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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/20/2026 has been entered.
Response to Remarks
This Office action is considered fully responsive to the amendments filed 01/20/2026.
Claims 1-4, 7-9, 11-14, 17-19 and 21-22 are pending in the application. Claims 1-3, 7, 11-13, 17 have been amended, claims 5-6 and 15-16 have been canceled, claims 21-22 have been added and claims 4, 8-9, 14, 18-19 were previously presented.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, filed 01/20/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of (US- 20220399917-A1).
A) Regarding independent claims 1 and 11, see the U.S.C. 102 rejection below.
B) Regarding all dependent claims, see both U.S.C. 102 and U.S.C. 103 rejections below. The Claim Rejections sections below detail the rejections of the instant claims.
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:
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.
Claims 1-4, 7-9, 11-14, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chae et al. (US Patent No 20250056574 A1) with a continuation of International Application No. PCT/US2023/020603, filed May 1, 2023, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/337,017, filed April 29, 2022.
Regarding claim 1 (Currently Amended), Chae teaches a method of a first terminal comprising: aligning sidelink (SL) resources in a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC (The method of a first terminal involves aligning sidelink (SL) resources in a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC after receiving configuration parameters from a base station [abstract], lines 5-9, the alignment is achieved through the subcarrier spacing (SCS) and the starting symbols for physical sidelink shared channels (PSSCH) are the same in both carriers [claim 1], lines 7-25, [0306], lines 5-7, [0354], lines 9-10), and performing an SL communication with a second terminal using the SL resources aligned within the first CC and the second CC (“Fig. 17 illustrates examples of device-to-device (D2D) communication, in which there is a direct communication between wireless devices. In an example, D2D communication may be performed via a sidelink (SL)” [0218], lines 1-6, [0272], lines 16-18, Referring to Fig. 19, in a first carrier (e.g., CC #1), a first sidelink transmission (e.g., SL Tx #1) may overlap in time with a second sidelink transmission (e.g., SL Tx#2) in a second carrier (e.g., CC #2) [0269], lines 3-6, [0303], lines 8-11). wherein the performing of the SL communication (Fig. 17, [0128], lines 1-4, [0220], demonstrate different scenarios of SL communication, such as in coverage SL communication [0219], out of coverage SL communication and partial SL communication [0220] where the performing SL communication in carrier aggregation scenarios [0278]) includes: transmitting a sidelink-synchronization signal block (S-SSB) in a synchronization CC (S-CC) among the first CC and the second CC or in both the first CC and the second CC based on a configuration indicated by a base station ([0305]-[0306] describe that the UE can receive a configuration parameters regarding the transmission of S-SSB, “a wireless device may receive from a base station, configuration parameters. The configuration parameters may comprise a first sidelink feedback channel configuration of a first sidelink bandwidth part (BWP) of a first sidelink carrier. An intra-band carrier aggregation for the first sidelink carrier and a second sidelink carrier may be configured for the wireless device. The wireless device may transmit, based on the first sidelink feedback channel configuration, a first sidelink signal on the first sidelink BWP of the first sidelink carrier. The wireless device may transmit, based on the first sidelink feedback channel configuration, a second sidelink signal on the second sidelink BWP of a second carrier.” [0279] describes the configuration parameters for the first CC and second CC, as states “The one or more configuration parameters may comprise a first sidelink (SL) subcarrier spacing (SCS). The first SL SCS may be for a first sidelink BWP. The first sidelink BWP may be configured in a first carrier…. The wireless device may transmit, via a second SL slot based on the first SCS, a second SL signal on the second carrier.”), wherein, based on the S-SSB being transmitted only in the S-CC, synchronization in a remaining CC excluding the S-CC among the first CC and the second CC is acquired based on the S-SSB ([0221] lines 40-43 states “The sidelink synchronization signals may include primary sidelink synchronization signals (PSSS) and secondary sidelink synchronization signals (SSSS).” [0284], lines 6-11 states “The SL-SSB may comprise a primary sidelink synchronization signal (SLSS). The SL-SSB may comprise a secondary SLSS. The SL-SSB may comprise the PSBCH. The primary SLSS, the second SLSS, and the PSBCH may be transmitted in a same slot.” That implies the S_SSB includes a primary sidelink synchronization signals (PSSS) (or S-CC) and secondary sidelink synchronization signals (SSSS), which is the remaining CC excluding the S-CC, which are used for synchronization sidelink of wireless device).
