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 the claims 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
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.
Claims 1, 4, 9-10, 13, 15 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai et al. (US 20230371005 A1) in view of LI et al. (US 20240008000 A1).
Regarding claim 1,
Cai discloses “A method comprising: obtaining, by a first device, information related to a resource pool” (See [0155] The terminal 100 selects the sidelink resource from one or more sidelink resources usually included in a resource pool. [0156] when the terminal 100 is in the network coverage area, the resource pool is a resource broadcast by the network device in system information. When the terminal 100 is outside the network coverage area, the resource pool is a resource preconfigured for the terminal 100); “selecting, by the first device, a destination having a logical channel with a highest priority from among logical channels having available sidelink (SL) data” (See [0351] The destination may be
a destination selected by the first terminal for an SL grant according to an LCP process,
specifically, a destination of which at least one of a logical channel (logical channel, LCH) and a MAC CE has a highest priority in all logical channels and MAC CEs that meet a condition. The condition includes that SL data in the destination is transmittable); “determining, by the first device, resources in the resource pool within a time interval” (See [0224] the one or more sidelink resources may be obtained by the first terminal from a resource pool through sensing/ listening. [0253] the first terminal determines the s candidate resources from sidelink resources as the candidate resource set based on a resource selection window of the first terminal); “and selecting, by the first device, a resource for SL transmission to a second device related to the destination from the resources” (See [0353] if the target destination is identified by a layer-2 ID of the second terminal, the first terminal may determine that a sidelink resource needs to be selected to send the data to the second terminal. Then, the first terminal selects, from the one or more sidelink resources based on the SL DRX-active time of the second terminal, the sidelink resource located in the SL DRX-active time as the first sidelink resource), “wherein the resource is selected, based on a packet delay budget (PDB)” (See [0176] It may be understood that [n+T1, n+T2] is a resource selection window of the terminal. [0177] If a minimum value of T2 is less than a remaining (remaining) packet delay budget (PDB) (in units of slots), a value of T2 depends on implementation of the terminal. If T2 min≤T2≤P is met, P represents the remaining PDB. Otherwise, T2 is equal to the remaining PDB. The remaining PDB is provided by the MAC entity for the PHY layer. Note: The resource selection is based on the PDB), “within a SL discontinuous reception (DRX) active time of the second device” (See [0320] The medium access control entity selects, from the one or more sidelink resources, the first sidelink resource located in the sidelink discontinuous reception-active time of the second terminal. [0353] Then, the first terminal selects, from the one or more sidelink resources based on the SL DRX-active time of the second terminal, the sidelink resource located in the SL DRX-active time as the first sidelink resource), “wherein the SL DRX active time includes a time while a SL DRX on-duration timer or a SL DRX inactivity timer is running” (See [0221] the sidelink discontinuous reception-active time of the second terminal is determined by running duration of the drx-onDurationTimer-SL and one or more timers of the drx- InactivityTimer-SL or the drx-RetransmissionTimer-SL).
Cai does not explicitly disclose that the SL DRX on-duration timer or the SL DRX inactivity timer is selected based on the logical channel with the highest priority.
However, LI discloses “and wherein the SL DRX on-duration timer or the SL DRX inactivity timer is selected based on the logical channel with the highest priority” (See [0174] the information related on an SL DRX active time includes SL DRX active time information corresponding to a destination or a pair of source ID and destination ID where a logical channel or MAC CE having a highest priority or having a priority higher than a specific value. [0176] the SL DRX active time information is at least one of the following: a time period of an SL DRX on-duration timer; a time period of an SL DRX inactivity timer; a time period of an SL DRX retransmission timer). Note: Accordingly, the SL DRX active time information including SL DRX on-duration timer or inactivity timer corresponds to a logical channel having the highest priority.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Cai, with the teachings of LI to determine the SL DRX on-duration or inactivity timers based on the highest-priority logical channel, in order to satisfy the latency and QoS requirements of priority sidelink traffic while efficiently managing power consumption.
