Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 17/960,620

INFORMATION SENDING METHOD, INFORMATION RECEIVING METHOD, AND RELATED APPARATUS AND DEVICE

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Oct 05, 2022
Examiner
LEE, SANG CHEON
Art Unit
2467
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
OA Round
4 (Final)
40%
Grant Probability
Moderate
5-6
OA Rounds
3y 5m
To Grant
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 40% of resolved cases
40%
Career Allow Rate
10 granted / 25 resolved
-18.0% vs TC avg
Strong +50% interview lift
Without
With
+50.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 5m
Avg Prosecution
59 currently pending
Career history
84
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.4%
-39.6% vs TC avg
§103
77.0%
+37.0% vs TC avg
§102
17.4%
-22.6% vs TC avg
§112
4.3%
-35.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 25 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
DETAILED ACTION The following is a final office action in response to applicant’s remarks/arguments 12/31/2025 for response of the office action mailed on 10/02/2025. Claims 1, 5, 9, and 13 have been amended. Claims 1-2, 5-6, 9-10, and 13-14 remain pending in the application. 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 Remarks/Arguments Applicant’s remarks/arguments (page 8-13), filed on 12/31/2025, with respect to the 103 rejections of claim 1 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding remarks in page 10 for independent claim 1, applicant asserts that “Guo is totally silent about a "first duration" and how to determine the first duration, as claimed. The Office asserts that Guo discloses the first duration. Applicant respectfully disagrees and submits that Guo merely discloses a resource pool includes an index of a starting symbol for a sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resource and the number of symbol for PSSCH channel resource”. Examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant. The first duration in claim 1 is a time value. This first duration is different from "time period K" and not related to "End moment of receiving the HARQ feedback information" and "Start moment of sending PUCCH/PUSCH". The duration time is defined in the 3GPP: Page 73~74 (Paragraph 5.3) related to the PUCCH (which carries the HARQ-ACK information) start time. If the first uplink symbol of the PUCCH which carries the HARQ-ACK information starts no earlier than at symbol L1, then the UE shall provide a valid HARQ-ACK message. 3GPP: Page 73~74 (Paragraph 5.3) Regarding remarks in page 10 for independent claim 1, applicant asserts that “as recited in the claim 1, a duration between a start moment of sending the PUCCH or the PUSCH and the end moment of receiving the HARQ feedback information is a time period K, where the time period K is not less than a first duration. Guo merely mentions the starting symbol for PSFCH, and Guo is totally silent about the end moment of receiving the HARQ feedback information, as claimed. Therefore, in Guo, there is no concept of a duration between an end moment of receiving any sort of signaling before a start moment of sending the PUCCH or the PUSCH, as claimed”. Yi (US 2021/0105126 Al) discloses (A base station may configure non-overlapping resources (e.g., time resources) for transmission of feedback messages (e.g., HARQ-ACK transmissions) for uplink/downlink communications and sidelink communications. The base station may configure an offset (e.g.,a time offset), from the first set of PUCCH resources. The SL DCI 1920 may indicate a timing offset (e.g., or a timing information) that may be used, by the first wireless device 1908-1, to determine a time of a HARQ-ACK feedback (e.g., SL HARQ-ACK feedback 1944) corresponding to the resource assignment for the one or more sidelink cells. The SL DCI 1920 may comprise a third timing which indicates a time for reception, at the first wireless device 1908-1, of a PSFCH transmission 1936 from a second wireless device 1908-2 (e.g., UE2, SL Rx). Yi: Fig.19-20, [0231]-[0233], [0257]-[0258]). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 In the 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 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. 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 1-2, 5-6, 9-10, and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUO (US 2020/0029318 Al, hereinafter “Guo”) in view of 3GPP TS 38.214 V15.5.0 (2019-03) (Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for data (Release 15), hereafter “3GPP”) and in further view of Yi et al. (US 2021/0105126 Al, hereinafter “Yi”). Regarding claim 1, Guo disclose: A method, comprising: receiving hybrid automatic repeat request (HARO) feedback information for sidelink data, wherein the HARO feedback information is carried on a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) (UE can choose one PSFCH subchannel to transmit sidelink feedback information (for example ACK/NACK for adaptive HARQ). the UE