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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 April 6, 2022 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 6, 2026 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Liu et al. (US 2022/0046430) in view of Matsumura et al. (US 2024/0187178).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a user equipment (UE) (Liu, paragraph [0007], UE) comprising:
a transceiver (Liu, Fig. 12, transceiver) configured to:
transmit, to a second UE, a sidelink (SL) channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) using multiple spatial domain transmit filters (Liu, paragraph [0007], transmitting to a second UE, over a sidelink, a plurality of beam measurement signals in a plurality of beam directions, each signal including a CSI-RS; paragraph [0148], UE 302a may transmit a plurality of beam measurement signals to the UE 302b in a plurality of CSI-RS resources, each beam measurement signal may be a CSI-RS), and
receive, from the second UE, a first beam measurement report (Liu, paragraph [0007], receiving, from the second UE, an indication of a preferred beam direction; paragraph [0100], feedback resource for reporting the preferred transmit beam direction; paragraph [0152], UE 302b may determine RSRP for each beam and determine the highest signal measurement and report the preferred transmit beam direction; paragraph [0154], UE 302b may report the M strongest beams; paragraph [0155], UE 302b may transmit the preferred transmit beam indication 935 in a different slot than where the preferred transmit beam was received; paragraph [0159], UE 302b may indicate to the UE 302a that the transmit beam 932 is the preferred transmit beam); and
a processor operably coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured (Liu, Fig. 12, processor) to determine, based on the first beam measurement report, a first beam indication (Liu, paragraph [0007], receiving, from the second UE, an indication of a preferred beam direction; paragraph [0100], feedback resource for reporting the preferred transmit beam direction; paragraph [0101], UE 302a may transmit a plurality of beam measurement signals using the preferred transmit beam direction indicated by the UE 302b, UE 302a may transmit SCI-2 in each beam measurement signal using the preferred beam, UE 302a may include a receive beam trigger in SCI-2; paragraph [0148], UE 302a may configure the UE 302b with a CSI-RS resource configuration in a PSSCH, each CSI-RS resource may be identified by a resource ID and may have a QCL association with one of the beams; paragraph [0152], UE 302b may have received a CSI-RS configuration and be aware of the CSI-RS resources; paragraph [0158], UE 302a may transmit multiple beam measurement signals in a subsequent slot 402f using the beam direction indicated by the preferred beam indication, the UE may include a CSI-RS trigger 909 in the SCI-1 and/or SCI-2, using the transmit beam 932 preferred by the UE 302b; paragraph [0224], CSI-RS trigger may indicate each of the plurality of resources being associated with a different beam direction),
wherein the transceiver is further configured to:
transmit a first channel comprising the first beam indication (Liu, paragraph [0101], discloses UE 302a may transmit a plurality of beam measurement signals using the preferred transmit beam direction indicated by the UE 302b, UE 302a may transmit SCI-2 in each beam measurement signal using the preferred beam, UE 302a may include a receive beam trigger in SCI-2; and in paragraph [0224], CSI-RS trigger may indicate each of the plurality of resources being associated with a different beam direction), and
receive a second channel comprising an acknowledgement for the first channel (Liu, paragraph [0075], UE may transmit information for resource allocation of second-stage SCI; first stage SCI may include PSSCH resource assignment or resource reservation period, feedback on PSFCH can include ACK for a previously transmitted PSSCH; paragraph [0108], feedback on PSFCH can include an ACK/NACK);
wherein the transceiver is further configured to, transmit, based on the determined first beam indication, a first physical SL control channel (PSCCH) or physical SL shared channel (PSSCH) (Liu, paragraph [0007], transmitting, to the second UE over the sidelink, data in the preferred beam direction; paragraph [0097], transmit PSCCH/PSSCHs with different beams, the beam reference signal may include SCI-2 transmitted in a PSSCH; paragraph [0101], after receiving the preferred beam indication, the UE 302a may transmit a plurality of beam measurement SCI-2 signals using the preferred transmit beam so that the UE 302b may select a best receive beam; paragraph [0103], after selecting preferred transmit and received beams, UE 302b may receive PSSCH data from the UE 302a over the sidelink channel), and
wherein the second channel is a physical SL feedback channel (PSFCH) (Liu, paragraph [0075], UE may transmit information for resource allocation of second-stage SCI; first stage SCI may include PSSCH resource assignment or resource reservation period, feedback on PSFCH can include ACK for a previously transmitted PSSCH; paragraph [0108], feedback on PSFCH can include an ACK/NACK).
