1-9DETAILED 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 action is in response to the application filed on 25 October 2024.
Claims 38-56 are under examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 25 August 2025, 12 August 2025, and 25 October 2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 38-51 and 53-56 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Saad et al. (US Publication 2025/0203415).
With respect to claims 38 and 53, Saad teaches A first sensing responder, comprising:
a receiver, which, in operation, receives a sounding Trigger frame from a sensing initiator; (a Sensing Sounding Trigger frame may be used to solicit an NDP transmission from the sensing responders such that other sensing responders that are assigned the sensing role of collaborative receiver may measure the NDP and may report feedback of the measurement to the AP sensing initiator in a TB sensing measurement instance, Paragraph 223) and
a transmitter, which, in operation, and in response to the sounding Trigger frame, transmits a Null Data Packet (NDP) to a second sensing responder. (the collaborative responder receiver (CR_Rx) may receive the NDP transmitted by the sensing transmitter in the TF sounding phase of the TB sensing measurement instance and measure the CSI. The CR_Rx may then prepare the feedback and send it directly to the AP when the AP sends the Reporting trigger frame, Paragraph 227)
With respect to claim 39, Saad teaches wherein the sounding Trigger frame from the sensing initiator comprises a User Info field for the second sensing responder. (This NDP may be received by the AP sensing initiator to measure the sensing feedback. After a SIFS from transmitting the first NDP, the responder may then transmit another NDP with the number of repetitions indicated in the R2R Rep subfield of the User Info field, Paragraph 226)
With respect to claim 40, Saad teaches wherein the first sensing responder and the second sensing responder are non-access point stations and the sensing initiator is an access point. (a sensing initiator AP may identify the responders with a collaborative sensing capability implemented from a Sensing Capabilities Element or an Extended Capabilities Element or any Element that may indicate the capabilities of the STAs participating in the sensing session, Paragraph 220)
With respect to claim 41, Saad teaches wherein:
the sensing initiator initiates a sensing procedure by transmitting a request frame, and the first sensing responder and the second sensing responder participate in the sensing procedure by responding to the sensing initiator; (Sensing Sounding Trigger frame may be used to solicit an NDP transmission from the sensing responders such that other sensing responders that are assigned the sensing role of collaborative receiver may measure the NDP and may report feedback of the measurement to the AP sensing initiator in a TB sensing measurement instance, Paragraph 223)
the sensing procedure starts with a measurement setup phase which is followed by a Trigger Based (TB) sensing measurement instance; (n AP may configure a solicited NDP in a TF sounding phase of a TB sensing measurement instance such that the number of repetitions of the Responder-to-Responder (R2R)-NDP to be used for collaborative sensing is the same as the number of repetitions of the Responder-to-Initiator (R21)-NDP to be used in regular sensing. In this scenario, the CR-Rx participating in this sending TF sounding phase of the TB sensing measurement instance may use the subfield R21 Rep in the User Info field of the Sounding subvariant of the Sensing Trigger frame to learn how many repetitions the LTFs will be repeated in the solicited NDP, Paragraph 225)
the TB sensing measurement instance includes a Polling phase, a Trigger Frame (TF) sounding phase and a Reporting phase; (a TB sensing measurement instance, several variants of trigger frames may be used for various functions which may include polling the users to indicate their availability to participate in the sensing measurement instance, soliciting uplink NDP transmissions, and collecting the sensing measurement results, Paragraph 156) and
the request frame is transmitted in the measurement setup phase and the sounding Trigger frame is transmitted in the TF sounding phase. (STA may receive a sensing measurement setup request (or response) frame. The STA may determine whether the sensing measurement setup request (or response) frame is for regular sensing or DMG sensing. In an embodiment, an indicator (e.g., using one bit) may be included in a sensing measurement setup request frame to indicate if the sensing measurement setup request/response is for a DMG sensing measurement setup or a regular sensing measurement, Paragraph 215)
With respect to claim 42, Saad teaches wherein the sensing initiator assigns a role for each of the first sensing responder and the second sensing responder by transmitting the request frame in the measurement setup phase. (the sensing initiator (e.g. AP) may assign to the responders with collaborative sensing capability a collaborative responder transmitter role (e.g. CR_Tx), a collaborative responder receiver role (e.g. CR_Rx), or a collaborative responder transmitter and receiver role (e.g. CR_TxRx), Paragraph 221)
