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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the filing of Patent Application 18916532 on 10/15/2024.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding claims 1 and 12, the limitation “a first field proposing an identifier associated with a second AP for a coordinated AP scheme including the first AP and at least the second AP” is unclear because it is not known how the first field does the proposing and how it is associated with the second AP.
Further regarding claims 1 and 12, “communicate with one or more wireless stations (STAs), the second AP, or both in accordance with the coordinated AP scheme and the second frame” is unclear because communicating with one or more of the wireless STA and Second AP followed by both makes it so it is uncertain what element is communicating with what element.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
Fang (U.S. Patent App Pub 20200351648)
Regarding claim 1,
Fang teaches a first access point (AP), comprising: a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the first AP to:(see paragraphs 123-125, 185, figure 4a-4b, Fang teaches first AP)
transmit a first frame comprising a first plurality of fields, wherein the first plurality of fields includes a first field proposing an identifier associated with a second AP for a coordinated AP scheme including the first AP and at least the second AP; :(see paragraphs 125-128, 185, figure 4a-4b, Fang )
receive, in accordance with transmitting the first frame, a second frame comprising a second plurality of fields, wherein the second plurality of fields includes a second field comprising an indication of whether the second AP accepts the identifier associated with the second AP for the coordinated AP scheme; and (see paragraphs 44, 128, 130-131, figure 4a-4b, Fang )
communicate with one or more wireless stations (STAs), the second AP, or both in accordance with the coordinated AP scheme and the second frame. (see paragraphs 131-134, figure 4a-4b, Fang )
Regarding claim 2,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein, to receive the second frame, the processing system is configured to cause the first AP to: receive the second plurality of fields via a first element of the second frame; and receive a third plurality of fields via a second element of the second frame, wherein the third plurality of fields includes a third field proposing a second identifier associated with the first AP for the coordinated AP scheme, and wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first AP to: transmit, in accordance with receiving the second frame, a third frame comprising a fourth plurality of fields, wherein the fourth plurality of fields includes a fourth field comprising an indication of whether the first AP accepts the second identifier associated with the first AP for the coordinated AP scheme. (See table 1-2, paragraphs 141-142, 150-153, figures 4-5, Fang)
Regarding claim 3,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of fields further includes a third field proposing a second identifier associated with the first AP for the coordinated AP scheme, and the processing system is further configured to cause the first AP to: transmit, in accordance with receiving the second frame, a third frame comprising a third plurality of fields, wherein the third plurality of fields includes a fourth field comprising an indication of whether first AP accepts the second identifier associated with the first AP for the coordinated AP scheme. (See table 1-2, paragraphs 151-153, Fang)
Regarding claim 4,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein: the first plurality of fields is included in an element of the first frame that is different than one or more elements of the first frame that correspond to one or more coordinated AP schemes; and the second plurality of fields is included in an element of the second frame that is different than one or more elements of the second frame that correspond to the one or more coordinated AP schemes. (See figures 4-5, table 1-2, paragraphs 151-153, 123-124 Fang)
Regarding claim 5,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein: the first plurality of fields is included as a sub-element of one or more elements of the first frame that correspond to one or more coordinated AP schemes; and the second plurality of fields is included as a sub-element of one or more elements of the second frame that correspond to the one or more coordinated AP schemes. (See figures 4-5, table 1-2, paragraphs 151-153, 123-124 Fang)
Regarding claim 6,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein, to transmit the first frame, the processing system is configured to cause the first AP to: transmit the first plurality of fields via a first element of the first frame, wherein the first plurality of fields includes a third field comprising an indication of an element type associated with the first element, or includes a fourth field comprising an indication of whether the first element is associated with the AP, or with the second AP, or both. (See figures 4-5, table 1-2, paragraphs 44, 123, 151-153, Fang)
Regarding claim 7,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first AP to: increment a counter value associated with transmitting the first frame, the counter value indicative of a quantity of transmissions associated with assigning an identifier to the second AP, wherein the first plurality of fields includes a third field comprising an indication of the counter value. (See figures 3-4, paragraphs 160-163, 123-124, 44 Fang)
Regarding claim 8,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein, to receive the second frame, the processing system is configured to cause the first AP to: receive the second plurality of fields via a first element of the second frame, wherein the second plurality of fields includes a third field comprising an indication of a response type associated with the first element, and wherein the indication of whether the second AP accepts the identifier is in accordance with the response type. (See figures 4-5, table 2-3, paragraphs 51-53, 123, 44 Fang)
Regarding claim 9,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 8, wherein the response type comprises an indication of an acceptance of an AP identifier for the coordinated AP scheme, an indication of a rejection of an AP identifier for the coordinated AP scheme, or an indication of a second identifier associated with the second AP for the coordinated AP scheme different than the identifier. (See table 1-2, figures 4-5, paragraphs 151-153, 44Fang)
Regarding claim 10,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein the first field comprising the identifier is associated with at least a portion of a third field associated with one or more association identifiers corresponding to the one or more STAs.(See table 1-2, paragraphs 151-153, figures 4-5, Fang)
Regarding claim 11,
Fang teaches the first AP of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first AP to: generate a value of the identifier associated with the second AP for the coordinated AP scheme prior to transmitting the first frame, wherein the value of the identifier is different than one or more values associated with the one or more STAs, or the value at least partially matches a basis service set (BSS) color value associated with the second AP, or the value at least partially matches a BSS identifier of the second AP, or any combination thereof. (See paragraphs 44-45, figures 1-2, Fang)
Claims 12-20 list all the same elements of claims 1-9, but in methos form rather than system form. Therefore, the supporting rationale of the rejection to claims 1-9 applies equally as well to claims 12-20.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and located in the PTO-892 form.
1.Cherian, U.S. Patent App 11832109, teaches techniques for improved spatial reuse for wireless local area network (WLAN) networks are described. An access point (AP) may win a contention to a wireless medium and obtain a transmission opportunity (TXOP). The AP may perform a procedure to identify a group of un-managed APs for participation in spatial reuse opportunities for synchronous transmission over the TXOP. The AP may perform the procedure using over-the-air signaling. The AP may transmit a spatial reuse (SR) poll frame to one or more un-managed APs of the network, either sequentially or as part of a multiple-AP procedure. The AP may receive an SR response frame, or directly measure potential interference of a station (STA) serviced by one or more un-managed APs, and select a group of APs for coordinated reuse over the TXOP. The AP may select the group of APs based on one or more criteria for coordinated reuse.
2. Han, U.S. Patent App 12648036, teaches according to a first aspect of the disclosure, methods are discussed in which a station (STA) sends a message to an access point, for example an associated access point, about a change in multi-AP coordination parameters. A STA, which may be a mobile STA, can be in a better position than the APs themselves, for detecting changes in conditions which can affect the effectiveness, or even the desirability of the multi-AP coordination. Accordingly the STA can send a message reporting detected conditions related to multi-AP coordination. In some embodiments, such a message can request for initializing multi-AP coordination, such a message can be in response to a triggering event detected by the STA. In response to such a triggering event, the STA can analyze the STA's service needs, and send the message about a change in multi-AP coordination parameters. A second aspect of the disclosure provides an AP-to-AP negotiation process for multi-AP coordination. This can be useful either by itself or combined with the first aspect or can be used as an improvement to other multi-AP coordination methods and systems. In some embodiments, such a process includes each AP maintaining an ongoing database of adjacent APs based on prior multi-AP coordination.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NINOS DONABED whose telephone number is (571)272-8757. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00pm - 4:00pm.
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/NINOS DONABED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2444
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