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 .
Response to Arguments
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
Applicant’s arguments, see Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. § 101, filed 01/21/2026, with respect to claims 19 and 22 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 101 Rejection of claims 19 and 22 has been withdrawn in view of the applicants amendments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Applicant’s arguments, see Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. § 112, filed 01/21/2026, with respect to claim(s) 1-15, and 18-22 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. § 112 Rejection of the claims has been withdrawn based the applicant amendments of the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Applicant's arguments filed 01/21/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant alleges that the disclosure of Huang does not teach:
“performing further conversion on the configured period and then using the converted period to determine a moment at which the DRX enters the active state”
The office notes that the claims do not recite the above limitation. Further, the applicants allege that because the UE receives a preconfigured resource pool, then, the UE cannot, based on, absolute time units or physical time units, determine a logical time, which then determines the active time of the UE. The office notes that in sidelink resource pools are preconfigured in at least one of 4 different modes. Wherein the resources comprise time and frequency resources which are used for sidelink transmission and reception. The applicants own specification and claims teaches that the UE is preconfigured with a resource pool, see par.[0062] “In some examples, the absolute time units or the physical time units meeting the preset condition include: absolute time units or physical time units configured with resources in a preset direct communication resource pool.” As can be seen the resource pool which comprises the absolute time or physical time units are preset at the UE.
Additionally, the UE of Huang is configured to convert either of absolute time units such as millisecond or physical time units such as symbols, slots, or subframes into a logical time, which comprises a DRX cycle comprising an active period, and a sleep duration. As previously discussed with regard to fig.14 slots of a preconfigured resource pool are converted into a logical time/DRX cycle, wherein in a first slot of a set of slots, the UE is configured to be in an active time of the DRX cycle. By determining which set of slots are configured for a DRX cycle the UE can understand when it should awake in the particular slot for an onDuration of the DRX cycle. The same can be said with regard to fig.15 as it pertains to an absolute time. The UE as discussed is pre-configured with a resource pool for sidelink which is known in the art. The resource pool comprises a duration of time resources in milliseconds, which are then converted into an onDuration of 50ms of the period P which comprises 200ms. That is, the UE converts the resource pool which is preconfigured into a plurality of P periods of 200ms wherein which the first 50ms of the period P is utilized for an onDuration of the DRX cycle. By the UE knowing a plurality of P period of 200ms and configuring/having configured a 50ms onDuration in the period P, the UE is capable of knowing period for receiving PSCCH and/or further PSSCH from a peer UE in the sidelink.
The applicants assertion that because the UE is preconfigured with a resource pool as taught in both the applicants specification and as known generally in the art is unpersuasive.
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) 1-6 and 11, 18, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Huang et al. (US 2021/0037468 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 18, Huang discloses:
a discontinuous reception method (par.[0005] describes a discontinuous reception method, and a pattern which is based on the sidelink resource pool), performed by a user equipment (par.[0005] describes a first and second UE which communicate over a sidelink), comprising:
obtaining an absolute time cycle or a physical time cycle in direct communication discontinuous reception configuration parameters (par.[0508] which describes the a time duration of 50ms among a 200ms duration within a sidelink resource pool, fig.14, and par.[0450]);
converting the absolute time cycle or the physical time cycle into a logic time cycle, the logic time cycle being a first number of logic time units, the absolute time cycle comprises one or more absolute time units, and the physical time cycle comprises one or more physical time units (as discussed above, the granularity of the sidelink DRX is based on the resource pool, which comprises physical and absolute time, wherein the DRX time is 50ms of on/off duration (i.e. a sidelink DRX cycle), in the 200 ms sidelink resources in the resource pool. Par.[0508] “assuming a first UE and a second UE are (pre-) configured with a sidelink resource pool, the specific time duration could be 50 ms duration among a 200 ms duration. 50 ms and 200 ms could be in unit of slot of the sidelink resource pool. In one embodiment, the first UE in the specific time duration may need to wake up and/or perform monitoring or sensing the sidelink resource pool. Assuming the second UE (e.g., vehicle UE) transmits broadcast sidelink transmission every 100 ms in the sidelink resource pool, may need to or may be required to transmit an additional one in the specific time duration.”. That is, the slot of the resource pool is the granularity of the sidelink DRX configuration);
