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 § 102
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.
Claims 19-22, 24-27, and 29-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Do et al (2023/0319950).
Regarding claims 19 and 24, Do discloses a method and a communication apparatus (see figure 15) comprising: a receiver, which in operation, receives control information relating to a first subset of time resources within multiple time resources used for full sensing (see The PSCCH carries only control information, usually referred to as the first-stage SCI (Sidelink Control Information). It is transmitted using a predefined format in predetermined radio resources, allowing a RX UE to use blind decoding in paragraph 0091; a full sensing in paragraphs 0156-0157; figures 7A and 7B and 8); and circuitry, which in operation, performs partial sensing at the first subset of time resources, which is determined based on the control information (see The SA may indicate radio resources to be used for a new SL transmission from the TX UE to the RX UE, and may trigger a timer associated with an conditional active time of the RX UE, e.g., to ensure that the RX UE is in the DRX active state in paragraphs 0135; a partial sensing in paragraphs 0156-0157 and 0224), wherein the first subset of time resources is determined based on a formula (see The behavior, in particular the time slots or symbols where the timer starts and expires, of such timer is rather well-defined. For example, the timing may be described by a formula which depends on parameters like a DRX cycle period, defining how frequently the UE switches to the DRX active state, and an active time duration, defining for how long the UE is to remain in the DRX active state in paragraph 0121) or calculation rule (see The sensing-based resource selection can be summarized to include the following steps: a) A UE senses the transmission medium during an interval [n−a, n−b], where n is a time reference, and a>b≥0 define the duration of the sensing window. The length of the sensing window is (pre-)configurable in paragraphs 0012-0013. Note that paragraphs 0012-0013 are considered the calculation rule and the claim does not specify what the formula or calculation rule are).
Regarding claims 20 and 25, Do discloses the first subset of time resources is discrete with periodicity (see in each transmission, the UE can signal to other UEs a reservation of up to two additional resources in the near future, or in some cases a reservation for periodic transmissions using the same frequency resources in the further future in paragraph 0017; a periodicity of the DRX (discontinuous/discrete reception) cycle in paragraph 0020).
Regarding claims 21 and 26, Do discloses wherein the first subset of time resources includes every X slots from a reference slot (see DRX ON in figures 7A and &B; The sensing-based resource selection can be summarized to include the following steps: a) A UE senses the transmission medium during an interval [n−a, n−b], where n is a time reference, and a>b≥0 define the duration of the sensing window in paragraphs 0012-0015 and 0114-0117).
Regarding claims 22 and 27, Do discloses wherein the first subset of time resources is different from a subset for another communication apparatus (see the TX UE selects resource(s) for transmission(s) to the RX UE based on a set of resources for selection. The set of resources for selection may consist of the resources belonging to both the TX UE's selection window and the RX UE's deterministic active times in paragraphs 0133; the TX UE may determine the candidate set of resources based on considering the active reception times of RX UEs within a certain range Y from the TX UE, e.g., by determining the candidate set to correspond to time intervals during which at least a certain percentage Z of RX UEs within the range is in the active reception state in paragraph 0189. Note that RX UEs include the RX UE and another communication apparatus (another RX UE)).
Regarding claims 29 and 31, Do discloses determining a second subset of time resources for resource selection (see a first resource allocation mode and a second resource allocation mode in paragraph 0010; In case of partial sensing, the pedestrian UE uses a reduced selection/sensing window which is a subset of the selection/sensing window used when performing normal sensing in paragraph 0016).
Regarding claims 30 and 32, Do discloses performing resource sensing based on a reference time slot, wherein the first subset of time resources is before the reference time slot (see The sensing-based resource selection can be summarized to include the following steps: a) A UE senses the transmission medium during an interval [n−a, n−b], where n is a time reference, and a>b≥0 define the duration of the sensing window. The length of the sensing window is (pre-)configurable. b) Based on the sensing results, the UE predicts the future utilization of the transmission medium at a future time interval [n+T1, n+T2], where T2>T1≥0. The interval [n+T1, n+T2] is the resource selection window. c) The UE selects one or more time-frequency resources among the resources in the selection window [n+T1, n+T2] that are predicted to be selectable (e.g., idle, usable, available, etc.) in paragraphs 0012-0015 and 0114-0116).
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 23 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Do in view of Selvanesan et al (2023/0337188).
Regarding claims 23 and 28, Do doesn't specifically disclose the control information is transmitted by RRC (radio resource control) signaling. However, Selvanesan discloses this feature (see the UE is to obtain the timer value from a control message, like a PC5 RRC message, a SCI, a SLIB, associated with the AIM in paragraph 0103; using a configuration message, like a PC5 RRC configuration or MAC CE message in paragraph 0169). The claim would have been obvious because a person of ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp. If this leads to the anticipated success, it is likely the product not of innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/14/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argued that Do describes in paragraph [0157] that "the TX UE performs partial sensing on a subset of resources 811 within a full sensing window 801." However, the cited portions of Do do not appear to discuss how to determine the "subset of resources within a full sensing window." Thus, Do does not disclose or suggest "the first subset of time resources is determined based on a formula or a calculation rule" as recited in amended claim 19. This argument is not persuasive because the added limitation “the first subset of time resources is determined based on a formula or calculation rule” is disclosed by Do as described in previous paragraphs.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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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/BRIAN D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2475