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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1,4-7,9,11,13,17-21,23 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al (US 20230077671 A1) hereinafter as Choi in view of Sun et al (US 20220078754 A1) hereinafter as Sun.
Regarding claim(s) 1,13,26, Choi discloses a resource allocation method, performed by a first user device (See Fig(s). 1, See ¶ 46, when using the unlicensed spectrum, the initiator UEX may reserve the transmission for responder UEs UEA, UEB, and UEC, so that the responder UEs may not need to perform LBT.), comprising:
sending first reserved resource indication information, wherein the first reserved resource indication information is configured to indicate a first reserved resource (See Fig(s). 8 step 802, See ¶ 8, 132, a first initiator UE to initiate a first ranging session, …the first message comprising first ranging signal resources including a time and frequencies for the responder UE to broadcast a first ranging signal in the first ranging session…. See Fig(s). 5, step 1A, See ¶ 72),
and the first reserved resource is a reserved resource used by the first user device for subsequent sending of a Sidelink ranging signal (See Fig(s). 5, See ¶ 5,82, the ranging signal properties to be used by the responder UEA 506 in the ranging session with initiator UEX 502, such as a session ID and PRS resources, including frequency channel and timing instances …..the ranging signaling is used for positioning of UEs relative to other UEs for sidelink communication).
Choi fails to disclose wherein sending the first reserved resource indication information based on the SCI comprises: sending the first reserved resource indication information based on first SCI, wherein the first SCI comprises a first information field and a second information field, the first information field is configured to carry the first reserved resource indication information, and the second information field is configured to carry communication control information for Physical Sidelink Shared Channel, PSSCH, data transmission.
Sun discloses wherein sending the first reserved resource indication information based on the SCI comprises: sending the first reserved resource indication information based on first SCI, wherein the first SCI comprises a first information field and a second information field, the first information field is configured to carry the first reserved resource indication information, and the second information field is configured to carry communication control information for Physical Sidelink Shared Channel, PSSCH, data transmission (See ¶ 65, one or more of the first transmitted communication 502 and the second transmitted communication 508 may be sidelink communications. The first transmitted communication 502 includes a PSSCH 506 portion and a PSCCH 504 portion (e.g., sidelink control information format 1 (SCI-1)) communicated over two subchannels during a single slot.).
and wherein the reserved resource is implicitly indicated through a time-frequency resource position of a PSSCH associated with a Physical Sidelink Control Channel, PSCCH, for transmitting the first SCI.
Further with regards to claim 13, Choi discloses a processor and memory for performing the method of claim 1 (See Fig(s). 7, processor 702, memory 704).
Regarding claim(s) 4,17, Sun discloses wherein the first information field comprises[[is]] a reserved bit in the first SCI (See Fig(s). 9, See ¶ 88). Reasons for combining same as claim 1.
Regarding claim(s) 5,18, Sun discloses wherein the reserved resource is explicitly or implicitly indicated through at least one of: [[a]]the bit comprised in the first information field; a time-frequency resource position of Physical Sidelink Control Channel, PSCCH, for transmitting the first SCI (See ¶ 65, The first transmitted communication 502 includes a PSSCH 506 portion and a PSCCH 504 portion (e.g., sidelink control information format 1 (SCI-1));
Regarding claim(s) 6,19, Sun discloses, wherein sending the first reserved resource indication information based on the SCI comprises: sending the first reserved resource indication information based on second SCI, wherein the second SCI is SCI dedicated to indicating Sidelink ranging (See ¶ 88, In some examples, the group reservation signal 904 may include the same information provided in an SCI-1 message, and the control signal 906 may include the same information as an SCI format 2 (SCI-2) message. That is, the group reservation signal 904 may include a bit-field (e.g., 2-bit) configured to provide a location of the control signal 906 so that a receiving UE can decode the control signal 906. In some examples, the control signal 906 includes a frequency domain resource allocation (FDRA) that provides the receiving UE with information required for it to decode a corresponding data signal 908.). Reasons for combining same as claim 1.
Regarding claim(s) 7,20, Sun discloses wherein the second SCI and third SCI have the same Sidelink transmission channel formats, and the second SCI and the third SCI multiplex the same time and frequency resources (See ¶ 88); wherein the third SCI is SCI configured to indicate PSSCH data transmission, and the second SCI is SCI dedicated to indicating Sidelink ranging (sidelink ranging is taught within Choi ). Reasons for combining same as claim 1.
Regarding claim(s) 9,21, Sun discloses wherein the SCI comprises 1st-stage SCI and/or 2nd-stage SCI (See ¶ 88, In some examples, the group reservation signal 904 may include the same information provided in an SCI-1 message, and the control signal 906 may include the same information as an SCI format 2 (SCI-2) message.). Reasons for combining same as claim 1.
Regarding claim(s) 11,23, Choi discloses receiving second reserved resource indication information sent by a second user device, wherein the second user device is another device sending the Sidelink ranging signal different from the first user device, the second reserved resource indication information is configured to indicate a second reserved resource, and the second reserved resource is a reserved resource used by the second user device for subsequent sending of the Sidelink ranging signal; and determining a resource different from the second reserved resource as the first reserved resource (See ¶ 8, receiving a second pre-ranging request message from a second initiator UE to initiate a second ranging session, the second pre-ranging request message comprising second ranging signal resources including a time and frequencies for the responder UE to broadcast a second ranging signal in the second ranging session).
Claim(s) 10,22, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al (US 20230077671 A1) hereinafter as Choi in view of Sun et al (US 20220078754 A1) hereinafter as Sun further in view of Chae et al (US 20210266212 A1) hereinafter as Chae
Regarding claim(s) 10,22, Chae discloses wherein sending the first reserved resource indication information comprises: sending the first reserved resource indication information based on Media Access Control Unit, MAC CE (See ¶ 70,97 the BS may configure at least one DL/UL BWP for the UE associated with the wideband carrier, activate at least one of DL/UL BWP(s) configured at a specific time (by L1 signaling which is a physical-layer control signal, a MAC control element (CE) which is a MAC-layer control signal, or RRC signaling).
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 the teachings of Chae within Choi , by providing MAC layer signaling it improves security/troubleshooting, efficient bandwidth allocation, and better data flow via resource scheduling.
Claim(s) 24,25, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al (US 20230077671 A1) hereinafter as Choi in view of Sun et al (US 20220078754 A1) hereinafter as Sun further in view of Deng et al (US 20250008547 A1) hereinafter as Deng with priority to PCT/US2020/019296 on Fe. 21, 2020.
Regarding claim(s) 24,25, Deng discloses wherein the second SCI and third SCI have the same Sidelink transmission channel formats (See ¶ 98, the traffic type may be determined based on one or more SCI formats. In such cases a first SCI format may be used for unicast traffic, a second SCI format may be used for groupcast traffic, and a third SCI format may be used for broadcast traffic.), and
the second SCI and the third SCI use different time and frequency resources (See ¶ 4);
wherein the third SCI is SCI configured to indicate the PSSCH data transmission (See ¶ 99-100).
The use of SCI formats allows for efficient scheduling and management of the sidelink resources, contributing to the overall performance and reliability of V2X communications.
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 the teachings of Deng within Choi, so as to enhance overall network performance.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1,4-7,9-11,13 and 17-26 have been considered, however, they are moot based on new grounds of rejection necessitated by Applicant's amendments.
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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAJ JAIN whose telephone number is (571)-272-3145. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 8-5.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached 571-272-2123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAJ JAIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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