Jump to content

Patent Application 16023664 Rejection

From WikiPatents

Patent Application 16023664 Rejection Details

Title: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COORDINATED ORTHOGONAL CHANNEL ACCESS (COCA)

Application Information

  • Invention Title: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COORDINATED ORTHOGONAL CHANNEL ACCESS (COCA)
  • Application Number: 16023664
  • Submission Date: 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z
  • Effective Filing Date: 2018-06-29T00:00:00.000Z
  • Filing Date: 2018-06-29T00:00:00.000Z
  • National Class: 370
  • National Sub-Class: 329000
  • Examiner Employee Number: 83247
  • Art Unit: 2477
  • Tech Center: 2400

Rejection Summary

  • 102 Rejections: 0
  • 103 Rejections: 1

Cited Patents

The following patents were cited in the rejection:

Office Action Text



    DETAILED ACTION
Applicant’s amendment and response filed January 17, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 1, 8, and 14 have been amended.
Claims 6-7, 12-13, 15-22, 25-26, 29, and 31-32 are cancelled.
Claims 1-5, 8-11, 14, 23, 24, 27, 28, and 30 are currently pending.

Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection.  Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.  Applicant's submission filed on January 17, 2025 has been entered.

Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.

This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary.  Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 103(a).
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
1.	Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2.	Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3.	Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4.	Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating 
obviousness or nonobviousness.

Claims 1-5, 8-11, 14, 23, 24, 27, 28, and 30 are rejected under pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Gong et al. (hereinafter Gong) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2011/0158159 A1) in view of KIM et al. (hereinafter Kim2) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2013/0301605 A1), and further in view of Liu et al. (hereinafter Liu) (U.S. Patent # 8,886,755 B1).
Regarding claims 1 and 8, Gong teaches and discloses a method and station (STA) (STAs, figures 1, 2, and 4-5) comprising a processor (inherent component of the STA; figures 1-2); and a transceiver (202, figure 2), 
the processor and the transceiver configured to receive a contention-free-poll (CF-Poll) trigger frame (CF-Poll frame; figures 4-5), from an access point (AP) (access point, AP, figures 1 and 4-5), to transmit an uplink (UL) feedback response (uplink ACK frame; figures 4-5) on a channel simultaneously with at least one other STA ([0020]; “…Each STA…may transmit the acknowledgement frame simultaneously with other STAs…using uplink SDMA mechanism…”; [0034]; “…In response to the CF-Poll frame, STAs 106a and 106b may transmit A-MPDU+CF-ACK frames simultaneously with each other using UL SDMA…”; teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs; figures 4-5), wherein the trigger frame includes an indication of association IDs (AIDs) of STAs triggered by the trigger frame ([0025]; “…the group polling frame may include STA Association identifiers (AIDs) each of which may identify one of STAs belonging to one of the STA groups…The group polling frame may be referred to as CF-Group Poll frame…”; [0034]; “…AP 102 may transmit a CF-Poll frame with a multicast address that identifies SDMA Group…”; teaches the CF-Pool frame (trigger frame) includes AIDS identifying the one or more STAs);
and the processor and the transceiver are further configured to transmit the UL feedback response (uplink ACK frame; figures 4-5) on the channel an interframe space (interframes space, SIFS) after the trigger frame using the determined sequence ([0029]; “…STAs 106a and 106b may commence to transmit CF-ACK frames to AP 102 a SIFS after the receipt of the CF-Group Poll frame…The CF-ACK frames may be transmitted sequentially using Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA)…”; teaches the STA transmits the uplink CF-ACK frames an interframes space, SIFS, after the receipt of the CF-Poll frame and the CF-ACK frames may be transmitted sequentially). 
However, Gong does not explicitly disclose wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine an orthogonal sequence for transmitting the UL feedback response as a function of at least the AID of the STA, wherein the function is known to the AP (although Gong does teach the CF-ACK frames may be transmitted sequentially; [0029]; [0033]).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 teaches and suggests wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine an orthogonal sequence for transmitting the UL feedback response (sequential response message or ACKs) as a function of at least the AID of the STA (association identification, AID), wherein the function is known to the AP ([0121]; “…the response messages or ACKs…transmitted by the Group 1 of wireless client devices…respectively, in at least one of a sequence of time slots…”; [0127]; “…a sequential/parallel sequence transmission by a wireless client device or station (STA) in the same or different time slots…the association ID (AID) of a station (STA) is used to indicate when the STA should transmit its acknowledgement (ACK), whether to use sequential or parallel transmission…”; [0134]; “…allows multiple STAs to transmit ACKs in sub-bands…multiple 2 MHz sub-bands are orthogonally allocated to STAs and STAs transmit ACKs…4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz are divided into multiple orthogonal 2 MHz sub-bands…”; teaches the orthogonal sequence or sequential transmission of a response message/ACK as a function of the association ID of the wireless client device, where the sequence and association is known by the wireless access point).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the orthogonal sequence or sequential transmission of a response message/ACK as a function of the association ID of the wireless client device, where the sequence and association is known by the wireless access point as taught by Kim2 with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong for the purpose of avoiding or minimizing collision, as suggested by Kim2.
However, Gong, as modified by Kim2, does not explicitly disclose wherein the UL feedback response is a frame that has a data length of zero to indicate to the AP that the WTRU has packets for transmission (although Gong does teach that the CF-ACK frame has a fixed-length which suggests the STA has data to transmit; [0030]).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Liu teaches and suggests wherein the UL feedback response (communication frame) is a frame that has a data length of zero to indicate to the AP that the WTRU has packets for transmission (column 5, lines 66-67; column 6, lines 1-4 and 20-23; “…In response to each polling communication frame 154, a respective client station transmits a communication frame 158 to the AP during the TXOP of the AP, where the communication frame 158 (referred to herein as a feedback frame or FB frame) includes information indicating whether the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP…the indication of the amount of data in the queue is field in a MAC header of the FB frame 158. In an embodiment, the indication of the amount of data in the queue is subfield in a QoS field of the MAC header…”; teaches in response to the polling frame, the client station transmits a communication frame/feedback indicating that the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP, where the communication frame has a data length of zero as the communication frame itself does not contain data).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate in response to the polling frame, the client station transmits a communication frame/feedback indicating that the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP, where the communication frame has a data length of zero as the communication frame itself does not contain data as taught by Liu with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Kim2, for the purpose of configuring simultaneous transmission by multiple client stations, as suggested by Liu.

