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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/09/2026 has been entered.
Response to amendment
The Amendment filed 03/09/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1-3, 11 and 15-20 have been amended.
Claim 6 and 21 has been canceled.
Claims 1-5 and 8-20 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5 and 8-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 1, 4-5, 9, 11-12, 14-16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 20240023145 A1) in view of Chae et al. (US 20210105055 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a first user (UE) equipment configured for wireless communications (UE-A of Figs. 9A and 13), comprising: a processing system that includes one or more processors (processor 1302) and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors (memory 1304), the processing system configured to cause the first UE to:
receive, from a second UE, a first sidelink transmission contained within a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) or a sidelink control element (SCI), the first sidelink transmission requesting a report on sidelink resource availability (UE-A detects a trigger for sending an SL resource indicator MAC CE and/or the MAC subheader associated with the MAC CE (step 902). Detection of the trigger may be, for example, receiving a request from UE-B 704-B, [0213]; the SL resource indicator MAC CE includes one or more information fields that comprise information that indicates one or more resources that are preferred for use by UE-B 704-B for SL transmission, [0213]),
generate the report comprising an indication of one or more available sidelink resources (UE-A 704-A selects the SL indictor MAC CE for transmission (step 904-4). As described above, this selection may take into consideration a priority defined or configured for SL resource indicator MAC CEs as well as a priority defined or configured to one or more other types of MAC CEs, [0214]), wherein the one or more available sidelink resources are based on sensing one or more slots (Mode 2 is for UE autonomous resource selection. Its basic structure is of a UE sensing, within a (pre-)configured resource pool, which resources are not in use by other UEs with higher-priority traffic, and choosing an appropriate amount of such resources for its own transmissions, [0085]); and
transmit the report to the second UE (Responsive to detecting the trigger, UE-A 704-A performs a procedure by which it transmits an SL resource indicator MAC CE and/or a MAC subheader associated with the MAC CE to UE-B, [0213]);
wherein the report further indicates a subset of the one or more available sidelink resources preferred by the first UE (each information field may indicate the resources preferred to be used by UE-B, the resources preferred not to be used by UE-B, Wang [0156]).
However, Wang does not clearly teach the first sidelink transmission indicating a priority of a packet to be transmitted by the second UE and a number of subchannels to be used for transmission of the packet and the first sidelink transmission including information for a start time and an end time of a resource selection window.
In an analogous art, Chae teaches the first sidelink transmission indicating a priority of a packet to be transmitted by the second UE (wherein the plurality of conditions for CSI reporting window comprises at least one of Packet priority range, [0273]) and a number of subchannels to be used for transmission of the packet and the first sidelink transmission including information for a start time and an end time of a resource selection window (a first wireless may receive from a second wireless device, one or more configuration messages comprising channel state information (CSI) reporting triggering indication and one or more CSI reporting window configurations… wherein the CSI reporting window may comprise at least one of upper limit, lower limit, a number of sidelink resources, a starting time and a ending time, a starting time slot with a duration, a starting sidelink slot and an ending sidelink slot, [0272]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang with the resource information of Chae to provide a method and a system in order to improve link reliability or adaptively control transmission parameters e.g. MCS, transmission power, etc. in sidelink communication as suggested, Chae [0243].
Regarding claim 4, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1,wherein the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to: receive the first sidelink transmission on a resource of a first dedicated resource pool configured for receiving report requests (when traffic arrives at a transmitter UE, then this transmitter UE should select resources for the following transmissions: The PSSCH associated with the PSCCH for initial transmission and blind retransmissions, [0081]-[0082]), and to transmit the report comprises to transmit the report on a resource of a second dedicated resource pool configured for transmitting reports (UE-A 704-A receives, from the network node 702, a SR configuration as described above (step 904-1). In one embodiment, this SR configuration defines a PUCCH resource on which UE-A 704-A can transmit a SR for an SL transmission (e.g., a Mode 1 SL transmission) to UE-B 704-B, Wang [0214]).