wherein the one or more absolute time units comprise seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, physical frames, or physical sub-frames the one ore more physical time units comprise slots or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, and the logic time units are time units in a set obtained after absolute time units or physical time units meeting a preset condition are arranged in a time sequence (par.[0508] which describes the 50ms or 200ms being in units of slots within the sidelink resource pool. That is, the number of slots amounting to 50ms or 200ms. Additionally, the UE receives the DRX pattern which has been configured and applies it on a next slot, par.[0522] thus, the slots of the resource pool are used to configure a DRX pattern, and the DRX pattern comprises an active time which are a number of slots, and a ) wherein the logic time units are time units in a set obtained after absolute time units or physical time units meeting a preset condition are arranged in a time sequence (fig(s).14-15 which depict the symbols being configured into slots which are used to define a periodicity or pattern of DRX, along with each of the paragraphs associated with these diagrams); and
determining, according to the logic time cycle, a moment at which discontinuous reception enters an active state (par.[0389] describes a DRX cycle is configured, and the Active time, and what it comprises. Par.[0495] which recites in part “The length of the DRX pattern in time domain may be in unit of resource in the sidelink resource pool.”. par.[0454] describes the first set of slots of the DRX pattern being the active time of the UE, thus, by determining the number of slots in a pattern for a DRX configuration, the UE is capable of determining the active time (e.g. the number of slots wherein the UE is in an active state for a number of slots, and in an inactive state for a number of slots during the periods of a DRX pattern). Also, fig.15 which depicts a 50ms time as active/OnDuration out of the 200ms Period P, wherein the OnDuration comprises the 50ms of the 200ms. Thus, in every Period P, the first 50ms is considered an OnDuration for the sidelink DRX cycle, wherein the granularity is millisecond of the sidelink resource pool converted into a logic time cycle of 200ms, and the first 50ms out of the different 200ms Period P, are set for an OnDuration of the of the Sidelink DRX).
Regarding claims 2, Huang discloses:
entering the active state through starting of a discontinuous reception duration timer (par.[0379] describes the DRX onDuration Timer, and par.[0389] describes the DRX active time comprising the OnDuration, wherein the OnDuration timer is running).
Regarding claim 3, Huang discloses:
wherein converting the absolute time cycle or the physical time cycle into the logic time cycle comprises:
obtaining a number or an average value of the number of logic time units existing within a set absolute time interval or physical time interval; and determining the first number of the logic time units in the logic time cycle according to:
the number or the average value of the number of the logic time units existing within the set absolute time interval or physical time interval; and the absolute time cycle or the physical time cycle (fig.15 and par.[0452 – 0454] which describes the UEs being configured a sidelink resource pool being comprised of a plurality symbols, which make up a slot of a subframe of a radio frame. A first slot in a pattern of the DRX pattern is utilized for an OnDuration until a last slot of a pattern. As slots are time resources, the ms e.g. fig.15 are divided into slots, which are converted into a DRX periodicity or pattern which has an active time and inactive time as is known with DRX).
Regarding claim 4, Huang discloses:
wherein determining, according to the logic time cycle, the moment at which the discontinuous reception enters the active state comprises:
obtaining a moment at which the discontinuous reception enters the active state in a previous cycle; and
determining a moment at which the discontinuous reception enters the active state in a current cycle according to the moment at which the discontinuous reception enters the active state in the previous cycle and the logic time cycle (par.[0551] which recites, in part, “an active time for sidelink of the UE (according to the second DRX pattern) could be (partially) the same (in time domain) as the active time for Uu link of the UE (according to the first DRX pattern). Additionally or alternatively, the active time for sidelink could be within the active time (in time domain) for Uu link of the UE. Additionally or alternatively, the active time for Uu link could be within the active time (in time domain) for sidelink of the UE.”. As can be seen the active time for a sidelink DRX pattern may be the same as previous pattern on the sidelink or Uu link).
Regarding claims 6 and 13, Huang discloses:
wherein the absolute time units or the physical time units meeting the preset condition comprise:
absolute time units or physical time units configured with resources in a preset sidelink communication resource pool (fig(s).14-15 which depicts a sidelink resource pool comprising symbols, and slots which are used for monitoring in an active time of a DRX pattern. The DRX pattern comprising a number of slots to form a pattern wherein during the patter, the UE is in an active state and inactive state, fig.19).
