DETAILED ACTION
Applicants’ response filed 3/3/2026 has been considered.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1 and 3-20 are pending.
Application is pending.
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 1 and 3-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. USPAP 20250039670A1 (herein: D1) in view of Liu et al USPN 12,652,537B2 (herein: D2).
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As per claim 1, D1 substantially teaches (i.e., Figure 1 and abstract) a communications device comprising: a controller configured to generate a control frame carrying security related information in a plurality of different locations in the control frame (i.e., Figure 8 security related information: Key ID, PN, MIC and paragraph 0023), the other non-security related information comprising at least one of a block acknowledgement request (BAR) Information, block acknowledgement (BA) Information, and a User Info List (i.e., Figure 7, BA control, BA info and paragraphs 0023, 0077-0086); and a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit the control frame to a second communications device (i.e., Figure 1 above), wherein the security related information protects integrity of the control frame in transmission to the second communication device (i.e., Figure 1 and paragraph 0019); wherein the security related information in the control frame includes frame protection indication information regarding whether or not the control frame is a protected control frame, key identification (ID) information to indicate a key for protecting the control frame, packet number (PN) information including a packet number carried in the control frame, and message integrity check (MIC) information for checking integrity of the control frame (i.e., Figure 8, Key ID, PN, MIC and paragraph 0023).
D1 does not explicitly teach the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information as stated in the present application. However D2 teaches in an analogous art (i.e., abstract) wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. A wireless station may enter an unsynchronized discovery mode, transmit, in response to receiving a subscribe message from a neighboring device, a publish message to the neighboring device, perform authentication and trusted device cluster provisioning with the neighboring wireless device, and protect transmissions using the security credentials. In the unsynchronized discovery mode, the wireless device may monitor a discovery channel for subscribe messages, e.g., from neighboring peer devices. Additionally, the trusted device cluster provisioning may provide security credentials to the wireless device. Note that protecting transmissions using the security credentials may include protecting a trusted device cluster identity, transmitted beacons, transmitted management frames, or transmitted action frames using the security credentials acquired via the trusted device cluster provisioning. Particularly D2 teaches (i.e., Figures 7A and 7B) the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information as stated in the present application. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to include the concept of other non-security related information being adjacent to the security related information as suggested by D2. This would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill because one of ordinary skill would have recognized that by keeping the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information would have allowed for greater security coverage in the frame.
As per claim 3, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the frame protection indication information and the key ID information are separated from the PN information and the MIC information (i.e., Figure 8 and paragraph 0023).
As per claim 4, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the PN information and the MIC information are located right after block acknowledgement request (BAR) Information in a protected BAR frame, right after block acknowledgement (BA) Information in a protected BA frame, or right after a User Info List in a protected trigger frame (i.e., Figures 7-8 and paragraph 0023).
As per claim 5, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the frame protection indication information, the key ID information, and the PN information are separated from the MIC information by other fields (i.e., Figures 7-8 and paragraphs 0023, 0081-0093).
As per claim 6, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, wherein if additional processing time is required, the control frame further comprises a padding field that is located after the MIC information if the control frame is a protected block acknowledgement request (BAR) frame or a protected block acknowledgement (BA) frame (i.e., Figures 7-8 and paragraphs 0023-0035, 0078-0081).
As per claim 7, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the control frame further comprises a pre-padding frame check sequence (FCS) field that is located after the MIC information (i.e., Figures 7-8 and paragraphs 0023, 0081-0093).
As per claim 8, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the communications device or the second communications device comprises a wireless access point (AP), and wherein the second communications device or the communications device comprises a wireless non-AP station (STA) (i.e., Figure 1 and paragraphs 0023, 0081-0093).
As per claim 9, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, frame protection indication information is repurposed by using a current reserved bit of the protected control frame (i.e., Figures 6A-6D and paragraphs 0023, 0062-0070).
As per claim 10, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the control frame comprises a protected trigger frame, a protected block acknowledgement (BA) frame, or a protected block acknowledgement request (BAR) frame (i.e., Figures 7-8 and paragraphs 0019, 0023, 0081-0093).
As per claim 11, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the control frame comprises the protected trigger frame, and wherein frame protection indication information or key identification (ID) information is repurposed by using at least one current reserved bit of a special user information field or a common information field of the protected trigger frame (i.e., Figures 7-8 and paragraphs 0023-0030, 0081-0093).
As per claim 12, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the PN information and the MIC information are carried in a Security User Info field with an AID12 field carrying a special value where the Security User Info field has same length as a Special User Info field, a Trigger Dependent User Info field in each Security User Info field is reserved, only a User Info subfield in a last Security User Info field has reserved bits if not all User Info subfields are used (i.e., Figure 6B and paragraphs 0023, 0062-0064).
As per claim 13, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, a Pre-padding frame check sequence (FCS) is carried in a Pre-padding FCS Info field with an AID12 field carrying a special value where the Pre-padding FCS Info field has same length as a Special User Info field, a Trigger Dependent User Info field in each Pre-padding FCS Info field is reserved, only a User Info subfield in last Pre-padding FCS Info field has reserved bits if not all FCS Info subfields are used (i.e., Figures 6C, 7-8 and paragraphs 0023-0028, 0081-0093).
As per claim 14, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the PN information and the MIC information are carried after 16-bit all 1s in a Padding field (i.e., Figures 6A-6D and paragraphs 0023-0030, 0081-0093).
As per claim 15, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, a pre-padding frame check sequence (FCS) is carried after the PN information and the MIC information (i.e., Figures 7-8 and paragraphs 0023, 0081-0093).
