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 .
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.
Priority
The instant application is the national stage entry under 35 U.S.C. 371 on Application No. PCT/US2022/035640, filed 30 June 2022, having claims 1-25. In a preliminary amendment, claims 1-25 have been cancelled and claims 26-45 have been added. Claims 26-45 have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statements
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 27 February 2025 and 31 March 2025 were filed before the mailing date of the first action on the merits. These submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 26, 31-37, 39-43, and 45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0116833 to Fang et al. (hereinafter Fang ‘833) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0079241 to Faccin et al. (hereinafter Faccin).
Regarding claim 26, Fang ‘833 discloses an apparatus comprising logic and circuitry configured to cause a wireless communication station (STA) to:
transmit a Fast Basic Service Set (BSS) Transition (FT) request to a target Access Point (AP) via a current AP with which the STA is associated, wherein the FT request is configured to request an FT from the current AP to the target AP; process an FT response from the target AP after the FT request, the FT response received by the STA via the current AP (see paragraphs 21, 35, 59, 68, 69, and figures 2B and 4B); transmit a reassociation request to the target AP after the FT response, the reassociation request to request to associate between the STA and the target AP; process a reassociation response from the target AP after the reassociation request, the reassociation response received by the STA; and switch the STA from the current AP to the target AP for communication via an associated session between the STA and the target AP (see paragraphs 21, 35, 59, 68, 69, and figures 2B and 4B).
Although Fang ‘833 discloses the transmitting of a reassociation request and response to the target AP after the FT response, as stated above, Fang ‘833 does not state that this request/response is transmitted via the current AP.
Faccin discloses an analogous system for transitioning network access points (see abstract) in which a reassociation request may be transmitted to the target AP via a source AP (see paragraph 51 and figure 2A; the target access point, which is recited in claims 17-19 and 26-28 responds to the reassociation request that is received via the source AP, the “originator,” by sending a reassociation response via the same originator (the source AP), which one skilled in the art would reasonably ascertain to function as a relay back to the STA; moreover, since the commit response indicating failure, see paragraph 56, could only be made through the source AP, one skilled in the art would send the response via the source AP regardless, for consistency). Faccin further disclose that this arrangement allows the target AP to confirm to the target AP that it will use the requested resources (resource commitment) upon transition.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified the invention of Fang ‘833 to use a reassociation request and response via the source AP, as per Faccin, to allow the target AP to confirm to the target AP that it will use the requested resources (resource commitment) upon transition and allow for the possibility of failure responses.
Regarding claim 31, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin is further configured to cause the STA to transmit an AP switch request to the target AP after the reassociation response, the AP switch request to request to switch the STA to the target AP for communication via the associated session between the STA and the target AP (see Fang ‘833, paragraph 66).
Regarding claim 32, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin is further configured to cause the STA to process an AP switch response from the target AP, the AP switch response to confirm the request to switch the STA to the target AP for communication via the associated session between the STA and the target AP (see Fang ‘833, paragraph 66).
Regarding claim 33, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin is further configured to cause the STA to identify, based on a capability indication in a message from the current AP, a capability of the current AP to support communication of the reassociation request and the reassociation response with the target AP (see Faccin, paragraph 54)
Regarding claim 34, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin further shows the message from the current AP comprises a beacon from the current AP, or an association frame received from the current AP during association with the current AP (see Faccin, paragraphs 53-54, using re-association messages).
Regarding claim 35, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin is further configured to cause the STA to identify, based on a capability indication in a neighbor report element from the current AP, a capability of the target AP to support communication of the reassociation request and the reassociation response via the current AP (see Faccin, paragraph 54).
Regarding claim 36, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin further shows the reassociation request and the reassociation response comprise tunneled messages according to a tunneling protocol between the STA and the target AP via the current AP (tunneling, see Fang ‘833, paragraph 34, is used in conjunction with Faccin’s roaming reassociation procedure).
Regarding claim 37, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin is further configured to cause the STA to communicate an agreement setup message with the target AP via the current AP prior to the STA switching from the current AP to the target AP, wherein the agreement setup message is configured to setup an agreement for communication via the associated session between the STA and the target AP (see Fang ‘833, paragraph 29).
Regarding claim 39, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin further shows the FT comprises an FT over a Distribution System (DS) between the current AP and the target AP (see Fang ‘833, paragraphs 59, 68, and 71).
Regarding claim 40, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin further shows the STA comprises a non-AP Multi-Link Device (MLD) comprising a plurality of non-AP STAs (see Fang ‘833, paragraphs 23, 51, and 52).
Regarding claim 41, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin further comprises at least one radio to communicate the FT request, the FT response, the reassociation request, and the reassociation response (see paragraphs 43, 46, and 88 and fig. 8).
Regarding claim 42, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin further comprises one or more antennas connected to the at least one radio, and a processor to execute instructions of an operating system (see paragraph 98).
