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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-2, 34-35, 37-39, 42-43, 45-47, 49-50, 53, 55-61 received on 3/8/2024 have been examined, of which claim 1 is independent.
Claim Objections
Claims 2, 39, 42, 53, 60-61 are objected to because of the following informalities:
It is noted by the examiner, that the following claims recite limitations in the parentheses, which are not given patentable weight:
- Claim 2 - (e.g. comprising the sidelink-positioning demand), (request)
- Claim 39- (PRS, CSI-RS or SSB) (so that a user device is enabled to apply an indication of spatial filter direction to a transmission or reception of an indicated resource), (so that a user device is enabled to apply an indication of a spatial filter direction to a transmission or reception of an indicated resource), (e.g. Periodic, SP: Semi-Persistent, Aperiodic)
- Claim 42: (RRC, MAC-CE, DCI for the case the configuration entity being a gNB or PC5 (Sidelink) interface for the case the configuration entity being a second sidelink device)
- Claim 53: (receive from the second user device the reference signal)
- Claim 61: (without prior configuration of the other device), (without any need to configure anything)
For the limitations to have patentable weight in the claim interpretation, the applicant is advised to recite limitations without parentheses.
Claims 60 recites reference number 1020, which should be removed or included in parentheses.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2, 34-35, 37-39, 42-43, 45-47, 49-50, 53, 55-61 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 2, 34-35, 37-39, 42-43, 45-47, 49-50, 61 recite “communication system according to claim 1”, which makes it unclear if the “communication system” is same as claim 1 or different. For proper antecedent basis in the claim, the examiner suggests to amend the limitation as “The communication system according to claim 1”.
Further, claim 2 is written with optional limitations with “or” or “and/or”, which makes it unclear to determine which combination of limitations after first recitation of “or” or “and/or” are required and which limitations are optional. Further, Claim 1 recites “the coordinator configured to determine a sidelink-positioning demand, wherein the first user device is configured to act as coordinator”. And clam 2 in one instance of limitation recites “wherein the first user device is configured to determine the sidelink positioning demand”. It is unclear, what additional or further limitation is recited in claim 2 by this instance of limitations.
Claim 42 recites “the measurement configuration information”, which has lack of antecedent basis in the claim.
Claim 46 recites “the user device”, which is preceded in claim 1 by “first user device” and “second user device”. It is unclear, which user device is further limited.
Claims 53 recite “first user device of a communication system according to claim 1”, which makes it unclear if the first user and communication system are same as claim 1 or different. Furter, the claim recites “the first user device”, which makes it unclear which one of the recitation of “First user device” is further limited. For proper antecedent basis in the claim, the examiner suggests to amend the limitation as “The first user device of the communication system according to claim 1”. Claims 55-56 similarly recite “first user device” or “second user device” or “communication system, and rejected for similar clarity issues.
Claim 57 recites “first or second user device of communication system comprising at least the first and the second user device”, “wherein the communication system further comprises a coordinator, the coordinator is configured to receive”. It is unclear, if the claim is directed to user device or the system. If the claim is directed to user device, the claim is missing structural elements of the user device to perform the functions. Claim 58 is rejected for similar reasons based on dependency.
Claim 58 recites “the first user equipment”, which has lack of antecedent basis in the claim, and it is unclear if it is same or different than “first user device”.
Claim 59 recites “a device-to-device positioning”, “a system” which is unclear if similar or different than “a device-to-device positioning”, “a communication system” in claim 1. Further, “the first user equipment” has lack of antecedent basis in the claim.
Claim 60 recites “the method”, which has lack of antecedent basis in the claim. The claim 1 is system claim, thus unclear which steps are referred as method. Further, “the first user equipment” has lack of antecedent basis in the claim.
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 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.
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.