Regarding claim 4,
Cai in view of LI discloses “The method of claim 1, wherein the SL DRX active time includes a time while the SL DRX on-duration timer, the SL DRX inactivity timer, or a SL DRX retransmission timer will be running” (See Cai [0221] the sidelink discontinuous reception-active time of the second terminal is determined by running duration of the drx-onDurationTimer-SL and one or more timers of the drx- InactivityTimer-SL or the drx-RetransmissionTimer-SL).
Regarding claim 9,
Cai in view of LI discloses “The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, to the second device through a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), first sidelink control information (SCI) for scheduling of a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) and second SCI, based on the resource; and transmitting, to the second device through the PSSCH, the second SCI and a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) which is generated based on at least one logical channel belonging to the destination, based on the resource” (See Cai [0211] The SCI includes first-level SCI and second-level SCI. The first-level SCI may be carried on the PSCCH, and the second-level SCI may be carried on the PSSCH. Transmission of the PSSCH may be a new transmission. [0212] the PSCCH or the SCI is used to schedule the new transmission. Alternatively, transmission of the PSSCH may be a new transmission or a retransmission, and the PSCCH or SCI is used to schedule the new transmission or the retransmission. [0231] the data sent by the first terminal to the second terminal may be one or more of a PSCCH, a PSSCH, SCI, or a MAC PDU that is sent by the first terminal to the second terminal on the sidelink. The SCI includes first-level SCI and second-level SCI. The PSCCH is used to indicate a time-frequency domain resource location for PSSCH transmission and a priority of data carried on a PSSCH. The PSSCH is used to carry the data. [0373] a destination of which at least one of a logical channel (logical channel, LCH) and a MAC CE. has a highest priority in all logical channels and MAC CEs that meet the condition is selected from destinations with SL DRX-active time that at least one of the initial transmission SL grant and the retransmission SL grant is in. If no destination meets the condition, no MAC PDU is generated).
Regarding claim 10,
Cai discloses “A first device comprising at least one transceiver; at least one processor; and at least one memory connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, based on being executed, cause the first device to perform operations comprising” (See Fig. 21, [0109] FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram depicting a structure of a communication apparatus): “obtaining information related to a resource pool” (See [0155] The terminal 100 selects the sidelink resource from one or more sidelink resources usually included in a resource pool. [0156] when the terminal 100 is in the network coverage area, the resource pool is a resource broadcast by the network device in system information. When the terminal 100 is outside the network coverage area, the resource pool is a resource preconfigured for the terminal 100), “selecting a destination having a logical channel with a highest priority from among logical channels having available sidelink (SL) data” (See [0351] The destination may be a destination selected by the first terminal for an SL grant according to an LCP process, specifically, a destination of which at least one of a logical channel (logical channel, LCH) and a MAC CE has a highest priority in all logical channels and MAC CEs that meet a condition. The condition includes that SL data in the destination is transmittable); “determining resources in the resource pool within a time interval” (See [0224] the one or more sidelink resources may be obtained by the first terminal from a resource pool through sensing/ listening. [0253] the first terminal determines the s candidate resources from sidelink resources as the candidate resource set based on a resource selection window of the first terminal); “and selecting a resource for SL transmission to a second device related to the destination from the resources” (See [0353] if the target destination is identified by a layer-2 ID of the second terminal, the first terminal may determine that a sidelink resource needs to be selected to send the data to the second terminal. Then, the first terminal selects, from the one or more sidelink resources based on the SL DRX-active time of the second terminal, the sidelink resource located in the SL DRX-active time as the first sidelink resource), “wherein the resource is selected, based on a packet delay budget (PDB)” (See [0176] It may be understood that [n+T1, n+T2] is a resource selection window of the terminal. [0177] If a minimum value of T2 is less than a remaining (remaining) packet delay budget (PDB) (in units of slots), a value of T2 depends on implementation of the terminal. If T2 min≤T2≤P is met, P represents the remaining PDB. Otherwise, T2 is equal to the remaining PDB. The remaining PDB is provided by the MAC entity for the PHY layer. Note: The resource selection is based on the PDB), “within a SL discontinuous reception (DRX) active time of the second device” (See [0320] The medium access control entity selects, from the one or more sidelink resources, the first sidelink resource located in the sidelink discontinuous reception-active time of the second terminal. [0353] Then, the first terminal selects, from the one or more sidelink resources based on the SL DRX-active time of the second terminal, the sidelink resource located in the SL DRX-active time as the first sidelink resource), “wherein the SL DRX active time includes a time while a SL DRX on-duration timer or a SL DRX inactivity timer is running” (See [0221] the sidelink discontinuous reception-active time of the second terminal is determined by running duration of the drx-onDurationTimer-SL and one or more timers of the drx- InactivityTimer-SL or the drx-RetransmissionTimer-SL).
