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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 10/10/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments regarding the 103 rejection have been considered and are moot because they do not apply to the new ground of rejection in the current office action. The combination of the three references (Fehrenbach, Agiwal and Eyuboglu) teaches each and every limitations in claims 1, 11, 20. Detailed responses can be found in the rejection.
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) 1-8, 10-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fehrenbach (US 20200092685) in view of Agiwal (US 20170230941) further in view of Eyuboglu (US 11271699).
Regarding claim 20, Fehrenbach discloses a system (figs. 1-2), comprising:
a first wireless device comprising: one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors ([0785][0896]), cause the first wireless device to:
receive, from a second wireless device, at least one sidelink message comprising time domain information for:
selecting first time domain sidelink resources for transmitting, by the first wireless device to the second wireless device (fig. 2, [0166][0199], UE 11 may be configured to receive, via its second interface, scheduling request information from at least one of the Group Member UEs 12A, 12B of the UE-Group 17; a scheduling request requesting the physical resources for the UE-to-UE communication within the UE Group 17; [0484][0426]. Here, D2D communication including resource for transmitting signals between the two devices); and
transmit, to a base station, an uplink assistance information message comprising time domain information fig. 2, [0034][0166][0201], forwarding the scheduling request on a uplink control channel to the eNB. Here the scheduling request can be considered as uplink assistance information; the scheduling request seeking physical resource, which include time domain information);
the second wireless device, wherein the second wireless device comprises: one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors ([0785][0896]), cause the second wireless device to:
transmit, to the first wireless device, the at least one sidelink message comprising the one or more parameters ([0166][0199], UE 11 may be configured to receive, via its second interface, scheduling request information from at least one of the Group Member UEs 12A, 12B of the UE-Group 17, that is, one of the UE 12 transmits the request); and
the base station, wherein the base station comprises: one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors ([0785][0896]), cause the base station to:
receive, from the first wireless device, the message comprising the uplink assistance information message comprising the one or more parameters ([0180], the scheduling request information may be used by the eNB 13 to schedule sidelink or uplink transmissions).
It is common that the physical resource taught by Fehrenbach may include time interval for receiving signals. To further clarify this feature, Agiwal discloses the physical resource may include time interval for receiving signals (Agiwal, [0070], the relay UE indicates, to the remote UE, time periods in which the allocated resource pool can be used for D2D communication including reception and transmission of signals).
Agiwal also discloses receive, from a second wireless device, at least one sidelink message comprising time domain information (Agiwal, fig. 5, [0026][0032], the remote UE makes a request for D2D communication to the relay node).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the method of exchanging signals between nodes as given by Fehrenbach with the teachings of specifying a time period for communication given by Agiwal. The motivation for doing so would have been to reduce communication conflict due to UE’s receiving status.
Fehrenbach and Agiwal do not explicitly disclose
not selecting second time domain sidelink resources for transmitting, by the first wireless device to the second wireless device;
wherein the time domain information comprises a periodicity and a time offset;
Eyuboglu discloses selecting first time domain sidelink resources for transmitting, by the first wireless device to the second wireless device (Eyuboglu, col. 9, 2nd-3rd para., the time-division frame format sent by the MNC allows the radio nodes to schedule transmissions on their access links; fig. 47. That is, the radio node receives the time-division frame information, and schedule or select resource for transmission. Here, the time-division frame format can be included in the sidelink message taught by Fehrenbach and Agiwal),
not selecting second time domain sidelink resources for transmitting, by the first wireless device to the second wireless device (Eyuboglu, col. 9, 2nd-3rd para., the time-division frame format sent by the MNC instructs the first mesh node to not schedule any transmissions on its backhaul link in one group of time slots or instructs the second mesh node to not schedule any transmissions in a second group of time slots different from the first group or both; fig. 47; Here, the time-division frame format can be included in the sidelink message taught by Fehrenbach and Agiwal);
wherein the time domain information comprises a periodicity and a time offset (Eyuboglu, col. 87, each scheduling request (SR) configuration also includes an SR resource configuration, which consists of a periodicity and offset configuration that specifies the SR time occasions in slots; Here, the scheduling request resource configuration can be included in the sidelink scheduling request taught by Fehrenbach and Agiwal).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the method of exchanging signals between nodes as given by Fehrenbach with the teachings of specifying a time period for communication or not communication given by Eyuboglu. The motivation for doing so would have been to improve system efficiency by avoiding transmission in overlapping period.
Claims 1, 11 are rejected similarly as claim 20.
Regarding claims 2, 12, Fehrenbach and Agiwal disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the time domain resource information is for time domain resource allocation by the base station (Agiwal, [0070], the relay UE allocates resources from the resource pool, which has been allocated by the eNB, to the remote UE; the relay UE indicates, to the remote UE, time periods in which the allocated resource pool can be used). The motivation of the combination is same as in claim 20.
