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 .
This Office Action is in response to the correspondence filed on 08/15/2024.
Claims 1-20 are pending and rejected.
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, 4, 9, 12 & 17, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jain et al (US20190327628A1) in further view of Laine et al (US20230262535A1).
Regarding claim 1 (and method claim 9, and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium claim 17), Jain teaches a computing device comprising:
a first communications interface configured to connect to a network using a first communications protocol ([0029], [0044], also teaches WAN wireless transceiver 230 supporting WAN connections such as GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE, 5G/NR, HRPD, and related WAN/cellular protocols);
a second communications interface configured to communicate using a second communications protocol ([0030]-[0031], [0044], teaches that the mobile device (same one) may include WLAN/PAN wireless transceivers, including a first WLAN/PAN transceiver 240 and a second WLAN/PAN transceiver 250, which may support WiFi/802.11, Bluetooth, ZigBee, NFC, or combinations thereof; further teaches that the first and second WLAN/PAN transceivers may support different air interfaces or different frequency bands);
a controller interconnected with the first and second communications interfaces ([0028]-[0031], [0034], teaches one or more processors/DSPs and memory in the same mobile device for WAN, WiFi, and PAN signal processing, intimately linked to the mobile device containing to different communication interfaces with two separate protocols);
However, Jain does not fully teach but Laine teaches a controller interconnected with the first and second communications interfaces ([0029]-[0031], teaches the same mobile device includes a WLAN transceiver 230 and separate WLAN/PAN transceivers 240/250 and expressly states that the first and second transceivers may be used for different air interfaces), the controller configured to:
in response to detecting a condition indicating a disconnect from the network ([0021]-[0024], [0039], [0046], the reference explains that roaming is triggered when connection quality/RSSI deteriorates, and specifically describes the roaming device beginning roaming when its signal strength to the connected AP falls below a threshold), broadcast, via the second communications interface, a network request including a network parameter for the network ([0032]-[0037], [0039]-[0040], disclose the separate OOB transceiver 162, OOB communications such as Bluetooth/NFC/UWB/802.15.4, connectionless beacon broadcasts, and the roaming device sending a beacon and seeking/requesting AP information from a neighboring being);
receive, via the second communications interface, a channel identifier identifying a channel operating according to the network parameter ([0039]-[0040], [0050]-[0051], [0058]-[0060], expressly states that the received AP information can include the “relevant channel” for each candidate AP, and describe receiving AP information over the specified OOB communication channel);
initiate a channel scan on the channel and detect a base station operating on the channel ([0040], [0049]-[0051], [0062], [0068]-[0070], the reference expressly teaches scanning for the AP, scanning the channel on which the AP is communicating and subsequently, performing a prioritized scan of the channels associated with the identified candidate APs); and
control the first communications interface to connect to the base station ([0017], [0021]-[0022], [0030], [0038]-[0039], [0044], [0050]-[0051], teaches mobile device having separate WLAN and WLAN transceivers; further expressly teaches that a location server provides the mobile device with a BS almanac containing AP identification, frequency band and channel information, and that this information is used to send targeted probe requests and perform targeted scans on the specified channels; the first WLAN transceiver performs the scans and the identified WLAN channels, thus, when the WLAN transceivers 230 is mapped to the claimed second communications interface and WLAN transceiver 240 is mapped to the claimed first communications interface, Jain teaches receiving channel information through a second interface and using that information to control scanning on the corresponding channel through the first interface).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Regarding claim 19, Jain reinforces the part of the limitation: identified by the channel identifier within the network scan ([0044], teaches targeted probe requests specifying a particular SSID or MAC address on specified frequency bands and specified channels, where identification, frequency band, and channel information may be provided to the mobile device in a BS almanac);
Jain does not fully teach but Laine teaches the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further configure the device to:
in response to the condition indicating the disconnect, initiate a network scan including a plurality of channel scans ([0021]-[0024], [0039], [0046], the reference explains that roaming is triggered when connection quality/RSSI deteriorates, and specifically describes the roaming device beginning roaming when its signal strength to the connected AP falls below a threshold); and
to initiate the channel scan, prioritize the channel scan on the channel identified by the channel identifier within the network scan ([0040], [0049]-[0051], [0062], [0068]-[0070], the reference expressly teaches scanning for the AP, scanning the channel on which the AP is communicating and subsequently, performing a prioritized scan of the channels associated with the identified candidate APs).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Claims 2-5, 8, 10-13, 16 & 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jain in further view of Laine, in further view of Ballew et al (US20240163729A1).
