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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment, filed 07/16/2026, has been entered and carefully considered. Claims 21, 23-31, and 33-40 are pending, with claims 21 and 31 being independent. Claims 1-20, 22, and 32 have been cancelled. Claims 21 and 31 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 21, 23-31, and 33-40 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.
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 of this title, 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, 23 and 31, 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al. (US 2023/0189248 A1) in view of Li et al. (US 2023/0300752 A1).
Regarding claim 21, Zhao discloses a method, comprising: obtaining, by a first communication apparatus, first control information, wherein the first control information indicates the first communication apparatus to send data (Paragraphs 0108-0111 discloses the first communication device in the first communication group may directly acquire pre-configuration information (obtaining information, as obtaining can read on configured info or preconfigured information) of the first communication device in the first communication group. Subsequently, the first communication device in the first communication group determines the first transmission resource set according to the pre-configuration information of the first communication device in the first communication group), the first control information comprises identification information of a communication group (Paragraph 0117 discloses the information on the first communication group includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first communication group, identification information of the first communication device in the first communication group) and first indication information of the communication group (Paragraphs 0117-0118 disclose the information on the first communication group includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first communication group, identification information of the first communication device in the first communication group, the number of terminals in the first communication group, and the service attribute parameter of the first communication group. The service attribute parameter of the first communication group may include at least one of the following items: data packet size, packet sending frequency, transmission reliability, transmission rate, and transmission delay) the communication group comprises the first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus (Paragraphs 0108-0120 discloses the communication group comprises the first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus), the identification information of the communication group is used to determine the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus (Paragraphs 0117-0118), and the first indication information of the communication group indicates a time-frequency resource for communication of the communication group; and sending, by the first communication apparatus, the data based on the first control information (Paragraphs 0108-0120 discloses after the first communication device in the first communication group determines the transmission resources of the communication devices in the first communication group, it may send the first indication information to the communication devices in the first communication group to indicate the transmission resources of the communication devices in the first communication group. Fig. 7 discloses sending data to the communication device in the group).
Zhao does not explicitly discloses wherein the first control information further indicates the second communication apparatus to receive the data.
In an analogous art, Li discloses wherein the first control information further indicates the second communication apparatus to receive the data (Paragraphs 0051-0052 discloses sidelink discontinuous reception (SL DRX) may be formed to assist a Rx UE for unicast, broadcast or groupcast in determining when to monitor for sidelink control information(s) (SCI(s)) from a Tx UE, the SCI scheduling a sidelink transmission to the Rx UE(s). Thus sidelink information from TX UE informs the RX UE about the transmission of data. Fig. 5, paragraphs 0057-0058 discloses he first UE (e.g., Rx UE) determining whether data is to be received from one or more second UEs (e.g., Tx UEs) for at least one application or service with at least one sidelink communications, and at block 510, transmitting at least one enable signal (e.g., also referred to herein as a transmission enabling (TxEn) indication) indicating to the one or more second UEs to transition to an active mode of operation to transmit the data. A UE may participate in one or more groupcasts or broadcasts (e.g., services) with the same UE or different UEs. In this case, the Rx UE may send a TxEn indication(s) to each group or service, as illustrated in FIG. 9A-9b).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the technique of Zhao to the system of Li to provide determining whether data is to be received from one or more second UE's; transmitting at least one enable signal indicating to the one or more second UE's to transition to an active mode of operation to transmit the data; and monitoring for the data in response to the at least one enable signal during a reception phase of the UE (Abstract).
Regarding claim 31, Zhao discloses A method, comprising: obtaining, by a second communication apparatus, second control information, wherein the second control information indicates the second communication apparatus to receive data (Paragraphs 0116-0118 discloses the first communication device in the first communication group determines the first transmission resource set according to the pre-configuration information of the first communication device in the first communication group. the second communication device in the second communication group may determine available transmission resources of the first communication group according to the information on the first communication group, and sends second indication information to the first communication device in the first communication group, where the second indication information is used for determining the first transmission resource set of the first communication group. Finally, the first communication device in the first communication group may determine the first transmission resource set according to the second indication information), the second control information comprises identification information of a communication groups (Paragraph 0117 discloses the information on the first communication group includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first communication group, identification information of the first communication device in the first communication group) and first indication information of the communication group (Paragraphs 0117-0118 disclose the information on the first communication group includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first communication group, identification information of the first communication device in the first communication group, the number of terminals in the first communication group, and the service attribute parameter of the first communication group. The service attribute parameter of the first communication group may include at least one of the following items: data packet size, packet sending frequency, transmission reliability, transmission rate, and transmission delay) the communication group comprises the first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus (Paragraphs 0108-0120 discloses the communication group comprises the first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus), the identification information of the communication group is used to determine the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus (Paragraphs 0117-0118), and the first indication information of the communication group indicates a time-frequency resource for communication of the communication group; and receiving, by the second communication apparatus, the data based on the second control information (Paragraphs 0108-0120 discloses after the first communication device in the first communication group determines the transmission resources of the communication devices in the first communication group, it may send the first indication information to the communication devices in the first communication group to indicate the transmission resources of the communication devices in the first communication group. Fig. 7 discloses sending data to the communication device in the group).
Zhao does not explicitly discloses wherein the second control information further indicates the first communication apparatus to send the data.