Regarding claim 2 (Currently Amended), Chae teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the SL resources include at least one of a start symbol for the SL communication (“The configuration parameters may comprise a first parameter (e.g., sl-StartSymbol) indicating a sidelink starting symbol”, [0230], lines 3-8), a length of resource for the SL communication (The configuration parameters may comprise a second parameter (e.g., sl-LengthSymbols), [0230], lines 12-16, [0231], lines 1-4), a length of a cyclic prefix (CP) (the length of a cyclic prefix (CP) is specified in [0109], lines 6-15, [0117], lines 7-10), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) periodicity (“A resource pool may or may not be configured with PSFCH. Configuration parameters of PSFCH may indicate a period for the PSFCH in unit/number of slots within the resource pool (e.g., via sl-PSFCH-Period), Fig. 26, [0236], lines 1-4), or an S- SSB periodicity (Fig. 11a indicates the SL-SSB, which includes the primary sidelink synchronization signal (SLSS), secondary SLSS, and the physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), may be transmitted periodically, such as every 2 frames or 20 milliseconds, [0135], lines 4-5).
Regarding claim 3 (Currently Amended), Chae teaches the method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving SL resource configuration information from the base station, wherein the SL resources are aligned in the first CC and the second CC based on the SL resource configuration information (“A wireless device may receive from a base station, configuration parameters….”, [0304], lines 1-8, [0272], lines 10-16, [0287], lines 2-4, lines 8-14).
Regarding claim 4 (Previously Presented), Chae teaches the method according to claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, to the second terminal, SL resource configuration information used to align the SL resources with (the wireless device, after receiving SL resource configuration information from the base station, uses this information to align the SL resources and then transmits the aligned SL resource configuration information to the second terminal (UE), [0272], lines 16-21, [0304] lines 10 -11).
Regarding claim 7 (Currently Amended), Chae teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the performing of the SL communication includes: performing initial transmission of SL data in one CC among the first CC and the second CC (FIG. 19 illustrates an example of sidelink transmission on two carriers, the initial transmission of SL data will be carried out in either the first CC or the second CC, as part of the SL communication process, [0268], lines 1-4, [0303], lines 9-12); and receiving hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information for the SL data from the second terminal in the one CC (PSFCH may be used by a first wireless device to send HARQ feedback information to another wireless device for the sidelink data, [0221], lines 12-15, [0275], lines 1-5), wherein the initial transmission and reception of the HARQ feedback information are performed in a same CC (Sidelink communications may be configured using physical channels, for example, a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), [0221], lines 1-4, [0275], lines 1-5).
Regarding claim 8 (Previously Presented), Chae teaches the method according to claim 7, wherein the performing of the SL communication includes: in response to the HARQ feedback information indicating a negative acknowledgment (NACK), performing retransmission of the SL data in the one CC (Fig. 13 shows the transport block 1342 may comprise a HARQ ACK/NACK, [0185], lines 4-10, [0292], lines 12-13), wherein the initial transmission, reception of the HARQ feedback information, and the retransmission are performed in (“the first PSFCH resource periodicity may be same as the second PSFCH resource periodicity in response to the first carrier and the second carrier being configured in the same band”. [0283], lines 1-4, 13-15, [0221], lines 1-4, [0275], lines 1-5, and [0245], lines 1-7).
