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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/16/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot in view of new ground of rejection.
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.
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.
Claims 1-2, 11-12 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (US 2023/0300815, relying on the provisional application 63/321,451) in view of Ding et al. (US 2024/0349252).
Regarding Claim 1, Li teaches a first user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the first UE comprising: a processor; and a transceiver operably coupled to the processor ([0035] The communication device 300 may include an input device 302, an output device 304, a control circuit 306, a central processing unit (CPU) 308, a memory 310, a program code 312, and a transceiver 314), the transceiver configured to:
receive, from a base station, configuration information including sl-StartSymbol and sl-LengthSymbols for each of a plurality of carrier frequencies ([0048] The UE shall transmit the PSSCH in consecutive symbols within the slot, subject to the following restrictions: [0049] The UE shall not transmit PSSCH in symbols which are not configured for sidelink. A symbol is configured for sidelink, according to higher layer parameters sl-StartSymbol and sl-LengthSymbols, where sl-StartSymbol is the symbol index of the first symbol of sl-LengthSymbols consecutive symbols configured for sidelink; [0077] For an available slot without S-SS/PSBCH blocks, SL transmissions can start from a first symbol indicated by sl-StartSymbol and be within a number of consecutive symbols indicated by sl-LengthSymbols; [0174] SL-BWP-Config Information Element; [0257] Since the UE may have multiple sidelink data packets and/or multiple sidelink connections with one or more other UEs, the UE may simultaneously (e.g., concurrently) perform multiple sidelink data transmissions (e.g., multiple PSSCH transmissions) in multiple sidelink carrier/cells), and
receive, from a second UE, physical sidelink shared channels (PSSCHs) in symbols starting from a first symbol indicated by the sl-StartSymbol and within a number of consecutive symbols indicated by the sl-LengthSymbols on the plurality of carrier frequencies ([0048] The UE shall transmit the PSSCH in consecutive symbols within the slot, subject to the following restrictions: [0049] The UE shall not transmit PSSCH in symbols which are not configured for sidelink. A symbol is configured for sidelink, according to higher layer parameters sl-StartSymbol and sl-LengthSymbols, where sl-StartSymbol is the symbol index of the first symbol of sl-LengthSymbols consecutive symbols configured for sidelink; [0077] For an available slot without S-SS/PSBCH blocks, SL transmissions can start from a first symbol indicated by sl-StartSymbol and be within a number of consecutive symbols indicated by sl-LengthSymbols; [0174] SL-BWP-Config Information Element: sl-LengthSymbols-r16 sl-StartSymbol; [0257] Since the UE may have multiple sidelink data packets and/or multiple sidelink connections with one or more other UEs, the UE may simultaneously (e.g., concurrently) perform multiple sidelink data transmissions (e.g., multiple PSSCH transmissions) in multiple sidelink carrier/cells).
However, Li does not teach wherein the sl-StartSymbol and the sl-LengthSymbols have same respective values on the plurality of carrier frequencies.
In an analogous art, Ding teaches wherein the sl-StartSymbol and the sl-LengthSymbols have same respective values on the plurality of carrier frequencies ([0101] in the case where the first terminal device performs transmission using multiple resource pools on multiple carriers, the multiple carriers have ... the same starting symbol available for SL transmission in a slot, and the same number of symbols available for SL transmission in a slot; [0144] in the case where UE 1 performs transmission using multiple resource pools on multiple carriers, it is necessary to ensure that the multiple carriers at least have ... the same starting symbol (e.g., sl-StartSymbol-r16) available for SL transmission in a slot, and the same number (e.g. sl-LengthSymbols-r16) of symbols available for SL transmission in a slot. It is also ensured that the multiple resource pools have at least the same PSFCH period and the same corresponding bitmap).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Ding’s method with Li’s method so that the consistency of transmission configurations on the multiple carriers and the consistency of configurations of the multiple resource pools can be ensured, which is conducive to reducing processing complexity of resource selection and resource exclusion, thereby improving communication reliability (Ding [0101]).