Claims 1-2, 34-35, 37-38, 45-47, 49-50, 53, 55-61 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khoryaev et al. (US 20160095092) in view of Baek et al. (US 20220346000)
Regarding claim 1, Khoryaev teaches communication system (fig 1) comprising at least a first and second user device (UE 110, 112, 114, fig 1),
wherein the first and the second user devices are mobile devices (para 25: UEs 110-114 correspond to user wireless terminals) and are configured to use a sidelink for a sidelink communication (para 24: UEs 110-114 may then connect directly to one another via direct communication path that does not use wireless network 120 to engage in direct D2D communications via a Sidelink channel);
wherein the first and the second user devices are configured to commonly perform device-to-device positioning or ranging while exchanging signals via the sidelink (steps 220, 230, fig 2; fig 3; para 49-50: process 200 may include communicating, using the configured spectrum, location beacons (block 220), based on D2D communication of the location beacons, estimating the location of a UE (block 230));
wherein the communication system further comprises a coordinator (para 81: one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE)); the coordinator configured to receive a sidelink-positioning request (para 81: eNB 125 may also request that a UE, such as one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence and then report the results of the measurements back to eNB 125 to facilitate further estimation of the UE coordinates by location server 160); wherein the first user device is configured to act as coordinator (para 81: one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE); fig 2-3).
Khoryaev teaches sidelink communication based position determination for the UEs. The reference teaches that eNB requests a particular UE to measure and report to facilitate location determination. However, the reference does not teach that the UE coordinates sidelink positioning in response to the request. Baek is directed to measuring terminal location using peripheral anchoring nodes.
Baek further teaches in response to said request or to said sidelink-positioning demand, the coordinator is configured to coordinate the device-to-device positioning or ranging (steps s2101 and 2102 in fig 21; para 423-425: in step S2101, a UE may transmit a participation request message to neighbor anchor nodes (ANs) around the UE, In step S2102, the UE may receive the participation response message from the candidate ANs among the neighbor ANs, he participation response message may include location information of candidate ANs and a PQI value of the location information). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev with sidelink communication related to positioning with neighboring anchor nodes as taught by Baek for the benefit of rapidly and accurately measuring the location of a user equipment (UE) using sidelink communication as taught by Baek in para 28.
Regarding claim 57, Khoryaev teaches first or second user device (UE 110, 112, 114, fig 1) of a communication system (fig 1) comprising at least the first and the second user device (UE 110, 112, 114, fig 1),
wherein the first and the second user devices are mobile devices (para 25: UEs 110-114 correspond to user wireless terminals) and are configured to use a sidelink for a sidelink communication (para 24: UEs 110-114 may then connect directly to one another via direct communication path that does not use wireless network 120 to engage in direct D2D communications via a Sidelink channel);
wherein the first and the second user devices are configured to commonly perform device-to-device positioning or ranging while exchanging signals via the sidelink (steps 220, 230, fig 2; fig 3; para 49-50: process 200 may include communicating, using the configured spectrum, location beacons (block 220), based on D2D communication of the location beacons, estimating the location of a UE (block 230));
wherein the communication system further comprises a coordinator (para 81: one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE)); the coordinator configured to receive a sidelink-positioning request (para 81: eNB 125 may also request that a UE, such as one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence and then report the results of the measurements back to eNB 125 to facilitate further estimation of the UE coordinates by location server 160).
Khoryaev teaches sidelink communication based position determination for the UEs. The reference teaches that eNB requests a particular UE to measure and report to facilitate location determination. However, the reference does not teach that the UE coordinates sidelink positioning in response to the request. Baek is directed to measuring terminal location using peripheral anchoring nodes.
Baek further teaches in response to said request or depending or to said sidelink-positioning demand, the coordinator is configured to coordinate the device-to-device positioning or ranging (steps s2101 and 2102 in fig 21; para 423-425: in step S2101, a UE may transmit a participation request message to neighbor anchor nodes (ANs) around the UE, In step S2102, the UE may receive the participation response message from the candidate ANs among the neighbor ANs, he participation response message may include location information of candidate ANs and a PQI value of the location information). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev with sidelink communication related to positioning with neighboring anchor nodes as taught by Baek for the benefit of rapidly and accurately measuring the location of a user equipment (UE) using sidelink communication as taught by Baek in para 28.