Regarding claim 9 (Previously Presented), Chae teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the SL communication includes a PSFCH transmission ([0221], lines 1-4 and 12-14 that states “Sidelink communications may be configured using physical channels, for example, a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), and/or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH).”), and a number of PSFCH transmissions performed in the first CC and the second CC is determined considering at least one of a maximum transmission power or a maximum number of the PSFCH transmissions (transmissions (the wireless device may determine PCMAX for transmission of all PSFCHs [0345], lines 4-17. The terminal is limited by the maximum number of PSFCH transmission and predefined power limit (Max. power) [0269], lines 8-15 states “The wireless device may determine a power allocated to the first sidelink transmission of SL Tx #1. The wireless device may determine a power allocated to the second sidelink transmission of SL Tx #2. If the total amount of power allocated to SL Tx #1 and SL Tx #2 exceeds the power limit, the wireless device may scale or adjust to meet the power limit (e.g., Pcmax) based on priorities associated with the first sidelink transmission and the second sidelink transmission“, [0327] and [0269]. The number of PSFCH transmissions is dependent on the maximum number of PSFCH transmissions that the wireless device is capable of performing [0327], lines 1-8).
Regarding claim 11 (Currently Amended), Chae teaches A first terminal comprising at least one processor (A wireless device comprising: one or more processors [claim 1], lines 1-3. Fig. 15), wherein the at least one processor causes the first terminal to perform (“when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to” [claim 1], lines 3-4, Fig. 15): aligning sidelink (SL) resources in a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC (the claim indicated that the processor aligns the sidelink resources in the first and second component carriers by ensuring the subcarrier spacing and starting symbols are the same for both carriers [Claim 8], lines 8-18); and performing an SL communication with a second terminal using the SL resources aligned within the first CC and the second CC (“As illustrated in Figs 19 and 23, multiple sidelink transmissions occur on first and second carriers. In a first carrier (e.g., CC#1), a first sidelink transmission (e.g., SL Tx #1) may overlap in time with a second sidelink transmission (e.g., SL Tx #2) in a second carrier (e.g., CC #2)” [0268], lines 1-4, the processor aligns the sidelink resources in the first and second component carriers and uses these aligned resources to perform SL communication with a second terminal [claim 1], lines 18-25), wherein in the performing of the SL communication (Fig. 17, [0128], lines 1-4, [0220], demonstrate different scenarios of SL communication, such as in coverage SL communication [0219], out of coverage SL communication and partial SL communication [0220] where the performing SL communication in carrier aggregation scenarios [0278]), the at least one processor further causes the first terminal to perform (Fig. 15, one or more processors, cause the wireless device to perform the method functions [claim 1], line 4): transmitting a sidelink-synchronization signal block (S-SSB) in a synchronization CC(S-CC) among the first CC and the second CC or in both the first CC and the second CC based on a configuration indicated by a base station ([0305]-[0306] describe that the UE can receive a configuration parameters regarding the transmission of S-SSB, “a wireless device may receive from a base station, configuration parameters. The configuration parameters may comprise a first sidelink feedback channel configuration of a first sidelink bandwidth part (BWP) of a first sidelink carrier. An intra-band carrier aggregation for the first sidelink carrier and a second sidelink carrier may be configured for the wireless device. The wireless device may transmit, based on the first sidelink feedback channel configuration, a first sidelink signal on the first sidelink BWP of the first sidelink carrier. The wireless device may transmit, based on the first sidelink feedback channel configuration, a second sidelink signal on the second sidelink BWP of a second carrier.” [0279] describes the configuration parameters for the first CC and second CC, as states “The one or more configuration parameters may comprise a first sidelink (SL) subcarrier spacing (SCS). The first SL SCS may be for a first sidelink BWP. The first sidelink BWP may be configured in a first carrier…. The wireless device may transmit, via a second SL slot based on the first SCS, a second SL signal on the second carrier.”), wherein, based on the S-SSB being transmitted only in the S-CC, synchronization in a remaining CC excluding the S-CC among the first CC and the second CC is acquired based on the S-SSB ([0221] lines 40-43 states “The sidelink synchronization signals may include primary sidelink synchronization signals (PSSS) and secondary sidelink synchronization signals (SSSS).” [0284], lines 6-11 states “The SL-SSB may comprise a primary sidelink synchronization signal (SLSS). The SL-SSB may comprise a secondary SLSS. The SL-SSB may comprise the PSBCH. The primary SLSS, the second SLSS, and the PSBCH may be transmitted in a same slot.” That implies the S_SSB includes a primary sidelink synchronization signals (PSSS) (or S-CC) and secondary sidelink synchronization signals (SSSS), which is the remaining CC excluding the S-CC, which are used for synchronization sidelink of wireless device).
