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 § 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)(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 1-4, 6-14, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yu et al. (US 20260142746 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 11 Yu discloses:
a transceiver; and a processor, (Paragraph [0047], “The hardware or the software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the foregoing function. In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus includes a transceiver module and a processing module.”)
wherein the transceiver and processor are configured to: receive a physical protocol data unit (PPDU) comprising a signal (SIG) field, the SIG field comprising a plurality of user fields associated with a respective plurality of spatial streams of a plurality of stations (STAs), each of the plurality of user fields including: an indication of a STA identifier (ID) of a respective STA, an indication of a spatial stream of the respective STA, and an indication of a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the respective spatial stream of the respective STA; (Paragraph [0051], “The transceiver module is configured to receive a PPDU” and fig. 5 and paragraph [0141], “There are two possible formats of a user field in the first SIG field in the PPDU. One user field includes a STA ID subfield, an EQM/UEQM field (that is, the third field), a UEQM MCS group indication field (that is, the first field), an NSS combination indication field (that is, the second field), a beamformed subfield (optional), and a coding subfield. The other user field includes a STA ID subfield, an EQM/UEQM field, an MCS field, an NSS field, a reserved field (optional), a beamformed subfield (optional), and a coding subfield.” And paragraph [0142], “the PPDU includes a plurality of user fields, p user fields in the plurality of user fields include the first field and the second field, q user fields in the plurality of user fields include a fourth field and a fifth field, the fourth field indicates a number of spatial streams of a user”)
determine, based on the indicated STA IDs in the plurality of user fields, one or more user fields intended for the first STA, wherein a number of the one or more user fields intended for the first STA corresponds to a number of spatial streams of the first STA; (Paragraph [0142], “the PPDU includes a plurality of user fields, p user fields in the plurality of user fields include the first field and the second field, q user fields in the plurality of user fields include a fourth field and a fifth field, the fourth field indicates a number of spatial streams of a user (a user associated with the user field), the fifth field indicates a same MCS used by all spatial streams of the user” multiple user field that has 4th field indicating number of spatial stream for a STA/user.)
determine, for each of the spatial streams of the first STA, an MCS value based on the indicated MCS in the user field intended for the first STA for the respective spatial stream according to the spatial stream indication; (Paragraph [0142], “the PPDU includes a plurality of user fields, p user fields in the plurality of user fields include the first field and the second field, q user fields in the plurality of user fields include a fourth field and a fifth field, the fourth field indicates a number of spatial streams of a user (a user associated with the user field), the fifth field indicates a same MCS used by all spatial streams of the user” and paragraph [0143], “The NSS combination indication field needs to indicate a number of spatial streams corresponding to one or more MCSs in an MCS group.” )
and decode the spatial streams for the first STA according to the determined MCS values using one or more resource units (RUs) or multiple resource units (MRUs). (Paragraph [0205], “Further, content of subfields in user fields in different formats is different. If the user fields in different formats in the PPDU have an equal length (in other words, lengths of the user fields in different formats are equal), decoding and parsing complexity of a receiver can be reduced. Because a length of the UEQM MCS field is greater than a length of the MCS field, to enable the third user field and the fourth user field to have the equal length or nearly equal length, one manner is to reduce overheads of the UEQM MCS field as much as possible, so as to achieve a tradeoff between the overheads and flexibility;” This discloses the need to reduce the overhead of the MCS field to equalize the length such that the decoding and parsing complexity is reduced. Inherently decoding of the spatial stream based on the MCS values is known to one of ordinary skill in the art.)
Regarding claims 2 and 12 Yu discloses:
the plurality of user fields comprise:
a first user field that indicates the first STA, a first spatial stream of the first STA, and a first MCS associated with the first spatial stream of the first STA; (Paragraph [0142], “the PPDU includes a plurality of user fields, p user fields in the plurality of user fields include the first field and the second field, q user fields in the plurality of user fields include a fourth field and a fifth field, the fourth field indicates a number of spatial streams of a user (a user associated with the user field), the fifth field indicates a same MCS used by all spatial streams of the user” and paragraph [0141], “One user field includes a STA ID subfield, an EQM/UEQM field (that is, the third field), a UEQM MCS group indication field (that is, the first field), an NSS combination indication field”)
and a second user field that indicates the first STA, a second spatial stream of the first STA, and a second MCS associated with the second spatial stream of the first STA, wherein the first MCS associated with the first spatial stream of the first STA and the second MCS associated with the second spatial stream of the first STA include different modulation orders. (Paragraph [0139], “when a spatial stream of a user uses the UEQM, a user field in the PPDU sent by the transmitter includes the first field and the second field, to indicate an MCS used by each spatial stream of the user.” And paragraph [0143], “There may be user fields in two formats in the PPDU, for example, the first user field and the second user field. Any user field may indicate, by using the EQM/UEQM field included in the user field, a type of the user field. Further, content of subfields in user fields in different formats is different.” And paragraph [0152], “That the receiver obtains, based on the PPDU, the MCS corresponding to each spatial stream may be that the receiver obtains, based on the PPDU, an MCS used by each spatial stream of the receiver.” According to these paragraphs and previous ones above, there may be different formats in the PPDU that relate to the same STA but can have different modulation orders depending on the UEQM and format.)