As per claim 16, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the control frame comprises the protected BA frame, wherein frame protection indication information or key identification (ID) information is repurposed by using at least one current reserved bit of a BA control field of the protected BA frame, and wherein the protected BA frame comprises a protected multi-station (STA) BA frame where the PN information and the MIC information are carried in a Security Per AID TID Info field with a special value in an AID 11 subfield, a value of 0 in an acknowledgement (Ack) Type subfield, and a value in a Fragment Number subfield to indicate a length of a Security Info field (i.e., Figure 6B and paragraphs 0023, 0062-0064).
As per claim 17, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, one or more Padding Per AID TID Info fields are carried after the Security Per AID TID Info field where padding if required by a recipient is carried in the Padding Per AID TID Info fields with a special value in an AID 11 subfield, a value of 0 or 1 in an Ack Type subfield, and a value in a Fragment Number subfield to indicate a length of a Padding Info field (i.e., Figure 6B and paragraphs 0023, 0062-0064).
As per claim 18, D1 substantially teaches, in view of above rejections, the control frame comprises the protected BAR frame, wherein frame protection indication information or key identification (ID) information is repurposed by using at least one reserved bit of a BAR control field of the protected BAR frame, and wherein the protected BAR frame comprises a protected compressed BAR frame or a protected compressed multi-TID BAR frame where the PN information and the MIC information are located after BAR information and padding required by a recipient is carried after the MIC information (i.e., Figure 6B and paragraphs 0023, 0062-0064; Figures 7-8 and paragraphs 0023, 0081-0093).
As per claim 19, D1 substantially teaches (i.e., Figure 1 and abstract) a wireless access point (AP) compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 protocol (i.e., Figure 1 and paragraph 0018), the wireless AP comprising: a controller configured to generate a control frame carrying security related information in a plurality of different locations in the control frame (i.e., Figure 8 security related information: Key ID, PN, MIC and paragraph 0023) the other non-security related information comprising at least one of a block acknowledgement request (BAR) Information, block acknowledgement (BA) Information, and a User Info List (i.e., Figure 7, BA control, BA info and paragraphs 0023, 0077-0086); and a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit the control frame to a second communications device (i.e., Figure 1 above), wherein the security related information protects integrity of the control frame in transmission to the second communication device (i.e., Figure 1 and paragraph 0019); wherein the security related information in the control frame includes frame protection indication information regarding whether or not the control frame is a protected control frame, key identification (ID) information to indicate a key for protecting the control frame, packet number (PN) information including a packet number carried in the control frame, and message integrity check (MIC) information for checking integrity of the control frame (i.e., Figure 8, Key ID, PN, MIC and paragraph 0023).
D1 does not explicitly teach the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information as stated in the present application. However D2 teaches in an analogous art (i.e., abstract) wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. A wireless station may enter an unsynchronized discovery mode, transmit, in response to receiving a subscribe message from a neighboring device, a publish message to the neighboring device, perform authentication and trusted device cluster provisioning with the neighboring wireless device, and protect transmissions using the security credentials. In the unsynchronized discovery mode, the wireless device may monitor a discovery channel for subscribe messages, e.g., from neighboring peer devices. Additionally, the trusted device cluster provisioning may provide security credentials to the wireless device. Note that protecting transmissions using the security credentials may include protecting a trusted device cluster identity, transmitted beacons, transmitted management frames, or transmitted action frames using the security credentials acquired via the trusted device cluster provisioning. Particularly D2 teaches (i.e., Figures 7A and 7B) the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information as stated in the present application. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to include the concept of other non-security related information being adjacent to the security related information as suggested by D2. This would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill because one of ordinary skill would have recognized that by keeping the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information would have allowed for greater security coverage in the frame.
As per claim 20, D1 substantially teaches (i.e., Figure 1 and abstract) a method for wireless communications, the method comprising: at a first communications device, generating a control frame carrying security related information in a plurality of different locations in the control frame (i.e., Figure 8 security related information: Key ID, PN, MIC and paragraph 0023); and from the first communications device, wirelessly transmitting the control frame to a second communications device (i.e., Figure 1 and paragraph 0019), wherein the security related information protects integrity of the control frame in transmission to the second communication device (i.e., Figure 1 and paragraph 0019); wherein the security related information in the control frame includes frame protection indication information regarding whether or not the control frame is a protected control frame, key identification (ID) information to indicate a key for protecting the control frame, packet number (PN) information including a packet number carried in the control frame, and message integrity check (MIC) information for checking integrity of the control frame (i.e., Figure 8, Key ID, PN, MIC and paragraph 0023).
D1 does not explicitly teach the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information as stated in the present application. However D2 teaches in an analogous art (i.e., abstract) wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. A wireless station may enter an unsynchronized discovery mode, transmit, in response to receiving a subscribe message from a neighboring device, a publish message to the neighboring device, perform authentication and trusted device cluster provisioning with the neighboring wireless device, and protect transmissions using the security credentials. In the unsynchronized discovery mode, the wireless device may monitor a discovery channel for subscribe messages, e.g., from neighboring peer devices. Additionally, the trusted device cluster provisioning may provide security credentials to the wireless device. Note that protecting transmissions using the security credentials may include protecting a trusted device cluster identity, transmitted beacons, transmitted management frames, or transmitted action frames using the security credentials acquired via the trusted device cluster provisioning. Particularly D2 teaches (i.e., Figures 7A and 7B) the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information as stated in the present application. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to include the concept of other non-security related information being adjacent to the security related information as suggested by D2. This would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill because one of ordinary skill would have recognized that by keeping the other non-security related information adjacent to the security related information would have allowed for greater security coverage in the frame.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUJTABA M CHAUDRY whose telephone number is (571)272-3817. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm.
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MUJTABA M. CHAUDRY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2112
/MUJTABA M CHAUDRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2112
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