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 .
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claim(s) 1-3,5,7-10,12,15-17, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu to (US 20210050966 A1) in view of Zhang to (US 20220201653 A1)
Regarding claims 1,8,15 Liu teaches a first node for wireless communications, (fig.2) comprising: a first receiver, receiving a first signal on a first time-frequency resource block; ([1073] discloses receiver 1301 receives first information… receives a first bit-block set on a first time-frequency-resource block) and a first transmitter, as a response to receiving the first signal, transmitting first information on a target time-frequency resource block, the first information being used to indicate whether the first signal is correctly received; ([0073] discloses transmits second information…; the second signal indicates whether a target bit-block set is correctly received; when the third bit-block set is detected on the third time-frequency-resource block, the target bit-block set is the third bit-block set, otherwise the target bit-block set is the first bit-block set)wherein a first resource pool comprises a first time-frequency resource group, the first time-frequency resource group comprises at least one first-type time-frequency resource block, and the first time-frequency resource block is a first-type time-frequency resource block in the first time-frequency resource group; ([0123] discloses a first given time-frequency-resource block is a first-type air-interface-resource block among the Q first-type time-frequency-resource blocks, and the first information comprises a time-domain-resource unit occupied by the first given time-frequency-resource block and a time-domain offset of a first-type time-frequency-resource block other than the first given time-frequency-resource block among the Q first-type time-frequency-resource blocks relative to the first given time-frequency-resource block)the first resource pool comprises multiple first-type slots in time domain, and time-domain resources occupied by any first-type time-frequency resource block in the first time-frequency resource group in time domain belong to a first-type slot in the first resource pool; ([1050] discloses the Q first-type time-frequency-resource blocks occupy Q slots respectively in time domain) the target resource set comprises multiple third-type time-frequency resource blocks, and the target time-frequency resource block is a third-type time-frequency resource block in the target resource set;([ 0073] discloses transmits second information…; the second signal indicates whether a target bit-block set is correctly received; when the third bit-block set is detected on the third time-frequency-resource block, the target bit-block set is the third bit-block set, otherwise the target bit-block set is the first bit-block set)
the first time-frequency resource block is associated with the target time-frequency resource block; ([0123] discloses a first given time-frequency-resource block is a first-type air-interface-resource block among the Q first-type time-frequency-resource blocks, and the first information comprises a time-domain-resource unit occupied by the first given time-frequency-resource block and a time-domain offset of a first-type time-frequency-resource block other than the first given time-frequency-resource block among the Q first-type time-frequency-resource blocks relative to the first given time-frequency-resource block)
Liu does not explicitly teach time-domain resources occupied by the first time-frequency resource group in time domain are not greater than a first equivalent period, and the first equivalent period comprises at least one first-type slot; a second resource pool comprises multiple candidate resource sets, a second period is a time interval between any two adjacent candidate resource sets in time domain among the multiple candidate resource sets, a target resource set is one of the multiple candidate resource sets, the second resource pool comprises multiple second-type slots in time domain, and time-domain resources occupied by any third-type time-frequency resource block in the target resource set in time domain belong to a second-type slot in the second resource pool, the second period comprises at least one second-type slot, and the first equivalent period is related to the second period
Zhang teaches time-domain resources occupied by the first time-frequency resource group in time domain are not greater than a first equivalent period, and the first equivalent period comprises at least one first-type slot; ([0413] …a first time window, K contiguous time unit(s) and a first instant of time according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 10. [0414] .. a first time window comprises K contiguous time unit(s), the K contiguous time unit(s) comprising the first instant of time, K being a positive integer)
a second resource pool comprises multiple candidate resource sets, a second period is a time interval between any two adjacent candidate resource sets in time domain among the multiple candidate resource sets, a target resource set is one of the multiple candidate resource sets,( [0505] .. first time-frequency resource pool the second time-frequency resource pool being associated comprises: the first time-frequency resource pool and the second time-frequency resource pool collectively comprise a first-type PDCCH candidate, the first-type PDCCH candidate being a PDCCH candidate reserved for one repetition of a possible information bit block in the first time-frequency resource pool and another repetition of the information bit block in the second time-frequency resource pool)
the second resource pool comprises multiple second-type slots in time domain, ([0382]…time-domain resources occupied by a said second-type time-frequency resource pool are contiguous) and time-domain resources occupied by any third-type time-frequency resource block in the target resource set in time domain belong to a second-type slot in the second resource pool; ([0376] ..a PDCCH candidate comprised in the first time-frequency resource pool and a PDCCH candidate comprised in the second time-frequency resource pool are individual PDCCH candidates)the second period comprises at least one second-type slot, and the first equivalent period is related to the second period([0442] discloses the second time-frequency resource pool is not configured with a first configuration, the first time window is comprised of K2 time units; K1 and K2 are positive integers, and K1 is unequal to K2)
Therefore; it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to enable the system of Liu include time-domain resources occupied by the first time-frequency resource group in time domain are not greater than a first equivalent period, and the first equivalent period comprises at least one first-type slot; a second resource pool comprises multiple candidate resource sets, a second period is a time interval between any two adjacent candidate resource sets in time domain among the multiple candidate resource sets, a target resource set is one of the multiple candidate resource sets, the second resource pool comprises multiple second-type slots in time domain, and time-domain resources occupied by any third-type time-frequency resource block in the target resource set in time domain belong to a second-type slot in the second resource pool, the second period comprises at least one second-type slot, and the first equivalent period is related to the second period, as suggested by Zhang. This modification would benefit the system to efficiently utilize the available network resources.
