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 .
This action is in response to the application filed on 17 October 2024.
Claims 21-32 are under examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11 August 2025, 28 January 2025, and 07 December 2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
A rejection based on double patenting of the “same invention” type finds its support in the language of 35 U.S.C. 101 which states that “whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process... may obtain a patent therefor...” (Emphasis added). Thus, the term “same invention,” in this context, means an invention drawn to identical subject matter. See Miller v. Eagle Mfg. Co., 151 U.S. 186 (1894); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Ockert, 245 F.2d 467, 114 USPQ 330 (CCPA 1957).
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claims 21-32 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-12 of U.S. Patent No. 12,126,448 in view of Hedayat et al. (US 2018/0020460).
Claims 21 and 27 of the instant application are directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission of the wireless communication terminal from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, when the information for the UL MU transmission is a trigger MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), set, based on a specific field included in the trigger MPDU, a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, and when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1 and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header.
Claim 1 and 8 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,126,448 is directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission of the wireless communication terminal from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, when the information for the UL MU transmission is a trigger MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), determine, based on a specific field included in the trigger MPDU, whether a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) to be used for transmitting a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission according to the determination, and when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, transmit a PPDU for the UL MU transmission without using MIMO, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header.
U.S. Patent No. 12,126,448 discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1. In analogous art Hedayat discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1, (Paragraph 84). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify claims U.S. Patent No. 12,126,448, to include the method of Hedayat. The motivation for combining U.S. Patent No. 12,126,448 and Hedayat is to be able to improve performance felt by users demanding high-capacity and high-rate services
Dependent claims 22-26 and 28-32 are duplicate of claims 2-7 and 9-12 of the U.S. Patent No. 12,126,448 and therefore rejected for the same reasoning as the independent claims 21 and 27.
Claims 21-32 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-12 of U.S. Patent No. 11,784,755 in view of Hedayat et al. (US 2018/0020460).
Claims 21 and 27 of the instant application are directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission of the wireless communication terminal from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, when the information for the UL MU transmission is a trigger MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), set, based on a specific field included in the trigger MPDU, a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, and when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1 and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header.
Claim 1 and 7 of the U.S. Patent No. 11,784,755 is directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, and when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, transmit a PPDU for the UL MU transmission without using UL MU-Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO), wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header.
U.S. Patent No. 11,784,755 discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1. In analogous art Hedayat discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1, (Paragraph 84). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify claims U.S. Patent No. 11,784,755, to include the method of Hedayat. The motivation for combining U.S. Patent No. 11,784,755 and Hedayat is to be able to improve performance felt by users demanding high-capacity and high-rate services
Dependent claims 22-26 and 28-32 are duplicate of claims 2-6 and 8-12 of the U.S. Patent No. 11,784,755 and therefore rejected for the same reasoning as the independent claims 21 and 27.
Claims 21-32 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-12 of U.S. Patent No. 11,258,543 in view of Hedayat et al. (US 2018/0020460).
Claims 21 and 27 of the instant application are directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission of the wireless communication terminal from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, when the information for the UL MU transmission is a trigger MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), set, based on a specific field included in the trigger MPDU, a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, and when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1 and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header.
Claim 1 and 9 of the U.S. Patent No. 11,258,543 is directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, and when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, transmit, by using the transceiver, a PPDU for the UL MU transmission to the base wireless communication terminal based on the information for the UL MU transmission without carrier sensing, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header.
U.S. Patent No. 11,258,543 discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1. In analogous art Hedayat discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1, (Paragraph 84). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify claims U.S. Patent No. 11,258,543, to include the method of Hedayat. The motivation for combining U.S. Patent No. 11,258,543 and Hedayat is to be able to improve performance felt by users demanding high-capacity and high-rate services
Dependent claims 22-26 and 28-32 are duplicate of claims 2-8 and 10-16 of the U.S. Patent No. 11,258,543 and therefore rejected for the same reasoning as the independent claims 21 and 27.
Claims 21-32 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-12 of U.S. Patent No. 11,196,513 in view of Hedayat et al. (US 2018/0020460).
Claims 21 and 27 of the instant application are directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission of the wireless communication terminal from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, when the information for the UL MU transmission is a trigger MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), set, based on a specific field included in the trigger MPDU, a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, and when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1 and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header.
