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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FUTUREWEI: “Discussion on techniques for inter-UE coordination” (NPL from IDS filed by Applicant on 5/3/24) in view of Wang US 20210194557 in view of Lee US 20220416969
1. An apparatus, comprising:
[[a memory]]; and
a processor (NPL: IUC) coupled to the memory, the processor configured to cause the apparatus to:
determine a latency bound for transmission of a sidelink (“SL”) inter-user equipment (“UE”) coordination report via a medium access control (“MAC”) control element (“CE”) (NPL: page 7, proposal 12 – a latency bound for receive UE sending CSI report is configured);
maintain a report timer for transmitting the inter-UE coordination report via the MAC CE according to the determined latency bound (NPL: page 7, proposal 12 – expect that the receive UE sends the CSI report before the latency bound); and
transmit the inter-UE coordination information via the MAC CE based on the report timer (NPL: page 7, proposal 12 – send coordination information via the MAC CE).
NPL merely discloses the term memory & to maintain the report timer for each pair of a source layer-2 identifier and a destination layer-2 identifier corresponding to a PC5-radio resource control (“RRC”) connection
Wang further teaches the term memory (Wang: fig. 1, [0026] memory 161 stores program instructions and data 164 to control the operations of THE UE)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into NPL’s invention in order to track the latency bound for the transmission of the first CSI report via MAC control element (CE), as taught by Wang.
Lee further teaches wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to maintain the report timer for each pair of a source layer-2 identifier and a destination layer-2 identifier corresponding to a PC5-radio resource control (“RRC”) connection (Lee: [0329] Table 12 - The MAC entity maintains a sl-CSI-ReportTimer for each pair of the Source Layer-2 ID and the Destination Layer-2 ID corresponding to a PC5-RRC connection).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into NPL’s invention in order to control the SL-CSI reporting procedure, as taught by Lee.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latency bound is based on a start time received in a sidelink control information (“SCI”) request for the SL inter-UE coordination report (Wang: fig. 4, unit 421 [0031] a timer).
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latency bound is based on an end time received in a sidelink control information (“SCI”) request for the SL inter-UE coordination report (Wang: fig. 4, unit 442 [0031] the timer expires).
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is preconfigured with the latency bound (Wang: fig. 4, unit 451 [0031] latency bound/ delay budget).
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inter-UE coordination report comprises information indicating a type of inter-UE coordination information that is contained in the inter-UE coordination report (NPL: section 2.1 – three type of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information).
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the MAC CE comprises information indicating the type of inter-UE coordination information included within the MAC CE (NPL: section 2.1 – three type of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information).
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the type of information within the inter-UE coordination report comprises a preferred resource set, a non-preferred resource set, or a combination thereof (NPL: section 2.1 – three types of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information).
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to continue to attempt to transmit the MAC CE comprising the inter-UE coordination information until expiration of the report timer (NPL: page 7, proposal 12; Wang: fig. 4, unit 442 [0031] the timer expires).
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein different types of MAC CEs comprising inter-UE coordination information are used for inter-UE coordination information reporting (NPL: section 2.1 – three type of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information; Wang: [0035] version number of the SL CSI).
Claim(s) 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NPL-Wang-Lee further in view KWON WO 2020050601
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a MAC CE comprises a full inter-UE coordination report format or a [[truncated]] inter-UE coordination report format (NPL: section 2.1 – three types of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information; Wang: fig. 4-5, [0032] generating MAC CE for transmission).
NPL merely discloses the term truncated
KWON further teaches the term truncated (KWON: fig. 8-9 TABLE 10 - SL Truncated BSR format can be configured and reported)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into NPL’s invention in order to include the number of transmission grant bits of an uplink grant can be configured and reported as a SL Truncated BSR format, as taught by KWON.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to include a full inter-UE coordination report in the MAC CE in response to a number of bits in an SL configured grant expected to be equal to or greater than a size of the MAC CE comprising the full inter-UE coordination report and a subheader of the MAC CE (KWON: fig. 8-9 TABLE 10 - SL Truncated BSR format can be configured and reported)
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to multiplex a MAC CE comprising a truncated inter-UE coordination report into a SL configured grant in response to a number of bits in the SL configured grant expected to be less than a size of the MAC CE comprising a full inter-UE coordination report and a subheader of the MAC CE (KWON: fig. 8-9 TABLE 10 - SL Truncated BSR format can be configured and reported)
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to transmit remaining inter-UE coordination report information of a truncated inter-UE coordination report in a subsequent SL transmission in response to SL resources not being sufficient for reporting a full inter-UE coordination report (KWON: fig. 8-9 TABLE 10 - SL Truncated BSR format can be configured and reported)
Regarding claims 15-21, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 1-14, where the difference used is a “method” and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above treated claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FUTUREWEI: “Discussion on techniques for inter-UE coordination” (NPL from IDS filed by Applicant on 5/3/24) in view of Wang US 20210194557 in view of Lee US 20220132355 (hereinafter as Lee(2))
1. An apparatus, comprising:
[[a memory]]; and
a processor (NPL: IUC) coupled to the memory, the processor configured to cause the apparatus to:
determine a latency bound for transmission of a sidelink (“SL”) inter-user equipment (“UE”) coordination report via a medium access control (“MAC”) control element (“CE”) (NPL: page 7, proposal 12 – a latency bound for receive UE sending CSI report is configured);
maintain a report timer for transmitting the inter-UE coordination report via the MAC CE according to the determined latency bound (NPL: page 7, proposal 12 – expect that the receive UE sends the CSI report before the latency bound); and
transmit the inter-UE coordination information via the MAC CE based on the report timer (NPL: page 7, proposal 12 – send coordination information via the MAC CE).