transmits, to the other UE, a signal via a physical sidelink control channel/physical sidelink shared channel (PSCCH/PSSCH) based on the identified resources and receives, from the other UE, the HARQ response for a PSSCH transmission via a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), Guo: [0170], [0526]); and after an end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information, sending a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), wherein the PUCCH or the PUSCH carries the HARQ feedback information (When the receiver UE receives the SCI element from PSCCH, the receiver UE can decode the PSSCH according to the scheduling information in the received SCI and UE transmits, to the BS, the HARQ response of the sidelink via physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources. UE transmits, to the other UE, a signal via a physical sidelink control channel/physical sidelink shared channel (PSCCH/PSSCH) based on the identified resources and receives, from the other UE, the HARQ response for a PSSCH transmission via a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), Guo: [0284], [363], [525]-[526]), wherein the quantity of symbols N1 satisfies: the subcarrier spacing is 15kHz, and the quantity of symbols N1 is 14 (subcarrier spacing for OFDM or DFT-S-OFDM is used in that sidelink, the value can be 15KHz. In every consecutive 14 OFDM symbols can formulate one slot. for a subcarrier spacing 15KHz, one slot is equal to 1ms in time, Guo: [0128], [0166], [0219]), or Guo does not explicitly disclose: the time period K is not less than a first duration, and the first duration satisfies the following relationship: T1 = (N1 + X)(2048 + 144) • k2-μ • Tc, wherein T1 is the first duration, the value of X is 1 or 2, Tc is a basic time unit for new radio (NR), k is a ratio of Ts to Tc , Ts is a basic time unit for long term evolution (LTE), and μ is a subcarrier spacing, and N1 is a quantity of symbols that is related to the subcarrier spacing, and However, in the same field of endeavor, 3GPP teaches: the time period K is not less than a first duration, and the first duration satisfies the following relationship: T1 = (N1 + X)(2048 + 144) • k2-μ • Tc, wherein T1 is the first duration, the value of X is 1 or 2, Tc is a basic time unit for new radio (NR), k is a ratio of Ts to Tc , Ts is a basic time unit for long term evolution (LTE), and μ is a subcarrier spacing, and N1 is a quantity of symbols that is related to the subcarrier spacing (If the first uplink symbol of the PUCCH which carries the HARQ-ACK information, as defined by the assigned HARQ-ACK timing K1 and the PUCCH resource to be used and including the effect of the timing advance, starts no earlier than at symbol L1, where L1 is defined as the next uplink symbol with its CP starting after, PNG media_image1.png 37 354 media_image1.png Greyscale after the end of the last symbol of the PDSCH carrying the TB being acknowledged, then the UE shall provide a valid HARQ-ACK message), and Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guo in view of 3GPP in order to further modify the time period K which is not less than a first duration and the first duration from the teachings of 3GPP. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because the first uplink symbol which carries the HARQ-ACK information further includes the effect of timing difference between the component carriers (3GPP: Page 74, Line 1-3). Yet, Guo in view of 3GPP does not explicitly disclose: a duration between a start moment of sending the PUCCH or the PUSCH and the end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information is a time period K, However, in the same field of endeavor, Yi teaches: a duration between a start moment of sending the PUCCH or the PUSCH and the end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information is a time period K (A base station may configure non-overlapping resources (e.g., time resources) for transmission of feedback messages (e.g., HARQ-ACK transmissions) for uplink/downlink communications and sidelink communications. The base station may configure an offset (e.g., a time offset), from the first set of PUCCH resources. The SL DCI 1920 may indicate a timing offset (e.g., or a timing information) that may be used, by the first wireless device 1908-1, to determine a time of a HARQ-ACK feedback (e.g., SL HARQ-ACK feedback 1944) corresponding to the resource assignment for the one or more sidelink cells. The SL DCI 1920 may comprise a third timing which indicates a time for reception, at the first wireless device 1908-1, of a PSFCH transmission 1936 from a second wireless device 1908-2 (e.g., UE2, SL Rx). Yi: Fig.19-20, [0231]-[0233], [0257]-[0258]), Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guo and 3GPP in view of Yi in order to further modify a duration between a start moment of sending the PUCCH or the PUSCH and the end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information is a time period K from the teachings of Yi. