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 .
REMARKS
1. On pages 9-12 of the remark Applicant argued prior art Li does not teach, suggest, or render obvious the features of “the sidelink control channel is allocated to each subslot of a plurality of subslots set in the slot,” as recited in amended independent claim 1 and other independent claims.
In response:
The examiner respectfully disagrees. Prior art Li at [0347] discloses of allocating resources for sidelink communication. Fig.14; [0406]; [0148] shows and discloses of allocating plurality of PSCCHs in a slot for caring side link control information (i.e. SCI1, SCI2 and SCI3). Fig.14 shows 3 sub-slots (i.e. 5 symbols sub-slot, 6 symbols sub-slot and 7 symbols sun-slot) are used in the slot 1 and each of the sub-slots in the slot caring SCI in the PSCCH. SCI1 is transmitted in the first PSCCH in the 5 symbols sub-slot, SCI2 is transmitted in the second PSCCH in the 6 symbols sub-slot and SCI3 is transmitted in the third PSCCH in the 7 symbols sub-slot
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
1. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
2. 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 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-2 and 4-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No, US 2025/0055646 to Lee et al. (hereinafter Lee) in view of U.S. Publication No, US 2021/0219268 to Li et al. (hereinafter Li)
As to claims 1, 15, 16 and 17, Lee discloses a first terminal device that executes sidelink communication with a second another terminal device, the first terminal device comprising:
a control unit configured to:
acquire resource pool information (Lee; [0109]; [0102]-[0103] discloses a UE obtaining resource pool from a base station that indicates resource in the resource pool for sidelink communication), wherein
the resource pool information corresponds to allocation of a resource pool (Lee; [0109]; [0102]-[0103] discloses a UE obtaining resource pool from a base station that indicates resource in the resource pool for sidelink communication), and
the resource pool is allocated for the sidelink communication with the second terminal device (Lee; [0109]; [0102]-[0103] discloses a UE obtaining resource pool from a base station that indicates resource in the resource pool for sidelink communication); and
transmit control information to the second terminal device by at least a sidelink control channel among a plurality of sidelink control channels allocated (Lee; [0109]; [0102]-[0103] discloses of transmitting SCI (=sidelink control information) using PSCCH (=sidelink control channel))
Lee discloses of allocating PSCCH in a slot for sidelink communication, but fails to disclose of allocating plurality of PSCCHs in a single slot. However, Li discloses
the plurality of sidelink control channels is allocated to a slot in a time axis direction (Li; [0347] discloses of allocating resources for sidelink communication. Fig.14; [0406] shows and discloses of allocating plurality of PSCCHs in a slot for caring side link control information (i.e SCI1, SCI2 AND SCI3)
the slot is included in the resource pool (Li; [0347] discloses of allocating resources for sidelink communication. Fig.14; [0406] shows and discloses of allocating plurality of PSCCHs in a slot for caring side link control information (i.e SCI1, SCI2 AND SCI3) , and
the sidelink control channel is allocated to each subslot of a plurality of subslots set in the slot (Li; [0347] discloses of allocating resources for sidelink communication. Fig.14; [0406]; [0148] shows and discloses of allocating plurality of PSCCHs in a slot for caring side link control information (i.e SCI1, SCI2 and SCI3. Fig.14 shows 3 sub-slots (i.e. 5 symbols sub-slot, 6 symbols sub-slot and 7 symbols sun-slot) are used in the slot 1 and each of the sub-slots in the slot caring SCI in the PSCCH. SCI1 is transmitted in the first PSCCH in the 5 symbols sub-slot, SCI2 is transmitted in the second PSCCH in the 6 symbols sub-slot and SCI3 is transmitted in the third PSCCH in the 7 symbols sub-slot)
It is obvious for a person of ordinary skilled in the art to combine the teachings before the effective filing date of the invention. One would be motivated to combine the teachings so that the UE can use limited symbols in a slot for sidelink communication in an effective way
As to claim 2, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein the control unit is further configured to:
acquire allocation information regarding the allocation of the sidelink control channel (Lee; [0109]; [0102]-[0103] discloses of acquiring PSCCH and transmitting SCI (=sidelink control information) using the PSCCH), and
transmit the control information via allocated sidelink control channel (Lee; [0109]; [0102]-[0103] discloses of acquiring PSCCH and transmitting SCI using the PSCCH)
As to claim 4, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein a number of symbols in the sidelink control channel is at leastone (Li; Fig.14; [0159] shows and discloses of allocating symbol/symbols for PSCCH)
As to claim 5, the rejection of claim 4 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein the number of symbols in the sidelink control channel differs based on a number of the plurality of sidelink control channels allocated to the slot in the time axis direction (Li; Fig.14 shows and discloses of allocating 3 symbols for PSCCH in slot 1 and allocating 2 symbols for PSCCH in slot 2).