With respect to claim 43, Saad teaches wherein the role is one of a sensing receiver, a sensing transmitter, and a sensing transmitter and sensing receiver. (the sensing initiator (e.g. AP) may assign to the responders with collaborative sensing capability a collaborative responder transmitter role (e.g. CR_Tx), a collaborative responder receiver role (e.g. CR_Rx), or a collaborative responder transmitter and receiver role (e.g. CR_TxRx), Paragraph 221)
With respect to claim 44, Saad teaches wherein the request frame includes a Sensing Measurement Parameters Element, the Sensing Measurement Parameters Element including a field which is set to 1 to indicate that the TB sensing measurement instance includes the transmission of the NDP from the first sensing responder to the second sensing responder. (The CR_Rx subfield may be set to a value (e.g. ‘1’) to indicate a collaborative responder receiver role for a sensing responder corresponding to this sensing measurement setup and may be set to a different value (e.g. ‘0’) otherwise. The CR_Tx and CR_Rx may be both set to a same value (e.g. ‘1’) to indicate a collaborative responder transmitter and receiver role for a sensing responder corresponding to this sensing measurement setup, Paragraph 221)
With respect to claim 45, Saad teaches wherein the sensing initiator informs a Measurement Setup ID to the first sensing responder and the second sensing responder by transmitting the request frame in the measurement setup phase, the Measurement Setup ID being used to identify the measurement setup phase. (The Indication of DMG Sensing subfield may be removed from the Sensing Measurement Setup Request frame Action field. The Measurement Setup ID subfield may be used as an implicit indictor to indicate the DMG sensing measurement setup, Paragraph 216)
With respect to claim 46, Saad teaches wherein the sounding Trigger frame comprises a Measurement Setup ID field and a Measurement Instance ID field, the Measurement Setup ID field indicating the Measurement Setup ID, and the Measurement Instance ID field indicating a Measurement Instance ID which identifies the TB sensing measurement instance associated with the measurement setup phase. (The Indication of DMG Sensing subfield may be removed from the Sensing Measurement Setup Request frame Action field. The Measurement Setup ID subfield may be used as an implicit indictor to indicate the DMG sensing measurement setup, Paragraph 216)
With respect to claim 47, Saad teaches wherein the sounding Trigger frame comprises a Trigger Type subfield, the Trigger Type subfield being set to "Sensing". (trigger Dependent Common Info subfields for an EHT variant Common Info field in a trigger frame is shown in FIG. 34. A Trigger Dependent Common Info subfield may comprise a NDP Sounding/Sensing Subtype subfield, which may indicate the detailed NDP sounding/sensing type, Paragraph 173)
With respect to claim 48, Saad teaches wherein the sounding Trigger frame comprises Trigger Dependent Common Info field, the Trigger Dependent Common Info field comprising a Sensing Trigger Subtype field, the Sensing Trigger Subtype field indicating a subtype of the sounding Trigger frame. (trigger Dependent Common Info subfields for an EHT variant Common Info field in a trigger frame is shown in FIG. 34. A Trigger Dependent Common Info subfield may comprise a NDP Sounding/Sensing Subtype subfield, which may indicate the detailed NDP sounding/sensing type, Paragraph 173)
With respect to claim 49, Saad teaches wherein the sounding Trigger frame comprises a first User Info field for the first sensing responder and a second User Info field for the second sensing responder. (This NDP may be received by the AP sensing initiator to measure the sensing feedback. After a SIFS from transmitting the first NDP, the responder may then transmit another NDP with the number of repetitions indicated in the R2R Rep subfield of the User Info field, Paragraph 226)
With respect to claim 50, Saad teaches wherein the first User Info field includes a first field which indicates operation of the first sensing responder and the second User Info field includes a second field which indicates operation of the second sensing responder. (This NDP may be received by the AP sensing initiator to measure the sensing feedback. After a SIFS from transmitting the first NDP, the responder may then transmit another NDP with the number of repetitions indicated in the R2R Rep subfield of the User Info field, Paragraph 226)
With respect to claim 51, Saad teaches wherein the second role field is set to 1 to indicate the operation for the second sensing responder. (The CR_Rx subfield may be set to a value (e.g. ‘1’) to indicate a collaborative responder receiver role for a sensing responder corresponding to this sensing measurement setup and may be set to a different value (e.g. ‘0’) otherwise. The CR_Tx and CR_Rx may be both set to a same value (e.g. ‘1’) to indicate a collaborative responder transmitter and receiver role for a sensing responder corresponding to this sensing measurement setup, Paragraph 221)
With respect to claim 54, Saad teaches wherein the second sensing responder receives the sounding trigger frame from the sensing initiator. (The CR_Rx subfield may be set to a value (e.g. ‘1’) to indicate a collaborative responder receiver role for a sensing responder corresponding to this sensing measurement setup and may be set to a different value (e.g. ‘0’) otherwise. The CR_Tx and CR_Rx may be both set to a same value (e.g. ‘1’) to indicate a collaborative responder transmitter and receiver role for a sensing responder corresponding to this sensing measurement setup, Paragraph 221)
