DETAILED ACTION
1. The following Office Action is based on the application filed on 25 July 2024, having claims 1-20 and drawing figures 1-6.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. 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
3. Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities:
The acronym VAP recited in line 1 of claim 9 must be written as “virtual access point (VAP)” the first time it is recited in the claim because claim 1 upon which claim 9 depends does not recite the acronym VAP.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “any BSS colors” in line 8. The limitation renders the claim vague and indefinite because the word “any” has several meanings. “Any” may mean “at least one of,” “some,” or “all.” Therefore, the claim must recite a more definite word. It is suggested that the limitation recites “all BSS colors” to encompass all BSS colors associated with the second access point.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “any BSS colors” in lines 3 and 6. The limitation renders the claim vague and indefinite because the word “any” has several meanings. “Any” may mean “at least one of,” “some,” or “all.” Therefore, the claim must recite a more definite word. It is suggested that the limitation recites “all BSS colors” to encompass all BSS colors associated with the second access point.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “any BSS colors” in lines 11 and 14-15. The limitation renders the claim vague and indefinite because the word “any” has several meanings. “Any” may mean “at least one of,” “some,” or “all.” Therefore, the claim must recite a more definite word. It is suggested that the limitation recites “all BSS colors” to encompass all BSS colors associated with the second access point.
Claim 11 recites the limitation “any BSS colors” in line 3. The limitation renders the claim vague and indefinite because the word “any” has several meanings. “Any” may mean “at least one of,” “some,” or “all.” Therefore, the claim must recite a more definite word. It is suggested that the limitation recites “all BSS colors” to encompass all BSS colors associated with the second access point.
Claim 17 recites the limitation “any BSS colors” in line 9. The limitation renders the claim vague and indefinite because the word “any” has several meanings. “Any” may mean “at least one of,” “some,” or “all.” Therefore, the claim must recite a more definite word. It is suggested that the limitation recites “all BSS colors” to encompass all BSS colors associated with the second access point.
Claim 18 recites the limitation “any BSS colors” in lines 4 and 7. The limitation renders the claim vague and indefinite because the word “any” has several meanings. “Any” may mean “at least one of,” “some,” or “all.” Therefore, the claim must recite a more definite word. It is suggested that the limitation recites “all BSS colors” to encompass all BSS colors associated with the second access point.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 1-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form. The closest prior art references are Dakshinkar et al. (US 2021/0360479 A1), Cherian et al. (US 2019/0208423 A1), and Cariou et al. (US 2017/0255659 A1). Dakshinkar discloses enabling by an access point (AP) a dynamic basis service set (BSS) color feature for operation with multiple virtual access points (VAPs) hosted by the AP (abstract). Cherian discloses that spatial reuse (SR) information may indicate that a group of STAs associated with a second access point (AP) may reuse resources associated with a first AP (abstract) wherein the SR information may indicate a partial BSSID bitmap, an SRG partial BSSID bitmap [0108]. The SR information may also indicate color information associated with an SRG identifier [0108]. Cariou discloses determines that an inter-BSS PDU is an SRG PPDU if it comprises a BSS color field and a bit of the SRG BSS color bitmap corresponds to a value of the BSS Color field is set (abstract).
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Elisabeth B Magloire whose telephone number is (571)272-5601. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM-5 PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sujoy K Kundu can be reached at 571-272-8586. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELISABETH BENOIT MAGLOIRE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2471
