DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
2. This Office Action is in response to the application filed on 10/27/2022. Claims 1 and through 23 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
3. 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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted steps are: at least a step is needed to tie the limitation “transmit control information via the transceiver to a second user equipment in one or more of the plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the first resource pool, the control information indicating one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool” with the limitation “transmit a reference signal (RS) in one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) resources of the second resource pool”. It is not clear how the “transmit a reference signal in one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) resources of the second resource pool” further limits its precent limitation. A possible step is the underlined portion indicate the third OFDM resource on which the RS to be transmitted.
In addition, it is not clear how to distinguish the third OFDM resources in the second OFDM resource pool from the first or second OFDM resources in the second OFDM resource pool. A step is necessary to indicated how the second OFDM resource pool is divided into first, second, third, or fourth OFDM resources with the second OFDM resource pool.
Claims 2-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph because of their dependency from claim 1.
Claims 10-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph for the same reasons applied for claims 1-9.
Claims 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph for the same reasons applied for claims 1-9.
Claims 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph for the same reasons applied for claims 1-9.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 1-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao et al. (WO 2020/197610 A1) in view of Wei et al. (US 2020/0036556 A1).
For claim 1 Xiao teaches a first user equipment (UE) (see Fig. 12A “UE 1210”) comprising:
a transceiver (see Fig. 12A “transceiver 1202”);
a memory (see Fig. 12A “memory 1208”); and
a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver (see Fig. 12A “processor 1200”), configured to:
obtain a first configuration of a first resource pool that comprises a plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer (see page 2 lines 9-“obtaining, by the first SL UE, a configuration of a resource pool configured for SL communications, the configuration of the resource pool comprising one or more SL demodulation reference signals (SL-DMRS) configurations” and page 36 lines 17-19 “a UE obtains a SL-DMRS configuration that allows it to transmit a SL-DMRS on a set of OFDM symbols (a pool of OFDM symbols). Each SL-DMRS symbol may be associated, through design or by the configuration”);
obtain a second configuration of a second resource pool that comprises a plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer, the second configuration of the second resource pool being different from the first configuration of the first resource pool (see page 2 lines 9-17 “obtaining, by the first SL UE, a configuration of a resource pool configured for SL communications, the configuration of the resource pool comprising one or more SL demodulation reference signals (SL-DMRS) configurations…transmitting, by the first SL UE, a first SL
control information (SCI) indicating the selected SL resource” and page 36 lines 17-19 “a UE obtains a SL-DMRS configuration that allows it to transmit a SL-DMRS on a set of OFDM symbols (a pool of OFDM symbols). Each SL-DMRS symbol may be associated, through design or by the configuration”);
transmit control information via the transceiver to a second user equipment in one or more of the plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the first resource pool, the control information indicating one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool (see page 2 lines 9-17 “transmitting, by the first SL UE, a first SL control information (SCI) indicating the selected SL resource; and transmitting, by the first SL UE, to a second SL UE, a SL transmission in accordance with the selected SL resource and the selected SL-DMRS parameter”-the underlined portion seems is for intended use does limit claim scope or provide patentable weight); and
transmit a reference signal (RS) in one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) resources of the second resource pool (see page 2 line 16-17 “transmitting, by the first SL UE, to a second SL UE, a SL transmission in accordance with the selected SL resource and the selected SL-DMRS parameter”-the one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool is a design option and it is not clear how the third OFDM resource are selected. In addition, it is not clear to which destination entity the RS is transmitted).
Xiao does not explicitly teach transmit a reference signal (RS) in one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) resources of the second resource pool design option.
However, Wei teaches optionally, the second OFDM symbol set (pool) includes
a third OFDM symbol subset and a fourth OFDM symbol subset. All or some OFDM symbols in the third OFDM symbol subset are used by the terminal device to send a
periodic SRS or a semi-persistent SRS on the second transmission resource (see Wei: paragraphs 19-20).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to use the teachings of Wei in the resource allocation of Xiao to configure the third OFDM symbol subset to be used for reference signal transmission (see Wei: paragraphs 19-20).
