection was made to the specific AP” as taught by Suzaki into combined system of Bajko, Nogawa and Ogura with the motivation enable reuse a known timer-based gating pattern for a new but analogous gating decision in the same device.
Claims 3, 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bajko in view of Nogawa and Ogura as applied to claim 1 and in further view of Sato (USPN 20210307087).
Regarding claim 3, combined does not expressly disclose “wherein the specific condition includes a condition that specific information is received from the terminal device after the connection is made to the specific AP”
Sato discloses electronic device 2/printer apparatus receives connection information/AP credentials from the information processing terminal 1/smart phone and uses it to connect to the wireless network via AP 4 then the terminal-device-directed message occur [0042-0046], FIG. 2
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the specific condition includes a condition that specific information is received from the terminal device after the connection is made to the specific AP” as taught by Sato into combined system of Bajko, Nogawa and Ogura with the motivation allow a terminal device to retain control over whether the apparatus acts on a subsequent network-change instruction from the AP.
Regarding claim 5, Sato discloses “wherein the specific information is information indicating that a wireless local arca network (LAN) setup process to be performed by the terminal device for the electronic apparatus
has been completed” the information processing terminal 1/terminal device performs the wireless LAN setup process for the electronic device 2 and a notification is triggered since the setup to connect to the wireless network is complete [0035-0044], FIG. 2
Claims 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bajko in view of Nogawa and Ogura as applied to claim 1 and in further view of Ouchi (USPN 20210360630).
Regarding claim 15, combined system of Bajko, Nogawa, and Ogura does not expressly disclose “wherein the electronic apparatus performs IEEE 802.1 1ax connection to an AP and performs a process compliant with an IEEE 802.1 lax standard”
Ouchi discloses communication apparatus compliant with 802.11ax standards/frame work [0042, 0047, 0054]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the electronic apparatus performs IEEE 802.1 1ax connection to an AP and performs a process compliant with an IEEE 802.1 lax standard” as taught by Ouchi into combined system of Bajko, Nogawa and Ogura with the motivation enable to adopt an 802.11ax compliant to increase market reach.
Regarding claim 16, combined system of Bajko, Nogawa, and Ogura does not expressly disclose “wherein the electronic apparatus performs at least one of a process compliant with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and a process compliant with Target Wake Time (TWT)”
Ouchi discloses communication apparatus performs process compliant with OFDMA [0026, 0061, 0078]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the electronic apparatus performs at least one of a process compliant with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and a process compliant with Target Wake Time (TWT)” as taught by Ouchi into combined system of Bajko, Nogawa and Ogura with the motivation enable to adopt an 802.11ax compliant to increase market reach.
Regarding claim 17, Ogura discloses connection destination change based on the change request (the setting-change unit changes form the first wireless setting to the second wireless setting in response to the setting change request when a condition is met/second terminal device not present and keeps the first wireless setting without changing when the condition is not met/second terminal device present [0009, 0010, 0055, 0061-0068], FIGs. 3A, 3B
Combined system of Bajko, Nogawa, and Ogura does not expressly disclose “is performed to change the connection destination AP to an AP using a 6 GHz frequency band”
Ouchi discloses 6 GHz band scheduled to be introduced in IEEE 802.11 ax [0033], FIGs. 6A-7
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “is performed to change the connection destination AP to an AP using a 6 GHz frequency band” as taught by Ouchi into combined system of Bajko, Nogawa and Ogura with the motivation enable to adopt an 802.11ax compliant to increase market reach.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8-12 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang et al (USPN 20170019865) FIG. 4
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/THAI NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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