DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-30 are pending for examination.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC §103
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 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 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 non-obviousness.
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 1-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Wang (US 20220007348 A1), hereinafter referred to as Wang, in view of Wong (US 20230087594 A1), hereinafter referred to as Wong.
Regarding claim 1:
Wang discloses an apparatus for wireless communications at a first user equipment (UE) (source device, element 1100 in Fig.11 or [0123]), comprising:
one or more processors (processor, element 1110 in Fig.11); and
instructions stored in one or more memories; and executable by the one or more processors, individually or collectively, (program stored in processor, element 1130 and 1120 in Fig.11 or [0124]) to cause the apparatus to:
communicate an indication that the first UE is in a UE group associated with uplink feedback resource sharing, the UE group comprising a plurality of UEs including the first UE and a second UE (providing information on destination devices e.g., second UE, [0052], which share resources sets for {uplink} feedback transmission being transmitted related to the reception result of receiving data from source device, [0006 and 0045] and which form a group with source device, [0006]);
receive one or more messages indicating a first set of uplink feedback resources allocated for the first UE (receiving signaling indicating resource allocation [0045, lines 10-14] which divides resources into a number of subsets of resources and each {first} destination device can select {first} one of the subsets of resources to transmit the feedback information [0074]);
and indicating a second set of uplink feedback resources allocated for the second UE (and indicating each {second} destination device can select {second} one of the subsets of resources to transmit the feedback information [0074]);
wherein the first set of uplink feedback resources and the second set of uplink feedback resources are configured for the uplink feedback resource sharing for UEs (wherein {first} and {second} subsets of resources are used for transmitting feedback information [0074]) based at least in part on the first UE and the second UE both being in the UE group (based on distances between the plurality of destination devices and source device [0102]); and
transmit one or more feedback messages associated with the UE group based at least in part on a selection of a set of shared resources from the first set of uplink feedback resources (transmitting feedback information on selected subsets of shared resources [0074]). Also, Wang states that resources 322 and 324 are shared by the destination devices 130-2 to 130-4 [0067].
However, Wang does not further specify transmitting one or more feedback messages is also based at least in part on a selection of the second set of uplink feedback resources; which is known in the art and commonly applied in communications field for data communications, as suggested in Wong’s disclosure as below.
Wong, from the same field of endeavor, teaches transmitting messages also based at least in part on a selection of the second set of uplink feedback resources (transmitting uplink data whose transmission must be completed by t7, that is, before time t8 at which first communication resources end [0049]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to transmit feedback messages associated with the UE group based at least in part on a selection of a set of shared resources from the first set of uplink feedback resources, or the second set of uplink feedback resources; thus permitting more flexibility in transmitting feedback information - Wong [0120].
Regarding claim 2:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang does not, while Wong further teaches transmitting the one or more feedback messages via the second set of uplink feedback resources allocated for the second UE (transmitting uplink data whose transmission must be completed by t7, that is, before time t8 at which first communication resources 420 end [0049]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to transmitting the one or more feedback messages via the second set of uplink feedback resources allocated for the second UE based at least in part on the first UE and the second UE both being in the UE group; thus permitting more flexibility in transmitting feedback information - Wong [0120].
Regarding claim 3:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches receiving, from the second UE, a second feedback message comprising feedback associated with the second UE (receiving feedback information from destination devices based on reception status of the data [0054], wherein the one or more feedback messages associated with the UE group comprise the feedback associated with the second UE (feedback transmission in groupcast communication [0006]).
Regarding claim 4:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches controlling the enablement or disablement of the feedback transmission [0086] and resource allocation is first transmitted to the source device, which then forwards to the destination devices [0053].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to transmit feedback messages to the second UE, wherein the one or more feedback messages comprise feedback associated with the first UE; thus timely triggering data retransmission by providing feedback {NACK} messages to source device - Wang [0077].
Regarding claim 5
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches receiving an indication of a plurality of sets of feedback resources comprising respective resources for each of the plurality of UEs of the UE group (receiving allocation of a set of resources for feedback transmission from each destination device in groupcast communication [0006]), wherein the plurality of sets of feedback resources are configured for the uplink feedback resource sharing (wherein {second and third} sets of resources are to be shared with at least one further destination device [0006]).
Regarding claim 6:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches receiving, from the second UE, an indication of the second set of uplink feedback resources that are configured for the uplink feedback resource sharing for the first UE and the second UE ({second} set of resources to be shared by a second set of destination devices [0004]); and
transmit, to a network entity, an indication of the uplink feedback resource sharing for the plurality of UEs of the UE group (giving info to network device [0052]).
Regarding claim 7:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches receiving, from one or more UEs of the plurality of UEs of the UE group, one or more UE identifiers (identifying s plurality of destination devices for reception of data in groupcast communication [0087] ; and
transmit, to a network entity, an indication of the one or more UE identifiers associated with the plurality of UEs in the UE group (transmitting information on destination devices to network device [0052].
Regarding claim 8:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches receiving, via one or more control messages, an indication of activation or deactivation of the uplink feedback resource sharing for the plurality of UEs in the UE group (controlling enablement or disablement of the feedback transmission [0086]), wherein the one or more control messages comprise one or more radio resource control {RRC} messages (higher layer signaling, e.g., RRC [0045]), one or more medium access control (physical layer signaling [0045]), one or more downlink control information messages (control information related to the groupcast communication transmitted from network device, e.g., downlink, [0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to receive an indication of activation or deactivation of the uplink feedback resource sharing for the plurality of UEs in the UE group via radio RRC messages, MAC CE, or downlink control information messages; thus allowing the source device to control the resource allocation for feedback when needed -- Wang [0086].
