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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102(a)1
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 the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application for patent in the United States.
Claim(s) 1,9,20, 22-26 are/is rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)1 as being clearly anticipated by Lee et al (US 20200059915 A1 ) hereinafter as Lee.
Regarding claim(s) 1,23-24 Lee discloses a transmission control method (See Fig(s). 2 with control signal transmission between UE and BS See ¶ 44), comprising:
performing, by a first terminal, any one of the following operations after sending or receiving at least one target object (See ¶ 68, After transmitting Sidelink Control Information (SCI) to the UE 2 through a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), the UE 1 may transmit data based on the SCI through a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH)….target object can be a signal, message, SCI, PSCCH, PSSCH):.. (noTe to seLf: see ¶ 89 of Applicants spec for target object includes at least one of the following: SCI (including at least one of 1st stage SCI and 2st stage SCI), a PSSCH, a PSCCH, an SL Reference Signal (RS), a PSSCH, a Sidelink Synchronization Signal and PBCH Block (S-SSB), CSI, a connection establishment response, and the like).
receiving or sending at least one associated resource of the at least one target object (See ¶ 71, The SCI format 0 may include a frequency hopping flag (1 bit), resource block allocation and hopping resource allocation field (the number of bits of which may differ depending on the number of resource blocks of a sidelink), time resource pattern (7 bit));
Wherein the first terminal is a sidelink terminal,
wherein the target object or the associated resource of the target object comprises at least one of the following:
control information; a physical control channel (See ¶ 68);a physical shared channel); a Reference Signal (RS); a sequence; a physical feedback channel; a synchronization signal block; Channel State Information (CSI);a CSI report; a connection establishment request; a connection establishment response; a connection establishment failure message; a connection re-establishment request; a connection re-establishment response; a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS); a Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS); a discovery channel; a discovery signal; an RS request; a sequence request; an RS indication; a sequence indication; an RS response; a sequence response; a reference signal measurement report; a positioning measurement report; a resource request message; a resource allocation message; or a resource recommendation message, and
wherein:
wherein the target object is control information, and the associated resource of the target object is at least one data resource or control resource indicated or reserved by the control information (See ¶ 68, After transmitting Sidelink Control Information (SCI) to the UE 2 through a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), the UE 1 may transmit data based on the SCI through a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH).; See ¶ 20, selecting a specific resource based on the D2D resource information, and receiving a signal being transmitted by a base station from the specific resource, wherein the D2D resource information indicates a resource through which the first UE intends to transmit a D2D signal to the second UE, and wherein the specific resource does not include a resource being indicated by the D2D resource information.)
Further with regards to claim 23 and 24, Lee discloses a memory and processor for performing the method of claim 1 (See Fig(s). 15, See ¶ 21).
Regarding claim(s) 9, Lee discloses wherein the receiving or sending the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object comprises at least one of the following:
obtaining a terminal type of the first terminal, and receiving or sending the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object within the active time or beyond the inactive time of the first configuration corresponding to the terminal type of the first terminal (See ¶ 135);
Regarding claim(s) 20, Lee discloses wherein the at least one target object is a RRCReconfigurationSidelink (See ¶ 43,49,52). and the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object is a complete message RRCReconfigurationCompleteSidelink or a failure message RRCReconfigurationFailureSidelink.
Regarding claim(s) 22, Lee discloses wherein determining that the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object is within the active time or beyond the inactive time of the first configuration comprises at least one of the following:
after the first terminal sends the at least one target object, receiving the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object (See ¶ 71, The SCI format 0 may include a frequency hopping flag (1 bit), resource block allocation and hopping resource allocation field (the number of bits of which may differ depending on the number of resource blocks of a sidelink), time resource pattern (7 bit);
Regarding claim(s) 25, Lee discloses The transmission control method according to claim 1, further comprising: starting a first timer at a first moment, wherein receiving or sending the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object comprises:receiving or sending the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object within a running time of the first timer, wherein the running time of the first timer is within the active time or beyond the inactive time of the first configuration (See ¶ 71, The SCI format 0 may include a frequency hopping flag (1 bit), resource block allocation and hopping resource allocation field (the number of bits of which may differ depending on the number of resource blocks of a sidelink), time resource pattern (7 bit).
