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 Status
This office action is in response to the communication(s) filed on 10/08/2024.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are currently presenting for examination.
Claim(s) 1, 10, and 19 is/are independent claim(s).
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected.
This action has been made NON-FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by EP_4181583_A1_Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the AP MLD to (Kim figures 1, 2, paragraph 39): transmit to a non-access point (non-AP) MLD, on a first link, a first frame scheduling a restricted target wake time (r-TWT) service period (SP) of a r-TWT setup for the non-AP MLD on the first link (Kim figures 2, 5A, 5B, paragraphs 39, 44, 75-76, the AP MLD and non-AP MLD (=STA MLD) are communicating with each other on a first link based on a first frame "ML TWT response" that schedules a r-TWT SP); and transmit to the non-AP MLD, on a second link, a second frame for scheduling traffic associated with the r-TWT on the second link (Kim figures 5A, 5B, paragraphs 75-77, 86-89, A second ML TWT response frame for r-TWT on the second link is transmitted in case of multi-link communication).
Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches the AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the second frame is configured to reschedule the r-TWT SP on the second link (Kim figure 5B, restricted TWT SP).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches the AP MLD of claim 2, wherein the r-TWT SP rescheduled on the second link has same start and end times as the r-TWT SP scheduled on the first link (Kim figure 5B, restricted TWT SP #2).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches the AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the first frame includes a broadcast TWT (b-TWT) identifier identifying a b-TWT membership group associated with the r-TWT setup on the first link (Kim paragraphs 75, 86, “…The ML TWT request frame may refer to a general TWT request frame including multi-link related information (e.g., link ID bitmap indicating link(s) in which the TWT is operated or restricted TWT information). The ML TWT response frame may refer to a general TWT response frame including multi-link related information (e.g., link ID bitmap indicating link(s) in which the TWT is operated or restricted TWT information)”).
Regarding claim 5, Kim teaches the AP MLD of claim 4, wherein the second frame includes the b-TWT identifier (Kim paragraphs 75, 86, “…The ML TWT request frame may refer to a general TWT request frame including multi-link related information (e.g., link ID bitmap indicating link(s) in which the TWT is operated or restricted TWT information). The ML TWT response frame may refer to a general TWT response frame including multi-link related information (e.g., link ID bitmap indicating link(s) in which the TWT is operated or restricted TWT information)”).
Regarding claim 6, Kim teaches the AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the second frame includes a link identifier (ID) of the first link (Kim paragraphs 75, 86, “…The ML TWT request frame may refer to a general TWT request frame including multi-link related information (e.g., link ID bitmap indicating link(s) in which the TWT is operated or restricted TWT information). The ML TWT response frame may refer to a general TWT response frame including multi-link related information (e.g., link ID bitmap indicating link(s) in which the TWT is operated or restricted TWT information)”)..
Regarding claim 7, Kim teaches the AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the second frame comprises a trigger frame, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the AP MLD to receive, from the non-AP MLD, one the second link, the traffic associated with the r-TWT in response to the second frame (Kim figure 5B, restricted TWT SP #2).
Regarding claim 8, Kim teaches the AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the AP MLD to transmit a third frame indicating allowance of the non-AP MLD to enter a doze state on the first link during the r-TWT SP (Kim paragraphs 68-70, 79-80, sleep state).
Regarding claim 9, Kim teaches the AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the second frame indicates allowance of the non-AP MLD to enter a doze state on the first link during the r-TWT SP (Kim paragraphs 68-70, 79-80, sleep state).
Regarding claim 10, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 2.
Regarding claim 12, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 3.
Regarding claim 13, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 4.
Regarding claim 14, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 5.
Regarding claim 15, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 6.
Regarding claim 16, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 7.
Regarding claim 17, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 7.
Regarding claim 18, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 8.
Regarding claim 19, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claim 1.
Regarding claim 20, Kim teaches the limitations as set forth in claims 4-5.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The reference US_20230033678_A1_Hu, teaches Under the target wake time (TWT) mechanism, STAs can wake up on a periodic basis to transmit/receive data. In an individual TWT (I-TWT) mode, TWT schedules may be chosen by client STAs while an AP can determine and/or provide schedules to all client STAs in a broadcast TWT (B-TWT) mode (Hu paragraphs 29, 63, 80, 82).
Conclusion
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/W.H/Examiner, Art Unit 2471
/SUJOY K KUNDU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2471
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