Regarding claims 3, 13, Fehrenbach, Agiwal and Eyuboglu disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the time domain resource information indicates that the at least one time interval requested by the second wireless device is for not receiving transport blocks, via the sidelink between the first wireless device and the second wireless device (Agiwal, [0061], makes a request for resources for transmission, resources are allocated by the eNB to not conflict with resources used by the remote UE for transmission/reception; Eyuboglu, col. 123, MP1 will then avoid scheduling a DL transmission on overlapping time). The motivation of the combination is same as in claim 20.
Regarding claims 4, 14, Fehrenbach and Agiwal disclose the method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the first wireless device from the base station, a resource grant indicating at least one radio resource of the sidelink, wherein a time domain resource assignment of the at least one radio resource is based on the uplink assistance information message (Agiwal, [0032-33] [0061, 68], the eNB 30 transmits an RRC connection reconfiguration message including a D2D radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) and a sidelink communication (SC) resource pool to the relay UE 20). The motivation of the combination is same as in claim 20.
Regarding claims 5, 15, Fehrenbach and Agiwal disclose the method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting, by the first wireless device to the second wireless device, a transport block via the at least one radio resource of the sidelink (Agiwal, fig 2, steps 211 and 221, §33: UE 20 receives a D2D grant for resource allocation from the eNB 30 in operation 221 and wherein the D2D resources necessarily involve a time domain allocation and is based on a previous D2D information at 211; [0070][0072], relay node allocates time resource for the request). The motivation of the combination is same as in claim 20.
Regarding claims 6, 16, Fehrenbach and Agiwal disclose the method of claim 4, wherein the resource grant comprises at least one radio resource control configuration message indicating one or more of at least one configured grant resource based on the uplink assistance information message, wherein the at least one configured grant resource comprises the at least one radio resource of the sidelink (Agiwal, fig. 2, [0033], steps 213, 217). The motivation of the combination is same as in claim 20.
Regarding claims 7, 17, Fehrenbach and Agiwal disclose the method of claim 4, wherein the resource grant comprises at least one radio resource control configuration message indicating a sidelink resource pool based on the uplink assistance information message, wherein the sidelink resource pool comprises the at least one radio resource of the sidelink (Agiwal, fig. 2, [0033], steps 213, 217). The motivation of the combination is same as in claim 20.
Regarding claims 8, 18, Fehrenbach, Agiwal and Eyuboglu disclose the method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting, by the first wireless device to the base station, a buffer status report or scheduling request, wherein the receiving the resource grant is after the transmitting the buffer status report or the scheduling request (Agiwal, [0033], the relay UE 20 transmits a D2D buffer state report (BSR) to the eNB 30 in operation 219, and receives a D2D grant for resource allocation from the eNB 30 in operation 221). The motivation of the combination is same as in claim 20.
Regarding claims 10, 19, Fehrenbach, Agiwal and Eyuboglu disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidelink message indicates at least one of:
a gap size;
a gap periodicity;
a timing offset;
an affected frequency;
an affected bandwidth;
a radio resource control state of the second wireless device;
a device identifier of the second wireless device;
a cell identifier of a serving cell of the second wireless device;
a base station identifier of a serving base station of the second wireless device;
a resource pool that the second wireless device uses (Agiwal, fig. 5, [0026][0032], the remote UE 10 makes a request for D2D communication to the relay UE 20);
an affected resource pool (Agiwal, fig. 5, [0026][0032], the remote UE 10 makes a request for D2D communication to the relay UE 20);
a preferred resource pool (Agiwal, fig. 5, [0026][0032], the remote UE 10 makes a request for D2D communication to the relay UE 20);
a zone of the second wireless device;
a synchronization reference source that the second wireless device uses for sidelink communication, the synchronization reference source comprising at least one of: a second base station; or a global navigation satellite system; priority information of the synchronization reference source at the serving cell of the second wireless device; or
a bearer identifier of a sidelink bearer.
It is noted that the applicant uses selective language in this claim and the examiner is only showing one of the claimed options. The motivation of the combination is same as in claim 20.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fehrenbach, Agiwal and Eyuboglu further in view of Chen (EP 1890442).
Regarding claim 9, Fehrenbach, Agiwal and Eyuboglu disclose the method of claim 1, further comprising
Fehrenbach, Agiwal and Eyuboglu do not explicitly disclose receiving, by the first wireless device from the base station, a radio resource control information request message for the time domain information of the second wireless device, wherein the message is based on the radio resource control information request message.
Chen discloses receiving, by the first wireless device from the base station, a radio resource control information request message for the time domain information of the second wireless device, wherein the message is based on the radio resource control information request message (Chen, fig. 3, [0042], the relay station receives the modification request message from the base station, and reply with the response (or message taught by Agiwal) to the base station, the response is based on the request message from the base station).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the method of exchanging signals between nodes as given by Fehrenbach, Agiwal and Eyuboglu with the teachings given by Chen. The motivation for doing so would have been to dynamically adjust system parameter to increase system performance (Chen, [0008]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENSHENG ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1985. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:00am-6:00pm.
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, Michael Thier can be reached on 571-272-2832. 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.
/ZHENSHENG ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474