Liu does not explicitly disclose wherein the processor is further configured to determine a time for application of the first beam indication based on a pre-configured value and an end time associated with the second channel, and
wherein the transceiver is further configured to, transmit, after the time for application and based on the determined first beam indication, a first physical SL control channel (PSCCH) or physical SL shared channel.
Matsumura discloses wherein the processor is further configured to determine a time for application of the first beam indication based on a pre-configured value and an end time associated with the second channel (Matsumura, paragraph [0218], timing of start of the beam application time may be end of transmission of HARQ-ACK; paragraph [0222], beam application time is defined/configured/indicated; paragraph [0232], offset value may be configured by higher layer signaling, defined in advance in a specification or reported as UE capability; paragraph [0373], user terminals 20 may have the functions of the base stations 10 described above. The words "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as the words corresponding to the terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "sidelink"). For example, an uplink channel, a downlink channel, and so on may be interpreted as a sidelink channel),
wherein the transceiver is further configured to, transmit, after the time for application and based on the determined first beam indication, a first physical control channel (PSCCH) or physical SL shared channel (Figs. 11, 12; paragraph [0218], timing of start of the beam application time may be end of transmission of HARQ-ACK; paragraph [0373], user terminals 20 may have the functions of the base stations 10 described above. The words "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as the words corresponding to the terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "sidelink"). For example, an uplink channel, a downlink channel, and so on may be interpreted as a sidelink channel).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to determine a time for application of the first beam indication based on a pre-configured value and an end time associated with the second channel, and to transmit, after the time for application and based on the determined first beam indication, a first physical SL control channel (PSCCH) or physical SL shared channel, in the invention of Liu. The motivation to combine the references would have been to ensure that the determined beam has had time to be applied to the transmission.
Regarding claim 2, Liu discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein:
the transceiver is further configured to receive a SL CSI-RS (Liu, paragraph [0007], transmitting to a second UE, over a sidelink, a plurality of beam measurement signals in a plurality of beam directions, each signal including a CSI-RS) from a third UE (Liu, Fig. 2; paragraph [0082], UE 215c may communicate with UE 215d and UE 215e over the sidelink),
the processor is further configured to measure and determine a second beam measurement report (Liu, paragraph [0007], receiving, from the second UE, an indication of a preferred beam direction; paragraph [0082], UE 215c may communicate with UE 215d and UE 215e over the sidelink; paragraph [0100], feedback resource for reporting the preferred transmit beam direction), and
the transceiver is further configured to transmit the second beam measurement report to the third UE (Liu, paragraph [0007], receiving, from the second UE, an indication of a preferred beam direction; paragraph [0082], UE 215c may communicate with UE 215d and UE 215e over the sidelink; paragraph [0100], feedback resource for reporting the preferred transmit beam direction).
Regarding claim 3, Liu discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive, from the second UE, a second PSCCH or PSSCH based on the first beam indication (Liu, paragraph [0097], transmit PSCCH/PSSCHs with different beams, the beam reference signal may include SCI-2 transmitted in a PSSCH; paragraph [0101], after receiving the preferred beam indication, the UE 302a may transmit a plurality of beam measurement SCI-2 signals using the preferred transmit beam so that the UE 302b may select a best receive beam ; paragraph [0103], after selecting preferred transmit and received beams, UE 302b may receive PSSCH data from the UE 302a over the sidelink channel).
Regarding claim 4, Liu discloses the of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:
receive a second beam indication from the second UE (Liu, paragraph [0103], UE 302b may or may not report the preferred receive beam to the UE 302a; paragraph [0104], UE 302b may or may not use the best receive beam as a transmit beam in the reverse direction for PSSCH data; paragraph [0154], UE may select M strongest beams from the transmit beams and report the M strongest beams), and
receive, from the second UE, a second PSCCH or PSSCH based on the second beam indication (Liu, paragraph [0103], UE 302b may or may not report the preferred receive beam to the UE 302a; paragraph [0104], UE 302b may or may not use the best receive beam as a transmit beam in the reverse direction for PSSCH data; paragraph [0154], UE may select M strongest beams from the transmit beams and report the M strongest beams).
