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 .
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.
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.
Claim(s) 27 and 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Guo (US 2024/0205977)
Regarding Claim 27 and 34, Guo teaches a method, comprising:
determining, by a third user equipment, information identifying at least one selected sidelink resource for use in sidelink operations with a fourth user equipment in a sidelink communication network (¶ [0067], see specifically multiple sidelink control informations. Examiner’s Note: Note the language one or more second UE’s.);
identifying a resource conflict of the at least one selected sidelink resource with at least one sidelink data transmission from a first user equipment to a second user equipment of the sidelink communication network (¶ [0067], see specifically potential collisions); and
based on the determining, providing signalling to at least one of the first user equipment or the fourth user equipment to avoid the resource conflict (¶ [0067], see specifically pre-collision indication.)
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claim(s) 28-46 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo (US 2024/0205977) in view of Hassan (US 2025/0016806).
Regarding Claim 28 and 35, Guo fails to explicitly teach the information comprises a sidelink positioning reference signal configuration and reservation.
Hassan from the same or similar field of endeavor teach the information comprises a sidelink positioning reference signal configuration and reservation (¶ [0054] – [0057 and figures 3 and 4, see specifically collision of SPRS).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications at the time of the filing of the invention to prevent the collision of resources using the indications of Guo when transmitting positioning referencing signals.
The motivation is that Guo is geared to preventing collisions, rather than correcting them after the fact, and the system of Hassan would similarly benefit from doing so.
Regarding Claim 29 and 36, Guo fails to explicitly teach the signalling comprises one of a skip pre-emption indication or signalling to the first user equipment or a frequency offset indication to the fourth user equipment.
Hassan from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches the signalling comprises one of a skip pre-emption indication or signalling to the first user equipment or a frequency offset indication to the fourth user equipment (¶ [0058] – [0059], see specifically displacement of a resource element).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications at the time of the filing of the invention to prevent the collision of resources using the indications of Guo when transmitting positioning referencing signals.
The motivation is that Guo is geared to preventing collisions, rather than correcting them after the fact, and the system of Hassan would similarly benefit from doing so.
Regarding Claim 30 and 37, Guo in view of Hassan fails to explicitly teach the skip pre-emption indication or signalling causes the first user equipment to refrain from applying pre-emption or reselection of sidelink resources regardless of whether pre-emption is disabled or enabled in a resource pool at the first user equipment.
However, due to the at least one of phrasing of the parent claim, the pre-emption indication is not required, and therefore the remainder of the limitations of the claim are not required and therefore is rejected under Guo and Hassan.
Regarding Claim 31 and 38, Guo in view of Hassan fails to explicitly teach the skip pre-emption indication or signalling is multiplexed with at least one of physical sidelink shared channel or physical sidelink feedback channel resources associated with an existing physical sidelink shared channel of the first user equipment.
However, due to the at least one of phrasing of the parent claim, the pre-emption indication is not required, and therefore the remainder of the limitations of the claim are not required and therefore is rejected under Guo and Hassan.
Regarding Claim 32 and 39, Guo in view of Hassan fails to explicitly teach the skip pre-emption indication or signalling is multiplexed in a frequency domain or a code domain using a specific cyclic shift of the physical sidelink feedback channel resources.
However, due to the at least one of phrasing of the parent claim, the pre-emption indication is not required, and therefore the remainder of the limitations of the claim are not required and therefore is rejected under Guo and Hassan.
Regarding Claim 33 and 40, Guo teaches the frequency offset indication is signalled in a sidelink control information associated with the sidelink positioning reference signal (¶ [0068], see specifically SCI).
Regarding Claim 41, Guo fails to explicitly teach the frequency offset indication is indicating an offset of the more than one selected sidelink resource in order for the at least one sidelink data transmission and the more than one selected sidelink resource to occur on non-overlapping sidelink resources.
