CTNF 18/339,888 CTNF 83046 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-42-04 AIA 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/13/2026 has been entered. Priorities and Examiner Remarks This application is a Divisional of 17151105 (filed 01/15/2021, now U.S. Patent # 11924873), and does not claim priorities from any domestic application or to any foreign application. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co. , 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1, 3-4, 7-9, 11-13, 15-16, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ganesan et al. (US 20230164835 A1, hereinafter Ganesan ), in view of PANTELEEV et al. (US 20220109546 A1, hereinafter PANTELEEV ) . Regarding claim 1 , Ganesan teaches an apparatus for wireless communication at a transmitting device, comprising: one or more memories storing processor executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories ( Ganesan , see at least fig. 5-6, e.g. various functional components) and operable to execute the code to cause the apparatus to ( Ganesan , in general, see fig. 7 and corresponding paragraphs; see also sections related to “sidelink transmissions” which corresponds to “directional transmission” of fig. 7): perform a first transmission to one or more receiving devices, the first transmission comprising a sidelink transmission associated with a unicast transmission type ( Ganesan , see at least para. 217 along with para. 173 and 115, “...The method 700 includes transmitting 710 a directional transmission using a first transmit beam, the first transmit beam selected from a plurality of transmit beams. The method 700 includes determining 715 whether the directional transmission was successfully received by a recipient...”, note that para. 173 discloses “...the directional transmission contains a data transmission on a sidelink channel (e.g., PSSCH) where common HARQ-NACK feedback resources are configured...”); determine a feedback response for the first transmission based on monitoring for a negative-acknowledgement feedback message from the one or more receiving devices in response to the first transmission ( Ganesan , see at least para. 217 along with para. 173 and 115, “...The method 700 includes determining 715 whether the directional transmission was successfully received by a recipient...”, note that para. 115 discloses “...In some embodiments, the receiving sidelink UEs 205 (“RX UEs”) are configured with common NACK-only resources, referred to as (sidelink) HARQ Option 1. In other embodiments, the RX UEs are configured with dedicated ACK/NACK resources, referred to as (sidelink) HARQ Option 2...”); reset a contention window size for performing one or more subsequent transmissions based at least in part on reception of the negative-acknowledgement feedback message ( Ganesan , see at least para. 217-218 along with para. 117, “...In one embodiment, updating 720 the first CWS includes adjusting a first CWS to a next allowed value in response to determining that the directional transmission was not successfully received by the recipient...”, note that para. 117 discloses “...if NACK is detected corresponding to PSSCH(s) in the reference duration, the TX UE increases the CWS for the Tx beam/panel (or spatial filter, or spatial setting, or spatial relation, or TCI state of PSSCH) to the next allowed value...”); and perform the one or more subsequent transmissions in accordance with a LBT procedure using the contention window size, the one or more subsequent transmissions comprising subsequent sidelink transmissions ( Ganesan , see at least para. 218 along with para. 173, “...The method 700 includes performing 725 a subsequent LBT procedure using the updated first CWS prior to a subsequent directional transmission...”). Ganesan does not specifically teach a clear channel assessment procedure. PANTELEEV teaches a clear channel assessment procedure ( PANTELEEV , see at least para. 115, “...LBT is a mechanism whereby equipment (for example, UEs 201, 202, RAN nodes 211, 212, etc.) senses a medium (for example, a channel or carrier frequency) and transmits when the medium is sensed to be idle (or when a specific channel in the medium is sensed to be unoccupied). The medium sensing operation may include CCA, which utilizes at least ED to determine the presence or absence of other signals on a channel in order to determine if a channel is occupied or clear...”, in other words , LBT is for clear channel sensing). Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate PANTELEEV into Ganesan to keep flexibility in resource allocation so that the resources are selected according to common channel access procedures and avoiding any semi-statically or dynamically reserved/prohibited resources (see para. 48-49). Regarding claim 3 , Ganesan in view of PANTELEEV teaches claim 1. Ganesan further teaches wherein the contention window size is reset to a minimum value of the contention window size. ( Ganesan , see at least para. 178, note that several possible ways to set it to minimum value are disclosed) Regarding claim 4 , Ganesan in view of PANTELEEV teaches claim 1. Ganesan further teaches wherein the first transmission comprises physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) information..., and wherein the negative-acknowledgement feedback message indicates... unsuccessful decoding of the PSSCH information ( Ganesan , see at least para. 173, “...the directional transmission contains a data transmission on a sidelink channel (e.g., PSSCH) where common HARQ-NACK feedback resources are configured (i.e., PSFCH Option 1). In such embodiments, the absence of negative HARQ feedback (i.e., absence of HARQ-NACK) corresponding to the directional transmission indicates that the directional transmission was successfully received by the recipient...”). Ganesan does not specifically teach the first transmission comprises physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) information and physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) information, and wherein the negative-acknowledgement feedback message indicates successful decoding of the PSCCH information. PANTELEEV teaches the first transmission comprises physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) information and physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) information ( PANTELEEV , see at least fig. 1 and para. 41, “...For example, slots 140 have been designated for PSCCH/PSSCH by UE-1. Meanwhile, slots 150, 160 and 170 have all been designated by UE-2 for PSCCH/PSSCH...”), and wherein the negative-acknowledgement feedback message indicates successful decoding of the PSCCH information ( PANTELEEV , see at least para. 61 along with para. 89, “...feedback resource is conveyed in SCI scheduling PSSCH...” and “...PSCCH carrying SCI...”). Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate PANTELEEV into Ganesan to keep flexibility in resource allocation so that the resources are selected according to common channel access procedures and avoiding any semi-statically or dynamically reserved/prohibited resources (see para. 48-49). Regarding claim 7 , Ganesan in view of PANTELEEV teaches claim 1. Ganesan further teaches wherein, to perform the first transmission, the one or more processors are operable to execute the code to cause the apparatus to: perform the first transmission during a reference slot, wherein selecting the contention window size is based at least in part on the first transmission being performed during the reference slot. ( Ganesan , see at least para. 217 in view of para. 71, “...The method 700 begins and initiates 705 a first channel occupancy using at least one transmit beam in response to a successful Listen-Before-Talk (“LBT”) procedure...”, note that para. 71 discloses “...Upon successful LBT, the device initiates channel occupancy and is permitted to access the channel for a specific duration, referred to as Channel Occupancy Time (“COT”)...”) Regarding claim 8 , Ganesan in view of PANTELEEV teaches claim 7. Ganesan further teaches wherein the reference slot is associated with a channel occupancy time of the transmitting device. ( Ganesan , see at least para. 217 in view of para. 71, “...The method 700 begins and initiates 705 a first channel occupancy using at least one transmit beam in response to a successful Listen-Before-Talk (“LBT”) procedure...”, note that para. 71 discloses “...Upon successful LBT, the device initiates channel occupancy and is permitted to access the channel for a specific duration, referred to as Channel Occupancy Time (“COT”)...”) Regarding claim 9 , Ganesan in view of PANTELEEV teaches claim 1. Ganesan further teaches the first transmission comprises physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) information, and wherein the feedback response is based at least in part on the PSSCH information. ( Ganesan , see at least para. 173, “...the directional transmission contains a data transmission on a sidelink channel (e.g., PSSCH) where common HARQ-NACK feedback resources are configured (i.e., PSFCH Option 1). In such embodiments, the absence of negative HARQ feedback (i.e., absence of HARQ-NACK) corresponding to the directional transmission indicates that the directional transmission was successfully received by the recipient...”). Ganesan does not specifically teach the first transmission comprises... physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) information. PANTELEEV teaches the first transmission comprises... physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) information ( PANTELEEV , see at least fig. 1 and para. 41, “...For example, slots 140 have been designated for PSCCH/PSSCH by UE-1. Meanwhile, slots 150, 160 and 170 have all been designated by UE-2 for PSCCH/PSSCH...”). Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate PANTELEEV into Ganesan to keep flexibility in resource allocation so that the resources are selected according to common channel access procedures and avoiding any semi-statically or dynamically reserved/prohibited resources (see para. 48-49). Regarding claim 11 , Ganesan in view of PANTELEEV teaches claim 1. Ganesan further teaches wherein the contention window size is reset based at least on part on reception of the negative-acknowledgement feedback message and at least one acknowledgement feedback message. ( Ganesan , see at least para. 116-117, note that several possible ways to set CWS) Regarding claim 12 , Ganesan in view of PANTELEEV teaches claim 1. Ganesan does not specifically teach wherein the first transmission comprises physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) information and physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) information, and wherein no feedback messages being received indicates unsuccessful decoding of the PSCCH information and the PSSCH information. PANTELEEV teaches wherein the first transmission comprises physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) information and physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) information, and wherein no feedback messages being received indicates unsuccessful decoding of the PSCCH information and the PSSCH information ( PANTELEEV , see at least para. 77 along with para. 41, “...two different resources may be used for ACK and NACK respectively, especially when PSFCH carrying SFCI has PSCCH structure. In that case, if NACK is detected or if no ACK is detected, the transmitter may decide to schedule a retransmission...”, in other words , retransmission due to issues occur on receiving side (e.g. decoding side)). Therefore, it would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate PANTELEEV into Ganesan to keep flexibility in resource allocation so that the resources are selected according to common channel access procedures and avoiding any semi-statically or dynamically reserved/prohibited resources (see para. 48-49). Regarding claims 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, and 20 , these claims are rejected for the same reasoning as claims 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9, respectively, except each of these claims is in method claim format. Response to Arguments Applicant's arguments filed 02/13/2026 have been fully considered. Regarding independent claims 1 and 13, since applicant's amendment necessitated new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action, previous Office action's rejections are moot. Accordingly, corresponding dependent claims have also been rejected in this Office action. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YEE F LAM whose telephone number is (571)270-7577. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayman Abaza can be reached on 571-270-0422. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /YEE F LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 2 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 3 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 4 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 5 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 6 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 7 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 8 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 9 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 10 Art Unit: 2465 Application/Control Number: 18/339,888 Page 11 Art Unit: 2465
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