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 Objections
Claims 5, 15, and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 5, in line 1, replace “The electronic device of claim 1” with --The electronic device of claim 4-- since claim 4 recites the at least one remaining antenna.
Regarding claim 15, in line 1, replace “The method of claim 11” with --The method of claim 14--since claim 14 recites at least one remaining antenna.
Regarding claim 17, in line 1, replace ““The method of claim 11” with --The method of claim 16-- since claim 16 recites a first communication circuit and a second communication circuit.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 6-11, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al (US 2021/0076396 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Chen discloses an electronic device (Fig. 3) comprising:
a first communication circuit configured to perform wireless LAN communication via multiple first antennas (71st and 73rd paragraphs and Fig. 4, modem 420 performs Wi-Fi communications via a plurality of antennas 482);
a second communication circuit configured to perform ultra-wideband (UWB) communication via multiple second antennas (71st paragraph and 72nd paragraphs and Fig. 4, modem 410 performs UWB communication via a plurality of antennas 480);
at least one processor, including processing circuitry (Fig. 3, processor 302); and
a memory configured to store instructions (Fig. 3, memory 306 and/or 350) which, when executed by at least one processor, individually or collectively, cause the electronic device (Fig. 3) to:
identify an operation channel for the wireless LAN communication performed by the first communication circuit (80th paragraph, UWB communications operate in channel 5 in 6.2 GHz – 6.7 GHz or channel 9 in 7.75 GHz – 8.25 GHz);
identify an operation channel for the UWB communication performed by the second communication circuit (80th paragraph, Wi-Fi communicates operate in 5 GHz band or 6-7 GHz band); and
control the first communication circuit to deactivate, based on the UWB communication, a transmission operation in the wireless LAN communication using at least one antenna among the multiple first antennas based on the UWB communication being activated (97th paragraph, in UWB preferred sub-state 508, UWB is favor over Wi-Fi operations. UWB radio may granted access to the communication channel and/or shared antennas upon request by UWB radio to transmit or receive a UWB communication. While the system is operating in UWB preferred sub-state 508, Wi-Fi radio may be blocked from accessing to the communication channel and/or shared antennas while they are in use by UWB radio) and the operation channels for the wireless LAN communication and the UWB communication being different (80th paragraph, UWB may operate in 7.75 GHz – 8.25 GHz while Wi-Fi may operate in 5 GHz band).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Chen discloses that wherein the memory is configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, individually and/or collectively (Fig. 3), cause the electronic device to transmit information related to controlling the wireless LAN communication to the first communication circuit based on the UWB communication being activated (74th paragraph, the wireless communication circuitry 330 receives instructions to transmit and/or receive according to first RAT, supported by first modem 410, UWB operation) and the operation channels for the wireless LAN communication and the UWB communication being different (80th paragraph, UWB may operate in 7.75 GHz – 8.25 GHz while Wi-Fi may operate in 5 GHz band), and wherein the first communication circuit is configured to deactivate, based on the performance of the UWB communication in the second communication circuit, the transmission operation in the wireless LAN communication using the at least one antenna among the multiple first antennas based on the information related to controlling the wireless LAN communication being received (97th paragraph, in UWB preferred sub-state 508, UWB is favor over Wi-Fi operations. UWB radio may granted access to the communication channel and/or shared antennas upon request by UWB radio to transmit or receive a UWB communication. While the system is operating in UWB preferred sub-state 508, Wi-Fi radio may be blocked from accessing to the communication channel and/or shared antennas while they are in use by UWB radio).
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Chen discloses that wherein the first communication circuit is configured to determine that the second communication circuit is performing the UWB communication, based on information related to the performance of the UWB communication being received from the second communication circuit (86th paragraph, GPIO connections are used between Wi-Fi radio and UWB radio for real time communications) while the information related to controlling the wireless LAN communication is received (74th paragraph, the wireless communication circuitry 330 receives instructions to transmit and/or receive).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Chen discloses that wherein the first communication circuit is configured to resume the transmission operation in the wireless LAN communication using the at least one antenna among the multiple first antennas, based on information related to operation termination of the UWB communication being received from the second communication circuit (86th paragraph, GPIO connections are used between Wi-Fi radio and UWB radio for real time communications) while the transmission operation in the wireless LAN communication using the at least one antenna is deactivated (97th paragraph, upon completing the UWB communication, the UWB radio may surrender control of the communication channel and/or shared antenna. Herein, Wi-Fi radio performs communication after the surrender of UWB radio).
Regarding claims 9 and 20, Chen discloses that wherein the memory is configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device (Fig. 3) to control the first communication circuit to resume the transmission operation using the at least one antenna among the multiple first antennas based on the UWB communication being terminated (74th and 97th paragraphs, the wireless communication circuitry 330 receives instructions to transmit and/or receive and upon completing the UWB communication, the UWB radio may surrender control of the communication channel and/or shared antenna. Herein, Wi-Fi radio performs communication after the surrender of UWB radio).
Regarding claims 10 and 19, Chen discloses that wherein the first communication circuit is configured to receive information related to an operation of the UWB communication from the second communication circuit via a general-purpose input and output (GPIO) (86th paragraph, one or more general purpose input/output (GPIO) connections are used between UWB logic and Wi-Fi logic for real time communications).
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.
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 2 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Kim et al (US 2014/0307597 A1).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Chen discloses that Wi-Fi communications operate over one or more antennas (73rd paragraph and Fig. 4). Chen does not disclose that wherein the transmission operation in the wireless LAN communication using the at least one antenna among the multiple first antennas is configured to be deactivated while a reception operation in the wireless LAN communication using the at least one antenna among the multiple first antennas is activated. Kim discloses that in half duplex mode, only reception operation is allowed while transmission operation is not at a certain point of time (76th paragraph). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to activate reception while deactivate transmission in Chen’s system, as suggested by Kim, to prevent cross interference in the wireless device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 13-15 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
Kim et al (US 2021/0144729 A1), same assignee, discloses managing coexistence of multiple communication schemes (Figs. 3-5 and 9-10).
Aldana et al (US 2025/0081179 A1), same field of endeavor, discloses facilitating coexistence of multiple protocols (Figs. 7 and 13).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH VU H LY whose telephone number is (571)272-3175. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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ANH VU H. LY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2472
/ANH VU H LY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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