Regarding claim 2 (and method claim 10, and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium claim 18), Jain and Laine does not fully teach but Ballew teaches the computing device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to broadcast the network request when the condition indicating the disconnect is detected for less than a threshold disconnect time ([[0019], 0021]-[0025], [0031]-[0034] , [0037], ,when wireless client device joins the network, the client device sends an initial wireless transmission that is receivable by a plurality of wireless access points, after which one of the access points—e.g. the access point receiving the transmission with the greatest signal power-responds and establishes the connection; initial wireless transmission constitutes a broadcast network request because it is transmitted for reception by multiple candidate access points rather than directed to a predetermined access point teaches threshold-based transition timing, including threshold amounts, threshold periods, pre-transition thresholds, and sending transition information before the full triggering threshold period has elapsed)).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. Furthermore, Ballew further teaches that wireless client devices may lose connection during movement between access points and that threshold-based handoff/transition techniques may be used to reduce service disruption during reconnection. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Regarding claim 8 (and method claim 16), Jain and Laine does not fully teach but Ballew teaches the computing device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to broadcast the network request periodically ([[0019], 0021]-[0025], [0031]-[0034] , [0037], ,when wireless client device joins the network, the client device sends an initial wireless transmission that is receivable by a plurality of wireless access points, after which one of the access points—e.g. the access point receiving the transmission with the greatest signal power-responds and establishes the connection; initial wireless transmission constitutes a broadcast network request because it is transmitted for reception by multiple candidate access points rather than directed to a predetermined access point teaches threshold-based transition timing, including threshold amounts, threshold periods, pre-transition thresholds, and sending transition information before the full triggering threshold period has elapsed)).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. Furthermore, Ballew further teaches that wireless client devices may lose connection during movement between access points and that threshold-based handoff/transition techniques may be used to reduce service disruption during reconnection. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Regarding claim 3 (and method claim 11), Jain does not fully teach but Laine teaches the computing device of claim 1, wherein the network parameter includes at least one of: a network identifier or security authentication parameters ([0019]-0021], [0026]-[0028], claims 9-10, 19, teaches network identifiers used during scanning, including a first network identifier broadcast on a scanned frequency and a second network identifier configured at the UE, where a match indicates a successful scan, also identifies PLMN, CSG and CBRS network identifiers).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
However, Jain and Laine do not fully teach but Ballew teaches security authentication parameters ([0022]-[0025], teaches encryption information and encryption keys transferred during access-point transition, which may be relied on for the “security authentication parameters” aspect).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. Furthermore, Ballew further teaches that wireless client devices may lose connection during movement between access points and that threshold-based handoff/transition techniques may be used to reduce service disruption during reconnection. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Regarding claim 4 (and method claim 12), Jain does not fully teach but Laine teaches the computing device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the condition indicating the disconnect, initiate a network scan comprising a plurality of channel scans including the channel scan ([0019]-[0021], [0026]-[0028], [0051]-[0052], claims 1, 8, 11, 14, 18-19, teaches that the UE maintains a radio frequency scan list indicating a prioritized order of radio frequencies to be scanned and scans the plurality of frequencies according to that order).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. Furthermore, Ballew further teaches that wireless client devices may lose connection during movement between access points and that threshold-based handoff/transition techniques may be used to reduce service disruption during reconnection. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
However, Laine do not fully teach but Ballew teaches configured to, in response to the condition indicating the disconnect ([0016]-[0024], supplies the disconnect/handoff condition because it teaches loss of connection, movement between access points, and transition to another access point).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. Furthermore, Ballew further teaches that wireless client devices may lose connection during movement between access points and that threshold-based handoff/transition techniques may be used to reduce service disruption during reconnection. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Regarding claim 5 (and method claim 13), Jain does not fully teach but Laine teaches the computing device of claim 4, wherein to initiate the channel scan, the controller is configured to prioritize the channel scan on the channel identified by the channel identifier within the network scan ([0019]-[0021], [0026]-[0028], [0033]-[0034], [0049]-[0050], claims 7-8, 11, 14-16, 18, teaches prioritizing scanning according to a radio frequency scan list and teaches selecting/identifying a next radio frequency having a higher scanning rank in the prioritized order.
