DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-22 are pending, of which all pending claims are rejected.
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 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.
(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, 17 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wu et al. (US 2025/0096929 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wu teaches, a wireless communication (Wu: “FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100’ [0038]) method, comprising:
computing, at a wireless communication station, a number of available bits (Navbits) in a minimum number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in which a data field of a packet fits (Wu: “the transmitter device may determine (or calculate) a value of the first LDPC codeword length of the long LDPC codeword based on (or using) a number of available bits for the transmitter device.” [0123]; ‘OFDM symbols’ [0097, 0114-0115]);
selecting, from an encoding parameter table comprising a plurality of LDPC codeword lengths, a first Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) codeword length of Nx1944 bits and an integer number of LDPC codewords (NCW) based on comparing the number of available bits (Navbits) to one or more Navbits threshold values and/or one or more selection conditions for choosing the first LDPC codeword length of Nx1944 bits, where N is an integer that is greater than or equal to 2 (Wu: ‘LDPC codeword selection from encoding parameter table’, “a method for selection of a length of a LDPC codeword may be based on (or depend on) rules associated with a table 1000 of FIG. 10 (e.g., before potential N.sub.avbits updates when an extra orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol segment is added) [0097]; ‘selection of LDPC codeword length based on the selection condition from a selected encoding parameter table’ [Figs. 10, 12-14]; “in some aspects, the transmitter device may indicate use (or possible use) of a longer LDPC codeword to other receiver devices via a combination of a codeword length look up table, capability information indicating support for the use of the long LDPC codeword, and other conditions. In some cases, a special field may be defined in a PHY header to indicate whether 2x1944 or 4x1944 bits LDPC codeword has been used by the transmitter device in encoding.” [0037]);
encoding, at the wireless communication station, based on the first LDPC codeword length and the integer number of LDPC codewords (NCW), a plurality of bits to create LDPC encoded data bits (Wu: ‘transmitting device encodes based on the LDPC codeword’ [0033]; ‘the transmitting device calculate the number of available bits’ [0127-0128]);
forming, at the wireless communication station, a physical protocol data unit (PPDU) using the LDPC encoded data bits (Wu: “…For example, the wireless communication device 1900 can be configurable or configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards.” [0178, 0011-0012,0014]); and
transmitting, by the first wireless communication station a frame that contains the PPDU (Wu: ‘frame transmission that contains PPDU’ [0049-0050]).
Regarding claim 17, Wu teaches, a wireless device (Wu: “FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100’ [0038]), comprising:
a processor configured to: compute a number of available bits (Navbits) in a minimum number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in which a data field of a packet fits (Wu: “the transmitter device may determine (or calculate) a value of the first LDPC codeword length of the long LDPC codeword based on (or using) a number of available bits for the transmitter device.” [0123]; ‘OFDM symbols’ [0097, 0114-0115]);
select, from an encoding parameter table comprising a plurality of LDPC codeword lengths, a first Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) codeword length of Nx1944 bits based on comparing the number of available bits (Navbits) to one or more selection conditions for choosing the first LDPC codeword length of Nx1944 bits, where N is an integer that is greater than or equal to 2 (Wu: ‘LDPC codeword selection from encoding parameter table’, “a method for selection of a length of a LDPC codeword may be based on (or depend on) rules associated with a table 1000 of FIG. 10 (e.g., before potential N.sub.avbits updates when an extra orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol segment is added) [0097]; ‘selection of LDPC codeword length based on the selection condition from a selected encoding parameter table’ [Figs. 10, 12-14]; “in some aspects, the transmitter device may indicate use (or possible use) of a longer LDPC codeword to other receiver devices via a combination of a codeword length look up table, capability information indicating support for the use of the long LDPC codeword, and other conditions. In some cases, a special field may be defined in a PHY header to indicate whether 2x1944 or 4x1944 bits LDPC codeword has been used by the transmitter device in encoding.” [0037]);
encode, based on the first LDPC codeword length, a plurality of bits to create LDPC encoded data bits (Wu: ‘transmitting device encodes based on the LDPC codeword’ [0033]; ‘the transmitting device calculate the number of available bits” [0127-0128]);
form a physical protocol data unit (PPDU) using the LDPC encoded data bits (Wu: “…For example, the wireless communication device 1900 can be configurable or configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards.” [0178, 0011-0012,0014]); and
transmit a frame that contains the PPDU (Wu: ‘frame transmission that contains PPDU’ [0049-0050]).
