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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by NAIK et al (US 2025/0113339 A1, provisional application No. 63/587,713, filed on October 3, 2021).
Regarding claims 1, 16, NAIK et al (US 2025/0113339 A1, provisional application No. 63/587,713, filed on October 3, 2021) discloses an access point (AP) (fig. 1, see, AP 102 coupled to a number of wireless STAs in the wireless communication network 100, s section 0043-0045, see, the AP which transmits control frame that enables dynamic subchannel operation to non-AP STA, assigning frequency resources in the subchannels, section 0010-0011, 0018, 0041) in a wireless network (fig. 1, wireless communication network 100 that includes AP 102 and a number of wireless STAs 104, section 0043-0045), the AP comprising: a memory (section 0010, 0013-the AP STA which includes a memory circuitry that stores code/computer-readable medium code for wireless communications); and a processor coupled to the memory (section 0010-the processor circuitry coupled to the memory circuitry), the processor configured to: obtain a transmission opportunity (TXOP) or service period (SP) (see, the AP implicit gets the TXOP by switch an assignment subchannel in TxOP and enable DSO, section 0096, noted: TxOP initiated by the AP to enable DSO mode, section 0115); transmit, to a first station (STA) during the TXOP or the SP (see, the AP assigns subchannel within TXOP or service periods in the control frame that AP with allocation of subchannels supported by the STA 104, section 0096), an indication allocating (see, trigger frames that includes user information field addressed to non-AP STA and allocation one or more frequency resources, section 00227) a first subchannel among one or more subchannels (see, the AP assigns the STA 104-a one or more RUs within one or more subchannels of the first set of subchannels, section 0093-0094, noted: the first ATA 101 and other STA may operate on narrowband operating bandwidth of the 40 MHz, section 0123-0124) to the first STA (see, the AP dynamic assigns subchannels for DSO to STAs 104, section 0041- 0042) at a first transmission start time (noted: the control frame includes one or more time occasions/service period, section 0096, the TXOP is implicitly associated with station time, section 0115, 0187-0190, 0328-0330), wherein the first subchannel is out of an operating channel width of the first STA (section 0227, 026-0270-allocation of frequency resources that are outside a current operating bandwidth of the non-AP STA, noted: the first ATA 101 operates on narrowband operating bandwidth of the 40 MHz, section 0123-0124); transmit, to a second STA during the TXOP or the SP (section 0227-0228, 0269-0270, 0284-0287), an indication allocating a second subchannel among the one or more subchannels to the second STA at a second transmission start time (section 0227-0228, 0269-0270, 0090-indication of subchannels to the STAs 104-b by the AP 102), wherein the second subchannel is out of an operating channel width of the second STA (section 0090, 0124, 0269-0270-the AP transmits control frames to the stations 104 assignment of frequency resources spanning multiple subchannels of the indicated subchannels, section 0124-0126, 0328-0330, noted: the first ATA 101 and other STA may operate on narrowband operating bandwidth of the 40 MHz, section 0123-0124 ); transmit, to the first STA during the TXOP or the SP on the first subchannel, a first frame at the first transmission start time (see, the AP exchange of frames via the assigned subchannels to STAs (first STA 104), section 0124-0126); and transmit, to the second STA during the TXOP or the SP on the second subchannel, a second frame at the second transmission start time (section 0127-0128-the AP exchange of frames with the STAs 104 (second STA 104) via the assigned subchannels).
Regarding claim 2, NAIK ‘339 discloses the AP of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a third frame (section 0090-the STA 104-a transmit its capability to the AP to support subchannels, noted: the control frame in relation to the capability signaling of the STA 104-a, section 0086, 0088, 0193-0198-third frame updating capability) , from the first STA, wherein the third frame includes information associated with at least one of: a capability of supporting allocation of a subchannel outside of the operating channel width (see, narrowband of the first operating bandwidth of the STA 104-a, section 0084, 0110-the STA support switching to secondary subchannel with a bandwidth of 40 MHz, less than the full supported operating bandwidth of the STA 104) of the first STA (see, non-AP STA which communicates its supported channels/ its capability to support dynamic channel operation (DSO) in term of subchannels, section 0041-0042), or a channel switch time required by the first STA to switch to an allocated channel, wherein the first transmission start time is determined based on the channel switch time.
