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
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 November 03, 2025 has been entered.
This Office Action is in response to RCE application filed on November 03, 2025 and wherein claims 3,17 are amended.
In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently pending in this Office Action.
The Office appreciates the explanation of the amendment and analyses of the prior arts, and however, although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993) and MPEP 2145.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments regarding the rejection of independent Claim 1 under 35 USC §103 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant challenged “Hwang's first UE consecutively transmits two SCIs to the second UE, where the second UE decodes the first SCI and the second SCI (2-stage SCI) to receive the PSSCH from UE1” (Remarks, filed on November 03, 2025, page 7).
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Huang states that “transmitting UE may transmit some or all of the following information to the receiving UE through the first SCI and/or the second SCI” (see para [0127]), therefore, it is properly to interoperate the positions/number of time/frequency resources, resource reservation information, SL CSI report request indicator, SL CSI transmission indicator, MCS information, etc. (see para [0128-0140]) may be transmit through the first SCI. Huang further disclose “ the transmitting UE may transmit the SCI to the receiving UE on the PSCCH. The receiving UE may decode one SCI to receive the PSSCH from the transmitting UE” (See para [0125]), “the UE may transmit at least one SCI to another UE to schedule the PSSCH” (See para [0124]), wherein UE can transmit ONE SCI to schedule the PSSCH.
Applicant argued “The skilled person, however, would not have looked to Cheng to modify Hwang because Cheng does not teach or suggest an SCI with a field having a number of first bits and a number of second bit (Bit sections)” (Remarks, filed on November 03, 2025, page 8).
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Cheng states “transmitting a sub-channel index and a resource block (RB) set index to indicate resource allocation information of the PSCCH, the PSSCH, or the PSFCH over a sidelink unlicensed (SL-U) spectrum” (see para [0005]) and Fig. 1, elements 106, 107,109, Wherein sub-channel index is reading as a number of first bits to indicate a set of subchannels of the unlicensed carrier, and a resource block (RB) set index is reading as a number of second bits to indicate a starting RBS and the number of RBSs.
Cheng disclose sub-channel is corresponding to unlicensed carrier, see paragraph [0018], “ SL-U UE can access a single channel on which transmission(s) are performed … One sub-channel with new definitions for CRB-based and IRB-based transmissions can be used as the resource allocation granularity of frequency domain via pre-configuration”.
Cheng disclose sub-channel index indicating a set of subchannels of the unlicensed carrier, see paragraph [0033], “the SCI can be configured to include the sub-channel indicator/index, for example, the number of allocated sub-channels, the indexes of the allocated sub-channels, and/or the length of one allocated sub-channel if the transmission is CRB-based”.
Cheng disclose RB set indicator/index indicating a starting RBS and the number of RBSs, see paragraph [0033], “The RB set indicator/index can be configured to include the information of the allocated RB sets, such as the start position of the first allocated RB set, the indexes of the allocated RB sets, the length of the allocated RB sets, and the number of the allocated RB sets … the resource being indicated through SLIV configuration”.
Cheng further states “ the sub-channel index is indicated in a start and length indicator value (SLIV)” (see Para [0006]),. Cheng disclose “The relation between sub-channel and interlace and/or RB can be indicated through a bitmap and/or a start and length indicator value (SLIV)” (see Para [0020]), thus SLIV is properly interpreted as in the format of bits. Further, Cheng states “the first-stage stage SCI can be used to convey resource allocation information of the sub-channel index and the RB set index. The resource can be indicated through the bitmap and/or SLIV configuration” ( see Para [0032]). Wherein sub-channel index and the RB set index can be conveyed via the first-stage SC, and are indicated in a format of bits.
Based on the aforementioned reasoning, therefore, the Applicant’s argument is not
persuasive.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (US 20230300862 A1, hereinafter Hwang) and in view of Cheng et al. (US 20240007237 A1, hereinafter Cheng).
Claim 1: Hwang teaches a method of sidelink control information SCI transmission, comprising the steps of (abstract):
receiving, by a first user equipment UE, configuration parameters of an unlicensed carrier (a sidelink signal in an unlicensed band by a first user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system for supporting sidelink communication includes receiving configuration information for a resource pool allocated for the unlicensed band in Para 18) for sidelink communications (a first user equipment UE for transmitting a sidelink signal in an unlicensed band in a wireless communication system for supporting sidelink communication in Para 28);
first transmitting, by the first UE to a second UE (Fig. 7, [0018], disclose a method of transmitting a sidelink signal in an unlicensed band by a first user equipment UE in a wireless communication system, [0127], “transmitting UE may transmit some or all of the following information to the receiving UE through the first SCI and/or the second SCI”, [0125], “the transmitting UE may transmit the SCI to the receiving UE on the PSCCH. The receiving UE may decode one SCI to receive the PSSCH from the transmitting UE”, [0124], “the UE may transmit at least one SCI to another UE to schedule the PSSCH”), SCI comprising a field comprising one or more first bits and one or more second bits,
second transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE, sidelink data based on the SCI ([0125], “the transmitting UE may transmit the SCI to the receiving UE on the PSCCH. The receiving UE may decode one SCI to receive the PSSCH from the transmitting UE”, PSSCH is reading as the second transmitting).
