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
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 11, 17-18 and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ye (US 20210250136).
With respect to independent claims:
Regarding claim(s) 1/11/17/18/21/22, Ye teaches A method for feedback information transmission, performed by a first terminal ([0064 and Fig.5]. “the UE 110 transmits HARQ feedback on the determined PSFCH resources to the transmitting device.”), comprising:
determining ([0063], “the UE 110 determines candidate PSFCH resources ...The candidate PSFCH is a set of physical resource blocks (PRBs) that may be used to provide the HARQ feedback to the transmitting device.”) M physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) time-frequency domain resources ([0063], “a set of physical resource blocks (PRBs)”) corresponding to a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) ([0063], “the candidate PSFCH resources are determined based on the starting subchannel and slot used for the PSSCH.”), where the M is an integer greater than 1 ([0063], “a set of physical resource blocks (PRBs)” which has multiple of PRBs.);
determining a target PSFCH for transmitting hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) information ([0063], “the UE 110 determines candidate PSFCH resources ...The candidate PSFCH is a set of physical resource blocks (PRBs) that may be used to provide the HARQ feedback to the transmitting device.”) corresponding to the PSSCH ([0063], “the candidate PSFCH resources are determined based on the starting subchannel and slot used for the PSSCH.”); and
transmitting the HARQ information on the target PSFCH ([0064], “the UE 110 transmits HARQ feedback on the determined PSFCH resources to the transmitting device.”).
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) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye in view of Yang (US 20220322363).
Regarding claim(s) 2, Ye teaches determining the M PSFCH time-frequency domain resources corresponding to the PSSCH according to a sub-channel number of the PSSCH, a time unit number of the PSSCH ([0063], “the candidate PSFCH resources are determined based on the starting subchannel and slot used for the PSSCH.”).
However, Ye does not specifically disclose a mapping parameter between the PSSCH and the PSFCH, where the mapping parameter is M.
In an analogous art, Yang discloses determining the M PSFCH time-frequency domain resources corresponding to the PSSCH ([0106 and Fig.8], “HARQ feedback associated with the sidelink communication may be received on a PRB of a set of PRBs of the PSFCH resources that correspond to the PSSCH resource.”) according to a sub-channel number of the PSSCH ([0106], “Each of the PSSCH resources 810 may be represented by a respective PSSCH resource index, which can be expressed as (i, j), where ... j ranges from 0 to 9 due to 10 subchannels.”), a time unit number of the PSSCH ([0106], “Each of the PSSCH resources 810 may be represented by a respective PSSCH resource index, which can be expressed as (i, j), where i ranges from 0 to 3 due to 4 slots.”), and a mapping parameter between the PSSCH and the PSFCH ([0106], “if the transmitting wireless device transmits a sidelink communication on the PSSCH resource 812, HARQ feedback associated with the sidelink communication may be received on at least one of the PRBs 862 of the PSFCH resources 860.”), where the mapping parameter is M ([0106], “if the transmitting wireless device transmits a sidelink communication on the PSSCH resource 812, HARQ feedback associated with the sidelink communication may be received on at least one of the PRBs 862 of the PSFCH resources 860.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Ye to specify mapping between PSSCH and PSFCH as taught by Yang. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to transmit HARQ on the corresponding PSFCH.
Regarding claim(s) 3, Ye teaches wherein the time unit number is a slot number ([0063], “the candidate PSFCH resources are determined based on the starting subchannel and slot used for the PSSCH.”).
Claim(s) 4-6 10 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye in view of Yang (US 20210314921), hereinafter Yang2.
Regarding claim(s) 4, Yang2 teaches determining a preset duration ([0077], “the configuration information of the PSFCH may alternatively indicate a length of a time window.”); and
determining a number of the PSFCH time-frequency domain resources corresponding to the PSSCH is M ([0077], “the configuration information of the PSFCH may alternatively indicate a length of a time window and a start position of the time window, to configure a candidate time domain resource of the PSFCH.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Ye to specify length of time window as taught by Yang2. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to configure a candidate time domain resource of the PSFCH.
Regarding claim(s) 5, Yang2 teaches determining a position of a first of the PSFCH time-frequency domain resources corresponding to the PSSCH ([0076], “The first user equipment 101 may indicate a start point position of the PSFCH in the time window by using a bitmap.”); and
determining the M PSFCH time-frequency domain resources corresponding to the PSSCH ([0077], “the configuration information of the PSFCH may alternatively indicate a length of a time window and a start position of the time window, to configure a candidate time domain resource of the PSFCH.”) according to the position of the first of the PSFCH time-frequency domain resources ([0077], “the start position of the time window is 5.”), the preset duration ([0077], “if the length M of the time window is two slots.”) and the number M, wherein the preset duration is a time interval between two adjacent PSFCH time-frequency domain resources in the M PSFCH time-frequency domain resources ([0077] and Fig.6], “if the length M of the time window is two slots, and the start position of the time window is 5, it may indicate that start points in the fifth slot and the sixth slot.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Ye to specify length of time window as taught by Yang2. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to configure a candidate time domain resource of the PSFCH.
