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 .
Claims 1 to 30 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references listed in the information disclosure statement submitted on 6-3-2025 and 7-16-2025 have been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449).
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, 12 to 14, 19 to 20, 22 to 23 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Baidhani et al. (USPAP 2024/0340026).
Claims 1 and 14:
Al-Baidhani substantially teaches the claimed invention. Al-Baidhani teaches a method and an apparatus for a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising an access point (AP) communicating various types of information using different transmission techniques to multiple stations (STA), wherein the AP is implemented as an integrated circuit (IC) device (see par. 0040). Al-Baidhani teaches that the AP includes at least one antenna, one transceiver connected to the antenna and one controller connected to the transceiver (see par. 0040). Al-Baidhani teaches that the controller is implemented within a processor (see par. 0040).
Al-Baidhani teaches that the STA may be implemented in hardware such as an IC device and maybe a communication device that is wirelessly connected to the AP as a laptop or a desktop personal computer or a mobile phone and/ or another communication device (see par. 0046). Al-Baidhani teaches that the STA is a communication device compatible with at least one IEEE 802.11 protocol (see par. 0046). Al-Baidhani also teaches that the method may be implemented using software instructions stored on a computer useable storage medium for execution by a computer (see par. 0099). Al-Baidhani teaches that the computer useable storage medium can be any type of memory such as a random-access memory (RAM) (see par. 100).
Al-Baidhani teaches a transceiver (302) performing a low-density parity check (LDPC) encoding operation in response to a control signal received from a controller (304) to generate encoded data (see par. 0051). Al-Baidhani teaches that the encoded data includes a payload that contains orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols (see par. 0051).
Al-Baidhani teaches that in some embodiments, in response to the control signal, the wireless transceiver adds an additional extra LDPC symbol segment in the encoded data unit based on a punctured parity bit ratio that is lower that a standard punctured parity bit ratio when a number of the OFDM contained in a payload of the encoded data unit is equal to or smaller than a predefined threshold (see par. 0051). Al-Baidhani teaches that a smallest encoding boundary of a last OFDM data symbol and a size of an LDPC symbol segment is less than a standard value of ¼ of one OFDM symbol (see par. 0051).
Al-Baidhani teaches that in one variant, the scheme of encoding to the end of the 4 x OFDM symbol only applies to payload length that corresponds to the number of OFDM symbols within certain limit and the encoding boundary is the end of the symbol (see par. 0086).
Al-Baidhani teaches that in a standard LDPC encoding process, an extra LDPC symbol segment is added to the total number of coded bits to reduce the number of punctured parity bits (see par. 0073). Al-Baidhani teaches that in order to overcome the large Rx sensitivity gap from small data packet length variations in short data packet transmissions, two options can be considered; the first is to add an extra LDPC symbol segment regardless of the condition on the LDPC encoding process and the second option is to lower the punctured parity bits ratio threshold (see par. 0074).
Al-Baidhani teaches that wireless transmitter includes a forward error correction (FEC) pre-encoding padding unit (422) that adds a number of padding bits to the information bits such that, after being encoded by the FEC encoder (426), the coded bits may fill the last OFDM symbol up to a first portion of the last OFDM symbol (see par. 0055). Al-Baidhani teaches that the wireless transmitter sends the encoded data over a network to another device (see par. 0018, 0052).
Al-Baidhani does not specifically teach the limitation of “adding one or more symbols or one or more symbol fractions to a first boundary of a packet to generate an adjusted first boundary and transmitting, to a second wireless device, the packet comprising the one or more LDPC codewords that comprise a set of pre-forward error correction (FEC) padding bits based at least in part of the adjusted first boundary;” however, this teaching is obvious to the teachings of Al-Baidhani because Al-Baidhani teaches that a wireless device compatible with IEEE 802.11 protocol comprises a smallest encoding boundary of a last OFDM data symbol and a size of an LDPC symbol segment is less that a standard value of ¼ of one OFDM symbol.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the encoding operation of a wireless transmitter of Al-Baidhani to include the limitations of: “adding one or more symbols or one or more symbol fractions to a first boundary of a packet to generate an adjusted first boundary and transmitting, to a second wireless device, the packet comprising the one or more LDPC codewords that comprise a set of pre-forward error correction (FEC) padding bits based at least in part of the adjusted first boundary;” because Al-Baidhani teaches that encoding for a wireless device compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standards include utilizing the smallest encoding boundary. This modification would have been obvious because a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to employ an encoding method of a wireless device compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard that considers the smallest encoding boundary as taught by Al-Baidhani (see par. 0051 and 0071). As to the other limitation of the claim, Al-Baidhani teaches that the coded bits include a payload (“set of data bits”) and corresponding parity bits (see par. 0063 to 0064).
As per claim 12, Al-Baidhani teaches that a fixed value is used for all payload length and extra LDPC symbol segments are used to fill to the end of the 4X OFDM symbol (see par. 0084).
