DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 02/13/2024 in which claims 1-20 are pending and ready for examination.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-3, 9-11 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 102 (a) (2) as being anticipated by WU et al.(hereinafter, “WU”; 20230319647).
In response to claim 1,
WU teaches a method, comprising: establishing, by a first wireless communication device, a sidelink (SL) session with a second wireless communication device (fig. 7, element 702, , elements 706 and 710, TX UE-1 is equated to a first wireless communication device and UE 710 is equated to a second wireless device, paragraph 114, step 716,transmiting first reservation resource message is read as establishing communication by the first wireless device, using a PSSCH for sidelink transmission is interpreted as establishing, by a first wireless communication device, a sidelink (SL) session with a second wireless communication device);
reserving, by the first wireless communication device, a block of SL slots for transmission of traffic between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device (fig. 7, step 716, paragraph 114, paragraph 114, step 716, slots n and n+k are equated to block of SL slots, using sidelink transmission is read as performing SL slots for transmission of traffic, transmitting first reservation resource message is also read as reserving, by the first wireless communication device, a block of SL slots for transmission of traffic between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device); and
transmitting, by the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, the traffic of the SL session in the block of SL slots (paragraph 112, coordinating sidelink communication between UE-1 (706) and UE-3 (710) is interpreted as transmitting, by the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, the traffic of the SL session in the block of SL slots).
In response to claims 2, 10 and 18,
WU teaches wherein the first wireless communication device comprises a companion device and the second wireless communication device comprises a wearable device (paragraphs 48 and 114, using a UE as a relay as discussed in paragraph 48 is interpreted as using the UE-1 in paragraph 114 as a relay or a companion device, paragraphs 78 and 114, using a smart were able device for a D2D communication as described in paragraph 78 is read as using UE-3 or the second UE as a were able device), and
wherein the traffic comprises extended reality traffic (paragraph 112, coordinated signaling communication is equated to extended reality traffic, coordinated signaling communication as described in this paragraph as described in this paragraph is read as the traffic comprises extended reality traffic).
In response to claims 3 ,11 and 19,
WU teaches wherein the block of SL slots comprises a plurality of consecutive time slots for the SL session (fig. 4A,element 408a are equated to block of SL slots comprises a plurality of consecutive time slots, paragraph 89, using PSSCH slots for communication explicitly teaches using the block of SL slots comprises a plurality of consecutive time slots for the SL session).
In response to claim 9,
WU teaches a first wireless communication device, comprising: a transceiver; and one or more processors configured to (fig. 11, elements 1104 and 1110, paragraph 157, transceiver 1110 is equated to a transceiver, paragraph 160 processor 1104 is equated to a processor):
establish a sidelink (SL) session with a second wireless communication device; reserve a block of SL slots for transmission of traffic between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device; and
transmit, via the transceiver, to the second wireless communication device, the traffic of the SL session in the block of SL slots (these limitations are identical to claim1, therefore, these limitations are rejected as claim 1).
In response to claim 17,
WU teaches a first wireless communication device, comprising: a transceiver; and one or more processors configured to (fig. 11, elements 1104 and 1110, paragraph 157, transceiver 1110 is equated to a transceiver, paragraph 160 processor 1104 is equated to a processor):
establish a sidelink (SL) session with a second wireless communication device(fig. 7, element 702, , elements 706 and 710, TX UE-1 is equated to a first wireless communication device and UE 710 is equated to a second wireless device, paragraph 114, step 716,transmiting first reservation resource message is read as establishing communication by the first wireless device, using a PSSCH for sidelink transmission is interpreted as establishing, by a first wireless communication device, a sidelink (SL) session with a second wireless communication device);
determine a reserved block of SL slots for transmission of traffic between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device (fig. 7, step 716, paragraph 114, paragraph 114, step 716, slots n and n+k are equated to block of SL slots, transmitting sidelink transmission is read as determining a reserved block of SL slots for transmission of traffic between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device); and
receive, via the transceiver, from the second wireless communication device, the traffic of the SL session in the block of SL slots (paragraph 112, coordinating sidelink communication between UE-1 (706) and UE-3 (710) explicitly teaches this limitation).
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 4,12 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 (a) as being unpatentable over WU et al.(hereinafter, “WU”; 20230319647) and in view of Chen et al. (hereinafter, “Chen”; 20220046596).
In response to claims 4, 12 and 20,
WU does not teach explicitly about claims 4,12 and 20.
Chen in view of WU teaches further comprising: switching, by the first wireless communication device, from an active mode to a sleep mode, after an end of a terminal time slot of the block of SL slots (fig. 2, elements “Tx” and “Rx”, paragraph 28, DRX patterns are equated to slots, paragraph 27, SL DRX_On duration (when an UE is active and not in a sloop mode) is equated to an active mode, going to a sloop mode by the UE for other duration of time is read as switching form the active mode to a sloop mode).
It would have been obvious within the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify WU for switching, by the first wireless communication device, from an active mode to a sleep mode, after an end of a terminal time slot of the block of SL slots as taught by Chen because it would allow using partial sensing enhancement procedure for sidelink communication.
Claims 5 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 (a) as being unpatentable over WU et al.(hereinafter, “WU”; 20230319647) in view of Chen et al. (hereinafter, “Chen”; 20220046596) and in further view of Lindoff et al.(hereinafter, “Lindoff”; 20160142974).
In response to claims 5 and 13,
WU and Chen do not teach explicitly about claims 5 and 13.
Lindoff in view of WU and Chen teaches wherein the first wireless communication device remains in the sleep mode for a duration corresponding to a scheduling periodicity of the SL session (paragraph 54, second wireless transceiver is equated to a first wireless communication device, D2Dsignalling is read as performing SL session, timer for sleep active and sleep/inactivity time period is read as using a duration corresponding to a scheduling periodicity of the SL session, going to sleep during the sleep period and synchronizing when the sleep period timer is close to expire explicitly teaches this limitation).
It would have been obvious within the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify WU and Chen for a first wireless communication device remains in the sleep mode for a duration corresponding to a scheduling periodicity of the SL session as taught by Lindoff because it would allow using an improved power saving method for multi-hop communication.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 14-16 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.
As for claims 6 and 14, these claims are objected, because there is no prior art in the record that teaches claimed limitation “wherein the SL session is established on a first sub-channel, the method further comprising, while transmitting the traffic to the second wireless communication device: sensing, by the first wireless communication device, one or more conditions of a second sub-channel.”
The closet prior art in the record WU et al.(20230319647) teaches in paragraph 114, step 716 about transmitting first reservation resource message and using a PSSCH for sidelink transmission is interpreted as establishing, by a first wireless communication device, a sidelink (SL) session with a second wireless communication device, he also teaches in the same paragraph about using slots n and n+k are equated to block, he teaches in step 716 about using sidelink transmission is read as performing SL slots for transmission of traffic, transmitting first reservation resource message and he teaches in paragraph 112 about coordinating sidelink communication between tow UEs, but he fails to teach the above cited limitation.
Claims 7-8 and 15-16 are objected, because these claims depend on claims 6 and 14.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
20210227602……………………….paragraph 321.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABUSAYEED HAQUE whose telephone number is (571)270-7252. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am -7:30 pm.
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, Faruk Hamza can be reached at 571-272-7969. 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.
/ABUSAYEED M HAQUE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466