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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1, 3-6, 8, 10, 12-15, 17, 19, 21-25 are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-6, 8, 10, 12-15, 17, 19, 21-25 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
In the remark, applicant argued (1) Chen and Lim alone or in combination do not teach the newly amended claims.
Examiner traverse the argument:
In response to argument (1), the amendment, introducing new limitations not previously presented or foreseeable, necessitude new ground of rejection. Chen and Lim in combination meet the claim limitations. See the rejection below.
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 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.
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) 1, 3-6, 8, 10, 12-15, 17, 19, 21, 23-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (Chen), US 2021/0314732, in view of Lim et al (Lim), US 2024/0049135.
Chen and Lim were cited in the previous office action.
As per claim 1, Chen teaches the invention including a communication method, comprising:
Generating, by a communication device, a trigger frame comprising a trigger dependent common information field for indicating a type of the trigger frame (pp. 0106-0107, 0110, 0114, 0126-0127, 0136: trigger type 1720); wherein the trigger dependent common information field comprises a sensing trigger subtype subfield for indicating a subtype of the trigger frame (pp. 0127, 0136: trigger subtype); and
Transmitting, by the communication device, the trigger frame with the sensing trigger subtype subfield (pp. 0106-0107, 0110, 0114, 0126-0127).
Chen does not teach wherein the sensing trigger subtype subfield being set to a first value indicates that the trigger frame is a sensing measurement reporting trigger frame. Lim teaches to generate a trigger frame with sensing trigger subtype subfield wherein the sensing trigger subtype subfield being set to a first value indicates that the trigger frame is a sensing measurement reporting trigger frame (pp. 0152-0164, 0171, 0179-0180, 0210-0212, 0227, 0235; subtype field is set to 9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Chen and Lim in order to implement the trigger frame and utilize numerical values to indicate frame type, formats, or instructions...etc.
As per claim 3, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 1. Chen further teaches wherein the trigger frame further carries a trigger dependent user information field (pp. 0110, 0126-0127, 0133, 0136).
As per claim 4, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 3. Chen further teaches wherein the trigger dependent common information field is further used for indicating information applied to each user in the user information list (pp. 0126-0127).
As per claim 5, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lim further teaches wherein the trigger dependent common information field further comprises at least one of:
A sensing measurement setup identifier subfield (pp. 0170, 0236-0237, 0334);
A sensing measurement instance identifier subfield (pp. 0151, 0170, 0373: measurement instance ID); or
A reserved field (pp. 0086: reserved bit).
As per claim 6, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lim further teaches wherein when the trigger dependent common information fields is a field in an extremely high throughput (EHT) variant common information field of the sensing measurement reporting trigger frame, the sensing measurement reporting trigger frame is used to trigger uplink EHT trigger frame based (TB) physical layer protocol unit (PPDU) transmission (pp. 0081-0086, 0091, 0122, 0167, 0233; figure 13).
As per claim 8, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lim further teaches wherein when the trigger dependent common information field is a field in an HE variant common information field of the sensing measurement reporting trigger frame, the sensing measurement reporting trigger frame is used to trigger uplink high efficiently (HE) TB PPDU transmission (pp. 0081-0087, 0091, 0122, 0167, 0233).
As per claim 10, Chen teaches the invention including a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program and the processor is configured to call and run the computer program stored in the memory (pp. 0081, 0087-0088), so as to enable a terminal device to perform:
Generating a trigger frame comprising a trigger dependent common information field for indicating a type of the trigger frame (pp. 0106-0107, 0110, 0114, 0126-0127, 0136: trigger type 1720); wherein the trigger dependent common information field comprises a sensing trigger subtype subfield for indicating a subtype of the trigger frame (pp. 0127, 0136: trigger subtype); and
Transmitting the trigger frame with the sensing trigger subtype subfield (pp. 0106-0107, 0110, 0114, 0126-0127).
Chen does not teach wherein the sensing trigger subtype subfield being set to a first value indicates that the trigger frame is a sensing measurement reporting trigger frame. Lim teaches to generate a trigger frame with sensing trigger subtype subfield wherein the sensing trigger subtype subfield being set to a first value indicates that the trigger frame is a sensing measurement reporting trigger frame (pp. 0152-0164, 0171, 0179-0180, 0210-0212, 0227, 0235; subtype field is set to 9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Chen and Lim in order to implement the trigger frame and utilize numerical values to indicate frame type, formats, or instructions...etc.
