DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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 Under 37 CFR 1.114
2. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/13/2026 has been entered.
Status of Claims
3. Claims 1, 4-5, 12, 15-16, 23, 26-27, and 29 are pending wherein claims 1, 12, 23, and 29 are in independent form.
4. Claims 1, 12, 23, and 29 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
5. Applicant's arguments filed on 04/13/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The reasons set forth below.
6. On page 11 of the remarks, applicant argues, “According to Kenney, there is one wireless channel-the common wireless channel that is accessed by the first communication device and used by both devices for simultaneous full-duplex transmission and reception. See Kenney 11 [0037]-[0038], [0040]-[0041]. Kenney does not describe, or even contemplate, "wherein the first set of time and frequency resources and the second set of time and frequency resources are different," as recited in amended independent claim 1. Instead, Kenney teaches that the reserved resources and the full-duplex resources are the same common wireless channel.”
In response, examiner respectfully disagrees because:
The common radio frequency channel/wireless channel when accessed by a first communication device is considered as the claimed first set of time frequency resources. By transmitting the first portion/header of a first packet after gaining access, the first device reserves the radio frequency channel/wireless channel until all the packets available at the first device are transmitted (Par 0038—" Upon completion of the packet transmission, the first communication device 103a may release the wireless channel so that the other communication devices 103 may compete for access to the wireless channel again”.) (Fig. 4, Fig. 6A-C, Par 0037-0039, Par 0089-0090, Par 0094-0098). When first portion/header portion of the first packet includes a full duplex capability information, it (full duplex capability information) indicates to utilize the reserved radio frequency channel/wireless channel for performing a full duplex communication (Fig. 4-6, Par 0057-0059, Par 0075, Par 0080-0083, Par 0085-0087, Par 0089-0090, Par 0094-0098). When the reserved radio frequency channel/wireless channel is indicated to be used for full duplex communication, it is considered as the claimed second set of time and frequency resources. Kenny discloses that the first portion of the first data is transmitted using the wireless channel before initiating the full duplex communication (Fig. 3A-B, Fig. 4) and the remaining portion of the first data is transmitted using the wireless channel after establishing the full duplex communication. Therefore, the wireless channel is used at different times for transmitting the first portion of the first data and for transmitting the remaining portion of the first data during the full duplex communication. The time-frequency resources used for a sidelink transmission (at a time when the wireless channel is used for transmitting the first portion of the first data) and time-frequency resources used for a full duplex communication (at a later time when the wireless channel is used for transmitting the remaining portion of the first data during the full duplex communication) are different (as the wireless channel is used at different times for transmitting the first portion of the first data and the remaining portion of the first data). Therefore, Kenny discloses that the first set of time and frequency resources (time segment/instant when the wireless channel is used for transmitting the first portion of the first data) and the second set of time and frequency resources (later/different time segment/instant when the wireless channel is used for transmitting the remaining portion of the first data during the full duplex communication) are different.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 102
7. 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
8. Claims 1, 12, 23, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kenney et al (US 20160065355 A1, hereinafter referred to as Kenny).
Re claim 1, Kenney teaches a method for wireless communication at a first user equipment (UE) (first communication device) (Fig. 3A-B, Fig. 4, Fig. 6A-C), comprising:
(i) transmitting control signaling (first portion/header portion of the first packet) to reserve a first set of time and frequency resources for a sidelink transmission (transmission of the first portion/header portion of the first packet reserves the wireless channel for continuous D2D transmission to the second communication device), the control signaling indicating one or more parameters (header portion indicating full duplex capability) indicative of a second set of time and frequency resources (based on full duplex capability indication, the reserved wireless channel is determined to be used for simultaneous transmission and reception) for performing a full- duplex communication with the first UE (simultaneous transmission and reception with the first communication device), wherein the first set of time and frequency resources (time segment/instant when the wireless channel is used for transmitting the first portion of the first data) and the second set of time and frequency resources (later/different time segment/instant when the wireless channel is used for transmitting the remaining portion of the first data during the full duplex communication) are different (as the wireless channel is used at different times for transmitting the first portion of the first data and the remaining portion of the first data) (Fig. 3A-B, Fig. 4, Fig. 6A-C, Par 0037-0040, Par 0058, Par 0061, Par 0069, Par 0071, Par 0077, Par 0085-0087, Par 0089-0090, Par 0094-0098); and
(ii) communicating (remaining portion of the first packet) with a second UE (second communication device) based at least in part on the reserved first set of time and frequency resources (reserved wireless channel for D2D transmission) and the indicated one or more parameters associated with the second set of time and frequency resources (full duplex capability indicating simultaneous transmission and reception over the wireless channel) (Fig. 3A-B, Fig. 4, Fig. 6A-C, Par 0058, Par 0061, Par 0069, Par 0071, Par 0077, Par 0085-0087, Par 0089-0090, Par 0094-0098).
