DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
This communication is considered fully responsive to the amendment filed on 12/03/2025. In the examining the amended independent claim 1, 17, and 20, the claims recite alternative limitations, specifically:
“wherein, for signaling the CI, the UE is to:
transmit a second SL feedback for the transmission affected by a resource collision using one or more second resources of the SL feedback channel associated with the transmission affected by the resource collision, the first and second resources being different, or
transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using one or more second resources of a further SL feedback channel before the transmission associated with the transmission affected by the resource collision.”
However, the subsequent “wherein” clause mandate that:
wherein, for signaling the CI, the UE is to transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using n second resources of the SL feedback channel, n> 1, the second SL feedback comprising
• n CI messages, each CI message being represented by transmitting a first SL feedback message, or by transmitting a second SL feedback message on an nth resource.”
Under the Broadest Reasonable Interpretation (BRI), the Examiner construes that when alternative limitation (ii) “… using one or more second resources of a further SL feedback channel” is selected, the subsequent limitation (iii) is inapplicable and structurally disjointed from the scope of the independent claims. This is because the subsequent limitation (iii) is configured to operate exclusively within a specific channel (“using… the SL feedback channel”) defined in alternative limitation (i) “… using one or more second resources of the SL feedback channel”.
Accordingly, the Applicant is advised that the limitation (iii) is interpreted as not being included in the claim scope when alternative limitation (ii) is selected. As a result, the Examiner construes the independent claims encompassing two distinct and alternative scopes:
a configuration comprising limitations (i) and (iii); and
a configuration comprising limitation (ii).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 2, 6, 9,-14, 17, and 20 filed on 06/30/2026 have been considered but they are not persuasive and the arguments on the amended feature has been addressed in the instant Office Action with previously identified prior art by mapping the relevant teachings for more clarification thereof that read on said added feature are moot.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 2, 6, 9,-14, 17, and 20 filed on 06/30/2026 have been considered but are moot because the arguments were drawn to features amended from claim 4 to independent claims, which have been addressed in the instant office action with previously identified prior art by mapping the relevant teachings for more clarification thereof that read on said added features, thus rendering Applicant’s arguments moot.
For example, Claim 1 recites the amended feature, specifically,
“wherein, for signaling the CI, the UE is to transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using n second resources of the SL feedback channel, n> 1, the second SL feedback comprising
• n CI messages, each CI message being represented by transmitting a first SL feedback message, or by transmitting a second SL feedback message on an nth resource.”
Sarkis et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20220030603, hereinafter “Sarkis”) teaches the above limitation.
Sarkis, in paragraph [0094], discloses that the collision indication signal may be mapped to “PSFCH resources” (in plural form), which directly reads on the claimed use of “n second resources... n>1)”.
[0094] In some aspects, the first UE may map the resource collision indication to a sidelink resource that is not associated with feedback regarding a transmission (e.g., a data transmission) with the aggressor reservation or the victim resource. For example, the collision indication signal may be mapped to PSFCH resources not used for sidelink feedback of a PSCCH or a PSSCH involved in the collision. Alternatively, the resource collision indication may be mapped to a sidelink resource that is associated with feedback regarding the transmission with the aggressor reservation or the victim resource. For example, the collision indication signal may be mapped to PSFCH resources used for sidelink feedback of a PSCCH or a PSSCH involved in the collision.
Paragraph [0066] of Sarkis explicitly discloses a sidelink feedback resource for transmitting conventional HARQ ACK/NACK (see Fig. 3 and para [0066] of Sarkis). Furthermore, paragraphs [0093], [0094], and [0110] describe that when mapping a Resource Collision Indication (CI), it is mapped to resources ‘not used for feedback’ (which corresponds to the “one or more second resources” of claim 1, see Fig. 3, not used portion of PSFCH 325) as opposed to resources ‘used for feedback 340’ (which corresponds to the “one or more first resources” of claim 1). Fig. 3 of Sarkis is reproduced herein below.
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(Fig. 3 of Sarkis, annotated)
Furthermore, Sarkis, in paragraphs [0084] and [0085], teaches indicating different collision states or targets-such as a victim resource (occurring later in time) or an aggressor reservation (occurred earlier in time)-by transmitting feedback signals utilizing a cyclic shift or a source ID on the PSFCH resources.
