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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/31/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 03/10/2026 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of new ground(s).
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 of this title, 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4, 9-15, 20-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as
being unpatentable over Li et. al (US 20210219268) in view of Zhao et al. (US 20240147455).
Regarding Claim 1, Li teaches a method for wireless communication by a user equipment (Fig. 1F WTRU), the method comprising:
receiving a sidelink configuration defining a plurality of start symbols for a plurality of sidelink mini-slots within a slot (Sidelink resource pool allocation or configuration in frequency and time may also be dynamically indicated with Downlink Control Information (DCI) over Uu with network control (e.g. gNB or eNB managed resource allocation), or dynamically indicated with Sidelink Control Information (SCI) over sidelink (PC5) interface without network control (e.g. UE managed resource allocation); [0171].
Fig. 14 shows a mini-slot based scheduling configuration where the Scheduling Assignment SCI is adjacent to the NR-PSSCH carrying the data. As shown in the same slot (e.g., SL 1) SA SCI 1 is carried over a 2-symbol mini-slot NR-PSSCH1 with 1 repetition while SA SCI 2 is carried on a 6-symbol mini-slot; [0406-0407]) and
indicating a number of symbols within the slot (The starting symbol or starting mini-slot may be referenced from the system time reference point such as System Frame Number (SFN) or Direct Frame Number (DFN). For non-contiguous time allocation, the resources may be indicated by the parameters (e.g.,mini-slotstart, mini-slotlength1, mini-slotstart2, mini-slotlength2, . . . mini-slotstartN, mini-slotlengthN, etc.) {interpreted as a plurality of start symbols} for mini-slot allocation; [0162]);
using the plurality of side link mini-slots within the slot for communications; and performing the communications in the plurality of sidelink mini-slots (data request SCI (e.g. SCI2 t) optionally with a AGC signal (e.g., AGC t) from the transmitting UE is allocated in the first mini-slot of the first slot (e.g., SL1), the SA SCI (e.g. SCI2 r) is transmitted in the fourth mini-slot of the first slot (e.g., SL 1), and then the data is transmitted in the first mini-slot of the second slot (e.g., SL2), e.g., on NR-PSSCH2, with optional SCI (e.g. SCI3 t) for decoding the data. The receiving UE's HARQ ACK feedback is allocated in fourth mini-slot of the second slot; [0416]).
Li does not expressly disclose wherein each sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots within the slot comprises a first symbol configured for use in automatic gain control (AGC); using a subset of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots selected based on a start symbol and a quantity of symbols for each respective sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots within the slot for communications; and performing the communications in the subset of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots.
In an analogous art, Zhao discloses wherein each sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots within the slot comprises a first symbol configured for use in automatic gain control (AGC) (In each of the more than one mini slot, a first symbol is an AGC symbol; [0049]);
using a subset of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots (mini slot 1 (e.g. Figs. 5-6) is used for PSSCH transmission. One slot contains more than one mini slot (e.g. mini slot 1 and mini slot 2); [0049, 0057, 0062]. The subset is the mini slot (e.g. mini slot1))
selected based on a start symbol (A position of the AGC symbol can be understood as a transmission start position for sidelink transmission. PSSCH includes more than one transmission start position, i.e., sidelink resources for sidelink signal transmission include more than one transmission start position for a sidelink signal, and the sidelink signal is transmitted based on the more than one transmission start position. one mini slot includes one transmission start position of the PSSCH, i.e., a position where the AGC symbol starts; [0042-0043, 0050].
