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 .
The amendment submitted on 06/03/2026 has been received and considered by the Examiner. Claims 1, 10, and 19 were amended, claims 2 and 20 were canceled, and claims 21-23 were newly added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 4-19, and 21-23 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 8-11, and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (US 12,593,311 B2) in view of Ji et al. (US 2022/0124729 A1, hereinafter “Ji”).
As to Claim 1:
Lin describes a method to optimize the RSRP threshold used to select a PSCCH resource from a list of candidates indicated by a network device.
Specifically, Lin teaches:
Receiving, by a first terminal device, first indication information
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration or obtains a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (known as mode 2) transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-33).
Here, the “transmission resource pool” maps to “receiving ... first indication information”, and
the “Tx-UE” maps to “a first terminal device”.
The first indication information indicates a candidate resource set, and a resource comprised in the candidate resource set is a candidate resource used by a second terminal device to send a PSCCH
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration or obtains a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (known as mode 2) transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-33). Lin later clarifies that the “candidate resource set ... contain[s] all applicable SL resources with suitable sub-channel size for transmitting physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) and PSCCH” (Lin, col. 7, lines 47-50). Elsewhere, Lin clarifies the “Tx-UE” is “receiving” the PSCCH because it is “decoding a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and measuring a reference signal received power (RSRP) within a sensing window” (Lin, col. 6, lines 36-41).
Here, the “transmission resource pool” maps to “the first indication information indicates a candidate resource set”, and
“applicable SL resources” for “transmitting ... PSCCH” maps to “a resource comprised in the candidate resource set is a candidate resource used by a second terminal device to send a PSCCH”.
If a reference signal received power (RSRP) corresponding to the received first indication information is greater than a first RSRP threshold, detecting, by the first terminal device, a first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “first receives a network configuration” that contains a “transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” which the “Tx-UE” uses to “perform SL resource sensing/monitoring in slots which belong to the (pre-)configured resource pool within a sensing window 101” which “comprises decoding physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” (Lin, col. 7, lines 28-37).
Here, “SL resource sensing” based on “an RSRP threshold” maps to “if a reference signal received power (RSRP) ... is greater than a first RSRP threshold,
the “RSRP threshold” contained in “a network configuration” maps to “a reference signal received power (RSRP) corresponding to the received first indication information”,
“sensing/monitoring” to “decod[e] physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” maps to “detecting, by the first terminal device, a first PSCCH”, and
“the (pre-)configured resource pool within a sensing window” maps to “the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information”.
Determining the first RSRP threshold based on a second service priority of the first terminal device and a first service priority, or determining the first RSRP threshold based on the first service priority
Lin describes the “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration” including “an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin col. 7, lines 28-35).
Here, the “RSRP threshold” in the “network configuration” maps to “determining the first RSRP threshold”,
a “pair of transmission and reception priority levels” for the “RSRP threshold” maps to “a second service priority of the first terminal device and a first service priority”, and
the “reception priority” for the “RSRP threshold” maps to “determining the first RSRP threshold based on the first service priority”.
The first indication information further indicates the first service priority
Lin describes the “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration” including “an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin col. 7, lines 28-35).
Here, the “network configuration” including “transmission and reception priority levels” maps to “the first indication information further indicates the first service priority”.
Lin does not explicitly disclose:
The first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device
However, Ji does describe a method to calculate a RSRP threshold based on the priorities of different services.
Specifically, Ji teaches:
The first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device
Ji describes a “RSRP value” that “may be a value to which priorities of a service of the current transmission and a detected reserved service correspond” which “may be determined by I*a+b+1” where “a is the priority of the service of the current transmission, and b is the priority of the service of the detected reserved resource” (Ji, 0112).
Here, “the priority of the service of the current transition” maps to “the first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device”.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Ji’s practice of using RSRP values associated with priorities of a service into Lin’s method for configuring a RSRP threshold to detect PSCCH transmissions. As Ji explains, this helps configure “a resource selection threshold for resource selection of the current transmission” (Ji, 0111), similar to the detection threshold described in Lin.