Regarding claim 2, Khoryaev fails to teach, but Baek further teaches wherein the first user device is configured to initiate (request) the device-to-device positioning or ranging in response to said sidelink-positioning demand (para 423: in step S2101, a UE may transmit a participation request message to neighbor anchor nodes (ANs) around the UE, the participation request message includes a minimum positioning quality indicator (PQI) value, the PQI may refer to the reliability of location information of an AN, and the minimum PQI value transmitted by the UE may refer to a minimum value of PQI values of candidate ANs that are supposed to transmit a participation response message; here, the minimum PQI is the demand based on which the request is initiated). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev with sidelink communication related to positioning with neighboring anchor nodes as taught by Baek for the benefit of rapidly and accurately measuring the location of a user equipment (UE) using sidelink communication as taught by Baek in para 28.
Regarding claim 34, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the second user device is a doer configured to perform one or more parts of the device-to-device positioning or ranging (para 81: wireless network 120, such as via eNB 125, may activate some of UEs 110-114 (e.g. anchor UEs/terminals with fixed positions and known coordinates) to transmit Sidelink positioning reference signals using predefined resources and/or using predefined transmission sequences; as described in para 81, the reference signals are transmitted by some UE (considered as second user device) and one of UE (considered as first use device / coordinator) measures the reference signals and reports; fig 2).
Regarding claim 35, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the coordinator is configured to inform the second user device on one or more of the following information: Sidelink positioning resource configuration or positioning reference signals (PRS) (para 81: wireless network 120, such as via eNB 125, may activate some of UEs 110-114 (e.g. anchor UEs/terminals with fixed positions and known coordinates) to transmit Sidelink positioning reference signals using predefined resources and/or using predefined transmission sequences).
Regarding claim 37, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the coordinator is configured to determine a position information for the second user device (para 50: based on D2D communication of the location beacons, estimating the location of a UE (block 230), location determination may be performed locally by the target UE based on signal location parameters obtained from location beacons received by the target UE and/or based on signal location parameters received via receiving signal location parameters forwarded, by other UEs).
Regarding claim 38, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the device-to-device positioning or ranging comprising a sidelink measurement (para 81: a UE, such as one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence and then report the results of the measurements).
Regarding claim 45, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the first and/or the second user device are configured to generate a report on the sidelink measurement to be forwarded to a localization server (para 81: a UE, such as one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence and then report the results of the measurements back to eNB 125 to facilitate further estimation of the UE coordinates by location server 160).
Regarding claim 46, Khoryaev fails to teach, but Baek further teaches wherein the user device out of a plurality of user devices is selected as first user device as coordinator based on one of the following criteria: requirement of the UE for a measurement or position determination (step s2102-2103, fig 21; para 424: the participation response message may include location information of candidate ANs and a PQI value of the location information. The UE may select final ANs to be used below to measure the location of the UE using information included in the participation response message ) or a condition of a connectivity graph between the user device and other devices (para 424 describes that candidate ANs to be selected, they respond if PQI is greater than threshold). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev with sidelink communication related to positioning with neighboring anchor nodes as taught by Baek for the benefit of rapidly and accurately measuring the location of a user equipment (UE) using sidelink communication as taught by Baek in para 28.
Regarding claim 47, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the coordinator is configured to receive measurement resource configuration information from the gNB (para 81: wireless network 120, such as via eNB 125, may activate some of UEs 110-114 (e.g. anchor UEs/terminals with fixed positions and known coordinates) to transmit Sidelink positioning reference signals using predefined resources and/or using predefined transmission sequences. eNB 125 may also request that a UE, such as one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence and then report the results of the measurements back to eNB 125 to facilitate further estimation of the UE coordinates by location server 160, eNB 125 may assign synchronization sources to periodically transmit Sidelink synchronization signals (primary and secondary), timing reference signals, or DMRS signals to perform measurements of signal location parameters at the target UEs).
Regarding claim 49, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the coordination is based on a preconfigured default setting defining measurement resource information (para 81: eNB 125, may activate some of UEs 110-114 (e.g. anchor UEs/terminals with fixed positions and known coordinates) to transmit Sidelink positioning reference signals using predefined resources and/or using predefined transmission sequences).
Regarding claim 50, Khoryaev further teaches communication system (fig 1) according to claim 1, further comprising another network entity, an eNB and/or a localization server (eNB 125 and location server 160, fig 1; para 81: eNB 125 may also request that a UE, such as one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence and then report the results of the measurements back to eNB 125 to facilitate further estimation of the UE coordinates by location server 160).
