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 .
1. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Allowable Subject Matter
2. Claims 5-13 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.
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)(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.
3. Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Henry et al. (hereinafter, “Henry”), US 2022/0377042 A1.
Regarding claim 19, Henry teaches a device (i.e., Fig. 6), comprising:
a processor (i.e., processor(s) 602);
a network interface controller (i.e., modem 610) configured to provide access to a network; and
a memory (i.e., memory element(s) 604) communicatively coupled to the processor (i.e., Fig. 6), wherein the memory comprises an address rotation logic (i.e., instructions associated with logic, page 7 paragraph [0070]) that is configured to:
receive a message indicating one or more upcoming time intervals for address rotation (i.e., AP can suggest rotation intervals…Messaging between the AP and STA…can be provided via multicast, page 2 paragraph [0018]), wherein the device is associated with an address (i.e., wireless client devices or stations may rotate their Media Access Control (MAC) addresses, abstract);
determine, in response to receiving the message, whether to participate in the address rotation within any of the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., AP 104 may offer a time period window…STA 112-1…to choose its next rotation time, page 5 paragraph [0051]); and
transmit a response based on the determination, wherein the response is configured to indicate a selection of the device participate in the address rotation within at least one of the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., Henry, in page 5 paragraph [0051], discloses AP 104 may offer a time period window within the timing information in which the STA 112-1 is requested to generate a random number within the time period window in order to choose its next rotation time. Henry, in page 5 paragraph [0046], discloses timing information included in the frame can be also include a comeback timer such that the STA 112-1 may be expected to send another warning/response to the AP 104 indicating that it intends to perform a MAC address rotation upon expiration of the comeback timer).
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.
4. Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 14-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Henry, in view of Reddy et al., (hereafter, “Reddy”), US 2018/0115982 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Henry teaches a device (i.e., radio device 600, Fig. 6), comprising:
a processor (i.e., processor(s) 602);
a network interface controller configured to provide access to a network (i.e., modem 610); and
a memory (i.e., memory element(s) 604) communicatively coupled to the processor, Fig. 6), wherein the memory comprises an address rotation logic (i.e., instructions associated with logic, page 7 paragraph [0070]) that is configured to:
identify one or more upcoming time intervals for address rotation (i.e., the AP can suggest rotation intervals, page 2 paragraph [0018]);
sending a message indicating the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., AP can suggest rotation intervals…Messaging between the AP and STA…can be provided via multicast, page 2 paragraph [0018]); and
receive, from at least one network device (i.e., STA), a response for the sent message, wherein the response is configured to indicate a selection of the at least one network device participate in the address rotation within at least one of the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., Henry, in page 5 paragraph [0051], discloses AP 104 may offer a time period window within the timing information in which the STA 112-1 is requested to generate a random number within the time period window in order to choose its next rotation time. Henry, in page 5 paragraph [0046], discloses timing information included in the frame can be also include a comeback timer such that the STA 112-1 may be expected to send another warning/response to the AP 104 indicating that it intends to perform a MAC address rotation upon expiration of the comeback timer).
Henry does not teach sending a message by broadcasting.
Reddy teaches sending a message by broadcasting (i.e., multicast frames are broadcasted by an AP to a plurality of STAs, page 2 paragraph [0019]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Henry to transmit message via broadcast, as taught by Reddy because it was conventionally employed in the art for mass communication.
Regarding claim 3, Henry teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the response is configured to indicate that the at least one network device intends to opt out from participating in the address rotation within the at least one of the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., page 6 paragraph [0054]).
Regarding claim 4, Henry teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the response is configured to indicate that the at least one network device intends to participate in the address rotation within the at least one of the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., page 4 paragraph [0038]).
Regarding claim 14, Henry teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the address rotation logic is further configured to transmit a notification prior to an upcoming time interval of the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., page 3 paragraph [0025]).
Regarding claim 15, Henry teaches the device of claim 14, wherein the notification is configured to alert the at least one network device regarding the upcoming time interval for the address rotation (i.e., page 2 paragraph [0018]).
Regarding claim 16, Henry teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the broadcasted message is further configured to indicate a start time of an upcoming time interval of the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., page 2 paragraph [0022]).
Regarding claim 17, Henry teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the address rotation logic is further configured to encrypt the message prior to transmit the message (i.e., page 3 paragraph [0034]).
Henry does not teach transmit a message by broadcasting.
Reddy teaches transmitting a message by broadcasting (i.e., multicast frames are broadcasted by an AP to a plurality of STAs, page 2 paragraph [0019]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Henry to transmit message via broadcast, as taught by Reddy because it was conventionally employed in the art for mass communication.
Regarding claim 18, Henry teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the address rotation corresponds to Media Access Control (MAC) address rotation (i.e., stations may rotate their MAC addresses, abstract).
Regarding claim 20, this claim recites a method performed by a device 1, discussed above, same rationale of rejections is applied.
5. Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Henry and Reddy as applied to claim1 above, and further in view of Chin et al. (hereafter, “Chin”), US 2010/0093378 A1.
Regarding claim 2, Henry teaches the device of claim 1.
The combination of teachings of Henry and Reddy does not explicitly teach wherein the address rotation logic is further configured to broadcast the message at specific time periods.
Chin teaches wherein the address rotation logic is further configured to broadcast the message at specific time periods (i.e., Fig. 4 and page 1 paragraph [0081]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modify the combination of teachings of Henry and Reddy, to broadcast the message at specific time periods, as taught by Chin. One would be motivated to do so to save power consumption.
Response to Arguments
6. Applicant's arguments filed 01/16/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In the remarks, Applicant argued in substance that
(A) Henry fails to disclose transmit a response based on the determination, wherein the response is configured to indicate a selection of the device participate in the address rotation within at least one of the one or more upcoming time intervals.
As to point (A), Henry does disclose transmit a response based on the determination, wherein the response is configured to indicate a selection of the device participate in the address rotation within at least one of the one or more upcoming time intervals (i.e., Henry, in page 5 paragraph [0051], discloses AP 104 may offer a time period window within the timing information in which the STA 112-1 is requested to generate a random number within the time period window in order to choose its next rotation time. Henry, in page 5 paragraph [0046], discloses timing information included in the frame can be also include a comeback timer such that the STA 112-1 may be expected to send another warning/response to the AP 104 indicating that it intends to perform a MAC address rotation upon expiration of the comeback timer).
Conclusion
7. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OANH DUONG whose telephone number is (571)272-3983. The examiner can normally be reached Maxi flex Mon-Fri 6:00am-5:00pm.
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/OANH DUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2441
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