Regarding claim 12 (Currently Amended), Chae teaches The first terminal according to claim 11, wherein the SL resources include at least one of a start symbol for the SL communication( “The sidelink symbols may start from a sidelink starting …” [0261], lines 6-9), a length of resource for the SL communication (a length of resource for the SL communication, indicated by sl-LengthSymbols [0238], lines 16-19), a length of a cyclic prefix (CP) ( the length of a cyclic prefix (CP) is specified in [0109], lines 6-15, [0117], lines 7-10), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) periodicity periodicity (the configuration parameters comprise at least one of: a first physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resource periodicity of the first carrier and a second number of PSFCH symbols within the slot of the second carrier [claim 2], line 2 and line 6), or an S-SSB periodicity (“The base station may periodically transmit a burst of SS/PBCH blocks” [0134], lines 11-12, “FIG. 11A is an example, and that these parameters (number of SS/PBCH blocks per burst, periodicity of bursts….”) [0135], lines [0284], lines 5-8).
Regarding claim 13 (Currently Amended), Chae teaches the first terminal according to claim 11, wherein the at least one processor further causes the first terminal to perform (executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to receive, from a base station, …. “, [Claim 1], lines 3-4): receiving SL resource configuration information from the base station (a wireless device may receive sidelink (SL) resource configuration information from the base station which can be included setting of various parameters [0279], lines 1-12), wherein the SL resources are aligned in the first CC and the second CC based on the SL resource configuration information (a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) of a first sidelink bandwidth part (BWP) of a first sidelink carrier is same as a second SCS of a second sidelink BWP of a second sidelink carrier [Abstract], lines 1-9).
Regarding claim 14 (Previously Presented), Chae teaches The first terminal according to claim 11, wherein the at least one processor further causes the first terminal to perform: transmitting, to the second terminal, SL resource configuration information used to align (PSCCH may be used by a first wireless device to send sidelink control information (SCI) to a second wireless device. PSCCH may be similar in some respects to PDCCH and/or PUCCH. The control information may comprise, for example, time/frequency resource allocation information time/frequency resource allocation information…. [0221], lines 20-33).
Regarding claim 17 (Currently Amended), Chae teaches the first terminal according to claim 11, wherein in the performing of the SL communication, the at least one processor further causes the first terminal to (one or more processors, cause the wireless device to [claim 1], line 4): performing an initial transmission of SL data in one CC among the first CC and the second CC (Figs. 19 and 20 show examples of SL transmission on the two carriers with considering the transmit power of the first/initial SL transmission, the initial transmission of SL data will be carried out in either the first CC or the second CC, as part of the SL communication process, [0268], lines 1-4, [0303], lines 9-12, [0269], lines 1-8); and receiving hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information for the SL data from the second terminal in the one CC (Fig.25 shows the transmission of the PSFCH by UE #2, which comprises HARQ feedback information, to the UE #1, [0292], lines 12-15), wherein the initial transmission and reception of the HARQ feedback information are performed in a same CC (PSFCH is specifically designed for SL communication, allowing one wireless device to send/receive feedback information, such as HARQ feedback, to another wireless device within the same CC [00221], lines 1-2, [claim 2], lines 3-11).
