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 06/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant essentially argues the applied references do not teach or suggest the amended limitations.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. Please see the rejection below to see how the applied references teach the amended limitations. D2 clearly discloses a scheduling assignment (SA) carrying information indicating service related and access resource identifiers (0069). The SA is also transmitted in a synchronization signal, as required in the claims (0084).
Therefore, all the argued and claimed limitations have been met.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 29-34 and 37-48 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20150009858 A1 herein D1 in view of WO 2016144574 A1 herein D2.
Claim 29, D1 discloses a signal transmission method, comprising:
broadcasting, by a first terminal, first information on a sidelink, wherein the first information comprises a service-related identifier and [[information that indicates at least one access resource]], and wherein the first terminal is configured to provides a service corresponding to the service-related identifier (Paragraph 7 "For the discovery, a device joining in the D2D direct communication may periodically provide own device identifier information or service information to neighbor devices in a broadcasting manner."); and
receiving, by the first terminal, an access message from a second terminal [[on the at least one access resource]] (0007, request and response messaging for obtaining service information during discovery process).
D1 may not explicitly disclose wherein the service-related identifier and the information that indicates at least one access resource are carried in a synchronization signal block; messaging indicating resources.
D2 discloses wherein the service-related identifier and the information that indicates at least one access resource are carried in a synchronization signal block (0084, SA contained in the synchronization message; 0069, SA includes sender/target identifiers (e.g., identifiers that may be associated with the sender/target WTRUs of D2D transmissions within a data period identified by the SA), and/or information regarding time/frequency resources to be applied for data transmission); messaging indicating resources (Figure 6 and paragraphs 199-201: "a first WTRU 204b which receives information indicating RSL resources associated with RS D2D communication between the first WTRU 204b and a second WTRU 204a). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include resource indications in messaging as taught by D2 so as to improve overall system throughput (0144).
Claim 30, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 29. D1 may not explicitly disclose wherein the first information is carried in a synchronization signal block (SSB); or the first information is carried in a system information block (SIB), and information that indicates a resource location of the SIB is carried in [[an ]]the SSB.
D2 disclose wherein the first information is carried in a synchronization signal block (SSB); or the first information is carried in a system information block (SIB), and information that indicates a resource location of the SIB is carried in [[an ]]the SSB (0103). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include resource indications in messaging as taught by D2 so as to improve overall system throughput (0144).
Claim 31, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 30. D1 discloses wherein the SSB further comprises an identifier of the first terminal;[[ and/]]or the access message further comprises the identifier of the first terminal (0007).
Claim 32, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 29. D1 discloses wherein the method further comprises: configuring, by the first terminal for the second terminal, a transmission resource for sending data to the first terminal; and transmitting, by the first terminal, data with the second terminal on the transmission resource (0046-0048).
Claim 33, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 32. D1 discloses wherein the access message comprises an identifier of the second terminal (0007).
Claim 34, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 33. D1 discloses wherein the configuring, by the first terminal for the second terminal, a transmission resource for sending data to the first terminal comprises: sending, by the first terminal, transmission resource configuration information to the second terminal corresponding to the identifier of the second terminal, wherein the transmission resource configuration information comprises the identifier of the second terminal and information that indicates the transmission resource (0051-0054).
Claim 37, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 34. D1 may not explicitly disclose wherein the transmission resource configuration information is carried in sidelink control information (SCI).
D2 discloses wherein the transmission resource configuration information is carried in sidelink control information (SCI) (0076). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include resource indications in messaging as taught by D2 so as to improve overall system throughput (0144).
Claim 38, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 32. D1 discloses wherein the broadcasting, by a first terminal, first information on a sidelink comprises: broadcasting, by the first terminal, the first information on the sidelink when an application corresponding to the service-related identifier is started; and the transmitting, by the first terminal, data with the second terminal on the transmission resource comprises: receiving, by the first terminal, picture update information from the second terminal, and sending, by the first terminal, updated picture information to the second terminal based on the picture update information (0058).
Claim 39, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 29. D1 discloses wherein the service-related identifier broadcast by the first terminal is transferred from an upper-layer protocol layer of the first terminal (table 1).
Claim 40, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 29. D1 discloses wherein the service comprises one or more of a virtual reality (VR) game, a VR video, an augmented reality (AR) game, or an AR video.
Claim 41, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 29.
Claim 42, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 30.
Claim 43, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 31.
Claim 44, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 32.
Claim 45, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 33.
Claim 46, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 34.
Claim 49, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 29.
Claim 50, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 30.
Claim(s) 35, 36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 in view of D2 in view of US 20160337103 A1 herein D3.
Claim 35, D1 in view of D2 discloses the method according to claim 32. D1 discloses wherein the access message comprises identification information of the second terminal (0007). D1 in view of D2 may not explicitly discloses and the identification information of the second terminal is an identifier of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) sequence, and the DMRS sequence is determined based on an identifier of the second terminal; or, the identification information of the second terminal is an identifier of the DMRS sequence and a first partial identifier of the second terminal, the DMRS sequence is determined based on a second partial identifier of the second terminal, and the identifier of the second terminal comprises the first partial identifier and the second partial identifier of the second terminal.
D3 discloses and the identification information of the second terminal is an identifier of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) sequence, and the DMRS sequence is determined based on an identifier of the second terminal; or, the identification information of the second terminal is an identifier of the DMRS sequence and a first partial identifier of the second terminal, the DMRS sequence is determined based on a second partial identifier of the second terminal, and the identifier of the second terminal comprises the first partial identifier and the second partial identifier of the second terminal (0141, 0164, reception ID based on DMRS). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to include utilizing reference signals as taught by D3 so as to reduce interference (0141).
Claim 36, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 35. See D3 in 0164 for resource pattern indications.
Claim 47, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 35.
Claim 48, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 36.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20210219320 A1 - A radio device receives a first message from a further radio device. The first message indicates an intention of the further radio device to perform a device-to-device radio transmission on a set of radio resources. The radio device determines a status of the set of radio resources. In response to the first message, the radio device sends a second message comprising an indicator which indicates the determined status of the set of radio resources in terms of at least three levels.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Mehmood B. Khan whose telephone number is (571)272-9277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm.
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, Nishant Divecha can be reached on (571) 270-3125. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mehmood B. Khan/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2468
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