For claim 2 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the first user equipment, wherein the one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool are the one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 1).
For claim 3 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the first user equipment, wherein the control information is first control information, and wherein the one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources comprise second control information indicating the one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool (see Xiao: claims 1 and 7 “first and second SCI” and as discussed in claim 1).
For claim 4 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the first user equipment of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the reference signal a plurality of times, to include the second control information in conjunction with the reference signal at least once in the plurality of times, and to transmit the reference signal without transmitting the second control information in conjunction with the reference signal at least once in the plurality of times (see Xiao: page 26 lines 25-26 “exemplary (optional design) transmit and re-transmit SL-DMRS”).
For claim 5 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the first user equipment, wherein the second resource pool has a greater bandwidth than the first resource pool (The additional features represent a normal design option (see Wei: paragraph 8 “first and second BWP”-design options (i.e. obtaining a further RP configuration, optionally in a different bandwidth) and would be obvious to the skilled person)).
For claim 6 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the first user equipment, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the one or more of the plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the first resource pool at least one of time division multiplexed or frequency division multiplexed with the one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources (design options (i.e. obtaining a further RP configuration)).
For claim 7 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the first user equipment, wherein the control information includes an indication of priority between the first resource pool and the second resource pool (The additional features represent a normal design option (design options (i.e. obtaining a further RP configuration)).
For claim 8 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the first user equipment, wherein the reference signal is a first reference signal, and wherein the processor is configured to:
obtain a third configuration of a third resource pool that comprises a plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer, the third configuration of the third resource pool being different from the first configuration of the first resource pool and from the second configuration of the second resource pool (design options (i.e. obtaining a further RP configuration)); and
transmit a second reference signal in one or more of the plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the third resource pool based on the control information indicating the one or more of the plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the third resource pool (design options (i.e. obtaining a further RP configuration)).
For claim 9 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the first user equipment, wherein the reference signal is a first reference signal and the control information is first control information (see Xiao: page 32 lines 1-6 “single or multiple SCIs..”), and wherein the processor is configured to:
obtain a third configuration of a third resource pool that comprises a plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer, the third configuration of the third resource pool being different from the first configuration of the first resource pool and from the second configuration of the second resource pool (see Xiao: page 32 lines 1-6 “single or multiple SCIs..” and as discussed in claim 1 with obvious design configuration options);
transmit, via the transceiver, second control information in one or more of the plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the third resource pool, the second control information indicating one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool other than indicated by the first control information(as discussed claim 1- an additional design option); and
transmit, via the transceiver, a second reference signal in the one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool indicated by the second control information (see Xiao: page 32 lines 1-6 “single or multiple SCIs..” and as discussed in claim 1 with obvious design configuration options).
For claim 10 Xiao in view of Wei teaches a reference signal transmission method comprising:
obtaining, at a first user equipment, a first configuration of a first resource pool that comprises a plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer (as discussed in claim 1);
obtaining, at the first user equipment, a second configuration of a second resource pool that comprises a plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer, the second configuration of the second resource pool being different from the first configuration of the first resource pool (as discussed in claim 1);
transmitting, from the first user equipment to a second user equipment, control information in one or more of the plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the first resource pool, the control information indicating one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 1); and
transmitting, from the first user equipment to the second user equipment, a reference signal in one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 1).
For claim 11 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the reference signal transmission method, wherein the one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool are the one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 2).
For claim 12 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the reference signal transmission method, wherein the control information is first control information, and wherein the one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources comprise second control information indicating the one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 3).
For claim 13 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the reference signal transmission method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the reference signal comprises transmitting the reference signal a plurality of times, with the second control information transmitted in conjunction with the reference signal at least once in the plurality of times, and with the reference signal being transmitted without transmitting the second control information in conjunction with the reference signal at least once in the plurality of times (as discussed in claim 4).
For claim 14 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the reference signal transmission method wherein the second resource pool has a greater bandwidth than the first resource pool (as discussed in claim 5).
For claim 15 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the reference signal transmission method, wherein the one or more of the plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the first resource pool are transmitted at least one of time division multiplexed or frequency division multiplexed with the one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources (as discussed in claim 6).