.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Li and Ding, specifically Li teaches transmit, to the second UE, physical sidelink feedback channels (PSFCHs) with control information in response to the PSSCH receptions, in PSFCH transmission occasions on the plurality of carrier frequencies, and the PSFCH transmissions on the plurality of carrier frequencies are with a time resource alignment based on the configuration information ([0104] Control information provided by a PSFCH transmission includes HARQ-ACK information or conflict information ... The UE transmits the PSFCH in a first slot that includes PSFCH resources and is at least a number of slots, provided by sl-MinTimeGapPSFCH, of the resource pool after a last slot of the PSSCH reception; [0251] The association (e.g., timing association) between the PSCCH/PSSCH transmissions and the PSFCH resources may be determined (e.g., derived) based on (e.g., considering) a minimum time gap of K slots. The value of K may be configured for the sidelink resource pool. The K slots may be relevant to requirement process time comprising PSCCH/PSSCH reception and decoding and PSFCH generation).
Regarding Claim 11, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 21, Li teaches a second user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the second UE comprising: a processor; and a transceiver operably coupled to the processor ([0035] The communication device 300 may include an input device 302, an output device 304, a control circuit 306, a central processing unit (CPU) 308, a memory 310, a program code 312, and a transceiver 314), the transceiver configured to:
receive, from a base station, configuration information including sl-StartSymbol and sl-LengthSymbols for each of a plurality of carrier frequencies ([0048] The UE shall transmit the PSSCH in consecutive symbols within the slot, subject to the following restrictions: [0049] The UE shall not transmit PSSCH in symbols which are not configured for sidelink. A symbol is configured for sidelink, according to higher layer parameters sl-StartSymbol and sl-LengthSymbols, where sl-StartSymbol is the symbol index of the first symbol of sl-LengthSymbols consecutive symbols configured for sidelink; [0077] For an available slot without S-SS/PSBCH blocks, SL transmissions can start from a first symbol indicated by sl-StartSymbol and be within a number of consecutive symbols indicated by sl-LengthSymbols; [0174] SL-BWP-Config Information Element; [0257] Since the UE may have multiple sidelink data packets and/or multiple sidelink connections with one or more other UEs, the UE may simultaneously (e.g., concurrently) perform multiple sidelink data transmissions (e.g., multiple PSSCH transmissions) in multiple sidelink carrier/cells), and
transmit, to a first UE, physical sidelink shared channels (PSSCHs) in symbols starting from a first symbol indicated by the sl-StartSymbol and within a number of consecutive symbols indicated by the sl-LengthSymbols on the plurality of carrier frequencies ([0048] The UE shall transmit the PSSCH in consecutive symbols within the slot, subject to the following restrictions: [0049] The UE shall not transmit PSSCH in symbols which are not configured for sidelink. A symbol is configured for sidelink, according to higher layer parameters sl-StartSymbol and sl-LengthSymbols, where sl-StartSymbol is the symbol index of the first symbol of sl-LengthSymbols consecutive symbols configured for sidelink; [0077] For an available slot without S-SS/PSBCH blocks, SL transmissions can start from a first symbol indicated by sl-StartSymbol and be within a number of consecutive symbols indicated by sl-LengthSymbols; [0174] SL-BWP-Config Information Element: sl-LengthSymbols-r16 sl-StartSymbol; [0257] Since the UE may have multiple sidelink data packets and/or multiple sidelink connections with one or more other UEs, the UE may simultaneously (e.g., concurrently) perform multiple sidelink data transmissions (e.g., multiple PSSCH transmissions) in multiple sidelink carrier/cells).
However, Li does not teach wherein the sl-StartSymbol and the sl-LengthSymbols have same respective values on the plurality of carrier frequencies.
