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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 08/16/2024.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Claims 1-20 are rejected.
Claims 1, 9 and 15 are independent claims.
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 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.
6. 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 of this title, 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.
7. The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
8. Claims 1-8 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vishal Agarwal et al. (US 2020/0153567 A1), hereinafter Agarwal, in view of Aarti Kumar et al. (US 2019/0102143 A1), hereinafter Kumar.
For claim 1, Agarwal teaches a short-range wireless communication method (Agarwal, paragraph 39) comprising:
broadcasting a first data packet (Agarwal, Fig. 9 step 905 and paragraphs 112-113 teach broadcasting a first Bluetooth packet.);
performing, at a predetermined time within a time periodicity associated with the broadcasting of the first data packet, in a predetermined frequency range (Agarwal, Figs. 2, 3 and paragraphs 49-69. ), and based on the first data packet, a first detection of response information from at least one receiving device, wherein the response information indicates that the first data packet was not successfully received by at least one of the at least one receiving device (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915 and paragraphs 114-115); and
rebroadcasting the first data packet when the response information is obtained through the first detection (Agarwal, Fig. 9 step 920 and paragraph 116 teach rebroadcasting the first Bluetooth packet based on the one or more NACK signals.).
Kumar further teaches retransmitting the first data packet when the response information is obtained through the first detection (Kumar, Fig. 7 step 708 and paragraphs 49-50.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in Agarwal with retransmitting the first data packet when the response information is obtained through the first detection taught in Kumar because both references teach using NACK feedback to improve efficiency for broadcasting in short-range wireless communication system.
For claim 2, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein performing the first detection comprises:
performing a second detection on a received power level that is at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range; and determining, when the received power level exceeds a threshold power level, that the response information is obtained through the first detection (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915, summary and paragraphs 114-115. See also paragraph 55 and 64. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in Agarwal to have performing a second detection on a received power level that is at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range; and determining, when the received power level exceeds a threshold power level, that the response information is obtained through the first detection.).
For claim 3, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein performing the first detection comprises:
parsing at least one second data packet received at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range; and determining the first detection based on a result of the parsing (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915, summary and paragraphs 114-115.).
For claim 4, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein performing the first detection comprises determining, when a predetermined synchronization sequence code is received at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range, that the response information is received from the at least one receiving device (Agarwal, Figs 4, 9. and paragraph 67.).
For claim 5, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising terminating the broadcasting of the first data packet when the response information is not detected at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range (Agarwal, Fig. 9 and paragraph 58.).
For claim 6, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein a short-range wireless communication of the short-range wireless communication method is a Bluetooth communication, green tooth communication, mobile hotspot communication, or Zigbee communication (Agarwal, Fig. 10 and summary.).
For claim 7, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the response information comprises a negative acknowledgment (NACK) message indicating the first data packet was not successfully received by the at least one of the at least one receiving device (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915 and paragraphs 114-115.).
For claim 8, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising preconfiguring the predetermined time and the predetermined frequency range on a sending device (Agarwal, Fig. 2 and paragraphs 49-53.).
For claim 15, Agarwal teaches a short-range communication device (Agarwal, Fig. 7 and paragraph 39) comprising:
a memory (Agarwal, Fig. 7 and paragraph 126) configured to store instructions; and
one or more processors (Agarwal, Fig. 7 and paragraph 126) coupled to the memory, and configured to execute the instructions to cause the short-range communication device to:
broadcast a first data packet (Agarwal, Fig. 9 step 905 and paragraphs 112-113 teach broadcasting a first Bluetooth packet.);
perform, at a predetermined time within a time periodicity associated with the broadcasting of the first data packet, in a predetermined frequency range (Agarwal, Figs. 2, 3 and paragraphs 49-69. ), and based on the first data packet, a first detection of response information from at least one receiving device, wherein the response information indicates that the first data packet was not successfully received by at least one of the at least one receiving device (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915 and paragraphs 114-115); and
rebroadcast the first data packet when the response information is obtained through the first detection (Agarwal, Fig. 9 step 920 and paragraph 116 teach rebroadcasting the first Bluetooth packet based on the one or more NACK signals.).
Kumar further teaches retransmitting the first data packet when the response information is obtained through the first detection (Kumar, Fig. 7 step 708 and paragraphs 49-50.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in Agarwal with retransmitting the first data packet when the response information is obtained through the first detection taught in Kumar because both references teach using NACK feedback to improve efficiency for broadcasting in short-range wireless communication system.
