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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/29/2024 and 07/17/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is/are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
Claim(s) 1 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (US 2019/0289612 A1), hereinafter referred to as Chen.
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches: A method (see Abstract; ¶[0016] a method may include generating a message for transmission via a wireless network using a first channel having one of a 240 MHz or 320 MHz total channel bandwidth), comprising:
generating, by a processor of an apparatus, subcarrier indices of a resource unit (RU) tone plan for a wide bandwidth greater than 80 MHz with a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 78.125 kHz by using a formula (see ¶[0077] the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processing system to perform the various functions described; Abstract, A wireless communication device may be configured to generate and transmit a message according to a tone plan for transmission to multiple destination devices within one of a 240 or 320 MHz channel bandwidth; ¶[0097] FIGS. 5A-5B show example tone spacings and index ranges for different FFT sizes and symbol durations at each of 80, 160, and 320 MHz transmissions … The 4× symbol durations may have a tone spacing of 78.125 kHz); and
communicating, by the processor, wirelessly in the wide bandwidth ( see Chen ¶[0002] Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication, and more particularly, to wireless communication via a large bandwidth channel (such as a 240 MHz or 320 MHz channel; ¶[0025] communicating with a wireless network using a first channel having one of a 240 MHz or 320 MHz total channel bandwidth ).
Regarding claim 19, Chen teaches: An apparatus (see FIG. 2, Wireless Device 202; ¶[0078]), comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly (Transceiver 214; ¶[0078]); and
a processor coupled to the transceiver ( Processor 204; ¶[0082]) and configured to perform operations comprising ( see ¶[0077] the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processing system to perform the various functions described ) :
generating subcarrier indices of a resource unit (RU) tone plan for a wide bandwidth greater than 80 MHz with a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 78.125 kHz by using a formula ( see Abstract, A wireless communication device may be configured to generate and transmit a message according to a tone plan for transmission to multiple destination devices within one of a 240 or 320 MHz channel bandwidth; ¶[0097] FIGS. 5A-5B show example tone spacings and index ranges for different FFT sizes and symbol durations at each of 80, 160, and 320 MHz transmissions … The 4× symbol durations may have a tone spacing of 78.125 kHz); and
communicating, via the transceiver, wirelessly in the wide bandwidth, wherein the wide bandwidth comprises a 240 MHz, 480 MHz or 640 MHz bandwidth ( see Chen ¶[0002] Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication, and more particularly, to wireless communication via a large bandwidth channel (such as a 240 MHz or 320 MHz channel; ¶[0025] communicating with a wireless network using a first channel having one of a 240 MHz or 320 MHz total channel bandwidth).
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.
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) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen as applied to claims 1 and 19 above, in view of Lim et al. (US 2023/0147175 A1), hereinafter referred to as Lim, and further in view of Park et al. (US 2025/0226912 A1), hereinafter referred to as Park.
Regarding claim 18, Chen teaches: A method (see Abstract), comprising:
generating, by a processor of an apparatus (see ¶[0077] the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processing system to perform the various functions described), subcarrier indices of a resource unit (RU) tone plan for a wide bandwidth greater than 80 MHz with a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 78.125 kHz by using a formula (see Abstract, A wireless communication device may be configured to generate and transmit a message according to a tone plan for transmission to multiple destination devices within one of a 240 or 320 MHz channel bandwidth; ¶[0097] FIGS. 5A-5B show example tone spacings and index ranges for different FFT sizes and symbol durations at each of 80, 160, and 320 MHz transmissions … The 4× symbol durations may have a tone spacing of 78.125 kHz); and
communicating, by the processor, wirelessly in the wide bandwidth (see Chen ¶[0002] Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication, and more particularly, to wireless communication via a large bandwidth channel (such as a 240 MHz or 320 MHz channel; ¶[0025] communicating with a wireless network using a first channel having one of a 240 MHz or 320 MHz total channel bandwidth),
wherein, in an event that the RU tone plan pertains to a 240 MHz bandwidth, the RU tone plan comprises puncturing a contiguous 80 MHz bandwidth from a 320 MHz bandwidth, and
wherein, in an event that the RU tone plan pertains to a 480 MHz bandwidth, the RU tone plan comprises puncturing a contiguous 160 MHz bandwidth from a 640 MHz bandwidth.
