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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 – 3, 7, 9 – 12, 15 – 17 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Luo et al. (Pub. No.: US 2024/0080866; hereinafter Luo).
Regarding claim 1, Luo discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a first user equipment (UE), comprising: memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory (see Fig. 4, UE40 includes a processor 401 and memory 402) and configured to: configure an inter-UE coordination message associated with sidelink communication with a second UE, the inter-UE coordination message indicating one or more resources for the sidelink communication (see para. 0243,… a UE (e.g., referred to as UE A) may transmit an “inter-UE coordination message” to one or more other UEs. The “inter-UE coordination message” may carry (or indicate) one or more resource sets, and each resource set may be referred to as a “coordination resource set”); transmit, to the second UE, the inter-UE coordination message via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC-CE) (see para. 0247, the inter-UE coordination message may be carried in a MAC CE), the MAC-CE being associated with a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) (see para. 0250, associated with the PSSCH in which a MAC CE carrying the inter-UE coordination message); and transmit, to the second UE, or receive, from the second UE, the sidelink communication via a first resource of the one or more resources (see para. 0002, 0153, 0164, 0183, UE determines a resource for SL transmission and UE performing an SL transmission operation autonomously determines a resource for SL transmission).
Regarding claim 2, Luo discloses wherein the inter-UE coordination message is configured based on at least one traffic condition with the second UE (see para. 0244, …if UE A detects that resources respectively indicated (or reserved, or allocated) by UE B1 and UE B2 conflict with each other, UE A may transmit an inter-UE coordination message to indicate the presence of conflicting resources).
Regarding claim 3, Luo discloses wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further configured to: encode a transport block (TB) associated with the MAC-CE including the inter-UE coordination message (see para. 0224, 0243, 0247, a transport block is associated to MAC-CE including the inter-UE coordination message).
Regarding claim 7, Luo discloses wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further configured to: transmit, to the second UE, second stage sidelink control information (SCI) (SCI-2) comprising a destination identifier (ID) or a source ID (see para. 0193 – 0194, destination ID or source ID).
Regarding claim 9, Luo discloses wherein the destination ID is a broadcast destination ID (see par. 0154, 0194, destination ID may be configured for broadcast).
Regarding claim 10, Luo discloses wherein the source ID is a layer 1 source ID of the second UE (see para. 0193, a source layer-1 identifier) or a layer 2 source ID of the second UE.
Regarding claim 11, Luo discloses wherein the destination ID is a configured destination ID (see para. 0194, destination ID is configured).
Regarding claim 12, Luo discloses wherein the SCI-2 comprises a cast type indication indicating one of unicast, broadcast, or groupcast (see para. 0201, a cast type (e.g., unicast, groupcast, or broadcast) determined according to SCI (ex: SCI-2)).
Regarding claim 15, Luo discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a second user equipment (UE), comprising: memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory (see Fig. 4, UE40 includes a processor 401 and memory 402) and configured to: receive, from a first UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC-CE), an inter-UE coordination message associated with sidelink communication with the first UE (see para. 0247, the inter-UE coordination message may be carried in a MAC CE), the MAC-CE being associated with a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) (see para. 0250, associated with the PSSCH in which a MAC CE carrying the inter-UE coordination message), the inter-UE coordination message indicating one or more resources for the sidelink communication; select a first resource of the one or more resources for the sidelink communication based on the inter-UE coordination message (see para. 0243,… a UE (e.g., referred to as UE A) may transmit an “inter-UE coordination message” to one or more other UEs. The “inter-UE coordination message” may carry (or indicate) one or more resource sets, and each resource set may be referred to as a “coordination resource set”); and transmit, to the first UE, or receive, from the first UE, the sidelink communication via the selected first resource (see para. 0002, 0153, 0164, 0183, UE determines a resource for SL transmission and UE performing an SL transmission operation autonomously determines a resource for SL transmission).
Regarding claim 16, Luo discloses wherein the one or more resources include at least one of a suitable resource or an unsuitable resource, and wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further configured to: exclude at least one resource of the one or more resources, wherein the at least one resource is the unsuitable resource (see para. 0218 – 0219, unavailable resources include a resource that cannot be used to perform SL transmission on the UE due to the limit of the transmission capability of the UE).
Regarding claim 17, Luo discloses wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further configured to: decode a transport block (TB) associated with the MAC-CE including the inter-UE coordination message (see para. 0224, 0243, 0247, a transport block is associated to MAC-CE including the inter-UE coordination message and it can be decoded).