Regarding claim 22, Wu teaches, a system for transmitting an encoded message from a first station (STA) device to a second STA device (Wu: “The APs 102 and STAs 104 may function and communicate (via the respective communication links 106) according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the PHY and MAC layers. The APs 102 and STAs 104 transmit and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as “Wi-Fi communications” or “wireless packets”) to and from one another in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs) [0044]) in a wireless personal area network (Wu: “FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100’ [0038]) in accordance with IEEE 802.11 protocol (Wu: “FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as a Wi-Fi network (and will hereinafter be referred to as WLAN 100). For example, the WLAN 100 can be a network implementing at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards (such as that defined by the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or amendments thereof including, but not limited to, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and the 802.11 amendment associated with Wi-Fi 8” [0038]), comprising:
generating, at the first STA device, a set of message-data-bits (Wu: ‘information bits’ [0033]);
computing, at the first STA device, a number of available bits (Navbits) in a minimum number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in which a data field of a packet fits (Wu: “the transmitter device may determine (or calculate) a value of the first LDPC codeword length of the long LDPC codeword based on (or using) a number of available bits for the transmitter device.” [0123]; ‘OFDM symbols’ [0097, 0114-0115]);
selecting, from an encoding parameter table comprising a plurality of LDPC codeword lengths, a first Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) codeword length of Nx1944 bits and an integer number of LDPC codewords (NCW) by using the number of available bits (Navbits) to access the encoding parameter table to select the first LDPC codeword length of Nx1944 bits if the number of available bits (Navbits) exceeds a first Navbits threshold value, and wherein the integer number of LDPC codewords (NCW) is computed as a ceiling function of Npld /(1944 x R x N), where Npld is a number of bits in the data field and a service field of the PPDU, where R is a coding rate, where N is the integer that is greater than or equal to 2, where R is a coding rate 2 (Wu: ‘LDPC codeword selection from encoding parameter table’, “a method for selection of a length of a LDPC codeword may be based on (or depend on) rules associated with a table 1000 of FIG. 10 (e.g., before potential N.sub.avbits updates when an extra orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol segment is added) [0097]; ‘selection of LDPC codeword length based on the selection condition from a selected encoding parameter table’ [Figs. 10, 12-14]; “in some aspects, the transmitter device may indicate use (or possible use) of a longer LDPC codeword to other receiver devices via a combination of a codeword length look up table, capability information indicating support for the use of the long LDPC codeword, and other conditions. In some cases, a special field may be defined in a PHY header to indicate whether 2x1944 or 4x1944 bits LDPC codeword has been used by the transmitter device in encoding.” [0037]; ‘LDPC coding rate’ [0092, 0088,0074]);
encoding, at the first STA device, the set of message-data-bits to create LDPC encoded data bits based on the first LDPC codeword length and the integer number of LDPC codewords (NCW) (Wu: ‘transmitting device encodes based on the LDPC codeword’ [0033]; ‘the transmitting device calculate the number of available bits’ [0127-0128]);
forming, at the first STA device, a physical protocol data unit (PPDU) using the LDPC encoded data bits (Wu: “…For example, the wireless communication device 1900 can be configurable or configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards.” [0178, 0011-0012,0014]); and
transmitting a frame that contains the PPDU from the first STA device to the second STA device (Wu: ‘frame transmission that contains PPDU’ [0049-0050]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 2-16, 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (US 2025/0096929 A1), (Hereinafter Wu).