With respect to claim 55, Saad teaches A second sensing responder, comprising:
a receiver, which, in operation, receives a sounding Trigger frame from a sensing initiator, and receives a Null Data Packet (NDP) from a first sensing responder; (a Sensing Sounding Trigger frame may be used to solicit an NDP transmission from the sensing responders such that other sensing responders that are assigned the sensing role of collaborative receiver may measure the NDP and may report feedback of the measurement to the AP sensing initiator in a TB sensing measurement instance, Paragraph 223. the collaborative responder receiver (CR_Rx) may receive the NDP transmitted by the sensing transmitter in the TF sounding phase of the TB sensing measurement instance and measure the CSI. The CR_Rx may then prepare the feedback and send it directly to the AP when the AP sends the Reporting trigger frame, Paragraph 227) and
circuitry, which, in operation, performs, based on the sounding Trigger frame, sensing measurement on the NDP. (an AP may configure a solicited NDP in a TF sounding phase of a TB sensing measurement instance such that the number of repetitions of the Responder-to-Responder (R2R)-NDP to be used for collaborative sensing is the same as the number of repetitions of the Responder-to-Initiator (R21)-NDP to be used in regular sensing. In this scenario, the CR-Rx participating in this sending TF sounding phase of the TB sensing measurement instance may use the subfield R21 Rep in the User Info field of the Sounding subvariant of the Sensing Trigger frame to learn how many repetitions the LTFs will be repeated in the solicited NDP, Paragraph 225)
With respect to claim 56, Saad teaches wherein the first sensing responder receives the sounding trigger frame from the sensing initiator. (The CR_Rx subfield may be set to a value (e.g. ‘1’) to indicate a collaborative responder receiver role for a sensing responder corresponding to this sensing measurement setup and may be set to a different value (e.g. ‘0’) otherwise. The CR_Tx and CR_Rx may be both set to a same value (e.g. ‘1’) to indicate a collaborative responder transmitter and receiver role for a sensing responder corresponding to this sensing measurement setup, Paragraph 221)
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.
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 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
Claim 52 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Saad et al. (US Publication 2025/0203415) in view of Li et al. (US Publication 2023/0354276).
With respect to claim 52, Saad doesn’t teach wherein the sounding Trigger frame comprises a User Info field including an AID 12 subfield set to 2008.
Li teaches wherein the sounding Trigger frame comprises a User Info field including an AID 12 subfield set to 2008. (the second subfield is an association identifier (Association Identifier, AID) 12 subfield whose value is a second preset value in the user information field of the MAC frame, and the second preset value is one of 2008 to 2044 and 2047 to 4094, Paragraph 38)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement system of Saad with the sounding Trigger frame comprises a User Info field including an AID 12 subfield set to 2008 as taught by Li. The motivation for combining Saad and Li is to be able to o implement time resource allocation in the scheduled P2P scenario and the Co-TDMA scenario based on the MU-RTS frame.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Au et al. (US Publication 12,413,999) discloses the receiver is configured to: receive the time series of at least one WSS (TSWSS) based on the standard wireless network protocol through a wireless channel of a venue, and perform a plurality of wireless sensing measurements based on the received TSWSS to obtain sensing measurement results based on the standard wireless network protocol. The PHY layer or the MAC layer of the receiver provides the sensing measurement results locally to the at least one higher layer of the receiver based on the standard wireless network protocol. The sensing measurement results are available to the at least one higher layer of the receiver for performing a sensing-based task based on the sensing measurement results.
Das et al. (US publication 2023/0269774) discloses A non-access point station (STA) configured for performing wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing may be configured to update its time-synchronization function (TSF) based on partial TSF information when a sensing poll trigger frame (TF) and the sensing sounding TF are received in a same sensing measurement instance when the sensing sounding TF includes a special user information field containing the partial TSF information.
Any inquiry concerning this communication from the examiner should be directed to ABDULLAHI AHMED whose telephone number is (571) 270-3652. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khalid Kassim can be reached on 571-270-3370. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDULLAHI AHMED/Examiner, Art Unit 2475
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