Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/614,004

TECHNIQUES FOR MANAGING SIDELINK COMMUNICATIONS

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Mar 22, 2024
Examiner
CHOUDHRY, SAMINA F
Art Unit
2462
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
ZTE CORPORATION
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
83%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 1m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 83% — above average
83%
Career Allow Rate
591 granted / 710 resolved
+25.2% vs TC avg
Strong +17% interview lift
Without
With
+17.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 1m
Avg Prosecution
22 currently pending
Career history
732
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
9.2%
-30.8% vs TC avg
§103
63.5%
+23.5% vs TC avg
§102
8.0%
-32.0% vs TC avg
§112
7.9%
-32.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 710 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Claim Objection Claim 9 is objected for missing ( : ) in the preamble. Examiner suggests the applicant to amend the claim as below: An apparatus for wireless communication comprising: a processor, configured to implement a method that causes the apparatus to: ….. 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. 3. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sarkis et al. (US 2022/0240265, hereinafter Sarkis). Regarding claim 1, Sarkis discloses a wireless communication method (para 0006), comprising: receiving, by a first communication device (para 0023; 0066; UE-A/UE-B; inter-UE communication), a priority indication that indicates a first priority related to assistance information (para 0023; 0067; Fig. 12B-the UE may determine a priority level for a sidelink transmission comprising inter-UE coordination information, and transmit the sidelink transmission with an indication of the determined priority level); and transmitting the assistance information by the first communication device to a second communication device (1012 of fig. 10B – transmit/receive higher priority inter-UE coordination information), wherein the assistance information is transmitted earlier than a transmission of data in response to the first priority related to the assistance information being greater than a second priority of the data (para 0032; 0076-0077; the UE may determine the priority level of the multiplexed transmission (and therefore the inter-UE coordination information) to be the higher of a first priority level of the inter-UE coordination information and a second priority level of the other transmission (e.g., the data); 1012 and 1014 of fig. 10B – transmitting higher priority inter-UE coordination information before second priority level transmission i.e. data) . Regarding claim 9, Sarkis discloses an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a processor (1104 of fig. 11), configured to implement a method that causes the apparatus to perform the method steps of claim 1 (para 0091). Regarding claim 17, Sarkis discloses a non-transitory computer readable program storage medium having code stored thereon (para 0091; non-transitory computer readable medium), the code, when executed by a processor implements the method steps of claim 1 (para 0091). Regarding claims 2, 10, and 18, Sarkis discloses wherein the first priority is a priority of a signaling that includes the assistance information (para 0030; 0068 0100; UE may further receive a configuration of a priority associated with the inter-UE coordination information; 1012 and 1014 of fig. 10B – transmitting higher priority inter-UE coordination information before second priority level transmission i.e. data). Regarding claims 3, 11 and 19, Sarkis discloses wherein the first communication device receives the priority indication from a network device (para 0029; 0064; a UE may receive a resource allocation for sidelink communication from a central entity, such as a base station). Regarding claims 4, 12, and 20, Sarkis discloses wherein the first communication device receives the priority indication from the second communication device (para 0023; 0067; Fig. 5; and Fig. 12B-the UE may determine a priority level for a sidelink transmission comprising inter-UE coordination information, and transmit the sidelink transmission with an indication of the determined priority level to the second device). Regarding claims 5, and 13, Sarkis discloses wherein the first priority related to the assistance information is the same as a highest data priority in the second communication device when the first communication device receives from the second communication device a request that triggers the first communication device to transmit the assistance information (para 0074; fig. 9; if the inter-UE coordination information is triggered by the occurrence of an event involving a first sidelink transmission, the UE may determine the priority level of the inter-UE coordination information, based on the first sidelink message involved in the triggering event. As an example, if the UE detects a resource collision or a half-duplex conflict that involves a first sidelink transmission and a second sidelink transmission and which triggers the transmission of inter-UE coordination information, the UE may determine the priority level of the inter-UE coordination information based on (e.g., to be the same as) the maximum priority level of the first sidelink transmission and the second sidelink transmission involved in the conflict/collision). Regarding claims 6, and 14, Sarkis discloses wherein the first priority related to the assistance information is the same as a third priority of another signaling received by the first communication device from the second communication device (para 0086; The first priority may be based on the third sidelink transmission with which the inter-UE coordination information is multiplexed. The first priority may be based on a highest priority associated with the inter-UE coordination information or the third sidelink transmission with which the inter-UE coordination information is multiplexed. The third sidelink transmission may have a third priority, the UE may determine a fourth priority for the inter-UE coordination information to be multiplexed with the third sidelink transmission, wherein the first priority is based on the highest priority among the third priority and the fourth priority), and wherein the another signaling triggers the first communication device to transmit the assistance information (para 0074; 0086 and 0094; the UE may determine the priority level of the inter-UE coordination information based on (e.g., to be the same as) the maximum priority level of the first sidelink transmission and the second sidelink transmission involved in the conflict/collision). Regarding claims 7 and 15, Sarkis discloses wherein the first communication device receives from the second communication device a list of one or more frequencies and/or a list of one or more time values (para 0060; 0063; 0066; the sidelink device may receive SCI from other UEs including reservation information in a resource reservation field. The number of resources (e.g., sub-channels per subframe) reserved by a UE may depend on the size of data to be transmitted by the UE. The inter-UE coordination information may indicate candidate resources for sidelink transmission. In some aspects, such candidate resource information may be referred to as preferred resource inter-UE coordination information), and wherein the first communication device transmits the assistance information using a frequency and/or a time value from the list of one or more frequencies and/or the list of one or more time values (para 0066-0067; The candidate resources may indicate a group of resources from which the UE (e.g., UE-B) may select for the sidelink transmission). Regarding claims 8, and 16, Sarkis discloses wherein the first communication device includes a first user equipment (UE) (502 of fig, 5), and wherein the second communication device includes a second UE (504 of fig. 5). Conclusion 4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMINA CHOUDHRY whose telephone number is (571)270-7102. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Thursday (7:30 a.m. to 5.00p.m.). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yemane Mesfin can be reached on (571)272-3927. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SAMINA F CHOUDHRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 22, 2024
Application Filed
Feb 21, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
83%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+17.1%)
3y 1m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 710 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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