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 02/26/2026 has been received and considered by the Examiner. Claims 1, 5-6, 10, 17, and 19-20 were amended, Claim 3 was cancelled, and claims 1-2 and 4-20 remain pending.
In response to the amendment, the objections to claims 5 and 17 and the U.S.C. 101 rejection of Claim 20 are withdrawn because the amendment removed the objectionable and unpatentable language from these claims, respectively.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references 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) 1-2, 5, 7, 9-11, 13, 15, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshioka et al. (US 2023/0171794 A1, hereinafter “Yoshioka”) in view of Ding et al. (US 2023/0047819 A1, hereinafter “Ding”).
As to Claim 1, 10, 19, and 20:
Yoshioka describes 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, by a first terminal device, first indication information
Yoshioka teaches that a “terminal 20A [in Fig. 13] may share a resource set with terminal 20B” (Yoshioka, 0095).
The first indication information indicates a candidate resource set, and a resource comprised in the candidate resource set is used by a second terminal device to send a PSCCH
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A may share a resource set with terminal 20B” which “the terminal 20B may consider ... in resource selection” before “the terminal 20A transmits PSCCH ... using autonomously selected resources” (Yoshioka, 0054, 0095).
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
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A transmits PSCCH and PSSCH to the terminal 20B” and that “if it is detected that the change in power has become greater than or equal to a predetermined value ... the terminal 20B may determine there has been certain transmission” (Yoshioka, 0054, 0111).
Yoshioka does not explicitly disclose:
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
The first indication information further indicates the service priority
However, Ding does describe a method to indicate sidelink resources and detect sidelink transmissions using a RSRP threshold based on transmission priority.
Specifically, Ding teaches:
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
Ding describes a “RSRP threshold” that “is determined by a priority P1 carried in the PSCCH sensed by the SL UE and a priority P2 of data to be sent”. Ding elaborates that “[t]he SL UE obtains a SL-RSRP threshold table that is configured by the network device” (Ding, 0072).
The first indication information further indicates the service priority
Ding teaches that “a priority P1” is “carried in the PSCCH sensed by the SL UE” (Ding, 0072).
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 Ding’s method of determining a RSRP threshold based on the transmission’s priority into Yoshioka’s method for indicating sidelink resources. Adjusting the RSRP threshold based on priority ensures that high-priority transmissions experience lower latency at the expense of less important transmissions.
Claim 10 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 1 from the perspective of the other sidelink terminal as well as an additional limitation requiring:
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
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A transmits PSCCH ... using autonomously selected resources” (Yoshioka, 0054, 0095).
Claim 19 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 1 in the form of an apparatus that additionally requires:
A processor
Yoshioka describes “the terminal 20” which “may be implemented as a computer including a processor 1001 [in Fig. 23]” (Yoshioka, 0177).
Claim 20 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 1 in the form of an apparatus that additionally requires:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a program or instructions used to perform operations according to claim 1
Claim 20 describes “the terminal 20 [in Fig. 23]” which “may be implemented as a computer including a processor 1001, [and] a storage device 1002” (Yoshioka, 0177).
--
As to Claim 2:
From the list of:
The first RSRP threshold is configured by a network device or preset
Yoshioka at least teaches:
The first RSRP threshold is ... preset
Yoshioka teaches detecting a PSCCH “if it is detected that the change in power has become greater than or equal to a predetermined value by the sensing” (Yoshioka, 0111).
As to Claim 5 and 13:
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).
Claim 13 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 5 from the perspective of the other sidelink device.
As to Claim 7:
Yoshioka teaches:
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).
As to Claim 9 and 18:
Yoshioka 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
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20B may identify resources, determine unavailable resources, and exclude the unavailable resources from candidate resources that are supposed to be available” before “[t]he controller 240 may autonomously select resources to be used for a D2D communication from a resource selection window based on a sensing result” (Yoshioka, 0112, 0173).
Detecting the first PSCCH on the intersecting resource
Yoshioka teaches that “[t]he controller 240 may autonomously select resources to be used for a D2D communication from a resource selection window based on a sensing result” and that “information may be indicated using any channel such as PSCCH, PSSCH, PSFCH, or PSBCH” (Yoshioka, 0173, 0200).
Claim 18 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 9 from the perspective of the other sidelink UE.
As to Claim 15:
Yoshioka teaches:
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).
