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 Amendment
This communication is in response to amendment filed on 6/6/2025. Claims 21-35 are pending.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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) 21, 23-27, 29, 30-35 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dai et al. (US Pub. No. 2023/0209494) in view of He et al. (US Pub. No. 2020/0037343).
Regarding claims 21 and 32, Dai discloses a method user equipment (UE) (figure 9 UE 905) for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory (see figure 2 Memory 211); and
at least one processor (see figure 2 processor 210) coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to:
receive, from a network device, a configuration for a sidelink resource pool for sidelink positioning comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink positioning (paragraphs 41, 43: base station comprise TRP; paragraphs 109, 110, 112, 113, and especially 115 and 119; figure 9 step 910: base station configures UE 905 for positioning signal transmission by sending a configuration message. The configuration message includes resource for sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) using physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) which is considered common/shared resource); and
transmit, to another UE, sidelink assistance data for sidelink positioning, wherein the sidelink assistance data corresponds to the configuration for the sidelink resource pool (figure 9 step 940; paragraphs 115 and 119: UE 905 sends SL-PRS to UE 800 using the configured sidelink resource. PRS is considered as assistance data for sidelink positioning. Alternatively, in paragraph 116, UE 905 sends to UE 800 a configuration message 918 including positioning signal muting to help reduce interference).
Dai does not teach receive, from a network device, a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data.
In the same field of sidelink transmission, He discloses receive, from a network device, a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data (abstract and paragraph 15: base station configure/schedule sidelink resource in PSSCH for sidelink data transmission).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement in Dai receive, from a network device, a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data.
The motivation would have been for network controlled resource to support V2V communication (paragraph 14).
Regarding claim 23, all limitations of claim 21 are disclosed above. Dai further teaches the configuration further indicates sidelink positioning occasions per resource pool (paragraphs 86, 88, and 110: periodic).
Regarding claim 24, all limitations of claim 21 are disclosed above. Dai further teaches the sidelink assistance data indicates a sidelink positioning type, and wherein the sidelink positioning type indicates a one-to-one sidelink positioning transmission (figure 9 step 940; paragraphs 115 and 119: UE 905 sends SL-PRS to UE 800 using the configured sidelink resource).
Regarding claim 25, all limitations of claim 21 are disclosed above. Dai further teaches the configuration is received from a base station (paragraph 115).
Regarding claims 26 and 31, all limitations of claims 21 and 30 are disclosed above. Dai further teaches sidelink assistance data indicates a periodicity (paragraph 110) or muting pattern (paragraph 116).
Regarding claim 27, all limitations of claim 21 are disclosed above. Dai further teaches the sidelink assistance data is transmitted via a unicast transmission (paragraph 115: UE 905 transmits PRS to UE 800), a groupcast transmission, or a broadcast transmission.
Regarding claim 29 , all limitations of claim 21 are disclosed above. Dai further teaches the sidelink assistance data further indicates one or more of whether to report one or more of absolute positioning or relative positioning (figure 9 step 962; paragraph 121).
Regarding claims 30 and 33, Dai discloses a method a user equipment (UE) (figure 9 UE 800) for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory (see figure 2 Memory 211); and
at least one processor (see figure 2 processor 210) coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to:
receive, from another UE, sidelink assistance data for sidelink positioning (figure 9 step 940; paragraphs 115 and 119: UE 905 sends SL-PRS to UE 800 using the configured sidelink resource. PRS is considered as assistance data for sidelink positioning. Alternatively, in paragraph 116, UE 905 sends to UE 800 a configuration message 918 including positioning signal muting to help reduce interference),
wherein the sidelink assistance data corresponds to a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising a common resource pool for sidelink positioning (paragraphs 41, 43: base station comprise TRP; paragraphs 109, 110, 112, 113, and especially 115 and 119; figure 9 step 910: base station configures UE 905 for positioning signal transmission by sending a configuration message. The configuration message includes resource for sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) using physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) which is considered common/shared resource).
Dai does not teach a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data.
In the same field of sidelink transmission, He discloses receive, from a network device, a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data (abstract and paragraph 15: base station configure/schedule sidelink resource in PSSCH for sidelink data transmission).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement in a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data.
The motivation would have been for network controlled resource to support V2V communication (paragraph 14).
Regarding claims 34 and 35, Dai discloses a method a base station (figure 9 TRP) for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory (figure 3 memory 311); and
at least one processor (figure 3 processor 310) coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the base station to:
transmit, to a user equipment (UE), a configuration for a sidelink resource pool for sidelink positioning, wherein the sidelink resource pool is a common resource pool for sidelink positioning (paragraphs 41, 43: base station comprise TRP; paragraphs 109, 110, 112, 113, and especially 115 and 119; figure 9 step 910: base station configures UE 905 for positioning signal transmission by sending a configuration message. The configuration message includes resource for sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) using physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) which is considered common/shared resource).
wherein sidelink assistance data for sidelink positioning corresponds to the configuration for the sidelink resource pool (figure 9 step 940; paragraphs 115 and 119: UE 905 sends SL-PRS to UE 800 using the configured sidelink resource. PRS is considered as assistance data for sidelink positioning. Alternatively, in paragraph 116, UE 905 sends to UE 800 a configuration message 918 including positioning signal muting to help reduce interference),
Dai does not teach a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data.
In the same field of sidelink transmission, He discloses receive, from a network device, a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data (abstract and paragraph 15: base station configure/schedule sidelink resource in PSSCH for sidelink data transmission).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement in a configuration for a sidelink resource pool comprising is a common resource pool for sidelink data.
The motivation would have been for network controlled resource to support V2V communication (paragraph 14).
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dai et al. (US Pub. No. 2023/0209494) in view of He et al. (US Pub. No. 2020/0037343) in view of Sun et al. (US Pub. No. 2023/0146161).
Regarding claim 22, all limitations of claim 21 are disclosed above. Dai and He do not teach but Sun discloses the sidelink assistance data further indicates a source-destination identifier information (paragraph 55: sidelink transmission including source and destination IDs).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement in Dai and He the sidelink assistance data further indicates a source-destination identifier information.
The motivation would have been for the target node to properly identify itself as the recipient of the message.
Claim(s) 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dai et al. (US Pub. No. 2023/0209494) in view of He et al. (US Pub. No. 2020/0037343) in view of Li et al. (Us Pub. No. 2021/0410084).
Regarding claim 28, all limitations of claim 21 are disclosed above. Dai and He does not teach but Li discloses sidelink assistance data indicates a mapping between one or more of a latency, a priority (paragraph 222).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement in Dai and He sidelink assistance data indicates a mapping between one or more of a latency, a priority.
The motivation would have been to ensure QoS requirements are met.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remark, filed 6/6/2025, with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claims 21-29 and 32 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 21-35 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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.
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/TITO Q PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/FARUK HAMZA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2466