In an analogous art, Li discloses wherein the second control information further indicates the first communication apparatus to send the data (Paragraphs 0051-0052 discloses sidelink discontinuous reception (SL DRX) may be formed to assist a Rx UE for unicast, broadcast or groupcast in determining when to monitor for sidelink control information(s) (SCI(s)) from a Tx UE, the SCI scheduling a sidelink transmission to the Rx UE(s). Thus sidelink information from TX UE informs the RX UE about the transmission of data. Fig. 5, paragraphs 0057-0058 discloses he first UE (e.g., Rx UE) determining whether data is to be received from one or more second UEs (e.g., Tx UEs) for at least one application or service with at least one sidelink communications, and at block 510, transmitting at least one enable signal (e.g., also referred to herein as a transmission enabling (TxEn) indication) indicating to the one or more second UEs to transition to an active mode of operation to transmit the data. A UE may participate in one or more groupcasts or broadcasts (e.g., services) with the same UE or different UEs. In this case, the Rx UE may send a TxEn indication(s) to each group or service, as illustrated in FIG. 9A-9b).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the technique of Zhao to the system of Li to provide determining whether data is to be received from one or more second UE's; transmitting at least one enable signal indicating to the one or more second UE's to transition to an active mode of operation to transmit the data; and monitoring for the data in response to the at least one enable signal during a reception phase of the UE (Abstract).
Regarding claims 23 and 33, Zhao discloses wherein the identification information comprises at least one of: a unicast device identifier, a multicast group device identifier, or a broadcast device identifier (Paragraphs 0147, 0153 discloses indication is send using broadcast information, or system information. The information on the first communication group includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first communication group, identification information of the first communication device in the first communication group, the number of terminals in the first communication group, and the service attribute parameter of the first communication group (multicast group identification)).
Claims 24 and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al. (US 2023/0189248 A1) in view of Li et al. (US 2023/0300752 A1) and further in view of in view of Wang et al. (US 2021/0410178 A1).
Regarding claim 24, Zhao discloses wherein the method further comprises: obtaining, by the first communication apparatus, first configuration information (Paragraphs 0108-0111 discloses the first communication device in the first communication group may directly acquire pre-configuration information of the first communication device in the first communication group. Subsequently, the first communication device in the first communication group determines the first transmission resource set according to the pre-configuration information of the first communication device in the first communication group).
Zhao and Li do not explicitly discloses descrambling, by the first communication apparatus, the first control information based on the first configuration information, wherein: the first configuration information comprises a group radio network temporary identifier (RNTI); the first configuration information comprises a group sending RNTI; the first configuration information comprises a first sending RNTI; or the first configuration information comprises the first sending RNTI and a first receiving RNTI.
In an analogous art, Wang discloses descrambling, by the first communication apparatus, the first control information based on the first configuration information, wherein: the first configuration information comprises a group radio network temporary identifier (RNTI); the first configuration information comprises a group sending RNTI; the first configuration information comprises a first sending RNTI; or the first configuration information comprises the first sending RNTI and a first receiving RNTI (Paragraph 0085 discloses The Rx UE 610 and the other UEs in the group may determine that the common sidelink grant included in the DCI communication is for the group of UEs based at least in part on the DCI communication being scrambled based at least in part on or otherwise associated with the SL-G-RNTI. The base station 110 may further configure the common sidelink grant to include one or more parameters or fields indicating respective pairs of a sidelink destination identifier and a TCI state for each UE in the group of UEs).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the technique of Wang to the modified system of Zhao and Li to provide the identification mechanism where first UE may identify, based at least in part on the sidelink grant, one or more sidelink resources in which a second UE is to transmit sidelink control information (SCI) to the first UE. The SCI may include information associated with a sidelink data transmission from the second UE to the first UE (Abstract, Wang).
Regarding claim 34, Zhao discloses wherein the method further comprises: obtaining, by the second communication apparatus, second configuration information (Paragraphs 0108-0111 discloses the first communication device in the first communication group may directly acquire pre-configuration information of the first communication device in the first communication group. Subsequently, the first communication device in the first communication group determines the first transmission resource set according to the pre-configuration information of the first communication device in the first communication group).
Zhao and Li do not explicitly discloses descrambling, by the second communication apparatus, the second control information based on the second configuration information, wherein:the second configuration information comprises a group radio network temporary identifier (RNTI); the second configuration information comprises a group receiving RNTI; the second configuration information comprises a second receiving RNTI; or the second configuration information comprises a second sending RNTI and the second receiving RNTI..
In an analogous art, Wang discloses descrambling, by the second communication apparatus, the second control information based on the second configuration information, wherein:
the second configuration information comprises a group radio network temporary identifier (RNTI); the second configuration information comprises a group receiving RNTI; the second configuration information comprises a second receiving RNTI; or the second configuration information comprises a second sending RNTI and the second receiving RNTI (Paragraph 0085 discloses The Rx UE 610 and the other UEs in the group may determine that the common sidelink grant included in the DCI communication is for the group of UEs based at least in part on the DCI communication being scrambled based at least in part on or otherwise associated with the SL-G-RNTI. The base station 110 may further configure the common sidelink grant to include one or more parameters or fields indicating respective pairs of a sidelink destination identifier and a TCI state for each UE in the group of UEs).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the technique of Wang to the modified system of Zhao and Li to provide the identification mechanism where first UE may identify, based at least in part on the sidelink grant, one or more sidelink resources in which a second UE is to transmit sidelink control information (SCI) to the first UE. The SCI may include information associated with a sidelink data transmission from the second UE to the first UE (Abstract, Wang).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 25-30 and 35-40 are 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:
Adachi (US 20170273064 A1) discloses a user terminal according to the present embodiment comprises: a controller configured to perform control of transmitting at least one or more group identifiers among a plurality of group identifiers comprising of an identifier associated with each of a plurality of D2D groups in D2D communication being direct inter-terminal communication to a base station as an identifier of a destination of data in the D2D communication (Abstract).
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROMANI OHRI whose telephone number is (571)272-5420. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-5:00pm.
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, UN C CHO can be reached at 5712727919. 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.
/ROMANI OHRI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
Prosecution Insights