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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10th October 2024, 30th December 2025 and 8th April 2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 13, 14, 17, 18, 22, 23 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mueck et al (US 2020/0245355 A1) in view of Tian et al (US 2023/0180228 A1).
Claim 1. Mueck shows a WLAN sensing measurement method (abstract: TXOP… sensing metrics; [0060]: the baseband circuitry may support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN)…), performed by a sensing initiator (figs. 3 and 4: Node-B), comprising: determining a first radio frame ([0167]: initiate a pause in the transmission of the data upon expiration of a first time interval of the TXOP… to determine a plurality of sensing metrics indicating occupancy of the unlicensed wireless channel).Mueck does not expressly describe wherein the first radio frame comprises a first identification bit, which indicates whether the first radio frame is sent again within a target transmission opportunity (TXOP) or a target sensing time window; and sending the first radio frame.Tian teaches features of: a first radio frame comprising a first identification bit, which indicates whether the first radio frame is sent again within a target transmission opportunity (TXOP) or a target sensing time window ([0111]: the RV field, the new data indicator (NDI) field, or both of the DCI may indicate which PDSCH transmission opportunities to activate or release; [0177]: the DCI may include an NDI bit field indicating activation of the CG, activation of a subset of the multiple uplink shared channel transmission opportunities for the CG, or a retransmission grant); and sending the first radio frame ([0179]: the UE may receive RRC signaling which indicates that the uplink signaling is configured to start at the initial uplink shared channel transmission opportunity or at any uplink shared channel transmission opportunity – base station / Node-B sends to the UE).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the identification bit features and sending as taught by Tian in the first radio frame and Node-B of Mueck to reduce control signaling overhead which may negatively affect channel reliability.Claim 13. Mueck shows an electronic device (figs. 3 and 4: Node-B), comprising: a processor (fig. 3: CPU 204E); and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor (fig. 3: CPU MEM INT + MEMORY 204G), wherein the processor is configured to: determine a first radio frame ([0167]: initiate a pause in the transmission of the data upon expiration of a first time interval of the TXOP… to determine a plurality of sensing metrics indicating occupancy of the unlicensed wireless channel).Mueck does not expressly describe wherein the first radio frame comprises a first identification bit which indicates whether the first radio frame is sent again within a target transmission opportunity (TXOP) or a target sensing time window; and send the first radio frame.Tian teaches features of: a first radio frame comprising a first identification bit, which indicates whether the first radio frame is sent again within a target transmission opportunity (TXOP) or a target sensing time window ([0111]: the RV field, the new data indicator (NDI) field, or both of the DCI may indicate which PDSCH transmission opportunities to activate or release; [0177]: the DCI may include an NDI bit field indicating activation of the CG, activation of a subset of the multiple uplink shared channel transmission opportunities for the CG, or a retransmission grant); and sending the first radio frame ([0179]: the UE may receive RRC signaling which indicates that the uplink signaling is configured to start at the initial uplink shared channel transmission opportunity or at any uplink shared channel transmission opportunity – base station / Node-B sends to the UE).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the identification bit features and sending as taught by Tian in the first radio frame and Node-B of Mueck to reduce control signaling overhead which may negatively affect channel reliability.Claim 14. Mueck, modified by Tian, shows a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (fig. 3: CPU MEM INT + MEMORY 204G) having stored therein a computer program that, when executed by a processor (fig. 3: CPU 204E), causes the processor to perform the method according to claim 1 (see Claim 1).
Claim 2 (similarly claim 17). Mueck, modified by Tian, shows the WLAN sensing measurement method of claim 1, wherein determining the first radio frame comprises at least one of: in response to at least two sensing measurement instances exist in the target TXOP or the target sensing time window (Tian, [0156]: an RV field of the DCI message 710 may have M bits, where M is the total number of PUSCH transmission opportunities scheduled per multi-PUSCH burst. In some examples, the first two bits of the RV field may be set to zero, and a bit pattern may be defined for the additional M−2 bits), determining that the first identification bit indicates that the sensing initiator sends the first radio frame again in the target TXOP or the target sensing time window (Tian, [0156]: all M bits may be set to zero, where M is equal to the number of PUSCH transmission opportunities scheduled per multi-PUSCH burst… a DCI message may be an activation DCI or a retransmission grant based on a value of an NDI field included in the DCI… an NDI value of zero may indicate an activation DCI and an NDI value of one may indicate a retransmission grant); or in response to a communication bandwidth of the first radio frame not comprising an uplink bandwidth of a sensing responder participating in a WLAN sensing measurement (Mueck, [0116] – [0117]: uplink transmission pause), determining that the first identification bit indicates that the sensing initiator sends the first radio frame again in the target TXOP or the target sensing time window (Mueck, [0167]: resume the transmission of the data during the TXOP for a second time interval, when at least one sensing metric of the plurality of sensing metrics is below a threshold).