As to Claims 8 and 16:
Lin teaches:
Receiving the first indication information on a candidate resource configured by a network device or a preconfigured candidate resource
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration or obtains a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (known as mode 2) transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-33).
Here, “a network configuration” with “information for a SL ... transmission resource pool” maps to “receiving the first indication information on a candidate resource configured by a network device”, and
“a pre-configuration” with “information for a SL ... transmission resource pool” maps to “receiving the first indication information on ... a preconfigured candidate resource”.
Claim 16 introduces the same new limitations as Claim 8 from the perspective of the other sidelink device.
As to Claims 9 and 18:
Lin teaches:
Determining that there is an intersecting resource between the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information and a resource in a first sensing window
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “first receives a network configuration or obtains a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (known as mode 2) transmission resource pool” before “perform[ing] SL resource sensing/monitoring slots which belong to the (pre-)configured resource pool within a sensing window” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-35).
Here, “sensing/monitoring slots which belong to the (pre-configured resource pool within a sensing window” maps to “determining that there is an intersecting resource ... in a first sensing window”,
one of the resources in the “a SL ‘selected’ ... transmission pool” maps to “the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indication”,
the “SL ‘selected’ ... transmission pool” maps to “the first indication information”, and
a resource in the “sensing window” maps to “a resource in a first sensing window”.
Detecting the first PSCCH on the intersecting resource
Lin also teaches that “[t]he resource sensing/monitoring operation comprises decoding physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) to extract information” based on the “SL resource sensing/monitoring” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-35).
Here, “decoding physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” maps to “detecting the first PSCCH”, and
“SL resource sensing/monitoring” maps to “the intersecting resource” because the sensing detects the intersecting resource.
Claim 18 introduces the same limitations as Claim 9 from the perspective of the other sidelink UE.
As to Claim 10:
Lin teaches:
The first indication information indicates a candidate resource set, and a resource comprised in the candidate resource set is a candidate resource used by a second terminal device to send a PSCCH
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration or obtains a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (known as mode 2) transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-33). Lin later clarifies that the “candidate resource set ... contain[s] all applicable SL resources with suitable sub-channel size for transmitting physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) and PSCCH” (Lin, col. 7, lines 47-50). Elsewhere, Lin clarifies the “Tx-UE” is “receiving” the PSCCH because it is “decoding a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and measuring a reference signal received power (RSRP) within a sensing window” (Lin, col. 6, lines 36-41).
Here, the “transmission resource pool” maps to “the first indication information indicates a candidate resource set”, and
“applicable SL resources” for “transmitting ... PSCCH” maps to “a resource comprised in the candidate resource set is a candidate resource used by a second terminal device to send a PSCCH”.
Sending, by the second terminal device, at least one first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration or obtains a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (known as mode 2) transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-33). Lin later clarifies that the “candidate resource set ... contain[s] all applicable SL resources with suitable sub-channel size for transmitting physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) and PSCCH” (Lin, col. 7, lines 47-50).
Here, “transmitting ... PSCCH” maps to “sending, by the second terminal device, at least one first PSCCH”,
a resource in the “transmission resource pool” maps to “the resource comprised in the candidate resource set”, and
the “transmission resource pool” maps to “the first indication information”.
If a reference signal received power (RSRP) corresponding to the received first indication information is greater than a first RSRP threshold, a first terminal device detects a first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “first receives a network configuration” that contains a “transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” which the “Tx-UE” uses to “perform[] SL resource sensing/monitoring in slots which belong to the (pre-)configured resource pool within a sensing window 101” which “comprises decoding physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” (Lin, col. 7, lines 28-37).
Here, “SL resource sensing” based on “an RSRP threshold” maps to “if a reference signal received power (RSRP) ... is greater than a first RSRP threshold,
the “RSRP threshold” contained in “a network configuration” maps to “a reference signal received power (RSRP) corresponding to the received first indication information”,
“sensing/monitoring” to “decod[e] physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” maps to “a first terminal device detects a first PSCCH”, and
“the (pre-)configured resource pool within a sensing window” maps to “the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information”.
The first RSRP threshold is determined based on a second service priority of the first terminal device and a first service priority, or determining the first RSRP threshold based on the first service priority
Lin describes the “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration” including “an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin col. 7, lines 28-35).