[0085] As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time, in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication. The sidelink resource mapped to the PSFCH may be associated with a sub-channel in a slot of the PSSCH. The sidelink resource may be used per sub-channel of the PSFCH to indicate the source ID of the PSSCH that carries the reservation.
[0086] As shown by reference number 604, an aggressor reservation may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the aggressor reservation in the PSSCH that occurred earlier in time, in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication. The sidelink resource mapped to the PSFCH may use a cyclic shift to indicate a reservation index associated with the aggressor reservation. For example, the UE may transmit a first reservation that does not cause a resource conflict and a second reservation that does cause a resource conflict (e.g., a victim resource). In this case, a cyclic shift may be used to indicate the reservation index of the first reservation or the second reservation that will cause the resource conflict.
Because the claim does not structurally restrict what the “first” or “second” SL feedback message must be, the feedback signals utilizing a cyclic shift or a source ID in the Sarkis to indicate these various collision scenarios broadly and fully read on the claimed “first SL feedback message” and “second SL feedback message” representing the “n CI messages”.
Sarkis, therefore, explicitly discloses the claimed feature “wherein, for signaling the CI, the UE is to transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using n second resources of the SL feedback channel, n> 1, the second SL feedback comprising • n CI messages, each CI message being represented by transmitting a first SL feedback message, or by transmitting a second SL feedback message on an nth resource” as recited in claim 1.
Accordingly, the rejection of Claim 1-3, 5, 7, 8, 10-12, and 17-20 is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 7-8, 12, and 14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 7 recites the limitation “wherein a Cl message indicates that a CI and assistance information are transmitted”, this appears indefinite for failing to specifically indicate what message it refers to by using 'wherein'. Specifically, it is not defined how said CI messages is generated or transmitted.
Regarding claims 8, 12, and 14, these claims recite non-limiting languages “for example” such as:
“for example per resource pool or system wide or for a specific network slice,” in claims 8 and 14;
“for example by a Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling or by a System Information Block, SIB, or by a Master Information Block, MIB,” in claim 12;
It renders the boundary of the claim unclear because it doesn’t positively define what the claimed element is, only what it resembles.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2-3, 5, and 17-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sarkis et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20220030603, hereinafter “Sarkis”).
Examiner’s note: in what follows, references are drawn to Sarkis unless otherwise mentioned.
With respect to independent claims 1, 17, and 20:
Regarding claim 1, Sarkis teaches A user device, UE (Fig. 7 of Sarkis; UE1), for a wireless communication system,
wherein the UE is to transmit and/or receive over a sidelink, SL, in the wireless communication system, the SL comprising a SL feedback channel, for transmitting a first SL feedback for a transmission over the SL using one or more first resources of the SL feedback channel associated with the transmission (Fig. 3 and para [0066] of Sarkis: The PSFCH 325 may be used to communicate sidelink feedback 340, such as hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback (e.g., acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) information) (The sidelink feedback is interpreted as “a first SL feedback for a transmission over the SL using one or more first resources of the SL feedback channel”),…), Fig. 3 of Sarkis is reproduced herein below.
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(Fig. 3 of Sarkis)
wherein, responsive to detecting one or more collisions on one or more resources used or reserved to be used by a further UE for one or more transmissions over the SL, the UE is to signal a collision indication, CI (Fig. 3 and para [0091]: As shown by reference number 702, a first UE (UE 1) may identify … a collision on a victim resource based at least in part on an aggressor reservation transmitted by a second UE (UE 2) (interpreted as “a further UE”). In other words, the second UE may transmit a reservation, and the first UE may detect that the reservation transmitted by the second UE is an aggressor reservation because the reservation from the second UE causes the collision on the victim resource. ) (Fig. 7 and para [0098] of Sarkis: As shown by reference 706, the first UE may transmit … the resource collision indication to the second UE via a PSFCH. The resource collision indication transmitted via the PSFCH may indicate the victim resource and/or the aggressor reservation. The first UE may multiplex the resource collision indication on one or more sidelink resources that are useable for sidelink feedback. For example, the first UE may multiplex the resource collision indication on one or more PRBs of the PSFCH that are useable for sidelink feedback.),
wherein, for signaling the CI, the UE is to
• transmit a second SL feedback for the transmission affected by a resource collision using one or more second resources of the SL feedback channel associated with the transmission affected by the resource collision, the first and second resources being different,
(Fig. 3 and para [0066] of Sarkis: The PSFCH 325 may be used to communicate sidelink feedback 340, such as hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback (e.g., acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) information),…) (para [0093] of Sarkis: the first UE may map the resource collision indication to a sidelink resource that is not in use for sidelink feedback when the mapping of the resource collision indication is performed (The sidelink feedback is interpreted as “first SL feedback”, and the ‘a sidelink resource that is not in use for sidelink feedback’ is interpreted as “one or more second resources of the SL feedback channel … the first and second resources being different”) (para [0110]: … A resource collision indication 802 to indicate the victim resource may be mapped to a sidelink resource in a PSFCH that is not used for feedback.)