Claim 23 recites an apparatus performing the steps recited in claim 1 and thereby, is rejected for the reasons discussed above with respect to claim 1. Kenney further teaches that the apparatus comprises one or memories (memory, 227), and one or more processors (processor 225) coupled with the one or more memories (Fig. 2, Par 0043-0046).
Re claim 12, Kenney teaches a method for wireless communication (Fig. 3A-B, Fig. 4, Fig. 6A-C), comprising:
(i) Receiving, from a user equipment (UE) (first communication device), control signaling (first portion/header portion of the first packet) to reserve a first set of time and frequency resources for a sidelink transmission (transmission of the first portion/header portion of the first packet reserves the wireless channel for continuous D2D transmission from the first communication device), the control signaling indicating one or more parameters (header portion indicating full duplex capability) indicative of a second set of time and frequency resources (based on full duplex capability indication, the reserved wireless channel is determined to be used for simultaneous transmission and reception) for performing a full- duplex communication with the UE (simultaneous transmission and reception with the first communication device), wherein the second set of time and frequency resources comprises one or more resources of the first set of time and frequency resources (According to claim limitation, the first set of time and frequency resources and the second set of time and frequency resources can be same. In view of that, the reserved wireless channel (first set of time and frequency resources) and the wireless channel used for full duplex communication (second set of time and frequency resources) are same) (Fig. 3A-B, Fig. 4, Fig. 6A-C, Par 0037-0040, Par 0058, Par 0061, Par 0069, Par 0071, Par 0077, Par 0085-0087, Par 0089-0090, Par 0094-0098); and
(ii) communicating (transmitting second packet) with the UE (first communication device) based at least in part on the indicated one or more parameters associated with the second set of time and frequency resources (based on the full duplex capability indication, second packet is simultaneously transmitted while receiving the remaining portion of the first packet over the wireless channel) (Fig. 3A-B, Fig. 4, Fig. 6A-C, Par 0058, Par 0061, Par 0069, Par 0071, Par 0077, Par 0085-0087, Par 0089-0090, Par 0094-0098).
Claim 29 recites an apparatus performing the steps recited in claim 12 and thereby, is rejected for the reasons discussed above with respect to claim 12. Kenney further teaches that the apparatus comprises one or memories (memory, 227), and one or more processors (processor 225) coupled with the one or more memories (Fig. 2, Par 0043-0046).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
9. 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.
10. Claims 4-5, 15-16, and 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kenney as applied to claims 1, 12, 23, and 29 above and further in view of Yi et al (US 20190089502 A1, hereinafter referred to as Yi).
Re claims 4, 15, 26, Kenney does not explicitly disclose to determine the second set of time and frequency resources based at least in part on applying a threshold resource separation after each time and frequency resource of the first set of time and frequency resources, wherein the one or more parameters comprise the threshold resource separation.
Yi teaches to determine the second set of time and frequency resources based at least in part on applying a threshold resource separation after each time and frequency resource of the first set of time and frequency resources (duplex gap between two frequency subbands in subframe 1 (i.e., UE1 SL TX and UE2 SL TX, Fig. 12-13)), wherein the one or more parameters comprise the threshold resource separation (two frequency subbands in subframe 1 for sidelink communication (UE1 SL TX resource and UE2 SL TX resource) include the duplex gap) (Fig. 12-13, Par 0084, Par 0106, Par 0118-0120, Par 0130-0131).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Kenney by including the step to determine the second set of time and frequency resources based at least in part on applying a threshold resource separation after each time and frequency resource of the first set of time and frequency resources, wherein the one or more parameters comprise the threshold resource separation, as taught by Yi for the purpose of minimizing interference while performing simultaneous transmission and reception, as taught by Yi (Par 0084-0087, Par 0090, Par 0097, Par 0125).
Re claims 5, 16, 27, Kenney does not explicitly disclose that the threshold resource separation comprises a threshold number of physical resource blocks or a threshold number of subbands or both.
Yi teaches that the threshold resource separation comprises a threshold number of physical resource blocks or a threshold number of subbands or both (subband/RB corresponding to the duplex gap between the two SL frequency subbands in subframe 1 (i.e., UE1 SL TX and UE2 SL TX, Fig. 12-13)) (Fig. 5, Fig. 12-13, Par 0084, Par 0106, Par 0118-0120, Par 0130-0131)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify Kenney by including the step that the threshold resource separation comprises a threshold number of physical resource blocks or a threshold number of subbands or both, as taught by Yi for the purpose of minimizing interference while performing simultaneous transmission and reception, as taught by Yi (Par 0084-0087, Par 0090, Par 0097, Par 0125).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARUN UR R CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-3895. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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/HARUN CHOWDHURY/Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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