Regarding claim 3 and 13 Yu discloses:
wherein the plurality of user fields further comprise: a third user field that indicates a second STA, a first spatial stream of the second STA, and a first MCS associated with the first spatial stream of the second STA; (Paragraph [0142], “the PPDU includes a plurality of user fields, p user fields in the plurality of user fields include the first field and the second field, q user fields in the plurality of user fields include a fourth field and a fifth field, the fourth field indicates a number of spatial streams of a user (a user associated with the user field), the fifth field indicates a same MCS used by all spatial streams of the user” and paragraph [0141], “One user field includes a STA ID subfield, an EQM/UEQM field (that is, the third field), a UEQM MCS group indication field (that is, the first field), an NSS combination indication field” Yu discloses multiple user fields with subfields that are applicable to x user field indicating some STA that has a spatial stream and MCS associated with it.)
and a fourth user field that indicates the second STA, a second spatial stream of the second STA, and a second MCS associated with the second spatial stream of the second STA, wherein the first MCS associated with the first spatial stream of the second STA and the second MCS associated with the second spatial stream of the second STA include different modulation orders. (Paragraph [0139], “when a spatial stream of a user uses the UEQM, a user field in the PPDU sent by the transmitter includes the first field and the second field, to indicate an MCS used by each spatial stream of the user.” And paragraph [0143], “There may be user fields in two formats in the PPDU, for example, the first user field and the second user field. Any user field may indicate, by using the EQM/UEQM field included in the user field, a type of the user field. Further, content of subfields in user fields in different formats is different.” And paragraph [0152], “That the receiver obtains, based on the PPDU, the MCS corresponding to each spatial stream may be that the receiver obtains, based on the PPDU, an MCS used by each spatial stream of the receiver.” According to these paragraphs and previous ones above, there may be different formats in the PPDU that relate to the same STA but can have different modulation orders depending on the UEQM and format.)
Regarding claim 4 and 14 Yu discloses:
wherein the PPDU further comprises a U-SIG field, wherein the SIG field or the U-SIG field comprise an indication that unequal modulation (UEQM) is enabled. (Paragraph [0137], “FIG. 4 is an example of a format of a first SIG field in the PPDU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the first SIG field includes a common field and a user specific field, and the user specific field includes the user field, a cyclic redundancy check (cyclic redundancy check, CRC) field, a tail (Tail) bit, and a padding bit (optional). The common field may include common information that cannot be carried due to an insufficient number of bits in a universal signal (universal SIG, U-SIG) field in the PPDU” and paragraph [0139], “when a spatial stream of a user uses the UEQM, a user field in the PPDU sent by the transmitter includes the first field and the second field, to indicate an MCS used by each spatial stream of the user.” And paragraph [0143], “In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the EQM and the UEQM may be implemented by using user fields in different formats with an equal length.” If the format uses the UEQM then the STA would know it is enabled.)
Regarding claims 6 and 16 Yu discloses:
wherein the PPDU further comprises: legacy short training field (L-STF) field, legacy long training field (L-LTF) field, legacy signal (L-SIG) field, repeated L-SIG (RL-SIG) field, universal signal (U-SIG( field, short training field (STF) field, a plurality of long training field (LTF) fields, data field and packet extension (PE) field. (Fig. 7 and paragraph [0147], “As shown in FIG. 7, the UHR PPDU includes: a legacy short training field (legacy short training field, L-STF), a legacy long training field (legacy long training field, L-LTF), a legacy signal field (legacy signal field A, L-SIG), a repeated legacy signal field (repeated L-SIG, RL-SIG), a universal signal field (universal SIG, U-SIG), an ultra high reliability signal field (ultra high reliability signal field, UHR-SIG), an ultra high reliability short training field (ultra high reliability short training field, UHR-STF), an ultra high reliability long training field (ultra high reliability long training field, UHR-LTF), a data (data) field, and a packet extension (packet extension, PE) field.”)