Here, the “RSRP threshold” in the “network configuration” maps to “the first RSRP threshold is determined”,
a “pair of transmission and reception priority levels” for the “RSRP threshold” maps to “a second service priority of the first terminal device and a first service priority”, and
the “reception priority” for the “RSRP threshold” maps to “determining the first RSRP threshold based on the first service priority”.
The first indication information further indicates the first service priority
Lin describes the “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration” including “an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin col. 7, lines 28-35).
Here, the “network configuration” including “transmission and reception priority levels” maps to “the first indication information further indicates the first service priority”.
Lin does not explicitly disclose:
Sending, by a second terminal device, first indication information
The first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device
However, Ji does describe a method to calculate a RSRP threshold based on the priorities of different services.
Specifically, Ji teaches:
Sending, by a second terminal device, first indication information
Ji describes “sidelink control information (SCI)” that “is carried by a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” (Ji, 0064).
Here, “SCI” maps to “sending, by a second terminal device, first indication information”.
The first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device
Ji describes a “RSRP value” that “may be a value to which priorities of a service of the current transmission and a detected reserved service correspond” which “may be determined by I*a+b+1” where “a is the priority of the service of the current transmission, and b is the priority of the service of the detected reserved resource” (Ji, 0112).
Here, “the priority of the service of the current transition” maps to “the first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device”.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Ji’s practice of using RSRP values associated with priorities of a service into Lin’s method for configuring a RSRP threshold to detect PSCCH transmissions. As Ji explains, this helps configure “a resource selection threshold for resource selection of the current transmission” (Ji, 0111), similar to the detection threshold described in Lin.
As to Claim 11:
Lin teaches:
The first indication information further indicates a first service priority
Lin describes the “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration” including “an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin col. 7, lines 28-35).
Here, the “network configuration” maps to “the first indication information”, and
“reception priority” maps to “a first service priority”.
As to Claim 17:
Lin teaches:
Receiving at least one second PSCCH in a sensing window
Lin describes a UE that can “reserve/book future and periodically occurring SL resources” using “an SCI indicating/reserving SL resources for the first time” (Lin col. 3, lines 59-67; col. 4, line 1). Lin also clarifies that a “Tx-UE needs to sense/monitor resource allocation information sent from others during a sensing window” (Lin, col. 1, lines 51-53).
Here, an “SCI” received during “a sensing window” maps to “receiving at least one second PSCCH in a sensing window”.
Determining a reserved resource in a second selection window based on the at least one second PSCCH
Lin describes a UE that can “reserve/book future and periodically occurring SL resources” using “an SCI indicating/reserving SL resources for the first time” (Lin col. 3, lines 59-67; col. 4, line 1). Lin also clarifies that a “Tx-UE needs to sense/monitor resource allocation information sent from others during a sensing window” (Lin, col. 1, lines 51-53).
Here, “reserve/book periodically occurring SL resources” maps to “determining a reserved resource”,
“a sensing window” maps to “a second selection window”, and
“an SCI indicating/reserving SL resources” maps to “the at least one second PSCCH”.
First indication information based on the reserved resource in the second selection window and the preconfigured candidate resource; or ...
First indication information based on the reserved resource in the second selection window and the candidate resource configured by the network device
Lin describes a UE that can “reserve/book future and periodically occurring SL resources” using “an SCI indicating/reserving SL resources for the first time” (Lin col. 3, lines 59-67; col. 4, line 1). Lin also clarifies that a “Tx-UE needs to sense/monitor resource allocation information sent from others during a sensing window” (Lin, col. 1, lines 51-53) which is based on “a network configuration or ... a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (as know as mode 2 [sic]) transmission resource pool” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-33).
Here, the “transmission resource pool” maps to “first indication information”,
“reserving SL resources” maps to “the reserved resource”
the “sensing window” for “periodically occurring SL resources” maps to “the second selection window”,
“a pre-configuration signalling” maps to “the preconfigured candidate resource”, and
“a network configuration” maps to “the candidate resource configured by the network device”.