Examiner’s note: Paragraph [0066] of Sarkis explicitly discloses a sidelink feedback resource for transmitting conventional HARQ ACK/NACK (see Fig. 3 and para [0066] of Sarkis). Furthermore, paragraphs [0093] and [0110] describe that when mapping a Resource Collision Indication (CI), it is mapped to resources ‘not used for feedback’ (which corresponds to the “one or more second resources” of claim 1, see Fig. 3, not used portion of PSFCH 325) as opposed to resources ‘used for feedback 340’ (which corresponds to the “one or more first resources” of claim 1). Fig. 3 of Sarkis is reproduced herein below.
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(Fig. 3 of Sarkis, annotated)
Therefore, Sarkis clearly premises and discloses the existence of the first resource and the second resource, wherein the first and second resources are physically or logically different from each other.
or
• transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using one or more second resources of a further SL feedback channel before the transmission associated with the transmission affected by the resource collision (para [0083] of Sarkis: A first Z PRBs may be associated with a first sub-channel in a first slot associated with the PSFCH, and/or a second Z PRBs may be associated with the first sub-channel in a second slot associated with the PSFCH, where Z is a positive integer greater than or equal to one.) (Examiner’s note: The ‘first Z PRBs may be associated with a first sub-channel in a first slot associated with the PSFCH’ is interpreted as “one or more second resources of a further SL feedback channel…”) ([0084] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time, in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication (interpreted as “before the transmission associated with the transmission affected by the resource collision”).), and
wherein, for signaling the CI, the UE is to transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using n second resources of the SL feedback channel, n> 1 (para [0094] of Sarkis: …, the collision indication signal may be mapped to PSFCH resources (interpreted as “n second resources of the SL feedback channel”) not used for sidelink feedback of a PSCCH or a PSSCH involved in the collision.), the second SL feedback comprising
• n CI messages, each CI message being represented by transmitting a first SL feedback message (para [0084] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time (interpreted as “a first SL feedback message”, such as Collision in the future), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.), or
by transmitting a second SL feedback message on an nth resource (para [0085] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 604, an aggressor reservation may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the aggressor reservation in the PSSCH that occurred earlier in time (interpreted as “a second SL feedback message”, such as Collision in the past) may be transmitted using a sidelink resource of a PSFCH.), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.). Examiner’s note: The feature of transmitting the “second SL feedback message on an nth resource” is also fully met by the Sarkis. Sarkis, in paragraphs [0094], explicitly discloses that the collision indication signal may be mapped to “PSFCH resources” (in plural form). Consistent with this, paragraph [0110] of Sarkis clarifies that a resource collision indication to indicate a victim resource may be mapped to a “sidelink resource” (in singular form) in the PSFCH. Therefore, mapping the collision indication to a specific sidelink resource among the plurality of PSFCH resources in Sarkis directly corresponds to the claimed feature of “transmitting a second SL feedback message on an nth resource,” when “nth” represents a specific resource selected from the available PSFCH resources.
