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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 8, 9, 16, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being antedated by United States Patent Application Publication No.: US 2023/0198579 A1 (LIM et al.).
As Per Claim 1: LIM et al. teaches: An information feedback method, comprising:
- sending, by a first apparatus to a second apparatus, a first frame that carries a first field for performing channel estimation; and
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0065], “The Wi-Fi sensing signal may be transmitted/received for channel estimation between the AP/STA and the STA using a wi-fi signal of 60 GHz. At this time, the sensing frame includes a non-EDMG preamble portion (i.e., L-STF, L-CEF, L-Header) in order to support backward capability with 802.11ad and 802.11ay, which are the existing 60 GHz Wi-Fi signals. Therefore, it can be configured in a frame format as shown in FIG. 8.”.).
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0066], “As shown in FIG. 8, the sensing frame may be configured of L-STF, L-CEF, L-Header, EDMG-Header A, EDMG-STF, and EDMG-CEF.”.).
- receiving, by the first apparatus, a first feedback frame from the second apparatus, wherein the first feedback frame comprises channel state information (CSI), from the first apparatus to the second apparatus, the CSI is obtained by the second apparatus by performing channel estimation based on the first field and a second field, and the second field is different from the first field.
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0098], “iii. Each sensing participating STA that has measured CSI feeds back channel CSI information measured by it to the sensing requesting STA/AP. As another example, each sensing participating STA may feedback channel CSI information measured after receiving a feedback request frame from the sensing requesting STA/AP to the sensing requesting STA/AP.”.).
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0069], “Using the EDMG-STF and EDMG-CEF fields, the STA/AP can accurately measure channel information in sensing transmission/reception bandwidth (BW).”.).
As Per Claim 8: The rejection of claim 1 is incorporated and further LIM et al. teaches:
- parsing, by the first apparatus, the CSI based on the second field and the first field, to obtain first CSI.
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0065], “The Wi-Fi sensing signal may be transmitted/received for channel estimation between the AP/STA and the STA using a wi-fi signal of 60 GHz. At this time, the sensing frame includes a non-EDMG preamble portion (i.e., L-STF, L-CEF, L-Header) in order to support backward capability with 802.11ad and 802.11ay, which are the existing 60 GHz Wi-Fi signals. Therefore, it can be configured in a frame format as shown in FIG. 8.”.).
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0066], “As shown in FIG. 8, the sensing frame may be configured of L-STF, L-CEF, L-Header, EDMG-Header A, EDMG-STF, and EDMG-CEF.”.).
As Per Claim 9: Claim 9 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 1 as an apparatus and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 16: The rejection of claim 9 is incorporated and further claim 16 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 8 as an apparatus and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 17: Claim 17 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 1 as a computer-readable storage medium and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
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.
Claim(s) 2-7, 10-15, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over United States Patent Application Publication No.: US 2023/0198579 A1 (LIM et al.) in view of United States Patent Application Publication No.: US 2019/0182674 A1 (Li et al.).
As Per Claim 2: The rejection of claim 1 is incorporated and further LIM et al. does not explicitly teach the following limitation however Li et al. in analogous art does teach the following limitation:
- the first field is a secure long training (LTF) field, or secure training (TRN) field.
(Li et al., Paragraphs [0107]-[0111], “FIG. 11 illustrates a null data packet (NDP) 1100 in accordance with some embodiments. Illustrated in FIG. 11 is legacy portion 1102, HE-signal (SIG)-A 1104, HE-short training field (STF) 1106, and HEz-LTF 1 1108.1 through HEz-LTF N 1108.N. HEz-LTF may be a LTF used in secure mode for IEEE 802.11az, in accordance with some embodiments. The legacy portion 1102 may include one or more legacy field. The HE-SIG-A 1104 may include information regarding decoding the NDP 1100. The HE-STF 1106 may be a short training field. The HEz-LTF 1108.1 through HEz-LTF 1108.N may be training fields that in secure mode are generated from a LTF sequence 1206, e.g., cyclically shifted time domain signal of a LTF sequence 1206 as disclosed in conjunction with FIG. 12. The HEz-LTF 1108 may comprise phase rotated 8 phase shift keying (8PSK) constellation points, in accordance with some embodiments. Each of the HEz-LTFs 1108 may be generated from different LTF sequences 1206. LTF generation SAC 1004 or LTF range measurement SAC 1006 may represent the values of SAC 834, SAC 824, SAC 828, or next SAC 830. LTF sequence generation information 1002 may represent the next key 836 or next key 832. The NDP 1100 may include one or more additional fields.
