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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 06/28/2024, 12/24/2025, and 2027/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 states “receiving, by the first wireless user device, second allocation information associated with sidelink positioning reference signaling to at least one second wireless user device for positioning of the target wireless user device”. It appears the first wireless user device would be “transmitting” the second allocation information to the second wireless user device (not “receiving”).
Claim 9 states “wherein the first allocation information comprises at least one sidelink resource for transmission of the first sidelink reference signal by the first wireless user device”. It appears the “for transmission” would be for “receiving” by the first wireless user device.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1 and 3-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Keating et al. (“Keating”) [PGPUB 2022/0393820] in view of Liu [PGPUB 2024/0155543].
Regarding claim 1, the Keating reference discloses a method for sidelink positioning in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, by the first wireless user device, second allocation information associated with sidelink positioning reference signaling to at least one second wireless user device for positioning of the target wireless user device [ie. from first device (110-1) to second device (120); Keating; figure 2; paragraphs 0064-0065];
transmitting, by the first wireless user device to the target wireless user device, information associated with the first allocation information [ie. 2nd device (120) to the fourth device (110-2); Keating; para 0053];
based on the first allocation information, receiving, by the first wireless user device from the target wireless user device, a first side link reference signal for positioning of the target wireless user device [ie from fourth device to second device; Keating; para 0066];
generating, by the first wireless user device and based on the first sidelink reference signal, a first sidelink reference signal measurement associated with the first sidelink reference signal [ie. generating measurement information from the RSTD; Keating; para 0066 and 0068]; and
receiving, by the first wireless user device from the at least one second wireless user device, measurement information associated with sidelink positioning reference signaling for positioning of the target wireless user device [ie. timing measurement; “for positioning” is intended use of the information; Keating; para 0062-0064],
wherein the measurement information is based on at least one second sidelink reference signal measurement associated with at least one second sidelink reference signal [Keating; para 0065-0066],
wherein the at least one second sidelink reference signal is transmitted from the target wireless user device to the at least one second wireless user device for positioning of the target wireless user device [“the indication of the time difference measured by the first device 110-1 may be received from the fourth device 110-2” with a sidelink PRS; Keating; para 0068 and 0090].
The Keating reference discloses first allocation information associated with sidelink reference signaling to the first wireless user device for positioning of a target wireless user device and second allocation information associated with sidelink positioning reference signaling to at least one second wireless user device for positioning of the target wireless user device [ie. configuration information; Keating; para 0051-0053 and 0055-0057]. The Keating reference does not specifically disclose “receiving, by a first wireless user device from a base station, first allocation information” and “receiving, by the first wireless user device, second allocation information”.
However, in the same field of endeavor, the Liu reference discloses receiving, by a first wireless user device from a base station, first allocation information associated with sidelink reference signaling to the first wireless user device for positioning of a target wireless user device [Liu; fig 5; para 0166] and receiving, by the first wireless user device, second allocation information associated with sidelink positioning reference signaling to at least one second wireless user device for positioning of the target wireless user device [Liu; para 0167]. The Keating and Liu references are analogous art, since they have similar problem solving area of positioning of vehicle with sidelink. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of a receiving configuration/allocation information, taught by Liu, into the system, taught by Keating. The motivation for doing so would have been to terminals (vehicles) obtain relative positioning of other terminals (vehicles).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses generating second measurement information, wherein the second measurement information comprises an indication of the first sidelink reference signal measurement and an indication of the at least one second sidelink reference signal measurement [Keating; para 0065-0068 and 0092] [Liu; fig 5; para 0178].
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses transmitting, by the first wireless user device to the base station, the second measurement information [Keating; para 0067-0069] [Liu; fig 5; para 0181-0184].
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the second measurement information comprises an indication associated with an estimated location of the target wireless user device [Keating; para 0113].
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses based on the measurement information and the first sidelink reference signal measurement, determining, by the first wireless user device, an estimated location of the target [Keating; para 0113].
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the determining the estimated location of the target wireless user device is further based on at least one of: a time of arrival (TOA); a time difference of arrival (TDOA); an angle of arrival (AoA); or a round trip time (RTT) [Keating; para 0113 and 0117-0118].
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the determining the estimated location of the target wireless user device is further based on: location information of the first wireless user device; and location information of the at least one second wireless user device [Keating; para 0050 and 0067-0068] [Liu; para 0050 and 0058].
