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 .
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 6, and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu (US 2025/0159596) in view of Nakamura (US 2019/0158687).
Regarding claim 1, Xu describes a connection establishment method, applied to a first electronic device (fig. 1C communication requests by source terminal (first electronic) device), comprising:
establishing a first wireless communication connection with at least one other electronic device identified based on a first search (fig. 1C step S102 & S103 & para. 90-99, source terminal device sends first announcement message, receives second announcement message as part of discovery (search), & sends direct communication request (first wireless connection) to relay device (one other electronic device));
determining at least one candidate electronic device from the at least one other electronic device based on the first wireless communication connection (para. 99, source terminal (first wireless device) determines that relay (one other electronic) device may [capable of] communicate with target (candidate electronic device) based on second indication sent by the relay device (first wireless communication connection)),
and establishing a second wireless communication connection with at least one target electronic device based on second identification information of the at least one target electronic device, wherein the at least one target electronic device includes one or more of the at least one candidate electronic device (para. 99-104, based on the second indication information received, source terminal first sends indication information of target device comprising application layer identifier to relay device to target terminal device (candidate electronic device being target electronic device), then sends a direct communication request (second wireless communication connection) to the target terminal device via the relay device, fig. 1C S108 & para. 108).
Xu fails to further explicitly describe:
displaying first identification information of the at least one candidate electronic device on an interface of the first electronic device; and detecting a preset operation of a user.
Nakamura also describes wireless communication establishment (fig. 3), further describing:
displaying first identification information of the at least one candidate electronic device on an interface of the first electronic device; and detecting a preset operation of a user (para. 73 & 79, user is displayed a NFC communication request & prompted with information to allow WiFi direction connection, the information including network name of the remote multifunction device 10 (first identification information of the candidate electronic device), fig. 3 & para. 107).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the connection establishment of Xu to display first identification information regarding candidate electronic device to prompt user for input as in Nakamura.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this enables near field communication to sufficiently notify a user of a necessity of operation of permitting transmitting information on the user side (Nakamura, para. 4).
Regarding claim 2, Xu and Nakamura combined describe:
wherein the determining the at least one candidate electronic device from the at least one other electronic device based on the first wireless communication connection comprises:
requesting the at least one other electronic device to enable second wireless communications by the first wireless communication connection; receiving association information sent by the at least one other electronic device associated with the second wireless communications; and determining the at least one candidate electronic device based on the association information, and wherein the second wireless communications correspond to the second wireless communication connection (Xu, fig. 1C & para. 90-99, relay device (other electronic device) exchanges communication with source terminal (first wireless communication connection) in steps S101 & S102. In doing so, source terminal receives second indication message (association information) of a second set comprising target terminal that can communicate with the relay device (para. 7 or 99), then relay device sends a direct communication request to target terminal device in step S106 (para. 104) before (to enable) the source terminal sends a direct communication request in step S108 to the target terminal device (second wireless communication)).
Regarding claim 4, Xu and Nakamura combined describe:
wherein the association information comprises information indicating the second wireless communications have been enabled and second address information corresponding to the second wireless communications and
wherein the determining the at least one candidate electronic device based on the association information comprises determining at least one of the at least one other electronic device that has sent the association information as the at least one candidate electronic device (Xu, fig. 1C & para. 90-99, source terminal receives second indication message (association information) of a second set comprising [identification] (second address information) of target terminal that can communication with the relay device (para. 7 or 99), then relay device sends a direct communication request to target terminal device in step S106 (para. 104) before (to enable) the source terminal sends a direct communication request in step S10).
Regarding claim 6, Xu and Nakamura combined fail to further explicitly describe:
wherein based on the determining the at least one candidate electronic device, the method further comprises disconnecting the first wireless communication connection from the at least one candidate electronic device (Nakamura fig. 3 & para. 71, once the target (candidate electronic) device 10 is deemed connectable using near field communication (NFC), the original WiFi direct mode (first wireless communication connection from the candidate electronic device) is disconnected in step S120).
Regarding claim 8, Xu and Nakamura combined describe:
wherein the first wireless communication connection is a Bluetooth connection (Nakamura para. 108, any of the wireless communication mode may be a Bluetooth, infrared or WiFi direct).
Regarding claim 9, Xu and Nakamura combined describe:
wherein the second wireless communication connection is a WLAN direct connection (Nakamura para. 108, any of the wireless communication mode may be a Bluetooth, infrared or WiFi (WLAN) direct).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu in view of Nakamura, and further in view of Lee (US 2017/0223579).
Regarding claim 7, the Xu and Nakamura combined fail to further explicitly describe:
wherein the at least one other electronic device sends a low power Bluetooth broadcast signal in a vicinity of the first electronic devices.
Lee also describing wireless communication between first & second device (fig. 1), further describing:
wherein the at least one other electronic device sends a low power Bluetooth broadcast signal in a vicinity of the first electronic devices (para. 16 or abstract, second (other electronic) device advertises (broadcast within vicinity) to the first (electronic) device using Bluetooth low energy (LE) (low power Bluetooth)).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify the one other electronic device sends a low power Bluetooth broadcast/advertise signal within first device to pick up as in Lee.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this provides alternate communications means through Bluetooth communication which reduces power as well (Lee para. 8-10).
Claims 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu in view of Lee.
