2Notice 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 .
This is in response to the Applicant’s arguments, and amendments filed on December 11, 2025, in which claims 1, 5, 7, 11, 13, and 17-20 are currently pending.
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.
Claims 1-4, 7-10, 13-16, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (20220264476) in view of Yoshioka et al. (US 2023/0199728).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a sensing signal transmission method, comprising: sending, by a terminal device, a first message to a network device, wherein the first message comprises information for requesting the network device to allocate a sensing resource to the terminal device (i.e., a method of transmitting a collective perception message (CPM) by a first device in a wireless communication system supporting sidelink communication may include receiving a first message from a second device ([0017], [0028], [0075]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135])); receiving, by the terminal device, a second message from the network device, wherein the second message comprises the sensing resource allocated to the terminal device (i.e., receiving a first message from a second device, obtaining sensing information about neighboring objects ([0017], [0028]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135])); and sending, by the terminal device, a sensing signal on the allocated sensing resource allocated to the terminal device ((i.e., transmitting the CPM based on the sensing information. The first device may determine whether object information redundant to first object information obtained from the first message is included in the sensing information, and determine whether to include the redundant object information in the CPM based on a distance to the second device ([0017], [0028]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135], [0137])).
Kim does not specifically teach wherein the sensing resource allocated to the terminal device comprises a first frame structure and a sensing window of an uplink frame in the first frame structure is used to send the sensing signal.
However, the preceding limitations is known in the art of communications. Yoshioka teaches a terminal including a receiving unit configured to perform sensing of resource reservation information and resource allocation information transmitted from another terminal by using a sensing window; a control unit configured to determine an available resource set, by identifying a predetermined resource in a resource selection window, based on the resource reservation information and the resource allocation information; and a transmitting unit configured to execute transmission to the another terminal by using a resource selected from the resource set… The receiving unit may perform sensing in a first sensing window and a second sensing window… a communication method executed by a terminal, the communication method including performing sensing of resource reservation information and resource allocation information transmitted from another terminal by using a sensing window ([0167]-[0173]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Yoshioka within the system of Kim in order to perform sensing and select the available (usable) resource candidates from a resource selection window based on the sensing result.
Regarding claim 2, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches the first message further indicates that the terminal device has a sensing function (i.e., receiving a first message from a second device, obtaining sensing information about neighboring objects [0017], [0028]).
Regarding claim 3, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches wherein the second message further indicates that the network device allows the terminal device to enable the sensing function ([0139]-[0140)).
Regarding claim 4, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches wherein the first message further comprises interference information and a category of the interference information ([0170], [0240]).
Regarding claim 7, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim teaches a sensing signal transmission method, comprising: receiving, by a network device, a first message from a terminal device, wherein the first message comprises information for requesting the network device to allocate a sensing resource to the terminal device (i.e., a method of transmitting a collective perception message (CPM) by a first device in a wireless communication system supporting sidelink communication may include receiving a first message from a second device ([0017], [0028], [0075]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135])); allocating, by the network device, the sensing resource to the terminal device based on the first message (i.e., receiving a first message from a second device, obtaining sensing information about neighboring objects ([0017], [0028]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135])); and sending, by the network device, a second message to the terminal device, wherein the second message comprises the sensing resource allocated to the terminal device ((i.e., transmitting the CPM based on the sensing information. The first device may determine whether object information redundant to first object information obtained from the first message is included in the sensing information, and determine whether to include the redundant object information in the CPM based on a distance to the second device ([0017], [0028]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135], [0137])).
Kim does not specifically teach wherein the sensing resource allocated to the terminal device comprises a first frame structure and a sensing window of an uplink frame in the first frame structure is used to send the sensing signal.
However, the preceding limitations is known in the art of communications. Yoshioka teaches a terminal including a receiving unit configured to perform sensing of resource reservation information and resource allocation information transmitted from another terminal by using a sensing window; a control unit configured to determine an available resource set, by identifying a predetermined resource in a resource selection window, based on the resource reservation information and the resource allocation information; and a transmitting unit configured to execute transmission to the another terminal by using a resource selected from the resource set… The receiving unit may perform sensing in a first sensing window and a second sensing window… a communication method executed by a terminal, the communication method including performing sensing of resource reservation information and resource allocation information transmitted from another terminal by using a sensing window ([0167]-[0173]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Yoshioka within the system of Kim in order to perform sensing and select the available (usable) resource candidates from a resource selection window based on the sensing result.