For claim 16 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the reference signal transmission method, wherein the control information includes an indication of priority between the first resource pool and the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 7).
For claim 17 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the reference signal transmission method, wherein the reference signal is a first reference signal (as discussed in claim 8), and wherein the reference signal transmission method further comprises:
obtaining, at the first user equipment, a third configuration of a third resource pool that comprises a plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer, the third configuration of the third resource pool being different from the first configuration of the first resource pool and from the second configuration of the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 8); and
transmitting, from the first user equipment, a second reference signal in one or more of the plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the third resource pool based on the control information indicating the one or more of the plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the third resource pool (as discussed in claim 8).
For claim 18 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the reference signal transmission method, wherein the reference signal is a first reference signal and the control information is first control information (as discussed in claim 9), and wherein the reference signal transmission method further comprises:
obtaining, at the first user equipment, a third configuration of a third resource pool that comprises a plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer, the third configuration of the third resource pool being different from the first configuration of the first resource pool and from the second configuration of the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 9);
transmitting, from the first user equipment, second control information in one or more of the plurality of fourth orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the third resource pool, the second control information indicating one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool other than indicated by the first control information (as discussed in claim 9); and
transmitting, from the first user equipment, a second reference signal in the one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool indicated by the second control information (as discussed in claim 9).
For claim 19 Xiao in view of Wei teaches a user equipment comprising:
a transceiver (as discussed in claim 1);
a memory (as discussed in claim 1); and
a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver (as discussed in claim 1), configured to:
obtain a first configuration of a first resource pool that comprises a plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer(as discussed in claim 1);
obtain a second configuration of a second resource pool that comprises a plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer, the second configuration of the second resource pool being different from the first configuration of the first resource pool (as discussed in claim 1);
receive control information via the transceiver in one or more of the plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the first resource pool, the control information indicating one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool (as discussed in claim 1); and
process a signal received via the transceiver in the one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool indicated by the control information (as discussed in claim 1).
For claim 20 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the user equipment of claim 19, wherein the signal comprises a reference signal and to process the signal the processor is configured to measure the reference signal (see Xiao: pages 26-27 lines 34-1 “the UE can measure not only the SL-DMRS in their transmission of interest..”).
For claim 21 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the user equipment of claim 19, wherein:
the control information is first control information (as discussed in claim 1 and claim 20);
the signal comprises second control information indicating one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool for a reference signal (as discussed in claim 1 and claim 20);
to process the signal the processor is configured to decode the signal to determine the second control information (as discussed in claim 1 and claim 20); and
the processor is further configured to measure the reference signal in the one or more third orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources of the second resource pool indicated by the second control information (as discussed in claim 1 and claim 20).
For claim 22 Xiao in view of Wei teaches a network entity comprising:
a transceiver (see Xiao: Fig. 12B “transceiver 1252”);
a memory (see Xiao: Fig. 12B “memory 1258”); and
a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver (see Xiao: Fig. 12B “processor 1250”), configured to:
transmit, via the transceiver to a user equipment, a first configuration of a first resource pool that comprises a plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer (as discussed in claim 1); and
transmit, via the transceiver to the user equipment, a second configuration of a second resource pool that comprises a plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for sidelink signal transfer, the second configuration of the second resource pool being different from the first configuration of the first resource pool (as discussed in claim 1);
wherein:
the first configuration of the first resource pool includes an indication of at least one of the plurality of first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for the user equipment to use for first control information indicating one or more of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources (as discussed in claim 1); or
or
For claim 23 Xiao in view of Wei teaches the network entity, wherein the second configuration of the second resource pool schedules the plurality of transmissions of the reference signal with all of the plurality of transmissions of the reference signal having zero corresponding resources of the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources for the user equipment to use for second control information indicating the location of the reference signal in the plurality of second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing resources (as discussed in claim 1 and an optional design feature).
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David M OVEISSI whose telephone number is (571)270-3127. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8Am-5PM.
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/MANSOUR OVEISSI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415