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 .
Claims 34-54 are pending in this office action.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 35, 36, 39-47,49, 50 and 53 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 the amendment filed 02/03/2026 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection.
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 34, 37, 38, 48, 51, 52 and 54 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fong et al (US 2021/0400655 A1) in view of Zhang (US 2023/0030664 A1) in further view of Hui et al (US 2023/0262718 A1).
Regarding claim 34 and 54, Fong teaches A method applied to a first device and comprising:
receiving first sidelink control information (SCI) comprising first indication information, wherein a type of the first SCI is a first type, wherein the first indication information indicates a first time-frequency resource (Fong: Fig. 3:320; [0164], UE 115-d receives a first SCI from UE 115-c indicating a set of resource), wherein the first indication information further instructs the first device to send a second SCI, and wherein the first time-frequency resource is reserved for the second device to send data to the first device, or the second device to send data to the first device and for the first device to receive data (Fong: Fig. 3:320; [0164], UE 115-d receives a first SCI from UE 115-c indicating a set of resource for communication between the two UEs; [0172] a third SCI is transmitted by UE 115-d in response to the SCI from UE 115-c; the first SCI to allow UE 115-d to receive data to UE 115-c); and
sending the second SCI comprising second indication information (Fong: Fig. 3; [0172], [0175]),
wherein a type of the second SCI is a second type (Fong: Fig. 3: [0172], [0175], third SCI to allow UE 115-d to send data to UE 115-c),
wherein the second indication information indicates a second time-frequency resource (Fong: Fig. 3; [0172], [0175], third SCI comprising resource to allow UE 115-d to send/receive data to UE 115-c),
wherein the second time-frequency resource is reserved for the first device to receive data (Fong: Fig. 3; [0172], [0175] third SCI comprising resource to allow UE 115-d to send/receive data to UE 115-c).
Fong does not explicitly disclose wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises the second time-frequency resource.
Zhang teaches wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises the second time-frequency resource (Zhang: [0144], [0212], [0329], a first set of sidelink resource is included in a second set of sidelink resource; both being resource requested by SCI).
It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Fong wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises the second time-frequency resource as disclosed by Zhang to provide a system for setting duration in sidelink communications (Zhang: Abstract).
Fong in view of Zhang does not explicitly disclose the SCI comprises a first service priority of data, a first device identifier of the first device, and a second device identifier of a second device; the second SCI comprising second indication information a second service priority of data, and the second device identifier wherein the second service priority is based on the first service priority.
Hui teaches the SCI comprises a first service priority of data, a first device identifier of the first device, and a second device identifier of a second device (Hui: [0246]-[0251], [0266]); the second SCI comprising second indication information a second service priority of data, and the second device identifier wherein the second service priority is based on the first service priority (Hui: [0246]-[0251], [0266]).
It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Fong the SCI comprises a first service priority of data, a first device identifier of the first device, and a second device identifier of a second device; the second SCI comprising second indication information a second service priority of data, and the second device identifier wherein the second service priority is based on the first service priority as disclosed by Hui to provide a system for condition for skipping resource evaluation for sidelink (Hui: Abstract).
Regarding claim 48, Fong teaches a first device comprising: a memory configured to store executable instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the first device to:
receive first sidelink control information (SCI) comprising first indication information, wherein a type of the first SCI is a first type, wherein the first indication information indicates a first time-frequency resource (Fong: Fig. 3:320; [0164], UE 115-d receives a first SCI from UE 115-c indicating a set of resource), wherein the first indication information further instructs the first device to send second SCI, wherein the first time- frequency resource is reserved for a second device to send data to the first device, or the first time-frequency resource is reserved for the second device to send data to the first device and that is reserved for the first device to receive data (Fong: Fig. 3:320; [0164], UE 115-d receives a first SCI from UE 115-c indicating a set of resource for communication between the two UEs; [0172] a third SCI is transmitted by UE 115-d in response to the SCI from UE 115-c; the first SCI to allow UE 115-d to receive data to UE 115-c); and
send the second SCI comprising second indication information (Fong: Fig. 3: [0172], [0175]),
wherein a type of the second SCI is a second type (Fong: Fig. 3: [0172], [0175], third SCI to allow UE 115-d to send data to UE 115-c),
wherein the second indication information indicates a second time-frequency resource (Fong: Fig. 3; [0172], [0175] third SCI comprising resource to allow UE 115-d to send/receive data to UE 115-c),
wherein the second time-frequency resource is reserved for the first device to receive data (Fong: Fig. 3; [0172], [0175] third SCI comprising resource to allow UE 115-d to send/receive data to UE 115-c), and
Fong does not explicitly disclose wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises the second time-frequency resource.
Zhang teaches wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises the second time-frequency resource (Zhang: [0144], [0212], [0329], a first set of sidelink resource is included in a second set of sidelink resource; both being resource requested by SCI).
It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Fong wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises the second time-frequency resource as disclosed by Zhang to provide a system for setting duration in sidelink communications (Zhang: Abstract).
Fong in view of Zhang does not explicitly disclose the SCI comprises a first service priority of data, a first device identifier of the first device, and a second device identifier of a second device; the second SCI comprising second indication information a second service priority of data, and the second device identifier wherein the second service priority is based on the first service priority.
Hui teaches the SCI comprises a first service priority of data, a first device identifier of the first device, and a second device identifier of a second device (Hui: [0246]-[0251], [0266]); the second SCI comprising second indication information a second service priority of data, and the second device identifier wherein the second service priority is based on the first service priority (Hui: [0246]-[0251], [0266]).
It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Fong the SCI comprises a first service priority of data, a first device identifier of the first device, and a second device identifier of a second device; the second SCI comprising second indication information a second service priority of data, and the second device identifier wherein the second service priority is based on the first service priority as disclosed by Hui to provide a system for condition for skipping resource evaluation for sidelink (Hui: Abstract).
Regarding claims 37 and 51, Fong in view of Zhang teaches wherein the first SCI further comprises a first identifier that instructs the first device to send the second SCI (Fong: Fig. 3; [0172] a third SCI is transmitted by UE 115-d in response to the SCI from UE 115-c; the first SCI including a reverse sidelink scheduling indicator).
Regarding claims 38 and 52, Fong in view of Zhang teaches wherein the first SCI further comprises a second identifier that indicates that the type of the first SCI is the first type (Fong: Fig. 3; [0164] the first including a first type of SCI).
.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/KODZOVI ACOLATSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478