Lin does not explicitly disclose:
Sending the first indication information
However, Ji does teach:
Sending the first indication information
Ji describes “sidelink control information (SCI)” that “is carried by a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” (Ji, 0064).
Here, “SCI” maps to “sending, by a second terminal device, first indication information”.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Ji’s practice of using RSRP values associated with priorities of a service into Lin’s method for configuring a RSRP threshold to detect PSCCH transmissions. As Ji explains, this helps configure “a resource selection threshold for resource selection of the current transmission” (Ji, 0111), similar to the detection threshold described in Lin.
As to Claim 19:
Lin teaches:
A processor
Yoshioka describes “the terminal 20” which “may be implemented as a computer including a processor 1001 [in Fig. 23]” (Yoshioka, 0177).
Receiving first indication information
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration or obtains a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (as know as mode 2 [sic]) transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-33).
Here, the “transmission resource pool” maps to “receiving ... first indication information”.
The first indication information indicates a candidate resource set, and a resource comprised in the candidate resource set is a candidate resource used by a second terminal device to send a PSCCH
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration or obtains a pre-configuration signalling containing information for a SL ‘selected’ (known as mode 2) transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin, col. 7, lines 26-33). Lin later clarifies that the “candidate resource set ... contain[s] all applicable SL resources with suitable sub-channel size for transmitting physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) and PSCCH” (Lin, col. 7, lines 47-50). Elsewhere, Lin clarifies the “Tx-UE” is “receiving” the PSCCH because it is “decoding a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and measuring a reference signal received power (RSRP) within a sensing window” (Lin, col. 6, lines 36-41).
Here, the “transmission resource pool” maps to “the first indication information indicates a candidate resource set”, and
“applicable SL resources” for “transmitting ... PSCCH” maps to “a resource comprised in the candidate resource set is a candidate resource used by a second terminal device to send a PSCCH”.
If a reference signal received power (RSRP) corresponding to the received first indication information is greater than a first RSRP threshold, detecting, by the first terminal device, a first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information
Lin describes a “Tx-UE” that “first receives a network configuration” that contains a “transmission resource pool and an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” which the “Tx-UE” uses to “perform[] SL resource sensing/monitoring in slots which belong to the (pre-)configured resource pool within a sensing window 101” which “comprises decoding physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” (Lin, col. 7, lines 28-37).
Here, “SL resource sensing” based on “an RSRP threshold” maps to “if a reference signal received power (RSRP) ... is greater than a first RSRP threshold,
the “RSRP threshold” contained in “a network configuration” maps to “a reference signal received power (RSRP) corresponding to the received first indication information”,
“sensing/monitoring” to “decod[e] physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)” maps to “detecting, by the first terminal device, a first PSCCH”, and
“the (pre-)configured resource pool within a sensing window” maps to “the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information”.
Determining the first RSRP threshold based on a second service priority of the communication apparatus and a first service priority, or determining the first RSRP threshold based on the first service priority
Lin describes the “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration” including “an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin col. 7, lines 28-35).
Here, the “RSRP threshold” in the “network configuration” maps to “determining the first RSRP threshold”,
a “pair of transmission and reception priority levels” for the “RSRP threshold” maps to “a second service priority of the communication apparatus and a first service priority”, and
the “reception priority” for the “RSRP threshold” maps to “determining the first RSRP threshold based on the first service priority”.
The first indication information further indicates the first service priority
Lin describes the “Tx-UE” that “receives a network configuration” including “an RSRP threshold for each pair of transmission and reception priority levels” (Lin col. 7, lines 28-35).
Here, the “network configuration” including “transmission and reception priority levels” maps to “the first indication information further indicates the first service priority”.
Lin does not explicitly disclose:
The first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device
However, Ji does describe a method to calculate a RSRP threshold based on the priorities of different services.
Specifically, Ji teaches:
The first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device
Ji describes a “RSRP value” that “may be a value to which priorities of a service of the current transmission and a detected reserved service correspond” which “may be determined by I*a+b+1” where “a is the priority of the service of the current transmission, and b is the priority of the service of the detected reserved resource” (Ji, 0112).