Regarding claims 2 and 9, Gong, as modified by Kim2 and Liu, further teaches and discloses wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to transmit a management frame (CF-ACK frame) including an information element that indicates that the STA has capability for simultaneous multiple frame transmission and reception ([0029]; teaches the STA transmits a CF frame to indicate that the STA is capable for simultaneous transmission/reception). 

Regarding claims 3 and 10, Gong teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs, but does not explicitly disclose an information element that indicates that the STA has capability for transmission and reception for UL PS-Poll.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests  an information element (TIM) that indicates that the STA has capability for transmission and reception for UL PS-Poll (figure 1D; [0100]; teaches the STA transmits an UL feedback response, such as an uplink PS-Poll frame, after receiving the beacon frame from the AP). 
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the STA transmits an UL feedback response, such as an uplink PS-Poll frame, after receiving the beacon frame from the AP using a preamble as taught by Kim2 with the method and device as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Kim2 and Liu, for the purpose of providing efficient polling of terminal devices in the network and controlling power consumption of the station, as suggested by Kim2.

Regarding claims 4 and 11, Gong teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive buffered data from an access point (AP) on a condition that the processor and the transceiver transmitted the UL feedback response.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive buffered data from an access point (AP) on a condition that the processor and the transceiver transmitted the UL feedback response ([0099]; [0100]; “…A Traffic Indication Map (TIM) is a field transmitted in beacon frames, used to inform associated wireless client devices that the access point has buffered data waiting to be transmitted to them….”; teaches the AP transmits buffered data to the STA after receiving the ACK/response).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the AP transmits buffered data to the STA after receiving the ACK/response as taught by Kim2 with the method and device as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Kim2 and Liu, for the purpose of providing efficient polling of terminal devices in the network and controlling power consumption of the station, as suggested by Kim2.

Regarding claim 5, Gong, as modified by Kim2 and Liu, further teaches and discloses wherein the STA is a non-access point (non-AP) station (STA) in a basic service set (BSS) (figure 1; [0024]; teaches the STA is a non-AP device in a BSS). 