Although Chen teaches ( see ¶[0058] the STF may accommodate puncturing of the channel. Puncturing refers to the omission of part of a channel. For example, some RUs or subchannels may be omitted from a transmission to avoid interference with other communication systems. The puncturing may be based on a subchannel or a portion (such as a 20 MHz portion) of the wireless channel; ¶[0098] puncturing may apply to any transmission (for example, 20, 40, 80, 160, 240, or 320 MHz transmissions) and may create “holes” of at least 20 MHz in the transmission regardless of the channel or bandwidth being used ), Chen, however, fails to explicitly teach information related to (a) wherein, in an event that the RU tone plan pertains to a 240 MHz bandwidth, the RU tone plan comprises puncturing a contiguous 80 MHz bandwidth from a 320 MHz bandwidth, and (b) wherein, in an event that the RU tone plan pertains to a 480 MHz bandwidth, the RU tone plan comprises puncturing a contiguous 160 MHz bandwidth from a 640 MHz bandwidth.
However, Lim, in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: (a) wherein, in an event that the RU tone plan pertains to a 240 MHz bandwidth, the RU tone plan comprises puncturing a contiguous 80 MHz bandwidth from a 320 MHz bandwidth ( see Lim ¶[0263] the the EHT standard may support PPDUs of 320 MHz bandwidth and 160+160 MHz. In addition, 240 MHz transmission and 160+80 MHz transmission may be supported. The 240 MHz transmission and 160+80 MHz transmission may be configured by applying 80 MHz preamble puncturing in 320 MHz bandwidth and 160+160 MHz bandwidth, respectively. For example, the 240 MHz bandwidth and 160+80 MHz bandwidth may be configured based on three 80 MHz channels including a primary 80 MHz (channel)).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen's teachings with Lim's above teaching in order to increase spectrum efficiency (see Lim ¶[0342] ). Known work in one field of endeavor (Lim prior art) may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or different one (Chen) based on design incentives ( increase spectrum efficiency ) or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one or ordinary skill in the art.
The combination, however, fails to explicitly teach information related to (b) wherein, in an event that the RU tone plan pertains to a 480 MHz bandwidth, the RU tone plan comprises puncturing a contiguous 160 MHz bandwidth from a 640 MHz bandwidth.
However, Park, in the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: (b) wherein, in an event that the RU tone plan pertains to a 480 MHz bandwidth, the RU tone plan comprises puncturing a contiguous 160 MHz bandwidth from a 640 MHz bandwidth ( see Park ¶[0254] Embodiment 1-3 relates to a method of configuring an A-PPDU with a combination of S-PPDUs in 160 MHz units or 320 MHz units in a 480 MHz bandwidth; ¶[0255] An A-PPDU in a 480 MHz bandwidth may be configured by puncturing 160 MHz of one of S160 MHz or S320 MHz in an A-PPDU configuration configured in a 640 MHz bandwidth. In this case, an A-PPDU structure configured by puncturing the one 160 MHz can be excluded from the A-PPDU configuration in the 640 MHz bandwidth).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination with Park's above teachings in order to improve efficiency and throughput in a wireless LAN system ( see Park ¶[0197] ). Known work in one field of endeavor (Park prior art) may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or different one (Chen prior art) based on design incentives ( improve efficiency and throughput in a wireless LAN system) or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one or ordinary skill in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2-17, and 20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Park et al. (US 2025/0233705 A1) discloses a method and device for receiving an EHT PPDU on the basis of a tone plan in a wireless LAN system
Liu et al. (US 2024/0154777 A1) discloses a method and an apparatus for sending a physical layer protocol data unit
Xue et al. (US 2024/0205064 A1) discloses a method for sending wireless local area network information, so as to reduce a peak-to-average power ratio
Chun et al. (US 2023/0370126 A1) discloses a 2× LTF sequence for 320 MHz band transmission in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system
Park et al. (US 2023/0130228 A1) discloses a method for receiving a PPDU through a 240 MHz band in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system
Chen et al. (US 2019/0253296 A1) discloses methods and apparatuses for communicating via 320 MHz sub-bands
Yang et al. (US 2021/0281454 A1) discloses methods, devices and systems that support communicating using orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) according to a tone plan that supports 20 MHz subchannel puncturing within a wireless channel
Park et al. (US 2025/0132869 A1) discloses a method and device for receiving a PPDU in a wireless LAN system on the basis of tone plan-related control information
Karthik et al., “Resource Unit (RU) based OFDMA Scheduling in IEEE 802.11ax system”, 2018 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics (ICACCI), 2018
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANG BOI THAWNG whose telephone number is (703)756-4751. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/MANG BOI THAWNG/Examiner, Art Unit 2476 /AYAZ R SHEIKH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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