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 preliminary amendment filed on 10/01/2024. Claims 1, 15, and 20-21 have been amended, and new claim 22 has been added.
Claims 1-22 are presented for examination.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application 2205023.1 filed in United Kingdom on 04/06/2022. The certified copy of the foreign priority application required by 37 CFR 1.55 has been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/01/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 14-16 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.
As to claim 14, it is not clear what is meant by “an AID 12 subfield”. The
abbreviation “AID 12” is not clearly identified.
As to claim 16, it is not clear what is meant by “HE MU PPDU”. The
abbreviation “HE MU PPDU” is not clearly identified.
Claim 15 recites “directly performing a frame exchange with the first non-AP MLD
over a second link of the set of enabled links, without prior sending, over the second link, an initial control frame scheduling the first non-AP MLD. Claim 16, which depends on claim 15, further recites “performing the frame exchange includes sending a downlink HE MU PPDU or sending a basic Trigger frame to trigger uplink communication.”
It is unclear what distinguishes an “initial control frame” recited in claim 15 from the “basic trigger frame” recited in claim 16. The Specification at page 3, lines 31-33 states in part that: “BSRP Trigger frames and MU-RTS Trigger frames are examples of initial control frames”, which suggests that a trigger frame may itself be an initial control frame.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 7-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Handte et al. (US 2023/0269825 A1), in view of Yang et al. (US 2024/0187168 A1).
As to claim 1, Handte discloses the invention as claimed, including a communication method in a wireless network, including, at a non-access point (non-AP), multi-link device (MLD) in an active Enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio (EMLSR) mode (¶0002, “combine two or more links between two stations (STAs) for data transmission. A first link may be implemented on a first channel, within e.g. a 5 GHz band, whereas the second link may be implemented on a second channel, within e.g. a 6 GHz band. A device that supports multiple links may also be called multilink device (MLD), which may be an access point (AP) MLD or non-AP (or STA) MLD”; ¶0044, “an enhanced single radio non-AP MLD (a first communication device, e.g. a station STA) makes use of one radio that can be split, i.e. the radio can have two operation modes”), comprising:
responsive to receiving, over a first link (Fig. 6, link 1 or link 2) of a set of enabled links in which links the EMLSR mode is applied, a frame from the AP MLD (Fig. 6; ¶0044, “an enhanced single radio non-AP MLD (a first communication device, e.g. a station STA) makes use of one radio that can be split, i.e. the radio can have two operation modes”; ¶0060, “the operation between the first communication device (non-AP MLD) and the second communication device (AP MLD) using two links…It initiates data transfer by sending an RTS frame 10 (or another frame indicating the initiation of data transfer) on link 2. The RTS frame 10 indicates to the non-AP MLD that it shall configure radio B to full operation mode on link 2”);
switching a first affiliated STA corresponding to the first link in the non-AP MLD to a disabled frame exchange state (¶0009, “a first link of the two links is disabled and a second link of the two links commonly uses RF chains of both links for the communication with the second communication device”; ¶0020, “a first link of the two links is disabled (i.e. switched off) and a second link of the two links commonly uses RF chains of both links, in particular commonly uses the bandwidths and/or spatial streams of both links, for the communication with the second communication device”; ¶0060, “The AP MLD decides to transmit data on link 2 as link 1 is busy. It initiates data transfer by sending an RTS frame 10 (or another frame indicating the initiation of data transfer) on link 2. The RTS frame 10 indicates to the non-AP MLD that it shall configure radio B to full operation mode on link 2. Consequently, the radio A is turned off (disabled) by the non-AP MLD on link 1. Next, the non-AP MLD responds with a CTS frame 11 (or another frame confirming the initiation of data transfer) if the link is detected as idle (otherwise it does not send a CTS frame)”); and
switching a separate and second affiliated STA corresponding to a second link of the set in the non-AP MLD to an enabled frame exchange state (Fig. 18; ¶0009, “a first link of the two links is disabled and a second link of the two links commonly uses RF chains of both links for the communication with the second communication device”; ¶0020, “a first link of the two links is disabled (i.e. switched off) and a second link of the two links commonly uses RF chains of both links, in particular commonly uses the bandwidths and/or spatial streams of both links, for the communication with the second communication device”; ¶0060, “The RTS frame 10 indicates to the non-AP MLD that it shall configure radio B to full operation mode on link 2. Consequently, the radio A is turned off (disabled) by the non-AP MLD on link 1. Next, the non-AP MLD responds with a CTS frame 11 (or another frame confirming the initiation of data transfer) if the link is detected as idle (otherwise it does not send a CTS frame)”).