As to claim 6, the rejection of claim 5 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein
a number of resource blocks set as the sidelink control channel is mapped to a number of subchannels (Li; Fig.3; [0142]; [0452]; [0455]), and
the number of subchannels differs based on the number of the plurality of sidelink control channels allocated to the slot in the time axis (Li; Fig.3; [0142]; [0452]; [0455])
As to claim 7, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein a sidelink shared channel is allocated based on symbol allocated with the sidelink control channel (Li; Fig.14; [0388]-[0389]; [0148]; [0406])
As to claim 8, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein at least one of a number of symbols or a number of resource blocks set as a sidelink feedback channel differs based on a number of the plurality of sidelink control channels allocated to the slot in the time axis direction (Li; Fig.15B; [0416] discloses of allotting symbols for sidelink feedback channel in mini slot 4 in slot 2 used for sending HARQ ACK wherein sidelink control channels are allocated in the first 3 mini )
As to claim 9, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein a channel configuration of a first transmission unit including a sidelink shared channel is different from a channel configuration of a second transmission unit including a sidelink feedback channel (Lee; [0015] discloses PSSCH is used for data transmission from the transmitting device and PSFCH is used to receive feedback from the receiving device means a sidelink shared channel is different from a channel configuration of a transmission unit including a sidelink feedback channel).
As to claim 10, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein the control unit is further configured to acquire timing information regarding a specific time to execute a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback (Lee; [0015] discloses the HARQ feedback information may be transmitted on a second slot which includes the PSFCH resource, among the N+Kth slot and slots after the N+Kth slot, the N value and the K value may be zero or positive integers, and the K value may be configured based on at least one of a PSCCH resource, a PSSCH resource, or the PSFCH resource, configured for a resource pool)
As to claim 11, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein
the control unit is further configured to receive second control information (Li; Fig.14; [0406]-[0407]) ,
the second control information includes information regarding the control information transmitted by at least the sidelink control channel among the plurality of sidelink control channels allocated to the slot in the time axis direction (Li; Fig.14; [0406]-[0407])
the slot is transmitted before a specific slot (Li; Fig.14; [0406]-[0407] discloses slot 1 is transmitted before slot 2), and
the second control information is transmitted using the sidelink control channel allocated to the slot in the time axis direction (Li; Fig.14; [0406]-[0407])
As to claims 12, the rejection of claim 1 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein
the control unit is further configured to execute sensing operation based on a sensing window (Li; Fig.5 shows mini-slots. [0249]; [0423]; [0444]; [0449] discloses a UE may conduct channel sensing in a long-time interval “Sensing Window 1” (e.g., with a length of X1 slots or X1 ms) and a short time interval “Sensing Window 2” (e.g., with a length of X2 slots or X2 symbols or X2 ms). The UE may select the resources for data transmissions in the time interval “Selection Window” (e.g., with a length of Y slots or Y ms).
the sensing window is in a unit of the plurality of subslots included in the slot (Li; Fig.5; Fig.14; shows mini-slots. [0249]; [0423]; [0444]; [0449] discloses a UE may conduct channel sensing in a long-time interval “Sensing Window 1” (e.g., with a length of X1 slots or X1 ms) and a short time interval “Sensing Window 2” (e.g., with a length of X2 slots or X2 symbols or X2 ms). The UE may select the resources for data transmissions in the time interval “Selection Window” (e.g., with a length of Y slots or Y ms).
It is obvious for a person of ordinary skilled in the art to combine the teachings before the effective filing date of the invention. One would be motivated to combine the teachings so that the UE can use two or more mini-slots in a slot for sidelink control information and thus use the limited resources in an effective way.
As to claim 13, the rejection of claim 12 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein the control unit further configured to execute the sensing operation based on the sensing window in a unit of the slot allocated with the plurality of sidelink control channels (Li; Fig.5;[0249]; [0423]; [0444]; [0449] discloses the UE may sense available resources within the long sensing window by decoding the scheduling or resource reserving SCIs carried on NR-PSCCH and measuring the Side Link Reference Signal Received Power (SL-RSRP) such as SL-RSRP of the PSCCH DMRS and/or the SL-RSRP of the PSSCH over the scheduled or reserved resources).
As to claim 14, the rejection of claim 13 as listed above is incorporated herein. In addition, Lee-Li discloses wherein the control unit is further configured to determine that a subslot of the plurality of subslots is used in a case where at least a part of the subslot is used among the plurality of subslots included in the slot (Li; Fig.5 shows mini-slots. [0249]; [0423]; [0444]; [0449] discloses a UE may conduct channel sensing in a long-time interval “Sensing Window 1” (e.g., with a length of X1 slots or X1 ms) and a short time interval “Sensing Window 2” (e.g., with a length of X2 slots or X2 symbols or X2 ms). The UE may select the resources for data transmissions in the time interval “Selection Window” (e.g., with a length of Y slots or Y ms)
Conclusion
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/FAISAL CHOUDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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