Regarding claim 5, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1, wherein the indication of the one or more available sidelink resources comprises, for each sidelink resource of a plurality of sidelink resources, a binary indicator of whether the sidelink resource is available (For instance, the “indicator type” takes the values [0165] 00 representing that the indicated resources can be used for transmission by UE-B; [0166] 01 representing that the indicated resources cannot be used for transmission by UE-B; [0167] 10 representing that the indicated resources are currently experiencing collision, Wang [0164]-[0167]).
Regarding claim 9, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to receive a configuration for periodic reporting, wherein the report is transmitted according to the configuration (UE-A 704-A periodically transmits an SL resource indicator MAC CE and/or the MAC subheader associated with the MAC CE (e.g., based on a periodic timer), Wang [0216]).
Regarding claim 11, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to transmit an acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement of the first sidelink transmission over a physical sidelink feedback channel (MAC CE may be triggered by a UE (UE-A or UE-B) for a sidelink connection (e.g., a PC5-RRC connection between UE-A and UE-B) when at least one of the following events occur: A measured HARQ NACK ratio of the transmissions on the PC5-RRC connection has been over a configured threshold, Wang [0201]-[0208]).
Regarding claim 12, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to detect a retransmission from the second UE on one or more resources indicated as available in the report (UE-A 704-A starts a retransmission timer upon transmitting the SL resource indicator MAC CE, subsequently stops this timer if a stopping condition is satisfied, and retransmits the SL resource indicator MAC CE if this timer expires before the stopping criterion is satisfied, Wang [0215]).
Regarding claim 14, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1, wherein the indication of the one or more available sidelink resources comprises channel quality measurements associated with the one or more available sidelink resources (MAC CE may be triggered by a UE (UE-A or UE-B) for a sidelink connection (e.g., a PC5-RRC connection between UE-A and UE-B) when at least one of the following events occur: [0202] A resource (re)selection has been triggered. [0203] A measured radio channel quality of the PC5-RRC connection has dropped below a configured threshold (optionally for a configured time period), Wang [0201]).
Regarding claim 15, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1. wherein: the first sidelink transmission indicates a communication range requirement on a link from the second UE to the first UE, and the processing system is configured to cause the first UE to determine the one or more available sidelink resources comprises to determine based on resources that satisfy the communication range requirement (PPPP and CBR can each also be (pre-)configured with mappings to ranges of values of transmission parameters, e.g. a range of MCS values, and/or a range of numbers of subchannels, etc. In this case, the UE has to choose its transmission parameters from within the range corresponding to the prevailing PPPP and/or CBR, Wang [0098]).
Regarding claim 16, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1, wherein the first sidelink transmission indicates a zone identifier and a cast type, and the processing system is configured to cause the first UE to determine the one or more available sidelink resources based on excluding resources reserved by UEs associated with the zone identifier (For example, a resource selection procedure similar to that shown in FIG. 2 may be performed by UE-B 704-B but where UE-B 704-B considers the resources indicated as preferred for the resource selection, excludes resources that are indicated as not preferred from consideration for the resource selection, and/or excludes resources that are indicated as having a collision from consideration for the resource selection, Wang [0218]) and Chae further teaches wherein the first sidelink transmission indicates a cast type (the first wireless device and the second wireless device are a pair of a unicast group, and the one or more configuration messages is radio resource control or system information block, Chae [0272]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang with the resource information of Chae to provide a method and a system in order to improve link reliability or adaptively control transmission parameters e.g. MCS, transmission power, etc. in sidelink communication as suggested, Chae [0243].