However, Hwang does not explicitly teach SCI comprising one or more first bits and one or more second bits, wherein the one or more first bits indicates a set of subchannels of the unlicensed carrier; and the one or more second bits indicate at least one of a starting resource block set RBS and a number of consecutive RBSs.
Cheng, from the same or similar field of endeavor, teaches SCI comprising one or more first bits and one or more second bits ([0032], “the first-stage stage SCI can be used to convey resource allocation information of the sub-channel index and the RB set index. The resource can be indicated through the bitmap and/or SLIV configuration”, wherein sub-channel index is reading as first bits and the RB set index is reading as second bits.[0020], “The relation between sub-channel and interlace and/or RB can be indicated through a bitmap and/or a start and length indicator value (SLIV)”), wherein the one or more first bits indicates a set of subchannels of the unlicensed carrier (Fig. 1, elements 106, 107 , 109, [0006], “the sub-channel index is indicated in a start and length indicator value (SLIV)”. [0005], “transmitting a sub-channel index and a resource block (RB) set index to indicate resource allocation information of the PSCCH, the PSSCH, or the PSFCH over a sidelink unlicensed (SL-U) spectrum”, [0018], “ SL-U UE can access a single channel on which transmission(s) are performed … One sub-channel with new definitions for CRB-based and IRB-based transmissions can be used as the resource allocation granularity of frequency domain via pre-configuration”, [0033], “ the SCI can be configured to include the sub-channel indicator/index, for example, the number of allocated sub-channels, the indexes of the allocated sub-channels, and/or the length of one allocated sub-channel”); and the one or more second bits indicate at least one of a starting resource block set RBS and a number of consecutive RBSs (Fig 1, 2, [0006], “each sub-channel is configured to include resources of a set of contiguous RBs in response to the SL transmission being a contiguous resource block (CRB) transmission … the sub-channel index is indicated in a start and length indicator value (SLIV)”, [0033], “The RB set indicator/index can be configured to include the information of the allocated RB sets, such as the start position of the first allocated RB set, the indexes of the allocated RB sets, the length of the allocated RB sets, and the number of the allocated RB sets … the resource being indicated through SLIV configuration”.).
Hwang and Cheng are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of sidelink communication. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the SCI configuration information, disclosed by Hwang, with one or more first bits and one or more second bits, as taught by Cheng, for the benefit of allowing SL be operated on unlicensed spectrum via determining a resource allocation framework for sidelink communication, and allocating resources in a resource grid for PSCCH, PSSCH, PSFCH based on the resource allocation framework (Para [0004-0005]).
Claim 2: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the received configuration parameters are transmitted from a base station BS (Hwang, a method of configuring a resource pool for a sidelink signal in an unlicensed band by a base station BS in Para 27).
Claim 3 is analyzed and rejected according to claim 1 and Hwang further teach
wherein the sidelink control information SCI is first-stage SCI in a multi-stage SCI transmission ([0127], “transmitting UE may transmit some or all of the following information to the receiving UE through the first SCI and/or the second SCI”, [0125], “the transmitting UE may transmit the SCI to the receiving UE on the PSCCH. The receiving UE may decode one SCI to receive the PSSCH from the transmitting UE”, [0124], “the UE may transmit at least one SCI to another UE to schedule the PSSCH”).
Claim 4: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters are for a plurality of carriers comprising the unlicensed carrier (Hwang, configuration information for a resource pool allocated for the unlicensed band and to transmit the sidelink signal based on sub-channels included in the resource pool, and the unlicensed band includes a plurality of resource block sets, and the sub-channels are independently allocated for each of the plurality of resource block sets in para 28).
Claim 5: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, further comprising the first user equipment UE receiving first configuration parameters indicating a plurality of sets of subchannels (Hwang, receiving configuration information for a resource pool allocated for the unlicensed band, and transmitting the sidelink signal based on sub-channels included in the resource pool, wherein the sidelink signal includes at least one of a Physical Sidelink control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), or a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSFCH), and the unlicensed band includes a plurality of resource block sets, and the sub-channels are independently allocated for each of the plurality of resource block sets. In para 18), wherein the one or more first bits point to or provide an index to the set of subchannels in the plurality of sets of subchannels (Cheng, [0006], “each sub-channel is configured to include resources of a set of contiguous RBs in response to the SL transmission being a contiguous resource block (CRB) transmission … the sub-channel index is indicated in a start and length indicator value (SLIV)”, [0032], “the first-stage stage SCI can be used to convey resource allocation information of the sub-channel index and the RB set index. The resource can be indicated through the bitmap and/or SLIV configuration”).