FIG. 12 illustrates generation of LTF sequence 1206, in accordance with some embodiments. Illustrated in FIG. 12 is master key 1204, temp key 1202, SAC 1210, dialog token number (DTN) field 1203, generate randomized LTF sequence 1204, and LTF sequence 1 1206.1 through LTF sequence N 1206.N. The master key 1204 may be master key, e.g., 820, 822. The temp key 1202 may be a temporary key, e.g., LTF sequence generation information 1002 or next key 832. The DTN 1203 may be a number for a measurement round. In some embodiments, DTN 1203 may be a combination of the SAC 1210 and an indication of a number of a measurement round. The SAC 1210 may be SAC associated with the temp key 1202, e.g., next SAC 830 which is associated with next key 832. The generate randomized LTF sequence 1204 may generate LTF sequence 1 1206.1 through LTF sequence N 1206.N based on one or more of DTN 1203, master key 1204, temp key 1202, and SAC 1210. In some embodiments, different key or additional keys may be used to generate the LTF sequences 1206. The LTF sequences 1206 may be used to generate HEZ-LTF 1 1108.1 through HEZ-LTF N 1108.N. The LTF sequences 1206 may be 1's, 0's, or −1's. The HEz-LTF 1108 may be generated from the LTF sequences 1206, and the HEz-LTF 1108 may comprise phase rotated 8PSK constellation points, in accordance with some embodiments. The LTF sequences 1206 may be used to generate a waveform for the HEz-LTFs 1108 of the NDP 1100. The generation of the HEz-LTFs 1108 from the LTF sequences 1206 may result in phase rotated 8PSK constellation points, in accordance with some embodiments. Generate randomized LTF sequence 1204 may use temp key 1202 and master key 1204 to generate a cipher to generate the LTF sequences 1206, in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, generate randomized LTF 1024 may use master key 1204 and temp key 1202 to generate LTF sequences 1206. In some embodiments, more than one master key 1204 and/or more than one temp key 1202 may be used to generate the LTF sequences 1206. The LTF sequences 1206 may be used to generate the HEz-LTFs 1108, where the HEz-LTFs 1108 are phase rotated 8PSK constellation points for each subcarrier (except, in some embodiments, DC or center subcarriers and edge subcarriers). The SAC 1210 may be a number that is associated with temp key 1202, e.g., SAC 1210 may identify temp key 1202.
Returning to FIGS. 8 and 9, the method 800 may continue at operation 858 with ISTA 802 waiting SIFS 812.1 before transmitting. The method 800 may continue at operation 860 with ISTA 802 transmitting UL NDP 814, which may be encrypted 834. At operation 910, ISTA 802 may encrypt UL NDP 814. For example, UL NDP 814 may be a NDP 1100. ISTA 802 may generate randomized LTF sequences 1206 as described in conjunction with FIG. 12.
The method 800 continues at operation 862 with RSTA 804 waiting a SIFS 812.2. The method 800 continues at operation 864 with the RSTA 804 optionally transmitting DL NDP 816. The RSTA 804 may authenticate or verify at operation 912 that the UL NDP 814 was generated with next key 836, which may be identified by next SAC 834. For example, RSTA 804 may use the method 1300 of FIG. 13 to authenticate UL NDP 814 at operation 912.
FIG. 13 illustrates a method 1300 of authenticating a NDP, in accordance with some embodiments. Illustrated in FIG. 13 is determined randomized LTF randomized sequences 1302, received LTFS over channel 1304, estimate channel 1306, estimated channel 1308, compare channels 1310 (e.g., compare channels estimated from multiple soundings using different encrypted sounding signals within channel coherence time), and determine if estimated channels are consistent 1312.”).
It would have been an obvious interchangeable variation to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention readily implemented with expectations of success to incorporate the teachings of Li et al. in to the method of LIM et al to provide additional verification of the determinations being made.
