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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/07/2022 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
In event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1 and 14 - 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ryu et al, (U.S. PGPub 2022/0407634), Ryu hereinafter, in view of Huang et al. (U.S. PGPub 2021/0007096), Huang hereinafter and further in view of He et al. (U.S. PGPub 2020/0344722), He hereinafter.
Regarding Claim 1, Ryu teaches a method for performing, by a first apparatus, wireless communication, the method comprising: receiving a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) from a second apparatus; (fig. 4 and paragraphs 0128 to 0136 discloses sidelink configuration with PSCCH)
receiving a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) related to the PSCCH from the second apparatus; (fig. 4 and paragraphs 0128 to 0136 discloses sidelink configuration with PSSCH related to PSCCH from another UE)
determining a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resource related to the PSSCH, based on an index of a slot related to the PSSCH and an index of a subchannel related to the PSSCH; and (fig. 4 and paragraphs 0128 to 0136 discloses sidelink configuration with PSFCH and PSSCH related to PSCCH from another UE)
transmitting hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information for the PSSCH to the second apparatus on the PSFCH resource, (paragraph 0178 - '[0178] Referring to FIG. 8A, ... A V2X reception UE may transmit HARQ-ACK/NACK information based on such information to a V2X transmission UE via PSFCH from a slot where PSFCH is present.)
wherein the PSSCH is received on a first slot which is the Nth slot, (paragraph [0251] In FIG. 13B, frequency resource indexes of a first slot where PSCCH or PSSCH is received are first sequentially mapped to a start index of a PSFCH frequency resource, and then frequency resource indexes of a next slot are sequentially mapped to the start index of the PSFCH frequency resource. However, in FIG. 13C, indexes of first frequency resources of slots where PSCCH or PSSCH is received are first mapped to a start index of a PSFCH frequency resource, and then next frequency resources are sequentially mapped. A mapping structure of FIG. 13C is different from that of FIG. 13B, but PSFCH frequency resources may be insufficient as in FIG. 13B.)
Yet, Ryu does not expressly teach wherein the HARQ feedback information is transmitted on a second slot which includes the PSFCH resource, among the N+Kth slot and slots after the N+Kth slot, wherein the N value and the K value are zero or positive integers, and wherein the K value is configured based on at least one of a PSCCH resource, a PSSCH resource, or the PSFCH resource, configured for a resource pool.
However, in the analogous art, Huang explicitly discloses wherein the HARQ feedback information is transmitted on a second slot which includes the PSFCH resource, among the N+Kth slot and slots after the N+Kth slot, (paragraph 0270 - For a PSSCH transmission with its last symbol in slot n, when the corresponding HARQ feedback is due for transmission, it is expected to be in slot n+a where a is the smallest integer larger than or equal to K with the condition that slot n+a contains PSFCH resources.)
wherein the N value and the K value are zero or positive integers, and (paragraph 0270 - For a PSSCH transmission with its last symbol in slot n, when the corresponding HARQ feedback is due for transmission, it is expected to be in slot n+a where a is the smallest integer larger than or equal to K with the condition that slot n+a contains PSFCH resources.)
wherein the K value is configured based on at least one of a PSCCH resource, a PSSCH resource, or the PSFCH resource, configured for a resource pool (paragraph 0270 - For a PSSCH transmission with its last symbol in slot n, when the corresponding HARQ feedback is due for transmission, it is expected to be in slot n+a where a is the smallest integer larger than or equal to K with the condition that slot n+a contains PSFCH resources.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Ryu’s Resource allocation method and apparatus in wireless communication system to include Huang's PSFCH HARQ feedback for better throughput.
Yet Ryu in view of Huang does not expressly teach wherein the HARQ feedback information is transmitted on a second slot.
However, in the analogous art, He explicitly discloses wherein the HARQ feedback information is transmitted on a second slot (paragraph 0407 - In operation 3630, the UE 116 determines a second slot as an earliest slot with resources for transmission of a PSFCH that is after the first slot by a number of slots equal to the slot offset value. The PSFCH can include the HARQ-ACK information that is in response to reception of the TB. In operation 3640, the UE 116 transmits the PSFCH in the second slot.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Ryu’s Resource allocation method and apparatus in wireless communication system to include He's PSFCH HARQ-ACK information to achieve more reliable communication.
Regarding Claims 14 - 20, Ryu teaches an apparatus configured to control a second user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories operably connectable to the one or more processors and storing instructions, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to: (fig. 24, fig. 25, fig. 26 and paragraphs 0460 and 0465 - [0460] … The controller 2520 may include at least one processor. The controller 2520 may include a plurality of processors and may execute the program stored in the storage 2530 to control a resource allocation method of a feedback channel …)
transmit a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) to a first UE; (fig. 4 and paragraphs 0128 to 0136 discloses sidelink configuration with PSCCH)
transmit a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) related to the PSCCH to the first UE; (fig. 4 and paragraphs 0128 to 0136 discloses sidelink configuration with PSSCH related to PSCCH from another UE)
determine a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resource related to the PSSCH, based on an index of a slot related to the PSSCH and an index of a subchannel related to the PSSCH; and (fig. 4 and paragraphs 0128 to 0136 discloses sidelink configuration with PSFCH and PSSCH related to PSCCH from another UE)
receive hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information for the PSSCH from the first UE on the PSFCH resource, (paragraph 0178 - '[0178] Referring to FIG. 8A, ... A V2X reception UE may transmit HARQ-ACK/NACK information based on such information to a V2X transmission UE via PSFCH from a slot where PSFCH is present.)
wherein the PSSCH is received on a first slot which is the Nth slot, (paragraph [0251] In FIG. 13B, frequency resource indexes of a first slot where PSCCH or PSSCH is received are first sequentially mapped to a start index of a PSFCH frequency resource, and then frequency resource indexes of a next slot are sequentially mapped to the start index of the PSFCH frequency resource. However, in FIG. 13C, indexes of first frequency resources of slots where PSCCH or PSSCH is received are first mapped to a start index of a PSFCH frequency resource, and then next frequency resources are sequentially mapped. A mapping structure of FIG. 13C is different from that of FIG. 13B, but PSFCH frequency resources may be insufficient as in FIG. 13B.)
