DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 08/06/2026 has been entered. Claim(s) 5 have been amended; Claim(s) 2-4, 6-9, and 11 have been canceled; Claim(s) 12 have been added. Claim(s) 1, 5, 10, and 12 are subject to 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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 5, 10, and 12 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 10, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over XI et al. (US 20200287654 A1) (see 892 10/24/2025), hereby referred to as XI, in view of GULATI et al. (US 20180324010 A1) (see IDS 09/27/2021), hereby referred to as GULATI, and YE et al. (US 20200053835 A1) (see 892 10/24/2025), hereby referred to as YE.
Claim 1:
XI teaches A terminal comprising: a control unit configured to determine a modulation order and a target code rate (XI: para 209 (“One or more MCS tables…may include entries with a modulation order…first code rate (e.g., a highest code rate…a lowest code rate…”)) used for transmission of a sidelink channel using an MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) table (XI: para 209 (“One or more MCS tables (e.g., MCS table 1 and MCS table 3) may include entries with a modulation order (e.g., a highest modulation order) of 64QAM.”) and para 227 (“An MCS table selection may be indicated…for example in Sidelink Control Information…If the bit field in SCI…is 0, MCS table 1 may be selected. If the bit field in SCI…is not 0, an MCS table for the SL (e.g., MCS table 3) may be selected.”) wherein an MCS table for determining a modulation order is selected for sidelink) and an MCS index (XI: para 209 (“One or more MCS tables…may include entries with a modulation order…first code rate (e.g., a highest code rate…a lowest code rate…”) and para 232 (“A set of identified entries…MCS index…”) wherein MCS table entries are indexed); and a transmission unit configured to transmit the sidelink channel, based on the determined modulation order (XI: para 227 (“…MCS table for the SL (e.g., MCS table 3) may be selected…”) wherein SL transmission is performed based on selected MCS table/modulation order), wherein the control unit configures the MCS table, wherein the MCS table is one of MCS tables available for physical downlink shared channel transmission and reused for the sidelink channel (XI: para 212 (“A WTRU may be configured with a selection of…MCS table 1, which may be configured through RRC signaling…”mcs-table” parameter in the “PDSCH-config” IE set to MCS table 1…configured with an additional RNTI…may indicate a change from the first MCS table…to a second MCS table (e.g., MCS table 2)…”) wherein Table 1 and Table 3 are also used for PDSCH), wherein the control unit configures a plurality of MCS tables from among the MCS tables available for the physical downlink shared channel transmission (XI: para 209 (“…there may be multiple MCS tables…MCS table 1, MCS table 2, and MCS table 3…PDSCH-config…”) wherein there are a plurality of MCS tables available for PDSCH) and the transmission unit indicates, to another terminal via control information, one of the configured plurality of MCS tables, and wherein the control information is an SCI (Sidelink Control Information) format (XI: para 227 (“An MCS table selection may be indicated…for example in Sidelink Control Information…”) wherein MCS tables are indicated in sidelink to another terminal via SCI).
However, XI does not explicitly disclose physical sidelink shared channel and wherein the control unit configures the MCS table for each sidelink resource pool based on an upper-layer parameter that indicates additional MCS tables used in the sidelink resource pool.
GULATI, in the same field of endeavor, teaches physical sidelink shared channel (GULATI: para 44-46 (“…for a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH)…using an additional MCS table such that a device can switch from 16 QAM to 64 QAM…Thus, two tables as set forth below (Table 2 and Table 3) may be used by transmitting devices (e.g., UEs)…”)) and wherein the control unit configures the MCS table based on an upper-layer parameter that indicates additional MCS tables used in the sidelink resource pool (GULAIT: Table 5, para 48 (“…providing a device (e.g., a UE) with a configuration…RRC…indicative of the corresponding MCS minimum and maximum limits to be used for the two MCS mapping table…”), and para 51 (“…since a Rel.-15 UE could use either of the two MCS tables (e.g., Table 2 and Table 3…), a configuration is provided for each of the MCS tables as shown in Table 5 below.”) wherein the upper layer parameter is the RRC configuration indicating the additional MCS table for the UE to use).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have modified XI with GULATI, the combination hereby referred to as XI-GULATI, for the benefit of improving wireless communication performances (GULATI: para 4).
