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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/26/25, 1/28/25, and 12/30/24 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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) 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Xue et al. (U.S. 2022/0312378) (hereinafter “Xue”). Xue teaches all of the limitations of the specified claims with the reasoning that follows.
Regarding claim 16, “a communication method, applied to a third slave node, wherein the method comprises: receiving third configuration information comprising at least one of: indication information of the third slave node and indication information of a first resource” is anticipated by a device 805 that sends a resource indication (third configuration information) to a first UE 810 (third slave node), where the resource indication provides an indication of one or more configured sidelink resources (indication information of first resource) allocated to the UE 810 for communication (via a communication link) with a second UE 815 (second node) as shown in step 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on pages 15-16, paragraph [0136]; and where a master sidelink UE 115 may broadcast an indication of preconfigured resources to slave UEs (e.g. third slave node) in the cluster of UEs 115 as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0131].
Lastly, “sending, on the first resource, control information of a communication link to a second node other than the third slave node in at least two second nodes, wherein the communication link comprises a direct link between the at least two second nodes” is anticipated by the UE 810 that transmits a sidelink message (control information) to the UE 815 (second node) on at least one of the configured sidelink resources (first resource) as shown in step 825 of Figure 8 and spoken of on page 16, paragraphs [0137] and [0139]; and where first UE 715-a, second UE 715-b, third UE 715-c, fourth UE 715-d, and fifth UE 715-e may communicate with the UE 705 within the geographic coverage area 710 via respective communication links 720 as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0131]; and where the cluster of UEs 115 include heterogeneous sidelink links 725, 730 (direct links) for communications with each other as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0132].
Regarding claim 17, “wherein the communication link comprises a first communication link or a first communication link group; and the control information of the communication link comprises one or more of the following: an identifier of the first communication link; an identifier of the first communication link group; a node identifier; type information of the first communication link; type information of a communication link in the first communication link group; first time domain resource information; or frequency hopping channel indication information, wherein the first communication link is a communication link between two second nodes in the at least two second nodes, the first communication link group comprises a plurality of communication links between the at least two second nodes, the node identifier is used to identify at least one node in the at least two second nodes, the first time domain resource information indicates a time domain resource of the communication link, and the frequency hopping channel indication information indicates an available frequency hopping channel of the communication link” is anticipated by the received resource indication that provides an indication of one or more configured sidelink resources allocated to the UE 810 for communication (via a first communication link) with a second UE 815 (second node) as shown in step 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on pages 15-16, paragraph [0136]; where the configured sidelink resources may include sidelink resources defined by (configured by) a time-frequency window (first time domain resource information) as spoken of on page 16, paragraph [0141].
Regarding claim 18, “wherein the time domain resource of the communication link comprises at least one transmission opportunity group, and the first time domain resource information comprises one or more of the following: period information of the transmission opportunity group; first time length information; or information about a first start location, wherein all of the at least one transmission opportunity group are continuous in time domain, the first time length information comprises information indicating a time domain length of a first transmission opportunity group in the at least one transmission opportunity group, the information about the first start location comprises information indicating a time domain start location of a second transmission opportunity group in the at least one transmission opportunity group, and the first transmission opportunity group is the same as or different from the second transmission opportunity group” is anticipated by the received resource indication that provides an indication of one or more configured sidelink resources allocated to the UE 810 for communication (via a first communication link) with a second UE 815 (second node) as shown in step 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on pages 15-16, paragraph [0136]; where the configured sidelink resources may include a set (group) of subsequent configured sidelink resources with a specified periodicity (period information) as spoken of on page 16, paragraph [0141].
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 (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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-15, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xue in view of Kim et al. (U.S. 2017/0273077) (hereinafter “Kim”) cited in Applicant’s submitted IDS.
Regarding claim 1, Xue teaches a communication method where a device 805 (first node) sends a resource indication (first configuration information) to a first UE 810 (second node), where the resource indication provides an indication of one or more configured sidelink resources allocated to the UE 810 for communication (via a communication link) with a second UE 815 (second node) as shown in step 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on pages 15-16, paragraph [0136].
