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
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 7-9, 13-16 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2023/0104446 A1 herein Ajami.
Claim 1, Ajami discloses a station (STA) in a wireless network (Abstract, STA), the STA comprising: a memory (0084, STA includes a memory); and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to (0084, memory coupled with the application processor):
transmit, to an access point (AP), a request frame that requests a resource from the AP for a P2P group to which the STA belongs (0163, STA transmits a request frame to the AP indicating it intends to exchange P2P communications with the client device; 0108, request for the AP to schedule an r-TWT SP for the STA; 0120, STA may be a group owner coordinating P2P transmissions with the client device);
receive, from the AP, a trigger frame that allocates a transmission opportunity (TXOP) (0163, receiving a trigger frame allocating a portion of a TXOP obtained by the AP); and
transmit, to a peer STA in the P2P group, one or more frames within the TXOP (0091, STA includes a MAC entity for communications with the client device; 0118-0119, softAP transmits a trigger frame and block ACK to the client device before allocation of the TXOP ends).
Claim 2, Ajami discloses the STA of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: transmit, to the peer STA, a frame that reallocates a portion of the TXOP (0118-0119, softAP transmits a trigger frame to the client device soliciting its TB PPDU within the allocated TXOP, thus reallocating a portion of the TXOP).
Claim 3, Ajami discloses the STA of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive, from the AP, a response frame in response to the request frame, the response frame including an indication of acceptance (0096, r-TWT SP accept frame carrying the proposed TWT parameters when accepted; 0158, response frame may be an SCS response frame), rejection, or an alternative to the request in the request frame (0096, r-TWT SP accept frame carrying new or modified TWT parameters different than the proposed parameters).
Claim 7, Ajami discloses the STA of claim 1, wherein the request frame includes information on one or more peer STAs in the P2P group for which the resource is requested (0108, request frame includes the MAC addresses of the softAP and the client device).
Claim 8, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1.
Ajami discloses an access point (AP) in a wireless network (Abstract, AP), and comprising:
a memory (0083, AP includes a memory); and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to (0083, memory coupled with the application processor):
transmit, to the STA, a trigger frame that allocates a transmission opportunity (TXOP) to the P2P group (0114, MU-RTS TXS trigger frame allocates a portion of the TXOP for P2P communications between the client device and the softAP).
Claim 9, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 3.
Claim 13, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 7.
Claim 14, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1.
Ajami discloses a computer-implemented method for communication by a station (STA) in a wireless network (Abstract, Method).
Claim 15, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 2.
Claim 16, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 3.
Claim 20, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 7.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 4, 10 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajami in view of US 2025/0317791 A1 herein Erkucuk.
Claim 4, Ajami discloses the STA according to claim 3. Ajami may not explicitly disclose wherein the response frame includes a quality of service (QOS) characteristics element that includes the alternative to the request in the request frame.
Erkucuk discloses wherein the response frame includes a quality of service (QoS) characteristics element that includes the alternative to the request in the request frame (0133, SCS Response frame rejecting the request with suggested changes includes a QoS Characteristics element signaling suggested QoS Characteristics parameters for the stream). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ajami to include, in the response frame, a QoS Characteristics element signaling suggested QoS Characteristics parameters, as taught by Erkucuk, so as to allow the negotiation between the STA and the AP to continue (0136).
Claim 10, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 4.
Claim 17, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 4.
Claim(s) 5, 6, 11, 12, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajami in view of US 2025/0280442 A1 herein Viger.
Claim 5, Ajami discloses the STA according to claim 1. Ajami may not explicitly disclose wherein the request frame includes a P2P group identifier or a flow identifier that identifies the P2P group, wherein the flow identifier is a stream classification service identifier or a target-wake-time (TWT) flow identifier.
Viger discloses wherein the request frame includes a P2P group identifier or a flow identifier that identifies the P2P group (0110-0111, SCS stream defined in SCS Request frames through SCS descriptor including SCSID identifying the traffic stream; 0125, SCS Request frame for P2P traffic with Direction subfield set to Direct link, thus identifying the P2P group), wherein the flow identifier is a stream classification service identifier (0111, SCSID) or a target-wake-time (TWT) flow identifier. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ajami to include an SCS identifier in the request frame identifying the direct link traffic stream, as taught by Viger, so as to clearly identify the latency sensitive streams (0172).
Claim 6, Ajami discloses the STA according to claim 1. Ajami may not explicitly disclose wherein the request frame includes a quality of service (QOS) characteristics element that includes information associated with a traffic requirement of the P2P group.
Viger discloses wherein the request frame includes a quality of service (QOS) characteristics element (0125, SCS Request frame contains QoS Characteristics element of P2P traffic) that includes information associated with a traffic requirement of the P2P group (0111; 0124, traffic characteristics and QoS expectations including service intervals, minimum data rate, and delay bound). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ajami to include a QoS Characteristics element describing the traffic characteristics and QoS expectations of the P2P stream in the request frame, as taught by Viger, so as to allow the AP to properly schedule transmission of the stream (0117).
Claim 11, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 5.
Claim 12, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 6.
Claim 18, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 5.
Claim 19, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 6.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20260239461 A1 – A communication method performed by an access point (AP) device includes: determining a first message frame, wherein the first message frame comprises a restricted target wake time (R-TWT) service period (SP) and a first identifier, the first identifier is configured to indicate that the R-TWT SP supports peer-to-peer (P2P) transmission of a low-latency traffic, and the R-TWT SP is part or all of transmission time of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) obtained by the AP device; and sending the first message frame.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mehmood B. Khan whose telephone number is (571)272-9277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Asad Nawaz can be reached at (571) 272-3988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mehmood B. Khan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
MEHMOOD B. KHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2463
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