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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is in response to amendment filed on 7/8/26. Claims 1-30 are currently pending, of which claims 9-29 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 7, and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by LI et al. (US 2025/0293910).
Regarding claim 1, LI teaches an apparatus (terminal device) [Fig. 9, item 900] for wireless communication, comprising:
a transceiver [Fig. 9, item 902];
one or more memories [Fig. 9, item 903] configured to, individually or in combination, store instructions; and
one or more processors [Fig. 9, item 901] communicatively coupled with the one or more memories, wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a network entity (network device), a time division duplexing (TDD) format configuration (first-type slot format table) indicating at least a portion of multiple time divisions (slots) as being configured for downlink data communications (downlink sensing (DS) and downlink communication (DC)) from the network entity (see “Optionally, the network device sends first indication information to the terminal device…[par 126] and “Design 1: The first indication information includes a first index, the first index corresponds to a first-type slot format…” [par 128] and “For example, the first-type slot format table includes a plurality of indexes, the transmission direction of the signal transmitted on each time domain symbol in the slot corresponding to each index, and the type of the signal transmitted on each time domain symbol. The network device indicates, to the terminal device, one of the plurality of indexes. Downlink sensing (DS), downlink communication (DC), uplink sensing (US), uplink communication (UC), flexible sensing (FS), and flexible communication (FC) are predefined slot formats” [par 130] which suggests that terminal device receives first-type slot format table indicating slots configured for downlink sensing or downlink communication communications); and
transmit, in a subset of at least the portion of the multiple time divisions, a signal to enable sensing by the apparatus (see “After receiving the indication information, the terminal device may determine to send an uplink sensing signal, a downlink sensing signal…” [par 132] and “downlink
sensing data may be sent during the DS and the FS” [par 130] which suggests that terminal device may transmit a downlink sensing signal in slots with a DS and FS index).
Regarding claim 2, LI teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to transmit, in the subset of at least the portion of the multiple time divisions (DS slot(s)) or another subset of at least the portion of the multiple time divisions, a reference signal for interference measurement by one or more other user equipments (UEs) (see Table 8 and “After receiving the indication information, the terminal device may determine to send an uplink sensing signal, a downlink sensing signal…” [par 132] which suggests the terminal device may transmit a downlink sensing signal in the DS slots for measurement by other devices in the network which one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize includes “one or more other user equipments (UEs)”).
Regarding claim 4, LI teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to transmit, in a subset of a second portion of the multiple time divisions (US slot(s)) configured for uplink data communications from the apparatus or flexible, a reference signal for interference measurement by one or more other user equipments (UEs) (see Table 8 and “After receiving the indication information, the terminal device may determine to send an uplink sensing signal, a downlink sensing signal…” [par 132] which suggests terminal device may transmit an uplink sensing signal for measurement by other devices in the network which one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize includes “one or more other user equipments (UEs)”).
Regarding claim 7, LI teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the network entity, a configuration for transmitting the signal in uniformly spaced time intervals (see “Optionally, the network device sends first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information indicates the transmission direction of the sensing signal and the first time domain symbol for transmitting the sensing signal” [par 126] and Table 8 wherein the slot format reads on “uniformly spaced time intervals”); and
receive, from the network entity, an indication to move transmissions of the signal from at least a portion of the uniformly spaced time intervals to at least the portion of the multiple time divisions (see Table 8 network device may move transmission of downlink/uplink sensing signal to other slots if a second indication information or slot format is indicated to terminal device).
Claim 30 recites subject matter similar to claim 1 and is therefore rejected on the same basis.
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.
Claim(s) 5 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI et al. (US 2025/0293910) in view of Jeon et al. (US 2023/0324533).
