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 1-20 have been considered but are moot due to the new ground of rejection.
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 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 1-3, 5, 8-10, 12, 15-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajami et al. (US 2023/0104446 A1) in view of Viger et al. (US 2026/0247457 A1 hereinafter Viger ‘457).
Regarding claim 1, Ajami discloses a first tunneled direct-link setup (TDLS) peer station (STA) in a wireless network (paragraph [0090]; [0120]; and so on), the first TDLS peer STA comprising: a transceiver (504) configured to transmit and receive signals (e.g. 5; paragraph [0080]); and a processor (506) operably coupled to the transceiver (fig. 5), the processor configured to: transmit a TDLS broadcast target wake time (TWT) request frame to a second TDLS peer STA (fig. 16-17; paragraph [0154]; [0163]; [0005]; [0007]; [0012]; [0157]; [0165]-[0166]; and so on, illustrating the reception of broadcast TWT request by a peer STA), wherein the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame (e.g. paragraph [0005]-[0013]; [0087]; [0095]-[0096]; [0108]-[0109]; [0123]-[0124]; [0131]-[0133]; and so on); receive a TDLS broadcast TWT response frame from the second TDLS peer STA in response to the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame (figs. 16-17; paragraph [0154]; [0158]-[0159]; [0163]; [0167]-[0168]; [0005]; [0007]; [0012]; and etc., explaining a repose is transmitted to the request), wherein the TDLS broadcast TWT response frame (paragraph [0005]-[0012]; [0087]; [0101]; and etc.); and transmit one or more frames to the second TDLS peer STA over a TDLS direct link during TWT service period (SP) corresponding to a broadcast TWT schedule (figs. 16-17; paragraph [0154]; [0163]; [0005]-[0006]; [0009]-[0011]; and so on, describing transmit trigger frame over the peer direct communication), wherein the first TDLS peer STA is a member of the broadcast TWT schedule (figs. 8-9; paragraph [0097]; [0107]; [0110]; [0121]; and etc., explaining that peer STA(s) is/are member/members of the beacon broadcast TWT schedule).
Ajami does not disclose the TWT request frame comprises a first TDLS Action field and a link identifier (ID) element that identifies a TDLS direct link between the first TDLS peer STA and the second TDLS peer STA, and the TWT response frame comprises a second TDLS Action field and the link identifier element that identifies the TDLS direct link.
Viger ‘457 teaches the TWT request frame comprises a first TDLS Action field and a link identifier (ID) element that identifies a TDLS direct link between the first TDLS peer STA and the second TDLS peer STA (paragraph [0137]-[0144]; [0154]-[0159]; [0162]-[0163]; [0193]; [0209]-[0212]; [0227]; [0268]-[0271]; [0323]-[0327];[0341]; and so on), and the TWT response frame comprises a second TDLS Action field and the link identifier element that identifies the TDLS direct link (paragraph [0139]-[0144]; [0154]-[0158]; [0163]; [0175]-[0179]; [0223]-[0228]; [0291]-[0294]; [0302]-[0315]; [0321]-[0327]; 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 wherein the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame comprises a first TDLS Action field and a link identifier (ID) element that identifies a TDLS direct link between the first TDLS peer STA and the second TDLS peer STA, and wherein the TDLS broadcast TWT response frame comprises a second TDLS Action field and the link identifier element that identifies the TDLS direct link as taught by Viger ‘457 into Ajami in order to improve security, and to reduce data packet loss.
Regarding claim 8, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim. The claim is a mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define a first tunnel direct-link setup (TDLS) peer station (STA) in a wireless network at a reception side, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto.
Regarding claim 15, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim. The claim is a mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define method, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto.
Regarding claim 2, 9, and 16, Ajami discloses wherein the broadcast TWT schedule is identified by a broadcast TWT identifier field (1918) in a TWT information extension element (1900) in the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame (figs. 19A-19C; paragraph [0194]-[0176]).
Regarding claim 3, 10, and 17, as applied above, Ajami discloses wherein the TDLS broadcast TWT response frame. However, Ajami does not explicitly disclose the response frame includes a status code of SUCCESS.
Viger teaches the response frame includes a status code of SUCCESS (paragraph [0163]; [0333]-[0335]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the response frame includes a status code of SUCCESS as taught by Viger into Ajami in order to improve power utilization.
Regarding claim 5, 12, and 19, Ajami discloses wherein the second TDLS peer STA is expected to be in an awake state during the TWT SP corresponding to the broadcast TWT schedule (paragraph [0175]; [0177]).
Claims 4, 11, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajami in view of Viger ‘457, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2023/0224987 A1).
Regarding claim 4, 11, and 18, as applied above, the modified communication of Ajami discloses the broadcast TWT schedule is identified by a broadcast TWT identifier field (1918) in a TWT information extension element (1900) in the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame. However, the modified communication of Ajami does not disclose wherein a value in a broadcast TWT identifier field in a TWT information extension element in the TDLS broadcast TWT response frame is a same as a value in the broadcast TWT identifier field in the TWT information extension element in the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame.
Kim teaches wherein a value in a broadcast TWT identifier field in a TWT information extension element in the TDLS broadcast TWT response frame is a same as a value in the broadcast TWT identifier field in the TWT information extension element in the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame (figs. 16-17; paragraph [0240]-[0246]; 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 a value in a broadcast TWT identifier field in a TWT information extension element in the TDLS broadcast TWT response frame is a same as a value in the broadcast TWT identifier field in the TWT information extension element in the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame as taught by Kim into the modified communication of Ajami in order to improve quality of communication link.
Claims 6-7, 13-14, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajami in view of Viger ‘457, and further in view of Viger et al. (US 2025/0280442 A1 hereinafter Viger ‘442) and Asterjadhi et al. (2016/0219512 A1).
Regarding claim 6-7, 13-14, and 20, as applied above, the modified communication of Ajami discloses wherein the TDLS broadcast TWT request frame. However, the modified communication of Ajami does not disclose the frame includes a dialog token field that includes a value that is unique among TDLS broadcast TWT request Action fields for which a corresponding TDLS broadcast TWT response action field has not been received, and the response frame includes a dialog token field that is set to a value included in a corresponding TDLS broadcast TWT request action field.
Viger ‘442 teaches the frame includes a dialog token field that includes a value that is unique among TDLS broadcast TWT request Action fields for which a corresponding TDLS broadcast TWT response action field has not been received, and the response frame includes a dialog token field that is set to a value included in a corresponding TDLS broadcast TWT request action field (e.g. paragraph [189]).
Viger ‘442 does not teach has not been received.
Asterjadhi teaches has not been received (paragraph [0140]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the frame includes a dialog token field that includes a value that is unique among TDLS broadcast TWT request Action fields for which a corresponding TDLS broadcast TWT response action field has not been received as taught by Viger ‘442 and Asterjadhi into the modified communication of Ajami in order to reduce collision and improve security of communication, to improve resource utilization, and to reduce congestion.
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