Claim 1 and 7 of the U.S. Patent No. 11,196,513 is directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, set a BW value of a transmission parameter TXVECTOR of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission as a frequency bandwidth of the DL MU PPDU, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header, and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission to the base wireless communication terminal based on the information for the UL MU transmission by using the transceiver.
U.S. Patent No. 11,196,513 discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1. In analogous art Hedayat discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1, (Paragraph 84). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify claims U.S. Patent No. 11,196,513, to include the method of Hedayat. The motivation for combining U.S. Patent No. 11,196,513 and Hedayat is to be able to improve performance felt by users demanding high-capacity and high-rate services
Dependent claims 22-26 and 28-32 are duplicate of claims 2-6 and 8-12 of the U.S. Patent No. 11,196,513 and therefore rejected for the same reasoning as the independent claims 21 and 27.
Claims 21-32 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-12 of U.S. Patent No. 10,659,196 in view of Hedayat et al. (US 2018/0020460).
Claims 21 and 27 of the instant application are directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission of the wireless communication terminal from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, when the information for the UL MU transmission is a trigger MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU), set, based on a specific field included in the trigger MPDU, a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, and when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1 and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header.
Claim 1 and 11 of the U.S. Patent No. 10,659,196 is directed to A wireless communication terminal that wirelessly communicates, the wireless communication terminal comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission from a base wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver, set signaling information indicating whether Spatial Reuse (SR) transmission to a PPDU for the UL MU transmission is allowed such that the SR transmission is not allowed when the information for the UL MU transmission is UL MU response information, wherein the UL MU response information includes transmission scheduling information of the PPDU for the UL MU transmission including ACK and is included in a medium access control (MAC) header, wherein the signaling information is included in the PPDU for the UL MU transmission, and transmit the PPDU for the UL MU transmission to the base wireless communication terminal based on the information for the UL MU transmission.
U.S. Patent No. 10,659,196 discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1. In analogous art Hedayat discloses receive a Downlink Multi-User (DL MU) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including information for an Uplink Multi-User (UL MU) transmission, however doesn’t teach a number of long training fields (LTFs) parameter of a transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) of a PPDU for the UL MU transmission and set the number of LTFs parameter of the transmission parameter (TXVECTOR) as 1, (Paragraph 84). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify claims U.S. Patent No. 10,659,196, to include the method of Hedayat. The motivation for combining U.S. Patent No. 10,659,196 and Hedayat is to be able to improve performance felt by users demanding high-capacity and high-rate services
Dependent claims 22-26 and 28-32 are duplicate of claims 2-10 and 12-20 of the U.S. Patent No. 10,659,196 and therefore rejected for the same reasoning as the independent claims 21 and 27.
It has been held that the omission an element and its function is an obvious expedient if the remaining elements perform the same as before. In Re Karlson, 136 USPQ 184 (CCPA). Also, note Ex Parte Rainu, 168 USPQ 375 (Bd.App. 1969); omission of a reference element whose function is not needed would be obvious to one skilled in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Josiam et al. (US Publication 2016/0262173) discloses receiving a resource status request from an access point (AP) communicating with the STA, transmitting a resource status response including an access category (AC) information of UL data that is identified using a traffic identifier. The AC information corresponds to a set of DL queues and a set of UL queues configured at the AP to schedule the STA. The method further comprises receiving a trigger frame from the AP, wherein the trigger frame includes scheduling information of the UL data based on the AC information included in the transmitted resource status response to the AP and processing the scheduling information included in the trigger frame to transmit the UL data to the AP.
Hedayat et al. (US Publication 2016/0330714) discloses n access point may send a downlink frame to multiple stations. Some or all of the stations may generate and transmit their respective uplink frames. The uplink frames from the stations may be aggregated or multiplexed to form a final uplink frame that is received by the access point. The uplink frames may be block acknowledgment or acknowledgment (BA or ACK) frames. Uplink response scheduling may be located in a payload of the downlink frame, in which the uplink response scheduling indicates one or more resource units assigned to the multiple stations for transmitting the uplink frames. In some examples, the uplink response scheduling is in a control field of the payload, in a trigger frame as part of the payload.
Any inquiry concerning this communication from the examiner should be directed to ABDULLAHI AHMED whose telephone number is (571) 270-3652. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khaled Kassim can be reached on 571-270-3770. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDULLAHI AHMED/ Examiner, Art Unit 2475
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