identified by the channel identifier within the network scan ([0019]-0021], [0026]-[0028], claims 9-10, 19, teaches network identifiers used during scanning, including a first network identifier broadcast on a scanned frequency and a second network identifier configured at the UE, where a match indicates a successful scan, also identifies PLMN, CSG and CBRS network identifiers).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. Furthermore, Ballew further teaches that wireless client devices may lose connection during movement between access points and that threshold-based handoff/transition techniques may be used to reduce service disruption during reconnection. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Regarding claim 7 (and method claim 15), Jain does not fully teach but Laine teaches the computing device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to identifying the base station, abort a remainder of the plurality of channel scans in the network scan (([0019]-[0021], [0026]-[0028], [0033]-[0034], claims 8, 11, 18-19, teaches determining whether scanning of a frequency is successful, selecting the frequency as the target frequency when successful, and connecting to the radio access network using that frequency, it also teaches repeating scanning only when the prior scan is not successful; corresponding to once a successful scan identifies the target/base station and the UE connects, remaining scans would be unnecessary and could be stopped to reduce connection delay).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. Furthermore, Ballew further teaches that wireless client devices may lose connection during movement between access points and that threshold-based handoff/transition techniques may be used to reduce service disruption during reconnection. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Claims 6, 14, & 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jain in further view of Laine, as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Ballew, in further view of Waters et al (US20140050210A1).
Regarding claim 6 (and method claim 14, and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium claim 20), Jain, Laine and Ballew do not fully teach but Waters teaches the computing device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a level of completeness of the network scan ([0059]-[0060], teaches determining whether an AP scan is complete; after an AP is identified, the scanner computes position uncertainty, and if the position uncertainty is less than a predetermined threshold, or if all APs proximate to the device have been identified, the scan is deemed complete; further teaches determining whether the current channel scan is complete, where the channel scan is complete if all or a predetermined percentage of APs on the channel have been identified);
prioritize the channel scan on the channel identified by the channel identifier within the network scan when the level of completeness is below a threshold level of completeness ([0024]-[0030]-[0032], teaches scan optimization by selecting channels likely to provide useful PA information and scheduling channels in an order that allows the greatest number of APs to be identified in the shortest time; also teaches scanning only channels known to be used by proximate APs and setting channel scan order to increase the probability of quickly identifying APs); and
continue the plurality of channel scans in the network scan when the level of completeness is above the threshold level of completeness ([0060]-[0067], teaches if the current scan is incomplete, scanning continues; if the current channel scan is complete, the scanner determines whether all channels to be scanned have been scanned and, if not selects the next channel and continues scanning; also teaches changing scan parameters, including the network channel to scan, and continuing the scan).
It would have been obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Laine’s wireless device with Jain’s multi transceiver mobile device architecture because Laine teaches using a second, out-of-band communications interface to obtain access-point and channel information when a wireless connection deteriorates or is lost, and then using the identified channel to perform a targeted scan for an available access point. Jain teaches that a mobile device/UE may include multiple wireless interfaces, including WAN, WLAN, and PAN transceivers, and may transmit targeted probe requests specifying SSID or MAC identification on specified frequency bands and channel using first and second transceivers. Furthermore, Ballew further teaches that wireless client devices may lose connection during movement between access points and that threshold-based handoff/transition techniques may be used to reduce service disruption during reconnection. Lastly, Waters teaches optimizing WLAN access-point scanning by determining whether a scan or current channel scan is complete based on whether all or a predetermined percentage of APs have been identified, and , when scanning is incomplete, changing scan parameters such as the network channel to scan and continuing the scan. A POSITA would have been motivated to combine these teaching so that Laine’s wireless device could use Jain’s multiple-interface architecture and targeted probe/channel information to more efficiently identify and scan relevant channels for connecting to the desired network, thereby reducing connection delay and avoiding unnecessary full-spectrum scanning.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee et al (US20140274044A1) discloses using motion to improve local wireless network connectivity
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/MICHAEL WILLIAM ABBATINE JR./Examiner, Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419
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