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
Claims 1-13 and 27-33 are currently pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/20/2024 was filed before the mailing of a first Office action on the merits. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97(b). Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner
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)(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, 8 and 27-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sun et al. (US 2021/0092783 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Sun discloses a method for sharing a channel occupancy time (COT), applied to a sidelink unlicensed frequency band performed by a first terminal device, wherein the method comprises: sending first shared COT information to a second terminal device (Paragraph 0058, 0062 disclose to communicate sidelink communications over an unlicensed band, a UE 115 may contend for a COT in the unlicensed band. The UE 115 may communicate sidelink communication with another UE 115 in the unlicensed band during the COT. Further Paragraph 0062 disclose a UE (e.g., the UEs 115 and/or 215) may contend for a COT in a shared radio frequency band or an unlicensed band for sidelink communication with another UE (e.g., the UEs 115 and/or 215) over a sidelink (e.g., the sidelinks 251 and 252) and may communicate the sidelink communication using a frequency interlaced waveform).
Regarding claim 27, claim 27 comprises substantially similar limitations as claimed above in claim 1, Sun discloses a first terminal device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory has a computer program stored thereon, and the processor (UE 400 comprising a processor and a memory, Fig. 4, elements 402, 404) is configured to perform the steps of claim 1.
Regarding claim 29, Sun discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having instructions stored thereon, wherein when executed, the instructions cause a processor (UE 400 comprising a processor and a memory, Fig. 4, elements 402, 404) to perform the steps of claim 1.
Regarding claim 8, Sun discloses a method for sharing a channel occupancy time (COT), applied to a sidelink unlicensed frequency band performed by a second terminal device, wherein the method comprises:
receiving first shared COT information (Paragraph 0058, 0062 disclose to communicate sidelink communications over an unlicensed band, a UE 115 may contend for a COT in the unlicensed band. The UE 115 may communicate sidelink communication with another UE 115 in the unlicensed band during the COT. Further Paragraph 0062 disclose a UE (e.g., the UEs 115 and/or 215) may contend for a COT in a shared radio frequency band or an unlicensed band for sidelink communication with another UE (e.g., the UEs 115 and/or 215) over a sidelink (e.g., the sidelinks 251 and 252) and may communicate the sidelink communication using a frequency interlaced waveform);
determining second shared COT information (Fig. 12, step 1210, discloses monitoring, by UE (e.g., the UEs 115, 215, 400, 615, 715, and/or 1015), for sidelink COT sharing information in a shared radio frequency band (e.g., the frequency band 302));
and sending second shared COT information to a third terminal device (Fig. 12, step 1220-1230 discloses receiving, by the UE from a second UE (e.g., the UEs 115, 215, 400, 615, 715, and/or 1015), the sidelink COT sharing information associated with a COT (e.g., the COTs 320, 602, 702, and/or 1002) based on the monitoring. The sidelink COT sharing information associated with a COT based on the monitoring; and transmitting, by the UE to a third UE, a sidelink in the shared radio frequency band during the COT based on the COT sharing information).
Regarding claim 28, Sun discloses a second terminal device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory has a computer program stored thereon, and the processor (UE 400 comprising a processor and a memory, Fig. 4, elements 402, 404) is configured to perform the steps as disclosed above in claim 8
Regarding claim 30, Sun discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having instructions stored thereon, wherein when executed, the instructions cause a processor (UE 400 comprising a processor and a memory, Fig. 4, elements 402, 404) to perform the steps of claim 8.
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 2, 9 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (US 2021/0092783 A1) in view of Iyer et al. (US 2022/0287093 A1).
Regarding claims 2 and 31, Sun discloses wherein the first shared COT information comprises at least one of: a first remained length of a first shared COT (Paragraph 0106 discloses the UE 715a may additionally include sidelink COT sharing SCI 740 in the PSCCH communication 712. In some aspects, the SCI 740 may indicate remaining unused time resources (e.g., the period 706) in the COT 702 so that other sidelink UE(s) (e.g., a UE 715c) monitoring for the sidelink COT sharing SCI 740 may opportunistically join the COT 702 and utilize the remaining unused time period 706 in the COT 702 for sidelink transmission. In this regard, the UE 715a may include in the SCI 740, timing information associated with the unoccupied time period 706. In this regard, the UE 715a may include in the SCI 740, a transmission end time 760 (e.g., a time T1) of the PSSCH communication 710, a starting time (e.g., a time T2) when sharing of the COT 702 may start UE may join the COT 702 (e.g., T2), and/or an end time 762 (e.g., a time T6) of the COT 702); information associated with a channel access priority class (CAPC), and where the transmitting is based on the CAPC).
Sun does not explicitly disclose a COT identifier.
