DETAILED ACTION
This office action is responsive to the Applicant’s claim amendment filed on 09/17/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed on 09/17/2026, with respect to the provisional statutory doble patenting have been fully considered and are persuasive. The provisional statutory double patenting rejections of claims 1 and 3-10 have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, filed on 09/17/2026, with respect to claim rejections under 35 USC 102 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejections.
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.
Claims 1, 3-5, 9, 11, 14, 16-18, 20 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2016/0366688 A1) in view of in view of SEOK (US 2018/0160429 A1).
Consider claims 1 and 11:
Chen discloses a communication apparatus (see Fig. 1 and paragraph 0018, where Chen describes a wireless communication system 100 that includes an access point 110 and a wireless station STA 120) comprising:
a receiver, which, in operation, receives a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) (see Fig. 8B and paragraph 0053, block 860, where Chen describes that the wireless station STA receives a PPDU) with a single frequency resource (see Fig. 2A and paragraph 0038, where Chen describes that one 26-tone frequency resource unit (RU) is used in the PPDU and other RUs are unused),
the PPDU including a first field, the first field indicating a first number of symbols of a long training field (LTF) for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) channel estimation (see paragraph 0053, where Chen describes that the PPDU includes an indication of a number of high-efficiency Long Training Field (HE-LTF) symbols of a MU-MIMO transmission; see paragraph 0049, where Chen describes that the number of HE-LTF symbols may be ‘4’; see paragraph 0049, where Chen describes that the HE-LTF is used in channel estimation),
the first number being larger than an initial number of the symbols of the LTF (see paragraph 0049, where Chen describes that the number of HE-LTF symbols may be ‘4’, and an initial number of HE-LTF symbols may be ‘2’),
the initial number being equal to a number of spatial streams (Nss) for the PPDU (see Fig. 7 and paragraph 0053, entry 722, where Chen describes that there are ‘2’ HE-LTF symbols and both spatial streams are allocated), and
circuitry, which, in operation, estimates a MIMO channel for the PPDU using the symbols of the LTF (see paragraph 0049, where Chen describes that the HE-LTF is used in channel estimation of the MIMO channel).
Chen does not specifically disclose: the initial number being equal to a number of spatial streams (Nss) for the PPDU in a first case that the Nss is an even number, and the initial number being equal to 1 plus the Nss in a second case that the Nss is an odd number other than one.
SEOK teaches: an initial number being equal to a number of spatial streams (Nss) for a PPDU in a first case that the Nss is an even number (see paragraph 0155, where SEOK describes that when there are K spatial streams and K is an even number, the number of HE-LTF symbols may be equal to K), and the initial number being equal to 1 plus the Nss in a second case that the Nss is an odd number other than one. (see paragraph 0155, where SEOK describes that when there are K spatial streams and K is an odder number greater than one, the number of HE-LTF symbols may be equal to K+1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include: the initial number being equal to a number of spatial streams (Nss) for the PPDU in a first case that the Nss is an even number, and the initial number being equal to 1 plus the Nss in a second case that the Nss is an odd number other than one, as taught by SEOK to modify the method of Chen in order to have a specified method for a wideband PPDU transmission in high efficiency, as discussed by SEOK (see paragraph 0007).
Consider claims 3 and 16:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen discloses: the single frequency resource is a single resource unit (see Fig. 2A and paragraph 0038, where Chen describes that one 26-tone frequency resource unit (RU) is used in the PPDU and other RUs are unused).
Consider claims 4 and 17:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen discloses: the PPDU is used for a single user transmission (see Fig. 2A and paragraph 0038, where Chen describes that one 26-tone frequency resource unit (RU) is used in the PPDU and other RUs are unused; see paragraph 0041, where Chen describes that the 26-tone RU is allocated to one user; see Fig. 1 and paragraph 0021, where Chen describes that one wireless station (STA) 120 may be operable).
Consider claims 5 and 18:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen discloses: the initial number is predetermined in a standard specification (see paragraph 0049, where Chen describes that in 802.11ax standard, the number of HE-LTF symbols may be “2”).
Consider claims 9 and 20:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen discloses: the first number is set based on a format of the PPDU (see paragraph 0053, where Chen describes that the number of HE-LTF symbols is obtained from the current PPDU which includes an indication of the number of HE-LTF symbols).
Consider claims 14 and 23:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen discloses: the first number is equal to the initial number plus 2 (see paragraph 0049, where Chen describes that the number of HE-LTF symbols may be ‘4’, and an initial number of HE-LTF symbols may be ‘2’).
Claims 6 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2016/0366688 A1) in view of SEOK (US 2018/0160429 A1), as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Son et al. (US 2017/0373816 A1).
Consider claims 6 and 19:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen and Seok do not specifically disclose: the first number is selected from a group consisting of three candidates.
Son teaches: a first number is selected from a group consisting of three candidates (see paragraph 0117, where Son describes that when the number of wireless streams is “3”, “5”, or “7”, a group consisting of “4”, “6”, or “8” of long training field (LTF) symbols are transmitted).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include: the first number is selected from a group consisting of three candidate, as taught by Son to modify the method of Chen and Seok in order to efficiently transmit resource unit allocation information, as discussed by Son (see paragraph 0024).
Claims 10 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2016/0366688 A1) in view of SEOK (US 2018/0160429 A1), as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Lomayev et al. (US 2018/0026749 A1).
Consider claims 10 and 21:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen and SEOK do not specifically disclose: the Nss is larger than 8.
Lomayev teaches: a Nss is larger than 8 (see paragraph 0137, where Lomayev describes a MIMO transmitter which may be configured to support more than eight spatial streams, e.g., 16 spatial streams).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include: the Nss is larger than 8, as taught by Lomayev to modify the method of Chen and SEOK, as choosing from a finite number of different spatial streams is an “obvious to try”.
Claims 13 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2016/0366688 A1) in view of SEOK (US 2018/0160429 A1), as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2018/0375632 A1).
Consider claims 13 and 22:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen discloses: a bandwidth of the PPDU is 20 MHz (see Fig. 2C and paragraph 0038, where Chen describes that the PPDU is transmitted in a narrow bandwidth for a long range transmission across 20 MHz).
Chen does not specifically disclose: the single frequency resource is a single 242-tone resource unit.
Kim teaches: a single frequency resource is a single 242-tone resource unit (see paragraph 0136, where Kim describes a single basic resource unit configured by 242 tones can be configured in 20 MHz).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include: the single frequency resource is a single 242-tone resource unit, as taught by Kim to modify the method of Chen in order to efficiently transmit a signal, as discussed by Kim (see paragraph 0023).
Claims 15 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2016/0366688 A1) in view of SEOK (US 2018/0160429 A1), as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Li et al. (US 2016/0142158 A1).
Consider claims 15 and 24:
Chen in view of SEOK discloses the invention according to claims 1 and 11 above. Chen and SEOK do not specifically disclose: the first number is equal to the Nss plus 2, the Nss plus 3 or the Nss plus 4.
Li teaches: a first number is equal to Nss plus 2 (see paragraph 0042, where Li describes one example in which the number of streams is two and the number of LTF symbols is four).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include: the first number is equal to the Nss plus 2, the Nss plus 3 or the Nss plus 4, as taught by Li to modify the method of Chen and SEOK in order to reliably support a modulation and coding scheme, as discussed by Li (see paragraph 0004).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIHONG YU whose telephone number is (571)270-5147. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am-6:00 pm EST Monday-Friday.
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/LIHONG YU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631
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