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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-5, 9-11, 13-18, 23-24, 32 and 34 in the reply filed on 04/29/2024 is acknowledged.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant essentially argues there is no teaching regarding a terminal device requesting for allocation of resources for sidelink CSI feedback to a base station and the base station allocating the PSSCH. Thus, the combination of D1, Li and Ji fails to disclose the request from a terminal device to a base station to allocate sidelink PSSCH for sidelink CSI feedback. Accordingly, the combination of D1, Li and Ji fails to disclose claim 1.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). In this instance D1 clearly discloses that a terminal can request a base station for allocation of a resource for CSI feedback (0046-0047) and in turn receive a resource allocation of a shared channel (0046-0047, 0051). Li discloses sidelink resources request, which is configured by a gNB (0401). Li also discloses that a shared channel is a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), the PSSCH carrying the sidelink feedback (0402). Furthermore, Ji teaches sidelink CSI feedback in a PSSCH (0032, 0046, 0063).
The references should be viewed in combination and not separately. Meaning, that the combination of the references clearly discloses the required limitations of the claims. Thus, all the claimed and argued limitations have been met.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 15-18, 32 and 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 3461201 A1 herein D1 in view of US 20210219268 A1 herein Li in view of US 20230018092 A1 herein Ji.
Claim 1, D1 discloses a method in a terminal device comprising:
transmitting, to a base station, at least one request for allocating a resource for at least one channel state information (CSI) feedback (0046-0047, request transmitted for CSI); and
receiving, from the base station, resource allocation of a shared channel in response to the at least one request (0046-0047, reception of a resource allocation; 0051, shared channel).
D1 may not disclose sidelink resource requests to a base station; a resource allocation of a sidelink shared channel, wherein the sidelink shared channel is a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH); wherein the terminal device and the base station operate with centralized resource allocation and wherein the at least one request includes a CSI specific scheduling request.
Li discloses sidelink resource request (0401, SL-CSI-RS acquisition which may be configured by a gNB and dynamically indicated by a transmitting UE via a SA SCI in slot SL1); wherein the sidelink shared channel is a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) (0402, sidelink feedback carried on a NR-PSSCH)); wherein the terminal device and the base station operate with centralized resource allocation (0003, resource allocation with network control or without network control; 0166) and wherein the at least one request includes a CSI specific scheduling request (0401, CSI request indication). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include sidelink transmissions as taught by Li so as to reduce the overhead of many-to-one CSI feedback (0404).
D1 in view of Li may not explicitly disclose scheduling request indicating a number of bits of the sidelink CSI feedback; PSSCH containing only the sidelink CSI feedback.
Ji discloses scheduling request indicating a number of bits of the sidelink CSI feedback (0042, 0047-0049, sidelink control information (SCI) contains feedback bits of CSI); PSSCH containing only the sidelink CSI feedback (0032, 0046, 0063, only the feedback bits, i.e. feedback CSI is carried in PSSCH; 0060, only the feedback bits, rather than the high-layer data or a TB, are carried in the PSSCH scheduled by the SCI). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 in view of Li to include CSI only feedback as taught by Ji so as to maintain resource utilization and frequency efficiency (0003).
Claim 2, D1 discloses the method according to claim 1. D1 discloses wherein each of the at least one request is transmitted according to a corresponding configuration of the CSI feedback (0051, PUSCH configured for the CSI feedback).
D1 may not explicitly disclose sidelink CSI feedback.
Li discloses sidelink CSI feedback (0401, SL-CSI-RS acquisition which may be configured by a gNB via a dynamically indicated by a transmitting UE via a SA SCI in slot SL1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include sidelink transmissions as taught by Li so as to reduce the overhead of many-to-one CSI feedback (0404).
Claim 3, D1 discloses the method according to claim 2. D1 discloses wherein each of the at least one request is transmitted with one of multiple predetermined resources (0003, transmission resources); and wherein each of the multiple predetermined resources indicates a corresponding configuration of the CSI feedback (0017, 0046).
D1 may not explicitly disclose sidelink CSI feedback.
Li discloses sidelink CSI feedback (0401). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include sidelink transmissions as taught by Li so as to reduce the overhead of many-to-one CSI feedback (0404).
Claim 4, D1 discloses the method according to claim 1. D1 wherein one request is transmitted for multiple CSI feedbacks (0011).
D1 may not explicitly disclose sidelink CSI feedback.
Li discloses sidelink CSI feedback (0401). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include sidelink transmissions as taught by Li so as to reduce the overhead of many-to-one CSI feedback (0404).
Claim 5, D1 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the CSI feedback is an aperiodic signaling, and the at least one request is transmitted aperiodically in response to a trigger of the CSI feedback (0003, periodic and aperiodic transmissions of CSI).
