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 04/13/2026 and 09/30/2024 have been considered by the examiner and been placed of record in the file.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 7-12, 14-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lopez et al. (US 2020/0313939 A1).
Claim 1. Lopez et al. disclose A wireless communication method (read as a method of a network node arranged to support a wireless device [0028]), comprising:
receiving (FIG. 1 and 5-6, signal 102), by a first device (FIG. 1 and 5-6, item 104,) a first physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame from a second device (read as a preamble, midamble, postamble, control signals, reference signals, etc. [0067] …he preamble 800 may for example comprise a Short Training Field (STF) 800a, a Long Training Field (LTF) 800b, and a signal field 800c which may comprise transmission parameters. The main part 802 may comprise a service field 802a, a data field 802b, and a tail field 802c. [0071]), wherein at least a part of the first (PPDU) frame corresponds to a first signal (FIG. 7 and 8), and the first signal is a signal used for backscatter communication (read as the backscattered signal 108 [0063]. FIG. 7 item 702a).
Combined teaching of multiple embodiments (FIG. 1-8) disclosed by Lopez et al. was used in the rejection.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to use the teaching of Lopez et al. in order to realize all limitations of the claimed invention, namely the idea of transmitting signal to a backscattering device for retransmission. The motivation is related to letting the network node aid the wireless device to enable low-power operation of the wireless device (Lopez et al. [0001]).
Claim 2. The method according to claim 1, Lopez et al. disclose,
wherein the first PPDU frame comprises first information, and the first information is used to indicate the first signal (read as a preamble, midamble, postamble, control signals, reference signals, etc. [0067] …he preamble 800 may for example comprise a Short Training Field (STF) 800a, a Long Training Field (LTF) 800b, and a signal field 800c which may comprise transmission parameters. The main part 802 may comprise a service field 802a, a data field 802b, and a tail field 802c. [0071]).
Claim 3. The method according to claim 2, Lopez et al. disclose,
wherein the first information is carried in a physical layer related field of the first PPDU frame; or
the first information is carried in a physical layer header field of the physical layer related field (FIG. 7 item 702a).
Claim 5. The method according to claim 2, Lopez et al. disclose,
wherein the first PPDU frame comprises second information, and the second information is used to indicate that the first PPDU frame comprises the first information (FIG. 7, item 702a).
Claim 7. The method according to claim 2, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first information is used to indicate one or more of following of the first signal: a time domain position, a frequency domain position, or a type (read as The preamble 800 may for example comprise… a signal field 800c which may comprise transmission parameters [0072]).
Claim 8. The method according to claim 1, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first PPDU frame comprises the first signal (FIG. 7 and 8).
Claim 9. The method according to claim 1, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first signal is a carrier signal in the backscatter communication (read as the backscattered signal 108 [0063]. FIG. 7 item 702a); or
the first signal is an energy supply signal of the first device.
Claim 10. Lopez et al. disclose A wireless communication method (read as a method for a wireless device [0082]), comprising:
transmitting (read as he RF generator 100 for example provides the RF signal 102 [0062]. FIG. 1 signal 102), by a second device, a first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame to a first device (read as a preamble, midamble, postamble, control signals, reference signals, etc. [0067] …he preamble 800 may for example comprise a Short Training Field (STF) 800a, a Long Training Field (LTF) 800b, and a signal field 800c which may comprise transmission parameters. The main part 802 may comprise a service field 802a, a data field 802b, and a tail field 802c. [0071]), wherein at least a part of the first PPDU frame corresponds to a first signal (FIG. 7 and 8), and the first signal is a signal used for backscatter communication (read as the backscattered signal 108 [0063]. FIG. 7 item 702a).
Combined teaching of multiple embodiments (FIG. 1-8) disclosed by Lopez et al. was used in the rejection.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to use the teaching of Lopez et al. in order to realize all limitations of the claimed invention, namely the idea of transmitting signal to a backscattering device for retransmission. The motivation is related to letting the network node aid the wireless device to enable low-power operation of the wireless device (Lopez et al. [0001]).
Claim 11. The method according to claim 10, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first PPDU frame comprises first information, and the first information is used to indicate the first signal (read as a preamble, midamble, postamble, control signals, reference signals, etc. [0067] …he preamble 800 may for example comprise a Short Training Field (STF) 800a, a Long Training Field (LTF) 800b, and a signal field 800c which may comprise transmission parameters. The main part 802 may comprise a service field 802a, a data field 802b, and a tail field 802c. [0071]).
Claim 12. The method according to claim 11, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first information is carried in a physical layer related field of the first PPDU frame; or
the first information is carried in a physical layer header field of the physical layer related field (FIG. 7 item 702a).
Claim 14. The method according to claim 11, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first PPDU frame comprises second information, and the second information is used to indicate that the first PPDU frame comprises the first information (FIG. 7, item 702a).
Claim 15. Lopez et al disclose A communications apparatus (FIG. 1), wherein the apparatus is a second device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to invoke and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute (read as computer programs preferably comprise program code which is stored on a computer readable medium 1400, as illustrated in FIG. 14, which can be loaded and executed by a processing means, processor, or computer [0081]) the method according to claim 10 (read as system for backscattering communication, a network node, a wireless device, and methods and computer programs therefor [0001]).