Regarding claims 11, 21, and 22, Huang discloses:
an electronic device, comprising:
at least one processor; and a memory in communication with the at least one processor;
wherein the memory stores instructions capable of being executed by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to be capable of performing the method of:
a discontinuous reception (par.[0005] describes a discontinuous reception method, and a pattern which is based on the sidelink resource pool) method, performed by a network side device (fig.1 depicts an access network element 100, par.[0045] describes the access network as a base station), comprising:
determining direct communication discontinuous reception configuration parameters, wherein the direct communication discontinuous reception configuration parameters at least comprise an absolute time cycle or a physical time cycle in the direct communication discontinuous reception configuration parameters (par.[0508] which describes the a time duration of 50ms among a 200ms duration within a sidelink resource pool, fig.14, and par.[0450]);
the direct communication discontinuous reception configuration parameters are used for enabling a receiving end device to converting the absolute time cycle or the physical time cycle into a logic time cycle, (par.[0508] which describes the 50ms or 200ms being in units of slots within the sidelink resource pool. That is, the number of slots amounting to 50ms or 200ms. Additionally, the UE receives the DRX pattern which has been configured and applies it on a next slot, par.[0522] thus, the slots of the resource pool are used to configure a DRX pattern, and the DRX pattern comprises an active time which are a number of slots, and a ); for
determining, according to the logic time cycle, a moment at which discontinuous reception enters an active state, the logic time cycle being a first number of logic time units (par.[0389] describes a DRX cycle is configured, and the Active time, and what it comprises. Par.[0495] which recites in part “The length of the DRX pattern in time domain may be in unit of resource in the sidelink resource pool.”. par.[0454] describes the first set of slots of the DRX pattern being the active time of the UE, thus, by determining the number of slots in a pattern for a DRX configuration, the UE is capable of determining the active time (e.g. the number of slots wherein the UE is in an active state for a number of slots, and in an inactive state for a number of slots during the periods of a DRX pattern));
wherein the one or more absolute time units comprise seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, physical frames, or physical sub-frames the one ore more physical time units comprise slots or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, and the logic time units are time units in a set obtained after absolute time units or physical time units meeting a preset condition are arranged in a time sequence (par.[0508] which describes the 50ms or 200ms being in units of slots within the sidelink resource pool. That is, the number of slots amounting to 50ms or 200ms. Additionally, the UE receives the DRX pattern which has been configured and applies it on a next slot, par.[0522] thus, the slots of the resource pool are used to configure a DRX pattern, and the DRX pattern comprises an active time which are a number of slots, and a ) wherein the logic time units are time units in a set obtained after absolute time units or physical time units meeting a preset condition are arranged in a time sequence (fig(s).14-15 which depict the symbols being configured into slots which are used to define a periodicity or pattern of DRX, along with each of the paragraphs associated with these diagrams);
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) 7, 9-10, and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Yang et al. (WO 2021/072662 A1).
Regarding claims 7 and 14, Huang discloses:
wherein the absolute time units or the physical time units meeting the preset condition comprise:
absolute time units or physical time units meeting a fact that the Ath to the (A+B- 1)th orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols, wherein the parameter A represents a position of a first OFDM symbol among B consecutive OFDM symbols that are configured OFDM symbols, and the parameter B represents a number of OFDM symbols that are consecutively configured as the uplink OFDM symbols starting from A (fig.14 depicts a resource pool comprising a plurality of consecutive slots. A slot of a subframe comprises a contiguous set of symbols in time starting from a first symbol (A), which corresponds to a consecutive set of symbols in time, generally 0-7 in a specific subcarrier spacing, followed by an additional slot of an additional 7 symbols in time, section 4.3.2 and par.[0321] “There are N.sub.symb.sup.slot consecutive OFDM symbols in a slot where N.sub.symb.sup.slot depends on the cyclic prefix as given by Tables 4.3.2-1 and 4.3.2-2. The start of slot in a subframe is aligned in time with the start of OFDM symbol n.sub.s.sup.↑N.sub.symb.sup.slot in the same subframe.” Thus, the fig.14 teaches a A+B-1th OFDM symbols in time are configured into a DRX cycle).