Regarding claim 14, Gong teaches and discloses an access point (AP) (access point, AP, figures 1 and 4-5) comprising: a processor (inherent component of the AP); and a transceiver (inherent component of the AP), the processor and the transceiver configured to transmit a contention-free-poll (CF-Poll) trigger frame (CF-Poll frame; figures 4-5) triggering each of a plurality of STAs (STAs, figures 1, 2, and 4-5) to transmit an uplink (UL) feedback response (uplink ACK frame; figures 4-5) on a channel simultaneously with at least one other one of the plurality of STAs ([0020]; “…Each STA…may transmit the acknowledgement frame simultaneously with other STAs…using uplink SDMA mechanism…”; [0034]; “…In response to the CF-Poll frame, STAs 106a and 106b may transmit A-MPDU+CF-ACK frames simultaneously with each other using UL SDMA…”; teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs; figures 4-5), the trigger frame including an indication of association IDs (AIDs) of the plurality of STAs triggered by the trigger frame ([0025]; “…the group polling frame may include STA Association identifiers (AIDs) each of which may identify one of STAs belonging to one of the STA groups…The group polling frame may be referred to as CF-Group Poll frame…”; [0034]; “…AP 102 may transmit a CF-Poll frame with a multicast address that identifies SDMA Group…”; teaches the CF-Pool frame (trigger frame) includes AIDS identifying the one or more STAs), wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive a response frame from at least two of the plurality of STAs ([0020]; “…Each STA…may transmit the acknowledgement frame simultaneously with other STAs…using uplink SDMA mechanism…”; [0034]; “…In response to the CF-Poll frame, STAs 106a and 106b may transmit A-MPDU+CF-ACK frames simultaneously with each other using UL SDMA…”; teaches the AP receives uplink acknowledgement frames on a channel simultaneously with other STAs; figures 4-5), and wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine that the WTRU has packets for transmission based on receiving the response frame from each of the at least two of the plurality of STAs ([0020]; [0025]; [0029]; teaches the AP receives from the STAs indication in the uplink CF-ACK that the STAs have buffered data for transmission).
However, Gong may not explicitly disclose wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine the AID corresponding to each response based on an assigned orthogonal sequence as a function of at least the AID of the STA.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 teaches and suggests wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine the AID (association identification, AID) corresponding to each response based on an assigned orthogonal sequence (sequential response message or ACKs) as a function of at least the AID of the STA ([0121]; “…the response messages or ACKs…transmitted by the Group 1 of wireless client devices…respectively, in at least one of a sequence of time slots…”; [0127]; “…a sequential/parallel sequence transmission by a wireless client device or station (STA) in the same or different time slots…the association ID (AID) of a station (STA) is used to indicate when the STA should transmit its acknowledgement (ACK), whether to use sequential or parallel transmission…”; [0134]; “…allows multiple STAs to transmit ACKs in sub-bands…multiple 2 MHz sub-bands are orthogonally allocated to STAs and STAs transmit ACKs…4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz are divided into multiple orthogonal 2 MHz sub-bands…”; teaches the orthogonal sequence or sequential transmission of a response message/ACK as a function of the association ID of the wireless client device, where the sequence and association is known by the wireless access point).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the orthogonal sequence or sequential transmission of a response message/ACK as a function of the association ID of the wireless client device, where the sequence and association is known by the wireless access point as taught by Kim2 with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong for the purpose of avoiding or minimizing collision, as suggested by Kim2.
However, Gong, as modified by Kim2, does not explicitly disclose receive a response frame, wherein the response has a data length of zero, and determine that the WTRU has packets for transmission based on receiving the response frame from each of the at least two of the plurality of STAs (although Gong does teach that the CF-ACK frame has a fixed-length which suggests the STA has data to transmit; [0030]).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Liu teaches and suggests disclose receive a response frame (communication frame), wherein the response has a data length of zero, and determine that the WTRU has packets for transmission based on receiving the response frame from each of the at least two of the plurality of STAs (column 5, lines 66-67; column 6, lines 1-4 and 20-23; “…In response to each polling communication frame 154, a respective client station transmits a communication frame 158 to the AP during the TXOP of the AP, where the communication frame 158 (referred to herein as a feedback frame or FB frame) includes information indicating whether the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP…the indication of the amount of data in the queue is field in a MAC header of the FB frame 158. In an embodiment, the indication of the amount of data in the queue is subfield in a QoS field of the MAC header…”; teaches in response to the polling frame, the client station transmits a communication frame/feedback indicating that the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP, where the communication frame has a data length of zero as the communication frame itself does not contain data).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate in response to the polling frame, the client station transmits a communication frame/feedback indicating that the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP, where the communication frame has a data length of zero as the communication frame itself does not contain data as taught by Liu with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Kim2, for the purpose of configuring simultaneous transmission by multiple client stations, as suggested by Liu.

Regarding claims 23, 27, and 30, Gong teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the trigger frame includes a single bit to indicate that a type of feedback response requested in response to the trigger frame is a power save poll (PS-Poll).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests wherein the trigger frame (CF poll message) includes a single bit to indicate that a type of feedback response (response message) requested in response to the trigger frame is a power save poll (PS-Poll) ([0100]; “…To retrieve the buffered data, the wireless client device may use a power-save poll (PS-Poll) frame. After transmitting the PS-Poll frame, the client mobile station may stay awake until it receives the buffered data or until the bit for its association identifier (AID) in the Traffic Indication Map (TIM) is no longer set to "1"…”; teaches the STA receives the CF poll message indicating to respond with an uplink PS-Poll frame).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the STA receives the CF poll message indicating to respond with an uplink PS-Poll frame as taught by Kim2 with the method and device as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Kim2 and Liu, for the purpose of providing efficient polling of terminal devices in the network and controlling power consumption of the station, as suggested by Kim2.

Regarding claims 24 and 28, Gong, as modified by Kim2 and Liu, further teaches and discloses wherein the response frame includes a single bit indicating that the STA has buffered UL data and whether the buffered UL data exceeds a threshold ([0020]; [0025]; [0029]; teaches the AP receives from the STAs indication in the uplink CF-ACK that the STAs have buffered data for transmission and exceeds a threshold and then transmitting data in the UL).

Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-5, 8-11, 14, 23, 24, 27, 28, and 30 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection as necessitated by Applicant’s amendment. 

Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUK JIN KANG whose telephone number is (571) 270-1771.  The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chirag Shah can be reached on (571) 272-3144.  The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system.  Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.  Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.  For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist/customer service whose telephone number is (571) 272-2600.

/Suk Jin Kang/
Examiner, Art Unit 2477
April 5, 2025


Retrieved from "https://wikipatents.org/index.php?title=Patent_Application_16023664_Rejection&oldid=505682"
Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.