As Per Claim 3: The rejection of claim 2 is incorporated and further LIM et al. teaches:
- sending, by the first apparatus, a request frame to the second apparatus, wherein the request frame requests to perform channel estimation based on a field different from the secure LTF field or the secure TRN field; and
- receiving, by the first apparatus, a response frame from the second apparatus, in response to the request frame.
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0090]-[0094], “A. In order to perform Wi-fi sensing, the STA/AP (sensing initiator) transmits a trigger frame. At this time, the trigger frame includes sensing request information (i.e., sensing request information).
i. The trigger frame supports P2P or P2MP.
B. The STA (sensing responder) that has received the sensing request through the trigger frame transmits the sensing participation through the response frame. In this case, as an example, whether to participate in sensing may be notified using a CTS (Clear To Send) frame (e.g., CTS to self or CTS to AP) as a response frame.
C. The sensing requesting STA that has identified the sensing participating STA through the response frame transmits a trigger frame and requests each STA (sensing participating STA) to transmit a sensing frame (a frame configured in the frame format proposed in FIGS. 8 to 11) for channel measurement.
D. Through the sensing frame received from the one or more STAs, the sensing request STA performs channel estimation and acquires sensing information by using changes in the amplitude and phase of the channel. (sensing procedure of FIG. 13)”.).
As Per Claim 4: The rejection of claim 3 is incorporated and further LIM et al. does not explicitly teach the following limitation however Li et al. in analogous art does teach the following limitation:
- the request frame further requests not to exchange a security parameter of the first field, and the second field is a preset LTF field or a preset TRN field.
(Li et al., Paragraphs [0112]-[0113], “The method 1300 begins with determine (determining) randomized LTF sequences 1302. For example, RSTA 804 (or 1604) may determine what the LTF sequences 1206 should be for UL NDP 814 (or UL NDP 1620) based on the master key 822, next key 836, DTN 825, and next SAC 834 as disclosed in conjunction with FIG. 12 (or one or more of auth 1670, 1672, 1674, 1677). Since during set-up 840 (1612), the ISTA 802 (1602) and RSTA 804 (104) established the master keys 820, 822, (1690) and established the first temporary key (e.g., next key 836, 1694) that should be used to generate UL NDP 814 (1622), the RSTA 804 (1604) may determine what the LTF sequences 1206 for UL NDP 814 should be. Additionally, the ISTA 802 may have transmitted the DTN 825, which may be used in the generation of the LTF sequences 1206, in accordance with some embodiments.
The determined randomized LTF sequences 1302 may determine what the HEz-LTFs 1108 generated from the LTF sequences 1206 should be based on one or more shared keys (e.g., as described in conjunction with FIG. 12). The HEz-LTFs 1108 that should have been transmitted may be phase rotated 8PSK constellation points, in accordance with some embodiments.”).
It would have been an obvious interchangeable variation to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention readily implemented with expectations of success to incorporate the teachings of Li et al. in to the method of LIM et al to provide additional verification of the determinations being made.
As Per Claim 5: The rejection of claim 3 is incorporated and further LIM et al. does not explicitly teach the following limitation however Li et al. in analogous art does teach the following limitation:
- the request frame further comprises a security parameter, of the second field, for generating the second field.
(Li et al., Paragraphs [0112]-[0113], “The method 1300 begins with determine (determining) randomized LTF sequences 1302. For example, RSTA 804 (or 1604) may determine what the LTF sequences 1206 should be for UL NDP 814 (or UL NDP 1620) based on the master key 822, next key 836, DTN 825, and next SAC 834 as disclosed in conjunction with FIG. 12 (or one or more of auth 1670, 1672, 1674, 1677). Since during set-up 840 (1612), the ISTA 802 (1602) and RSTA 804 (104) established the master keys 820, 822, (1690) and established the first temporary key (e.g., next key 836, 1694) that should be used to generate UL NDP 814 (1622), the RSTA 804 (1604) may determine what the LTF sequences 1206 for UL NDP 814 should be. Additionally, the ISTA 802 may have transmitted the DTN 825, which may be used in the generation of the LTF sequences 1206, in accordance with some embodiments.