For claim 16, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range communication device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to cause the short-range communication device to: perform a second detection on a received power level that is at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range; and determine, when the received power level exceeds a threshold power level, that the response information is obtained through the first detection (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915, summary and paragraphs 114-115. See also paragraph 55 and 64. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in Agarwal to have performing a second detection on a received power level that is at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range; and determining, when the received power level exceeds a threshold power level, that the response information is obtained through the first detection.).
For claim 17, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range communication device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to cause the short-range communication device to: parse at least one second data packet received at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range; and determine the first detection based on a result of the parse (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915, summary and paragraphs 114-115.).
For claim 18, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range communication device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to cause the short-range communication device to determine, when a predetermined synchronization sequence code is received at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range, that the response information is received from the at least one receiving device (Agarwal, Figs 4, 9. and paragraph 67.).
For claim 19, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range communication device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to cause the short-range communication device to terminate the broadcast of the first data packet when the response information is not detected at the predetermined time and in the predetermined frequency range (Agarwal, Fig. 9 and paragraph 58.).
For claim 20, Agarwal and Kumar further teach the short-range communication device of claim 15, wherein a short-range wireless communication of the short-range communication device is a Bluetooth communication, green tooth communication, mobile hotspot communication, or Zigbee communication (Agarwal, Fig. 10 and summary.).
9. Claims 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vishal Agarwal et al. (US 2020/0153567 A1), hereinafter Agarwal.
For claim 9, Agarwal teaches a short-range wireless communication method comprising:
determining whether a data packet is successfully received (Agarwal, paragraph 57 teaches any receiving device 115 may send a NACK transmission during one or more slave slots 310 (e.g. one slave slot, three slave slots, five slots, etc.) if a broadcast packet is not successfully received. In other words, determining whether a data packet is successfully received. See also Fig. 9 steps 910-915 and paragraphs 114-115.); and
sending, when the data packet is not successfully received, response information, wherein the response information is sent at a predetermined time within a time periodicity associated with a broadcasting of the data packet and in a predetermined frequency range (Agarwal, Fig. 9 step 905 and paragraph 113 teach at 905, the device may broadcast a first Bluetooth packet over a channel bandwidth during a first set of one or more master slots of a periodic broadcast window. The operations of 905 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 905 may be performed by a broadcasting manager as described with reference to FIGS. 5 through 8.), and wherein the response information indicates that the data packet was not successfully received by a receiving device (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915 and paragraphs 114-115 teach at 915, the device may receive from one or more receiving devices, based on the one or more RSSI measurements, one or more NACK signals corresponding to the first Bluetooth packet. The operations of 915 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 915 may be performed by a NACK manager as described with reference to FIGS. 5 through 8. See also paragraph 48. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in Agarwal to have sending, when the data packet is not successfully received, response information, wherein the response information is sent at a predetermined time within a time periodicity associated with a broadcasting of the data packet and in a predetermined frequency range, and wherein the response information indicates that the data packet was not successfully received by a receiving device.)
For claim 10, Agarwal further teaches the short-range wireless communication method of claim 9, further comprising preconfiguring, on the receiving device, the predetermined time (Agarwal, Fig. 9 and paragraphs 55, 112-116.).
For claim 11, Agarwal further teaches the short-range wireless communication method of claim 9, further comprising preconfiguring, on the receiving device, the predetermined frequency range (Agarwal, Fig. 2 and paragraphs 49-53.).
For claim 12, Agarwal further teaches the short-range wireless communication method of claim 9, wherein the response information comprises a negative acknowledgment (NACK) message indicating the data packet was not successfully received by the receiving device (Agarwal, Fig. 9 steps 910-915 and paragraphs 114-115.).
For claim 13, Agarwal further teaches the short-range wireless communication method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time and the predetermined frequency range comply with a protocol rule of a short-range wireless communication protocol of the short-range wireless communication method (Agarwal, Fig. 9 and paragraphs 39-47.).
For claim 14, Agarwal further teaches the short-range wireless communication method of claim 9, wherein a short-range wireless communication of the short-range wireless communication method is a Bluetooth communication, green tooth communication, mobile hotspot communication, or Zigbee communication (Agarwal, Fig. 10 and summary.).
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILL W LIN whose telephone number is (571)272-8749. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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/WILL W LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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