However, XI-GUALTI does not explicitly disclose for each sidelink resource pool.
YE, in the same field of endeavor, teaches configuring the MCS table for each sidelink resource pool (YE: para 155-157 (“…the MCS table selection and MCS index selection may be indicated to the receiving WTRU via explicit SCI contents from the transmitting WTRU…MCS table selection can indicated in association (e.g., by) the communication resource pools.”) wherein MCS tables are configured for resource pools for sidelink communication).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have modified XI-GULATI with YE for the benefit of flexibility and efficient scheduling (YE: para 2 and para 110).
Claim 5:
XI teaches a communication method of a terminal. For further limitations, see rejection for claim 1 above.
Claim 10:
XI teaches a communication system comprising: a first terminal; and a second terminal (XI: para 227 sidelink procedures), wherein the first terminal includes: a control unit configured to determine a modulation order and a target code rate (XI: para 209 (“One or more MCS tables…may include entries with a modulation order…first code rate (e.g., a highest code rate…a lowest code rate…”)) used for transmission of a sidelink channel using an MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) table (XI: para 209 (“One or more MCS tables (e.g., MCS table 1 and MCS table 3) may include entries with a modulation order (e.g., a highest modulation order) of 64QAM.”) and para 227 (“An MCS table selection may be indicated…for example in Sidelink Control Information…If the bit field in SCI…is 0, MCS table 1 may be selected. If the bit field in SCI…is not 0, an MCS table for the SL (e.g., MCS table 3) may be selected.”) wherein an MCS table for determining a modulation order is selected for sidelink and indicated from one terminal to another in SCI) and an MCS index (XI: para 209 (“One or more MCS tables…may include entries with a modulation order…first code rate (e.g., a highest code rate…a lowest code rate…”) and para 232 (“A set of identified entries…MCS index…”) wherein MCS table entries are indexed); and a transmission unit configured to transmit the sidelink channel to the second terminal, based on the determined modulation order (XI: para 227 (“…MCS table for the SL (e.g., MCS table 3) may be selected…”) wherein SL transmission is performed based on selected MCS table/modulation order), wherein the control unit configures the MCS table, wherein the MCS table is one of MCS tables available for physical downlink shared channel transmission and reused for the physical sidelink shared channel (XI: para 212 (“A WTRU may be configured with a selection of…MAC table 1, which may be configured through RRC signaling…”mcs-table” parameter in the “PDSCH-config” IE set to MCS table 1…configured with an additional RNTI…may indicate a change from the first MCS table…to a second MCS table (e.g., MCS table 2)…”) wherein Table 1 and Table 3 are also used for PDSCH), wherein the control unit configures a plurality of MCS tables from among the MCS tables available for the physical downlink shared channel transmission and the transmission unit indicates, to another terminal via control information, one of the configured plurality of MCS tables (XI: para 209 (“…there may be multiple MCS tables…MCS table 1, MCS table 2, and MCS table 3…PDSCH-config…”) wherein there are a plurality of MCS tables available for PDSCH), and wherein the control information is an SCI (Sidelink Control Information) format (XI: para 227 (“An MCS table selection may be indicated…for example in Sidelink Control Information…”) wherein MCS tables are indicated in sidelink to another terminal via SCI).
However, XI does not explicitly disclose physical sidelink shared channel, and configuring the MCS table for each sidelink resource pool based on an upper-layer parameter than indicates additional MCS tables used in the sidelink resource pool, and the second terminal includes: a control unit configured to determine the modulation order using the MCS table; and a reception unit configured to receive the physical sidelink shared channel from the first terminal, based on the determined modulation order.