Here, “the priority of the service of the current transition” maps to “the first service priority corresponds to a service supported by the second terminal device”.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Ji’s practice of using RSRP values associated with priorities of a service into Lin’s method for configuring a RSRP threshold to detect PSCCH transmissions. As Ji explains, this helps configure “a resource selection threshold for resource selection of the current transmission” (Ji, 0111), similar to the detection threshold described in Lin.
Claim(s) 4, 6, 12, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 12,593,311 B2) in view of Ji (US 2022/0124729 A1) and further in view of Li et al. (US 2021/0219268 A1, hereinafter “Li”).
As to Claim 4:
Lin teaches:
If a destination address of one service of the first terminal device is the same as the destination address indicated by the first indication information, detecting the first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information
Lin teaches that the “Tx-UE” can “know” which “future transmissions” are of “high interest” based on “the source and/or destination IDs from SCI received during the sensing window” because “[w]hen one or both IDs fully or partially match with Tx-UE’s ... own ID ... the Tx-UE determines corresponding transmissions of the same SCI are coming from its peer” (Lin, col. 1,, lines 16-25).
Here, if the “destination ID” “fully or partially match[es] with Tx-UE’s” maps to “if a destination address of one service of the first terminal device is the same as the destination address indicated by the first indication information”, and
“sensing” a “future transmission” maps to “detecting the first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information” because Lin elsewhere specifies that this transmission is a PSCCH detected based on a candidate resource set (see, for example, Lin, col. 7, lines 28-37).
The combination of Lin and Ji does not explicitly disclose:
The first indication information further indicates a destination address and the destination address indicated by the first indication information is an address corresponding to a service
Receiving, based on the first PSCCH, a first physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) associated with the first PSCCH
However, Li does describe methods to configure a sidelink resource for a vehicle UE.
Specifically, Li teaches:
If a destination address of one service of the first terminal device is the same as the destination address indicated by the first indication information, detecting the first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information
Li describes a “vehicle UE” which can “select the resource pool candidates ... based on the group member ID SL-G_CRNTI (e.g. indicated by the SA SCI field for destination ID)” (Li, 0193, 0198).
The first indication information further indicates a destination address and the destination address indicated by the first indication information is an address corresponding to a service
Again, Li describes a “vehicle UE” that receives “the group member ID SL-G-CRNTI (e.g. indicated by the SA SCI field for destination ID)” along with “resource pool candidates” (Li, 0198).
Receiving, based on the first PSCCH, a first physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) associated with the first PSCCH
Li describes “NR-PSCCH carrying SCI” that “addresses the location of ... New Radio Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (NR-PSSCH)” (Li, 0159, 0169).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the PSCCH described in Lin to schedule a PSSCH, as described in Li. Lin similarly describes detecting a PSCCH based on a “destination ID” in a “SCI received during the sensing window” (Lin, col. 1, lines 19-20), so it would have been obvious to instead include the destination ID in another PSCCH, as taught in Li.
As to Claims 6 and 14:
Lin teaches:
Receiving sidelink control information SCI associated with the PSSCH
Lin describes “an SCI indicating/reserving SL resources” for the “Tx-UE” to “sense/monitor ... during a sensing window” (Lin, col. 1, lines 49-57).
Here, the “SCI” maps to “receiving sidelink control information SCI”, and
“a sensing window” maps to “associated with the PSSCH” because the PSSCH is received during the sensing window.
The combination of Lin and Ji does not explicitly disclose:
The SCI comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicates that the PSSCH carries the first indication information
However, Li does teach:
The SCI comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicates that the second PSSCH carries the first indication information
Li teaches that the “Sidelink Control Information (SCI)” contains “resource pool candidates” (i.e. the “second indication”) which include the candidate resource that is eventually selected (i.e. the “first indication”).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Li’s practice of using SCI to indicate that a PSSCH carries candidate resources into Lin’s method. Using SCI to schedule PSSCH is a common practice that can help schedule the PSSCH transmissions taught in Li.
Claim 14 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 6 from the perspective of the other sidelink UE.
