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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/27/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues “…In table 21 above, Yeo discloses "items" that may be
included in the DCI…In other words, the "items" in the DCI in Yeo simply include information about the current or past transmissions. However, this exhaustive list in Yeo fails to disclose or suggest including an indication of resources for subsequent transmission, let alone resources that are suitable for the subsequent transmission, as in claim 1. “ See page 10 of applicant’s remarks. The examiner disagrees.
According to Yeo, the transmission terminal 1420a that received the scheduling information transmits the sidelink data to another terminal 1420b (hereinafter, referred to as a “reception terminal”). The scheduling information for the sidelink communication is included in DCI (shown in figure 14A, the transmission terminal 1420a transmits two messages at the same time. One as data and the other as scheduling information to another terminal 1420b. The scheduling information that the transmission terminal 1420a received from the base station 1410 is the scheduling information needed so the transmission terminal 1420a can transmit data to the terminal 1420b. The scheduling information transmitted to terminal 1420b from transmission terminal 1420a is needed so the terminal 1420b can transmit data)…Scheduling may be performed for one time of sidelink transmission, or may be performed for regular transmission or semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) or configured grant transmission (in other words, Yeo teaches an indication of resources for subsequent transmission and resources suitable for the subsequent transmission as required in claim 1)…After receiving DCI for sidelink scheduling from the base station 1410, the transmission terminal 1420a transmits a PSCCH including sidelink scheduling information (in other words, scheduling information for terminal 1420b), and then transmits a PSSCH which is data corresponding thereto. See col. 27, line 22-col. 28, line 25. Yeo further teaches, referring to FIG. 14B, a terminal 1420a for transmitting data in sidelink may transmit sidelink scheduling control information (i.e., scheduling information allowing for terminal 1420b to make subsequent transmissions. The sidelink scheduling control information is the resources that is suitable for the subsequent transmission from the terminal 1420b) and sidelink data to a reception terminal 1420b. See col. 29, lines 33-42.
As such, Yeo discloses transmit[ting], to the at least one second UE, an inter-UE coordination message and at least one data transmission, the inter-UE coordination message being transmitted at a same time as the at least one data transmission, the inter-UE coordination message including an indication of the one or more resources that are suitable for the subsequent transmission from the at least one second UE, as recited independent claims 1 and 15. Yeo discloses receive[ing], from a first UE, an inter-UE coordination message and at least one data transmission, the inter-UE coordination message being received at a same time as the at least one data transmission, the inter-UE coordination message including an indication of one or more resources that are suitable for a subsequent transmission from the second UE, as recited in independent claims 16 and 29.
The rejection is maintained below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4, 6-19 and 21-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yeo et al. (Yeo), U.S. Patent No. 11,652,581.
Regarding Claims 1 and 15, Yeo discloses an apparatus for wireless
communication at a first user equipment (UE) (i.e., terminal 120; see figure 3), comprising:
memory (i.e., storage unit 320; see figure 3); and
at least one processor (i.e., controller 330; see figure 3) coupled to the memory (shown in figure 3) and configured to:
identify one or more resources (i.e., resources listed in Table 21) that are suitable for a subsequent transmission from at least one second UE (i.e., determination by the terminal 1420a of sidelink scheduling information for reception terminal 1420b shown in figure 14B); and
transmit, to the at least one second UE, an inter-UE coordination message (i.e., scheduling information; see figure 14B) and at least one data transmission (i.e., data; see figure 14B), the inter-UE coordination message being transmitted at a same time as the at least one data transmission (shown in figure 14B), the inter-UE coordination message including an indication of the one or more resources that are suitable for the subsequent transmission from the at least one second UE (i.e., terminal 1420a transmits sidelink scheduling information to reception terminal 1420b. The scheduling information for the sidelink communication is included in DCI shown in Table 21).
Regarding Claims 16 and 29, Yeo discloses an apparatus for wireless
communication at a second user equipment (UE) (i.e., terminal 120; see figure 3), comprising:
memory (i.e., storage unit 320; see figure 3); and
at least one processor (i.e., controller 330; see figure 3) coupled to the memory (shown in figure 3) and configured to:
receive, from a first UE, an inter-UE coordination message (i.e., scheduling information; see figure 14B) and at least one data transmission (i.e., data; see figure 14B), the inter-UE coordination message being received at a same time as the at least one data transmission (shown in figure 14B), the inter-UE coordination message including an indication of one or more resources that are suitable for a subsequent transmission from the second UE (i.e., terminal 1420a transmits sidelink scheduling information to reception terminal 1420b. The scheduling information for the sidelink communication is included in DCI shown in Table 21); and
transmit the subsequent transmission via the one or more resources (i.e., HARQ feedback transmission according to groupcasting; see col. 26, lines 44-58 and figure 12B), or reselect the one or more resources based on the inter-UE coordination message.
