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 statement (IDS) submitted on 4/29/24 and 3/3/24 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 (second instance, interpreted as claim 5) is objected to because of the following informalities: The claim is numbered “Claim 1” but appears to be a typo an should be claim 5. It is assumed for examination purposes that claims 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 depend on independent claim 1 (first instance). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11-20 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 10 is skipped in the claim numbering. Claim numbering should be in consecutive order. Appropriate correction is required.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-15, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun et al (Pub No: 2021/0091901).
As to claim 1, Sun teaches a device, comprising: a wireless interface the device being configured for communicating in a wireless communication network using sidelink communication over a sidelink (Sun, [0064] Fig 1 &4, a UE with processor memory and sidelink communication module), the sidelink being operated so as to comprise a plurality of subchannels, each of the plurality of subchannels comprising at least one Physical Resource Block, (PRB), wherein the sidelink is operated such that the plurality of subchannels form a plurality of interlaces (Sun, [0068] the sidelink module used to interlace a plurality of sub channels (frequencies) into a plurality of interlaces Fig 6-13), each interlace comprising a disjoint subset of the plurality of subchannels, wherein the plurality of subchannels or PRBs of an interlace are arranged in a discontinuous manner in the frequency range (Sun, [0083], frequency interlaces 608(0) to 608(M-1), RBs 610 frequency interlace 608l(i) are spaced apart from each other by at least on other RB 610), wherein the device is configured to select at least one interlace for communication from the plurality of interlaces (Sun, [0089], in scheme 600 the UE is configured and selects to multiplex PSSCH and PSCCH in the same frequency interlace 608), and wherein the device is to signal a reservation of one or more future resources by the device, the reservation being associated with at least one interlace configuration for the future resource reservations (Sun, [0089], [0055-0057], the device signaling is for reservation (future) of resources on the sidelink channel using the interlace scheme 600).
As to claim 2, Sun teaches wherein the plurality of subchannels or PRBs used for a transmission or reception are determined by an intersection of the resources associated with the selected interlace and an associated SL resource pool (Sun, [0036], the PRB interlaces with a frequency resource pool).
As to claim 3, Sun teaches wherein the sidelink is a sidelink organized by the wireless communication network in a first mode, or is organized partially by the device in a second mode (Sun, [0031], the network is an OFDMA mode).
As to claim 4, Sun teaches wherein the plurality of subchannels of different interlaces are arranged with a same periodicity in a frequency domain (Sun, [0036], Fig 7, the interlaces with periodicity in a frequency domain).
As to claim 6, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to use at least a first interlace and a second interlace for a same transmission (Sun, [0036][0083], Fig 7, the interlaces with periodicity in a frequency domain for a transmission).
As to claim 7, Sun teaches wherein the first and the second interlace together comprise subchannels arranged in a continuous manner in the frequency domain (Sun, [0036][0083], Fig 7, the interlaces with periodicity in a frequency domain for a transmission (continuous)).
As to claim 8, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to select a number of interlaces to be used for a same transmission in accordance with a maximum number of interlaces allowed in a configuration of the wireless communication network (Sun, [0093], interlacing frequencies using a maximum frequency diversity).
As to claim 9, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to receive a signaling from a base station indicating an interlace configuration in the sidelink and to operate accordingly (Sun, [0068], signaling from BS for the sidelink interlace configuration).
As to claim 11, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to signal the reservation in a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) of the sidelink, by transmitting a Sidelink Control Information (SCI) (Sun, [0089], signal the assignment in PSCCH in the form of SCI).
As to claim 12, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to signal, as part of the reservation, the interlace configuration to indicate a starting interlace and a number of interlaces for each future resource reservation (Sun, [0104], indicating the starting interlace and the number of future interlaces).
As to claim 13, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to signal the starting interlace and a number of interlaces as a Resource Indication Value, (RIV), per future resource reservation (Sun, [0104], indicating the starting interlace and RIV).
As to claim 14, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to use a same interlace configuration for a plurality of future resource reservations for at least one of: a predefined amount of time (Sun, [0107], the interlace is for the predefined time slot)
As to claim 15, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to signal, as part of the reservation, the interlace configuration to indicate a starting interlace and a number of reserved interlaces for a reservation (Sun, [0104], indicating the starting interlace and RIV). and to expect the reservation to be valid for a predefined number of future slots and to use the interlace configuration in the future slots (Sun, [0107], the interlace is for the predefined time slot).
As to claim 17, Sun teaches wherein the device is configured to receive, from the wireless communication network, a resource pool configuration indicating a set of values related to a configuration of an interlace; and to select one of the values for a transmission according to a requirement of the device (Sun, [0036-0037][0068], receiving resource pool configuration for the interlace and the UE selecting the configuration value).
As to claim 18, Sun teaches wherein the set of values defines the number of interlaces used for a transmission (Sun, [0104], the values in the configuration indicate the number of interlaces).
As to claim 19, Sun teaches a base station configured to operate a wireless communication network (Sun, [0101], a base station in the wireless network), wherein the base station is configured to allocate sidelink resources of a sidelink of the wireless communication network to a plurality of interlaces (Sun, [0083], the BS assigns frequency interlaces for sidelink communications between the UEs).
As to claim 20, Sun teaches a method for operating a device including a wireless interface, the device being configured (Sun, [0064] Fig 1 &4, a UE with processor memory and sidelink communication module),for communicating in a wireless communication network using sidelink communication over a sidelink, the sidelink being operated so as to include a plurality of subchannels, each of the plurality of subchannels including at least one Physical Resource Block (PRB), the sidelink being operated such that the plurality of subchannels form a plurality of interlaces (Sun, [0068] the sidelink module used to interlace a plurality of sub channels (frequencies) into a plurality of interlaces Fig 6-13), each interlace including a disjoint subset of the plurality of subchannels and wherein the subchannels or the at least one PRB of an interlace are arranged in a discontinuous manner in the frequency range (Sun, [0083], frequency interlaces 608(0) to 608(M-1), RBs 610 frequency interlace 608l(i) are spaced apart from each other by at least on other RB 610); the method comprising: selecting, with the device, at least one interlace for communication from the plurality of interlaces (Sun, [0089], in scheme 600 the UE is configured and selects to multiplex PSSCH and PSCCH in the same frequency interlace 608), and signaling a reservation of one or more future resources by the device, the reservation being associated with at least one interlace configuration for the future resource reservations (Sun, [0089], [0055-0057], the device signaling is for reservation (future) of resources on the sidelink channel using the interlace scheme 600).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1(interpreted claim 5) and claim 16 is 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chen et al (Pub No: 2021/0105760) Fig 2, 5.
Sun et al (Pub No: 2021/0092783) [0078-0150]
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AFSHAWN M TOWFIGHI whose telephone number is (571)270-7296. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM -5:00 PM.
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/AFSHAWN M TOWFIGHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469