GULATI, in the same field of endeavor, teaches physical sidelink shared channel (GULATI: para 44-46 (“…for a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH)…using an additional MCS table such that a device can switch from 16 QAM to 64 QAM…Thus, two tables as set forth below (Table 2 and Table 3) may be used by transmitting devices (e.g., UEs)…”)); wherein the control unit configures the MCS table based on an upper-layer parameter that indicates additional MCS tables used in the sidelink resource pool (GULAIT: Table 5, para 48 (“…providing a device (e.g., a UE) with a configuration…RRC…indicative of the corresponding MCS minimum and maximum limits to be used for the two MCS mapping table…”), and para 51 (“…since a Rel.-15 UE could use either of the two MCS tables (e.g., Table 2 and Table 3…), a configuration is provided for each of the MCS tables as shown in Table 5 below.”) wherein the upper layer parameter is the RRC configuration indicating the additional MCS table for the UE to use).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have modified XI with GULATI, the combination hereby referred to as XI-GULATI, for the benefit of improving wireless communication performances (GULATI: para 4).
However, XI-GUALTI does not explicitly disclose for each sidelink resource pool, and the second terminal includes: a control unit configured to determine the modulation order using the MCS table; and a reception unit configured to receive the physical sidelink shared channel from the first terminal, based on the determined modulation order.
YE, in the same field of endeavor, teaches configuring the MCS table for each sidelink resource pool (YE: para 155-157 (“…the MCS table selection and MCS index selection may be indicated to the receiving WTRU via explicit SCI contents from the transmitting WTRU…MCS table selection can indicated in association (e.g., by) the communication resource pools.”) wherein MCS tables are configured for resource pools for sidelink communication); and the second terminal includes: a control unit configured to determine the modulation order using the MCS table (YE: para 155-157 (“…the MCS table selection and MCS index selection may be indicated to the receiving WTRU via explicit SCI contents from the transmitting WTRU…”) wherein MCS index is used to access MCS table to find modulation order and TBS index); and a reception unit configured to receive the physical sidelink shared channel from the first terminal, based on the determined modulation order (YE: para 150-157 (“…the MCS table selection and MCS index selection may be indicated to the receiving WTRU via explicit SCI contents from the transmitting WTRU…”) wherein MCS index is used to access MCS table to find modulation order and TBS index for receiving PSSCH).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have modified XI-GULATI with YE for the benefit of flexibility and efficient scheduling (YE: para 2 and para 110).
Claim 12:
XI-GULATI-YE teaches the terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit configures a plurality of MCS tables for each sidelink resource pool base don an upper-layer parameter than indicates additional MCS tables used in the sidelink resource pool (GULAIT: Table 5, para 48 (“…providing a device (e.g., a UE) with a configuration…RRC…indicative of the corresponding MCS minimum and maximum limits to be used for the two MCS mapping table…”), and para 51 (“…since a Rel.-15 UE could use either of the two MCS tables (e.g., Table 2 and Table 3…), a configuration is provided for each of the MCS tables as shown in Table 5 below.”) wherein the upper layer parameter is the RRC configuration indicating the additional MCS table for the UE to configure for a resource pool) (YE: para 155-157 (“…the MCS table selection and MCS index selection may be indicated to the receiving WTRU via explicit SCI contents from the transmitting WTRU…MCS table selection can indicated in association (e.g., by) the communication resource pools.”) wherein MCS tables are configured for each resource pool of a plurality of resource pools for sidelink communication).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have modified XI with GULATI and YE for the benefit of improving wireless communication performances (GULATI: para 4); flexible efficient scheduling (YE: para 2 and para 110).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
PARK et al. (US 20240389115 A1) teaches a 1–2-bit Additional MCS table indicator within SCI (para 104).
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/A.T.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2416
/NOEL R BEHARRY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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