Regarding claim 29, Luo discloses a method of wireless communication at a first user equipment (UE) (see Fig. 4, UE40), comprising: configuring an inter-UE coordination message associated with sidelink communication with a second UE, the inter-UE coordination message indicating one or more resources for the sidelink communication (see para. 0243,… a UE (e.g., referred to as UE A) may transmit an “inter-UE coordination message” to one or more other UEs. The “inter-UE coordination message” may carry (or indicate) one or more resource sets, and each resource set may be referred to as a “coordination resource set”); transmitting, to the second UE, the inter-UE coordination message via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC-CE) (see para. 0247, the inter-UE coordination message may be carried in a MAC CE), the MAC-CE being associated with a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) (see para. 0250, associated with the PSSCH in which a MAC CE carrying the inter-UE coordination message); and transmitting, to the second UE, or receiving, from the second UE, the sidelink communication via a first resource of the one or more resources (see para. 0002, 0153, 0164, 0183, UE determines a resource for SL transmission and UE performing an SL transmission operation autonomously determines a resource for SL transmission).
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 4 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo et al. (Pub. No.: US 2024/0080866; hereinafter Luo) in view of Hong et al. (Pub. No.: US 2024/0244586; hereinafter Hong).
Luo does not disclose the claimed features as recited in claims 4 and 18.
Regarding claim 4, Hong discloses wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further configured to: transmit, to the second UE, first stage sidelink control information (SCI) (SCI-1) comprising an indication of the inter-UE coordination message (see para. 0098, The first signaling message (e.g. first-stage SCI and/or second-stage SCI) may include a providing/requesting indicator indicating provision of or request for inter-UE coordination information).
Regarding claim 18, Hong discloses wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further configured to: receive, from the first UE, first stage sidelink control information (SCI) (SCI-1) comprising an indication of the inter-UE coordination message (see para. 0098, The first signaling message (e.g. first-stage SCI and/or second-stage SCI) may include a providing/requesting indicator indicating provision of or request for inter-UE coordination information).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Luo, and have the features, as taught by Hong, in order to efficiently perform inter-UE coordination operations and improve the performance of the communication system, as discussed by Hong (para. 0028).
Claim 5 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo et al. (Pub. No.: US 2024/0080866; hereinafter Luo) in view of Hong et al. (Pub. No.: US 2024/0244586; hereinafter Hong) and further in view of Lee et al. (Pub. No.: US 2022/0158804; hereinafter Lee).
Luo and Hong do not disclose the claimed features as recited in claim 5.
Regarding claim 5, Lee discloses wherein the MAC-CE further comprises an identifier (ID) associated with the second UE (see para. 0121, the destination ID related to the second UE in a MAC CE).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Luo and Hong, and have the features, as taught by Lee, in order to provide for sidelink (SL) communication in which a direct link is established between User Equipments (UEs) and the UEs exchange voice and data directly with each other without intervention of an evolved Node B (eNB), as discussed by Lee (para. 0002), as a solution to the overhead of an eNB.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo et al. (Pub. No.: US 2024/0080866; hereinafter Luo) in view of Luo (Pub. No.: US 2024/0172188; hereinafter Luo’0172188).
Luo does not disclose the claimed features as recited in claim 8.
Regarding claim 8, Luo’0172188 discloses wherein the destination ID is a layer 1 source ID of the second UE or a layer 2 source ID of the second UE (see para. 0213, the “destination layer-2 identifier” indicates a source layer-2 identifier of the UE).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Luo, and have the features, as taught by Luo’0172188, to set a suitable filtering condition in the process of determining an inter-UE coordination resource set, so as to reduce SCIs that need to be analyzed and processed, as discussed by Luo’0172188 (para. 0013).
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo et al. (Pub. No.: US 2024/0080866; hereinafter Luo) in view of Polehn et al. (Pub. No.: US 2016/0330736; hereinafter Polehn).
Luo does not disclose the claimed features as recited in claims 13 and 14.
Regarding claim 13, Polehn discloses wherein the MAC-CE is piggybacked with at least one data packet (see para. 0040, The MAC control elements 482.1-2 enable control information to be piggybacked with data transmission).
Regarding claim 14, Polehn discloses further comprising a transceiver coupled to the at least one processor, and wherein the at least one data packet is a MAC sub-protocol data unit (SDU) (see Fig. 1, para. 0021, UE 130 includes at least a radio transmitter/receiver and a processor, para. 0040, MAC service data units (SDUs) 483.1-N…The MAC header 481 includes multiple sub-headers for each control element or logical channel SDU).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Luo, and have the features, as taught by Polehn, in order to provide for a useful scheme for reducing noise in environments with multiple RRHs, as discussed by Polehn (para. 0015).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 19 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Anh Ngoc M Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 270-5139. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
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/ANH NGOC M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473