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 with respect to claim(s) 1-6 and 8-21, have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
However, upon further review of the Applicant’s arguments with respect to new claim 21, the Examiner respectfully disagrees with the Applicant’s arguments that the prior art reference (Si) does not teach the at least claimed limitations (i.e. “wherein the processor is further configured to load and execute the instructions to: determine a first information field based on second indication information in the configuration signaling, wherein the first information field is used for determining an IRB index and/or a number of IRBs in the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH; and generate the sidelink control information carrying the first information field”). (Emphasis Added).
The Applicant specifically argued and/or stated that: Si fails to disclose that the SCI is generated based on such configuration signaling, let alone the more specific limitations recited in claim 21.
In response the Examiner respectfully disagrees and kindly directs the Applicant Si e.g. fig. 1, pp. [0130], which discussed the concept in a wireless communication system wherein control signal/signaling from the network device (e.g. BS 102) to user equipment (e.g. UE 111) is communicated via DCI (i.e. DCI is generated in the network device), while the control signal/signaling from UE to UE (e.g. UE 111 to UE 111A) is communicated via SCI (i.e. SCI is generated in the user equipment). Si, further discussed that a DCI format 3_0 includes the same information on frequency resource assignment as in a SCI format 1-A
Thus, the at least claim does not uniquely and/or particularly define the at least limitation (i.e. the sidelink control information is generated based on the configuration signaling including the second indication information) so as to be distinguished from the applied prior art. During patent examination, the claims must be given their broadest reasonable interpretation. See also MPEP §2111. The limitation “determine a first information field based on second indication information in the configuration signaling…and generate the sidelink control information carrying the first information field” is broadly claimed, therefore, is fairly characterized as wherein the same information in the DCI is included in the SCI as discussed above.
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) 1-6 and 8-21, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Si et al. (US Publication No. 20230028000) in view of Lee (US Publication No. 20230199719).
As to claims 1, 11, and 17, Si teaches an apparatus for indicating sidelink transmission resource, comprising: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor (fig. 1, fig. 3); wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the instructions to: control the transceiver to transmit and/or receive sidelink control information to a second terminal and/or from a first terminal (fig. 1, pp0005, transmit, to another UE, the PSCCH [PSCCH carries sidelink control information], using SL communication), the sidelink control information indicating a transmission resource for a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), wherein the transmission resource for the PSSCH is based on an interlaced resource block (IRB) (fig. 1, pp0114, a UE can determine the first resource for transmitting PSSCH based on the indication in a SCI format (e.g., SCI format 1-A). The UE assumes that the interlace(s) of resource blocks determined available for resource allocation for transmitting PSSCH), wherein the processor is further configured to: control the transceiver to receive a configuration signaling from a network side (fig. 1, pp0056, pp0081, Downlink control information (DCI) format 0_0 and 0_1 include information on “frequency domain resource assignment” to provide resource allocation for PUSCH in the frequency domain), wherein the configuration signaling is used for configuring a transmission resource for the sidelink control information and the transmission resource for the PSSCH (fig. 1, pp0114, a UE can determine the first resource for transmitting PSSCH based on the indication in a SCI format (e.g., SCI format 1-A). The UE assumes that the interlace(s) of resource blocks determined available for resource allocation for transmitting PSSCH, and pp0130, a DCI format 3_0 includes the same information on frequency resource assignment as in a SCI format 1-A, pp0152), the transmission resource carrying the sidelink control information and the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH are based on the IRB (fig. 1, pp0114, a UE can determine the first resource for transmitting PSSCH based on the indication in a SCI format (e.g., SCI format 1-A). The UE assumes that the interlace(s) of resource blocks determined available for resource allocation for transmitting PSSCH, and pp0130, a DCI format 3_0 includes the same information on frequency resource assignment as in a SCI format 1-A, pp0152). However, fails to explicitly teach that the configuration signaling comprises a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Lee teaches the concept that the configuration signaling comprises a radio resource control (RRC) signaling (fig. 7, fig. 8, pp0090, the BS may perform resource scheduling to a UE 1 through a PDCCH (e.g., downlink control information (DCI)) or RRC signaling, pp0114, for example, the term “configure/configured” or the term “define/defined” may refer to (pre)configuration from a base station or a network (through pre-defined signaling (e.g., SIB, MAC, RRC, etc.))). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Si with the teachings of Lee to achieve the goal of efficiently performing communication and reliably providing overhead solution in a communication system (Lee, pp0003, pp0011).
As to claims 2 and 12, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein a frequency domain starting resource corresponding to the transmission resource carrying the sidelink control information is the same as a frequency domain starting resource corresponding to the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH (fig. 1, pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index, and pp0118, starting sub-channel index, the sub-channel indices can be indicated by information in the SCI format (e.g., SCI format 1-A), and pp0126, the UE can assume each resource of the other resource(s) for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel and a number of contiguous sub-channel(s), wherein the number of contiguous sub-channel(s) is the same as the number of contiguous sub-channel(s) for the first resource).
As to claims 3 and 13, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein if the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH comprises N IRB resources, the N IRB resources are continuous IRB resources, N being a positive integer greater than 1 (fig. 1, pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index, and pp0095, one interlace based sub-channel can include one or multiple interlaces, e.g., L≥1, and if one interlace based sub-channel includes multiple interlaces, the multiple interlaces have contiguous interlace indices, and pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index).