NPL merely discloses the term memory & to maintain the report timer for each pair of a source layer-2 identifier and a destination layer-2 identifier corresponding to a PC5-radio resource control (“RRC”) connection
Wang further teaches the term memory (Wang: fig. 1, [0026] memory 161 stores program instructions and data 164 to control the operations of THE UE)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into NPL’s invention in order to track the latency bound for the transmission of the first CSI report via MAC control element (CE), as taught by Wang.
Lee(2) further teaches wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to maintain the report timer for each pair of a source layer-2 identifier and a destination layer-2 identifier corresponding to a PC5-radio resource control (“RRC”) connection (Lee: [0290, 0372] The MAC entity maintains a sl-CSI-ReportTimer for each pair of the Source Layer-2 ID and the Destination Layer-2 ID corresponding to a PC5-RRC connection).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into NPL’s invention in order to control the SL CSI reporting for each pair of the Source Layer-2 ID and the Destination Layer-2 ID and to trigger SL CSI reporting procedure that are need to be cancelled for saving resources, as taught by Lee(2).
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latency bound is based on a start time received in a sidelink control information (“SCI”) request for the SL inter-UE coordination report (Wang: fig. 4, unit 421 [0031] a timer).
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latency bound is based on an end time received in a sidelink control information (“SCI”) request for the SL inter-UE coordination report (Wang: fig. 4, unit 442 [0031] the timer expires).
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is preconfigured with the latency bound (Wang: fig. 4, unit 451 [0031] latency bound/ delay budget).
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inter-UE coordination report comprises information indicating a type of inter-UE coordination information that is contained in the inter-UE coordination report (NPL: section 2.1 – three type of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information).
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the MAC CE comprises information indicating the type of inter-UE coordination information included within the MAC CE (NPL: section 2.1 – three type of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information).
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the type of information within the inter-UE coordination report comprises a preferred resource set, a non-preferred resource set, or a combination thereof (NPL: section 2.1 – three type of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information).
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to continue to attempt to transmit the MAC CE comprising the inter-UE coordination information until expiration of the report timer (NPL: page 7, proposal 12; Wang: fig. 4, unit 442 [0031] the timer expires).
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein different types of MAC CEs comprising inter-UE coordination information are used for inter-UE coordination information reporting (NPL: section 2.1 – three type of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information; Wang: [0035] version number of the SL CSI).
Claim(s) 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NPL-Wang-Lee(2) further in view KWON WO 2020050601
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a MAC CE comprises a full inter-UE coordination report format or a [[truncated]] inter-UE coordination report format (NPL: section 2.1 – three type of “a set of resources” for inter-UE coordination information; Wang: fig. 4-5, [0032] generating MAC CE for transmission).
NPL merely discloses the term truncated
KWON further teaches the term truncated (KWON: fig. 8-9 TABLE 10 - SL Truncated BSR format can be configured and reported)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above recited limitation into NPL’s invention in order to include the number of transmission grant bits of an uplink grant can be configured and reported as a SL Truncated BSR format, as taught by KWON.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to include a full inter-UE coordination report in the MAC CE in response to a number of bits in an SL configured grant expected to be equal to or greater than a size of the MAC CE comprising the full inter-UE coordination report and a subheader of the MAC CE (KWON: fig. 8-9 TABLE 10 - SL Truncated BSR format can be configured and reported)
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to multiplex a MAC CE comprising a truncated inter-UE coordination report into a SL configured grant in response to a number of bits in the SL configured grant expected to be less than a size of the MAC CE comprising a full inter-UE coordination report and a subheader of the MAC CE (KWON: fig. 8-9 TABLE 10 - SL Truncated BSR format can be configured and reported)
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to transmit remaining inter-UE coordination report information of a truncated inter-UE coordination report in a subsequent SL transmission in response to SL resources not being sufficient for reporting a full inter-UE coordination report (KWON: fig. 8-9 TABLE 10 - SL Truncated BSR format can be configured and reported)
Regarding claims 15-21, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 1-14, where the difference used is a “method” and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above treated claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sulaiman Nooristany whose telephone number is (571) 270-1929. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 9 to 5. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Jeffrey Rutkowski, can be reached on (571) 270-1215. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/SULAIMAN NOORISTANY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415
Prosecution Insights