Regarding claim 10, Xu describes a connection establishment method, applied to a second electronic device (fig. 1C, relay device as second electronic device), comprising:
sending a signal carrying first address information corresponding to first wireless communications (Xu, fig. 1C & para. 90-99, relay terminal sends second announcement message (first address information) for setup of direct communication with source terminal (first wireless communications))
establishing a first wireless communication connection with a first electronic device corresponding to the first wireless communication connection (fig. 1C, relay device directly communicates (first wireless communication connection) with source terminal (first electronic device));
enabling second wireless communications of the second electronic device based on the first wireless communication connection; and establishing a second wireless communication connection with the first electronic device, wherein the second wireless communications correspond to the second wireless communication connection (Xu, fig. 1C & para. 90-99, source terminal in steps S108-S109 of process now is enabled to engage direct communication with target terminal (second wireless communication connection)).
Xu fails to further explicitly describe:
Lee also describing wireless communication between first & second device (fig. 1), further describing:
sending a low power Bluetooth broadcast signal (para. 16 or abstract, second (other electronic) device advertises (broadcast within vicinity) to the first (electronic) device using Bluetooth low energy (LE) (low power Bluetooth)).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify the one other electronic device sends a low power Bluetooth broadcast/advertise signal within first device to pick up as in Lee.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this provides alternate communications means through Bluetooth communication which reduces power as well (Lee para. 8-10).
Regarding claims 11, Xu and Lee combined describe:
wherein the enabling the second wireless communications comprises automatically enabling the second wireless communications of the second electronic device based on a second wireless communications enable request received from the first electronic device by the first wireless communication connection (Xu, fig. 1C & para. 90-99, relay device (other electronic device) exchanges communication with source terminal (first wireless communication connection) in steps S101 & S102. In doing so, source terminal receives second indication message (association information) of a second set comprising target terminal that can communicate with the relay device (para. 7 or 99), then relay device sends a direct communication request to target terminal device in step S106 (para. 104) before (to enable) the source terminal sends a direct communication request in step S108 to the target terminal device (second wireless communication). This process is done automatically (not manual)).
Regarding claims 12, Xu and Lee combined describe:
wherein based on the enabling of the second wireless communications of the second electronic device, the connection establishment method further comprises sending association information of the second electronic device associated with the second wireless communications to the first electronic device by the first wireless communication connection (Xu, fig. 1C & para. 90-99, relay device (other electronic device) exchanges communication with source terminal (first wireless communication connection) in steps S101 & S102. In doing so, source terminal receives second indication message (association information) of a second set comprising target terminal that can communicate with the relay device (para. 7 or 99), then relay device sends a direct communication request to target terminal device in step S106 (para. 104) before (to enable) the source terminal sends a direct communication request in step S108 to the target terminal device (second wireless communication)).
Regarding claims 13, Xu and Lee combined describe:
wherein the association information comprises at least one of:
second address information of the second electronic device corresponding to the second wireless communications (Xu, fig. 1C & para. 90-99, relay terminal sends second indication message (association information) of a second set comprising [identification] (second address information) of target terminal that can communication with the relay device (para. 7 or 99), then relay device sends a direct communication request to target terminal device in step S106 (para. 104) before (to enable) the source terminal sends a direct communication (second wireless communication) request in step S10).
Regarding claim 14, Xu and Lee combined describe:
wherein the first wireless communication connection is a Bluetooth connection (Lee para. 8, alternative wireless communication means being Bluetooth).
Claims 15-20 are apparatus (first electronic device) claims comprising processor & memory storing method steps to execute steps set forth in method for first electronic device claims 1-6 respectively. Hence, they are rejected/objected to under the same rationale.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 17 and 19 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.
Regarding claims 3 and 17, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the association information comprises second address information corresponding to the second wireless communications, and
wherein the determining the at least one candidate electronic device based on the association information comprises:
matching third address information of at least one third electronic device identified through the second wireless communications with the second address information; and
determining at least one of the at least one third electronic device whose third address information matches the second address information as the at least one candidate electronic device.
Regarding claims 5 and 19, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the establishing the first wireless communication connection further comprises automatically enabling second wireless communications of the first electronic device based on an event being detected,
wherein the event comprises at least one of: receiving a first user operation triggering an opening of an application, or receiving a second user operation triggering a display of a connection object setting interface for the second wireless communication connection,
wherein the application supports transmitting content across devices, and
wherein the second wireless communications correspond to the second wireless communication connection.
For claims 3, 5, 17 and 19, the closest prior art, Lee describing advertisement using Wi-Fi direct of control information from second device to first device for a Bluetooth low-energy connection where information comprises ID information (abstract), in combination with Xu and Nakamura, fail to render the above additional features as a whole obvious.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Nishida (US 2024/0324041) describing communication device disconnects the wireless communication connection of the second wireless communication system to the other wireless communication device when the other wireless communication device successfully establishes the wireless communication connection of the first wireless communication system (abstract & fig. 4A-B), Dees (US 20150016417) describing first means for establishing a first network connection (215) for connecting to the docking device (110, 210) and second means for establishing a second network connection (225) for connecting to a wireless network access point, Jung (US 2025/0260967) describing discovering at least one external electronic device as a service target device, and perform a connection procedure with the external electronic device determined as the service target device (abstract & fig. 8), and Zheng (US 2014/0016504) describing UE1 asks BS if UE2 is around UE1 before reaching out to UE2 for UE1-UE2 communication (fig. 3).
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WARNER WONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2469
/WARNER WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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