Regarding claim 2, Wu does not explicitly disclose, the wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first LDPC codeword length comprises using the number of available bits (Navbits) to access the encoding parameter table to select the first LDPC codeword length of Nx1944 bits if the number of available bits (Navbits) exceeds a first Navbits threshold value, and wherein the integer number of LDPC codewords (NCW) is computed as a ceiling function of Npld /(1944 x R x N), where Npld is a number of bits in the data field and a service field of the PPDU, where R is a coding rate, where N is the integer that is greater than or equal to 2, where R is a coding rate.
However, Wu teaches, [0097] A method for selection of a length of a LDPC codeword may be based on (or depend on) rules associated with a table 1000 of FIG. 10 (e.g., before potential N.sub.avbits updates when an extra orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol segment is added). In the table 1000, N.sub.pld indicates a number of payload bits. An initial number of symbols is associated with (or based on) the number of payload bits and a number of data bits per symbol. N.sub.avbits indicates a number of available bits. The number of available bits is associated with (or based on) the initial number of symbols, a last symbol boundary, and/or a number of coded bits per symbol. [0098] In some cases, a long LDPC codeword (e.g., with a codeword length of 2x1944 or 4x1944 bits) may be needed. In general, the use of the longer codeword lengths for the LDPC codewords is not supported by the wireless devices. Only under certain situations, some of the wireless devices may provide limited support for the use of the longer codeword lengths for the LDPC codewords. So, when a wireless device may want to use long LDPC codewords during encoding of a data packet, the wireless device may need to communicate with other wireless devices regarding the possible usage of the long LDPC codewords (e.g., to check if these other wireless devices can provide any support for the usage and processing of the long LDPC codewords at their end).
Wu Further teaches, [0139] In certain aspects, the transmitter device may determine (or decide) to use the long LDPC codeword. In one example, the transmitter device may determine or select a length of a LDPC codeword based on a table 1200 of FIG. 12 (e.g., when 2x1944 bits LDPC codes are there and up to two codewords with length less than 2x1944 bits can be used in a packet). In another example, the transmitter device may determine or select a length of a LDPC codeword based on a table 1300 of FIG. 13 (e.g., when 4x1944 bits LDPC codes are there and up to three codewords with length less than 4x1944 bits can be used in a packet). In another example, the transmitter device may select a length of a LDPC codeword based on a table 1400 of FIG. 14 (e.g., when 2x1944 and 4x1944 bits LDPC codes are there and up to two codewords with length less than 4x1944 bits can be used in a packet) (see also ‘LDPC coding rate’ [0092, 0088,0074]).
With the teaching Wu in [0097-0098, 0139] & [Figs. 10,12-13], it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to determine or select a length of a LDPC codeword by a transmitting device based on the tables 1000, 1200 or 1300. Further, the coding rate and the number of available bits threshold values are design choice for a person ordinary skill in the art. By doing so, it is possible to manage long low-density parity check (LDPC) codewords in ultra high reliability (UHR) system.
Regarding claims 3-16 and 18-21 the selection of LDPC codeword lengths, number of available bits threshold values are obvious variation and design choice for a person ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the claims are rejected for same reasons as claim 2.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
Conclusion
The following prior arts made of record, listed on form PTO-892, and not relied upon, if any, are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Fang et al. (US 2024/0048271 A1) teaches, an apparatus and method of encoding Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) packet protocol data units (PPDU) is disclosed. For LDPC codeword of lengths 3888 and/or 7776, the number and length of codewords to use may depend on the number of available bits. In this case, if the number of available bits is larger than 1944 and less than 2596, two codewords of length 1944 or a single codeword of length 3888 to encode the PPDU is used to encode the PPDU. For larger numbers of available bits, one or more codewords of length 3888 or 7776 is used to encode the PPDU. Shortening and/or puncturing, when used, is also based on the number of available bits.
When amending the claims, Applicants are respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ENAMUL MD KABIR whose telephone number is (571)270-7256. The examiner can normally be reached on 10:00-6:30 pm.
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/ENAMUL M KABIR/
Examiner, Art Unit 2112
/ALBERT DECADY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2112
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