Claim 3 (similarly claim 18). Mueck, modified by Tian, shows the WLAN sensing measurement method of claim 1, after sending the first radio frame, comprising: determining a second identification bit of a second radio frame according to the first identification bit, wherein the second identification bit indicates whether the second radio frame is sent again during a WLAN sensing measurement ([0219]: the CG activation component may be configured as or otherwise support a means for activating the CG based on the feedback process identifier bit field of the DCI signaling configured with the index value indicating the CG); and sending the second radio frame ([0219]: transmitting the uplink signaling is based on activating the CG).
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Claim 6. Mueck shows a WLAN sensing measurement method (abstract: TXOP… sensing metrics), performed by a sensing responder (figs 1A and 2: UE), comprising: receiving a first radio frame ([0167]: initiate a pause in the transmission of the data upon expiration of a first time interval of the TXOP… to determine a plurality of sensing metrics indicating occupancy of the unlicensed wireless channel).Mueck does not expressly describe wherein the first radio frame comprises a first identification bit, which indicates whether a sensing initiator sends the first radio frame again within a target transmission opportunity (TXOP) or a target sensing time window; and determining whether to receive the first radio frame again within the target TXOP or the target sensing time window according to the first identification bit.Tian teaches features of: a first radio frame comprises a first identification bit, which indicates whether a sensing initiator sends the first radio frame again within a target transmission opportunity (TXOP) or a target sensing time window ([0111]: the RV field, the new data indicator (NDI) field, or both of the DCI may indicate which PDSCH transmission opportunities to activate or release; [0177]: the DCI may include an NDI bit field indicating activation of the CG, activation of a subset of the multiple uplink shared channel transmission opportunities for the CG, or a retransmission grant); and determining whether to receive the first radio frame again within the target TXOP or the target sensing time window according to the first identification bit ([0179]: the UE may receive RRC signaling which indicates that the uplink signaling is configured to start at the initial uplink shared channel transmission opportunity or at any uplink shared channel transmission opportunity – UE receives indication on TXOP which may be a signal sent again).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the identification bit features and determining as taught by Tian in the first radio frame and UE of Mueck to reduce control signaling overhead which may negatively affect channel reliability.
Claim 22. Mueck, modified by Tian, shows an electronic device (figs 1A and 2: UE), comprising: a processor (fig. 2: CPU); and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor (fig. 2: MEMORY), wherein the processor is configured to perform the method according to claim 6 (see Claim 6).
Claim 24. Mueck, modified by Tian, shows a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a computer program that (fig. 2: CPU + MEMORY), when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method according to claim 6 (see Claim 6).
Claim 7 (similarly claim 23). Mueck, modified by Tian, shows the WLAN sensing measurement method of claim 6, after receiving the first radio frame, comprising: determining a second identification bit of a second radio frame according to the first identification bit, wherein the second identification bit indicates whether the sensing initiator sends the second radio frame again during a WLAN sensing measurement ([0156]: an RV field of the DCI message 710 may have M bits, where M is the total number of PUSCH transmission opportunities scheduled per multi-PUSCH burst. In some examples, the first two bits of the RV field may be set to zero, and a bit pattern may be defined for the additional M−2 bits); and determining whether to receive the second radio frame again during the WLAN sensing measurement according to the second identification bit ([0156]: all M bits may be set to zero, where M is equal to the number of PUSCH transmission opportunities scheduled per multi-PUSCH burst… a DCI message may be an activation DCI or a retransmission grant based on a value of an NDI field included in the DCI… an NDI value of zero may indicate an activation DCI and an NDI value of one may indicate a retransmission grant).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 8, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21 and 24 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Max et al, US 2022/0256596 A1: a wireless receiving device for a communication network, the communication network implementing a standard in which transmitting devices contend for access to a wireless transmission medium, a transmitting device being permitted to transmit using the wireless transmission medium for a window of time upon winning contention, the wireless receiving device comprising power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the wireless receiving device; and processing circuitry configured to: receive a first, initial transmission from a wireless transmitting device in the window of time, the first transmission comprising a first preamble and user data; transmit at least one acknowledgement message to the wireless transmitting device, wherein the at least one acknowledgement message identifies user data that was not correctly received; and subsequent to the first transmission, receive a second transmission from the wireless transmitting device in the window of time, the second transmission comprising a second preamble which is shorter than the first preamble, or comprising no preamble, and wherein the second transmission further comprises a re-transmission of user data that was not correctly received.
Yerramalli et al, US 2020/0359230 A1: an apparatus for wireless communications implemented at a user equipment (UE), comprising a transceiver; a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to trigger at least one transmission point (TRP) or peer UE to share a transmission opportunity (TxOP); and receive downlink transmissions/uplink transmissions from the at least one TRP/peer UE during the TxOP based on a listen before talk (LBT) indication and a TxOP sharing mode.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Xavier Szewai Wong whose telephone number is 571.270.1780. The examiner can normally be reached on 11:30 am - 8:30 pm Mon to Fri.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Rutkowski can be reached on 571.270.1215. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XAVIER S WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415 16th September 2026
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