Hassan from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches the frequency offset indication is indicating an offset of the more than one selected sidelink resource in order for the at least one sidelink data transmission and the more than one selected sidelink resource to occur on non-overlapping sidelink resources (figure 8 and ¶ [0057], see specifically offset and OFDM Symbols)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications at the time of the filing of the invention to prevent the collision of resources using the indications of Guo when transmitting positioning referencing signals.
The motivation is that Guo is geared to preventing collisions, rather than correcting them after the fact, and the system of Hassan would similarly benefit from doing so.
Regarding Claim 42, Guo fails to explicitly teach the frequency offset indication comprises at least one of:a number of offsetted subcarriers, a number of offsetted resource blocks, or a number of offsetted subchannels.
Hassan fails to explicitly teach the frequency offset indication comprises at least one of:a number of offsetted subcarriers, a number of offsetted resource blocks, or a number of offsetted subchannels (figure 8 and ¶ [0057], see specifically offset and OFDM Symbols)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications at the time of the filing of the invention to prevent the collision of resources using the indications of Guo when transmitting positioning referencing signals.
The motivation is that Guo is geared to preventing collisions, rather than correcting them after the fact, and the system of Hassan would similarly benefit from doing so.
Regarding Claim 43, Guo fails to explicitly teach wherein the number of offsetted subcarriers is used in case the at least one selected sidelink resource granularity is at least one sub-carrier, wherein the number of offsetted resource blocks is used in case the at least one selected sidelink resource granularity is at least one physical resource block, and wherein the number of offsetted subchannels is used in case the at least one selected sidelink resource granularity is at least one sub-channel.
Hassan from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches the number of offsetted subcarriers is used in case the at least one selected sidelink resource granularity is at least one sub-carrier, wherein the number of offsetted resource blocks is used in case the at least one selected sidelink resource granularity is at least one physical resource block, and wherein the number of offsetted subchannels is used in case the at least one selected sidelink resource granularity is at least one sub-channel. (figure 8 and ¶ [0057], see specifically offset and OFDM Symbols)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications at the time of the filing of the invention to prevent the collision of resources using the indications of Guo when transmitting positioning referencing signals.
The motivation is that Guo is geared to preventing collisions, rather than correcting them after the fact, and the system of Hassan would similarly benefit from doing so.
Regarding Claim 44, Guo fails to explicitly teach the information comprises one of a down shift direction to a lower frequency or an up shift direction to a higher frequency of the frequency offset indication.
Hassan from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches the information comprises one of a down shift direction to a lower frequency or an up shift direction to a higher frequency of the frequency offset indication (figure 8 and ¶ [0057], see specifically offset and OFDM Symbols)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications at the time of the filing of the invention to prevent the collision of resources using the indications of Guo when transmitting positioning referencing signals.
The motivation is that Guo is geared to preventing collisions, rather than correcting them after the fact, and the system of Hassan would similarly benefit from doing so.
Regarding Claim 45, Guo fails to explicitly teach the frequency offset indication corresponds to a pre-defined value.
Hassan from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches the frequency offset indication corresponds to a pre-defined value (¶ [0057], see specifically offset and SPRS)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications at the time of the filing of the invention to prevent the collision of resources using the indications of Guo when transmitting positioning referencing signals.
The motivation is that Guo is geared to preventing collisions, rather than correcting them after the fact, and the system of Hassan would similarly benefit from doing so.
Regarding Claim 46, Guo fails to explicitly teach the information identifying the at least one selected sidelink resource is for localizing the third user equipment.
Hassan from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches the information identifying the at least one selected sidelink resource is for localizing the third user equipment (¶ [0094], see specifically UE3)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications at the time of the filing of the invention to prevent the collision of resources using the indications of Guo when transmitting positioning referencing signals.
The motivation is that Guo is geared to preventing collisions, rather than correcting them after the fact, and the system of Hassan would similarly benefit from doing so.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT M MORLAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5674. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 10 AM - 4PM.
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/ROBERT M MORLAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2409
ROBERT M. MORLAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2409
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