Although Handte discloses responsive to receiving, over a first link (Fig. 6, link 1 or link 2) of a set of enabled links in which links the EMLSR mode is applied, a frame from the AP MLD (Fig. 6; ¶0060), Handte does not specifically disclose a frame from the AP MLD that does not explicitly triggering the non-AP MLD.
However, Yang discloses responsive to receiving, over a first link of a set of enabled links in which links the EMLSR mode is applied, a frame from the AP MLD not explicitly triggering the non-AP MLD (¶0020, “the non-AP MLD receives, on the first link, one trigger frame sent by a TXOP holder, where a user information field of the non-AP MLD does not exist in the trigger frame, or an association identifier indicating uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access, OFDMA)-based random access does not exist in the trigger frame”; ¶0035; ¶0041; ¶0044; ¶0060; ¶0087, “operates on the first link includes a frame that has a unicast address, and a receiving address of the frame is not the station that is in the non-AP MLD and that operates on the first link; or the first PPDU includes a trigger frame, and an association identifier in any user information field in the trigger frame is inconsistent with an association identifier of the station that is in the non-AP MLD and that operates on the first link; or an association identifier indicating uplink OFDMA-based random access does not exist in the trigger frame”). 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 system of Handte to include responsive to receiving, over a first link of a set of enabled links in which links the EMLSR mode is applied, a frame from the AP MLD not explicitly triggering the non-AP MLD, as taught by Yang because it would avoid unnecessary radio-switching overhead and power consumption (Yang; ¶0013; ¶0216; ¶0429).
As to claim 2, Handte discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the frame is an initial control frame from the AP MLD that does not schedule the non-AP MLD, and responsive to the receiving, the first affiliated STA is switched from a listening operation state to the disabled frame exchange state and the separate and second affiliated STA is switched from a listening operation state to the enabled frame exchange state (¶0084; ¶0092, “the non-AP MLD listens, after switching from full operation mode into partial operation mode, for allocation information transmitted by a third communication device, on the link that has been disabled while the first communication device has been in the previous full operation mode”; ¶0105, “operation of a single radio STA in a multi-link environment with non-negligible link switching delay are provided by one or more of transmission in partial operation, rules for transition to full operation mode, control frame padding, predictive link switch, early link switch, and minimum observation period”; ¶0112).
As to claim 3, Handte discloses the method of claim 2, further comprising, at the non-AP MLD being in the active EMLSR mode, sensing, over the first link of the set, an initial control frame response from another non-AP MLD, wherein the switching operations are responsive to the sensing (Fig. 18C; ¶0097, “RTS-CTS (FIG. 18C). In any of the three cases shown in FIG. 18, the first frame that is transmitted by STA 1 is transmitted such that in may be understood by STA 2 in partial operation mode”; ¶0098, “The third case (FIG. 18C) using an RTS frame 10 and a CTS frame 11 has been the baseline for the previously explained embodiments of operation. An operation switch response transmitted by the non-AP MLD to the AP MLD may be included in a frame e.g. the CTS frame”).