Regarding claim 20, Wang teaches a method for wireless communication by a first user equipment (UE-A of Fig. 13 performing method of Fig. 9A), comprising:
receiving, from a second UE, a first sidelink transmission contained within a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) or a sidelink control element (SCI), the first sidelink transmission requesting a report on sidelink resource availability (UE-A detects a trigger for sending an SL resource indicator MAC CE and/or the MAC subheader associated with the MAC CE (step 902). Detection of the trigger may be, for example, receiving a request from UE-B 704-B, [0213]; the SL resource indicator MAC CE includes one or more information fields that comprise information that indicates one or more resources that are preferred for use by UE-B 704-B for SL transmission, [0213]);
generating the report comprising an indication of one or more available sidelink resources (UE-A 704-A selects the SL indictor MAC CE for transmission (step 904-4). As described above, this selection may take into consideration a priority defined or configured for SL resource indicator MAC CEs as well as a priority defined or configured to one or more other types of MAC CEs, [0214]), wherein the one or more available sidelink resources are based on sensing one or more slots (Mode 2 is for UE autonomous resource selection. Its basic structure is of a UE sensing, within a (pre-)configured resource pool, which resources are not in use by other UEs with higher-priority traffic, and choosing an appropriate amount of such resources for its own transmissions, [0085]); and
transmitting the report to the second UE (Responsive to detecting the trigger, UE-A 704-A performs a procedure by which it transmits an SL resource indicator MAC CE and/or a MAC subheader associated with the MAC CE to UE-B, [0213]);
wherein the report further indicates a subset of the one or more available sidelink resources preferred by the first UE (each information field may indicate the resources preferred to be used by UE-B, the resources preferred not to be used by UE-B, Wang [0156]).
However, Wang does not clearly teach the first sidelink transmission indicating a priority of a packet to be transmitted by the second UE and a number of subchannels to be used for transmission of the packet and the first sidelink transmission including information for a start time and an end time of a resource selection window.
In an analogous art, Chae teaches the first sidelink transmission indicating a priority of a packet to be transmitted by the second UE (wherein the plurality of conditions for CSI reporting window comprises at least one of Packet priority range, [0273]) and a number of subchannels to be used for transmission of the packet and the first sidelink transmission including information for a start time and an end time of a resource selection window (a first wireless may receive from a second wireless device, one or more configuration messages comprising channel state information (CSI) reporting triggering indication and one or more CSI reporting window configurations… wherein the CSI reporting window may comprise at least one of upper limit, lower limit, a number of sidelink resources, a starting time and a ending time, a starting time slot with a duration, a starting sidelink slot and an ending sidelink slot, [0272]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang with the resource information of Chae to provide a method and a system in order to improve link reliability or adaptively control transmission parameters e.g. MCS, transmission power, etc. in sidelink communication as suggested, Chae [0243].
Claims 2-3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Chae and further in view of Shin et al.( US 20230020105 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1, determine a number of candidate resources to be reported as less than a configured threshold (A change of the measured radio channel quality of the PC5-RRC connection compared to the previous measurement has been beyond a configured threshold (optionally for a configured time period). [0205] A distance between two UEs (e.g., between UE-A and UE-B) has been over a configured threshold (optionally for a configured time period), due to mobility. [0206] A mobility state of one UE (either UE-A or UE-B) has changed, Wang [0201]); and determine the one or more available sidelink resources based on excluding the determined sidelink resource reservations and the number of candidate resources to be reported (For example, a resource selection procedure similar to that shown in FIG. 2 may be performed by UE-B 704-B but where UE-B 704-B considers the resources indicated as preferred for the resource selection, excludes resources that are indicated as not preferred from consideration for the resource selection, and/or excludes resources that are indicated as having a collision from consideration for the resource selection. In addition, the UE-B 704-B performs SL transmission using the selected one or more resources, Wang [0218])
However, Wang and Chae do not clearly teach wherein the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to decode one or more (SCI) messages in the one or more slots; determine sidelink resource reservations based on the decoded one or more SCI messages; and determine the one or more available sidelink resources based on excluding the determined sidelink resource reservations.
In an analogous art, Shin teaches wherein the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to decode one or more (SCI) messages in the one or more slots (The UE may decode the 1.sup.st SCI, may detect PSSCH information connected thereto from the 1.sup.st SCI information, may monitor a PSSCH DMRS area, and may measure PSSCH RSRP, [0128]); determine sidelink resource reservations based on the decoded one or more SCI message (Unicast or groupcast transmission is determined through SCI decoding, and there are resources reserved for the future by the received SCI, [0139]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang and Chae with the SCI decoding of Shin to provide a method and a system of performing sensing and resource selection while minimizing power consumption of a UE, and selected resources may be effectively used to optimize power consumption of the UE as suggested, Shin [0042].