Regarding Claims 2, 17 and 30, Yeo discloses wherein the one or more
resources correspond to at least one of one or more sub-channels or one or more slots (see Table 21).
Regarding Claims 3 and 18, Yeo discloses wherein the inter-UE coordination
message is piggybacked with the at least one data transmission (see figure 14B).
Regarding Claims 4 and 19, Yeo discloses wherein the inter-UE coordination
message is associated with at least one of a first stage sidelink control information (SCI) (SCI-1) message or a second stage SCI (SCI-2) message (see col. 29, lines 17-22).
Regarding Claims 6 and 21, Yeo discloses wherein the at least one data
transmission corresponds to at least one of application data or transport block (TB) data (see col. 32, lines 45-50).
Regarding Claims 7 and 22, Yeo discloses wherein the inter-UE coordination
message is a broadcast message (see col. 34, lines 39-45).
Regarding Claims 8 and 23, Yeo discloses the at least one processor being
further configured to: reserve n+1 consecutive sub-channels in a single slot for the transmission of the inter-UE coordination message and the at least one data transmission, a data amount of the at least one data transmission corresponding to n sub-channels in the single slot (see figures 15, 16A & 16B), wherein one of the n+1 consecutive sub-channels is dedicated to the inter-UE coordination message, and n of the n+1 consecutive sub-channels are dedicated to the at least one data transmission (see figures 15, 16A & 16B).
Regarding Claims 9 and 24, Yeo discloses wherein at least one of a first stage
sidelink control information (SCI) (SCI-1) message or a second stage SCI (SCI-2) message associated with the n sub-channels dedicated to the at least one data transmission includes information for decoding the sub-channel dedicated to the inter-UE coordination message (see col. 32, lines 45-56).
Regarding Claims 10 and 25, Yeo discloses wherein at least one of an inter-UE
coordination-specific first stage sidelink control information (SCI) (SCI-1) message or an inter-UE coordination-specific second stage SCI (SCI-2) message includes control information associated with the sub-channel dedicated to the inter-UE coordination message (see Table 22).
Regarding Claims 11 and 26, Yeo discloses the at least one processor being
further configured to: reserve n consecutive sub-channels in a single slot for the transmission of the at least one data transmission, a data amount of the at least one data transmission corresponding to the n consecutive sub-channels in the single slot, wherein the inter-UE coordination message is transmitted via a single unreserved sub-channel adjacent to the n consecutive sub-channels, the single unreserved sub-channel being in the single slot (see figure 15).
Regarding Claim 12, Yeo discloses the at least one processor being further
configured to: receive, from the at least one second UE, the subsequent transmission via the one or more resources (see figure 1).
Regarding Claim 13, Yeo discloses wherein in response to identify the one or
more resources that are suitable for the subsequent transmission from the at least one second UE, the at least one processor is further configured to: reserve the one or more resources that are suitable for the subsequent transmission from the at least one second UE (see col. 28, lines 10-28).
Regarding Claim 14, Yeo discloses further comprising a transceiver (i.e.,
communication unit 310) coupled to the at least one processor (shown in figure 3).
Regarding Claim 27, Yeo discloses wherein the subsequent transmission is
transmitted to the first UE or at least one other UE (i.e., HARQ feedback transmission according to groupcasting; see col. 26, lines 44-58 and figure 12B).
Regarding Claim 28, Yeo discloses further comprising a transceiver (i.e.,
communication unit 310) coupled to the at least one processor (shown in figure 3).
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) 5 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yeo in view of Freda et al. (Freda), U.S. Publication No. 2023/0063472.
Regarding Claims 5 and 20, Yeo discloses the apparatus as described above. Yeo fails to disclose wherein the inter-UE coordination message further includes at least one of an indication of one or more resources that are not suitable for the subsequent transmission from the at least one second UE, or an indication of a collision. Freda discloses wherein the inter-UE coordination message further includes at least one of an indication of one or more resources that are not suitable for the subsequent transmission from the at least one second UE (see paragraphs [0347]-[0352]), or an indication of a collision.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Freda’s invention with Yeo’s invention to lower battery consumption see paragraph [0002] of Freda.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 SHANTELL LAKETA HEIBER whose telephone number is (571)272-0886. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 9am to 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Addy, can be reached at telephone number (571)272-0886. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHANTELL L HEIBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
May 4, 2026
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