Claim 16. Lopez et al disclose A communications apparatus (FIG. 1, ), wherein the apparatus is a first device, comprising:
a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to invoke and run the computer program stored in the memory to cause the first device (read as computer programs preferably comprise program code which is stored on a computer readable medium 1400, as illustrated in FIG. 14, which can be loaded and executed by a processing means, processor, or computer 1402 to cause it to perform the methods [0081]) to perform:
receiving (FIG. 1 and 5-6, signal 102), a first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame from a second device (read as a preamble, midamble, postamble, control signals, reference signals, etc. [0067] …he preamble 800 may for example comprise a Short Training Field (STF) 800a, a Long Training Field (LTF) 800b, and a signal field 800c which may comprise transmission parameters. The main part 802 may comprise a service field 802a, a data field 802b, and a tail field 802c. [0071]), wherein at least a part of the first PPDU frame corresponds to a first signal (read as a preamble, midamble, postamble, control signals, reference signals, etc. [0067] …he preamble 800 may for example comprise a Short Training Field (STF) 800a, a Long Training Field (LTF) 800b, and a signal field 800c which may comprise transmission parameters. The main part 802 may comprise a service field 802a, a data field 802b, and a tail field 802c. [0071]), and the first signal is a signal used for backscatter communication (read as the backscattered signal 108 [0063]. FIG. 7 item 702a).
Combined teaching of multiple embodiments (FIG. 1-8) disclosed by Lopez et al. was used in the rejection.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to use the teaching of Lopez et al. in order to realize all limitations of the claimed invention, namely the idea of transmitting signal to a backscattering device for retransmission. The motivation is related to letting the network node aid the wireless device to enable low-power operation of the wireless device (Lopez et al. [0001]).
Claim 17. The apparatus according to claim 16, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first PPDU frame comprises first information, and the first information is used to indicate the first signal (FIG. 7 item 702a).
Claim 18. The apparatus according to claim 17, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first information is carried in a physical layer related field of the first PPDU frame; or
the first information is carried in a physical layer header field of the physical layer related field (FIG. 7 item 702a).
Claim 20. The apparatus according to claim 17, Lopez et al disclose,
wherein the first PPDU frame comprises second information, and the second information is used to indicate that the first PPDU frame comprises the first information (read as the backscattered signal 108 [0063]. FIG. 7 item 702a).
Claims 4, 6, 13 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lopez et al. (US 2020/0313939 A1) in view of Mahalingam et al. (WO 2022170249 A1).
Claim 4. The method according to claim 2, Lopez et al. do not explicitly disclose,
wherein the first information is carried in a medium access control (MAC) layer related field of the first PPDU frame; or
the first information is carried in a MAC header field or a frame body field of the MAC layer related field.
However, in the related field of endeavor Mahalingam et al. disclose: FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary MAC frame… encoded within the MAC PDU… [0114 -0118].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify the teaching of Lopez et al. with the teaching of Mahalingam et al. in order to let the end-user device must firstly detect the presence of a valid PHY PDU, decode the entire MAC packet secondly (validate the FCS) and then confirm the presence of its identity in the wake-up packet (Mahalingam et al. [0003]).
Claim 6. The method according to claim 5, Lopez et al. do not explicitly disclose,
wherein the second information is carried in a MAC header field of the first PPDU frame.
Claim 13. The method according to claim 11, Lopez et al. do not explicitly disclose,
wherein the first information is carried in a medium access control (MAC) layer related field of the first PPDU frame; or
the first information is carried in a MAC header field or a frame body field of the MAC layer related field.
However, in the related field of endeavor Mahalingam et al. disclose: FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary MAC frame… encoded within the MAC PDU… [0114 -0118].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify the teaching of Lopez et al. with the teaching of Mahalingam et al. in order to let the end-user device must firstly detect the presence of a valid PHY PDU, decode the entire MAC packet secondly (validate the FCS) and then confirm the presence of its identity in the wake-up packet (Mahalingam et al. [0003]).
Claim 19. The apparatus according to claim 17, Lopez et al. do not explicitly disclose,
wherein the first information is carried in a medium access control (MAC) layer related field of the first PPDU frame; or
the first information is carried in a MAC header field or the first information is carried in a frame body field of the MAC layer related field.
However, in the related field of endeavor Mahalingam et al. disclose: FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary MAC frame… encoded within the MAC PDU… [0114 -0118].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify the teaching of Lopez et al. with the teaching of Mahalingam et al. in order to let the end-user device must firstly detect the presence of a valid PHY PDU, decode the entire MAC packet secondly (validate the FCS) and then confirm the presence of its identity in the wake-up packet (Mahalingam et al. [0003]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to PTO-892.
Additional prior art included in PTO-892 disclose ideas related to the claimed invention. In this regard, Gollakota et al. (US 2020/0212956 A1) disclose wireless communication systems incorporating backscattering methods (FIG. 3).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED RACHEDINE whose telephone number is (571)272-9249. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8-5.
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MOHAMMED . RACHEDINE
Examiner
Art Unit 2649
/MOHAMMED RACHEDINE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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