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 .
Status of Claims
The following is a non-final, first action on the merits, in response to application filed January 19, 2024. Claims 1-20, are currently pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 09/30/2024, 1/19/2024, are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al (hereinafter Wang) (US 2021/0219103).
Regarding claims 1, 11, 12, Wang discloses a method (apparatus) for location acquisition, comprising:
receiving, by a first terminal, a side link signal configuration for a second terminal (a positioning device configured to: send the reference signal configuration request to a radio resource controller (RRC); receive a downlink (DL) reference signal configuration; receive a DL reference signal corresponding to the reference signal configuration (a side link (SL) reference type) the auxiliary UE (equivalent to the second terminal) determines the side link reference signal RefSig configuration based on the request and notifies the target UE of the RefSig configuration (equivalent to the first terminal receiving the side link configuration from the second terminal) (paras. 0033, 0081, 0208, 0210);
measuring, by the first terminal, a side link signal of the second terminal based on the side link signal configuration for the second terminal, to acquire a first measurement result (the reference signal configuration request comprises at least one of a first measurement report configuration, a second configuration, a periodicity, or a number of repetitions. Preferably, the first measurement report configuration comprises, e.g., time of arrival (ToA), time difference of arrival (TDoA), an angle of signal departure or arrival, or a signal transmission resource indicator) (paras. 0081, 0213); and
acquiring, by the first terminal, first relative positioning information between the first terminal and the second terminal (the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs, hence cooperative positioning and relative positioning between UEs can be enabled), the first relative positioning information corresponding to the first measurement result (UE 1701 determines the side link RefSig configuration and informs the target UE about the RefSig configuration, the UE 1701 transmits side link RefSig 1702 to the target UE according to the RefSig configuration. The target UE obtains radio signal measurements based on the RefSig 1702 received from the assisting UE, the target UE calculates its position based on at least the side link radio signal measurements. The positioning method may be indicated by the network. If the location request is originated from the network, the target UE reports the location update to the location server in CN) (paras. 0063, 0215, 0216, 0232-0239). Wang further discloses a reference signal transmitter (RefSig TX) and a reference signal receiver (RefSig RX) equivalent to a transceiver, paras. 0013, 0016).
Regarding claim 2, Wang discloses wherein receiving by the first terminal, the side link signal configuration for the second terminal from a network device (the system design options include network-based positioning, UE-based positioning and RAT-assisted hybrid positioning, supports measurements on the side link) (paras.0012, 0052).
Regarding claim 3, Wang discloses receiving, by the first terminal, the side link signal configuration for the second terminal from the second terminal through a side link between the first terminal and the second terminal (network-based positioning accuracy. Further, this ensures that, assisted by relative measurement among UEs , the location server function in the RAN may fuse all types of measurements and jointly estimate the UEs' positions that supports measurements on the side link) (paras. 0012, 0052, 0057).
Regarding claim 4, Wang discloses wherein acquiring, by the first terminal, the first relative positioning information between the first terminal and the second terminal, the first relative positioning information corresponding to the first measurement result, comprises: determining, by the first terminal, the first relative positioning information based on the first measurement result (allows the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs, positioning and relative positioning between UEs can be enabled allows for a UE-based hybrid positioning method avoids the signaling overhead by transmitting all measurements to the location server in the network, further allows the RAN coverage to provide positioning reference) (paras. 0063, 0071).
Regarding claim 5, Wang discloses sending, by the first terminal, the first relative positioning information to at least one of the network device or the second terminal (the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs and to improve UE-based positioning accuracy. It further enables cooperative positioning and relative positioning between UEs. It also allows for a UE-based hybrid positioning method with radio assistance) (paras. 0014, 0078, 0080).
Regarding claims 6, 16, Wang discloses comprising,
sending, by the first terminal, the first measurement result to the network device or the second terminal, the first measurement result being used for the network device or the second terminal to determine the first relative positioning information between the first terminal and the second terminal (the reference signal configuration request comprises at least one of a first measurement report configuration, a second configuration, a periodicity, or a number of repetitions. Preferably, the first measurement report configuration comprises, e.g., time of arrival (ToA), time difference of arrival (TDoA), an angle of signal departure or arrival, or a signal transmission resource indicator) (paras. 0081, 0213); and
receiving, by the first terminal, the first relative positioning information from the network device or the second terminal (the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs, positioning and relative positioning between UEs can be enabled allows for a UE-based hybrid positioning method avoids the signaling overhead by transmitting all measurements to the location server in the network, further allows the RAN coverage to provide positioning reference) (paras. 0063, 0071).
Regarding claims 7, 17, Wang discloses receiving, by the first terminal, a positioning capability request from the network device (the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs and to improve UE-based positioning accuracy. It further enables cooperative positioning and relative positioning between UEs. It also allows for a UE-based hybrid positioning method with radio assistance) (para. 0078); and
sending, by the first terminal, a message comprising a positioning capability or a side link-based positioning capability to the network device (the PosEng sends a message (i.e., the signal configuration request RefSig request 104) to a RRC or multiple RRCs, requesting the desired type and configuration of the RefSig) (para. 0137-0140).
Regarding claims 8, 18, Wang discloses comprising, in case that the first terminal receives a measurement request from the network device, measuring, by the first terminal, the side link signal of the second terminal based on the side link signal configuration for the second terminal (the positioning device is configured to determine a measurement quality, and/or a reference signal type and configuration based on a positioning request, to determine a reference signal configuration request based on at least the measurement quality, and/or the reference signal type and configuration, to obtain a measurement result based on a reference signal configured according to the reference signal configuration request, and to calculate the position based on at least the measurement result) (abstract; paras. 0063, 0066, 0075, 0080).
Regarding claims 9, 19, Wang discloses further comprising,
sending, by the first terminal, a first request to the network device, the first request indicating a relative positioning demand towards the second terminal (auxiliary equivalent to a second terminal) (relative measurement among UEs, the location server function in the RAN may fuse all types of measurements and jointly estimate the UEs' positions, positioning device can in particular be arranged in a target UE, …… a position of the target UE is calculated. The SL reference signal is particularly transmitted by an assisting UE in this case, it allows the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs, hence cooperative positioning and relative positioning between UEs can be enabled) (paras. 0057, 0063).
Regarding claims 10, 20, Wang discloses wherein the first request comprises or indicates at least one of: an identification of the second terminal, or an identification of a road side unit corresponding to the second terminal (the location server sends a message 104 to the RAN 701 or multiple RAN elements, indicating the identities of the involved UE and requesting the desired type and configuration of side link RefSig) (paras. 0166, 0168).
Regarding claim 14, Wang discloses receive the first relative positioning information from the first terminal (relative positions between UEs) (para. 0063).
Regarding claim 15, Wang discloses receive the first measurement result from the first terminal (allows the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs, positioning and relative positioning between UEs can be enabled allows for a UE-based hybrid positioning method avoids the signaling overhead by transmitting all measurements to the location server in the network, further allows the RAN coverage to provide positioning reference) (paras. 0063, 0071);
wherein the apparatus further comprises a processor, and the processor is configured to: determine the first relative positioning information based on the first measurement result (the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs, hence cooperative positioning and relative positioning between UEs can be enabled) (paras. 0063, 0215, 0216) and
wherein the transceiver is further configured to: send the first relative positioning information to the first terminal (the target UE to request a side link reference signal from the desired assisting UEs and to improve UE-based positioning accuracy. It further enables cooperative positioning and relative positioning between UEs. It also allows for a UE-based hybrid positioning method with radio assistance) (paras. 0014, 0078, 0080).
Conclusion
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/QUTBUDDIN GHULAMALI/
Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2632.