D1 may not explicitly disclose sidelink CSI feedback.
Li discloses sidelink CSI feedback (0401, SL CSI feedback in slot SL2). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include sidelink transmissions as taught by Li so as to reduce the overhead of many-to-one CSI feedback (0404).
Claim 15, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1.
Claim 16, D1 discloses the method according to claim 15. D1 disclose sending corresponding configuration of the CSI feedback to the terminal device, wherein each of the at least one request is received according to the corresponding configuration (0005, 0017).
D1 may not explicitly disclose sidelink CSI feedback.
Li discloses sidelink CSI feedback (0401, SL CSI feedback in slot SL2). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include sidelink transmissions as taught by Li so as to reduce the overhead of many-to-one CSI feedback (0404).
Claim 17, D1 discloses the method according to claim 16. D1 wherein each of the at least one request is received with one of multiple predetermined resources (0003, 0005); and wherein each of the multiple predetermined resources indicates a corresponding configuration of the CSI feedback (0049).
D1 may not explicitly disclose sidelink CSI feedback.
Li discloses sidelink CSI feedback (0401, SL CSI feedback in slot SL2). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include sidelink transmissions as taught by Li so as to reduce the overhead of many-to-one CSI feedback (0404).
Claim 18, D1 discloses the method according to claim 15. D1 discloses wherein one request is received for multiple CSI feedbacks (0023).
D1 may not explicitly disclose sidelink CSI feedback.
Li discloses sidelink CSI feedback (0401, SL CSI feedback in slot SL2). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include sidelink transmissions as taught by Li so as to reduce the overhead of many-to-one CSI feedback (0404).
Claim 32, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. D1 discloses a terminal device (0046, terminal device) comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, the at least one memory (Fig. 4B: 411 and 412) containing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to (0030, 0034).
Claim 34, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. D1 discloses a base station (0046, base station) comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory (Fig. 5A: 501, 502), the at least one memory containing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the base station to (0031, 0035):
Claim(s) 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 in view of Li in view of Ji in view of US 20140204856 A1 herein D2.
Claim 9, D1 discloses the method according to claim 1. D1 may not explicitly disclose determining a scheduling priority for the at least one CSI feedback corresponding to the at least one request; and wherein the at least one request is transmitted based on the determined scheduling priority.
D2 discloses determining a scheduling priority for the at least one CSI feedback corresponding to the at least one request (0070); and wherein the at least one request is transmitted based on the determined scheduling priority (0054). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include priorities in the CSI feedback processes as taught by D2 so as to resolve collision between various types of CSI feedbacks for the same component carriers (0054).
Claim 10, D1 in view of D2 disclose the method according to claim 9. D1 may not explicitly disclose wherein when at least one second request for allocating a resource for data and the at least one request for the CSI feedback are both transmitted, a scheduling priority for the data corresponding to the at least one second request is determined; and wherein the at least one request and the at least one second request are transmitted based on the scheduling priorities determined for the at least one CSI feedback and the data.
D2 discloses wherein when at least one second request for allocating a resource for data and the at least one request for the CSI feedback are both transmitted (0076, data transmitted on PUSCH along with other data and control signals), a scheduling priority for the data corresponding to the at least one second request is determined (0054, 0076, priorities of CSI and data transmissions); and wherein the at least one request and the at least one second request are transmitted based on the scheduling priorities determined for the at least one CSI feedback and the data (0054, 0076). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include priorities in the CSI feedback processes as taught by D2 so as to resolve collision between various types of CSI feedbacks for the same component carriers (0054).
Claim 11, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 9. D1 may not explicitly disclose wherein the scheduling priority for the CSI feedback is preconfigured as a fixed scheduling priority.
D2 discloses wherein the scheduling priority for the CSI feedback is preconfigured as a fixed scheduling priority (0054). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include priorities in the CSI feedback processes as taught by D2 so as to resolve collision between various types of CSI feedbacks for the same component carriers (0054).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20220150937 A1 - Disclosed herein are a method of controlling a plurality of antenna remote units by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system supporting sidelink, and an apparatus therefor. Disclosed herein are a method controlling a plurality of antenna remote units by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system supporting sidelink including determining a first time interval based on channel state estimation capability or decoding capability, transmitting a control signal to each of the plurality of antenna remote units based on the first time interval, and performing channel state estimation or signal decoding based on a plurality of signals respectively received by the plurality of antenna remote units, wherein the control signal comprises control information indicating fixing of voltage gain of each of the plurality of antenna remote units during the first time interval, and an apparatus therefor.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mehmood B. Khan whose telephone number is (571)272-9277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm. 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, Lester G. Kincaid can be reached on (571)272-7922. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Mehmood B. Khan/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2468
Prosecution Insights