The motivation for combining Hwang and Cheng regarding to the claim 1 is also applied to claim 5.
Claim 6: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters comprise first configuration parameters of a bandwidth part BWP of the unlicensed carrier (Hwang, A bandwidth part BWP may be defined as a plurality of consecutive (P)RBs in the frequency domain, and the BWP may correspond to one numerology in Para 80. Cheng, wherein the resource allocation framework comprises at least one SL-U component carrier CC, the at least one SL-U CC including an SL-U bandwidth part BWP that includes X RBs indexed from 0 to X−1, the SL-U BWP being divided into Y resource pools RPs indexed from 0 to Y−1 in Para 5).
Claim 7: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters indicate one or more of configuration of usage (Hwang, configuration information including the resource pool or information on a frequency offset for allocating or specifying sub-channels included in the resource pool to the first UE in Para 263), subcarrier spacing SCS (Hwang, A subframe may be divided into one or more slots, and the number of slots in an SF may be determined according to a subcarrier spacing SCS in Para 70), resource pool (Hwang, receive a configuration of a resource pool in which UE 1 may transmit a signal in Para 94 ), control channel structure (Hwang, configuration information for a resource pool allocated for the unlicensed band, and transmitting the sidelink signal based on sub-channels included in the resource pool, wherein the sidelink signal includes at least one of a Physical Sidelink control Channel PSCCH, a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel PSSCH, or a Physical Sidelink Control Channel PSFCH in Para 18) and access rules (Hwang, Fig 12,13, FIGS. 12 and 13 are flowcharts of a channel access procedure CAP for transmitting a signal through an unlicensed band in Para 45).
Claim 8: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters indicate one or more resource pools RPs associated with the unlicensed carrier (Hwang, Fig 18, 19, receive configuration information for a resource pool allocated for the unlicensed band in Para 28) or associated with a bandwidth part BWP of the unlicensed carrier (Hwang, Fig 14, the transmission bandwidth thereof may be within a (pre)set sidelink BWP SL BWP in Para 87).
Claim 9: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein a resource pool RP of the one or more resource pools RPs (Hwang, configuration information for the resource pool allocated based on the resource information in Para 27) comprises one or more resource block sets RBSs (Hwang, wherein the resource pool includes sub-channels independently allocated for each of the plurality of resource block sets in Para 27).
Claim 10: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein frequency domain block interleaving is applied to a resource block set RBS of the one or more RBSs (Hwang, Fig 14, a plurality of RB interlaces, interlaces may be defined in a frequency bandwidth in Para 211).
Claim 11: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein one or more first resource block sets RBSs of the one or more RBSs, for which a listen-before-talk LBT process is applied (Cheng, Fig 2, One sub-channel can also be defined as N contiguous RBs within one listen-before-talk LBT channel or bandwidth In Para 19, the channel access and transmission performed by a UE in the SL-U spectrum can be operated on single or multiple LBT channels. The resources allocated for a Physical Sidelink Control Channel PSCCH can be configured to occupy the starting/leading/lowest sub-channel within the starting/leading/lowest RB set of the corresponding PSSCH in Para 29), is aligned with a 20 MHz subband for the LBT process (Cheng, The channel bandwidth 201 is divided into two LBT bandwidths 207 each 20 MHz wide in Para 26).
The motivation for combining Hwang and Cheng regarding to the claim 1 is also applied to claim 11.
Claim 12: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second bits indicate reservation of the consecutive resource block sets RBSs (Cheng, one sub-channel can be defined as N consecutive RBs within one RB set. The value of N can be configured to include or not include the number of RBs within the intra-cell GB in para 27. [0006], “each sub-channel is configured to include resources of a set of contiguous RBs in response to the SL transmission being a contiguous resource block (CRB) transmission … the sub-channel index is indicated in a start and length indicator value (SLIV)”, [0033], “The RB set indicator/index can be configured to include the information of the allocated RB sets, such as the start position of the first allocated RB set, the indexes of the allocated RB sets, the length of the allocated RB sets, and the number of the allocated RB sets … the resource being indicated through SLIV configuration”).
The motivation for combining Hwang and Cheng regarding to the claim 1 is also applied to claim 11.
Claim 13: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation of the consecutive resource block sets RBSs (Hwang, Fig 5, the frequency bandwidth may include a wideband cell/CC/BWP/RB set, and the RB may include a PRB in Para 211. Cheng, [0033], “The RB set indicator/index can be configured to include the information of the allocated RB sets, such as the start position of the first allocated RB set, the indexes of the allocated RB sets, the length of the allocated RB sets, and the number of the allocated RB sets … the resource being indicated through SLIV configuration”,) is based on a unit of symbols (Hwang, Fig 5, PUCCH formats 0, 1, and 4 are configured to occupy a single PRB, and PUCCH formats 2 and 3 are configured to occupy 1 to 16 PRBs over OFDM symbols in Para 217.).
