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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed October 24, 2025, with respect to the rejection of claims 7-10 under 35 USC § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of 35 USC § 103.
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.
Claims 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (US 20220264536 A1) in view of Hong et al. (US 20220304031 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Lin et al. teaches a terminal comprising: a control unit that configures a Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) occasion for transmitting a response related to retransmission processing of terminal-to-terminal communication (Paragraph 10, Teaches the control unit configuring PSFCH for transmitting HARQ ACK/NACK feedback between terminals) to: a first slot in each of a plurality of resource pools and slots that are repeated, referring to the first slot as a starting point, in a period that is determined based on configuration information related to the terminal-to-terminal communication (Paragraph 24, Describes PSFCH occasions periodically repeating in each resource pool with a defined first-slot start and configured periodicity); and a transmitter that transmits, to another terminal, a response related to retransmission processing corresponding to data of the terminal-to-terminal received from the other terminal, in one of the slots to which the PSFCH occasion is configured (Paragraph 26, Describes the UE transmitting HARQ feedback (response to retransmission) in one of the PSFCH-configured slots), wherein the control unit configures the PSFCH occasion to a slot that is limited to be included in each of the plurality of resource pools (Paragraph 23-24, UE is configured with number of slots in a resource pool for PSFCH occasions; explicitly confined to resources of that pool), and each of the plurality of resource pools in which the PSFCH occasion is configured has a duration of 10240 milliseconds (Paragraph 24, Explicitly discloses resource pool duration of 10240 ms), wherein a duration of the period is 10240 milliseconds (Paragraph 24, Directly discloses period duration of 10240 ms).
Lin et al. does not explicitly teach and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools.
However, Hong et al. teaches and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools (Paragraph 136, 203-204, Shows slot-counting and feedback scheduling are handled per resource-pool period, where the PSFCH occasion repeats every defined interval (N slots), independently within each pool period).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools as taught by Hong et al. in the system of Lin et al., so that it would enable consistent, pool-localized feedback scheduling that aligns PSFCH repetitions with the independently repeating temporal structures of multiple resource pools and thereby maintain predictable HARQ response timing across varying sidelink configurations.
Regarding claim 8, Lin et al. teaches the terminal according to claim 7, further comprising: a receiver that receives the configuration information from a base station (Paragraph 23, 25, These describe the UE receiving higher-layer configuration parameters (sl-PSFCH-Period-r16) and instructions from the base station, showing that the terminal receives configuration information).
Regarding claim 9, Lin et al. teaches a communication system comprising: a base station; and a terminal, wherein the base station includes: a transmitter that transmits configuration information related to terminal-to-terminal communication to the terminal (Paragraph 23-25, These passages show that the base station (via higher layer signaling or configuration fields like sl-PSFCH-Period-r16) transmits configuration information to the terminal related to sidelink (terminal-to-terminal) communication), and the terminal includes: a receiver that receives the configuration information from the base station (Paragraph 23, 25, These describe the UE receiving higher-layer configuration parameters (sl-PSFCH-Period-r16) and instructions from the base station, showing that the terminal receives configuration information); a control unit that configures a Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) occasion for transmitting a response related to retransmission processing of terminal-to-terminal communication (Paragraph 24, 26, 64, The UE’s control logic configures PSFCH occasions to transmit HARQ feedback (ACK/NACK) as part of retransmission processing in terminal-to-terminal (sidelink) communication) to: a first slot in each of a plurality of resource pools and slots that are repeated, referring to the first slot as a starting point, in a period that is determined based on configuration information related to the terminal-to-terminal communication (Paragraph 24, The UE configures the PSFCH to occur in a first slot of each repeated resource pool, with the period and starting slot determined by configuration information such as sl-PSFCH-Period-r16 and T′_max); and a transmitter that transmits, to another terminal, a response related to retransmission processing corresponding to data of the terminal-to-terminal received from the other terminal, in one of the slots to which the PSFCH occasion is configured (Paragraph 26, 64, The UE transmits HARQ-ACK/NACK feedback (a retransmission response) over PSFCH slots configured for sidelink communication, corresponding to data received from another UE), wherein the control unit configures the PSFCH occasion to a slot that is limited to be included in each of the plurality of resource pools (Paragraph 23-24, These show that PSFCH occasions are configured within resource pools only, with defined slot periodicity, thereby limiting configuration to slots included in each pool), and each of the plurality of resource pools in which the PSFCH occasion is configured has a duration of 10240 milliseconds (Paragraph 24, Explicitly discloses that each resource pool has a duration of 10240 ms), wherein a duration of the period is 10240 milliseconds (Paragraph 24, Directly specifies that the PSFCH period (resource pool duration) equals 10240 ms).