Regarding claim 17, Sarkis teaches A user device, UE (Fig. 7 of Sarkis; UE2), for a wireless communication system,
wherein the UE is to transmit and/or receive over a sidelink, SL in the wireless communication system, the SL comprising a SL feedback channel for transmitting a first SL feedback for a transmission over the SL using the one or more first resources of the SL feedback channel associated with the transmission (Fig. 3 and para [0066] of Sarkis: The PSFCH 325 may be used to communicate sidelink feedback 340, such as hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback (e.g., acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) information) (The ‘HARQ feedback’ is interpreted as “a first SL feedback for a transmission over the SL using the one or more first resources of the SL feedback channel associated with the transmission”),…),
wherein the UE is to receive from one or more further UE a collision indication, CI (Fig. 3 and para [0091]: As shown by reference number 702, a first UE (UE 1) (interpreted as “a further UE”) may identify … a collision on a victim resource based at least in part on an aggressor reservation transmitted by a second UE (UE 2) (interpreted as “the UE”). In other words, the second UE may transmit a reservation, and the first UE may detect that the reservation transmitted by the second UE is an aggressor reservation because the reservation from the second UE causes the collision on the victim resource. ) (Fig. 7 and para [0098] of Sarkis: As shown by reference 706, the first UE may transmit … the resource collision indication to the second UE via a PSFCH. The resource collision indication transmitted via the PSFCH may indicate the victim resource and/or the aggressor reservation. The first UE may multiplex the resource collision indication on one or more sidelink resources that are useable for sidelink feedback. For example, the first UE may multiplex the resource collision indication on one or more PRBs of the PSFCH that are useable for sidelink feedback.), on
one or more second resources of the SL feedback channel associated with the transmission affected by a resource collision (Fig. 7 and para [0098] of Sarkis: The first UE may multiplex the resource collision indication on one or more sidelink resources that are useable for sidelink feedback. For example, the first UE may multiplex the resource collision indication on one or more PRBs of the PSFCH that are useable for sidelink feedback.) (Fig. 3 and para [0066] of Sarkis: The PSFCH 325 may be used to communicate sidelink feedback 340, such as hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback (e.g., acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) information),…) (para [0093] of Sarkis: the first UE may map the resource collision indication to a sidelink resource that is not in use for sidelink feedback when the mapping of the resource collision indication is performed (The sidelink feedback is interpreted as “first SL feedback”, and the ‘a sidelink resource that is not in use for sidelink feedback’ is interpreted as “one or more second resources of the SL feedback channel … the first and second resources being different”) (para [0110]: … A resource collision indication 802 to indicate the victim resource may be mapped to a sidelink resource in a PSFCH that is not used for feedback.), the first one or more resources and the second one or more resources being different
Examiner’s note: Paragraph [0066] of Sarkis explicitly discloses a sidelink feedback resource for transmitting conventional HARQ ACK/NACK (see Fig. 3 and para [0066] of Sarkis). Furthermore, paragraphs [0093] and [0110] describe that when mapping a Resource Collision Indication (CI), it is mapped to resources ‘not used for feedback’ (which corresponds to the “one or more second resources” of claim 1, see Fig. 3, not used portion of PSFCH 325) as opposed to resources ‘used for feedback 340’ (which corresponds to the “one or more first resources” of claim 1). Fig. 3 of Sarkis is reproduced herein below.
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(Fig. 3 of Sarkis, annotated)
Therefore, Sarkis clearly premises and discloses the existence of the first resource and the second resource, wherein the first and second resources are physically or logically different from each other.
, or
one or more second resources of a further SL feedback channel before the transmission associated with the transmission affected by the resource collision (para [0083] of Sarkis: A first Z PRBs may be associated with a first sub-channel in a first slot associated with the PSFCH, and/or a second Z PRBs may be associated with the first sub-channel in a second slot associated with the PSFCH, where Z is a positive integer greater than or equal to one.) (Examiner’s note: The ‘first Z PRBs may be associated with a first sub-channel in a first slot associated with the PSFCH’ is interpreted as “one or more second resources of a further SL feedback channel…”) ([0084] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time, in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication (interpreted as “before the transmission associated with the transmission affected by the resource collision”).), and
wherein the CI is signaled by a second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using n second resources of the SL feedback channel, n>1 (para [0094] of Sarkis: …, the collision indication signal may be mapped to PSFCH resources (interpreted as “n second resources of the SL feedback channel”) not used for sidelink feedback of a PSCCH or a PSSCH involved in the collision.),
the second SL feedback comprising
• n CI messages, each CI message being represented by transmitting a first SL feedback message (para [0084] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time (interpreted as “a first SL feedback message”, such as Collision in the future), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.), or
by transmitting a second SL feedback message on an nth resource (para [0085] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 604, an aggressor reservation may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the aggressor reservation in the PSSCH that occurred earlier in time (interpreted as “a second SL feedback message”, such as Collision in the past) may be transmitted using a sidelink resource of a PSFCH.), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.). Examiner’s note: The feature of transmitting the “second SL feedback message on an nth resource” is also fully met by the Sarkis. Sarkis, in paragraphs [0094], explicitly discloses that the collision indication signal may be mapped to “PSFCH resources” (in plural form). Consistent with this, paragraph [0110] of Sarkis clarifies that a resource collision indication to indicate a victim resource may be mapped to a “sidelink resource” (in singular form) in the PSFCH. Therefore, mapping the collision indication to a specific sidelink resource among the plurality of PSFCH resources in Sarkis directly corresponds to the claimed feature of “transmitting a second SL feedback message on an nth resource,” when “nth” represents a specific resource selected from the available PSFCH resources.