In an analogous art, Iyer discloses a COT identifier (0256 discloses COT-RNTI)
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 Iyer to the system of Sun to provide a method for obtaining channel access in a network and method also includes a step of obtaining, a directional channel occupancy time (COT) in the channel in a direction of the selected spatial filter (Abstract, Iyer).
Regarding claim 9, Sun discloses wherein the second shared COT information comprises at least one of: a second remained length of a second shared COT (Paragraph 0106 discloses the UE 715a may additionally include sidelink COT sharing SCI 740 in the PSCCH communication 712. In some aspects, the SCI 740 may indicate remaining unused time resources (e.g., the period 706) in the COT 702 so that other sidelink UE(s) (e.g., a UE 715c) monitoring for the sidelink COT sharing SCI 740 may opportunistically join the COT 702 and utilize the remaining unused time period 706 in the COT 702 for sidelink transmission. In this regard, the UE 715a may include in the SCI 740, timing information associated with the unoccupied time period 706. In this regard, the UE 715a may include in the SCI 740, a transmission end time 760 (e.g., a time T1) of the PSSCH communication 710, a starting time (e.g., a time T2) when sharing of the COT 702 may start UE may join the COT 702 (e.g., T2), and/or an end time 762 (e.g., a time T6) of the COT 702); information associated with a channel access priority class (CAPC), and where the transmitting is based on the CAPC).
Sun does not explicitly disclose a COT identifier.
In an analogous art, Iyer discloses a COT identifier (0256 discloses COT-RNTI)
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 Iyer to the system of Sun to provide a method for obtaining channel access in a network and method also includes a step of obtaining, a directional channel occupancy time (COT) in the channel in a direction of the selected spatial filter (Abstract, Iyer).
Claims 7 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (US 2021/0092783 A1) in view of Stefanatos et al. (US 2023/0262756 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Sun discloses wherein sending the first shared COT information to the second terminal device comprises one of: sending first-stage sidelink control information (SCI) to the second terminal device through a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), wherein the first-stage SCI comprises the first shared COT information (the UE include sidelink COT sharing SCI in the PSCCH communication, [0106] and [0037] and [0111] and [0083] and [0097] and [0099]); sending second-stage SCI to the second terminal device through a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), wherein the second-stage SCI comprises the first shared COT information (UE may include in the SCI 740, a transmission end time 760 (e.g., a time T1) of the PSSCH communication 710, a starting time (e.g., a time T2) when sharing of the COT may start UE may join the COT, and/or an end time of the COT, [0106] and [0037] and [0111]); sending the first shared COT information to the second terminal device through a symbol other than the PSCCH (Paragraph 0036, 0071, 0078, 0079); sending the first shared COT information to the second terminal device through a symbol other than the PSSCH (paragraph 0036, 0071, 0078, 0079).
Sun does not discloses sending the first shared COT information to the second terminal device through a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE).
In an analogous art, Stefanatos discloses sending the first shared COT information to the second terminal device through a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (Paragraph 0076 discloses the second UE 120-2 and/or one or more other UEs via signaling (e.g., radio resource control (RRC) signaling, downlink control information (DCI), SCI, and/or a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE)).
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 Stefanatos to the system of Sun to provide a wireless communication and to techniques and apparatuses for limiting spatial range of channel occupancy sharing in unlicensed spectrum via hop counting (Abstract, Stefanatos).
Regarding claim 13, Sun discloses wherein sending the second shared COT information to the third terminal device comprises one of: sending first-stage sidelink control information (SCI) to the third terminal device through a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), wherein the first-stage SCI comprises the second shared COT information (the UE include sidelink COT sharing SCI in the PSCCH communication, [0106] and [0037] and [0111] and [0083] and [0097] and [0099]); sending second-stage SCI to the third terminal device through a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), wherein the second-stage SCI comprises the second shared COT information (UE may include in the SCI 740, a transmission end time 760 (e.g., a time T1) of the PSSCH communication 710, a starting time (e.g., a time T2) when sharing of the COT may start UE may join the COT, and/or an end time of the COT, [0106] and [0037] and [0111]); sending the second shared COT information to the third terminal device through a symbol other than the PSCCH (Paragraph 0036, 0071, 0078, 0079); sending the second shared COT information to the third terminal device through a symbol other than the PSSCH (paragraph 0036, 0071, 0078, 0079).
Sun does not discloses sending the second shared COT information to the third terminal device through a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE).
In an analogous art, Stefanatos discloses sending the second shared COT information to the third terminal device through a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (Paragraph 0076 discloses the second UE 120-2 and/or one or more other UEs via signaling (e.g., radio resource control (RRC) signaling, downlink control information (DCI), SCI, and/or a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE)).