As to claim 4, Handte discloses the method of claim 2, further comprising, at the non-AP MLD being in the active EMLSR mode, receiving a frame from the AP MLD over the second link, without having previously been scheduled by an initial control frame from the AP MLD over the second link since the second affiliated STA corresponding to the second link switched from the listening operation state to the enabled frame exchange state (¶0060, “the operation between the first communication device (non-AP MLD) and the second communication device (AP MLD) using two links. At the beginning, the non-AP MLD has both radios in partial operation mode. The AP MLD decides to transmit data on link 2 as link 1 is busy. It initiates data transfer by sending an RTS frame 10 (or another frame indicating the initiation of data transfer) on link 2”; ¶0084; ¶0092, “the non-AP MLD listens, after switching from full operation mode into partial operation mode, for allocation information transmitted by a third communication device, on the link that has been disabled while the first communication device has been in the previous full operation mode”; ¶0105, “operation of a single radio STA in a multi-link environment with non-negligible link switching delay are provided by one or more of transmission in partial operation, rules for transition to full operation mode, control frame padding, predictive link switch, early link switch, and minimum observation period”; ¶0112).
As to claim 5, Handte discloses the method of claim 2, further comprising, at the non-AP MLD being in the active EMLSR mode, switching the first and second affiliated STAs back to the listening operation state upon detecting an end of frame exchanges over the second link (¶0084; ¶0092, “the non-AP MLD listens, after switching from full operation mode into partial operation mode, for allocation information transmitted by a third communication device, on the link that has been disabled while the first communication device has been in the previous full operation mode”; ¶0105, “operation of a single radio STA in a multi-link environment with non-negligible link switching delay are provided by one or more of transmission in partial operation, rules for transition to full operation mode, control frame padding, predictive link switch, early link switch, and minimum observation period”; ¶0112).
As to claim 7, it is rejected for the same reasons set forth above with respect to claim 1. In addition, Handte discloses a frame not allocating any resource unit scheduled to the non-AP MLD or allocating any random access resource unit eligible by the non-AP MLD, over the first link (¶0060, “The RTS frame 10 indicates to the non-AP MLD that it shall configure radio B to full operation mode on link 2. Consequently, the radio A is turned off (disabled) by the non-AP MLD on link 1. Next, the non-AP MLD responds with a CTS frame 11 (or another frame confirming the initiation of data transfer) if the link is detected as idle (otherwise it does not send a CTS frame)…The CTS frame 11 indicates that AP-MLD may now transmit data 12 on link 2, i.e. a TXOP (transmit opportunity) is initiated. After TXOP ends, e.g. after a response frame (ACK) 13, the non-AP MLD switches both radios A and B to partial operation mode until another RTS frame 14 addressed to it is received”; ¶0100).
As to claim 8, Handte discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the frame belongs to a frame exchange sequence initiated by an initial control frame previously sent by the AP MLD over the first link (¶0078, “The responder of the data transfer, i.e. the one that initially transmitted a CTS frame 11 in partial operation mode, shall transmit another CTS frame 17 in full operation mode, i.e. with increased bandwidth, if the new part of the bandwidth was detected as idle for a time interval of PIFS before transmitting the CTS frame 17 in full operation mode and if it has previously received a RTS frame 16”).
As to claim 9, Handte discloses the method of claim 1, wherein responsive to the receiving, the first affiliated STA is switched from an enabled frame exchange state to the disabled frame exchange state and the second affiliated STA is switched from a disabled frame exchange state to the enabled frame exchange state (¶0060, “The RTS frame 10 indicates to the non-AP MLD that it shall configure radio B to full operation mode on link 2. Consequently, the radio A is turned off (disabled) by the non-AP MLD on link 1. Next, the non-AP MLD responds with a CTS frame 11 (or another frame confirming the initiation of data transfer) if the link is detected as idle (otherwise it does not send a CTS frame)…The CTS frame 11 indicates that AP-MLD may now transmit data 12 on link 2, i.e. a TXOP (transmit opportunity) is initiated. After TXOP ends, e.g. after a response frame (ACK) 13, the non-AP MLD switches both radios A and B to partial operation mode until another RTS frame 14 addressed to it is received”; ¶0100).
