Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 12003976, I will use the information available on Google Patents, which lists the "Cited by examiner" references. The USPTO's Patent Public Search tool can also be used to search for patents and patent application publications.

Under 35 U.S.C. § 102, a patent claim is anticipated if every element of the claimed invention is found, either expressly or inherently described, in a single prior art reference that was available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. The prior art does not need to be patented, but can include prior patents, published patent applications, descriptions in printed publications, public use, or products on sale.

US patent 12003976 has a priority date of October 30, 2013, and a filing date of March 4, 2024. Therefore, prior art references with a publication or filing date before October 30, 2013, are relevant.

Here is an analysis of the prior art cited by the examiner in US Patent 12003976, focusing on those published before the priority date of October 30, 2013, and their potential to anticipate claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102:

Prior Art References and Potential Anticipation

1. US5073899A

• Full Citation: US5073899A, Transmission system for sending two signals simultaneously on the same communications channel.
• Publication Date: December 17, 1991 (Filed July 13, 1988)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a transmission system capable of sending two signals simultaneously over a single communication channel, addressing efficient use of bandwidth.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference might be considered for claims related to efficiently transmitting data streams, but its focus on a single channel for two signals may not inherently teach the virtualization and aggregation of multiple wireless transceiver resources across different frequency bands as described in claim 1 and claims dependent on it (e.g., claims 14, 18, 21, 23, 25). If the single channel could be interpreted to broadly cover a portion of a wireless transceiver's bandwidth, and the two signals analogous to data streams from different applications, then elements of Claim 1 related to satisfying bandwidth requirements through resource allocation might be considered. However, the explicit teaching of "virtual MAC and virtual PHY layers" and the dynamic allocation of portions of multiple actual physical transceivers appear to be key distinctions.

2. US5818830A

• Full Citation: US5818830A, Method and apparatus for increasing the effective bandwidth of a digital wireless network.
• Publication Date: October 6, 1998 (Filed December 29, 1995)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method and apparatus for increasing the effective bandwidth of a digital wireless network.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant due to its focus on increasing effective bandwidth in wireless networks. Depending on how it achieves this, it could potentially anticipate aspects of Claim 1, particularly the general concept of satisfying wireless bandwidth requirements. If it discloses using multiple physical layer resources to achieve this increase, it could potentially anticipate claims like Claim 1. However, the specific mechanism of using virtual MAC and PHY layers to allocate portions of actual bandwidths from different transceivers operating in different frequency bands (as in Claim 1), and the transparency to higher layers, would need to be explicitly or inherently present in this reference to constitute anticipation.

3. US20020152305A1

• Full Citation: US20020152305A1, Systems and methods for resource utilization analysis in information management environments.
• Publication Date: October 17, 2002 (Filed March 3, 2000)
• Brief Description: This application describes systems and methods for analyzing resource utilization in information management environments.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While this reference deals with "resource utilization analysis," its focus appears to be broad information management rather than specific to wireless transceiver bandwidth allocation using virtualized layers as described in US12003976. It might inherently teach the concept of evaluating available resources, an element found in Claim 1. However, without explicit or inherent disclosure of the specific architecture of virtual MAC/PHY layers, multiple transceivers, and dynamic bandwidth allocation across different frequency bands to satisfy application requirements, it is less likely to anticipate Claim 1 in its entirety.

4. US20040053602A1

• Full Citation: US20040053602A1, Low-cost interoperable wireless multi-application and messaging service.
• Publication Date: March 18, 2004 (Filed September 18, 2002)
• Brief Description: This application describes a low-cost, interoperable wireless service supporting multiple applications and messaging.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference relates to wireless networks and multiple applications, which touches on the application layer in Claim 1. However, the description lacks the explicit detail of how bandwidth is managed at the MAC/PHY layers, especially through virtualization and allocation of portions of different transceivers. The term "multi-application" implies bandwidth management, but the specific technical solution of US12003976 is unlikely to be fully disclosed.

5. US20050089064A1

• Full Citation: US20050089064A1, Method and apparatus for bandwidth request/grant protocols in a wireless communication system.
• Publication Date: April 28, 2005 (Filed May 21, 1999)
• Brief Description: This application describes methods and apparatus for bandwidth request and grant protocols in a wireless communication system.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference directly addresses "bandwidth request/grant protocols" in wireless systems. This is relevant to the "evaluates the wireless bandwidth requirement" and "bandwidth allocator to allocate" elements of Claim 1. However, similar to previous references, the crucial distinction lies in the explicit or inherent disclosure of virtual MAC/PHY layers, the allocation of portions of bandwidth from multiple physical transceivers operating in different frequency bands, and the transparency to layers above the processing interface. If this reference only describes conventional bandwidth allocation at the MAC layer, it may not fully anticipate Claim 1.