Yet, Ryu does not expressly teach wherein the HARQ feedback information is transmitted on a second slot which includes the PSFCH resource, among the N+Kth slot and slots after the N+Kth slot, wherein the N value and the K value are zero or positive integers, and wherein the K value is configured based on at least one of a PSCCH resource, a PSSCH resource, or the PSFCH resource, configured for a resource pool.
However, in the analogous art, Huang explicitly discloses wherein the HARQ feedback information is transmitted on a second slot which includes the PSFCH resource, among the N+Kth slot and slots after the N+Kth slot, (paragraph 0270 - For a PSSCH transmission with its last symbol in slot n, when the corresponding HARQ feedback is due for transmission, it is expected to be in slot n+a where a is the smallest integer larger than or equal to K with the condition that slot n+a contains PSFCH resources.)
wherein the N value and the K value are zero or positive integers, and (paragraph 0270 - For a PSSCH transmission with its last symbol in slot n, when the corresponding HARQ feedback is due for transmission, it is expected to be in slot n+a where a is the smallest integer larger than or equal to K with the condition that slot n+a contains PSFCH resources.)
wherein the K value is configured based on at least one of a PSCCH resource, a PSSCH resource, or the PSFCH resource, configured for a resource pool (paragraph 0270 - For a PSSCH transmission with its last symbol in slot n, when the corresponding HARQ feedback is due for transmission, it is expected to be in slot n+a where a is the smallest integer larger than or equal to K with the condition that slot n+a contains PSFCH resources.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Ryu’s Resource allocation method and apparatus in wireless communication system to include Huang's PSFCH HARQ feedback for better throughput.
Yet Ryu in view of Huang does not expressly teach wherein the HARQ feedback information is transmitted on a second slot.
However, in the analogous art, He explicitly discloses wherein the HARQ feedback information is transmitted on a second slot (paragraph 0407 - In operation 3630, the UE 116 determines a second slot as an earliest slot with resources for transmission of a PSFCH that is after the first slot by a number of slots equal to the slot offset value. The PSFCH can include the HARQ-ACK information that is in response to reception of the TB. In operation 3640, the UE 116 transmits the PSFCH in the second slot.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Ryu’s Resource allocation method and apparatus in wireless communication system to include He's PSFCH HARQ-ACK information to achieve more reliable communication.
Claims 2, 3 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ryu et al, (U.S. PGPub 2022/0407634), Ryu hereinafter, in view of Huang et al. (U.S. PGPub 2021/0007096), Huang hereinafter and further in view of He et al. (U.S. PGPub 2020/0344722), He hereinafter and further in view of Huawei 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #96 R1-1903071 Design and contents of PSCCH and PSFCH, hereinafter Huawei.
Regarding Claim 2, Ryu in view of Huang and further in view of He teaches Claim 1.
Yet, Ryu in view of Huang and further in view of He does not expressly teach wherein a K value configured in a case in which the number of symbols of the PSCCH resource is large is greater than a K value configured in a case in which the number of symbols of the PSCCH resource is small.
However, in the analogous art, Huawei explicitly discloses wherein a K value configured in a case in which the number of symbols of the PSCCH resource is large is greater than a K value configured in a case in which the number of symbols of the PSCCH resource is small (Figure 1 - Example of collision due to the PSSCH-to-HARQ feedback timing). It can be seen from the figure that collision can be avoided by making the K or time gap longer)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Ryu’s Resource allocation method and apparatus in wireless communication system to include Huawei's PSCCH and PSFCH design and content to achieve more reliable communication.
Regarding Claim 3, Ryu in view of Huang and further in view of He and further in view of Huawei teaches Claim 2.
Huawei further teaches wherein the number of symbols of the PSCCH resource is configured per resource pool (section 3.3 … the timing relationship between long PSFCH format and corresponding PSSCH can be configured/pre-configured, as in Figure 6, where x can be (pre-)configured on a per resource basis, to avoid collisions. )
Regarding Claim 13, Ryu in view of Huang and further in view of He teaches Claim 1.
Yet, Ryu in view of Huang and further in view of He does not expressly teach wherein the K value is configured based on at least one of a resource pool, a service type, a service priority, or a cast type.
However, in the analogous art, Huawei explicitly discloses wherein the K value is configured based on at least one of a resource pool, a service type, a service priority, or a cast type (Section 3.3 … 'In this case, the timing relationship between long PSFCH format and corresponding PSSCH can be configured/pre-configured, as in Figure 6, where x can be (pre-)configured on a per resource basis, …)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Ryu’s Resource allocation method and apparatus in wireless communication system to include Huawei's PSCCH and PSFCH design and content to achieve more reliable communication.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 - 12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. This includes:
U.S. PGPUB 2022/0346118 which describes resource allocation and a power control method for sidelink communication system
U.S. PGPUB 2021/0014831 which describes apparatus and method for selecting resources in wireless communication system
U.S. PGPUB 2022/0110076 which describes communication system and communication terminal
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/A.L.O./Examiner, Art Unit 2472
/NICHOLAS A JENSEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2472