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 Stefanatos to the system of Sun to provide a wireless communication and to techniques and apparatuses for limiting spatial range of channel occupancy sharing in unlicensed spectrum via hop counting (Abstract, Stefanatos).
Claims 3, 10, 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (US 2021/0092783 A1) in view of Moon et al. (US 2020/0280971 A1).
Regarding claims 3 and 32, Sun does not explicitly disclose the mechanism of claims 3 and 32.
In an analogous art, Moon discloses determining a total length of the first shared COT (Paragraph 0201 discloses determining total length of COT); determining a first number of slots and a second number of time slots (Paragraph 0130 discloses he terminal may perform a PDCCH monitoring operation for a relatively large number of PDCCH candidates in a period (e.g., the first slot of the downlink transmission burst) within the COT, and may perform a PDCCH monitoring operation for a relatively small number of PDCCH candidates in another period (e.g., the remaining slot(s) except the first slot of the downlink transmission burst) within the COT. Accordingly, the terminal may reduce power consumption due to the PDCCH monitoring operation by obtaining the configuration information of the COT from the base station) and determining the first remained length of the first shared COT based on the total length of the first shared COT (Paragraph 0201 discloses determining total length of COT); wherein the first number of slots is a number of slots occupied by the first terminal device for data transmission and the second number of slots is a number of slots occupied by the second terminal device for data transmission (Paragraph 0201 discloses determining total length of COT. The ending time points of the COT for one or more LBT subbands or channels, the length of the COT (e.g., the total length of the COT, the remaining duration of the COT), etc. may be represented by one or common control information. The one or common control information may be signaled to the terminal by the above-described method. When information indicating the remaining duration of the COT is received, the terminal may derive the ending time point of the COT based on a reception time point (e.g., one symbol among symbol(s) in which the DCI is received, a slot in which the DCI is received, the first symbol of the slot in which the DCI is received, etc.) of the configuration information of the COT).
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 Moon to the system of Sun to provide a transmitting and receiving control information for channel access and occupation in a communication system supporting an unlicensed band (Abstract).
Regarding claim 10, Sun does not explicitly disclose the mechanism of claim 10.
In an analogous art, Moon discloses determining a first remained length of a first shared COT (Paragraph 0201 discloses determining total length of COT); determining a second number of time slots (Paragraph 0130 discloses he terminal may perform a PDCCH monitoring operation for a relatively large number of PDCCH candidates in a period (e.g., the first slot of the downlink transmission burst) within the COT, and may perform a PDCCH monitoring operation for a relatively small number of PDCCH candidates in another period (e.g., the remaining slot(s) except the first slot of the downlink transmission burst) within the COT. Accordingly, the terminal may reduce power consumption due to the PDCCH monitoring operation by obtaining the configuration information of the COT from the base station) and determining the second remained length of the second shared COT based on the first shared COT (Paragraph 0201 discloses determining total length of COT); wherein the second number of slots is a number of slots occupied by the second terminal device for data transmission (Paragraph 0201 discloses determining total length of COT. The ending time points of the COT for one or more LBT subbands or channels, the length of the COT (e.g., the total length of the COT, the remaining duration of the COT), etc. may be represented by one or common control information. The one or common control information may be signaled to the terminal by the above-described method. When information indicating the remaining duration of the COT is received, the terminal may derive the ending time point of the COT based on a reception time point (e.g., one symbol among symbol(s) in which the DCI is received, a slot in which the DCI is received, the first symbol of the slot in which the DCI is received, etc.) of the configuration information of the COT).
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 Moon to the system of Sun to provide a transmitting and receiving control information for channel access and occupation in a communication system supporting an unlicensed band (Abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 11-12, 33 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:
Li et al. (US 2023/0413325) disclosing resource allocation for channel occupancy time sharing in mode two sidelink communication (abstract)
Liu et al. (US 2023/0362988) disclosing a method of wireless communication performed by a first wireless communication device may maintain a COT in a shared frequency band during at least one PSFCH (abstract)
Jeon et al. (US 2023/0354425) disclosing a first wireless device may receive from a second wireless device, COT sharing information indication indicating a COT duration (abstract).
Moon et al. (US 2023/0354275 A1) discloses initiating a first COT in at least one first FFP among the first FFPs indicated by the first configuration information; and determining, according to a pre-defined rule, one COT between the first COT and a second COT which is initiated by the base station in at least one second FFP among the second FFPs. (abstract).
Xu (US 2022/0078845 A1) discloses generate Channel Occupy Time COT sharing indication information including time frequency resources used by other user equipment when the user equipment performs shares COT with the other user equipment; and transmit the COT sharing indication information to the other user equipment (abstract)
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/ROMANI OHRI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413