Regarding claim 18 (Previously Presented), Chae teaches the first terminal according to claim 17, wherein in the performing of the SL communication, the at least one processor further causes the first terminal to (executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to [claim 1], line 4) perform: in response to the HARQ feedback information indicating a negative acknowledgment (NACK), performing retransmission of the SL data in the one CC (Fig. 13 shows the transport block 1342 may comprise a HARQ ACK/NACK, [0185], lines 4-10, [0292], lines 12-13), wherein the initial transmission, reception of the HARQ feedback information, and the retransmission are performed in (the initial transmission, reception of HARQ feedback information, and retransmission are managed within the same CC, [0245], lines 1-7).
Regarding claim 19 (Previously Presented), Chae teaches The first terminal according to claim 11, wherein the SL communication includes a PSFCH transmission ( transmission ([0221], lines 1-4 and 12-14 that states “Sidelink communications may be configured using physical channels, for example, a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), and/or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH).” [0364], lines 1-5), and a number of PSFCH transmissions performed in the first CC and the second CC is determined considering at least one of a maximum transmission power or a maximum number of the PSFCH transmissions (the wireless device may determine PCMAX for transmission of all PSFCHs [0345], lines 4-17. The terminal is limited by the maximum number of PSFCH transmission and predefined power limit (Max. power) [0269], lines 8-15 states “The wireless device may determine a power allocated to the first sidelink transmission of SL Tx #1. The wireless device may determine a power allocated to the second sidelink transmission of SL Tx #2. If the total amount of power allocated to SL Tx #1 and SL Tx #2 exceeds the power limit, the wireless device may scale or adjust to meet the power limit (e.g., Pcmax) based on priorities associated with the first sidelink transmission and the second sidelink transmission. “ [0327] and [0269]. The number of PSFCH transmissions is dependent on the maximum number of PSFCH transmissions that the wireless device is capable of performing [0327], lines 1-8).
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.
Claims 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chae et al. (US- 20250056574-A1) in view of Shin et al. (US-20220399917-A1)
Regarding claim 21 (New), Chae teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the performing of the SL communication includes:
Chae fails to teach when an SL transmission operation occurs in the first CC and an SL reception operation occurs in the second CC or when an SL transmission operation and an SL reception operation occur in one CC among the first CC and the second CC; selecting one operation among the SL transmission operation and the SL reception operation based on priorities and performing the selected one operation, when an SL transmission operation occurs in the first CC and an SL reception operation occurs in the second CC or when an SL transmission operation and an SL reception operation occur in one CC among the first CC and the second CC (Fig. 9G, [0033] states FIG. 9G illustrates a case in which a collision (overlap) between periodic S-SSB transmission and reception occurs when periodic SL CSI-RS transmission and SL CSI reporting are supported in a sidelink in a wireless communication system“ and [0146] states “The base station may prevent a case, in which the UE transmits S-SSB in the sidelink and at the same time the UE receives SSB from the base station in the Uu link, from occurring, through the configuration of periodicity and transmission time for SSB and S-SSB.” That implies the case when an SL transmission operation and an SL reception operation occur in one CC among the first CC and the second CC); selecting one operation among the SL transmission operation and the SL reception operation based on priorities ([0184]-[0185] states “[0184] The UE cancels the SL CSI-RS transmission and receives the S-SSB. [0185] The UE cancels the SL CSI reporting and receives the S-SSB.” That describe the UE may cancel the SL transmission ( e.g., SL CSI-RS or SL CSI reporting) while prioritize the SL reception (e.g., S-SSB reception), this decision based on the threshold as stated in [0218], lines 7-11. Another example in [0147] which illustrates that the UE cancels the S-SSB transmission in the sidelink and performs SSB reception from the base station in the Uu link, as the priority for the type of communication, as also depicts in [0146], lines 1-5 and [0144], lines 1-5, which confirms the priority of choosing the SSB reception since it is critical for maintaining synchronization with the BS. [0192] lines 8-15 and [0141] illustrate another scenarios for prioritization between the transmission and reception SSBs. [0166] states” The transmission periodicity and start position of the SL CSI-RS and the transmission periodicity and start position for the SL CSI reporting may be (pre-)configured with resource pool information.” Which implies the priority rules may be pre-configured through resource pool or PC5-RRC signaling).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chae to incorporate the teachings of Shin (in analogous art) by selecting one operation among the SL transmission operation and the SL reception operation based on priorities and performing the selected one operation for efficient resource utilization, optimal performance, low latency, and reliable service delivery (Shin, [0054], lines 11-19).
