DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
I. 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 Amendment
II. This action is in response to applicants amendment/arguments filed on June 15, 2026. This action is made FINAL.
Specification
III. The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it is not in the proper format.
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Allowable Subject Matter
IV. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 1 and 12 contain allowable subject matter based on the amendments to the claims (see Amendments to the Claims, pages 2-5) and for the reasons given in applicant arguments/remarks (see Remarks, pages 6-8) received in the June 15, 2026 response to the Non-Final Office Action dated March 13, 2026.
Claims 3, 6-7, 10-11, 14, and 17-18 contain allowable subject matter based on their dependence on independent claims 1 and 12.
Claims 1 and 12 may be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
V. Claims 1, 3, 6-7, 10-12, 14, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “determining, by the first UE, whether to transmit a second SL synchronization signaling, based on the received first SL synchronization signaling” in lines 10-11; “determining whether to transmit the second SL synchronization signaling includes: generating at least one adjusted transmission determination value” in lines 11-13; and “determining whether to transmit the second SL synchronization signaling based further on the at least one adjusted transmission determination value” in lines 17-18.
First, it is unclear whether and/or how “the received first SL synchronization signaling” in lines 10-11 is related to determining whether to transmit a second SL synchronization signaling.
Second, it is unclear what the determination whether to transmit a second SL synchronization signaling is based on because the relationship between the “determining” in lines 10-11; the “determining” in lines 11-13; and the “determining” in lines 17-18 is vague.
The limitations render the claim indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 12 contains similar limitations and is rejected for indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for the same reasons given above regarding claim 12.
Claims 3, 6-7, 10-11, 14, and 17-18 are dependent on claims 1 and 12 and are rejected for indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for the same reasons given above regarding claims 1 and 12.
Conclusion
VI. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON J MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-7869. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison Slater can be reached at 571-270-0375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/BRANDON J MILLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
June 26, 2026
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