PSSCH transmission is based on the start positions AGC (start symbol) of each corresponding mini slot) and
a quantity of symbols for each respective sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots within the slot for communications (number of mini slots included in the PSSCH is determined based on the number of symbols configured to transmit the sidelink signal and the symbol length supported by the mini slots. The number of symbols for the sidelink signal may be determined by sl-LengthSymbols. For example, sl-LengthSymbols=8, and the supported mini slot length is 4 symbols, so 2 mini slots may be introduced when configuring PSSCH, that is, two positions where PSSCH transmission starts; [0051, 0057]); and
performing the communications in the subset of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots (mini slot 1 is used for PSSCH transmission as in Figs 5-6; [0057, 0062]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Zhao into the system of Li in order to introduce more than one data transmission start position in a sidelink slot, thereby increasing the probability of successful data transmission of the sidelink signal on the unlicensed frequency band (Zhao; [0047]).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Li and Zhao, particularly Li teaches wherein the sidelink configuration comprises: a first start symbol for a sidelink transmission within the slot ([0385]; The sidelink conf iguration {interpreted as the resource or scheduling allocation} where the SA SCls on PSCCH are adjacent to the associated PSSCH carrying the data in time utilizing mini-slots is shown in Fig. 14. [0407] The first start symbol on SCl1 (shown as NR-PSCCH in Fig.3) configures the associated PSSCH1 that is a low latency and high reliability periodic data transmission over a 2- symbol mini-slot with 1 repetition within the same slot (e.g., SL1)); and
a second start symbol for a sidelink transmission within the slot ([0407]; The second start symbol shown in Fig. 14 carries SCl2 and the corresponding PSSCH2 indicates a medium size low latency periodic data over a 6-symbol mini-slot within the same slot (e.g., SL1)).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Li and Zhao, particularly Li teaches wherein the first start symbol is configured at a first location within the slot ([0387-0388]; In Fig. 11, (BWP1 region with 15 kHz SCS) Slot SL1_1 shows a configuration where the first start symbol is configured and located in the first symbol (mini-slot) used for automatic gain control (AGC) for the receiver's AGC setting); and
the second start symbol is configured at a second location within the slot ([0388]; A second location within the slot SL1_1 of Fig. 11, shows the control region where SCl1 and SCl2 (PSCCH) are located in second and third symbols represent the second start symbol in that mini-slot location).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Li and Zhao, particularly Li teaches wherein the sidelink configuration comprises a sidelink symbol length parameter indicating the number of symbols within the slot ([0162]; The starting symbol or starting mini-slot may be referenced from the system time reference point such as System Frame Number (SFN) or Direct Frame Number (DFN). For non-contiguous time allocation, the resources may be indicated by the parameters (e.g.,mini-slotstart, mini-slotlength1, mini-slotstart2, mini-slotlength2, . . . mini-slotstartN, mini-slotlengthN, etc.) {interpreted as a plurality of start symbols} for mini-slot allocation).
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Li and Zhao, particularly Li teaches communicating sidelink control information over a sidelink control channel simultaneously with sidelink data over a sidelink shared channel during at least one symbol of one sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots ([0142]; A sidelink resource may be structured as a short one symbol in time domain to allow for very low latency transmissions with a short control signaling on the PSCCH. Fig. 3 (Subframe SF0) shows the SCI and the data on PSSCH utilizing Frequency Division Multiplex (FDM) over the same symbols).
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Li and Zhao, particularly Li teaches wherein the plurality of sidelink mini-slots comprises at least a first sidelink mini-slot with a first symbol length longer than a second sidelink mini-slot with a second symbol length shorter than the first symbol length ([0407]; In Fig. 14, Slot SL1 shows a first mini-slot with SCl3 that indicates a medium sized low latency triggered data (aperiodic) carried on PSSCH3 with 6 symbols. In the second mini-slot of the same slot (SL1), SCl4 indicates a very small periodic data transmission carried on PSSCH4 with 2 symbols).
Regarding Claim 11, the combination of Li and Zhao, particularly Zhao teaches wherein each respective sidelink mini-slot in the plurality of sidelink mini-slots comprises physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) symbols and physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) symbols frequency duplexed with the PSSCH symbols (In each mini slot, the first symbol is AGC, from the second symbol to the last symbol are the PSSCH/PSCCH transmission symbols, and the last symbol is GP; [0050] and Fig. 2),
Wherein a last PSSCH symbol of each respective sidelink mini-slot in the plurality of sidelink mini-slots is separated by at least one gap symbol from a first symbol of a sidelink mini-slot following the respective sidelink mini-slot, and wherein the at least one gap symbol indicates time for switching beams or communication direction ([0063-0066]; In the PSSCH structure shown in FIG. 6, due to the two PSSCH transmission positions separated by the symbols configured for AGC and GP, and no transmission of control and data information performed on the GP symbol, there are two ways of resource mapping as follows: Mode 1: the symbol of the GP is performed rate matching in resource mapping. Mode 2: the symbol of the GP is punctured).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Zhao into the system of Li in order to introduce more than one data transmission start position in a sidelink slot, thereby increasing the probability of successful data transmission of the sidelink signal on the unlicensed frequency band (Zhao; [0047]).
Regarding Claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding Claim 13, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 2.
Regarding Claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 3.
Regarding Claim 15, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 4.
Regarding Claim 20, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 9.
Regarding Claim 21, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 10.
Regarding Claim 22, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 11.
Regarding Claim 23, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding Claim 24, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 2.
Regarding Claim 25, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 3.
Regarding Claim 26, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.
Claims 5, 6, 16, 17, 27 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as
being unpatentable over Li et. al (US 20210219268) in view of Zhao et al. (US 20240147455), and in view of Huang et. al (US 20200205166).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Li and Zhao does not expressly disclose wherein the sidelink configuration comprises multiple resource pools, the multiple resource pools comprising a first resource pool configured to allow slot-based transmissions within a first quantity of sidelink mini-slots in the slot and a second resource pool configured to allow the slot-based transmissions within a second quantity of sidelink mini-slots in the slot, wherein the first quantity of sidelink mini-slots is different than the second quantity of sidelink mini-slots.