Regarding claim(s) 26, Lee discloses wherein determining that the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object is within the active time or beyond the inactive time of the first configuration comprises at least one of the following: after the first terminal sends the at least one target object, receiving the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object (See ¶ 135); or after the first terminal receives the at least one target object, sending the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object.
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, 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) 2-3,10-11,14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200059915 A1 ) hereinafter as Lee, in view of Zeng et al (US 20230007730 A1) hereinafter as Zeng.
Regarding claim(s) 2, Zeng discloses herein determining that the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object is within the active time or beyond the inactive time of the first configuration comprises at least one of the following:
determining a state of a user, wherein the state of the user comprises: the user is in an active state on at least some of the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object (See ¶ 5, user is in active state.. See ¶ 9, in sidelink DRX, a UE may need to monitor sidelink control information (SCI) of a plurality of UEs,);
Scheduling of resources within an active time ensures optimum bandwidth usage without waste between users of interest.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Zeng within Lee, so as to schedule resources within an active time ensures optimum bandwidth usage without waste between users of interest.
Regarding claim(s) 3, Zeng discloses wherein the scheduling or configuring the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object to be within an active time or beyond an inactive time of a first configuration comprises at least one of the following:
scheduling the associated resource of the target object to be within the active time or beyond the inactive time (See ¶ 5, each time the terminal is scheduled to initially transmit data, a drx-InactivityTimer is started or restarted, and the terminal is always in an active state until the timer times out... See ¶ 9, See ¶ 9, in sidelink DRX, a UE may need to monitor sidelink control information (SCI) of a plurality of UEs,);
Reasons for combining same as claim 2.
Regarding claim(s) 10, Zeng discloses wherein the first indication information, the second indication information, or the third indication information indicates one or more resources in a time domain resource set within the active time or beyond the inactive time (See ¶ 6-7, 80 transmission opportunities of the CSI-RSs may be different due to different PSCCH or PSSCH time domain configurations and/or different physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) periods, so that the CSI-RSs may correspond to different transmission or reception configuration information.. . Reasons for combining same as claim 2.
Regarding claim(s) 11, Lee discloses the transmission control method according to claim 2, wherein the target object is a request message, the associated resource of the target object is a response message (See ¶ 188), and the expecting the associated resource of the target object to be within the active time or beyond the inactive time comprises any one of the following: after a request message is sent to a second terminal, expecting to receive a response message of the second terminal within an active time or beyond an inactive time after the request message (See ¶ 188, 250); or receiving the request message of the second terminal, and expecting to send the response message to the second terminal within the active time or beyond the inactive time after the request message. Reasons for combining same as claim 2.
Regarding claim(s) 14, Park discloses the transmission control method the target object is a request message, and the associated resource of the target object is a response to the request message (See ¶ 149, a receiving UE, based on the transmission of a PSCCH/PSSCH from the transmitting UE, it cannot be guaranteed whether the resource that the base station allocates based on a Mode 1 resource request from the transmitting UE is included within an active time or an inactive time of the receiving UE.). Reasons for combining same as claim 2.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200059915 A1 ) hereinafter as Lee, in view of Zeng et al (US 20230007730 A1) hereinafter as Zeng, further in view of Park et al (US 20240389115 A1) hereinafter as Park.
Regarding claim(s) 8, Park discloses wherein the determining a state of the first configuration comprises: prolonging the active time corresponding to the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object (See ¶ 254, SL DRX inactivity timer: may represent an interval that extends an SL DRX on-duration interval, which is an interval during which a UE performing SL DRX operation must operate as active time by default to receive PSCCH/PSSCH from other UE. ), wherein the preset quantity of or all of the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object are within the prolonged active time (again See ¶ 254, That is, an SL DRX on-duration timer may be extended by the SL DRX inactivity timer interval.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Park within Lee, so as to not waste bandwidth resources.