Regarding claim 20, it is a method claim corresponding to the method claim 1, and is therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
With respect to dependent claims:
Regarding claim 2, Sarkis teaches The UE of claim 1, wherein, for signaling the CI, the UE is to transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using one second resource of the SL feedback channel,
the second SL feedback including
a single collision indication, Cl, message by transmitting on the second resource the first SL feedback message or the second SL feedback message (para [0084] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time (interpreted as “first SL feedback message”, such as Collision in the future), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.) (para [0085] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 604, an aggressor reservation may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the aggressor reservation in the PSSCH that occurred earlier in time (interpreted as “or the second SL feedback message”, such as Collision in the past) may be transmitted using a sidelink resource of a PSFCH.), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.), or
a first Cl message by transmitting on the second resource the first SL feedback message or a second Cl message by transmitting on the second resource the second SL feedback message (para [0084] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time (interpreted as “first CI message”), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.) (para [0085] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 604, an aggressor reservation may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the aggressor reservation in the PSSCH that occurred earlier in time (interpreted as “second CI message”) may be transmitted using a sidelink resource of a PSFCH.), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.), or
the first Cl message by transmitting on the second resource the first SL feedback message, or the second Cl message by transmitting on the second resource the second SL feedback message, or a third CI message by transmitting the first and second SL feedback messages on the first and second resources (para [0084] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time (interpreted as “first CI message”), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.) (para [0085] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 604, an aggressor reservation may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the aggressor reservation in the PSSCH that occurred earlier in time (interpreted as “second CI message”) may be transmitted using a sidelink resource of a PSFCH.), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.).
Regarding claim 3, Sarkis teaches The UE of claim 1, wherein, for signaling the
CI, the UE is to transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using two second resources of the SL feedback channel (para [0094] of Sarkis: …, the collision indication signal may be mapped to PSFCH resources (interpreted as “two second resources of the SL feedback channel”) not used for sidelink feedback of a PSCCH or a PSSCH involved in the collision.), the second SL feedback comprising
• a first CI message by transmitting the first SL feedback message or a second CI message by transmitting the second SL feedback message on a first of two further resources (para [0084] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 602, a victim resource may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time (interpreted as “a first Ci message”), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.), and
• a third CI message by transmitting the first SL feedback message or a fourth CI message by transmitting the second SL feedback message on a second of the two further resources (para [0085] of Sarkis: As shown by reference number 604, an aggressor reservation may occur in slot i, sub-channel j of the PSSCH. In this case, a UE may perform a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping that identifies a sidelink resource of the PSFCH to be used for transmitting a resource collision indication from the UE. The resource collision indication may indicate the aggressor reservation in the PSSCH that occurred earlier in time (interpreted as “a third Ci message”) may be transmitted using a sidelink resource of a PSFCH.), in relation to the transmission of the resource collision indication.).
Regarding claim 5, Sarkis teaches The UE of claim 1, wherein, for signaling the CI, the UE is to transmit the second SL feedback for the transmission affected by the resource collision using k messages of a collision indication channel resource, k≥1, the second SL feedback comprising
• for k=1, a single collision indication, Cl, message by transmitting a first signal on the collision indication channel resource (para [0082] of Sarkis: The resource collision indication (interpreted as “for k=1, a single collision indication, Cl, message”) associated with the reservation or the victim resource may be transmitted using a sidelink resource of a PSFCH (interpreted as “by transmitting a first signal on the collision indication channel resource”). The UE may identify the sidelink resource for transmitting the resource collision indication using a PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping technique. The sidelink resource may be one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs) of the PSFCH.), or
• for k>1, k Cl messages, each Cl message being represented by a cyclic shifted signal on the collision indication channel resource, wherein cyclic shifts are different for the k Cl messages (para [0085] of Sarkis: The sidelink resource mapped to the PSFCH may use a cyclic shift to indicate a reservation index associated with the aggressor reservation. For example, the UE may transmit a first reservation (interpreted as a first “CI message”) that does not cause a resource conflict and a second reservation (interpreted as a second “CI message”) that does cause a resource conflict (e.g., a victim resource). In this case, a cyclic shift may be used to indicate the reservation index of the first reservation or the second reservation that will cause the resource conflict.(interpreted as “the cyclic shifts are different for the k Cl messages” because the cyclic shift indicating the reservation index of the first reservation and the cyclic shift indicating the reservation index of the second reservation should be different).