As to claim 10, Handte discloses the method of claim 9, further comprising, at the non-AP MLD being in the active EMLSR mode, switching the first and second affiliated STAs to a listening operation state upon detecting an end of frame exchanges over the second link (¶0060, “The RTS frame 10 indicates to the non-AP MLD that it shall configure radio B to full operation mode on link 2. Consequently, the radio A is turned off (disabled) by the non-AP MLD on link 1. Next, the non-AP MLD responds with a CTS frame 11 (or another frame confirming the initiation of data transfer) if the link is detected as idle (otherwise it does not send a CTS frame)…The CTS frame 11 indicates that AP-MLD may now transmit data 12 on link 2, i.e. a TXOP (transmit opportunity) is initiated. After TXOP ends, e.g. after a response frame (ACK) 13, the non-AP MLD switches both radios A and B to partial operation mode until another RTS frame 14 addressed to it is received”; ¶0100).
As to claim 11, Handte discloses the method of claim 9, further comprising, at the non-AP MLD being in the active EMLSR mode, switching the first affiliated STA back to the enabled frame exchange state and the second affiliated STA back to the disabled frame exchange state, upon detecting an end of frame exchanges over the second link (¶0060, “The RTS frame 10 indicates to the non-AP MLD that it shall configure radio B to full operation mode on link 2. Consequently, the radio A is turned off (disabled) by the non-AP MLD on link 1. Next, the non-AP MLD responds with a CTS frame 11 (or another frame confirming the initiation of data transfer) if the link is detected as idle (otherwise it does not send a CTS frame)…The CTS frame 11 indicates that AP-MLD may now transmit data 12 on link 2, i.e. a TXOP (transmit opportunity) is initiated. After TXOP ends, e.g. after a response frame (ACK) 13, the non-AP MLD switches both radios A and B to partial operation mode until another RTS frame 14 addressed to it is received”; ¶0100).
As to claim 12, Handte discloses the method of claim 9, wherein switching the first affiliated STA from the enabled frame exchange state to the disabled frame exchange state and switching the second affiliated STA from the disabled frame exchange state to the enabled frame exchange state include allocating to the second affiliated STA a full radio resource previously allocated to the first affiliated STA (¶0060, “The RTS frame 10 indicates to the non-AP MLD that it shall configure radio B to full operation mode on link 2. Consequently, the radio A is turned off (disabled) by the non-AP MLD on link 1. Next, the non-AP MLD responds with a CTS frame 11 (or another frame confirming the initiation of data transfer) if the link is detected as idle (otherwise it does not send a CTS frame)…The CTS frame 11 indicates that AP-MLD may now transmit data 12 on link 2, i.e. a TXOP (transmit opportunity) is initiated. After TXOP ends, e.g. after a response frame (ACK) 13, the non-AP MLD switches both radios A and B to partial operation mode until another RTS frame 14 addressed to it is received”; ¶0100).
As to claim 13, Handte discloses the method of claim 1, wherein a frame not explicitly triggering the non-AP MLD includes a frame having no User Info field addressed to the non-AP MLD (It is noted that a standard (legacy) RTS frame or a standard (legacy) MU RTS frame does not contain a user information field for the non-AP MLD. Accordingly, a legacy MU RTS that lacks a user information field for a particular non-AP MLD does not explicitly trigger that non-AP MLD; ¶0077; ¶0079; ¶0081; ¶0100).
