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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 38, 39, 49-51 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 38, 39, 49-51 recite the limitation “SCI” throughout the claims. However SCI is not clearly defined. It is unclear on what exactly is meant by SCI. Examiner suggests defining such term of “SCI”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 33, 35, 43, 45, 52 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Belleschi et al. (US 2021/0219320).
Regarding claim 33, 45, Belleschi discloses a apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store programming instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (The radio device comprises at least one processor and a memory containing instructions executable by said at least one processor, whereby the radio device is operative to: send a first message to a further radio device, the first message indicating an intention of the radio device to perform a D2D radio transmission on a set of radio resources, [0011] and figure 9 and figure 2), cause the apparatus to:
send first resource information on a first sidelink transmission channel, wherein the first resource information indicates a first resource (The D2D radio transmissions may involve a data transmission on a PSSCH (Physical Sidelink Shared Channel) and a transmission of SCI (Sidelink Control Information) on a PSCCH (Physical Sidelink Control Channel) and The first UE 20 then sends SCI 202 to the second UE 30…The SCI 202 indicates to one or more other UEs, in particular to the second UE 30, that the first UE 20 intends to perform a D2D radio transmission on the candidate set of radio resources….Accordingly, the SCI 202 includes an indication of the candidate set of resources, [0032] and [0038]-[0040] and figure 2 and [0086]-[0092] and figure 5 and [0011]); and
receive indication information indicating at least one second resource in the first resource on a second sidelink transmission channel or receive data sent on a third resource determined based on the first resource (The D2D radio transmissions may involve a data transmission on a PSSCH (Physical Sidelink Shared Channel) and the feedback message 204 may also indicate an alternative set of resources to be used for the intended D2D radio transmission. The second UE 30 may determine the alternative set of resources based on the sensing performed by the second UE 30…The second UE 30 may also determine the alternative set of resources in terms of a TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) pattern indicating time slots in which the candidate set of resources is available from the perspective of the second UE 30. Such TDM pattern could for example be indicated in terms of a bitmap. The TDM pattern may be defined with respect to the time slot in which the first UE 20 intends to perform the D2D radio transmission, e.g., starting with this time slot or the subsequent time slot….For example, the SCI 202 could indicate the candidate set of resources in terms of PRBs to be used for the intended D2D radio transmission, and the feedback message could indicate in which time slots these PRBs are available from the perspective of the second UE 30, [0032] and [0046]-[0047] and figure 2 and [0086]-[0092] and figure 5 and [0011]).
Regarding claim 35, Belleschi discloses wherein the programming instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: after the receive indication information on a second sidelink transmission channel, determine a resource used for sending in the at least one second resource (the first UE 20 receives the feedback message 204 and uses the information provided by the feedback message 204…to control the D2D radio transmission 206, This may in particular involve deciding whether or in which way to use the candidate set of resources for performing the D2D radio transmission 206…The selection of other radio resources may be accomplished on the basis of the above-mentioned indication of an alternative set of radio resources in the feedback message 204. For example, the first UE 20 could select the other radio resources by determining an intersection of PRBs defining the candidate set of resources with the above-mentioned TDM pattern indicated in the feedback message 204, [0047] and figure 2 and [0011]).
Regarding claim 43, Belleschi discloses wherein the programing instructions to receive indication information on the second sidelink transmission channel comprises programming instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: receive first signaling on the second sidelink transmission channel, wherein the first signaling comprises the indication information and second information, and the second information comprises acknowledgement (ACK) information or negative acknowledgement (NACK) information; or receive second signaling and third signaling on the second sidelink transmission channel, wherein the second signaling comprises the indication information, and the third signaling comprises ACK information or NACK information (the second UE 30 may send the indication of the alternative set of radio resources only in when setting the ML indicator to the fourth level to indicate a negative acknowledgement, [0046]-[0048] and [0071] and [0093]).
Regarding claim 52, Belleschi discloses the first resource information comprises time domain resource information and frequency domain resource information, wherein the time domain resource information indicates a time domain resource corresponding to the first resource, and wherein the frequency domain resource information indicates a frequency domain resource corresponding to the first resource (transmitting UE to notify other UEs about its intention to use certain radio resources for future transmissions, by making a reservation or booking of such time-frequency resources and The set of radio resources may consist of one or more resources separated in the frequency domain, e.g., as frequency channels, in the time domain, e.g., as time slots, or in both the time and frequency domain, e.g., as resource elements of a time-frequency grid, [0003] and [0026] and [0086]).
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) 34, 46, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Belleschi, in view of Zhang (US 2015/0180631).