Regarding claim 3, NAIK ‘339 discloses the AP of claim 1, wherein the indications allocating the first subchannel and the second subchannel are transmitted within a third frame (see, assignment of different resource units (Rus)/different subchannels using frames, section 0097-0098), wherein the processor is further configured to, at a beginning of the TXOP or the SP, transmit the third frame indicating at least one of: one or more identifiers of associated STAs the AP intends (see, the AP sends control frame to trigger the STAs 104 to switch secondary subchannels in the TXOP, section 0236, 0329-330) to serve within the TXOP (see, STA 104-a, STA 104-b which receives different RUs/subchannels, section 0097) or the SP, a transmission start time applicable to each of the identified one or more STAs, an allocation of a sub-channel for transmission of a response to the third frame, if the response is solicited from the one or more identified STAs, allocations of one or more sub-channels allocated to each of the one or more identified STAs for transmissions within the TXOP or the SP, allocations of one or more 20 MHz channels to be used for preamble detection by each of the one or more identified STAs, or a switch back time after which the one or more identified STAs are expected to return to a primary channel.
Regarding claim 4, NAIK ‘339 discloses the AP of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: transmit, to a third STA during the TXOP or the SP (section 0042, 0066-0067, 0070, the AP can dynamically assign STAs to different subchannels at particular timer/user-specific field assigned to particular STAs, noted: STA 104-c, section 0131-0136), an indication allocating the second subchannel among the one or more subchannels to the third STA at the first transmission start time (section 0042, 0066-0067, 0070, the AP can dynamically assign STAs to different subchannels at particular timer/user-specific field assigned to particular STAs); and transmit, to the third STA during the TXOP or the SP on the second subchannel, a third frame at the first transmission start time (see, STA 104-C exchanges PPDUs via the assigned frequency resource of secondary subchannel, section 0131-0136).
Regarding claim 5, NAIK ‘339 discloses the AP of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, before the first transmission start time, transmit one or more of: a padding field within a third frame (fig. 13, the trigger frame/trigger frames includes padding field 1314, within the trigger, the AP allocates /assigns frequency resources/subchannels assignments to multiple STAs 104, section 0169-0172, 0071, noted: action frames to indicate subchannels for dynamic subchannel operation, section 0041) , wherein the third frame includes the indication allocating the first subchannel to the first STA (fig. 13, the trigger frame which carries one or more user information, supporting subchannel assignments to multiple STAs (e.g., STA 104-C, STA 104-d), section 0169-0170), a fourth frame, wherein the fourth frame includes the indication allocating the second subchannel among the one or more subchannels to the second STA, or a fifth frame, wherein the fifth frame is a data frame or a null data packet with padding.
Regarding claim 6, NAIK ‘339 discloses the AP of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to end frame transmissions to the one or more STAs before the end of the TXOP to enable the one or more STAs to switch back to the primary channel (see, the STA may switch back to the primary subchannel, the control frame that indicates time duration, section 0129).
Regarding claim 7, NAIK ‘339 discloses the AP of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a third frame (0193-0198, 02950310--third frame updating capability in relation to transition time for switching from the primary subchannel one subchannel to secondary subchannels) to indicate a capability to support allocation of a subchannel outside of an operating channel width of an associated STA (section 193-0198, 02950310--third frame updating capability in relation to transition time for switching from the primary subchannel one subchannel to secondary subchannels), wherein the associated STA can be allocated one or more subchannels of the TXOP or the SP that are outside of the associated STA's operating channel width (section 0041-0042-narrower operating bandwidths of 20 MHz).
Regarding claim 8, NAIK ‘339 discloses the AP of claim 1, wherein a third STA is operating in enhanced multi-link single radio (EMLSR) mode or enhanced multi-link multi-radio (EMLMR) mode (noted: the STAs configured for EMLSR mode, section 0114), wherein the processor is configured to: exclude the third STA from operation on a subchannel outside of an operating channel width of the third STA (noted: disable of the DSO mode for STAs (e.g., STA 104-C) using action frames by the AP, section 0042, 0116, 0136, noted: disabling implies exclusion of the particular STAs), or determine a transmission start time for the third STA based on a channel switch time required by the third STA and a padding delay required by the third STA for EMLSR or EMLMR operation, and transmit an indication of a subchannel allocation to the third STA in an EMLSR or EMLMR control frame.