Regarding claim 8, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches the first message further indicates that the terminal device has a sensing function (i.e., receiving a first message from a second device, obtaining sensing information about neighboring objects [0017], [0028]).
Regarding claim 9, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches the second message indicates that the network device allows the terminal device to enable the sensing function ([0139]-[0140]).
Regarding claim 10, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches wherein the first message further comprises interference information and a category of the interference information ([0170], [0240]).
Regarding claim 13, Kim teaches a sensing signal transmission apparatus, comprising: a processor, a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations (typical devices in a communication system), the operations comprising: sending, by a terminal device, a first message to a network device, wherein the first message comprises information for requesting the network device to allocate a sensing resource to the terminal device (i.e., a method of transmitting a collective perception message (CPM) by a first device in a wireless communication system supporting sidelink communication may include receiving a first message from a second device ([0017], [0028], [0075]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135])); receiving, by the terminal device, a second message from the network device, wherein the second message comprises the sensing resource allocated to the terminal device (i.e., receiving a first message from a second device, obtaining sensing information about neighboring objects ([0017], [0028]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135])); and sending, by the terminal device, a sensing signal on the allocated sensing resource ((i.e., transmitting the CPM based on the sensing information. The first device may determine whether object information redundant to first object information obtained from the first message is included in the sensing information, and determine whether to include the redundant object information in the CPM based on a distance to the second device ([0017], [0028]) the BS may allocate SL resources to the UE on the same carrier, and may allocate SL resources to the UE on different carriers ([0132], [0135], [0137])).
Regarding claim 14, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches the first message further indicates that the terminal device has a sensing function (i.e., receiving a first message from a second device, obtaining sensing information about neighboring objects [0017], [0028]).
Regarding claim 15, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches wherein the second message further indicates that the network device allows the terminal device to enable the sensing function ([0139]-[0140)).
Regarding claim 16, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. Kim further teaches wherein the first message further comprises interference information and a category of the interference information ([0170], [0240]).
Regarding claim 19, Kim in view of Yoshioka further teaches all the limitations above. the claim contain similar limitation with claim 1, therefore, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as set in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 20, the claim contain similar limitation with claim 7, therefore, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as set in the rejection of claim 7 above.
Claims 6, 12, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. in view of Yoshioka further in view of Birchenko (US 2020/0053563).
Regarding claim 6, 12, and 18, Kim in view of Yoshioka teaches all the limitations above except sending, by the terminal device, a third message to the network device, wherein the third message indicates whether the terminal device has a sensing receiver.
However, the preceding is known in the art of communications. Birchenko teaches the third message includes a list of validated sensing devices of the plurality of sensing devices, where the application program on the smart phone or vehicle's embedded computer is further operable to select a selected sensing device from the list of validated sensing devices using one of a user input, using additional data, including at least one of wireless signal strengths of the plurality of first messages, times of vehicle detection on each sensing device, the status of each sensing device, and sensor measurements on each sensing device, and where further the application program on the smart phone or vehicle's embedded computer is further operable to cause to be communicated an identity of the selected sensing device to the remote server ([0025]-[0026]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Birchenko within the system of Kim in view of Yoshioka in order to provide an automated vehicle parking system that can use a driver's authentication device, such as a mobile phone, vehicle embedded computer or portable tag, to automatically identify the driver. Thus, vehicle sensors can detect when and where a vehicle has parked and send wireless notifications to the driver's authentication device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 11, and 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-20 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.
The amendments to independent claims 1, 7, and 13 necessitate a new ground of rejection in view of Yoshioka (US 2023/0199728), as the amended limitations change the scope of the claimed invention
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEAN ALLAND GELIN whose telephone number is (571)272-7842. The examiner can normally be reached MON-FR 9-6 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, JINSONG HU can be reached at 571-272-3965. 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.
/JEAN A GELIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643