Regarding claim 34, 46, Belleschi fails to disclose wherein the indication information comprises a code domain resource, and the code domain resource corresponds to the at least one second resource. In a similar field of endeavor, Zhang discloses indication information comprises a code domain resource, and the code domain resource corresponds to the at least one second resource (the second user equipment may independently select the target resource from the resource (including the time domain resource, the frequency domain resource, the space domain resource, or the code domain resource) for D2D communication, so that the first user equipment may determine the target resource according to notification from the second user equipment, [0058] and [0085]-[0087]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of notifying/indicating code domain resource for a target resource as disclosed by Zhang into the method of controlling D2D radio transmission based upon feedback of an alternative resource set as disclosed by Belleschi in order to improve the system and flexibly notify desired resources for D2D communication, such as via a code domain resource.
Claim(s) 36, 47 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Belleschi, in view of Yang (US 2021/0250931).
Regarding claim 36, 47, Belleschi fails to disclose wherein an upper limit value of a quantity of first resources or the quantity of first resources is predefined in a protocol or is preconfigured by configuration information. However in a similar field of endeavor, Yang discloses wherein an upper limit value of a quantity of first resources or the quantity of first resources is predefined in a protocol or is preconfigured by configuration information (numbers and positions of the available sidelink resource set 302 in respective time slots 202 for sidelink communications can be preconfigured or indicated by the BS 102 through a higher layer signaling, [0134] and [0163]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of having a quantity or numbers of available resource set for sidelink communication be preconfigured as disclosed by Yang into the method of controlling D2D radio transmission based upon feedback of an alternative resource set as disclosed Belleschi in order to improve the system and flexibly configure resource parameters of a system.
Claim(s) 37, 48, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Belleschi, in view of Yang et al. (US 2022/0360409), hereinafter referred to as Yang (409).
Regarding claim 37, 48, Belleschi fails to disclose wherein the first resource information further indicates a first quantity, and wherein: the first quantity comprises a quantity of first resources; or the first quantity comprises a quantity of time domain windows that corresponds to the first resource, a quantity of frequency domain windows that corresponds to the first resource, a quantity that is of first bitmaps indicating time domain resources and that corresponds to the first resource, or a quantity that is of second bitmaps indicating frequency domain resources and that corresponds to the first resource. However in a similar field of endeavor, Yang (409) discloses wherein the first resource information further indicates a first quantity, and wherein: the first quantity comprises a quantity of first resources (first UE indicates the sensing parameters as: candidate resource period=100 ms, candidate resource size=5 sub-channels, priority level=3, retransmission number=0 (i.e., no retransmissions), and quantity of candidate resources in a resource set=4, [0060]-[0061]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of indicating a quantity of candidate resources as disclosed by Yang (409) into the method of controlling D2D radio transmission based upon indicated candidate set of radio resources as disclosed Belleschi in order to improve the system and flexibly notify a user of various parameters related to candidate resources for communications, such as quantity.
Claim(s) 44 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Belleschi, in view of Jeong et al. (US 2022/0015186).
Regarding claim 44, Belleschi fails to disclose wherein the first sidelink transmission channel is a physical sidelink shared channel PSSCH, and the second sidelink transmission channel is a physical sidelink feedback channel PSFCH. Belleschi however discloses SCI and feedback (figure 2). In a similar field of endeavor, Jeong discloses the first sidelink transmission channel is a physical sidelink shared channel PSSCH, and the second sidelink transmission channel is a physical sidelink feedback channel PSFCH (The SCI transmitted by PSSCH and a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) transmits hybrid automatic repeat request (HARD) feedback over the sidelink from a UE which is an intended recipient of a PSSCH transmission to the UE which performed the transmission, [0091]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of having SCI be transmitted by PSSCH and having feedback via PSFCH as disclosed by Jeong into the method of controlling D2D radio transmission based upon SCI and feedback transmissions as disclosed Belleschi in order to improve the system and flexibly communicate parameters between devices, such as via PSSCH and PSFCH.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 38-42, 49-51 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhao et al. (US 11974362) disclosing the UE may transmit a resource map request message indicating preferred resource blocks, where each resource block may be defined by a time and a frequency. The UE may receive a confirmation message that may include a report regarding a set of resource blocks. The set of resource blocks may be from the preferred resource blocks included in the resource map request message. The UE may determine, based, at least in part, on the confirmation message, resource blocks to be used for the side-link communications and initiate the side-link communications using the determined resource blocks (abstract)
Khoryaev et al. (US 2020/0220694) disclosing determine a set of candidate resources for potential sidelink transmission of a transport block (TB); select a subset of resources from the set of candidate resources for sidelink transmissions of the TB; encode, for transmission to the other UE, control channel signalling indicating resources for potential retransmissions of the TB and a request for HARQ feedback ([0072]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NGUYEN HOANG NGO whose telephone number is (571)272-8398. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang Yao can be reached at 571-272-3182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NGUYEN H NGO/Examiner, Art Unit 2473