As per claim 13, Al-Baidhani teaches that a smallest encoding boundary of a last OFDM data symbol and a size of an LDPC symbol segment is less than a standard value of ¼ of one OFDM symbol; which reads on “wherein a symbol fraction comprises one or more symbol segment spanning a fraction of a symbol, the fraction ¼ of a symbol or 1/8 of a symbol” (see par. 0051).
Claims 20 and 28:
Al-Baidhani substantially teaches the Claimed invention. Al-Baidhani teaches a method and an apparatus for a wireless communication system, comprising an access point (AP) transmitting various types of information using different transmission techniques to multiple stations (STA), the method comprising: a transceiver (302) performing a low-density parity check (LDPC) encoding operation in response to a control signal received from a controller (304) to generate encoded data (see par. 0051). Al-Baidhani teaches that the encoded data includes a payload that contains orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols (see par. 0051).
Al-Baidhani teaches that in some embodiments, in response to the control signal, the wireless transceiver adds an additional extra LDPC symbol segment in the encoded data unit based on a punctured parity bit ratio that is lower that a standard punctured parity bit ratio when a number of the OFDM contained in a payload of the encoded data unit is equal to or smaller than a predefined threshold (see par. 0051). Al-Baidhani teaches that a smallest encoding boundary of a last OFDM data symbol and a size of an LDPC symbol segment is less than a standard value of ¼ of one OFDM symbol (see par. 0051).
Al-Baidhani teaches that in one variant, the scheme of encoding to the end of the 4 x OFDM symbol only applies to payload length that corresponds to the number of OFDM symbols within certain limit and the encoding boundary is the end of the symbol (see par. 0086).
Al-Baidhani teaches that in a standard LDPC encoding process, an extra LDPC symbol segment is added to the total number of coded bits to reduce the number of punctured parity bits (see par. 0073). Al-Baidhani teaches that in order to overcome the large Rx sensitivity gap from small data packet length variations in short data packet transmissions, two options can be considered; the first is to add an extra LDPC symbol segment regardless of the condition on the LDPC encoding process and the second option is to lower the punctured parity bits ratio threshold (see par. 0074).
Al-Baidhani teaches that wireless transmitter includes a forward error correction (FEC) pre-encoding padding unit (422) that adds a number of padding bits to the information bits such that, after being encoded by the FEC encoder (426), the coded bits may fill the last OFDM symbol up to a first portion of the last OFDM symbol (see par. 0055). Al-Baidhani teaches that the wireless transmitter sends the encoded data over a network to another device (see par. 0018, 0052).
Al-Baidhani does not specifically teach the limitation of “adding one or more symbols or one or more symbol fractions to a first boundary of a packet to generate an adjusted first boundary and transmitting, to a second wireless device, the packet comprising the one or more LDPC codewords that comprise a set of pre-forward error correction (FEC) padding bits based at least in part of the adjusted first boundary;” however, this teaching is obvious to the teachings of Al-Baidhani because Al-Baidhani teaches that a wireless device compatible with IEEE 802.11 protocol comprises a smallest encoding boundary of a last OFDM data symbol and a size of an LDPC symbol segment is less that a standard value of ¼ of one OFDM symbol.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the encoding operation of a wireless transmitter of Al-Baidhani to include the limitations of: “adding one or more symbols or one or more symbol fractions to a first boundary of a packet to generate an adjusted first boundary and transmitting, to a second wireless device, the packet comprising the one or more LDPC codewords that comprise a set of pre-forward error correction (FEC) padding bits based at least in part of the adjusted first boundary;” because Al-Baidhani teaches that encoding for a wireless device compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standards include utilizing the smallest encoding boundary. This modification would have been obvious because a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to employ an encoding method of a wireless device compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard that considers the smallest encoding boundary as taught by Al-Baidhani (see par. 0051 and 0071). As to the other limitation of the claim, Al-Baidhani teaches that the coded bits include a payload (“set of data bits”) and corresponding parity bits (see par. 0063 to 0064).
As per claim 19, Al-Baidhani teaches that a fixed value is used for all payload length, and extra LDPC symbol segments are used to fill to the end of the 4X OFDM symbol (see par. 0084).
As per claim 22, Al-Baidhani teaches that for a codeword, shortening is not performed or if shortening is performed for a codeword, the shortening is discarded (see par. 0063).
As per claim 23, Al-Baidhani teaches implementing an extra segment signaling of 1-bit extra symbol (see oar. 0084).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 to 11, 15 to 18, 21, 24 to 27, 29 and 30 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhang et al. (USPAP 2020/0389259) discloses a method and an apparatus for LDPC encoding in a wireless communication device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHELLY A CHASE whose telephone number is (571)272-3816. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 8:00-5:30, 2nd Friday 8:00-4:30.
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/Shelly A Chase/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2112
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