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the first allocation information comprises at least one sidelink resource for transmission of the first sidelink reference signal by the first wireless user device [ie. request; Keating; para 0050] [Liu; para 0156-0158].
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses transmitting, by the first wireless user device to the target wireless user device, information associated with the second allocation information [ie. though the first device; Keating; para 0052-0053] [Liu; para 0167].
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the information associated with the first allocation information comprises at least one of: at least part of the first allocation information; or allocation information generated based on the first allocation information; and wherein the information associated with the second allocation information comprises at least one of: at least part of the second allocation information; or allocation information generated based on the second allocation information [Keating; para 0051-0053 and 0055-0057] [Liu; fig 5; para 0166-0167].
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the target wireless user device is configured to transmit, based on the second allocation information, the at least one second sidelink reference signal to the at least one second wireless user device [Keating; para 0050, 0057, 0068 and 0090] [Liu; para 0181-0182].
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the second allocation information comprises at least one sidelink resource for reception of the at least one second sidelink reference signal by the at least one second wireless user device [Keating; para 0040, 0047, and 0052-0053] [Liu; para 0030, 0067, 0167, and 0172].
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses communicating, between the first wireless user device and the target wireless user device, a request for sidelink reference signal transmission for positioning of the target wireless user device [Keating; para 0052-0054] [Liu; para 0030, 0067, 0167, and 0172].
Regarding claim 15, the Keating reference discloses a method for sidelink positioning in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, by a target wireless user device from a first wireless user device, first allocation information associated with sidelink reference signaling to the first wireless user device for positioning of the target wireless user device [ie. second device (“first”) to the fourth device (“target”); Keating; fig 2; para 0053];
receiving, by the target wireless user device, second allocation information associated with sidelink positioning reference signaling to at least one second wireless user device for positioning of the target wireless user device [ie. first device (“second”) to the fourth device (“target”); Keating; fig 2; para 0050];
based on the first allocation information, transmitting, by the target wireless user device to the first wireless user device, a first sidelink reference signal for positioning of the target wireless user device [Keating; fig 2; para 0053 and 0066];
receiving, by the target wireless user device from the first wireless user device, measurement information associated with sidelink reference signaling for positioning of the target wireless user device, wherein the measurement information is based on: a first sidelink reference signal measurement associated with the first sidelink reference signal; and at least one second sidelink reference signal measurement associated with the at least one second sidelink reference signal [Keating; para 0065-0068].
The Keating reference does not specifically disclose “based on the second allocation information, transmitting, by the target wireless user device to the at least one second wireless user device, at least one second sidelink reference signal for positioning of the target wireless user device”
However, in the same field of endeavor, the Liu reference discloses based on the second allocation information, transmitting, by the target wireless user device to the at least one second wireless user device, at least one second sidelink reference signal for positioning of the target wireless user device [Liu; fig 5; para 0166-0172]. The Keating and Liu references are analogous art, since they have similar problem solving area of positioning of vehicle with sidelink. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of a receiving configuration/allocation information, taught by Liu, into the system, taught by Keating. The motivation for doing so would have been to terminals (vehicles) obtain relative positioning of other terminals (vehicles).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the measurement information comprises an indication of the first sidelink reference signal measurement and an indication of the at least one second sidelink reference signal measurement [Keating; para 0065-0068 and 0092] [Liu; fig 5; para 0178].
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses based on the measurement information, receiving, by the target wireless user device from the first wireless user device, an indication of an estimated location of the target wireless user device [Keating; para 0113].
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the estimated location of the target wireless user device is further based on at least one of: a time of arrival (TOA); a time difference of arrival (TDOA); an angle of arrival (AoA); or a round trip time (RTT) [Keating; para 0113 and 0117-0118].
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses the estimated location of the target wireless user device is further based on: location information of the first wireless user device; and location information of the at least one second wireless user device [Keating; para 0050 and 0067-0068] [Liu; para 0050 and 0058].
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Keating-Liu further discloses communicating, between the first wireless user device and the target wireless user device, a request for sidelink reference signal transmission for positioning of the target wireless user device [Keating; para 0052-0054] [Liu; para 0030, 0067, 0167, and 0172].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is 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.
Baek et al. [USPAT 12,156,130] describes measuring positional information for V2V with multiple anchors and groupcast.
He et al. [PGPUB 2024/0357325] describes location related information for positioning of a target node.
Kiilerich Pratas et al. [PGPUB 2025/0047435] describes determining positioning of a target device based on multiple anchor devices with SL PRS.
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/JASON D CARDONE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2458
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