Regarding claim 3, Wang as modified by Chae and Shin teaches the first UE of claim 2. Shin further teaches wherein to determine the one or more available sidelink resources further comprises to exclude sidelink resources based on received signal levels (In this case, only when RSRP of the resources is higher than a configured RSRP threshold, the resource candidates R.sub.x,y are excluded from S.sub.A in Process 4 of Step 1 in Resource (re-)selection procedure, Shin [0179]), the priority of the packet to be transmitted by the second UE, and a remaining packet delay budget (PDB) of the packet.( UE may select T.sub.2 within a range that satisfies T.sub.2≤Remaining packet delay budget (PDB). The UE may select T.sub.2 within a range that satisfies T.sub.2≥T.sub.2min. When T.sub.2 min>Remaining PDB, T.sub.2 min=Remaining PDB. T.sub.2 min is to prevent the UE from selecting T.sub.2 that is a too small value. T.sub.2 min may be defined as a function of a priority of the transmission UE, [0095]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang and Chae with the SCI decoding of Shin to provide a method and a system of performing sensing and resource selection while minimizing power consumption of a UE, and selected resources may be effectively used to optimize power consumption of the UE as suggested, Shin [0042].
Regarding claim 18, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1.
However, Wang and Chae do not teach wherein: the first sidelink transmission indicates a-priority remaining packet delay budget (PDB) of the packet, and the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to determine the one or more available sidelink resources based on the priority of the packet to be transmitted by the second UE and the remaining PDB of the packet.
In an analogous art, Shin teaches 18. (Currently Amended) The first UE of claim 1, wherein: the first sidelink transmission indicates a-priority remaining packet delay budget (PDB) of the packet, and the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to determine the one or more available sidelink resources based on the priority of the packet to be transmitted by the second UE and the remaining PDB of the packet (UE may select T.sub.2 within a range that satisfies T.sub.2≤Remaining packet delay budget (PDB). The UE may select T.sub.2 within a range that satisfies T.sub.2≥T.sub.2min. When T.sub.2 min>Remaining PDB, T.sub.2 min=Remaining PDB. T.sub.2 min is to prevent the UE from selecting T.sub.2 that is a too small value. T.sub.2 min may be defined as a function of a priority of the transmission UE, [0095]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang and Chae with the SCI decoding of Shin to provide a method and a system of performing sensing and resource selection while minimizing power consumption of a UE, and selected resources may be effectively used to optimize power consumption of the UE as suggested, Shin [0042].
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Chae and further in view of Guo et al. (US 20230171799 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1.
However, Wang and Chae do not teach wherein the report comprises an aperiodic report and the processing system is configured to cause the first UE to trigger an aperiodic report comprising the indication of the determined available sidelink resources to be transmitted to the second UE upon receipt of the first sidelink transmission.
In an analogous art, Guo teaches wherein the report comprises an aperiodic report and the one or more processors are configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and further cause the first UE to trigger an aperiodic report comprising the indication of the determined available sidelink resources to be transmitted to the second UE upon receipt of the first sidelink transmission (UE determines, based on the received sensing report configuration information, whether to transmit a sensing result message, [0069] and The operation of sensing result request and report can be activated or deactivated based on MAC control elements (MAC CE). [0067] For aperiodic Sensing Window, no periodicity is configured. UE is explicitly triggered about each operation of sensing result request and report, such as by means of sidelink control information (SCI) signaling, Guo [0064]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang and Chae with the aperiodic report of Guo to provide an apparatus to increase network throughput, coverage, and robustness and reduce latency and power consumption as suggested, Guo [0003].
Claims 10, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Chae and further in view of Park et al. ( US 20230156602 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1.
However, Wang and Chae do not teach wherein the processing system is configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and further cause the first UE to: receive a failed sidelink transmission prior to receiving the first sidelink transmission; and monitor for a retransmission of the failed sidelink transmission, wherein the first sidelink transmission comprises the retransmission.
