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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) is acknowledged. Applicant has not complied with one or more conditions for receiving the benefit of an earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. 119/120 as follows:
The later-filed application must be an application for a patent for an invention which is also disclosed in the prior application (the parent or original nonprovisional application or provisional application). The disclosure of the invention in the parent application and in the later-filed application must be sufficient to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, except for the best mode requirement. See Transco Products, Inc. v. Performance Contracting, Inc., 38 F.3d 551, 32 USPQ2d 1077 (Fed. Cir. 1994)
The disclosure of the prior-filed applications, Application No. 63617302 fails to provide adequate support or enablement in the manner provided by 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph for one or more claims of this application.
Prior-filed applications fail to provide enablement for at least the following claimed features, as well as similarly worded features:
wherein the intermediate FCS is associated with a special user info field arranged between a last user info field comprising an AID12 value for a wireless device associated with the AP wireless device and a Padding field of the ICF, and
wherein the special user info field comprises a predetermined AID12 value that is not an AID12 value for any wireless device associated with the AP wireless device; wherein the location of the intermediate FCS is indicated in a special user info field located between a common info field of the ICF and a first user info field of the ICF comprising an AID12 value for a wireless device associated with the AP wireless device;
generating the intermediate FCS using a generator polynomial of degree 32; extracting a subset of a 4 byte output of the generator polynomial of degree 32 to use as the intermediate FCS; generating the intermediate FCS using a generator polynomial of degree 16;
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 1-3, 6, 10, 16, 17, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Madpuwar et al (USPN 20250168875).
Regarding claim 1, Madpuwar discloses
a method for operation by an access point (AP) wireless device, comprising: (method for AP to transmit trigger frame [0001, 0005, 0006, 0029]
transmitting, to a plurality of wireless devices, an initial control frame (CF) comprising an intermediate frame check sequence (FCS) (AP transmitting trigger frame including one or more user information fields, first FCS and second FCS [0029]
Regarding claim 16, Madpuwar discloses “A method for operation in wireless communication, comprising:” method performed by STA in wireless network [0031-0039], FIG. 1
“receiving, from an access point (AP) wireless device, an initial control frame (ICF) comprising an intermediate frame check sequence (FCS)” STA receives trigger frame including one or more user info fields, first FCS, padding, second FCS [0045-0050], FIG. 3
Regarding claims 2, 17, Madpuwar discloses “wherein the intermediate FCS is associated with a special user info field arranged between a last user info field comprising an AID12 value for a wireless device associated with the AP wireless device and a Padding field of the ICF,” special user field, FIG. 4 #434, being last field in the user information list comprising AID12 [0048-0053, 0057]
“wherein the special user info field comprises a predetermined AID12 value that is not an AID12 value for any wireless device associated with the AP wireless device” AID12 not assigned to any STA, reserved range 2047-4094 [0051-0053]
Regarding claim 3, Madpuwar discloses “wherein the intermediate FCS is located between a last user info field and a Padding field of the ICF” eFCS, FIG. 3 #360, inserted between the Nth, FIG. 3 #332(N), of user information field list, FIG. 3 #330 and the padding field, FIG. 3 #340 [0047]
Regarding claim 6, Madpuwar discloses “wherein contents of the ICF up to the intermediate FCS are used to calculate the intermediate FCS” eFCS validates a portion of the trigger frame that includes any fields or subfields preceding the eFCS, FIG. 3 #360 and does not include any fields or subfields following the eFCS [0044, 0047, 0028]
Regarding claim 10, Madpuwar discloses “wherein the ICF further comprises a final FCS and the method further comprises: generating the final FCS for the ICF using contents of the ICF including the intermediate FCS” FCS, FIG. 3 #350, is used to validate the trigger frame, FIG. 3 #300, in its entirety including the user information fields, the eFCS, FIG. 3 #360, and padding bits, FIG. 3 #342, validation content/generation content for CRC scheme hence this discloses final FCS being computed over content that includes intermediate FCS [0044, 0047, 0028]
Regarding claim 19, Madpuwar discloses “performing an FCS check for the ICF using the intermediate FCS, wherein the FCS check for the ICF is performed using contents of the ICF up to the intermediate FCS” validating a portion of the trigger frame based on the first FCS [0047, 0048], claim 1 language
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 (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 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.
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.
Claims 4, 5, 7, 18, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Madpuwar in view of Chu et al (USPN 20250150197) with provisional application 63/606,181 filed 12/5/2023.