Cai does not explicitly disclose that the SL DRX on-duration timer or the SL DRX inactivity timer is selected based on the logical channel with the highest priority.
However, LI discloses “and wherein the SL DRX on-duration timer or the SL DRX inactivity timer is selected based on the logical channel with the highest priority” (See [0174] the information related on an SL DRX active time includes SL DRX active time information corresponding to a destination or a pair of source ID and destination ID where a logical channel or MAC CE having a highest priority or having a priority higher than a specific value. [0176] the SL DRX active time information is at least one of the following: a time period of an SL DRX on-duration timer; a time period of an SL DRX inactivity timer; a time period of an SL DRX retransmission timer). Note: Accordingly, the SL DRX active time information including SL DRX on-duration timer or inactivity timer corresponds to a logical channel having the highest priority.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Cai, with the teachings of LI to determine the SL DRX on-duration or inactivity timers based on the highest-priority logical channel, in order to satisfy the latency and QoS requirements of priority sidelink traffic while efficiently managing power consumption.
Regarding claim 13, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claim 4.
Regarding claim 15,
Cai discloses “A processing device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, based on being executed, cause a first device to perform operations comprising” (See Fig. 22, [0075] the communication apparatus may be a first terminal, or a chip applied to the first terminal): “obtaining information related to a resource pool” (See [0155] The terminal 100 selects the sidelink resource from one or more sidelink resources usually included in a resource pool. [0156] when the terminal 100 is in the network coverage area, the resource pool is a resource broadcast by the network device in system information. When the terminal 100 is outside the network coverage area, the resource pool is a resource preconfigured for the terminal 100); “selecting a destination having a logical channel with a highest priority from among logical channels having available sidelink (SL) data” (See [0351] The destination may be a destination selected by the first terminal for an SL grant according to an LCP process, specifically, a destination of which at least one of a logical channel (logical channel, LCH) and a MAC CE has a highest priority in all logical channels and MAC CEs that meet a condition. The condition includes that SL data in the destination is transmittable); “determining resources in the resource pool within a time interval” (See [0224] the one or more sidelink resources may be obtained by the first terminal from a resource pool through sensing/ listening. [0253] the first terminal determines the s candidate resources from sidelink resources as the candidate resource set based on a resource selection window of the first terminal); “and selecting a resource for SL transmission to a second device related to the destination from the resources” (See [0353] if the target destination is identified by a layer-2 ID of the second terminal, the first terminal may determine that a sidelink resource needs to be selected to send the data to the second terminal. Then, the first terminal selects, from the one or more sidelink resources based on the SL DRX-active time of the second terminal, the sidelink resource located in the SL DRX-active time as the first sidelink resource), “wherein the resource is selected, based on a packet delay budget (PDB)” (See [0176] It may be understood that [n+T1, n+T2] is a resource selection window of the terminal. [0177] If a minimum value of T2 is less than a remaining (remaining) packet delay budget (PDB) (in units of slots), a value of T2 depends on implementation of the terminal. If T2 min≤T2≤P is met, P represents the remaining PDB. Otherwise, T2 is equal to the remaining PDB. The remaining PDB is provided by the MAC entity for the PHY layer. Note: The resource selection is based on the PDB), “within a SL discontinuous reception (DRX) active time of the second device” (See [0320] The medium access control entity selects, from the one or more sidelink resources, the first sidelink resource located in the sidelink discontinuous reception-active time of the second terminal. [0353] Then, the first terminal selects, from the one or more sidelink resources based on the SL DRX-active time of the second terminal, the sidelink resource located in the SL DRX-active time as the first sidelink resource), “wherein the SL DRX active time includes a time while a SL DRX on-duration timer or a SL DRX inactivity timer is running” (See [0221] the sidelink discontinuous reception-active time of the second terminal is determined by running duration of the drx-onDurationTimer-SL and one or more timers of the drx- InactivityTimer-SL or the drx-RetransmissionTimer-SL).