Regarding claim 43, Fang ‘833 discloses a product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media (see paragraph 79) comprising instructions operable to, when executed by at least one processor, enable the at least one processor to cause a wireless communication station (STA) to: transmit a Fast Basic Service Set (BSS) Transition (FT) request to a target Access Point (AP) via a current AP with which the STA is associated, wherein the FT request is configured to request an FT from the current AP to the target AP; process an FT response from the target AP after the FT request, the FT response received by the STA via the current AP (see paragraphs 21, 35, 59, 68, 69, and figures 2B and 4B); transmit a reassociation request to the target AP after the FT response, the reassociation request to request to associate between the STA and the target AP; process a reassociation response from the target AP after the reassociation request, the reassociation response received by the STA; and switch the STA from the current AP to the target AP for communication via an associated session between the STA and the target AP.
Although Fang ‘833 discloses the transmitting of a reassociation request and response to the target AP after the FT response, as stated above, Fang ‘833 does not state that this request/response is transmitted via the current AP.
Faccin discloses an analogous system for transitioning network access points (see abstract) in which a reassociation request may be transmitted to the target AP via a source AP (see paragraph 51 and figure 2A; the target access point, which is recited in claims 17-19 and 26-28 responds to the reassociation request that is received via the source AP, the “originator,” by sending a reassociation response via the same originator (the source AP), which one skilled in the art would reasonably ascertain to function as a relay back to the STA; moreover, since the commit response indicating failure, see paragraph 56, could only be made through the source AP, one skilled in the art would send the response via the source AP regardless, for consistency). Faccin further disclose that this arrangement allows the target AP to confirm to the target AP that it will use the requested resources (resource commitment) upon transition.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified the invention of Fang ‘833 to use a reassociation request and response via the source AP, as per Faccin, to allow the target AP to confirm to the target AP that it will use the requested resources (resource commitment) upon transition and allow for the possibility of failure responses.
Regarding claim 45, Fang ‘833 in view of Faccin further causes the STA to transmit an AP switch request to the target AP after the reassociation response, the AP switch request to request to switch the STA to the target AP for communication via the associated session between the STA and the target AP (see Fang ‘833, paragraph 66).
Claims 27-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fang '833 in view of Faccin as applied to claim 26 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0144640 to Wang et al. (hereinafter Wang ‘640).
Regarding claim 27, Fang ‘833 and Faccin do not disclose that the STA may process one or more buffered data packets received from the target AP via the associated session between the STA and the target AP, wherein the buffered data packets comprise data buffered by the current AP prior to the STA switching from the current AP to the target AP.
Wang ‘640 discloses an analogous networking system in which a Traffic Indication field may be used to indicate the size or the amount of buffered traffic intended for the target STA (see paragraphs 121, 122 and figure 2). Wang ‘640 further states that the buffered traffic is used when waking up a STA (see paragraph 115) when the STA is receiving synchronization from an access point (see paragraphs 24, 245, 256, and 257).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the invention of Fang ‘833 and Faccin by maintaining buffered traffic by an access point, as per Wang ‘640, to allow synchronization upon wake-up.
Regarding claim 28, Wang ‘640 further discloses the use of a Traffic Priority Indication Field (see paragraph 121), used when the STA transmits the response to the current AP (see paragraph 125 and figure 3) a message comprising an indication of a criterion to send the buffered data packets to the target AP.
Regarding claim 29, Wang ‘640 further discloses the criterion comprises an amount of the buffered data packets to be sent to the target AP (Traffic Indication Field in the response, see paragraph 122 and figure 3).
Claims 30 and 44 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fang '833 in view of Faccin as applied to claims 26 and 43 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0368079 to Wang et al. (hereinafter Wang ‘079).
Regarding claims 30 and 44, Fang ‘833 and Faccin do not disclose that the STA is to trigger transmission of the reassociation request to the target AP based on a channel condition of a wireless communication channel between the STA and the current AP.
Wang ‘079 discloses a network transition system in which a transition is made when an STA is near its cell edge and is only able to transmit and receive using low MCS’s prior to reassociation. This fast BSS transition save on overhead penalties (see paragraphs 74 and 75).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Fang ‘833 and Faccin to make a transition when an STA is near its cell edge and is only able to transmit and receive using low MCS’s prior to reassociation, as per Wang ‘079, to save on overhead penalties.
Claim 38 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fang '833 in view of Faccin as applied to claim 37 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0358067 to Zhang et al. (hereinafter Zhang).
Fang ‘833 and Faccin do not disclose that the agreement setup message comprises at least one of an Add Block Acknowledgement (ADDBA) message to setup an ADDBA agreement, or a Target Wake Time (TWT) message to setup a TWT agreement.
Zhang discloses that traffic may be sent between STA’s with a direct link setup (see paragraph 2) and that an addBA operation may be performed via a relay node (see paragraphs 297-302), so as to allow for interactions with non-AP STA’s.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to setup a ADDBA message to setup an ADDBA agreement, to allow for interactions with non-AP STA’s.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW E HENEGHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3834. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Fuelling can be reached at (571)270-1367. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MATTHEW E HENEGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3992
Prosecution Insights