Regarding claim 53, Khoryaev further teaches first user device (UE 110, 112, 114, fig 1) of a communication system according to claim 1 (fig 1), wherein the first user device is a mobile device (para 25: UEs 110-114 correspond to user wireless terminals) and is configured to act as coordinator (location determination at target UE with other UEs, para 50) and is configured to: wherein the first user device is configured to support the second devices without measurement reporting (para 50: location determination may be performed locally by the target UE based on signal location parameters obtained from location beacons received by the target UE; here, the location determination is made locally at target UE, thus performed without sending report to location server as described in the other alternatives in para 50 and 81).
Regarding claim 55, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the first user device acting as coordinator (location determination at target UE with other UEs, para 50) is configured to perform one or more of the following functionalities: receiving a measurement report from a second user device and/or determining a range or distance related information (para 50: location determination may be performed locally by the target UE based on signal location parameters obtained from location beacons received by the target UE, and/or based on signal location parameters received via other techniques, such as by receiving signal location parameters forwarded, by other UEs and/or eNBs).
Regarding claim 56, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the second user device is a mobile device (para 25: UEs 110-114 correspond to user wireless terminals) and is configured to act as doer (para 25: UEs 110-114 may be “anchor” terminals that have known locations and that are designed to assist other UEs in location determination) and is configured to:
receive a measurement resource configuration information comprising an information on a sidelink reference signal from the coordinator (step 210, fig 2; para 34: configuring spectrum, in the D2D communications (i.e., in the Sidelink channels), to use for location determination (block 210); para 81: eNB 125, may activate some of UEs 110-114 (e.g. anchor UEs/terminals with fixed positions and known coordinates) to transmit Sidelink positioning reference signals using predefined resources and/or using predefined transmission sequences);
receive a measurement configuration information from the coordinator (step 220, fig 2; para 49: communicating, using the configured spectrum, location beacons (block 220); para 81: eNB 125 may also request that a UE, such as one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence and then report the results of the measurements back to eNB 125 to facilitate further estimation of the UE coordinates by location server 160);
apply the measurement configuration to perform the sidelink measurement together with the first user device (step 230, fig 2; para 50: based on D2D communication of the location beacons, estimating the location of a UE (block 230); para 81 describes the UEs instructed to transmit sidelink positioning reference signals and measure and report to location server to determine UE locations).
Regarding claim 58, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the first user equipment is configured to receive a sidelink-positioning request so as to act as coordinator in response to said request and to provide sidelink positioning resource configuration (para 81: eNB 125 may also request that a UE, such as one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence and then report the results of the measurements back to eNB 125 to facilitate further estimation of the UE coordinates by location server 160).
Regarding claim 59, Khoryaev in view of Baek teaches system of claim 1.
Khoryaev further teaches a method coordinating a device-to-device positioning or ranging (method steps in fig 2) within a system (fig 1).
Khoryaev fails to teach, but Baek further teaches exchanging measurement resource configuration information or measurement configuration information between the first user equipment being a mobile device as a coordinator and at least the second user device (fig 21, steps s2101, 2102; para 423-425: in step S2101, a UE may transmit a participation request message to neighbor anchor nodes (ANs) around the UE, the participation request message may include a minimum positioning quality indicator (PQI) value, in step S2102, the UE may receive the participation response message from the candidate ANs among the neighbor ANs, the participation response message may include location information of candidate ANs and a PQI value of the location information). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev with sidelink communication related to positioning with neighboring anchor nodes as taught by Baek for the benefit of rapidly and accurately measuring the location of a user equipment (UE) using sidelink communication as taught by Baek in para 28.
Regarding claim 60, Khoryaev further teaches a non-transitory digital storage medium (memory 830, fig 8) having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method (para 83: memory 830 may include any type of dynamic storage device that may store information and instructions for execution by processor 820) coordinating a device-to-device positioning or ranging within a system according to claim 1 (system of fig 1, method as in fig 2), when said computer program is run by a computer (para 83: memory 830 stores information and instructions for execution by processor 820).