Cai does not explicitly disclose that the SL DRX on-duration timer or the SL DRX inactivity timer is selected based on the logical channel with the highest priority.
However, LI discloses “and wherein the SL DRX on-duration timer or the SL DRX inactivity timer is selected based on the logical channel with the highest priority” (See [0174] the information related on an SL DRX active time includes SL DRX active time information corresponding to a destination or a pair of source ID and destination ID where a logical channel or MAC CE having a highest priority or having a priority higher than a specific value. [0176] the SL DRX active time information is at least one of the following: a time period of an SL DRX on-duration timer; a time period of an SL DRX inactivity timer; a time period of an SL DRX retransmission timer). Note: Accordingly, the SL DRX active time information including SL DRX on-duration timer or inactivity timer corresponds to a logical channel having the highest priority.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Cai, with the teachings of LI to determine the SL DRX on-duration or inactivity timers based on the highest-priority logical channel, in order to satisfy the latency and QoS requirements of priority sidelink traffic while efficiently managing power consumption.
Regarding claim 23, these limitations are rejected on the same ground as claim 4.
Claims 5, 14 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai et al. (US 20230371005 A1) in view of LI et al. (US 20240008000 A1) and further in view of TSENG et al. (US 20220346180 A1).
Regarding claims 5, 14 and 24,
Cai in view of LI discloses claim 5 of “The method of claim 1”, claim 14 of “The first device of claim 10”, and claim 24 of “The processing device of claim 15”, but does not explicitly disclose that based on the first device performing broadcast communications, the SL DRX active time includes a time while the SL DRX on-duration timer is running or will be running.
However, TSENG discloses “wherein, based on that the first device performs broadcast communication, the SL DRX active time includes a time while the SL DRX on-duration timer is running or a time while the SL DRX on-duration timer will be running” (See [0071] For a UE, all the Layer-2 Destinations of the same sidelink service types (e.g., SL-unicast, SL-groupcast, SL-broadcast service) may be associated with the same SL-DRX configuration and the same SL-DRX operation (e.g., the same SL-DRX Active Time/SL-DRX off-period and the same running SL-DRX timers). [0077] the SL-DRX mechanism (e.g., SL-DRX configuration for broadcast/group-cast service) may not be impacted immediately by the triggering events. Instead, the SL-DRX mechanism and the UE would update the values of SL-DRX-related Timers after the running active SL-DRX timer(s) (e.g., the SL-drx-onDurationTimer or SL-drx-InactivityTimer, which is counting while the triggering event happens) expires. For example, the associated SL-DRX Timers may be re-configured based on the updated SL-DRX configuration on the next Active Time (or SL-DRX On period/On-duration) in an SL-DRX cycle). Note: The broadcast communication is associated with an SL-DRX active time including a period during which SL-DRX on-duration timer is running.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Cai and LI, with the teachings of TSENG, and the motivation to do so would have been to ensure reliable reception of broadcast communications during SL-DRX active time while conserving power.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai et al. (US 20230371005 A1) in view of LI et al. (US 20240008000 A1) and further in view of Lohr
et al. (US 20240188103 A1).
Regarding claim 6,
Cai in view of LI discloses “The method of claim 1”, but does not explicitly disclose the
first device not being allowed to select the resource outside the DRX active time of the
second device.
However, Lohr discloses “wherein the first device is not allowed to select the resource outside the SL DRX active time of the second device” (See [0249] a UE first defines the selection window where it looks for candidate resources to transmit a TB. According to
one implementation of the embodiment, a UE excludes all candidate SL resources, e.g.,
within the selection window, which are not part of the active time of the DRX
configuration(s) associated with the logical channels' destination included in a TB).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Cai and
LI, with the teachings of Lohr, and the motivation to do so would have been to ensure
that SL resources are selected within the active time (Lohr [0249]), in order to align resource
selection with the DRX operation and reduce power consumption.
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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/SALMA AYAD/Examiner, Art Unit 2462
/KEVIN C. HARPER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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