Regarding claim 5, LI does not explicitly teach the apparatus transmits the reference signal in the second portion of the multiple time divisions based on a user equipment (UE) capability indicated by the one or more other UEs to receive reference signals in time divisions configured for uplink data communications or flexible. In an analogous prior art reference, Jeon teaches an apparatus (UE) indicates a user equipment (UE) capability to receive reference signals (sensing capability) (see “In one embodiment, the UE can send its sensing capability to NW” [par 286] wherein the sensing capability includes “full-duplex capability” [Table 1] which suggests that a UE indicates its capability to receive reference signals since full-duplex implies communications in the uplink and downlink direction). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of LI to allow the apparatus to transmit the reference signal in the second portion of the multiple time divisions based on a user equipment (UE) capability indicated by the one or more other UEs to receive reference signals, as taught by Jeon, in time divisions configured for uplink data communications or flexible in order for the network to only configure UEs capable of receiving/transmitting reference signals which improves network efficiency.
Regarding claim 8, LI does not explicitly teach the apparatus transmits, to the network entity, a user equipment (UE) capability indicating support for moving transmission of the signal, wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive the indication based on transmitting the UE capability. In an analogous prior art reference, Jeon teaches an apparatus (UE) transmits a user equipment (UE) capability for supporting moving transmission of the signal (coordination capability) (see “In one example, the UE can indicate the UE's baseband coordination capability between cellular and sensing modems. Possible indication of values could include {tight coordination, loose coordination, no coordination} as an example… With loose coordination, a UE's communication function can receive information related to time/frequency resources and other parameters related to sensing transmission and/or reception from sensing function” [par 287] which suggests a capability for “moving transmission of the signal” since the coordination capability determines if the UE can receive information related to time/frequency resources, or the capability to be configured with resources for transmitting/receiving sensing signals), wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive the indication (sensing configurations) based on transmitting the UE capability (see “At step 903, the NW sends sensing configurations from the NW, and then performs sensing as configured” [par 285] wherein the sensing configurations are based on the UE’s capability related to sensing operations). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of LI to allow the apparatus to transmit, to the network entity, a user equipment (UE) capability indicating support for moving transmission of the signal, wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive the indication based on transmitting the UE capability, as taught by Jeon, in order for the network to only configure UEs capable of receiving information relating to resources for transmitting/receiving sensing signals which improves network efficiency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/8/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Li does not teach or suggest "configuration indicating at least a portion of multiple time divisions as being configured for downlink data communications ... ; and transmit, in a subset of at least the portion of the multiple time divisions, a signal to enable sensing". In response to this argument, the Examiner submits that Li discloses “The network device indicates, to the terminal device, one of the plurality of indexes. Downlink sensing (DS), downlink communication (DC), uplink sensing (US), uplink communication (UC), flexible sensing (FS), and flexible communication (FC) are predefined slot formats” [0130] and an exemplary slot format is shown in Table 8. As indicated in the above rejection, the combination of downlink sensing (DS) and downlink communication (DC) slots are relied upon to read “a portion of multiple time divisions as being configured for downlink data communications” since they are downlink slots. Li further discloses “…downlink sensing data may be sent during the DS and the FS” [0130] and “After receiving the indication information, the terminal device may determine to send…a downlink sensing signal” [0132] which suggests that terminal device may transmit a downlink sensing signal, or “signal to enable sensing”, on DS slots. Li therefore teaches “configuration indicating at least a portion of multiple time divisions as being configured for downlink data communications ... ; and transmit, in a subset of at least the portion of the multiple time divisions, a signal to enable sensing” since the terminal device may transmit a downlink sensing signal in a DS slot which is a portion, or “subset”, of the combination of DS and DC slots.
Li therefore teaches all the limitations of claim 1 including at least “configuration indicating at least a portion of multiple time divisions as being configured for downlink data communications ... ; and transmit, in a subset of at least the portion of the multiple time divisions, a signal to enable sensing” and the ground(s) of rejection from the previous office action have been maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nam T Huynh whose telephone number is (571)272-5970. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison Slater can be reached at 571-270-0375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/NAM T HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
Prosecution Insights