Khoryaev fails to teach, but Baek further teaches exchanging measurement resource configuration information or measurement configuration information between the first user equipment being a mobile device as a coordinator and at least the second user device 1020 (fig 21, steps s2101, 2102; para 423-425: in step S2101, a UE may transmit a participation request message to neighbor anchor nodes (ANs) around the UE, the participation request message may include a minimum positioning quality indicator (PQI) value, in step S2102, the UE may receive the participation response message from the candidate ANs among the neighbor ANs, the participation response message may include location information of candidate ANs and a PQI value of the location information). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev with sidelink communication related to positioning with neighboring anchor nodes as taught by Baek for the benefit of rapidly and accurately measuring the location of a user equipment (UE) using sidelink communication as taught by Baek in para 28.
Regarding claim 61, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the first user device is configured to coordinate the device-to-device positioning or ranging based on already known sidelink positioning resource configuration (para 81: some of UEs 110-114 (e.g. anchor UEs/terminals with fixed positions and known coordinates) to transmit Sidelink positioning reference signals using predefined resources and/or using predefined transmission sequences, one of UEs 110-114 (e.g., a particular target UE), measure the signal location parameters for each Sidelink positioning reference signal time-frequency resource and/or sequence).
Claims 39, 42 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khoryaev et al. (US 20160095092) in view of Baek et al. (US 20220346000) in further view of Wang et al. (US 20230362874)
Regarding claim 39, Khoryaev in view of Baek teaches the limitations of the parent claim. Khoryaev in view of Baek fails to teach the first or second user device forwarding information on anchor via sidelink. Wang is directed to sidelink positioning and location reference information on sidelink.
Wang further teaches wherein the first and/or the second user device is configured to forward an information on an anchor or reference anchor via the sidelink (fig 2-3; para 147-149: the method 300 consists of the three operations, as shown in FIG. 3, Operation 1: Configure the location reference UE to transmit an indication message and/or configure the target UE to receive an indication message; Operation 2: the location reference UE transmits an indication message, indicating its availability to the vicinity and/or the target UE receives an indication message over sidelink; here, the location reference UE is the anchor for the target UE to use for location reference). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev and Baek with location reference anchor information in sidelink communication as taught by Wang for the benefit of improving the availability of location service as taught by Wang in para 11.
Regarding claim 42, Khoryaev in view of Baek fails to teach, but Wang further teaches wherein the measurement configuration information comprises at least one of the following parameters: information on anchor or reference anchor (fig 2-3; para 147-149: the method 300 consists of the three operations, as shown in FIG. 3, Operation 1: Configure the location reference UE to transmit an indication message and/or configure the target UE to receive an indication message; Operation 2: the location reference UE transmits an indication message, indicating its availability to the vicinity and/or the target UE receives an indication message over sidelink; here, the location reference UE is the anchor for the target UE to use for location reference). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev and Baek with location reference anchor information in sidelink communication as taught by Wang for the benefit of improving the availability of location service as taught by Wang in para 11.
Claims 43 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khoryaev et al. (US 20160095092) in view of Baek et al. (US 20220346000) in further view of Bao et al. (US 20210377906)
Regarding claim 43, Khoryaev in view of Baek teaches the limitations of the parent claim. Khoryaev in view of Baek fails to teach UL/DL measurement to enhance device to device positioning. Bao is directed to determining location of a target user equipment (UE) based on exchanging one or more positioning reference signals (PRS) between the target UE and one or more anchor UEs (para 27).
Bao further teaches wherein the device-to-device positioning or ranging is enhanced by an uplink measurement and/or a downlink measurement (para 102: Positioning accuracy may be improved by using UEs as reference points (i.e., anchor UEs) for determining the location of a target UE, positioning accuracy may be improved by using UE-to-UE sidelink positioning signal transmission and/or measurement, UL-PRS reception and measurement by a target UE and/or one or more anchor UEs, and/or DL-PRS transmission by one or more anchor UEs and/or the target UE, thus adding to the number of positioning signal sources and thus the number of reference points for determining a location of the target UE; fig 6b showing DL-PRS and sidelink PRS for UE 610). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine sidelink assisted positioning as taught by Khoryaev and Baek with UL/DL and sidelink position reference for UE position determination as taught by Bao for the benefit of improving positioning accuracy as taught by Bao in para 102.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RINA C PANCHOLI whose telephone number is (571)272-2679. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30am-4pm.
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/RINA C PANCHOLI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477 12/23/2025