While the disclosure of Huang teaches the above claim limitations, it does not explicitly disclose:
Utilizing symbols configured for uplink transmission for sidelink transmission.
In an analogous art, the disclosure of Shin teaches:
Utilizing symbols configured for uplink transmission for sidelink transmission (Scenario 4: “When the sidelink link shares the carrier with the Uu link, not all time slots on a carrier are used for sidelink link transmission, or not all symbols in a time slot are used for sidelink link Sent. Currently, flexible symbols and/or uplink symbols can be used for sidelink transmission.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Huang, with the disclosure of Yang. The motivation/suggestion would have been that when the sidelink and uplink utilize a same carrier it may be beneficial to utilize flexible or uplink time for transmission or reception of sidelink data to improve throughput and transmission reliability.
Regarding claim 9, Huang discloses:
wherein at least one of A and/or B are determined according to pre-configuration information or control information sent by a network side device (the aforecited preconfigured resource pool comprising a the physical and absolute time resources along with frequency resources associated with said time resources).
Regarding claims 10 and 15, Huang discloses:
wherein the control information sent by the network side device comprises at least one of following information: physical layer control information, media access control layer control information and radio resource control layer information (par.[0197] which describes physical layer resources. Additionally, the resource pool can be transmitted via a layer-1 PDCCH/PSCCH, layer-2 MAC-CE, or higher-layer-3 RRC, par.[0470]).
Claim(s) 8 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Liu et al. (US 2023/0027463 A1).
Regarding claim 8 and 20, Huang discloses:
wherein the absolute time units or the physical time units meeting the preset condition comprise:
absolute time units or physical time units meeting a fact that the Ath to the (A+B- 1)th orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols wherein the parameter A represents a position of a first OFDM symbol among B consecutive OFDM symbols that are configured as uplink OFDM symbols, and the parameter B represents a number of OFDM symbols that are consecutively configured as the uplink OFDM symbols starting from A (fig.14 depicts a resource pool comprising a plurality of consecutive slots. A slot of a subframe comprises a contiguous set of symbols in time starting from a first symbol (A), which corresponds to a consecutive set of symbols in time, generally 0-7 in a specific subcarrier spacing, followed by an additional slot of an additional 7 symbols in time, section 4.3.2 and par.[0321] “There are N.sub.symb.sup.slot consecutive OFDM symbols in a slot where N.sub.symb.sup.slot depends on the cyclic prefix as given by Tables 4.3.2-1 and 4.3.2-2. The start of slot in a subframe is aligned in time with the start of OFDM symbol n.sub.s.sup.↑N.sub.symb.sup.slot in the same subframe.” Thus, the fig.14 teaches a A+B-1th OFDM symbols in time are configured into a DRX cycle).
While the disclosure of Huang teaches the above limitation, it may not disclose:
symbols are configured as uplink orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols, not used for sidelink communication synchronization signal and PSBCH block transmission and not configured as being occupied.
In an analogous art, Liu discloses:
symbols are configured as uplink orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols, not used for sidelink communication synchronization signal and PSBCH block transmission and not configured as being occupied (par.[0254] which describes the utilization of resources for sidelink which include uplink symbols which are not banned from use, and sidelink synchronization signals, along with occupied resources. The unavailable resources including sidelink synchronization resources, occupied resources, uplink resources of a certain types, and SSB resources which are considered occupied resources).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant application to combine the disclosures of Huang converting preconfigured resource pool into a DRX configuration, with the disclosure of Liu which teaches the use of specific uplink and other resources for sidelink communications. The motivation/suggestion would have been that the occupied resources are unsuitable for transmission and/or reception, further the utilization of uplink symbols for sidelink provides for improvement of throughput and transmission efficiency and reliability.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Beale et al. (US 2023/0055108 A1) “Communications Devices and Methods”
Freda et al. (US 2021/0014791 A1) “Methods and Apparatus for Efficient Power Saving in Wireless Networks”
Liu et al. (US 2022/0361284 A1) “Communication Method and Apparatus”
Yi et al. (US 2021/0274535 A1) “Scheduling Wireless Communications”
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMAAL HENSON whose telephone number is (571)272-5339. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thu: 7:30 am - 6:30 pm.
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JAMAAL HENSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2411
/JAMAAL HENSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411