Claim(s) 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshioka (US 2023/0171794 A1) in view of Ding (US 2023/0047819 A1) and further in view of Li et al. (US 2021/0219268 A1, hereinafter “Li”).
As to Claim 4 and 12:
The combination of Yoshioka and Ding does not explicitly disclose:
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
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 Yoshioka to schedule a PSSCH, as described in Li. This is the ordinary purpose of the SCI carried in PSCCH, so it would be obvious to add PSCCH scheduling to Yoshioka’s PSCCH resource selection method.
Claim 12 includes a broader subset of the limitations of Claim 4 from the perspective of the second sidelink UE, meaning it is rendered obvious by the same passages from Li cited above.
As to Claim 6 and 14:
The combination of Yoshioka and Ding does not explicitly disclose:
Receiving sidelink control information SCI associated with the PSSCH
The SCI comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicates that the PSSCH carries the first indication information
However, Li does teach:
Receiving sidelink control information SCI associated with the PSSCH
LI describes “NR-PSCCH carrying SCI” that “addresses the location of ... New Radio Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (NR-PSSCH)” (Li, 0159, 0169).
The SCI comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicates that the 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 Yoshioka’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 8 and 16:
The combination of Yoshioka and Ding does not explicitly disclose:
Receiving the first indication information on a candidate resource configured by a network device or a preconfigured candidate resource
However, Li does teach:
Receiving the first indication information on a candidate resource configured by a network device or a preconfigured candidate resource
Li describes a “platoon lead” that “may send a response to the vehicle UE associated with the request to join the platoon” which is sent using “the default sidelink resource” (which is amounts to communicating “the first indication information” using “a preconfigured candidate resource”).
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 use of default resources to send a sidelink configuration into Yoshioka’s method for configuring candidate resources. Default transmission resources help ensure no setup is necessary to configure a transmission.
Claim 16 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 8 from the perspective of the other sidelink terminal.
As to Claim 11:
The combination of Yoshioka and Ding does not explicitly disclose:
The first indication information further indicates a first service priority
However, Li does teach:
The first indication information further indicates the first service priority
Li describes a “parameter priority” that “is indicated from the higher layer” (Li, 0182).
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 determining a RSRP threshold based on priority into Yoshioka’s method for selecting a candidate PSCCH resource. Higher priority messages need to be sent more easily, so it makes sense to tailor the RSRP threshold to this need.
As to Claim 17:
Yoshioka teaches:
Receiving at least one second PSCCH in a second sensing window
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A transmits sidelink control information (SCI) via PSCCH” and that “the terminal 20B may detect power based on the time difference between synchronization sources” which indicates the existence of a “sensing window” (Yoshioka, 0072, 0111).
Determining a reserved resource in a second selection window based on the at least one second PSCCH
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A autonomously selects resources to be used for PSCCH”, and an unselected resources would be analogous to “a reserved resource”, and this selection occurs while “the terminal 20B” is “detect[ing] power”, i.e. during a “selection window” (Yoshioka, 0071-0072, 0111).
A reserved resource in the second selection window
Yoshioka teaches that “the terminal 20A autonomously selects resources to be used for PSCCH”, and an unselected resources would be analogous to “a reserved resource”, and this selection occurs while “the terminal 20B” is “detect[ing] power”, i.e. during a “selection window” (Yoshioka, 0071-0072, 0111).
The combination of Yoshioka and Ding does not explicitly disclose:
Sending the first indication information based on the reserved resource in the second selection window and the preconfigured candidate resource; or
Sending the first indication information based on the reserved resource in the second selection window and the candidate resource configured by the network device
However, from this list, Li at least teaches:
Sending the first indication information based on ... the preconfigured candidate resource
Li describes “the platoon lead” which “may send a response to the vehicle UE” that “may be sent on the resource pools in the default sidelink resource” (i.e. “the preconfigured candidate resource”).
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 use of default resources to send a sidelink configuration into Yoshioka’s method for configuring candidate resources. Default transmission resources help ensure no setup is necessary to configure a transmission.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Non-patent literature Nabil et al., “Performance Analysis of Sensing-Based Semi-Persistent Scheduling in C-V2X Networks”, describes selecting sidelink resources by measuring the RSRP of different received PSCCH transmissions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Benjamin Peter Welte whose telephone number is (703)756-5965. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, EST.
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/B.P.W./Examiner, Art Unit 2477
/CHIRAG G SHAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2477