As to claim 14, Yang discloses the method of claim 13, wherein a frame not including a User Info field addressed to the non-AP MLD includes a frame in which none of the conditions are met: an AID12 subfield of the User Info field includes an AID of the non-AP MLD, an AID12 subfield of the User Info field indicates allocation of one or more random access resource units for non-AP MLDs already associated with the AP MLD (¶0020, “the non-AP MLD receives, on the first link, one trigger frame sent by a TXOP holder, where a user information field of the non-AP MLD does not exist in the trigger frame, or an association identifier indicating uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access, OFDMA)-based random access does not exist in the trigger frame”; ¶0035; ¶0041; ¶0044; ¶0060; ¶0087, “operates on the first link includes a frame that has a unicast address, and a receiving address of the frame is not the station that is in the non-AP MLD and that operates on the first link; or the first PPDU includes a trigger frame, and an association identifier in any user information field in the trigger frame is inconsistent with an association identifier of the station that is in the non-AP MLD and that operates on the first link; or an association identifier indicating uplink OFDMA-based random access does not exist in the trigger frame”). 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 system of Handte to include wherein a frame not including a User Info field addressed to the non-AP MLD includes a frame in which none of the conditions are met: an AID12 subfield of the User Info field includes an AID of the non-AP MLD, an AID12 subfield of the User Info field indicates allocation of one or more random access resource units for non-AP MLDs already associated with the AP MLD, as taught by Yang because it would avoid unnecessary radio-switching overhead and power consumption (Yang; ¶0013; ¶0216; ¶0429).
As to claims 15 and 17, they are rejected for the same reasons set forth above with respect to claim 1. In addition, Yang discloses directly performing a frame exchange with the first non-AP MLD over a second link of the set of enabled links, without prior sending, over the second link, an initial control frame scheduling the first non-AP MLD (¶0281, “the first-type PPDU includes the triggering frame, and the triggering frame is used to schedule the station to send the trigger based PPDU (trigger based PPDU, TB PPDU). N is a positive integer. The triggering frame is a trigger frame, or a frame that carries a TRS (triggered response scheduling, triggered response scheduling) control subfield”; ¶0289, “the first-type PPDU includes a triggering frame (triggering frame), and the triggering frame is used to schedule a station to send a TB PPDU. The triggering frame is a trigger frame, or a frame that carries a TRS control subfield”; ¶0312, “the first AP sends the first frame (the initial control frame or the initial frame) on the first link, where the first frame indicates the non-AP MLD to switch the spatial stream on each link to the first link for a frame exchange…a receiving address of the unicast frame indicates the station that is in the non-AP MLD and that operates on the first link. Alternatively, the PPDU includes a trigger frame, and the trigger frame is used to schedule the station that is in the non-AP MLD and that operates on the first link to perform uplink transmission”). 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 system of Handte to include directly performing a frame exchange with the first non-AP MLD over a second link of the set of enabled links, without prior sending, over the second link, an initial control frame scheduling the first non-AP MLD, as taught by Yang because it would reduce signaling overhead and transmission latency (Yang; ¶0013; ¶0216; ¶0429).
As to claim 16, Handte discloses the method of claim 15, wherein performing the frame exchange includes sending a downlink HE MU PPDU or sending a basic Trigger frame to trigger uplink communication (¶0084, “the non-AP MLD switches to full operation on link 2. The following behavior holds for the “Listen for PPDUs or frame exchange” phase within FIG. 10: If the non-AP MLD is not involved in a frame exchange (e.g. data transfer) with the AP MLD on link 2”).
As to claim 18, it is rejected for the same reasons set forth above with respect to claim 15. In addition, Handte discloses the method of claim 15, further comprising, at the AP MLD, after sending the frame: determining multiple non-AP MLDs being in the active EMLSR mode that share the same link as the first link in their set of enabled links and that are not explicitly triggered by the sent frame, determining, for one or more of the determined non-AP MLDs, whether to perform a frame exchange with the determined non-AP MLD (¶0056, “Once the non-AP MLD is in full operation mode, i.e. it supports two RF chains, the AP MLD activates additionally the RF chain of the previously non-used RF chain of link 2. All other RF chains, i.e. the RF chains of link 1, can be used to serve other (third) non-AP MLDs”; ¶0058, “the AP MLD selects the same RF chain of link 2 as was used to initiate transmission, i.e. either the one defined by components 330 to 335 or 340 to 345. Once the non-AP MLD is in full operation mode, i.e. it supports 2 RF chains, the AP MLD activates additionally the RF chain of the previously non-used RF chain of link 2. All other RF chains, i.e. the RF chains of link 1, can be used to serve other non-AP MLDs or STAs”).