The determined randomized LTF sequences 1302 may determine what the HEz-LTFs 1108 generated from the LTF sequences 1206 should be based on one or more shared keys (e.g., as described in conjunction with FIG. 12). The HEz-LTFs 1108 that should have been transmitted may be phase rotated 8PSK constellation points, in accordance with some embodiments.”).
It would have been an obvious interchangeable variation to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention readily implemented with expectations of success to incorporate the teachings of Li et al. in to the method of LIM et al to provide additional verification of the determinations being made.
As Per Claim 6: The rejection of claim 4 is incorporated and further LIM et al. teaches:
- the second apparatus does not have a capability of generating the first field, and the request frame further requests the second apparatus to perform channel estimation based on a field different from the secure LTF field or the secure TRN field.
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0090]-[0094], “A. In order to perform Wi-fi sensing, the STA/AP (sensing initiator) transmits a trigger frame. At this time, the trigger frame includes sensing request information (i.e., sensing request information).
i. The trigger frame supports P2P or P2MP.
B. The STA (sensing responder) that has received the sensing request through the trigger frame transmits the sensing participation through the response frame. In this case, as an example, whether to participate in sensing may be notified using a CTS (Clear To Send) frame (e.g., CTS to self or CTS to AP) as a response frame.
C. The sensing requesting STA that has identified the sensing participating STA through the response frame transmits a trigger frame and requests each STA (sensing participating STA) to transmit a sensing frame (a frame configured in the frame format proposed in FIGS. 8 to 11) for channel measurement.
D. Through the sensing frame received from the one or more STAs, the sensing request STA performs channel estimation and acquires sensing information by using changes in the amplitude and phase of the channel. (sensing procedure of FIG. 13)”.).
As Per Claim 7: The rejection of claim 5 is incorporated and further LIM et al. teaches:
- receiving, by the first apparatus, a second frame that carries a second field; and
- performing, by the first apparatus, channel estimation based on the second field and the second field, to obtain second CSI.
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0065], “The Wi-Fi sensing signal may be transmitted/received for channel estimation between the AP/STA and the STA using a wi-fi signal of 60 GHz. At this time, the sensing frame includes a non-EDMG preamble portion (i.e., L-STF, L-CEF, L-Header) in order to support backward capability with 802.11ad and 802.11ay, which are the existing 60 GHz Wi-Fi signals. Therefore, it can be configured in a frame format as shown in FIG. 8.”.).
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0066], “As shown in FIG. 8, the sensing frame may be configured of L-STF, L-CEF, L-Header, EDMG-Header A, EDMG-STF, and EDMG-CEF.”.).
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0098], “iii. Each sensing participating STA that has measured CSI feeds back channel CSI information measured by it to the sensing requesting STA/AP. As another example, each sensing participating STA may feedback channel CSI information measured after receiving a feedback request frame from the sensing requesting STA/AP to the sensing requesting STA/AP.”.).
(LIM et al., Paragraph [0069], “Using the EDMG-STF and EDMG-CEF fields, the STA/AP can accurately measure channel information in sensing transmission/reception bandwidth (BW).”.).
As Per Claim 10: The rejection of claim 9 is incorporated and further claim 10 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 2 as an apparatus and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 11: The rejection of claim 10 is incorporated and further claim 11 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 3 as an apparatus and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 12: The rejection of claim 11 is incorporated and further claim 12 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 4 as an apparatus and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 13: The rejection of claim 11 is incorporated and further claim 13 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 5 as an apparatus and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 14: The rejection of claim 12 is incorporated and further claim 14 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 6 as an apparatus and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 15: The rejection of claim 13 is incorporated and further claim 15 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 7 as an apparatus and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 18: The rejection of claim 17 is incorporated and further claim 18 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 2 as a computer-readable storage medium and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 19: The rejection of claim 18 is incorporated and further claim 19 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 3 as a computer-readable storage medium and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
As Per Claim 20: The rejection of claim 19 is incorporated and further claim 20 is substantially a restatement of the method of claim 4 as a computer-readable storage medium and is rejected under substantially the same reasoning.
Additional Prior Art
United States Patent Application Publication No.: US 2016/0262050 A1 (Merlin et al) in analogous art provides additional teachings in sensing/monitoring in similar environments to the field of endeavor.
Conclusion
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/BENJAMIN A KAPLAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2434