6. US20050195821A1

• Full Citation: US20050195821A1, Method and apparatus for dynamically controlling traffic in wireless station.
• Publication Date: September 8, 2005 (Filed March 3, 2004)
• Brief Description: This application describes a method and apparatus for dynamically controlling traffic in a wireless station.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): "Dynamically controlling traffic" is conceptually related to bandwidth allocation and resource management in Claim 1. The term "wireless station" could encompass a "wireless networking device." However, to anticipate Claim 1, this reference would need to specifically detail the use of virtual MAC and PHY layers to manage and allocate portions of bandwidth from multiple wireless transceivers operating in different frequency bands in a manner transparent to higher layers.

7. US20060114851A1

• Full Citation: US20060114851A1, Method and apparatus for multi-channel MAC protocol using multi-tone synchronous collision resolution.
• Publication Date: June 1, 2006 (Filed November 30, 2004)
• Brief Description: This application describes a multi-channel MAC protocol for collision resolution using multi-tone synchronization.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant as it describes a "multi-channel MAC protocol." The use of "multi-channel" and "MAC protocol" directly relates to elements in Claim 1. If this reference explicitly or inherently teaches the concept of creating virtual MAC and PHY layers, and then allocating portions of bandwidth across multiple physical transceivers (corresponding to "multi-channel") operating in different frequency bands to satisfy application requirements, it could anticipate Claim 1. The phrase "multi-tone synchronous collision resolution" might imply a level of fine-grained control over frequency resources that could be analogous to allocating "subsets of frequencies corresponding to only the given resources" as in Claim 1.

8. US20060140123A1

• Full Citation: US20060140123A1, Methods and apparatus for distributing link-state information associated with a wireless mesh network.
• Publication Date: June 29, 2006 (Filed December 29, 2004)
• Brief Description: This application describes methods and apparatus for distributing link-state information in a wireless mesh network.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is relevant to wireless networks and link information, which can inform resource availability. However, its primary focus on "distributing link-state information" does not directly disclose the core inventive concepts of US12003976, which revolve around virtualizing MAC/PHY layers and dynamically allocating bandwidth portions from multiple physical transceivers. It may provide background context for monitoring resource availability, but is unlikely to fully anticipate Claim 1.

9. US20070110198A1

• Full Citation: US20070110198A1, Variable bandwidth receiver.
• Publication Date: May 17, 2007 (Filed November 14, 2005)
• Brief Description: This application describes a receiver with variable bandwidth capabilities.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): A "variable bandwidth receiver" is relevant to the concept of flexible bandwidth utilization mentioned in US12003976. However, this reference focuses on the receiver itself, and without further details, it is unlikely to disclose the entire system described in Claim 1, particularly the virtual MAC/PHY layers, the allocation of bandwidth portions from multiple transceivers, and the transparency to higher layers.

10. US20070121573A1

• Full Citation: US20070121573A1, Hybrid system having multiple downlink channels and a single uplink channel.
• Publication Date: May 31, 2007 (Filed November 25, 2005)
• Brief Description: This application describes a hybrid system with multiple downlink channels and a single uplink channel.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference's concept of "multiple downlink channels" is somewhat related to the idea of using multiple resources for transmission. It also hints at asymmetric communication (multiple downlink, single uplink) which is explored in US12003976 (e.g., in relation to variable duplex links). However, the specific implementation of virtual MAC/PHY layers and the dynamic allocation of portions of bandwidth from different transceivers in different frequency bands transparently to higher layers (as detailed in Claim 1 and related claims like Claim 25) would need to be present in this reference to anticipate.

11. KR20070061684A

• Full Citation: KR20070061684A, Sub-media access layer device of wireless internet system and data processing method using the same.
• Publication Date: June 14, 2007 (Filed December 10, 2005)
• Brief Description: This Korean application describes a sub-media access layer device for a wireless internet system and a data processing method using it.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): The title mentions a "sub-media access layer device," which is directly related to the MAC layer concepts in US12003976. If this sub-MAC layer operates in a manner analogous to the virtual MAC layer, allocating and managing resources from multiple physical transceivers, it could be a very strong piece of prior art. The key would be whether it teaches the specific virtualization of MAC and PHY layers, the allocation of portions of bandwidth from different physical transceivers operating in different frequency bands, and the transparency aspect.