In an analogous art, Park teaches wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and further cause the first UE to: receive a failed sidelink transmission prior to receiving the first sidelink transmission (no acknowledgement (NACK) information may be transmitted to the TX UE only if the RX UE fails to decode/receive the PSSCH received from the TX UE, [0113]); and monitor for a retransmission of the failed sidelink transmission, wherein the first sidelink transmission comprises the retransmission (the receiving UE may monitor the reception of the sidelink packet or the PSSCH assignment during the sidelink DRX retransmission timer period, [0198]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang and Chae with the feedback channel of Park to provide a method and a system for a more improved environment than an environment in which a self-sensor is used for detection as suggested, Park [0011].
Regarding claim 17, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1.
However, Wang and Chae do not teach wherein: the first sidelink transmission indicates a reliability requirement of the packet to be transmitted by the second UE and a request for a number of reports with a periodicity, and the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to determine the one or more available sidelink resources based on resources that satisfy the reliability requirement of the packet to be transmitted by the second UE and transmit periodic reports based on the request for the number of reports with the periodicity.
In an analogous art, Park teaches wherein: the first sidelink transmission indicates a reliability requirement of the packet to be transmitted by the second UE and a request for a number of reports with a periodicity (TX UE may transmit some or all of the following information to the RX UE through a first SCI and/or a second SCI. [0116] PSSCH (and/or PSCCH) related resource allocation information (e.g., the location/number of time/frequency resources, resource reservation information (e.g., period)), [0115]), and the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to determine the one or more available sidelink resources based on resources that satisfy the reliability requirement of the packet to be transmitted by the second UE and transmit periodic reports based on the request for the number of reports with the periodicity (The parameter or parameter configuration value related to whether the proposal/rule of the present disclosure is applied may be configured specifically or independently based on at least one of a resource pool, a type of service/packet, a priority of service/packet, a QoS requirement e.g., URLLC / EMBB traffic, reliability, latency, [0207]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang and Chae with the feedback channel of Park to provide a method and a system for a more improved environment than an environment in which a self-sensor is used for detection as suggested, Park [0011].
Regarding claim 19, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1.
However, Wang and Chae do not teach wherein the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to determine a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a total number of sub-channels, and a number of layers for the one or more available sidelink resources based at least in part on channel state information (CSI) estimation information in the first sidelink transmission.
In an analogous art, Park teaches wherein the processing system is configured to further cause the first UE to determine a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a total number of sub-channels and a number of layers for the one or more available sidelink resources based at least in part on channel state information (CSI) estimation information in the first sidelink transmission. (TX UE may transmit some or all of the following information to the RX UE through a first SCI and/or a second SCI. [0116] PSSCH (and/or PSCCH) related resource allocation information (e.g., the location/number of time/frequency resources, resource reservation information (e.g., period)) … Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) information, [0115]-[0119]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang and Chae with the feedback channel of Park to provide a method and a system for a more improved environment than an environment in which a self-sensor is used for detection as suggested, Park [0011].
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Chae and further in view of Son et al. (US 20230217287 A1).
Regarding claim 13, Wang as modified by Chae teaches the first UE of claim 1.
However, Wang and Chae do not teach wherein to transmit the report the processing system is configured to cause the first UE to transmit the report over reporting resources that are defined as a fixed distance to a physical sidelink scheduled channel (PSSCH) transmission.
In an analogous art, Son teaches wherein to transmit the report comprises to transmit the report over reporting resources that are defined as a fixed distance to a physical sidelink scheduled channel (PSSCH) transmission (In the communication system, K (e.g., time offset, slot offset) may be set to a fixed value, and the SL CSI reporting may be configured to be performed before the (N+K)-th slot, Son [0079]; The SCI may be transmitted through a PSCCH and/or a PSSCH, Son [0069]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the report request of Wang and Chae with the reporting of Son to provide to provide a method and an apparatus for reporting channel state information for sidelink communication as suggested, Son [0006].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Luo et al. (US 20210258980 A1): Method, apparatus and systems are described to allow a base station to configure a logical channel or resources for sidelink communications. In one example aspect, a method for wireless communication includes receiving, by a user equipment, a message from a communication node. The message includes information for configuring a logical channel for a sidelink transmission. The method also includes configuring, a Medium Access Control (MAC) entity with the logical channel according to the information.
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/NICOLE M LOUIS-FILS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2641
/CHARLES N APPIAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641