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 § 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 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.
Claim(s) 1,4-5,8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al (US 11310808 B2) hereinafter as Kang in view of Guo et al (US 20230066041 A1) hereinafter as Guo, further in view of ZHANG (US 20210329732 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 1,5,9, Kang discloses a method comprising:
receiving, by a transmitting UE, a configuration for pools of resources from a network (See Fig(s) 2A, whereby UE-1 is receiving configuration of pools of resources from gNB See ¶ 159-162, The operation of the SL resource pool applied to one or a combination (different SL modes such as MODE1 or MODE2) may be configured for a transmission pool….. , one or more SL resource pools may be configured for each of the configurations)
wherein a Media Access Control (MAC) entity of the transmitting UE has been configured with a sidelink resource allocation mode 2 to transmit using pools of resources in a carrier (See ¶ 158-159.. When both of mode 1 (the mode of scheduling by the base station) and mode 2 (the mode of scheduling by the terminal) are designated for the SL allocation mode, the transmission resources of mode 1 and mode 2 may be simultaneously scheduled);
establishing a PC5-radio resource control (RRC) connection with a receiving UE for a pair of source and destination (See ¶ 38, a sidelink (SL) may refer to a signal transmission/reception path between terminals, which may be mixed with a PC5 interface….The terminals may include not only general user equipment’s or mobile stations but also vehicles supporting vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicles or pedestrian handsets (e.g., smartphones) supporting vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication).
Kang fails to disclose – receiving sidelink DRX information, determining configuration for the receiving UE, wherein the SL DRX configuration includes information related to SL DRX timers and wherein the SL DRX configuration is configured for the pair of the source and the destination; transmitting the SL DRX configuration to be used by the receiving UE to the receiving UE;
determining SL DRX active time based on the SL DRX timers; selecting a resource pool among the pools of resources;
Guo discloses – receiving sidelink DRX information, determining configuration for the receiving UE, wherein the SL DRX configuration includes information related to SL DRX timers and wherein the SL DRX configuration is configured for the pair of the source and the destination; transmitting the SL DRX configuration to be used by the receiving UE to the receiving UE; (See Fig(s). 1, 5 step 502, See ¶ 66-67, UE (e.g., UE 101a or UE 101b illustrated and shown in FIG. 1) determines whether a SL DRX procedure is enabled. In operation 502, in response to the SL DRX procedure being enabled, the UE receives SL DRX configuration information containing a priority of the SL DRX procedure….the operation is performed between UEs 101a and 101b as shown in Fig. 1);
determining SL DRX active time based on the SL DRX timers (See ¶ Table 1 with Active time SL DRX timers);
selecting a resource pool among the pools of resources (See ¶ 42, 44);
DRX transmissions between sidelink devices allows for a low-power "sleep" state instead of constantly monitoring for data or transmitting and or receiving.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Guo within Kang, so as to have UEs in power saving mode when not transmitting or receiving.
Kang further fails to disclose -
selecting time and frequency resources from the resource pool which occurs within the SL DRX active time; and performing a sidelink transmission to the receiving UE based on the selected time and frequency resources.
Zhang discloses - selecting time and frequency resources from the resource pool which occurs within the SL DRX active time (See ¶ abstract, 14,64.. selecting… the first time-frequency resource block belonging to a first resource pool, the first resource pool being either one of a first candidate resource pool and a second candidate resource pool) ; and performing a sidelink transmission to the receiving UE based on the selected time and frequency resources (See Fig(s). 2, UE201 to UE241, See ¶ 9, transmitting a first radio signal in a first time-frequency resource block, the first time-frequency resource block belonging to a first resource pool, the first resource pool being either one of a first candidate resource pool and a second candidate resource pool).
The influence of DRX on the sensing of time-frequency resource block in NR SL mode2 of resources allocation allows for appropriate time-frequency resource blocks to be applied to sidelink transmitting, thus enhancing transmission success rate. Furthermore, discontinuous Reception (DRX) is a method commonly used in cellular communications to reduce power consumption of communication terminals and lengthen standby time.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Zhang within Kang, so as to reduce power consumption of communication terminals and lengthen standby time by DRX method.
Regarding claim(s) 4, 8, Zhang discloses wherein the SL DRX configuration is transmitted to the receiving UE via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message (See ¶ .. 8, 99, See Fig(s). 3 block 306). Reasons for combining same as claim 1.
Claim(s) 2-3 and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al (US 11310808 B2) hereinafter as Kang in view of ZHANG (US 20210329732 A1), in view of Guo et al (US 20230066041 A1) hereinafter as Guo, further in view of ZHANG (US 20210329732 A1), further in view of Kung et al (US 12052662 B2) hereinafter as Kung.
Regarding claim(s) 2, 6,Kung discloses wherein the method further comprises selecting additional time and frequency resources outside the SL DRX active time based on the additional time and frequency resources being needed to be selected (See ¶ 50, If the Rx UE uses and/or performs sidelink DRX operation, the Rx UE may not be in active time when the Tx UE performs the new transmission (e.g., the new transmission may be performed outside active time of the Rx UE). The Rx UE may experience data loss due to not being in active time).
Reserving resources within active time window slots ensures accuracy of data transmission without incurring data loss.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Kung within Kang, thus ensuring reserving resources within active time window slots ensures accuracy of data transmission without incurring data loss.
Regarding claim(s) 3,7, Kung discloses wherein, based on the sidelink transmission being cancelled, dropped and/or released over at least one of the selected time and frequency resources due to resource reselection, prioritization, sidelink congestion control, pre-emption and/or reevaluation of the selected time and frequency resources, information related to the sidelink transmitted being cancelled, dropped and/or released is transmitted to the receiving UE and/or to a network (See ¶ .col 12 lines 50 14-43… If the TX resource (re-)selection check procedure is triggered for a Sidelink process according to clause 5.x.1.1, the MAC entity shall for the Sidelink processes). Reason for combining same as claim 2.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-9 have been considered but are moot based on new grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicant’s amendments.
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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAJ JAIN whose telephone number is (571)-272-3145. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 8-5.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached 571-272-2123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAJ JAIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411