Regarding claim 9, NAIK ‘339 discloses the AP of claim 1, wherein the indication allocating the first subchannel among the one or more subchannels to the first STA is included in a third frame (see, third frame, 0193-0198, 0295-0310-third frame updating capability non-AP STA to switch from the primary subchannel to secondary subchannel) , wherein the third frame comprises at least one of: whether the first subchannel can be used by the first STA for peer-to-peer transmissions (see, peer-to-peer communications between STAs 104, the transmission is based on subchannels allocated to the STAs, section 0147), a duration for which the first subchannel can be used for peer-to-peer transmissions, an identifier of other STA allocated to the same subchannel by the AP, or a transmit power and modulation and coding scheme restrictions applicable for the peer-to-peer transmissions.
Regarding claim 10, NAIK et al (US 2025/0113339 A1, provisional application No. 63/587,713, filed on October 3, 2021) discloses a non-access point (AP) station (STA) (see, non-AP STA which communicates its supported channels/ its capability to support dynamic channel operation (DSO) in term of subchannels, section 0041-0042) in a wireless network (fig. 1, wireless network 100 that includes AP 102 and number of STAs 104, section 0043-0049), the non-AP STA (fig. 14, wireless communication device 1400 as non-AP STA/device, section 0181-0184) comprising: a memory (fig. 14, memory coupled to processor implicitly configure to perform subchannels switch, section 0184-0190) ; and a processor coupled to the memory (fig. 14, memory coupled to processor implicitly configure to perform subchannels switch, section 0184-0190, 0231-processing circuitry coupled to the memory), the processor configured to: transmit (see, the non-AP STA transmits capability information to support subchannels for DSO to the AP, s section 0041-0042), to an AP (see, the non-AP STA transmits capability information to support subchannels for DSO to the AP, s section 0041-0042), a first frame (see, STA 104-A transmits a frame to the AP102 to indicate a set of subchannels supported for DO by the STA 104, section 103-0104) indicating a capability to operate one or more subchannels out of the primary channel (section 0103-0105, 0041-0042,. Noted: the communicates and switches from a primary subchannel to a secondary subchannel for the DSO, section 0121-0124, noted: the first ATA 101 and other STA may operate on narrowband operating bandwidth of the 40 MHz, section 0123-0124); receive (see, the STAs 104 receives control frame to the STASs assigning secondary subchannels supported by the one or more STAs, section 0122-0124) during a TXOP or SP (see, different resource units (Rus) allocated at particular times, section 0070, t-0097he control frame indicating one or more time occasions for the STA to switch to the subchannel, section 0096), a second frame from the AP that indicates a subchannel allocation and a transmission start time (see, the control frame transmitted from the AP allocates multiple subchannels of the indicated channels to the STAs, section 0123-0125); and switch to the indicated subchannel before the transmission start time (noted: TXOP and the STA remain operating before switching back to the primacy subchannel, section 0115, 0130) wherein the indicated subchannel is outside of the operating channel width of the non-AP STA (see, the control frame which assigns one or more frequency resources to the STA 104, includes frequency portion or chunk that it is relative smaller than full channel span, the STA performs channel switch based on the control frame, section 0122-0124).
Regarding claim 11, NAIK ‘339 discloses the non-AP STA of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to receive, on the subchannel starting at the transmission start time, frames from the AP (see, based on receiving response frames, the AP may exchange frames with the STAs via the assigned subchannels, the STA receives frames from the AP via the subchannels, section 0126-0128, noted: semi-static service periods during which the STA a narrowband may switch a secondary channel, section 0060-0061).
Regarding claim 12, NAIK ‘339 discloses the non-AP STA of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit to the AP a third frame (see, trigger frame/action frames with control fields to disable of DSO mode, section 0042) indicating at least one of: enablement or disablement of supporting operation (section 042, 0098-disablement of the DSO based on signaling that includes control fields in management frames) on a subchannel outside of the operating channel width by the non-AP STA (see, the STA may disable the DO modes upon action frames based on signaling received from the AP, section 0041), one or more supported subchannels outside the operating channel width by the non-AP STA, bandwidth, spatial stream and modulation and coding scheme supported by the non-AP STA when receiving transmissions outside the operating channel width, or capability of the non-AP STA to be pre-allocated a subchannel, wherein the transmission start time to the non-AP STA may not be immediately after the indication of the allocation.