As to Claim 12:
The combination of Lin and Ji does not explicitly disclose:
Sending, based on the at least one first PSCCH, at least one physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) associated with the first PSCCH
The first indication information further indicates a destination address, the destination address indicated by the first indication information is an address corresponding to a service
However, Li does teach:
Sending, based on the at least one first PSCCH, at least one physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) associated with the first PSCCH
Li describes “NR-PSCCH carrying SCI” that “addresses the location of ... New Radio Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (NR-PSSCH)” (Li, 0159, 0169).
The first indication information further indicates a destination address, the destination address indicated by the first indication information is an address corresponding to a service
Li describes a “vehicle UE” that receives “the group member ID SL-G-CRNTI (e.g. indicated by the SA SCI field for destination ID)” along with “resource pool candidates” (Li, 0198).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the PSCCH described in Lin to schedule a PSSCH, as described in Li. Lin similarly describes detecting a PSCCH based on a “destination ID” in a “SCI received during the sensing window” (Lin, col. 1, lines 19-20), so it would have been obvious to instead include the destination ID in another PSCCH, as taught in Li.
Claim(s) 5, 7, 13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 12,593,311 B2) in view of Ji (US 2022/0124729 A1) and further in view of Yoshioka (US 2023/0171794 A1, hereinafter “Yoshioka”).
As to Claim 5 and 13:
Lin teaches:
RRC signaling carries the first indication information
Lin describes “[r]eceiving from network RRC configuration signaling or pre-configuration of a selected/mode2 resource pool for SL transmission” (Lin col. 11, lines 62-64).
Here, the “network RRC configuration” maps to “RRC signaling”, and
“for SL transmission” maps to “carries the first indication information”.
Lin does not explicitly disclose:
Receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling by using a PSSCH, wherein the RRC signaling carries the first indication information
Receiving a media access control element (MAC CE) by using a PSSCH, wherein the MAC CE carries the first indication information
Receiving second stage sidelink control information (SCI) 2 by using a PSSCH, wherein the SCI 2 carries the first indication information
However, Yoshioka does describe a method for a terminal to select a candidate resource to receive a PSCCH transmission based on a candidate resource set it received from another terminal.
Specifically, Yoshioka teaches:
Receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling by using a PSSCH, wherein the RRC signaling carries the first indication information
Yoshioka teaches that “information may also be indicated by ... upper layer signaling (for example, radio resource control (RRC) signaling) ... Also, information may be indicated using any channel such as ... PSSCH” (Yoshioka, 0200).
Receiving a media access control element (MAC CE) by using a PSSCH, wherein the MAC CE carries the first indication information
Yoshioka teaches that “information may also be indicated by ... medium access control (MAC) signaling ... Also, information may be indicated using any channel such as ... PSSCH” (Yoshioka, 0200).
Receiving second stage sidelink control information (SCI) 2 by using a PSSCH, wherein the SCI 2 carries the first indication information
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A may share a resource set with terminal 20B, and the terminal 20B may consider the resource set in resource selection” and that “the terminal 20A may autonomously include the information on the resources in the SCI and transmit the SCI ... [I]nformation may be indicated using any channel such as ... PSSCH” (Yoshioka, 0095, 0088, 0200).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Yoshioka’s use of various message types to indicate the resources a terminal needs to monitor to detect PSCCH into Lin’s method for this detection. As Yoshioka explains, this allows for flexible signaling using whatever channel is available (Yoshioka, 0200).
Claim 13 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 5 from the perspective of the other sidelink device.
As to Claim 7:
Lin does not explicitly disclose:
Receiving a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), wherein the PSBCH comprises the first indication information
However, Yoshioka does teach:
Receiving a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), wherein the PSBCH comprises the first indication information
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A may share a resource set with terminal 20B, and the terminal 20B may consider the resource set in resource selection” and that “information may also be indicated using methods other than those described in the above embodiments.... [I]nformation may be indicated using any channel such as PSCCH, PSSCH, PSFCH, or PSBCH” (Yoshioka, 0095, 0200).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Yoshioka’s use of various message types to indicate the resources a terminal needs to monitor to detect PSCCH into Lin’s method for this detection. As Yoshioka explains, this allows for flexible signaling using whatever channel is available (Yoshioka, 0200).