Claim(s) 4,5,12,21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200059915 A1 ) hereinafter as Lee, in view of Park et al (US 20240389115 A1) hereinafter as Park.
Regarding claim(s) 4, Park discloses wherein the sending or receiving the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object comprises any one of the following: after the first terminal sends the at least one target object, starting the first timer at the first moment, and receiving the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object;
after the first terminal receives the at least one target object, starting the first timer at the first moment, and sending the at least one associated resource of the at least one target object (See ¶ 7, the BSR may include information for a timer related to an active time of the SL DRX configuration; receive, from the base station, information related to at least one SL resource allocated based on the information for the timer related to the active time of the SL DRX configuration; transmit, to the second UE, sidelink control information (SCI) for scheduling of a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) through a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), based on the at least one SL resource);
Allocating resources within an active time ensures that the bandwidth is not wasted.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Park within Lee, so as to not waste bandwidth resources.
Regarding claim(s) 5, Park discloses The transmission control method according to claim 4, wherein the running time of the first timer is within the active time or beyond the inactive time (See ¶ 9, wherein the at least one SL resource may be allocated from a base station based on information for a timer related to an active time of the SL DRX configuration,) ,
Regarding claim(s) 12, Park discloses The transmission control method according to claim 1, wherein the first operation comprises at least one of the following: cancelling transmission of a resource within the inactive time or beyond the active time (See ¶ 240, it may be desirable operation for a transmitting UE to report a PUCCH (ACK) to a base station and cancel the pending SR/BSR so that the base station no longer allocates transmission resources );
Regarding claim(s) 21, Park discloses wherein a running time of a first timer is within the active time, and the first timer is started at a first moment (See ¶ 225, the SL DRX active time may include the time during which at least one of the on-duration timer, inactivity timer, retransmission timer, or any other SL DRX timer that causes it to operate in active mode is running.). Reasons for combining same as claim 4.
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200059915 A1) hereinafter as Lee, in view of Li et al (US 20210227602 A1) hereinafter as Li.
Regarding claim(s) 6, Li discloses further comprising any one of the following: when a periodical timer is within the inactive time after expiry or stopping, not enabling the periodical timer or not triggering an associated procedure of the associated resource of the target object (See ¶ 415, When the first sidelink resource is selected for delivering a new data packet (at first time), the first device may select the first sidelink resource with restriction in the specific time duration associated with any of the periodical specific timer, the event-triggered specific timer(s), DRX on-duration timer (for sidelink), a DRX slot offset (for sidelink), DRX Inactivity timer (for sidelink), and/or DRX retransmission timer (for sidelink) of the first device.);
when a time of the periodical timer overlaps the inactive time after the periodical timer is enabled within the active time, not enabling the periodical timer or not triggering the associated procedure of the associated resource of the target object; suspending the periodical timer when the periodical timer enters the inactive time during running, and continuing running the periodical timer after entering the active time again; or clearing or stopping the periodical timer when the periodical timer enters the inactive time during running, and enabling the periodical timer after entering the active time again.
Periodical timer allows for a mechanism used to trigger certain actions or events at regular, predetermined intervals within the sidelink communications.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Li within Lee, to have periodical timer for a mechanism used to trigger certain actions or events at regular, predetermined intervals within the sidelink communications.
Regarding claim(s) 7, Lee discloses The transmission control method according to claim 6, wherein after the clearing or stopping the periodical timer, the method further comprises any one of the following: remaining a report count unchanged; or generating a measurement report based on some reference signals received within the active time or increasing the report count (See ¶ 187). Reasons for combining same as claim 6.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-12,14, 20-26 have been considered but are moot based on new grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicant’s amendments.
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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAJ JAIN whose telephone number is (571)-272-3145. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 8-5.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached 571-272-2123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAJ JAIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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