Xue also teaches where the device 805 may represent a base station 105, an anchor/master UE 115, or an additional device (master node) capable of scheduling or assigning resources to the UE 810 and the UE 815 (second nodes) as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0133]; and where the UE 810 transmits a sidelink message to the UE 815 on at least one of (associated with) the configured sidelink resources (direct link) as shown in step 825 of Figure 8 and spoken of on page 16, paragraph [0139].
Xue does not explicitly teach “sending first configuration information on a first frequency hopping channel”.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), and where a DCI format is used that contains a frequency hopping field (over a frequency hopping channel) as shown in Figure 12 and spoken of on page 9, paragraphs [0153] and [0155].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize a frequency hopping channel as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the possibility of signal interference causing a loss of important configuration information, thereby improving the reliability of the control messaging in the network as spoken of on page 9, paragraphs [0153]-[0155] of Kim.
Regarding claim 2, Xue further teaches where the device 805 may represent a base station 105, an anchor/master UE 115, or an additional device (master node) capable of scheduling or assigning resources to the UE 810 and the UE 815 (second nodes) as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0133]; and where the UE 810 transmits a sidelink message to the UE 815 on at least one of (associated with) the configured sidelink resources (direct link) as shown in step 825 of Figure 8 and spoken of on page 16, paragraph [0139].
Regarding claim 3, Xue further teaches where the received resource indication provides an indication of one or more configured sidelink resources allocated to the UE 810 for communication (via a first communication link) with a second UE 815 (second node) as shown in step 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on pages 15-16, paragraph [0136]; where the configured sidelink resources may include sidelink resources defined by (configured by) a time-frequency window (first time domain resource information) as spoken of on page 16, paragraph [0141].
Regarding claim 4, Xue further teaches where the received resource indication provides an indication of one or more configured sidelink resources allocated to the UE 810 for communication (via a first communication link) with a second UE 815 (second node) as shown in step 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on pages 15-16, paragraph [0136]; where the configured sidelink resources may include a set (group) of subsequent configured sidelink resources with a specified periodicity (period information) as spoken of on page 16, paragraph [0141].
Regarding claim 5, Xue does not explicitly teach “wherein the transmission opportunity group comprises at least one transmission opportunity, the time domain resource of the communication link comprises at least two transmission opportunities, and the first time domain resource information further comprises one or more of the following: quantity information of the transmission opportunities; second time length information; or information about a second start location, wherein the transmission opportunity is used by the second node to send at least one direct communication message or receive at least one direct communication message, and in different transmission opportunities, a same sequence of resources used by the second node to send the at least one direct communication message or receive the at least one direct communication message is configured; the quantity information of the transmission opportunities comprises a quantity of transmission opportunities in a third transmission opportunity group in the at least one transmission opportunity group; and the second time length information comprises a time domain length of a first transmission opportunity in the at least one transmission opportunity, the information about the second start location comprises a time domain start location of sending or receiving a direct communication message in a second transmission opportunity in the at least one transmission opportunity, and the first transmission opportunity is the same as or different from the second transmission opportunity.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), and where a potential SA transmission resource may be defined as a TxOP transmission opportunity, the TxOP determined by a predetermined period or a periodic pattern (quantity information) as spoken of on page 17, paragraph [0219].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize the TxOP time domain resources as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the amount of signaling overhead needed by using transmission opportunities, thereby improving the effective data rate of the communication system as spoken of on page 17, paragraphs [0218]-[0219] of Kim.
Regarding claim 6, Xue does not explicitly teach “sending a first message, wherein the first message indicates that a fourth transmission opportunity group is used for the communication link, and the fourth transmission opportunity group is comprised in the time domain resource of the communication link”.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal (first message) from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), where a potential SA transmission resource may be defined as a TxOP transmission opportunity, and where the TxOP can be determined by 4 subframes (transmission opportunity group) located at a subframe index of a multiple of 4 from a specific subframe (of time domain resource) as spoken of on page 17, paragraph [0219].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize the TxOP time domain resources as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the amount of signaling overhead needed by using transmission opportunities, thereby improving the effective data rate of the communication system as spoken of on page 17, paragraphs [0218]-[0219] of Kim.