In an analogous art, Ding teaches wherein the sl-StartSymbol and the sl-LengthSymbols have same respective values on the plurality of carrier frequencies ([0101] in the case where the first terminal device performs transmission using multiple resource pools on multiple carriers, the multiple carriers have ... the same starting symbol available for SL transmission in a slot, and the same number of symbols available for SL transmission in a slot; [0144] in the case where UE 1 performs transmission using multiple resource pools on multiple carriers, it is necessary to ensure that the multiple carriers at least have ... the same starting symbol (e.g., sl-StartSymbol-r16) available for SL transmission in a slot, and the same number (e.g. sl-LengthSymbols-r16) of symbols available for SL transmission in a slot. It is also ensured that the multiple resource pools have at least the same PSFCH period and the same corresponding bitmap).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Ding’s method with Li’s method so that the consistency of transmission configurations on the multiple carriers and the consistency of configurations of the multiple resource pools can be ensured, which is conducive to reducing processing complexity of resource selection and resource exclusion, thereby improving communication reliability (Ding [0101]).
Regarding Claim 22, the combination of Li and Ding, specifically Li teaches receive, from the first UE, physical sidelink feedback channels (PSFCHs) with control information in response to the PSSCH transmissions, in PSFCH reception occasions on the plurality of carrier frequencies, and the PSFCH receptions on the plurality of carrier frequencies are with a time resource alignment based on the configuration information ([0104] Control information provided by a PSFCH transmission includes HARQ-ACK information or conflict information ... The UE transmits the PSFCH in a first slot that includes PSFCH resources and is at least a number of slots, provided by sl-MinTimeGapPSFCH, of the resource pool after a last slot of the PSSCH reception; [0251] The association (e.g., timing association) between the PSCCH/PSSCH transmissions and the PSFCH resources may be determined (e.g., derived) based on (e.g., considering) a minimum time gap of K slots. The value of K may be configured for the sidelink resource pool. The K slots may be relevant to requirement process time comprising PSCCH/PSSCH reception and decoding and PSFCH generation).
Claims 3, 13 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. in view of Ding et al. and Park et al. (US 2022/0377720).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Li and Ding does not teach determine, when the PSFCH transmissions overlap in time, a number of simultaneous PSFCH transmissions, and the number of simultaneous PSFCH transmissions is based on the PSFCHs for transmission.
In an analogous art, Park teaches determine, when the PSFCH transmissions overlap in time, a number of simultaneous PSFCH transmissions, and the number of simultaneous PSFCH transmissions is based on the PSFCHs for transmission ([0185] If a plurality of PSSCHs that require PSFCH transmission is received, and PSFCH transmission needs to be performed simultaneously, the sidelink UE may determine the number of PSFCHs to be simultaneously transmitted in operation S1525. In this instance, N indicating the maximum number of PSFCHs that the UE is capable of simultaneously transmitting may differ depending on the capability of the UE. The number of PSFCHs that the sidelink RX UE needs to transmit simultaneously may be configured for each resource pool; [0186] As described above, the sidelink RX UE that selects the number of PSFCHs to be simultaneously transmitted based on the priority and/or the number of PSFCH resources at the point in time at which transmission is performed may set PSFCH transmission power according to at least one of the following methods in operation S1530; [0187] Method 1) determines PSFCH transmission power based on the number (L) of PSFCH to be simultaneously transmitted; [0193] Method 2) determines transmission power for a single PSFCH, and increasing the transmission power based on the number of PSFCHs to be simultaneously transmitted).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Park’s method with Li’s method so that a user equipment can effectively provide a service by controlling transmission power for a sidelink synchronization channel and a sidelink feedback channel in a wireless communication system (Park [0010]).
Regarding Claim 13, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in Claim 3.
Regarding Claim 23, the combination of Li and Ding does not teach determine, when the PSFCH receptions overlap in time, a number of simultaneous PSFCH receptions, and the number of simultaneous PSFCH receptions is based on the PSFCHs for reception.