Regarding claim(s) 6, Yang2 teaches wherein the preset duration is an integer multiple of a PSFCH resource period ([0077], “the length M of the time window is two slots.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Ye to specify length of time window as taught by Yang2. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to configure a candidate time domain resource of the PSFCH.
Regarding claim(s) 10/14, Yang2 teaches wherein different codebooks correspond to different pieces of HARQ information corresponding to the PSSCHs ([0073], “the quantity of codebooks of the feedback control information may indicate a quantity of HARQ-ACK or HARQ-NACK codebooks that the second user equipment needs to feed back to the first user equipment.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Ye to specify quantity of codebooks as taught by Yang2. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to determine quantity of HARQ-ACK.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye in view of Zhao (US 20230069882).
Regarding claim(s) 7, Zhao teaches wherein determining the target PSFCH for transmitting the HARQ information corresponding to the PSSCH comprises:
performing a listen before talk (LBT) on M PSFCHs one by one ([0116], “the receiving terminal may perform LBT in slot 2.”); and
in response to the LBT on an Nth PSFCH being successful, determining the Nth PSFCH is the target PSFCH, where N is an integer greater than 1 and less than or equal to M ([0116], “the receiving terminal may perform LBT in slot 2, and if the LBT is successful, the PSFCH may be transmitted. In this case, the PSFCH for the PSSCH may not be transmitted in slot 3. If the LBT in slot 2 is failed, the LBT may be performed in slot 3, and if the LBT in slot 3 is successful, the PSFCH for the PSSCH may be transmitted in slot 3.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Ye to specify LBT as taught by Zhao. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to determine a PSFCH resource for transmitting a feedback.
Claim(s) 8, 12 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye in view of Yang, and further in view of Guo (US 20230389100).
Regarding claim(s) 8/12/23, Yang teaches wherein different PSFCH frequency domain resources corresponding to different PSSCHs on a same slot ([Fig.8 and 0106], “PSSCH resources 810 span over 10 subchannels ... Each of the PSSCH resources 810 may be represented by a respective PSSCH resource index, which can be expressed as (i, j) ... j ranges from 0 to 9 due to 10 subchannels.” Each of the 10 subchannels are located in a same time slot.) are determined based on frequency division multiplexing (FDM) ([0086], “The PSSCH 408 may be ... frequency-division multiplexed (FDMed) with the PSCCH 406.”), the different PSFCH frequency domain resources corresponding to the different PSSCHs are indicated by means of a physical resource block (PRB) set on a frequency domain ([0106 and Fig.8], “Each of the PSSCH resources 810 may be represented by a respective PSSCH resource index, which can be expressed as (i, j), where i ranges from 0 to 3 due to 4 slots and j ranges from 0 to 9 due to 10 subchannels ... Each of the PSSCH resources 810 may be mapped to a corresponding set of PRBs of the PSFCH resources 860.”).
However, the combination of Ye and Yang does not teach the PRB set is indicated by a bitmap.
In an analogous art, Guo teaches the PRB set is indicated by a bitmap ([0075], “The number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) used for the PSFCH may be configured, such as by a bitmap.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Ye to specify bitmap as taught by Guo. The motivation/suggestion would have been because there is a need to indicate PRB resources for PSFCH.
Claim(s) 9, 13 and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye in view of Yang, and further in view of Lee (US 20210391951).
Regarding claim(s) 9/13/24, Lee teaches wherein a basic sequence transmitted on the PSFCH adopts a cyclic shift to distinguish pieces of HARQ information for a plurality of PSSCHs, transmission of which on the same PSFCH time- frequency domain resource is supported, and different cyclic shift values correspond to different pieces of HARQ information for the plurality of PSSCHs ([0206], “at least one HARQ feedback for the PSSCH may be received by the first apparatus based on M PSFCH PRB sets, the at least one HARQ feedback may include the first HARQ feedback, at least one PSFCH PRB set based on different CS values may be configured on the M PSFCH PRB sets.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to have modified the method of Ye to specify different cyclic shift as taught by Lee. The motivation/suggestion would have been because remaining part of the at least one HARQ feedback may be distinguished within the M PSFCH PRB sets.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIREN QIN whose telephone number is (571)272-5444. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9-6 PM.
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/ZHIREN QIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2411