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it may enable efficient scheduling of resources for acknowledgment feedbacks and reduce probability of collisions between different acknowledgment feedbacks (Yi: [0004]). Regarding claim 5, Guo disclose: A method, comprising: receiving a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) not earlier than a first moment, wherein the PUCCH or the PUSCH carries hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) information, the first moment is after an end moment of receiving a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) by a terminal device (When the receiver UE receives the SCI element from PSCCH, the receiver UE can decode the PSSCH according to the scheduling information in the received SCI and UE transmits, to the BS, the HARQ response of the sidelink via physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources. UE transmits, to the other UE, a signal via a physical sidelink control channel/physical sidelink shared channel (PSCCH/PSSCH) based on the identified resources and receives, from the other UE, the HARQ response for a PSSCH transmission via a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), Guo: [0284], [363], [525]-[526]), wherein the PUCCH or the PUSCH carries the HARO feedback information, the start moment of receiving the PUCCH or the PUSCH is after the end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information by the terminal device (The resource pool can include the index of starting symbol for sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resource. resource pool can include the index of starting symbol for sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resource and the number of symbol for PSSCH channel resource and the frequency domain location for PSFCH channel resource including the starting index of resource block and number resource blocks. the number of subchannel for PSFCH may be provided, Guo: [148], [0154]-[0155]), wherein the quantity of symbols N1 satisfies: the subcarrier spacing is 15kHz, the quantity of symbols N1 is 14 (subcarrier spacing for OFDM or DFT-S-OFDM is used in that sidelink, the value can be 15KHz. In every consecutive 14 OFDM symbols can formulate one slot. for a subcarrier spacing 15KHz, one slot is equal to 1 ms in time, Guo: [0128], [0166], [0219]), or Guo does not explicitly disclose: the time period K is not less than a first duration, and the first duration satisfies the following relationship: T1 = (N1 + X)(2048 + 144) • k2-μ • Tc, wherein T1 is the first duration, the value of X is 1 or 2, Tc is a basic time unit for new radio (NR), k is a ratio of Ts to Tc , Ts is a basic time unit for long term evolution (LTE), and μ is a subcarrier spacing, and N1 is a quantity of symbols that is related to the subcarrier spacing, and However, in the same field of endeavor, 3GPP teaches: the time period K is not less than a first duration, and the first duration satisfies the following relationship: T1 = (N1 + X)(2048 + 144) • k2-μ • Tc, wherein T1 is the first duration, the value of X is 1 or 2, Tc is a basic time unit for new radio (NR), k is a ratio of Ts to Tc , Ts is a basic time unit for long term evolution (LTE), and μ is a subcarrier spacing, and N1 is a quantity of symbols that is related to the subcarrier spacing (If the first uplink symbol of the PUCCH which carries the HARQ-ACK information, as defined by the assigned HARQ-ACK timing K1 and the PUCCH resource to be used and including the effect of the timing advance, starts no earlier than at symbol L1, where L1 is defined as the next uplink symbol with its CP starting after, PNG media_image1.png 37 354 media_image1.png Greyscale after the end of the last symbol of the PDSCH carrying the TB being acknowledged, then the UE shall provide a valid HARQ-ACK message), and Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guo in view of 3GPP in order to further modify the time period K which is not less than a first duration and the first duration from the teachings of 3GPP. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because the first uplink symbol which carries the HARQ-ACK information further includes the effect of timing difference between the component carriers (3GPP: Page 74, Line 1-3). Yet, Guo in view of 3GPP does not explicitly disclose: wherein a duration between a start moment of receiving the PUCCH or the PUSCH and an end moment of a terminal device receiving hybrid automatic repeat request (HARO) feedback information for sidelink data carried on a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) is a time period K, However, in the same field of endeavor, Yi teaches: wherein a duration between a start moment of receiving the PUCCH or the PUSCH and an end moment of a terminal device receiving hybrid automatic repeat request (HARO) feedback information for sidelink data carried on a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) is a time period K (A base station may configure non-overlapping resources (e.g., time