Regarding claim 18, Sarkis teaches The UE of claim 17, wherein the collision indication indicates to the further UE:
one or more resources on which the collision is to occur in the future or already occurred in the past (para [0084] of Sarkis: The resource collision indication may indicate the victim resource in the PSSCH that is to occur later in time (interpreted as “occur in the future”)...) (para [0085] of Sarkis: The resource collision indication may indicate the aggressor reservation in the PSSCH that occurred earlier in time (interpreted as “already occurred in the past”) …), or …
Regarding claim 19, Sarkis teaches The UE of claim 18, wherein, responsive to the collision indication, the UE is to perform at least one of the following
• sense one or more resources for a transmission over the sidelink, and select, using the assistance information, resources for the transmission from the sensed resources, so as to avoid resources associated with the collision (para [0099]: As shown by reference 708, the second UE may resolve … a collision on the victim resource based at least in part on the resource collision indication received from the first UE. For example, the second UE may perform an action to resolve the collision, which may include dropping a communication on the victim resource, delaying a communication on the victim resource, and/or rescheduling a communication on the victim resource (interpreted as “select, using the assistance information, resources for the transmission from the sensed resources, so as to avoid resources associated with the collision”). The communication may include a communication intended to be transmitted from the second UE using the victim resource. However, after receiving the resource collision indication from the first UE, the second UE may perform the action such that the communication is not performed using the victim resource.) …
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 7-8 and 10-12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sarkis in view of Deng et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20230164825, hereinafter “Deng”).
Regarding claim 7, Sarkis teaches The UE of claim 1, Sarkis fails to disclose wherein a CI message indicates that a CI and assistance information are transmitted… as recited in claim 7.
In analogous art, Deng discloses
wherein a CI message indicates that a CI and assistance information are transmitted (para [0124] of Deng: … an assisting WTRU may include (e.g., information) indications regarding any number of triggering conditions… such indications (e.g., information indicating) may be any of: a collision detection indication,…) (para [0159] of Deng: an assisting WTRU may include a collision detection indication with a resource set in an assistance transmission, for example, according to (e.g., based on) any of MAC CE signalling and RRC signalling.) (para [0131] of Deng: According to embodiments, a collision indication may indicate detection of a collision (e.g., a detected collision) with a SP-based resource reservation, for example, detected by a WTRU for which the assistance information is intended. For example, according to embodiments, the indication may be one bit and may be transmitted in a resource associated with a reserved resource that is between a collision detection and a next transmission instance of the resource reservation. … a half-duplex indication may indicate an upcoming SL transmission, and for example, may indicate non-reception slot(s). According to embodiments, a half-duplex indication may include a bit field, for example, to convey the index of the slot(s) of the non-reception slot(s). According to embodiments, an assisted WTRU, in case of receiving a half-duplex indication, may avoid SL transmission in the slot(s) (e.g., associated with (e.g., indicated in/by) the half-duplex indication.)(para [0119] of Deng: an assisting WTRU may include (e.g., transmit, send, etc.) an indication in SCI, for example, to indicate the data carried in a PSSCH may be assistance information, for example, including any of an assistance resource set (interpreted as “CI”, see para [0124] of Deng)), and
wherein the UE is to transmit the CI and the assistance information such that:
• in a time domain,
o the assistance information and the CI are transmitted simultaneously (para [0159] of Deng: an assisting WTRU may include a collision detection indication with a resource set in an assistance transmission (interpreted as “…transmitted simultaneously”), or
• in a frequency domain,
o the assistance information and the CI are transmitted at same frequencies (para [0159] of Deng: an assisting WTRU may include a collision detection indication with a resource set in an assistance transmission, for example, according to (e.g., based on) any of MAC CE signalling and RRC signalling. (interpreted as “at same frequencies”), or…
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the collision indication scheme of Sarkis to include the integrated transmission of the CI and assistance information (Aim) as taught by Deng. The motivation for this combination is to provide the receiving WTRU not only with the knowledge of a collision but also with actionable information (e.g., available or unavailable resource sets) to rapidly and efficiently perform resource reselection. As explicitly stated in Deng (paragraphs [0068] and [0093] of Deng), providing such assistance information resolves persistent collision and significantly improves the reliability and latency of sidelink transmission in congested scenarios.