Regarding claim 5, Liu discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit, to the second UE, a physical SL feedback channel (PSFCH) using a spatial domain transmit filter associated with the first PSCCH or PSSCH (Liu, paragraph [0100]], feedback resource in the PSFCH for reporting the preferred transmit beam direction).
Regarding claim 6, Liu discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein:
the transceiver is further configured to receive configuration information for the SL-CSI-RS (Liu, paragraph [0148], UE 302a may configure the UE 302b with a CSI-RS resource configuration in a PSSCH, each CSI-RS resource may be identified by a resource ID and may have a QCL association with one of the beams; paragraph [0152], UE 302b may have received a CSI-RS configuration and be aware of the CSI-RS resources), and
the configuration information includes time domain parameters or a periodicity of the SL CSI-RS and a slot offset within the periodicity (Liu, paragraph [0089], sidelink grant indicates parameters for SPS, such as periodicity; paragraph [0097], UE may transmit different beams in different slots; paragraph [0207], receive each CSI-RS during each period).
Regarding claim 7, Liu discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein:
the transceiver is further configured to: receive a third channel comprising a second beam indication (Liu, paragraph [0103], UE 302b may or may not report the preferred receive beam to the UE 302a; paragraph [0104], UE 302b may or may not use the best receive beam as a transmit beam in the reverse direction for PSSCH data), and
transmit a fourth channel comprising an acknowledgement for the third channel (Liu, paragraph [0075], ACK for a previously transmitted PSSCH; paragraph [0108], feedback can include an ACK/NACK); and
the processor is further configured determine a time for application of the second beam indication after an end time associated with the fourth channel (Liu, paragraph [0075], UE may transmit information for resource allocation of second-stage SCI; first stage SCI may include PSSCH resource assignment or resource reservation period).
Regarding claim 8, Liu discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: perform sensing and resource exclusion, and determine, based on the sensing and resource exclusion, a candidate resource for the SL CSI-RS (Liu, paragraph [0087], UE may perform resource selection by sensing channel availability for transmissions by measuring the channel, and selecting a channel for transmission based on the measurements).
Regarding claim 9, Liu discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive, from the second UE, a trigger to transmit the SL CSI-RS (Liu, paragraph [0053], CSI-RS trigger).
Regarding claim 10, Liu discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein:
the first beam measurement report includes M measurement pairs (Liu, paragraph [0154], UE may select M strongest beams from the transmit beams and report the M strongest beams) and
each of the M measurement pairs includes a reference signal (RS) identifier (ID) and a corresponding reference signal received power (RSRP) (Liu, paragraph [0154], UE may determine the CSI-RS resource ID associated with the resource where the beam measurement with the highest RSRP is received and report the preferred transmit beam based on the resource ID, signal measurement for the transmit beam provides the RSRP).
Claim 11 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 1.
Claim 12 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 2.
Claim 13 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 3.
Claim 14 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 4.
Claim 15 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 5.
Claim 16 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 6.
Claim 17 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 7.
Claim 18 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 8.
Claim 19 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 9.
Claim 20 is rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 10.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Akkarakaran et al. (US 20210352625) discloses In sidelink networks, beam selection may be performed by the base station or wireless communication devices based on beams identified through a sidelink beam search and measurement procedure. the receiving wireless communication device may identify and measure a plurality of beams of a transmitting wireless communication device, generate and transmit a beam measurement report to the transmitting wireless communication device indicating the beam quality (e.g., RSRP, SINR, or RSRQ) of one or more of the measured beams. The transmitting wireless communication device may either select one or more beams for communication with the receiving wireless communication device based on the beam measurement report or forward the beam measurement report to a serving base station (or RAN) for selection of the beam(s).
Saily et al. (US 20240388351) discloses terminal devices may transmit respective beam measurement reports over the sidelink. They may measure different qualities of the beam grid, and include in the respective beam measurement reports at least partially different set of beams. Upon receiving the multiple beam measurement reports from the terminal devices 101, 102, the terminal device 100 may then process the received beam measurement reports and select one of the indicated beams
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/ALAN L LINDENBAUM/Examiner, Art Unit 2413
/UN C CHO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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