resources) for transmission of feedback messages (e.g., HARQ-ACK transmissions) for uplink/downlink communications and sidelink communications. The base station may configure an offset (e.g., a time offset), from the first set of PUCCH resources. The SL DCI 1920 may indicate a timing offset (e.g., or a timing information) that may be used, by the first wireless device 1908-1, to determine a time of a HARQ-ACK feedback (e.g., SL HARQ-ACK feedback 1944) corresponding to the resource assignment for the one or more sidelink cells. The SL DCI 1920 may comprise a third timing which indicates a time for reception, at the first wireless device 1908-1, of a PSFCH transmission 1936 from a second wireless device 1908-2 (e.g., UE2, SL Rx). Yi: Fig.19-20, [0231]-[0233], [0257]-[0258]), Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guo and 3GPP in view of Yi in order to further modify a duration between a start moment of sending the PUCCH or the PUSCH and the end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information is a time period K from the teachings of Yi. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it may enable efficient scheduling of resources for acknowledgment feedbacks and reduce probability of collisions between different acknowledgment feedbacks (Yi: [0004]). Regarding claim 9, Guo disclose: An apparatus, comprising: one or more processors (UE includes a processor, and a memory, Guo: [85], [88]), and a non-transitory storage medium in communication with the one or more processors, wherein the non-transitory storage medium is configured to store program instructions, and wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the program instructions cause the apparatus to perform (one or more computer programs, software components, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof adapted for implementation in a suitable computer readable program code, Guo: [0020]): receiving a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) data, wherein the PSFCH data carries hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information for sidelink data (UE can choose one PSFCH subchannel to transmit sidelink feedback information (for example ACK/NACK for adaptive HARQ). the UE transmits, to the other UE, a signal via a physical sidelink control channel/physical sidelink shared channel (PSCCH/PSSCH) based on the identified resources and receives, from the other UE, the HARQ response for a PSSCH transmission via a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), Guo: [0170], [0526]); and after an end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information, sending a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), wherein the PUCCH or the PUSCH carries the HARQ feedback information (When the receiver UE receives the SCI element from PSCCH, the receiver UE can decode the PSSCH according to the scheduling information in the received SCI and UE transmits, to the BS, the HARQ response of the sidelink via physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources. UE transmits, to the other UE, a signal via a physical sidelink control channel/physical sidelink shared channel (PSCCH/PSSCH) based on the identified resources and receives, from the other UE, the HARQ response for a PSSCH transmission via a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), Guo: [0284], [363], [525]-[526]), wherein the quantity of symbols N1 satisfies: the subcarrier spacing is 15kHz, the quantity of symbols N1 is 14 (subcarrier spacing for OFDM or DFT-S-OFDM is used in that sidelink, the value can be 15KHz. In every consecutive 14 OFDM symbols can formulate one slot. for a subcarrier spacing 15KHz, one slot is equal to 1 ms in time, Guo: [0128], [0166], [0219]), or Guo does not explicitly disclose: the time period K is not less than a first duration, and the first duration satisfies the following relationship: T1 = (N1 + X)(2048 + 144) • k2-μ • Tc, wherein T1 is the first duration, the value of X is 1 or 2, Tc is a basic time unit for new radio (NR), k is a ratio of Ts to Tc , Ts is a basic time unit for long term evolution (LTE), and μ is a subcarrier spacing, and N1 is a quantity of symbols that is related to the subcarrier spacing, and However, in the same field of endeavor, Stare teaches: the time period K is not less than a first duration, and the first duration satisfies the following relationship: T1 = (N1 + X)(2048 + 144) • k2-μ • Tc, wherein T1 is the first duration, the value of X is 1 or 2, Tc is a basic time unit for new radio (NR), k is a ratio of Ts to Tc , Ts is a basic time unit for long term evolution (LTE), and μ is a subcarrier spacing, and N1 is a quantity of symbols that is related to the subcarrier spacing (If the first uplink symbol of the PUCCH which carries the HARQ-ACK information, as defined by the assigned HARQ-ACK timing K1 and the PUCCH resource to be used and including the effect of the timing advance, starts no earlier than at symbol L1, where L1 is defined as the next uplink symbol with its CP starting after, PNG media_image1.png 37 354 media_image1.png Greyscale after the end of the last symbol of the PDSCH carrying the TB being acknowledged, then the UE shall provide a valid HARQ-ACK message), and Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guo in view of 3GPP in order to further modify the time period K which is not less than a first duration and the first duration from the teachings of 3GPP. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because the first uplink symbol which carries the HARQ-ACK information further includes the effect of timing difference between the component carriers (3GPP: Page 74, Line 1-3). Regarding claim 13, Guo disclose: An apparatus, comprising: one or more processors (UE includes a processor, and a memory, Guo: [85], [88]), and a non-transitory storage medium in communication with the one or more processors, wherein the non-transitory storage medium is configured to store program instructions, and wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the program instructions cause the apparatus to perform (one or more computer programs, software components, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof adapted for implementation in a suitable computer readable program code, Guo: [0020]): receiving a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (When the receiver UE receives the SCI element from PSCCH, the receiver UE can decode the PSSCH according to the scheduling information in the received SCI and UE transmits, to the BS, the HARQ response of the sidelink via physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources. UE transmits, to the other UE, a signal via a physical sidelink control channel/physical sidelink shared channel (PSCCH/PSSCH) based on the identified resources and receives, from the other UE, the HARQ response for a PSSCH transmission via a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), Guo: [0284], [363], [525]-[526]), wherein the PUCCH or the PUSCH carries the HARO feedback information, the start moment of receiving the PUCCH or the PUSCH is after the end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information by the terminal device (The resource pool can include the index of starting symbol for sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resource. resource pool can include the index of starting symbol for sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resource and the number of symbol for PSSCH channel resource and the frequency domain location for PSFCH channel resource including the starting index of resource block and number resource blocks. the number of subchannel for PSFCH may be provided, Guo: [148], [0154]-[0155]), wherein the quantity of symbols N1 satisfies: the subcarrier spacing is 15kHz, the quantity of symbols N1 is 14 (subcarrier spacing for OFDM or DFT-S-OFDM is used in that sidelink, the value can be 15KHz. In every consecutive 14 OFDM symbols can formulate one slot. for a subcarrier spacing 15KHz, one slot is equal to 1 ms in time, Guo: [0128], [0166], [0219]), or Guo does not explicitly disclose: the time period K is not less than a first duration, and the first duration satisfies the following relationship: T1 = (N1 + X)(2048 + 144) • k2-μ • Tc, wherein T1 is the first duration, the value of X is 1 or 2, Tc is a basic time unit for new radio (NR), k is a ratio of Ts to Tc , Ts is a basic time unit for long term evolution (LTE), and μ is a subcarrier spacing, and N1 is a quantity of symbols that is related to the subcarrier spacing, and However, in the same field of endeavor, 3GPP teaches: the time period K is not less than a first duration, and the first duration satisfies the following relationship: T1 = (N1 + X)(2048 + 144) • k2-μ • Tc, wherein T1 is the first duration, the value of X is 1 or 2, Tc is a basic time unit for new radio (NR), k is a ratio of Ts to Tc , Ts is a basic time unit for long term evolution (LTE), and μ is a subcarrier spacing, and N1 is a quantity of symbols that is related to the subcarrier spacing (If the first uplink symbol of the PUCCH which carries the HARQ-ACK information, as defined by the assigned HARQ-ACK timing K1 and the PUCCH resource to be used and including the effect of the timing advance, starts no earlier than at symbol L1, where L1 is defined as the next uplink symbol with its CP starting after, PNG media_image1.png 37 354 media_image1.png Greyscale after the end of the last symbol of the PDSCH carrying the TB being acknowledged, then the UE shall provide a valid HARQ-ACK message), and Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guo in view of 3GPP in order to further modify the time period K which is not less than a first duration and the first duration from the teachings of 3GPP. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because the first uplink symbol which carries the HARQ-ACK information further includes the effect of timing difference between the component carriers (3GPP: Page 74, Line 1-3). Yet, Guo in view of 3GPP does not explicitly disclose: wherein a duration between a start moment ofreceiving the PUCCH or the PUSCH and an end moment of a terminal device receiving hybrid automatic repeat request (HARO) feedback information for sidelink data carried on a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) is a time period K, However, in the same field of endeavor, Yi teaches: wherein a duration between a start moment of receiving the PUCCH or the PUSCH and an end moment of a terminal device receiving hybrid automatic repeat request (HARO) feedback information for sidelink data carried on a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) is a time period K (A base station may configure non-overlapping resources (e.g., time resources) for transmission of feedback messages (e.g., HARQ-ACK transmissions) for uplink/downlink communications and sidelink communications. The base station may configure an offset (e.g., a time offset), from the first set of PUCCH resources. The SL DCI 1920 may indicate a timing offset (e.g., or a timing information) that may be used, by the first wireless device 1908-1, to determine a time of a HARQ-ACK feedback (e.g., SL HARQ-ACK feedback 1944) corresponding to the resource assignment for the one or more sidelink cells. The SL DCI 1920 may comprise a third timing which indicates a time for reception, at the first wireless device 1908-1, of a PSFCH transmission 1936 from a second wireless device 1908-2 (e.g., UE2, SL Rx). Yi: Fig.19-20, [0231]-[0233], [0257]-[0258]), Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guo and 3GPP in view of Yi in order to further modify a duration between a start moment of sending the PUCCH or the PUSCH and the end moment of receiving the HARO feedback information is a time period K from the teachings of Yi. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it may enable efficient scheduling of resources for acknowledgment feedbacks and reduce probability of collisions between different acknowledgment feedbacks (Yi: [0004]). Regarding claims 2, 6, 10, and 14, Guo in view of 3GPP and in further view of Yi teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claims 1, 5, 9, and 13 above. Guo in view of 3GPP does not explicitly disclose: wherein the subcarrier spacing is one of the following: a subcarrier spacing of the PUCCH; However, in the same field of endeavor, Yi teaches: a subcarrier spacing of the PUCCH (wireless device may send/transmit uplink transmissions (e.g., PUCCH or PUSCH) according to a configured numerology (e.g., a configured subcarrier spacing and/or a configured cyclic prefix length), Yi: [0111]); Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Guo-3GPP in view of Yi in order to further modify subcarrier spacing of the PUCCH from the teachings of Yi. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it may enable efficient scheduling of resources for acknowledgment feedbacks and reduce probability of collisions between different acknowledgment feedbacks (Yi: [0004]). Conclusion 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 SANG C LEE whose telephone number is (703)756-1461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM. 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, HASSAN PHILLIPS can be reached on (571)272-3940. 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. /S.C.L./Examiner, Art Unit 2467 /Robert C Scheibel/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467 February 17, 2026
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Prosecution Timeline

Oct 05, 2022
Application Filed
Oct 12, 2022
Response after Non-Final Action
Feb 06, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103
May 12, 2025
Response Filed
Jul 01, 2025
Final Rejection — §103
Aug 05, 2025
Request for Continued Examination
Aug 11, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Sep 25, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Dec 30, 2025
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Dec 30, 2025
Examiner Interview Summary
Dec 31, 2025
Response Filed
Feb 17, 2026
Final Rejection — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12593312
SIDELINK RESOURCE RESELECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026
Patent 12574759
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TIME-SENSITIVE NETWORKING ANALYTICS
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 10, 2026
Patent 12532377
STATION ASSOCIATION CONTINUITY ACROSS ACCESS POINT MAC ADDRESS ROTATIONS
2y 5m to grant Granted Jan 20, 2026
Patent 12520340
Control of Uplink Wireless Transmissions in Shared TXOP
2y 5m to grant Granted Jan 06, 2026
Patent 12395873
TECHNIQUES FOR REPORTING FREQUENCY CORRECTIONS
2y 5m to grant Granted Aug 19, 2025
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

5-6
Expected OA Rounds
40%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+50.0%)
3y 5m
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 25 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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