In an analogous art, Huang discloses wherein the sidelink configuration comprises multiple resource pools, the multiple resource pools comprising a first resource pool configured to allow slot-based transmissions within a first quantity of sidelink mini-slots in the slot and a second resource pool configured to allow the slot-based transmissions within a second quantity of sidelink mini-slots in the slot, wherein the first quantity of sidelink mini-slots is different than the second quantity of sidelink mini-slots (a sidelink resource pool could be configured based on a “subframe”. However, in NR, a sidelink resource pool could be configured based on a “slot” and/or based on a “mini-slot” (where a mini-slot may have a finer granularity than a slot); [0293]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the features taught by Huang into the system of Li and Zhao in order to improve efficiency and reduce power consumption by more efficiently handling sidelink feedback collision (Huang; [0439]).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Li, Huang, and Zhao, particularly Li teaches wherein the subset of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots is further based on one of the multiple resource pools (As illustrated in FIG. 5, a two-symbol mini-slot is used for the Sidelink resource structure in time (e.g., mini-slot pool) and many RBs or RBGs or Subchannel available in frequency band (e.g., RB pool, RBG pool or Subchannel pool). This allows larger granularity than symbol based allocation but finer granularity than subframe based allocation in time, which may save signaling bits for large data transmissions within a short time. Mini-slot based time allocation may be applied to both periodic and aperiodic (e.g., event triggered) transmissions; [0155]).
Regarding Claim 16, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding Claim 17, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 6.
Regarding Claim 27, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding Claim 28, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 6.
Claims 7, 18, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et. al (US 20210219268) in view of Zhao et al. (US 20240147455), and in view of Yang et. al (US 20210176747).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Li and Zhao does not explicitly teach wherein the sidelink configuration comprises a resource pool configuration, comprising: a first parameter configured to set a start symbol for each sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots within the slot; and a second parameter configured to set a number of symbols for each sidelink mini slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots within the slot.
In an analogous art, Yang teaches wherein the sidelink configuration comprises a resource pool configuration, comprising: a first parameter configured to set a start symbol for each sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots within the slot ([0134] The first parameter #k, represents the starting symbol that is obtained from the sidelink resource pool configuration {part of the sidelink configuration} as shown in Figs. SA and 8B); and
a second parameter configured to set a number of symbols for each sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots within the slot ([0136-0138] The second parameter n represents the quantity of continuous symbols {symbol length} beginning from the starting symbol #kin a slot corresponding to the slot index (SFI). n continuous symbols beginning with the symbol #k in the slot are indicated as symbols in the sidelink resource pool used for the sidelink communication).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the features taught by Yang into the system of Li and Zhao in order to enable a more flexible indication effect in combination with the existing resource configuration of the cellular link (Yang; [0129]).
Regarding Claim 18, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 7.
Regarding Claim 29, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 7.
Claims 8, 19, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et. al (US 20210219268) in view of Zhao et al. (US 20240147455), and in view of He et. al (US 20240205905).
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Li and Zhao, particularly Zhao teaches wherein each sidelink mini-slot of the plurality of sidelink mini-slots is configured with a first symbol of the sidelink mini-slot comprising a repetition of a second symbol of the sidelink mini-slot (Fig. 6, the AGC symbol; [0062]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the features taught by Zhao into the system of Li in order to introduce more than one data transmission start position in a sidelink slot, thereby increasing the probability of successful data transmission of the sidelink signal on the unlicensed frequency band (Zhao; [0047]).
The combination of Li and Zhao does not expressly disclose the first symbol configured to allow the user equipment to set a gain that maximizes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) range based on a received power of a communication signal corresponding to the mini-slot.
In an analogous art, He discloses the first symbol configured to allow the user equipment to set a gain that maximizes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) range based on a received power of a communication signal corresponding to the mini-slot (A 1.sup.st symbol (the following sequence number is a sequence number in available symbols configured for the sidelink) transmitted each time on the sidelink is an automatic gain control (automatic gain control, AGC) symbol. The AGC symbol may be used by the receiving end to adjust a parameter of an analog-to-digital converter (analog to digital converter, ADC) of the receiving end based on signal energy or power received on the entire channel, a carrier, a BWP, or a resource pool, so as to subsequently receive a control channel and a data channel; [0294]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the features taught by He into the system of Li and Zhao in order to improve a signal-to-noise ratio of the data channel and improve receiving performance of the data channel (He; [0129]).
Regarding Claim 19, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 8.
Regarding Claim 30, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth for claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Smith et al. (US 20130148589), “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESOURCE NEGOTIATION IN A DIRECT COMMUNICATION LINK NETWORK.”
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OUSSAMA ROUDANI whose telephone number is (571)272-4727. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/OUSSAMA ROUDANI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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