In an analogous art, Park teaches determine, when the PSFCH receptions overlap in time, a number of simultaneous PSFCH receptions, and the number of simultaneous PSFCH receptions is based on the PSFCHs for reception ([0185] If a plurality of PSSCHs that require PSFCH transmission is received, and PSFCH transmission needs to be performed simultaneously, the sidelink UE may determine the number of PSFCHs to be simultaneously transmitted in operation S1525. In this instance, N indicating the maximum number of PSFCHs that the UE is capable of simultaneously transmitting may differ depending on the capability of the UE. The number of PSFCHs that the sidelink RX UE needs to transmit simultaneously may be configured for each resource pool; [0186] As described above, the sidelink RX UE that selects the number of PSFCHs to be simultaneously transmitted based on the priority and/or the number of PSFCH resources at the point in time at which transmission is performed may set PSFCH transmission power according to at least one of the following methods in operation S1530; [0187] Method 1) determines PSFCH transmission power based on the number (L) of PSFCH to be simultaneously transmitted; [0193] Method 2) determines transmission power for a single PSFCH, and increasing the transmission power based on the number of PSFCHs to be simultaneously transmitted).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Park’s method with Li’s method so that a user equipment can effectively provide a service by controlling transmission power for a sidelink synchronization channel and a sidelink feedback channel in a wireless communication system (Park [0010]).
Claims 4, 14 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. in view of Ding et al. and Zhao et al. (US 2024/0381387).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Li and Ding does not teach transmit or receive, when physical sidelink channels (PSFCHs) transmissions overlap in time with PSFCH receptions, only a set of PSFCHs, and the set of PSFCHs is determined from the PSFCH transmissions or the PSFCH receptions.
In an analogous art, Zhao teaches transmit or receive, when physical sidelink channels (PSFCHs) transmissions overlap in time with PSFCH receptions, only a set of PSFCHs, and the set of PSFCHs is determined from the PSFCH transmissions or the PSFCH receptions ([0093] In the case that the terminal includes the N1 first PSFCHs and the N2 second PSFCHs overlapped in the time domain for the PSFCH resource in the slot x, that is, transmission conflict or resource conflict occurs between the N1 first PSFCHs and N2 second PSFCHs, wherein the first PSFCHs are to-be-transmitted PSFCHs, the second PSFCHs are to-be-received PSFCHs, and N1 and N2 are both positive integers, the terminal determines itself behavior: to transmit the first PSFCHs or receive the second PSFCHs based on the priorities of the N1 first PSFCHs and the priorities of the N2 second PSFCHs).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Zhao’s method with Li’s method so that the PSFCHs with some priorities (for example, a highest priority and/or higher priorities) are transmitted over a same beam in the SL communication process, such that the technical problem of the conflict between the first PSFCHs and the second PSFCHs is solved (Zhao [0149]).
Regarding Claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in Claim 4.
Regarding Claim 24, the combination of Li and Ding does not teach transmit or receive, when physical sidelink feedback channels (PSFCHs) receptions overlap in time with PSFCH transmissions, only a set of PSFCHs, the set of PSFCHs is determined from the PSFCH receptions or the PSFCH transmissions.
In an analogous art, Zhao teaches transmit or receive, when physical sidelink feedback channels (PSFCHs) receptions overlap in time with PSFCH transmissions, only a set of PSFCHs, the set of PSFCHs is determined from the PSFCH receptions or the PSFCH transmissions ([0093] In the case that the terminal includes the N1 first PSFCHs and the N2 second PSFCHs overlapped in the time domain for the PSFCH resource in the slot x, that is, transmission conflict or resource conflict occurs between the N1 first PSFCHs and N2 second PSFCHs, wherein the first PSFCHs are to-be-transmitted PSFCHs, the second PSFCHs are to-be-received PSFCHs, and N1 and N2 are both positive integers, the terminal determines itself behavior: to transmit the first PSFCHs or receive the second PSFCHs based on the priorities of the N1 first PSFCHs and the priorities of the N2 second PSFCHs).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Zhao’s method with Li’s method so that the PSFCHs with some priorities (for example, a highest priority and/or higher priorities) are transmitted over a same beam in the SL communication process, such that the technical problem of the conflict between the first PSFCHs and the second PSFCHs is solved (Zhao [0149]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sun et al. (US 2025/0023674) teaches method of resource selection of sidelink CA.
Li et al. (US 2024/0163016) teaches sidelink carrier aggregation with cross-carrier HARQ feedback.
Liang et al. (US 2023/0022748) teaches method for determining and configuring PSFCH resources
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/YU-WEN CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413