Lin et al. does not explicitly teach and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools.
However, Hong et al. teaches and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools (Paragraph 136, 203-204, Shows slot-counting and feedback scheduling are handled per resource-pool period, where the PSFCH occasion repeats every defined interval (N slots), independently within each pool period).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools as taught by Hong et al. in the system of Lin et al., so that it would enable consistent, pool-localized feedback scheduling that aligns PSFCH repetitions with the independently repeating temporal structures of multiple resource pools and thereby maintain predictable HARQ response timing across varying sidelink configurations.
Regarding claim 10, Lin et al. teaches a communication method of a terminal, the communication method comprising: configuring a Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) occasion for transmitting a response related to retransmission processing of terminal-to-terminal communication (Paragraph 22, 26, 100, Teaches configuring a PSFCH resource for transmitting HARQ feedback (ACK/NACK) that corresponds to retransmission processing between terminals) to: a first slot in each of a plurality of resource pools and slots that are repeated, referring to the first slot as a starting point, in a period that is determined based on configuration information related to the terminal-to-terminal communication (Paragraph 23-24, Explicitly describes configuration of recurring PSFCH occasions in first slots of repeated resource-pool periods determined by higher-layer configuration (sl-PSFCH-Period-r16)); and transmitting, to another terminal, a response related to retransmission processing corresponding to data of the terminal-to-terminal received from the other terminal, in one of the slots to which the PSFCH occasion is configured (Paragraph 22, 26, 100, Clearly teaches the terminal transmitting a feedback (ACK/NACK) response corresponding to data received from another UE in a configured PSFCH slot), wherein the configuring includes configuring the PSFCH occasion to a slot that is limited to be included in each of the plurality of resource pools (Paragraph 23-24, 27, Shows PSFCH occasions are configured per slot within defined resource pools, teaching each configured PSFCH slot is restricted to those pools), and each of the plurality of resource pools in which the PSFCH occasion is configured has a duration of 10240 milliseconds (Paragraph 24, Explicitly states that each resource pool spans 10240 ms), wherein a duration of the period is 10240 milliseconds (Paragraph 24, Directly specifies that the PSFCH period (resource pool duration) equals 10240 ms).
Lin et al. does not explicitly teach and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools.
However, Hong et al. teaches and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools (Paragraph 136, 203-204, Shows slot-counting and feedback scheduling are handled per resource-pool period, where the PSFCH occasion repeats every defined interval (N slots), independently within each pool period).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide and counting of a number of slots for an interval of the PSFCH occasions is performed independently for each period of the plurality of resource pools as taught by Hong et al. in the system of Lin et al., so that it would enable consistent, pool-localized feedback scheduling that aligns PSFCH repetitions with the independently repeating temporal structures of multiple resource pools and thereby maintain predictable HARQ response timing across varying sidelink configurations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hahn et al. (US 12267169 B2)
Yeo et al. (US 12185355 B2)
Lee et al. (US 11870586 B2)
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 ANDREW SHAJI KURIAN whose telephone number is (703)756-1878. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-4pm.
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/ANDREW SHAJI KURIAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2464
/RICKY Q NGO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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