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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5-7,10, 15, 17, 20-22 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PEI ZHOU (OPPO): "PDT for Sensing measurement setup termination", IEEE DRAFT; 11-22-0126-01-00BF-PDT-FOR-SENSING- MEASUREMENT-SETUP-TERMINATION, IEEE-SA MENTOR, PISCATAWAY, NJ USA , vol. 802.11bf, no. 1 23 February 2022 (2022-02-23), pages 1-6, XP068189097, Retrieved from the Internet: URL:https://mentorieee.org/802.11/dcn/22/11-22-0126-01-00bf-pdt-for- sensing-measurement-setup-termination.docx [retrieved on 2022-02-23], hereinafter “D1”) in view of Aboul-Magd et al. (US 2022/0304051 A1, hereinafter “Aboul-Magd”).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, D1 discloses a communication method applied to performed by a sensing initiator (see page 2 line 31, a sensing “STA”), comprising: determining a target radio frame, the target radio frame comprising sensing measurement setup termination message frames corresponding to at least two sensing responders; and the target radio frame is sent to the at least two sensing responders simultaneously. However, D2 from a similar field of endeavor discloses the target radio frame comprises a multi-user physical layer protocol data unit, MU-PPDU comprising the sensing measurement setup termination message frames corresponding to at least two sensing responders; and the target radio frame is sent to the at least two sensing responders simultaneously (see para. 0068, sensing initiator 102 may send sensing frame 348 to sensing responders 106 e.g. sensing responder 112 and 114). Thus, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to include Aboul-Majd sensing frame scheme into D1 termination message scheme. The method can be implemented in a MU-PPDU. The motivation of doing this is to achieve spectral efficiency and average throughput.
Regarding claims 2, 7, 17 and 22, D1 discloses all the subject matter but fails to mention wherein the MU-PPDU further comprises trigger frames respectively corresponding to the sensing measurement setup termination frames, and the trigger frame indicates an uplink resource unit configured for the sensing responder, and the uplink resource unit carries comprises an acknowledgement message of the sensing measurement setup termination frame replied by the sensing responder. However, Aboul-Magd from a similar field of endeavor discloses wherein the MU-PPDU further comprises trigger frames respectively corresponding to the sensing measurement setup termination frames, and the trigger frame indicates an uplink resource unit configured for the sensing responder, and the uplink resource unit carries comprises an acknowledgement message of the sensing measurement setup termination frame replied by the sensing responder (see para. 0008-0010, trigger based sensing frame with response and feedback). Thus, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to include Aboul-Magd resource scheme into D1 termination message. The method can be in a frame. The motivation of doing this is to improve spectral efficiency and throughput.
Regarding claims 5, 10, 20 and 25, D1 discloses all the subject matter but fails to mention wherein the sensing measurement setup termination frame is a unicast message frame. However, Aboul-Majd from a similar field of endeavor discloses wherein the sensing measurement setup termination frame is a unicast message frame (see para. 0069 and 0078, sensing frame may unicast). Thus, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to include Aboil-Majd unicast scheme into D1 and Zhang sensing frame scheme. The method can be implemented in a frame. The motivation of doing this is to improve spectral efficiency.
Regarding claims 6 and 21, D1 discloses a communication method applied to performed by a first sensing responder (see page 2 lines 11-12, sensing initiator and sensing responder may initiate termination of sensing measurement), comprising: receiving a target radio frame, the target radio frame comprising a sensing STA may initiate termination of one or more sensing measurement setup by transmitting a sensing measurement setup termination frame with the measurement setup IDs of the measurement setups to be terminated to another sensing STA).
D1 does not disclose the target radio frame comprises a multi-user physical layer protocol data unit, MU-PPDU comprising the sensing measurement setup termination message frames corresponding to at least two sensing responders; and the target radio frame is sent to the at least two sensing responders simultaneously. However, D2 from a similar field of endeavor discloses the target radio frame comprises a multi-user physical layer protocol data unit, MU-PPDU comprising the sensing measurement setup termination message frames corresponding to at least two sensing responders; and the target radio frame is sent to the at least two sensing responders simultaneously (see para. 0068, sensing initiator 102 may send sensing frame 348 to sensing responders 106 e.g. sensing responder 112 and 114). Thus, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to include Aboul-Majd sensing frame scheme into D1 termination message scheme. The method can be implemented in a MU-PPDU. The motivation of doing this is to achieve spectral efficiency and average throughput.
Claim(s) 3-4, 8-9, 18-19 and 23-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 in view of Aboul-Majd as applied to claims 1, 6, 15 and 21 above, and further in view of Bolotin et al. (2019/0058511 A1).
Regarding claims 3, 8, 18 and 23, D1 and Aboul-Majd disclose all the subject matter but fails to mention wherein the MU- PPDU comprises an aggregation of first MAC protocol data units (MPDUs), and the aggregation of first MPDUs comprises an aggregation of the sensing measurement setup termination frames and an aggregation of the trigger frames. However, Bolotin from a similar field of endeavor discloses wherein the MU- PPDU comprises an aggregation of first MAC protocol data units (MPDUs), and the aggregation of first MPDUs comprises an aggregation of the sensing measurement setup termination frames and an aggregation of the trigger frames (see para. 0043, MU-PDU may be composed of one or more aggregated MPDU; para. 0063, aggregation of one or more subframes which can be termination frame and trigger frame). Thus, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to include Bolotin aggregation scheme into D1 and Aboul-Majd frame termination scheme. The method can be implemented in a PPDU. The motivation of doing this is to increase coverage and better efficiency.
Regarding claims 4, 9, 19 and 24, D1 and Aboul-Majd disclose all the subject matter but fails to mention wherein the MU- PPDU comprises a second MPDU, and the second MPDU comprises the sensing measurement setup termination frames and the trigger frames respectively corresponding to the sensing measurement setup termination frames. However, Bolotin discloses wherein the MU- PPDU comprises a second MPDU, and the second MPDU comprises the sensing measurement setup termination frames and the trigger frames respectively corresponding to the sensing measurement setup termination frames (see para. 0043, MU-PDU may be composed of one or more aggregated MPDU; para. 0063, aggregation of one or more subframes which can be termination frame and trigger frame). Thus, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to include Bolotin aggregation scheme into D1 and Aboul-Majd frame termination scheme. The method can be implemented in a PPDU. The motivation of doing this is to increase coverage and better efficiency.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD S ANWAR whose telephone number is (571)270-5641. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6-5 EST.
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MOHAMMAD S. ANWAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2463
/MOHAMMAD S ANWAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
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