Regarding claim 22 (New), Chae teaches the first terminal according to claim 11, wherein in the performing of the SL communication, the at least one processor further causes the first terminal to perform:
Chae fails to teach when an SL transmission operation occurs in the first CC and an SL reception operation occurs in the second CC or when an SL transmission operation and an SL reception operation occur in one CC among the first CC and the second CC, selecting one operation among the SL transmission operation and the SL reception operation based on priorities; and performing the selected one operation.
However, Shin teaches when an SL transmission operation occurs in the first CC and an SL reception operation occurs in the second CC or when an SL transmission operation and an SL reception operation occur in one CC among the first CC and the second CC (Fig. 9G, [0033] states FIG. 9G illustrates a case in which a collision (overlap) between periodic S-SSB transmission and reception occurs when periodic SL CSI-RS transmission and SL CSI reporting are supported in a sidelink in a wireless communication system“ and [0146] states “The base station may prevent a case, in which the UE transmits S-SSB in the sidelink and at the same time the UE receives SSB from the base station in the Uu link, from occurring, through the configuration of periodicity and transmission time for SSB and S-SSB.” That implies the case when an SL transmission operation and an SL reception operation occur in one CC among the first CC and the second CC), selecting one operation among the SL transmission operation and the SL reception operation based on priorities; and performing the selected one operation ([0184]-[0185] states “[0184] The UE cancels the SL CSI-RS transmission and receives the S-SSB. [0185] The UE cancels the SL CSI reporting and receives the S-SSB.” That describe the UE may cancel the SL transmission ( e.g., SL CSI-RS or SL CSI reporting) while prioritize the SL reception (e.g., S-SSB reception), this decision based on the threshold as stated in [0218], lines 7-11. Another example in [0147] which illustrates that the UE cancels the S-SSB transmission in the sidelink and performs SSB reception from the base station in the Uu link, as the priority for the type of communication, as also depicts in [0146], lines 1-5 and [0144], lines 1-5, which confirms the priority of choosing the SSB reception since it is critical for maintaining synchronization with the BS. [0192] lines 8-15 and [0141] illustrate another scenarios for prioritization between the transmission and reception SSBs. [0166] states” The transmission periodicity and start position of the SL CSI-RS and the transmission periodicity and start position for the SL CSI reporting may be (pre-)configured with resource pool information.” Which implies the priority rules may be pre-configured through resource pool or PC5-RRC signaling).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chae to incorporate the teachings of Shin (in analogous art) by selecting one operation among the SL transmission operation and the SL reception operation based on priorities and performing the selected one operation for efficient resource utilization, optimal performance, low latency, and reliable service delivery (Shin, [0054], lines 11-19).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Guo et al. (US No. 20250063582 A1), Back et al. (WO 2022186668 A1), Hwang et al. (WO 2022092894 A1), Park et al. (US-20250016798-A1) and Fakamal et al (DE 102023107665 A1) teach methods involved performing SL communication/transmission using aggregated carriers in WCS.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANAA S AL SAMAHI whose telephone number is (571)272-4171. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Asad Nawaz can be reached at (571) 272-3988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SANAA AL SAMAHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2463
/ASAD M NAWAZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2463