DETAILED ACTION
Notice of 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 Objections
Claims 1-7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 9 (the last line), it is suggested that “a second transmission interval” be replaced with “a second beacon transmission interval” because claim 5 recites “the second beacon transmission interval”.
Claims 2-7 are depending on claim 1.
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)(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.
Claims 1, 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sugaya et al. (US 2004/0008641 A1).
Consider claim 1:
Sugaya discloses a method (see Fig. 8 and paragraph 0099, where Sugaya describes a wireless communications apparatus 100 which is a UWB device; see Fig. 11 and paragraph 0121, where Sugaya describes a process of the wireless communications apparatus 100) comprising:
receiving a first signal on a first channel during a first transmission interval (see Fig. 11 and paragraphs 0122-0123, step S2, where Sugaya describes that the wireless communications apparatus 100 receives a beacon signal using a channel slot);
extracting a first sequence value from the first signal (see Fig. 11 and paragraph 0123, step S3, where Sugaya describes that information of the channel slot being used is obtained from the received beacon signal; see Fig. 7 and paragraph 0097, where Sugaya describes that the information of the channel slot being used is included in the beacon signal; see paragraph 0015, where Sugaya describes that information signal in the UWB is received as signal sequence);
selecting a second channel based on the first sequence value (see Fig. 11 and paragraph 0124, step S5, where Sugaya describes that the wireless communications apparatus 100 selects an unused channel slot based on the information of the channel slot being used);
during a first contention access period of a first frame, transmitting a set of data on the second channel to a first wireless device (see Fig. 11 and paragraph 0127, step S7, where Sugaya describes that the wireless communications apparatus 100 transmits a beacon signal using the selected unused channel slot; see Fig. 2 and paragraph 0081, where Sugaya describes that each channel slot includes a Contention Access Period (CAP) during which a signal in a frame period is transmitted); and
during a second period after the first contention access period of the first frame, communicating with a second wireless device based on a third signal different from the first signal, wherein the third signal is received during a second transmission interval (see Fig. 11 and paragraph 0128, step S9, where Sugaya describes that in a time after the Contention Access Period, the wireless communications apparatus 100 receives another beacon signal from another wireless network using a channel slot other than previously used channel slot).
Consider claim 5:
Sugaya discloses the method of claim 1 above. Sugaya discloses: the second beacon transmission interval corresponds to a second frame and occurs during the second period of the first frame (see Fig. 11 and paragraph 0128, step S9, where Sugaya describes that in a time after the Contention Access Period, the wireless communications apparatus 100 receives another beacon signal from another wireless network using a channel slot other than previously used channel slot; see Fig. 2 and paragraphs 0079-0080, where Sugaya describes that all the channel slots may be included in one network frame).
Consider claim 7:
Sugaya discloses the method of claim 1 above. Sugaya discloses: the first frame comprises communication between the first wireless device and a third wireless device, and a second frame comprises communication between the second wireless device and the third wireless device (see Fig. 2 and paragraph 0081, where Sugaya describes that a communication between wireless devices is performed in a Contention Access Period (CAP) in a network frame; see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 0072-0075, where Sugaya describes that a different network frame may include communication between different wireless devices).
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 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugaya et al. (US 2004/0008641 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chen et al. (US 2015/0319759 A1).
Consider claim 2:
Sugaya discloses the method of claim 1 above. Sugaya does not specifically disclose: the first frame overlaps a second frame.
Chen teaches: first frame overlaps a second frame (see Fig. 8 and paragraph 0010, where Chen describes a first hopper-subframe of a first Contention Access Period (CAP) overlaps a second hopper-subframe of a second Contention Access Period).
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 frame overlaps a second frame, as taught by Chen to modify the method of Sugaya in order to have a frame structure which increases capacity for communication, as discussed by Chen (see paragraph 0006).
Consider claim 3:
Sugaya in view of Chen discloses the method of claim 2 above. Sugaya does not specifically disclose: a duration of the first frame is equal a duration of the second frame.
Chen teaches: a duration of the first frame is equal a duration of the second frame (see Fig. 8 and paragraph 0106, where Chen describes that each of the first hopper-subframe and the second hopper-subframe includes a Contention Access Period (CAP) and a Contention Free Period (CFP)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include: a duration of the first frame is equal a duration of the second frame, as taught by Chen to modify the method of Sugaya in order to have a frame structure which increases capacity for communication, as discussed by Chen (see paragraph 0006).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugaya et al. (US 2004/0008641 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tenny et al. (US 2006/0178153 A1).
Consider claim 4:
Sugaya discloses the method of claim 1 above. Sugaya does not specifically disclose: selecting the second channel comprises using a pseudorandom function.
Tenny teaches: selecting a second channel comprises using a pseudorandom function (see Fig. 2 and paragraph 0033, step 104, where Tenny describes a user equipment which selects a candidate channel by applying a pseudorandom function).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include: selecting the second channel comprises using a pseudorandom function, as taught by Tenny to modify the method of Sugaya in order to balance load across channels, as discussed by Tenny (see paragraph 0012).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugaya et al. (US 2004/0008641 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2009/0180452 A1).
Consider claim 6:
Sugaya discloses the method of claim 1 above. Sugaya does not specifically disclose: the second period comprises an inactive period of communication between the first wireless device and a third wireless device.
Kim teaches: a second period comprises an inactive period of communication between the first wireless device and a third wireless device (see Fig. 2 and paragraph 0025, where Kim describes that a beacon interval comprises an inactive period 240 during which communication between devices are turned off).
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 second period comprises an inactive period of communication between the first wireless device and a third wireless device, as taught by Kim to modify the method of Sugaya in order to conserve energy, as discussed by Kim (see paragraph 0025).
Conclusion
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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