As to Claim 15:
The combination of Lin and Ji does not explicitly disclose:
Sending a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), wherein the PSBCH comprises the first indication information
However, Yoshioka does teach:
Sending a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), wherein the PSBCH comprises the first indication information
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A may share a resource set with terminal 20B, and the terminal 20B may consider the resource set in resource selection” and that “information may be indicated using any channel such as PSCCH, PSSCH, PSFCH, or PSBCH” (Yoshioka, 0095, 0200).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Yoshioka’s use of various message types to indicate the resources a terminal needs to monitor to detect PSCCH into Lin’s method for this detection. As Yoshioka explains, this allows for flexible signaling using whatever channel is available (Yoshioka, 0200).
Claim(s) 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 12,593,311 B2) in view of Ji (US 2022/0124729 A1) and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2022/0174646 A1, hereinafter “Lee”).
As to Claims 21, 22, and 23:
The combination of Lin and Ji does not explicitly disclose:
Sending, by the first terminal device, a response message to the second terminal device
The response message indicates that the first terminal device has received the first indication information
In response to receiving the response message from the first terminal device, the second terminal device sends the first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information
However, Lee does describe a method for a terminal to select a sidelink resource from a list of candidates using feedback.
Specifically, Lee teaches:
Sending, by the first terminal device, a response message to the second terminal device
Lee describes a “first apparatus” that “may transmit the HARQ ACK to the second apparatus through a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) related to the PSCCH”, adding that the second apparatus “may determine the resources after the first resource as the candidate resource for the SL transmission of the first apparatus based on the HARQ ACK being transmitted to the second apparatus” (Lee, 0202).
Here, “the HARQ ACK” maps to “sending ... a response message”,
the “first apparatus” maps to “the first terminal device”, and
the “second apparatus” maps to “the second terminal device”.
The response message indicates that the first terminal device has received the first indication information
Lee describes a “first apparatus” that “may transmit the HARQ ACK to the second apparatus through a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) related to the PSCCH”, adding that the second apparatus “may determine the resources after the first resource as the candidate resource for the SL transmission of the first apparatus based on the HARQ ACK being transmitted to the second apparatus” (Lee, 0202).
Here, the “HARQ ACK” maps to “the response message indicates that the first terminal device has received the first indication information” because by definition, an acknowledgement acknowledges receipt of the candidate resources.
In response to receiving the response message from the first terminal device, the second terminal device sends the first PSCCH based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information
Lee describes a “first apparatus” that “may transmit the HARQ ACK to the second apparatus through a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) related to the PSCCH”, adding that the second apparatus “may determine the resources after the first resource as the candidate resource for the SL transmission of the first apparatus based on the HARQ ACK being transmitted to the second apparatus” (Lee, 0202). This precedes “the PSCCH ... be[ing] transmitted from the second apparatus to the first apparatus through a unicast connection” (Lee, 0201).
Lee describes a “first apparatus” that “may transmit the HARQ ACK to the second apparatus through a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) related to the PSCCH”, adding that the second apparatus “may determine the resources after the first resource as the candidate resource for the SL transmission of the first apparatus based on the HARQ ACK being transmitted to the second apparatus” (Lee, 0202).
Here, “based on the HARQ-ACK being transmitted” maps to “in response to receiving the response message from the first terminal device”,
“the PSCCH ... be[ing] transmitted from the second apparatus to the first apparatus” maps to “the second terminal device sends the first PSCCH”, and
“determin[ing] ... the first resource as the candidate resource for the SL transmission” maps to “based on the resource comprised in the candidate resource set indicated by the first indication information”.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Lee’s practice of selecting a sidelink resource based on feedback into Lin’s method for sensing an incoming PSCCH on a candidate resource. As Lee explains, this allows a “receiving terminal” to “efficiently us[e] ... a retransmission resource reserved by the transmitting terminal” (Lee, 0015).
Claim 22 introduces the same new limitations as Claim 21 from the perspective of the other sidelink UE.
Claim 23 introduces the same new limitations as Claim 21 in the form of an apparatus claim.
Conclusion
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BENJAMIN PETER WELTE
Examiner
Art Unit 2477
/CHIRAG G SHAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2477