Regarding claim 4, Madpuwar discloses eFCS positioned between the last user info field and the padding field and discloses signaling its presence/location through AID-value markers embedded in the user information list or padding field [0045-0047, 0055-0058]
Madpuwar does not expressly disclose “wherein the location of the intermediate FCS is indicated in a common info field of the ICF”
Chu discloses a trigger frame explicitly indicates whether it includes an intermediate FCS value by repurposing a reserved bit of a Common Info field [0079, 0111-0113], FIG. 19, provisional application pages 1-2
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the location of the intermediate FCS is indicated in a common info field of the ICF” as taught by Chu into Madpuwar’s system as both Chu and Madpuwar are solving signaling within a WLAN trigger/control frame with the motivation to relocate Madpuwar’s AID-based presence/location to Common Info field as taught by Chu since Common Info field is small, known set of interchangeable signaling locations.
Regarding claim 5, Madpuwar does not expressly disclose “wherein the location of the intermediate FCS is indicated in a special user info field located between a common info field of the ICF and a first user info field of the ICF comprising an AID12 value for a wireless device associated with the AP wireless device”
Chu discloses a second Special User Info field carrying an intermediate FCS location subfield, FIG. 18 #642, positioned after the first Special User Info field and before “one or more User Info fields addressed to UHR STAs #648 [0109, 0110], provisional application pages 1-2
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the location of the intermediate FCS is indicated in a special user info field located between a common info field of the ICF and a first user info field of the ICF comprising an AID12 value for a wireless device associated with the AP wireless device” as taught by Chu into Madpuwar’s system as both Chu and Madpuwar are solving signaling within a WLAN trigger/control frame with the motivation to implement the above design as one of many possible designs with predictable results.
Regarding claim 7, Madpuwar does not expressly disclose “wherein the method further comprises: generating the intermediate FCS using a generator polynomial of degree 32”
Chu discloses legacy FCS is a 32-bit field containing a 32-bit CRC value and intermediate FCS described as 4 octets [0075, 0080, 0084, 0093], provisional application pages 1-2
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the method further comprises: generating the intermediate FCS using a generator polynomial of degree 32” as taught by Chu into Madpuwar’s system as both Chu and Madpuwar are solving signaling within a WLAN trigger/control frame with the motivation to implement the above design as one of many possible designs with predictable results.
Regarding claim 18, Madpuwar discloses “wherein the intermediate FCS is located between a last user info field and a Padding field of the ICF” eFCS, FIG. 3 #360, inserted between the Nth, FIG. 3 #332(N), of user information field list, FIG. 3 #330 and the padding field, FIG. 3 #340 [0047]
Madpuwar does not expressly disclose “wherein the location of the intermediate FCS is indicated in a common info field of the ICF”
Chu discloses a trigger frame explicitly indicates whether it includes an intermediate FCS value by repurposing a reserved bit of a Common Info field [0079, 0111-0113], FIG. 19, provisional application pages 1-2
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the location of the intermediate FCS is indicated in a common info field of the ICF” as taught by Chu into Madpuwar’s system as both Chu and Madpuwar are solving signaling within a WLAN trigger/control frame with the motivation to relocate Madpuwar’s AID-based presence/location to Common Info field as taught by Chu since Common Info field is small, known set of interchangeable signaling locations.
Regarding claim 20, Madpuwar does not expressly disclose “wherein the ICF comprises one of: a multi-user (MU) request-to-send (RTS) frame”
Chu discloses MU-RTS trigger frame including an intermediate FCS value, Trigger Type subfield, FIG. 19 #660, identifies the frame as MU-RTS, Intermediate FCS subfield, FIG. 19 #674 [0111-0113], provisional application pages 1-2
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the ICF comprises one of: a multi-user (MU) request-to-send (RTS) frame” as taught by Chu into Madpuwar’s system as both Chu and Madpuwar are solving signaling within a WLAN trigger/control frame with the motivation to implement the above design as one of many possible designs with predictable results.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chu et al (USPN 20250150197) with provisional application 63/606,181 filed 12/5/2023, in view of Madpuwar.
Regarding claim 11, Chu discloses
generate an initial control frame (ICF) configured for transmission from an access point (AP) wireless device to a plurality of wireless device, the ICF comprising an intermediate frame check sequence (FCS) (AP comprising processor configured to generate UHR trigger frame comprising FCS [0117-0122], FIGs. 6-9, provisional application pages 1-2
Chu does not expressly disclose a processor comprising memory storing instructions configured to cause the processor to:
Madpuwar discloses a processor comprising memory storing instructions configured to cause the processor to: (processor executing script/instructions stored in memory [0022, 0063, 0077]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the ICF comprises one of: a multi-user (MU) request-to-send (RTS) frame” as taught by Madpuwar into Chu’s system as both Chu and Madpuwar are solving signaling within a WLAN trigger/control frame with the motivation to implement the above design as one of many possible designs with predictable results.