Regarding claim 13, NAIK ‘339 discloses the non-AP STA of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to, upon receiving the second frame (see, switching/changing the list of subchannels supporting DSO based on frame, section 0117-0119), immediately switching to the indicated subchannel (see, based on the frame received from the AP, the STA may switch from the primary subchannel to the secondary subchannel, section 0129, 0134) or switching to the indicated subchannel at or before the transmission start time (see, at the timeout interval, STA 104 may switch back to the primary channel, section 0129).
Regarding claim 14, NAIK ‘339 discloses the non-AP STA of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to switch back to a primary channel (see, at the timeout interval, STA 104 may switch back to the primary channel, section 0129) based on at least one of: an indication of the end of the TXOP (see, at the timeout interval, STA 104 may switch back to the primary channel, section 0129, 0088) or the SP time and the channel switch time needed by the non-AP STA to switch channels (section 0129, 0091-the STA support switches a set of subchannels for DSO, section 0091-0092); a detection of the indicated subchannel to be idle for more than a threshold time after the indicated transmission start time; a detection of a particular frame on the indicated subchannel that corresponds to another basic service set (BSS) or that the transmit address or receive address of the particular frame does not correspond to the AP; or a determination that no frames are received from the AP within a threshold time after the indicated start time.
Regarding claim 15, the non-AP STA of claim 10, wherein the process is further configured to perform preamble detection (see, preamble of the PDU for communication between the AP and the one or more wireless STAs, decoding/detection is disclosed implicitly, section 0052, 0062-0063) on a 20 MHz channel that is determined based on the subchannel allocated to the non-AP STA (section 0052-0053-the preamble fields are transmitted in each of the multiple component channels having a bandwidth of 40 MHz, section 0052-0054).
Regarding claim 16, it is rejected under the same rationale as claim 1 above because the claim substantially comprise the same limitations.
Regarding claim 17, it is rejected under the same rationale as claim 2 above because the claim substantially comprise the same limitations.
Regarding claim 18, it is rejected under the same rationale as claim 3 above because the claim substantially comprise the same limitations.
Regarding claim 19, it is rejected under the same rationale as claim 4 above because the claim substantially comprise the same limitations.
Regarding claim 20, it is rejected under the same rationale as claim 5 above because the claim substantially comprise the same limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sundaravaradhan et al (US 2023/0239743 A1) discloses an access point (AP) (see, AP enabled for network communication using dynamic subband operation, channel switching’ section 0041-0042, 0051) in a wireless network (fig. 1A, WLAN that includes AP 106 coupled to STA devices, the AP operates on multiple links represented by primary sub-channels and secondary sub-channels, section 0052-0054), the AP (fig. 2A, the AP includes processor 214-processing circuit 212 connected to memory 215 and channel switching 218 and transmitter 220, section 0076-0078) comprising: a memory (fig. 2A, he AP includes processor 214-processing circuit 212 connected to memory 215, section 0076-0078); and a processor (fig. 2A, processor 214 coupled to memory 216, section 0076-0078) coupled to the memory (fig. 2A, the AP includes processor 214-processing circuit 212 connected to memory 215 and channel switching 218 and transmitter 220, section 0076-0078), the processor configured to: obtain a transmission opportunity (TXOP) (see, the AP 106 that is configured to perform AP functions of BWA TXOP, section 0056-00057, 0080-0081) or service period (SP) ; transmit, to a first station (STA) during the TXOP (see, the AP sends trigger frame to clients /STAs, section 0056-0057),allocating a first subchannel among one or more subchannels to the first STA (see, sub-channels that are configured or allocated by the AP for use by the STAs, section 0055, 057, 0059-0060).
CHU et al (US 2024/0365383 A1) discloses dynamic channel switching by station, where the station may switch back to the primary channel no later than the end of the TXOP (section 0005-0006, 0031-0049 ) and exchange of frames during the TXOP).
CHU further discloses STA MLD that operates in an enhanced multi-link single radio (eMLSR) mode (section 0030).
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/CANDAL ELPENORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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