DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-12 are pending for examination.
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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 6,7, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kneckt et al, US 2024/0015649 A1, in view of Asterjadhi et al, US 2024/0154636 A1.
Regarding Claim 1, Kneckt discloses a control method of an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device, and the control method comprises steps of:
establishing a first link and a second link with a second electronic device, and using an Enhanced Multi-Link Single-Radio (EMLSR) mode to communicate with the second electronic device ([0089] – the SP 501a associated with the first link (Link 1) is used for communication between a first STA (STA 1) of a non-AP MLD and a first AP (AP 1) of an AP MLD. Similarly, the SP 501b associated with the second link (Link 2) is used for communication between a second STA (STA 2) of the non-AP MLD and a second AP (AP 2) of the AP MLD. In some examples, the first and second STAs are EMLSR STAs);
wirelessly connecting to a third electronic device, wherein a channel used for communication between the electronic device and the third electronic device is the same as a channel used in the first link ([0150] – the multi-link TWT flow 800 can include a first TWT flow associated with a first link (Link 1), a second TWT flow associated with a second link (Link 2), and a third TWT flow associated with a third link (Link 3)).
However, Kneckt does not explicitly disclose, after wirelessly connecting to the third electronic device, sending power management information to the second electronic device via the second link to notify that a wireless communication module corresponding to the second link is in a sleep mode.
Asterjadhi teaches, sending power management information to the second electronic device via the second link to notify that a wireless communication module corresponding to the second link is in a sleep mode (Asterjadhi [0057] – A wireless device such as a station (STA) or an access point (AP) in a WLAN communicates with other wireless devices, such as other STAs or APs, via a main radio of the wireless device. To save power at the wireless device, the main radio may enter a sleep mode… Some wireless devices support enhanced multi-link single radio (EMLSR) operation, where an auxiliary radio may monitor for an indication to transition the main radio from one wireless link to another wireless link; [0086] – the first wireless device 504 may include a wake up radio (WUR) as defined in the IEEE 802.11ba protocol (such as instead of an auxiliary radio 514). For example, the first wireless device 504 in the wireless communications system 500 may communicate with the second wireless device 502 via the main radio 512. To save power at the first wireless device 504, the main radio 512 may enter a sleep mode).
Therefore, it 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 to modify Kneckt to send power management information and have the second link in sleep mode, as taught by Asterjadhi. One would be motivated as the sleep mode is to reduce the power across a network.
Regarding Claim 6, Kneckt discloses the control method of claim 1, wherein the first link uses a channel corresponding to a 5 GHz frequency band or a 6 GHz frequency band, and the second link uses a channel corresponding to another one of the 5 GHz frequency band and the frequency 6 GHz band (Kneckt [0070] – non-AP MLD 304 can include two radios/transceivers 320a-320b, where transceiver 320b can be configured to enable connection(s) and communication over the multi-link WLAN network having the second link (e.g., link 306b) associated with 5 GHz wireless communication channel or over the multi-link WLAN network having the third link (e.g., link 306c) associated with 6 GHz wireless communication channel) [this teaching shows the ability for one link to be associated with 5 GHz and another to be associated with 6 GHz].
With regard to claim 7, the claim limitations are essentially the same as claim 1 but in a different embodiment. Therefore, the rational used to reject claim 1 is applied to claim 7.
With regard to claim 12, the claim limitations are essentially the same concept as claim 6 but in a different embodiment. Therefore, the rational used to reject claim 6 is applied to claim 12.
Claim(s) 2 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kneckt and Asterjadhi, in view of Shafin et al, US 2023/0103061 A1.
Regarding Claim 2, Kneckt and Asterjadhi teach the control method of claim 1, as outlined above.
However, Kneckt does not explicitly disclose disconnecting from the third electronic device; and after disconnecting from the third electronic device, sending the power management information to the second electronic device to notify that the wireless communication module corresponding to the second link is in an active mode.
Shafin teaches disconnecting from the third electronic device; and after disconnecting from the third electronic device, sending the power management information to the second electronic device to notify that the wireless communication module corresponding to the second link is in an active mode ([0101] – Three links are set up between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD—Link 1 between AP1 and STA1, Link 2 between AP2 and STA2, and Link 3 between AP3 and STA3. In this example Link 1, Link 2, and Link 3 are enabled links. In other embodiments, Link 3 could be a disabled link. A TWT agreement/schedule is established on Link 1; [0065] – Upon transitioning into EMLSR mode of operation, all STAs affiliated with the non-AP MLD transition into active mode (listening mode)).
Therefore, it 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 to modify Kneckt to disconnect a device and notify a device a module is in active mode, as taught by Shafin. One would be motivated as the active mode is an alert to indicate a channel is open for instances where sleep mode is utilized to conserve power.
With regard to claim 8, the claim limitations are essentially the same as claim 2 but in a different embodiment. Therefore, the rational used to reject claim 2 is applied to claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 9-11 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMIR SHAHNAMI whose telephone number is (571)270-0707. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
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/AMIR SHAHNAMI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483
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