As per claim 12, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 10. Chen further teaches wherein the trigger frame further carries a trigger dependent user information field (pp. 0110, 0126-0127, 0133, 0136).
As per claim 13, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 12. Chen further teaches wherein the trigger dependent common information field is further used for indicating information applied to each user in the user information list (pp. 0126-0127).
As per claim 14, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 10. Lim further teaches wherein the trigger dependent common information field further comprises at least one of:
A sensing measurement setup identifier subfield (pp. 0170, 0236-0237, 0334);
A sensing measurement instance identifier subfield (pp. 0151, 0170, 0373: measurement instance ID); or
A reserved field (pp. 0086: reserved bit).
As per claim 15, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 10. Lim further teaches wherein when the trigger dependent common information fields is a field in an extremely high throughput (EHT) variant common information field of the sensing measurement reporting trigger frame, the sensing measurement reporting trigger frame is used to trigger uplink EHT trigger frame based (TB) physical layer protocol unit (PPDU) transmission (pp. 0081-0086, 0091, 0122, 0167, 0233; figure 13).
As per claim 17, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 10. Lim further teaches wherein when the trigger dependent common information field is a field in an HE variant common information field of the sensing measurement reporting trigger frame, the sensing measurement reporting trigger frame is used to trigger uplink high efficiently (HE) TB PPDU transmission (pp. 0081-0087, 0091, 0122, 0167, 0233).
As per claim 19, Chen teaches the invention including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored a computer program, wherein the computer program, upon being ran on a device, cause the device to perform (pp. 0081, 0085):
Generating a trigger frame comprising a trigger dependent common information field for indicating a type of the trigger frame (pp. 0106-0107, 0110, 0114, 0126-0127, 0136: trigger type 1720); wherein the trigger dependent common information field comprises a sensing trigger subtype subfield for indicating a subtype of the trigger frame (pp. 0127, 0136: trigger subtype); and
Transmitting a frame carrying with the sensing trigger subtype subfield (pp. 0106-0107, 0110, 0114, 0126-0127).
Chen does not teach wherein the sensing trigger subtype subfield being set to a first value indicates that the trigger frame is a sensing measurement reporting trigger frame. Lim teaches to generate a trigger frame with sensing trigger subtype subfield wherein the sensing trigger subtype subfield being set to a first value indicates that the trigger frame is a sensing measurement reporting trigger frame (pp. 0152-0164, 0171, 0179-0180, 0210-0212, 0227, 0235; subtype field is set to 9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teaching of Chen and Lim in order to implement the trigger frame and utilize numerical values to indicate frame type, formats, or instructions...etc.
As per claim 21, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 1. Lim further teaches wherein a length of the trigger dependent common information field is a positive integer multiple of 8 bits (pp. 0081-0086: 24 bits).
As per claim 23, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 1. Chen further teaches wherein the trigger dependent common information field indicates the trigger frame is a sensing trigger frame (pp. 0126-0127). Lim also further teaches wherein the trigger dependent common information field indicates the trigger frame is a sensing trigger frame (pp. 0164).
As per claim 24, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 10. Lim further teaches wherein a length of the trigger dependent common information field is a positive integer multiple of 8 bits (pp. 0081-0086: 24 bits).
As per claim 25, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 19. Lim further teaches wherein a length of the trigger dependent common information field is a positive integer multiple of 8 bits (pp. 0081-0086: 24 bits).
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen and Lim as applied to claims 1, 3-6, 8, 10, 12-15, 17, 19, 21, 23-25 above, and further in view of obviousness.
As per claim 22, Chen and Lim teach the invention as claimed in claim 19. Chen and Lim do not teach wherein the first value is 2. However, it is obvious to replace the numerical value as disclosed in Chen and Lim to other numerical values. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the teachings of Chen and Lim and further modify or replace the numerical values with other numbers of choice to indicate the indicate frame type, formats, or instruction for the corresponding fields.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Gao et al, WO2023/097704A1
Gao et al, WO2023/087192A1
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 KENNY S LIN whose telephone number is (571) 272-3968.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached on 571-270-5630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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KENNY S. LIN
Examiner
Art Unit 2416
/Kenny S Lin/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
September 11, 2026
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