As to claims 4 and 14, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein the sidelink control information comprises a first information field for determining an IRB index and/or a number of IRBs in the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH (fig. 1, pp0074, the sub-channel assignment is determined using the corresponding field in the associated SCI, pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index, and pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index); the IRB index is used for determining a frequency domain starting position of the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH (fig. 1, pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index, and pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index); and the number of IRBs is used for determining a frequency domain resource size of the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH.
As to claims 5 and 15, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein the sidelink control information indicates transmission resources for three PSSCHs (fig. 1, pp0124, other resources for transmitting PSSCH based on the indication in a SCI format (e.g., SCI format 1-A), pp0125, for other resource(s) for transmitting PSSCH, the UE can assume the frequency domain information is the same as the first resource for transmitting PSSCH), and the transmission resources comprise a first transmission resource, a second transmission resource, and a third transmission resource; the first transmission resource, the second transmission resource and the third transmission resource comprise a same number of IRBs (fig. 1, pp0126, each resource of the other resource(s) for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel and a number of contiguous sub-channel(s), wherein the number of contiguous sub-channel(s) is the same as the number of contiguous sub-channel(s) for the first resource, and pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index); and the first information field carries a first value determined based on the number of IRBs comprised in the first transmission resource or the second transmission resource or the third transmission resource, an IRB index of the second transmission resource, and an IRB index of the third transmission resource, wherein the IRB index of the second transmission resource is used for determining a frequency domain starting position of the second transmission resource, and the IRB index of the third transmission resource is used for determining a frequency domain starting position of the third transmission resource (fig. 1, pp0126, each resource of the other resource(s) for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel and a number of contiguous sub-channel(s), wherein the number of contiguous sub-channel(s) is the same as the number of contiguous sub-channel(s) for the first resource, pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index, and pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index).
As to claims 6 and 16, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein the first value is represented by a frequency resource indicator value (FRIV), FRIV=nIRB,1start+nIRB,2start⋅NIRBSL+1-LIRB+∑i=1LIRB-1NIRBSL+1-i2; where the LIRB indicates the number of IRBs comprised in the first transmission resource or the second transmission resource or the third transmission resource, nIRB,1start indicates the IRB index corresponding to the frequency domain starting position of the second transmission resource, nIRB,2start indicates the IRB index corresponding to the frequency domain starting position of the third transmission resource, and NIRBSL indicates a number of IRBs comprised in a resource pool (fig. 1, fig. 10, pp0127, RIV formula).
As to claims 8 and 18, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein the configuration signaling comprises first indication information (fig. 1, pp0130, a DCI format 3_0 includes the same information on frequency resource assignment as in a SCI format 1-A), and the first indication information comprises an IRB index for determining a frequency domain starting position of the transmission resource carrying the sidelink control information (fig. 1, pp0074, the sub-channel assignment is determined using the corresponding field in the associated SCI, pp0126, each resource of the other resource(s) for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel and a number of contiguous sub-channel(s), wherein the number of contiguous sub-channel(s) is the same as the number of contiguous sub-channel(s) for the first resource, pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index, and pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index).
As to claim 9, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein the configuration signaling comprises second indication information for determining the first information field (fig. 1, pp0074, the sub-channel assignment is determined using the corresponding field in the associated SCI, pp0130, a DCI format 3_0 includes the same information on frequency resource assignment as in a SCI format 1-A, and pp0152).
As to claim 10, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claim as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein the configuration signaling comprises downlink control information (DCI) signaling (fig. 1, pp0056, pp0081, Downlink control information (DCI) format 0_0 and 0_1 include information on “frequency domain resource assignment” to provide resource allocation for PUSCH in the frequency domain).
As to claim 19, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claim as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein the configuration signaling comprises second indication information for determining a first information field (fig. 1, pp0074, the sub-channel assignment is determined using the corresponding field in the associated SCI, pp0130, a DCI format 3_0 includes the same information on frequency resource assignment as in a SCI format 1-A, and pp0152), and the first information field is used for determining an IRB index and/or a number of IRBs in the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH (fig. 1, pp0074, the sub-channel assignment is determined using the corresponding field in the associated SCI, pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index, and pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index); the IRB index is used for determining a frequency domain starting position of the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH (fig. 1, pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index, and pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index); and the number of IRBs is used for determining a frequency domain resource size of the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH.
As to claim 21, Si in view of Lee teaches the limitations of the independent claim as discussed above. Si further teaches wherein the processor is further configured to load and execute the instructions to: determine a first information field based on second indication information in the configuration signaling field (fig. 1, pp0074, the sub-channel assignment is determined using the corresponding field in the associated SCI, pp0130, a DCI format 3_0 includes the same information on frequency resource assignment as in a SCI format 1-A, and pp0152), wherein the first information field is used for determining an IRB index and/or a number of IRBs in the transmission resource carrying the PSSCH (fig. 1, pp0074, the sub-channel assignment is determined using the corresponding field in the associated SCI, pp0094, the sub-channel index is the same as the interlace index, and pp0115, the sub-channel indices for the first resource for transmitting PSSCH can be determined by a starting sub-channel index); and generate the sidelink control information carrying the first information field (fig. 1, pp0130, a DCI format 3_0 includes the same information on frequency resource assignment as in a SCI format 1-A, and pp0152).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/OMONIYI OBAYANJU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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