As to claim 19, Handte discloses the method of claim 15, wherein the frame belongs to a frame exchange sequence initiated by an initial control frame previously sent by the AP MLD over the first link (¶0078, “The responder of the data transfer, i.e. the one that initially transmitted a CTS frame 11 in partial operation mode, shall transmit another CTS frame 17 in full operation mode, i.e. with increased bandwidth, if the new part of the bandwidth was detected as idle for a time interval of PIFS before transmitting the CTS frame 17 in full operation mode and if it has previously received a RTS frame 16”).
As to claim 20, Handte discloses a wireless communication device comprising at least one microprocessor configured for carrying out the steps of the method of claim 1 (Fig. 2; Fig. 4; ¶0046-¶0047; ¶0051).
As to claim 21, Handte discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program which, when executed by a microprocessor or computer system in a wireless device, causes the wireless device to perform the method of claim 1 (Fig. 2; Fig. 4; ¶0046-¶0047; ¶0051).
As to claim 22, Handte discloses a wireless communication device comprising at least one microprocessor configured for carrying out the steps of the method of claim 15 (Fig. 2; Fig. 4; ¶0046-¶0047; ¶0051).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Handte et al. (US 2023/0269825 A1), Yang et al. (US 2024/0187168 A1), further in view of Naik et al. (US 2023/0199641 A1).
As to claim 6, Handte does not specifically disclose wherein in the active EMLSR mode, the first and second affiliated STAs listen simultaneously to the first and second links to receive an initial control frame from the AP MLD and only one the STA receiving an initial control frame is then configured to transmit or receive frames to or from the AP MLD after receiving the initial control frame until an end of a frame exchange.
However, Naik discloses wherein in the active EMLSR mode, the first and second affiliated STAs listen simultaneously to the first and second links to receive an initial control frame from the AP MLD and only one the STA receiving an initial control frame is then configured to transmit or receive frames to or from the AP MLD after receiving the initial control frame until an end of a frame exchange (Fig. 5; ¶0067, “A non-AP MLD operating in the EMLSR mode can listen for specific types of communications (such as buffer status report poll (BSRP) frames or multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS) frames) on multiple communication links, concurrently, but can only transmit or receive on one communication link at any given time. For example, the STAs 522 and 524 may concurrently listen on their respective links 502 and 504 during a listen interval”; ¶0069, “the STAs 522 and 524 may concurrently communicate on their respective links 502 and 504 in accordance with the MLMR STR mode and the STAs 524 and 526 may concurrently listen to their respective links 504 and 506 in accordance with the EMLSR mode”). 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 system of Handte to include wherein in the active EMLSR mode, the first and second affiliated STAs listen simultaneously to the first and second links to receive an initial control frame from the AP MLD and only one the STA receiving an initial control frame is then configured to transmit or receive frames to or from the AP MLD after receiving the initial control frame until an end of a frame exchange, as taught by Naik because it would optimize data throughput and reduce latency (Naik; ¶0002; ¶0067; ¶0069).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Seok et al. (US 2023/0254909), Lu et al. (US 2022/0294583), Naik et al. (US 2023/0144291), Huang et al. (US 2020/0037288), Park et al. (US 2021/0084711), Kwon et al. (US 2021/0385692) disclose enhanced multi-link operation switching mechanisms.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUNGWON CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3960. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5:30PM.
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/JUNGWON CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2454 September 2, 2026
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