Regarding claims 2,9,16 Liu teaches The first node according to claim 1, wherein the first equivalent period is related to both a length of a first-type slot in the first resource pool and a length of a second-type slot in the second resource pool; or, the first resource pool comprises multiple first-type time-frequency resource blocks, any first-type time-frequency resource block in the first resource pool comprises multiple first-type subcarriers in frequency domain, the second resource pool comprises multiple second-type time-frequency resource blocks, and any second-type time-frequency resource block in the second resource pool comprises multiple second-type subcarriers in frequency domain; ([0966] … the subcarrier spacing is at least one of 1.25 khz, 2.5 KHz, 5 KHz, 15 KHz, 30 kHz, 60 KHZ, 120 kHz or 240 khz.[0967] … the time-frequency-resource unit comprises the K subcarrier(s) and the L multicarrier symbol(s), and a product of the K and the L is not less than the R…[0970] …the time-frequency-resource unit comprises a positive integer number of RB(s)) the first equivalent period is related to both a Subcarrier Spacing (SCS) of any first-type subcarrier in the first resource pool and an SCS of any second-type subcarrier in the second resource pool([0966] … the subcarrier spacing is at least one of 1.25 khz, 2.5 KHz, 5 KHz, 15 KHz, 30 kHz, 60 KHZ, 120 kHz or 240 khz.[0967] … the time-frequency-resource unit comprises the K subcarrier(s) and the L multicarrier symbol(s), and a product of the K and the L is not less than the R…[0970] …the time-frequency-resource unit comprises a positive integer number of RB(s).[0971] In one embodiment, the time-frequency-resource unit belongs to an RB.[0972] … the time-frequency-resource unit is equal to an RB in frequency domain.[0973] … the time-frequency-resource unit comprises 6 RBs in frequency domain).
Regarding claims 3,10,17 Liu teaches, wherein the first resource pool comprises multiple first-type sub-channels in frequency domain; ([0941] … the sub-channel comprises a positive integer number of RB(s).[0942] … any of the positive integer number of RB(s) comprises a positive integer number of sub-carrier(s) in frequency domain) the first time-frequency resource block occupies at least one of the multiple first-type sub-channels in frequency domain; ([0947] … any of the positive integer number of PRB(s) comprises 12 sub-carrier(s) in frequency domain.[0948] … the frequency-domain-resource unit comprises a positive integer number of RB(s)) a number of the multiple first-type sub-channels comprised in the first resource pool in frequency domain and the first equivalent period are used to determine a number of all first-type time-frequency resource block(s) in the first time-frequency resource group([0941] … the sub-channel comprises a positive integer number of RB(s).[0942] … any of the positive integer number of RB(s) comprises a positive integer number of sub-carrier(s) in frequency domain.[0943] … any of the positive integer number of RB(s) comprises 12 sub-carriers in frequency domain.[0944] … the sub-channel comprises a positive integer number of PRB(s).[0945] … a number of PRB(s) comprised in the one subchannel is variable.[0946] … any of the positive integer number of PRB(s) comprises a positive integer number of sub-carrier(s) in frequency domain.[0947] … any of the positive integer number of PRB(s) comprises 12 sub-carrier(s) in frequency domain.[0948] … the frequency-domain-resource unit comprises a positive integer number of RB(s)).
Regarding claims 5,12,19 Liu teaches wherein a first frequency-domain offset is used to determine frequency-domain resources occupied by the target resource set in the second resource pool([0366] the second signal is used for indicating whether a target bit-block set is correctly received; when the first node U1 transmits the third bit-block set on the third time-frequency-resource block, the target bit-block set is the third bit-block set, otherwise the target bit-block set is the first bit-block set; the first signaling is used for scheduling the first bit-block set).