Regarding claim 7, Xue does not explicitly teach “starting sending the first message at a time domain start location of the fourth transmission opportunity group, or sending the first message in a time domain resource that is before the fourth transmission opportunity group and that is adjacent to the fourth transmission opportunity group.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal (first message) from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), where a potential SA transmission resource may be defined as a TxOP transmission opportunity, and where the TxOP can be determined by 4 subframes (transmission opportunity group) located at a subframe index of a multiple of 4 from a specific subframe (of time domain resource) as spoken of on page 17, paragraph [0219]; and where a transmission start point (time domain start location) may correspond to a different TxOP subframe rather than a first TxOP in a cycle such that SA resources are uniformly allocated to each TxOP as spoken of on pages 18-19, paragraph [0249].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize the TxOP time domain resources as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the amount of signaling overhead needed by using transmission opportunities, thereby improving the effective data rate of the communication system as spoken of on page 17, paragraphs [0218]-[0219] of Kim.
Regarding claim 8, Xue does not explicitly teach “sending a first message, wherein the first message indicates that a third transmission opportunity is used for the communication link, and the third transmission opportunity is comprised in the time domain resource of the communication link”.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal (first message) from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), where a potential SA transmission resource may be defined as a TxOP transmission opportunity, and where the TxOP can be determined by 4 subframes (transmission opportunity group) located at a subframe index of a multiple of 4 from a specific subframe (of time domain resource) as spoken of on page 17, paragraph [0219].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize the TxOP time domain resources as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the amount of signaling overhead needed by using transmission opportunities, thereby improving the effective data rate of the communication system as spoken of on page 17, paragraphs [0218]-[0219] of Kim.
Regarding claim 9, Xue does not explicitly teach “starting sending the first message at a time domain start location of the third transmission opportunity, or sending the first message in a time domain resource that is before the third transmission opportunity and that is adjacent to the third transmission opportunity.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal (first message) from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), where a potential SA transmission resource may be defined as a TxOP transmission opportunity, and where the TxOP can be determined by 4 subframes (transmission opportunity group) located at a subframe index of a multiple of 4 from a specific subframe (of time domain resource) as spoken of on page 17, paragraph [0219]; and where a transmission start point (time domain start location) may correspond to a different TxOP subframe rather than a first TxOP in a cycle such that SA resources are uniformly allocated to each TxOP as spoken of on pages 18-19, paragraph [0249].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize the TxOP time domain resources as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the amount of signaling overhead needed by using transmission opportunities, thereby improving the effective data rate of the communication system as spoken of on page 17, paragraphs [0218]-[0219] of Kim.
Regarding claim 10, Xue does not explicitly teach “wherein the first message is further used to synchronize the at least two second nodes”.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal (first message) from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), where a potential SA transmission resource may be defined as a TxOP transmission opportunity, where the TxOP can be determined by 4 subframes (transmission opportunity group) located at a subframe index of a multiple of 4 from a specific subframe (of time domain resource) as spoken of on page 17, paragraph [0219]; and where the SA transmission may include a synchronization signal transmission (used to synchronize nodes) as spoken of on page 5, paragraphs [0098]-[0099].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize the TxOP time domain resources as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the amount of signaling overhead needed by using transmission opportunities, thereby improving the effective data rate of the communication system as spoken of on page 17, paragraphs [0218]-[0219] of Kim.
Regarding claim 11, Xue further teaches where the UE 810 may send a request (request information) to device 805 to transmit a sidelink message to the UE 815 over a sidelink channel which prompts the resource indication transmission from device 805 as shown in steps 815, 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on page 15, paragraphs [0135]-[0136].
Regarding claim 12, Xue further teaches where the UE 810 may send a request (request information) to device 805 to transmit a sidelink message to the UE 815 over a sidelink channel which prompts the resource indication transmission from device 805 as shown in steps 815, 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on page 15, paragraphs [0135]-[0136]; and where the request includes a request for one or more sidelink resources (resource requirement information) for transmitting the sidelink message as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0135].
Regarding claim 13, Xue further teaches where a master sidelink UE 115 may broadcast an indication of preconfigured resources to slave UEs (first slave node, second slave node) in the cluster of UEs 115 as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0131].