Regarding claim 8, Sarkis and Deng teach The UE of claim 7, Deng further teaches wherein the time gap is configured or preconfigured, for example per resource pool or system wide or for a specific network slice, or for a certain UE capability (para [0139] of Deng: According to embodiments, in a case of time and/or frequency resources assigned for a corresponding assistance information transmission, an assignment (e.g., of the time and/or frequency resources) may include multiple resources for any of initial transmissions and retransmissions. For example, according to embodiments, a time gap (e.g., in terms) of slots may be applied to indicate a time resource associated with (e.g., referring to, with reference to, etc.) to a slot in which the request channel is transmitted.).
Regarding claim 10, Sarkis teaches The UE of claim 1, wherein, in case the UE detects a resource collision associated with a future transmission following the transmission over the SL and to be performed by the further UE (see para [0084] of Sarkis), Sarkis fails to teach: the UE is to transmit the collision indication such that there is a minimum gap between a slot in which the collision indication is transmitted and a resource associated with the resource collision.
Deng teaches the UE is to transmit the collision indication such that there is a minimum gap between a slot in which the collision indication is transmitted and a resource associated with the resource collision (para [0131] of Deng: a collision indication may indicate detection of a collision (e.g., a detected collision) with a SP-based resource reservation … the indication … may be transmitted in a resource associated with a reserved resource that is between a collision detection and a next transmission instance of the resource reservation (A gap between the resource for transmitting the collision indication and the next transmission instance is interpreted as “a minimum gap between a slot in which the collision indication is transmitted and a resource associated with the collision” and the next transmission is interpreted as “a future transmission”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the timing of the collision indicated in Sarkis according to the framework taught by Deng. The motivation for this modification is to ensure that the collision indication is delivered with an adequate time gap (a minimum processing gap) prior to the impending collision, thereby providing the receiving WTRU with sufficient time to decode the indication, process the information, and successfully execute resource reselection to avoid the collision
Regarding claim 11, Sarkis and Deng teach The UE of claim 10, wherein the minimum gap indicates Deng further teach
in which slot the collision indication is to be transmitted (para [0131] of Deng: a collision indication may indicate detection of a collision (e.g., a detected collision) with a SP-based resource reservation … the indication … may be transmitted in a resource associated with a reserved resource that is between a collision detection and a next transmission instance of the resource reservation (A gap between the collision detection and the resource for transmitting the collision indication is interpreted as “the minimum gap”),
Regarding claim 12, Sarkis ang Deng teaches The UE of claim 10, wherein the minimum gap is Deng further teach
preconfigured or configured, for example by a Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling or by a System Information Block, SIB, or by a Master Information Block, MIB, or indicated in a SL control message, or configured during the synchronization step between the two UEs (para [0105] of Deng: According to embodiments, such an indication (e.g., of information included in transmission in the reserved resource) may be conveyed using any of SCI, MAC CE, or RRC. (interpreted as “preconfigured or configured by RRC or SCI”))(para [0131]: the indication … may be transmitted in a resource associated with a reserved resource that is between a collision detection and a next transmission instance of the resource reservation.
Tentative Indication of Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 13-14 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.
Claims 13 and 14 appear to contain allowable subject matters underlined below:
“the UE is to operate in a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, mode, the UE is an intended recipient for a transmission by the further UE during an ON duration and one or more future transmissions after the ON duration,
responsive to transmitting the collision indication or assistance information associated with a future transmission following the transmission over the SL and,
• the UE is to not extend the ON duration and enter a sleep mode until the further UE completed a sensing and resource reselection process, or
• the UE is to not extend the ON duration and adapt the DRX mode such that the ON duration occurs once the further UE completed partial sensing or the sensing and resource reselection process”
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WON JUN CHOI whose telephone number is (703)756-1695. The examiner can normally be reached MON-FRI 08:00 - 17:00.
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/WON JUN CHOI/Examiner, Art Unit 2411
/DERRICK W FERRIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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