Regarding claim 9:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches transmitting a first feedback message of the one or more feedback messages associated with the first UE via a first feedback resource (transmitting feedbacks based on different resources shared by a plurality of destination devices [0046]).
Wang does not further show transmitting a second feedback message of the one or more feedback messages associated with the second UE via the first feedback resource or via a second feedback resource based at least in part on a priority of the second feedback message; which is known in the art and commonly applied in communications field for data communications, as suggested in Wong’s disclosure as below.
Wong, from the same field of endeavor, teaches transmitting a second feedback message of the one or more feedback messages associated with the second UE via the first feedback resource or via a second feedback resource based at least in part on a priority of the second feedback message (transmitting second data based on selection of communication resources associated with this later allocation being based on quality of service (e.g. latency, priority) requirements associated with the second data [0044]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to transmit a second feedback message of the one or more feedback messages associated with the second UE via the first feedback resource or via a second feedback resource based at least in part on a priority of the second feedback message; thus achieving the transmission of higher priority data by using available first or second resources -- Wong [0101].
Regarding claim 10:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches transmit the one or more feedback messages as a joint feedback codeword that indicates first feedback associated with the first UE and second feedback associated with the second UE (each for NACK feedback transmission is on one of two code words, and two resources are allocated for NACK feedback transmission and in a time slot [0080]).
Regarding claim 11:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang does not, while Wong further teaches transmitting the one or more feedback messages via the first set of uplink feedback resources based at least in part on the first set of uplink feedback resources occurring a threshold duration of time before the second set of uplink feedback resources (transmitting uplink data are completed by t7 before time t8, e.g., threshold duration, at which the first communication resources end [0049 or Fig.4) or via the second set of uplink feedback resources based at least in part on the second set of uplink feedback resources occurring the threshold duration of time before the second set of uplink feedback resources (transmitting uplink data are completed by t7 before time t8, e.g., threshold duration, at which the {second} communication resources end [0049 or Fig.4]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to transmit the one or more feedback messages via the first/second set of uplink feedback resources based at least in part on the first/second sets of uplink feedback resources occurring a threshold duration of time before the second set of uplink feedback resources ; thus providing the efficient allocation of feedback resources in order to satisfy a latency or priority constraint associated with data -- Wong [0011].
Regarding claim 12:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches each UE of the plurality of UEs has a capability to share uplink feedback resources to assist uplink feedback reporting based at least in part on each UE being in the UE group (destination device shares resources allocated for feedback transmission in groupcast communication [0006]).
Regarding claim 13:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches the capability is configured per cell configuration (cell corresponding to cell [0039]), per bandwidth part configuration (per resource pool [0059]), or both (cell corresponding to device [0039] or per resource pool [0059]).
Regarding claim 14:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches receiving an indication of a third set of uplink feedback resources allocated for a third UE, wherein the third set of uplink feedback resources is configured for the uplink feedback resource sharing for UEs based at least in part on the first UE (a resource 320 is allocated destination devices 130-2, 130-3, 130-4 [Fig.3B]), the second UE, and the third UE being in the UE group (130-3, 130-4 are in group {Fig.3B), wherein the one or more feedback messages are transmitted via the third set of uplink feedback resources based at least in part on the third set of uplink feedback resources occurring before both the first set of uplink feedback resources and the second set of uplink feedback resources (number of the resources to be allocated may be used as shared resources while the remaining resources can thus be used as device-specific resources [0060]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to receive such indication; thus timely triggering data retransmission by providing feedback {NACK} messages from a plurality of destination device in a groupcast communication to source device - Wang [0077].
Regarding claim 15:
Wang in view of Wong discloses all limitations of claim 1, and –
Wang further teaches receive an indication of one or more resources of the first set of uplink feedback resources ({second} set of resources to be shared by a second set of destination devices [0004]), or the second set of uplink feedback resources ({third} set of resources to be shared by a plurality of destination devices [0004]), the one or more resources configured for the uplink feedback resource sharing (resources to be shared for feedback transmission. [0004]).
Regarding claim 16:
Claim 16 is rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claim 1 above, except that claim 16 is a device claim format, and wherein Wang [in claim 16] also discloses an apparatus for wireless communications at a network entity (network device/ base station, element 1100 in Fig.11), comprising: one or more processors (processor, element 1110 in Fig.11); and instructions stored in one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors, individually or collectively (program stored in processor, element 1130 and 1120 in Fig.11 or [0124]) to cause the apparatus to perform claimed functionalities.
Regarding claim 29:
Claim 29 is rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claim 1 above, except that claim 29 is a method claim format.
Regarding claim 30:
Claim 30 is rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claim 16 above, except that claim 30 is in a method claim format.
Regarding claims 17-28:
Claims 17-28 discloses all limitations of claim 16, and –
Claims 17-28 are rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claims [3-10, 12-15] above, except that claims 17-28 are recited from the perspective of a network entity.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAMQUYEN THAI whose telephone number is (571)270-7245. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:30pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and videoconferencing 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, Ayman A. Abaza, can be reached at 571-270-0422. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.Q.T./
/AYMAN A ABAZA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465