Regarding claims 7, 14 Liu teaches wherein the second resource pool and the first resource pool respectively belong to two different Bandwidth Parts (BWPs)( [0936] ... the frequency-domain-resource unit comprises a positive integer number of Bandwidth Part(s)(BWP)).
Claim(s) 4,11,18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu to (US 20210050966 A1) in view of Zhang to (US 20220201653 A1) further in view of Wu to (US20180310303)
Regarding claims 4,11,18 , The combination of Liu and Zhang does not explicitly teach wherein the second resource pool comprises a second time-frequency resource group, and the second time-frequency resource group comprises multiple second-type time-frequency resource blocks; any second-type time-frequency resource block in the second time-frequency resource group occupies a second-type slot in the second resource pool in time domain; the target resource set comprises a first target resource subset and a second target resource subset, the first target resource subset is associated with the first time-frequency resource group, and the second target resource subset is associated with the second time-frequency resource group; the second target resource subset is used to determine a starting position of the first target resource subset in frequency domain
However, Wu teaches wherein the second resource pool comprises a second time-frequency resource group,( [0042] … selects the resources for transmitting the second type of information from the configured second type of resource pools, selection of resources in the second type of resource pools occupying a predetermined number of consecutive valid subframes in the first type of resource pools) and the second time-frequency resource group comprises multiple second-type time-frequency resource blocks;( [0078] …selecting the resources for transmitting the second type of information from the configured second type of resource pool, it is avoided to select resources from the second type of resource pool occupying in the time domain the predefined number of consecutive valid subframes in the first type of resource pool) any second-type time-frequency resource block in the second time-frequency resource group occupies a second-type slot in the second resource pool in time domain; ( [0078] …selecting the resources for transmitting the second type of information from the configured second type of resource pool, it is avoided to select resources from the second type of resource pool occupying in the time domain the predefined number of consecutive valid subframes in the first type of resource pool) the target resource set comprises a first target resource subset and a second target resource subset, the first target resource subset is associated with the first time-frequency resource group, and the second target resource subset is associated with the second time-frequency resource group;( [0079] …the resources for transmitting the second type of information from the configured second type of resource pool are selected, when the selected resources occupy in the time domain the predefined number of consecutive valid subframes in the first type of resource pool, a part of the predefined number of consecutive valid subframes …) the second target resource subset is used to determine a starting position of the first target resource subset in frequency domain([0038] … when the terminal is triggered to transmit the first type of information, the selecting unit 601 may select the resources for transmitting the first type of information from the configured first type of resource pools, select a predetermined number of consecutive valid subframes from selectable subframe resources and take them as the selected resources)
Therefore; it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to enable the system of Liu and Zhang include wherein the second resource pool comprises a second time-frequency resource group, and the second time-frequency resource group comprises multiple second-type time-frequency resource blocks; any second-type time-frequency resource block in the second time-frequency resource group occupies a second-type slot in the second resource pool in time domain; the target resource set comprises a first target resource subset and a second target resource subset, the first target resource subset is associated with the first time-frequency resource group, and the second target resource subset is associated with the second time-frequency resource group; the second target resource subset is used to determine a starting position of the first target resource subset in frequency domain, as suggested by Wu. This modification would benefit the system to efficiently utilize the available network resources.
Claim(s) 6,13,20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu to (US 20210050966 A1) in view of Zhang to (US 20220201653 A1) further in view of YANG to (US20200412501A1)
Regarding claims 6,13,20 , The combination of Liu and Zhang does not explicitly teach wherein all the multiple third-type time-frequency resource blocks comprised in the target resource set belong to a target slot in time domain, and the target slot is a second-type slot in the second resource pool; a time interval between a first-type slot occupied by the first time-frequency resource block in the first resource pool and the target slot is not less than a minimum time interval
However, YANG teaches wherein all the multiple third-type time-frequency resource blocks comprised in the target resource set belong to a target slot in time domain, and the target slot is a second-type slot in the second resource pool;( [0367] … scheduling information of the third-type radio signal comprises at least one of occupied time-domain resources, occupied frequency-domain resources, occupied code-domain resources) a time interval between a first-type slot occupied by the first time-frequency resource block in the first resource pool and the target slot is not less than a minimum time interval([0616] … a first slot duration and a second slot duration of the multiple slot durations are spaced by a time interval of 7 ms)
Therefore; it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to enable the system of Liu and Zhang include wherein all the multiple third-type time-frequency resource blocks comprised in the target resource set belong to a target slot in time domain, and the target slot is a second-type slot in the second resource pool; a time interval between a first-type slot occupied by the first time-frequency resource block in the first resource pool and the target slot is not less than a minimum time interval, as suggested by Wu. This modification would benefit the system to efficiently utilize the available network resources.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZEWDU A BEYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7157. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-6:00.
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/ZEWDU A BEYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461