12. US20070180119A1

• Full Citation: US20070180119A1, Reliable event broadcaster with multiplexing and bandwidth control functions.
• Publication Date: August 2, 2007 (Filed January 31, 2006)
• Brief Description: This application describes a reliable event broadcaster with multiplexing and bandwidth control functions.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): "Bandwidth control functions" and "multiplexing" are relevant to managing data streams and bandwidth. This aligns with the bandwidth allocation described in Claim 1. However, it needs to explicitly or inherently disclose the virtualization of MAC/PHY layers and the allocation of portions of bandwidth across multiple transceivers in different frequency bands to anticipate the full scope of Claim 1.

13. US20070242695A1

• Full Citation: US20070242695A1, Multiple broadcast channels for wireless networks.
• Publication Date: October 18, 2007 (Filed April 18, 2006)
• Brief Description: This application describes the use of multiple broadcast channels for wireless networks.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): "Multiple broadcast channels" is directly relevant to using multiple resources in a wireless network, similar to how US12003976 uses multiple transceivers. If these channels operate in different frequency bands and the patent describes a mechanism for intelligently allocating portions of these channels (similar to portions of bandwidth) through a virtualized layer to satisfy application needs, it could potentially anticipate Claim 1.

14. US20070270121A1

• Full Citation: US20070270121A1, Method and system for establishing a channel for a wireless video area network.
• Publication Date: November 22, 2007 (Filed May 18, 2006)
• Brief Description: This application describes a method and system for establishing a channel for a wireless video area network.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While focusing on "wireless video area network" (a bandwidth-intensive application) and "establishing a channel," this reference would need to explicitly or inherently disclose the virtual MAC/PHY layer architecture and the dynamic allocation of portions of bandwidth from multiple physical transceivers operating in different frequency bands to fully anticipate Claim 1.

15. US20080002631A1

• Full Citation: US20080002631A1, System and method of operation of a communication network.
• Publication Date: January 3, 2008 (Filed June 28, 2006)
• Brief Description: This application describes a system and method for the operation of a communication network.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a broad title. To anticipate Claim 1, it would need to contain specific disclosures related to the virtualization of MAC/PHY layers, the allocation of portions of bandwidth from multiple wireless transceivers operating in different frequency bands to satisfy application requirements, and the transparent nature of this process to higher layers.

16. US20080084855A1

• Full Citation: US20080084855A1, System and method of operation of a communication network.
• Publication Date: April 10, 2008 (Filed October 5, 2006)
• Brief Description: This application also describes a system and method of operation of a communication network.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US20080002631A1, this reference has a broad title. Without detailed disclosures matching the specific elements of Claim 1 (virtual MAC/PHY, partial bandwidth allocation from multiple transceivers in different bands, transparency), it is unlikely to be a full anticipatory reference.

General Note on Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
For a reference to anticipate a claim under 35 U.S.C. § 102, it must disclose "each and every element as set forth in the claim... either expressly or inherently described, in a single prior art reference." If there are differences between the reference and the claim, the rejection would typically be based on 35 U.S.C. § 103 (obviousness), which considers whether the differences would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The key distinguishing features of Claim 1 in US12003976 appear to be the explicit introduction of virtual MAC and virtual PHY layers within the processing interface, their role in feeding back bandwidth availability, the allocation of portions of actual bandwidths to these virtual layers, the transmission using subsets of frequencies corresponding to only the available resources within an identified bandwidth portion, and the transparency to layers above the processing interface, all while using multiple wireless transceivers operating in different frequency bands. The ability for other devices to utilize the remaining portion of bandwidth simultaneously is also a critical aspect.

Many of the cited references address general concepts like increasing bandwidth, managing traffic, or using multiple channels in wireless networks. However, to anticipate Claim 1, they would need to specifically disclose the architectural elements and functional interactions related to the virtualized MAC/PHY layers and the detailed method of allocating and using fragmented, multi-transceiver, multi-band bandwidth in a transparent manner. References like US20060114851A1 ("multi-channel MAC protocol") and KR20070061684A ("Sub-media access layer device") appear to be the most conceptually aligned with the core innovation of US12003976 among the list, and a deeper analysis of their full disclosures would be necessary to determine if they explicitly or inherently meet all limitations of Claim 1.