Regarding claim 12, Chu does not expressly disclose “wherein the intermediate FCS is associated with a special user info field arranged between a last user info field comprising an AID12 value for a wireless device associated with the AP wireless device and a Padding field of the ICF, and wherein the special user info field comprises a predetermined AID12 value that is not an AID12 value for any wireless device associated with the AP wireless device”
Madpuwar discloses “wherein the intermediate FCS is associated with a special user info field arranged between a last user info field comprising an AID12 value for a wireless device associated with the AP wireless device and a Padding field of the ICF,” special user field, FIG. 4 #434, being last field in the user information list comprising AID12 [0048-0053, 0057]
“wherein the special user info field comprises a predetermined AID12 value that is not an AID12 value for any wireless device associated with the AP wireless device” AID12 not assigned to any STA, reserved range 2047-4094 [0051-0053]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the intermediate FCS is associated with a special user info field arranged between a last user info field comprising an AID12 value for a wireless device associated with the AP wireless device and a Padding field of the ICF, and wherein the special user info field comprises a predetermined AID12 value that is not an AID12 value for any wireless device associated with the AP wireless device” as taught by Madpuwar into Chu’s system as both Chu and Madpuwar are solving signaling within a WLAN trigger/control frame with the motivation to implement the above design as one of many possible designs with predictable results.
Regarding claim 13, Chu discloses a “wherein the location of the intermediate FCS is indicated in a common info field of the ICF” trigger frame explicitly indicates whether it includes an intermediate FCS value by repurposing a reserved bit of a Common Info field [0079, 0111-0113], FIG. 19, provisional application pages 1-2
Chu does not expressly disclose wherein the intermediate FCS is located between a last user info field and a Padding field of the ICF
Madpuwar discloses “wherein the intermediate FCS is located between a last user info field and a Padding field of the ICF” eFCS, FIG. 3 #360, inserted between the Nth, FIG. 3 #332(N), of user information field list, FIG. 3 #330 and the padding field, FIG. 3 #340 [0047]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “wherein the intermediate FCS is located between a last user info field and a Padding field of the ICF” as taught by Madpuwar into Chu’s system as both Chu and Madpuwar are solving signaling within a WLAN trigger/control frame with the motivation to implement the above design as one of many possible designs with predictable results.
Claims 14, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chu in view of Madpuwar as applied to claim 11, and in further view of Asterjadhi et al (USPN 20190268847).
Regarding claim 14, Chu discloses legacy FCS is a 32-bit field containing a 32-bit CRC value and intermediate FCS described as 4 octets [0075, 0080, 0084, 0093], provisional application pages 1-2
Combined system of Chu and Madpuwar does not expressly disclose “extract a subset of a 4 byte output of the generator polynomial of degree 32 to use as the intermediate FCS”
Asterjadhi discloses 4 byte output for polynomial generator [0085-0090]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “extract a subset of a 4 byte output of the generator polynomial of degree 32 to use as the intermediate FCS” as taught by Asterjadhi into combined system of Chu and Madpuwar with the motivation to increase protection against false positives caused by CRC (Asterjadhi, paragraph [0089, 0090].
Regarding claim 15, combined system of Chu and Madpuwar does not expressly disclose “generate the intermediate FCS using a generator polynomial of degree 16”
Asterjadhi discloses polynomial generator of degree 16 [0085-0090]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “generate the intermediate FCS using a generator polynomial of degree 16” as taught by Asterjadhi into combined system of Chu and Madpuwar with the motivation to increase protection against false positives caused by CRC (Asterjadhi, paragraph [0089, 0090].
Claims 8, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Madpuwar in view of Chu as applied to claim 7, and in further view of Asterjadhi.
Regarding claim 8 combined system of Madpuwar and Chu does not expressly disclose “extract a subset of a 4 byte output of the generator polynomial of degree 32 to use as the intermediate FCS”
Asterjadhi discloses 4 byte output for polynomial generator [0085-0090]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “extract a subset of a 4 byte output of the generator polynomial of degree 32 to use as the intermediate FCS” as taught by Asterjadhi into combined system of Madpuwar and Chu with the motivation to increase protection against false positives caused by CRC (Asterjadhi, paragraph [0089, 0090].
Regarding claim 9, combined system of Madpuwar and Chu does not expressly disclose “generate the intermediate FCS using a generator polynomial of degree 16”
Asterjadhi discloses polynomial generator using degree of 16 [0085-0090]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement “generate the intermediate FCS using a generator polynomial of degree 16” as taught by Asterjadhi into combined system of Madpuwar and Chu with the motivation to increase protection against false positives caused by CRC (Asterjadhi, paragraph [0089, 0090].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Inohiza (EP4503809A1) FIG. 6
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THAI NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7632. The examiner can normally be reached M-F campus 10:30-5pm, telework 6pm-8pm| Telework count days.
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/THAI NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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