Regarding claims 7 and 17 Yu discloses:
The first STA of claim 1, wherein the first STA has multiple spatial streams and accordingly multiple associated user fields in the plurality of user fields. (Paragraph [0142], “the PPDU includes a plurality of user fields, p user fields in the plurality of user fields include the first field and the second field, q user fields in the plurality of user fields include a fourth field and a fifth field, the fourth field indicates a number of spatial streams of a user” and paragraph [0141], “One user field includes a STA ID subfield” Multiple user field associated with a STA that has a number of spatial streams.)
Regarding claims 8 and 18 Yu discloses:
The first STA is configured as a non-access point (non-AP) STA, wherein the PPDU is received from an AP. (paragraph [0116], “An apparatus for implementing a method in the present disclosure may be an access point or a STA in the WLAN, or a chip or a processing system installed in the access point or the STA.” and paragraph [0120], “The technical solutions provided in the present disclosure are applied to a scenario in which a transmitter transmits a PPDU to a receiver. The scenario may be a downlink transmission scenario (for example, the transmitter is an AP, and the receiver is a station), or may be an uplink transmission scenario (for example, the transmitter is a station, and the receiver is an AP), or may be a scenario in which a PPDU is transmitted between two APs, or may be a scenario in which a PPDU is transmitted between two stations.” And paragraph [0121], “In the downlink transmission scenario, before sending the PPDU to the receiver (or a user), the transmitter (for example, an AP) allocates a resource unit (resource unit, RU) to the receiver.” In the downlink scenario the STA receives PPDU from AP.)
Regarding claims 9 and 19 Yu discloses:
The first STA of claim 1 configured as an access point (AP), wherein the PPDU is received from a non-AP STA. (paragraph [0116], “An apparatus for implementing a method in the present disclosure may be an access point or a STA in the WLAN, or a chip or a processing system installed in the access point or the STA.” and paragraph [0120], “The technical solutions provided in the present disclosure are applied to a scenario in which a transmitter transmits a PPDU to a receiver. The scenario may be a downlink transmission scenario (for example, the transmitter is an AP, and the receiver is a station), or may be an uplink transmission scenario (for example, the transmitter is a station, and the receiver is an AP), or may be a scenario in which a PPDU is transmitted between two APs, or may be a scenario in which a PPDU is transmitted between two stations.” And paragraph [0122], “In the uplink transmission scenario, before sending the PPDU to the receiver (for example, an AP), the transmitter (for example, a station) learns of an RU allocated by the receiver to the transmitter.” In this scenario the first STA is AP receiving PPDU from STA.)
Regarding claims 10 and 20 Yu discloses:
wherein the PPDU is an 802.11bn ultra high reliability (UHR) PPDU. (Paragraph [0116], “the WLAN protocol may further include an ultra high reliability (ultra high reliability, UHR)/IEEE 802.11bn protocol” and paragraph [0147], “For example, the PPDU is a UHR PPDU, which may also be referred to as a UHR MU PPDU, where MU represents multiple users (multiple users).”)
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.
Claims 5 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of Hu et al. (US 20230093344 A1)
Regarding claims 5 and 15 Yu does not fully disclose:
wherein the PPDU further comprises a common field comprising an RU allocation field, wherein the RU allocation field includes an indication of an RU allocation of the one or more RUs or MRUs and indication of a number of user fields associated with the RU allocation.
Hu discloses:
wherein the PPDU further comprises a common field comprising an RU allocation field, wherein the RU allocation field includes an indication of an RU allocation of the one or more RUs or MRUs and indication of a number of user fields associated with the RU allocation. (Paragraph [0007], “includes a common field and a user specific field, the common field includes a resource unit allocation subfield, and the user specific field includes a user field; the resource unit allocation subfield indicates a resource unit RU included in the channel bandwidth for transmitting the PPDU, and indicates a quantity of user fields corresponding to an RU”)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have combined the teachings of Yu’s common field and resource allocation with Hu’s resource allocation field to indicate user field association. One would have been motivated to do this to reduce the overhead needed when parsing and decoding.
Conclusion
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/NAM P. CAO/ Examiner, Art Unit 2479
/WEI ZHAO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2479
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