Xue does not explicitly teach “sending the first configuration information to a first slave node on the first frequency hopping channel” or “sending the second configuration information to a second slave node on a second frequency hopping channel”.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), and where a DCI format is used that contains a frequency hopping field (over a frequency hopping channel) as shown in Figure 12 and spoken of on page 9, paragraphs [0153] and [0155].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize a frequency hopping channel as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the possibility of signal interference causing a loss of important configuration information, thereby improving the reliability of the control messaging in the network as spoken of on page 9, paragraphs [0153]-[0155] of Kim.
Regarding claim 14, Xue further teaches where a master sidelink UE 115 may broadcast an indication of preconfigured resources (configuration information) to slave UEs (first slave node, second slave node) in the cluster of UEs 115 (second node group) as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0131].
Regarding claim 15, Xue further teaches where a master sidelink UE 115, 705 may broadcast an indication of preconfigured resources (configuration information indicating resources) to slave UEs in the cluster of UEs 115, 715, where first UE 715-a, second UE 715-b, third UE 715-c, fourth UE 715-d, and fifth UE 715-e may communicate with the UE 705 within the geographic coverage area 710 via respective communication links 720 as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0131]; and where the cluster of UEs 115 include heterogeneous sidelink links 725, 730 (direct links) for communications with each other as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0132].
Regarding claim 19, Xue does not explicitly teach “wherein the transmission opportunity group comprises at least one transmission opportunity, the time domain resource of the communication link comprises at least two transmission opportunities, and the first time domain resource information further comprises one or more of the following: quantity information of the transmission opportunities; second time length information; or information about a second start location, wherein the transmission opportunity is used by the second node to send at least one direct communication message or receive at least one direct communication message, and in different transmission opportunities, a same sequence of resources used by the second node to send the at least one direct communication message or receive the at least one direct communication message is configured; the quantity information of the transmission opportunities comprises a quantity of transmission opportunities in a third transmission opportunity group in the at least one transmission opportunity group; and the second time length information comprises a time domain length of a first transmission opportunity in the at least one transmission opportunity, the information about the second start location comprises a time domain start location of sending or receiving a direct communication message in a second transmission opportunity in the at least one transmission opportunity, and the first transmission opportunity is the same as or different from the second transmission opportunity.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), and where a potential SA transmission resource may be defined as a TxOP transmission opportunity, the TxOP determined by a predetermined period or a periodic pattern (quantity information) as spoken of on page 17, paragraph [0219].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize the TxOP time domain resources as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the amount of signaling overhead needed by using transmission opportunities, thereby improving the effective data rate of the communication system as spoken of on page 17, paragraphs [0218]-[0219] of Kim.
Regarding claim 20, Xue teaches a communication method where a device 805 (first node) sends a resource indication (first configuration information) to a first UE 810 (second node), where the resource indication provides an indication of one or more configured sidelink resources allocated to the UE 810 for communication (via a communication link) with a second UE 815 (second node) as shown in step 820 of Figure 8 and spoken of on pages 15-16, paragraph [0136]; where the device 1605 of Figure 16 includes a processor 1640 and transceiver 1615 (transmitter).
Xue also teaches where the device 805 may represent a base station 105, an anchor/master UE 115, or an additional device (master node) capable of scheduling or assigning resources to the UE 810 and the UE 815 (second nodes) as spoken of on page 15, paragraph [0133]; and where the UE 810 transmits a sidelink message to the UE 815 on at least one of (associated with) the configured sidelink resources (direct link) as shown in step 825 of Figure 8 and spoken of on page 16, paragraph [0139].
Xue does not explicitly teach “send first configuration information on a first frequency hopping channel”.
However, Kim teaches a resource allocation method for D2D communication where a D2D Tx UE can receive an RRC signal from an eNB that includes resource allocation information for overall resource configuration/SA (and data), and where a DCI format is used that contains a frequency hopping field (over a frequency hopping channel) as shown in Figure 12 and spoken of on page 9, paragraphs [0153] and [0155].
Given the above references, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to utilize a frequency hopping channel as taught in Kim in the communication method of Xue in order to reduce the possibility of signal interference causing a loss of important configuration information, thereby improving the reliability of the control messaging in the network as spoken of on page 9, paragraphs [0153]-[0155] of Kim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References considered relevant to this application are listed in the attached “Notice of References Cited” (PTO-892).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL J. MOORE, JR., whose telephone number is (571)272-3168. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (9am-4pm).
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/MICHAEL J MOORE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467