Claim 14: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein transmission of the side control information SCI is via pre-configured resources (Hwang, the number of S-SSBs that the transmitting UE transmits to the receiving UE within one S-SSB transmission period may be pre-configured or configured for the transmitting UE in Para 88, start frequencies of sub-channels from a first resource block of a pre-configured resource block set among the plurality of resource block sets in Para 21, resource within the SL resources configured by the BS/network or the preconfigured SL resources. For example, the configured SL resources or the preconfigured SL resources may be a resource pool in Para 116).
Claim 15: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the side control information SCI is via configurable resources (Hwang, the number of S-SSBs that the transmitting UE transmits to the receiving UE within one S-SSB transmission period may be pre-configured or configured for the transmitting UE in Para 88, resource within the SL resources configured by the BS/network or the preconfigured SL resources. For example, the configured SL resources or the preconfigured SL resources may be a resource pool in para 116).
Claim 16: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the first user equipment UE further receives configuration parameters indicating the configurable resources (Hwang, Fig 9 (a), resource information for the unlicensed band including a plurality of resource block sets, and transmitting configuration information for the resource pool allocated based on the resource information, wherein the resource pool includes sub-channels independently allocated for each of the plurality of resource block sets in Para 27).
Claim 17 is analyzed and rejected according to claim 1, and the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches wherein the configuration parameters are received by the first user equipment UE via one or more radio resource control RRC messages (Huang, [0066], disclose the radio resource control RRC layer at L3 functions to control radio resources between the UE and the network. Wherein the RRC layer exchanges RRC messages between the UE and an eNB, [0167], “When a CCA threshold is predefined or configured by higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), the communication node may determine that the channel is busy if the detected channel energy is higher than the CCA threshold”. Cheng, [0018], “SL-U UE can access a single channel on which transmission(s) are performed … resource allocation granularity of frequency domain via pre-configuration, an indication of System Information Block (SIB), Radio Resource Control (RRC)”).
Claim 18: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the unlicensed carrier is shared between a Uu interface and a sidelink (Hwang, Fig 2, 9(a), An eNB 20 is a fixed station communication with the UE 10 and may also be referred to as a base station (BS) in Para 63).
Claim 19: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 18, wherein the Uu interface is between the first user equipment UE and a base station (Hwang, Fig 2, 9(a), An eNB 20 is a fixed station communication with the UE 10 and may also be referred to as a base station (BS) in Para 63); and the sidelink is between the first UE and a second UE (Hwang, Fig 7, 9(b), However, when network equipment such as a BS transmits and receives signals according to a communication scheme between UEs, the BS may also be regarded as a kind of UE. For example, UE 1 may be the first device 100, and UE 2 may be the second device 200 in Para 93, UE 1 may select a resource unit corresponding to a specific resource in a resource pool, which represents a set of resources. Then, UE 1 may transmit an SL signal through the resource unit. For example, UE 2, which is a receiving UE, may receive a configuration of a resource pool in which UE 1 may transmit a signal, and may detect a signal of UE 1 in the resource pool in Para 94 ).
Claim 20: the combination of Hwang and Cheng further teaches The method of claim 18, wherein a first configuration parameter of the configuration parameters indicate a bitmap (Cheng, a UE can report or transmit the resource allocation configuration, such as the occupation of PSCCH, PSSCH, and PSFCH via SC …… the first-stage stage SCI can be used to convey resource allocation information of the sub-channel index and the RB set index. The resource can be indicated through the bitmap and/or SLIV configuration in Para 32); and the bitmap indicates first time domain resources that the unlicensed carrier (Cheng, In some embodiments, the resource being indicated through SLIV configuration can be detailed further in the frequency resource indication value FRIV in the frequency domain and detailed further in the time resource indication value TRIV in the time domain in Para 33), or a first resource pool RP of the unlicensed carrier, is reserved for the Uu interface and second time domain resources that the unlicensed carrier (Hwang, first user equipment UE in a wireless communication system for supporting sidelink communication includes receiving configuration information for a resource pool allocated for the unlicensed band in Para 18 ), or the first RP, is reserved for the sidelink (Hwang, and transmitting the sidelink signal based on sub-channels included in the resource pool in para 18).
The motivation for combining Hwang and Cheng regarding to the claim 1 is also applied to claim 20.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YONGHONG ZHAO whose telephone number is (571)272-4089. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 9:00 am - 5:00pm.
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/Y.Z./Examiner, Art Unit 2472 /NICHOLAS A JENSEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2472