DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
1. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 4-10, 13-18, 25, 34, and 37-40 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
3. Claims 1, 4-8, 10, 13-17, 25, 34, and 37-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sirotkin et al. (previously cited in Office Action 5/13/2026) in view of Goyal et al. (US 2022/0295442).
Regarding claim 1, Sirotkin et al. discloses a method for wireless communication comprising:
receiving (as disclosed in section 0249), by a basestation (102a-d) from a location management function (LMF) or by a basestation distributed unit (DU) from a basestation centralized unit (CU), a Transmission/Reception Point (TRP) request message (NRPPa positioning information request message as disclosed in section 0249) with a request for sidelink configuration information (sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249) or a Sidelink Positioning Reference Signal (SL-PRS) request message with a sidelink configuration information; and
transmitting (as disclosed in section 0249), from the basestation to the LMF or from the basestation DU to the basestation CU, a TRP response message (NRPPa positioning information response as disclosed in section 0249) with the sidelink configuration information (sidelink PRS configuration) or an SL PRS response message with the sidelink configuration information.
Sirotkin et al. does not specifically disclose the sidelink information comprises a sidelink resource configuration. However, Goyal et al. also discloses transmitting (see section 0138), from a base station (BS) to an LMF (positioning server which can be an LMF as disclosed in section 0006), a response message (NRPPa as disclosed in section 0138) with sidelink configuration information which comprises a sidelink resource configuration (sidelink resource allocation information as disclosed in section 0138). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the method of Sirotkin et al. with the inclusion of sidelink resource allocation (configuration) information as taught by Goyal et al. since Goyal et al. discloses the sidelink resource allocation enables reference signal transmission (see section 0138) to determine positioning which is used to support emergency call services (see section 0002) for a WTRU.
Regarding claim 4, Sirotkin et al. discloses wherein the sidelink configuration information comprises a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) configuration (sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249).
Regarding claim 5, Sirotkin et al. discloses wherein the SL-PRS configuration comprises at least one of a SL-PRS Resource Set ID, a Subcarrier spacing, a SL-PRS bandwidth (as disclosed in section 0249), an absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN), a Comb Size, a Resource Set Periodicity, a Resource Repetition Factor, a Resource Time Gap, a Resource Number of Symbols, a SL-PRS Muting Pattern, a SL-PRS Resource Transmit Power, a SL-PRS Resource ID, a Quasi Colocation (QCL) Information per SL-PRS, a Resource Slot Offset, or a Resource Symbol Offset.
Regarding claim 6, Sirotkin et al. discloses the sidelink resource configuration comprises at least one of a resource block (RB) number, an RB sub channel, a subchannel size (bandwidth as disclosed in section 0049, see also sections 0157-0158), a time resource, a time offset, or a synchronization signal block (SSB) priority.
Regarding claim 7, Sirotkin et al. discloses the TRP request message includes a TRP type information element (NRPPa TRP capability transfer information exchange as disclosed in section 0249) that includes a request for at least one of the sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) configuration (request for sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249) or the sidelink resource configuration.
Regarding claim 8, Sirotkin et al. discloses the TRP response message comprises TRP information (NRPPa positioning information response) that includes at least one of the sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) configuration (sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249) or the sidelink resource configuration.
Regarding claim 10, Sirotkin et al. discloses a method for wireless communication comprising:
sending (as disclosed in section 0249), by a location management function (LMF) to a basestaion, a Transmission/Reception Point (TRP) request message (NRPPa positioning information request message as disclosed in section 0249) with a request for sidelink configuration information (sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249) or a Sidelink Positioning Reference Signal (SL-PRS) request message with a sidelink configuration information; and
receiving (as disclosed in section 0249), at the LMF or from the basestation, a TRP response message (NRPPa positioning information response as disclosed in section 0249) with the sidelink configuration information (sidelink PRS configuration) or an SL PRS response message with the sidelink configuration information.
Sirotkin et al. does not specifically disclose the sidelink information comprises a sidelink resource configuration. However, Goyal et al. also discloses transmitting (see section 0138), from a base station (BS) to an LMF (positioning server which can be an LMF as disclosed in section 0006), a response message (NRPPa as disclosed in section 0138) with sidelink configuration information which comprises a sidelink resource configuration (sidelink resource allocation information as disclosed in section 0138). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the method of Sirotkin et al. with the inclusion of sidelink resource allocation (configuration) information as taught by Goyal et al. since Goyal et al. discloses the sidelink resource allocation enables reference signal transmission (see section 0138) to determine positioning which is used to support emergency call services (see section 0002) for a WTRU.
Regarding claim 13, Sirotkin et al. discloses wherein the sidelink configuration information comprises a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) configuration (sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249).
Regarding claim 14, Sirotkin et al. discloses wherein the SL-PRS configuration comprises at least one of a SL-PRS Resource Set ID, a Subcarrier spacing, a SL-PRS bandwidth (as disclosed in section 0249), an absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN), a Comb Size, a Resource Set Periodicity, a Resource Repetition Factor, a Resource Time Gap, a Resource Number of Symbols, a SL-PRS Muting Pattern, a SL-PRS Resource Transmit Power, a SL-PRS Resource ID, a Quasi Colocation (QCL) Information per SL-PRS, a Resource Slot Offset, or a Resource Symbol Offset.
Regarding claim 15, Sirotkin et al. discloses the sidelink resource configuration comprises at least one of a resource block (RB) number, an RB sub channel, a subchannel size (bandwidth as disclosed in section 0049, see also sections 0157-0158), a time resource, a time offset, or a synchronization signal block (SSB) priority.
Regarding claim 16, Sirotkin et al. discloses the TRP request message includes a TRP type information element (NRPPa TRP capability transfer information exchange as disclosed in section 0249) that includes a request for at least one of the sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) configuration (request for sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249) or the sidelink resource configuration.
Regarding claim 17, Sirotkin et al. discloses the TRP response message comprises TRP information (NRPPa positioning information response) that includes at least one of the sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) configuration (sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249) or the sidelink resource configuration.
Regarding claims 25 and 34, Sirotkin et al. discloses the SL-PRS request message (NRPPa positioning information request message as disclosed in section 0249) includes an SL-PRS information element (IE) that includes a request for at least one of the sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) configuration (request for sidelink PRS configuration as disclosed in section 0249) or a sidelink resource configuration; and the SL-PRS response message (NRPPa positioning information response as disclosed in section 0249) comprises an SL-PRS IE that includes at least one of the sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) configuration (as disclosed in section 0249) or the sidelink resource configuration.
Regarding claims 37 and 39, Sirotkin et al. discloses a wireless communications apparatus (see Fig. 4) comprising a processor (block 404) and a memory (block 460), wherein the processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method recited in claims 1 and 10.
Regarding claims 38 and 40, Sirotkin et al. discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium (see section 0139, and 0292-0293) comprising computer-readable instructions, the computer readable instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement the method recited in claims 1 and 10.
4. Claims 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sirotkin et al. (previously cited in Office Action 5/13/2026) in view of Goyal et al. (US 2022/0295442), and in further view of Kurras et al. (previously cited in Office Action 5/13/2026).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Sirotkin et al. and Goyal et al. do not specifically disclose transmitting or receiving a TRP fail message or an SL-PRS fail message when the sidelink configuration information is not available for transmission. However, Kurras et al. also discloses (see section 0280) an LMF requesting sidelink PRS configuration (see also section 0345) information (assistance data) using an NRPPa request message similar to that of Sirotkin et al. Kurras et al. further discloses transmitting and receiving a TRP fail message when the assistance (configuration) data is not available for transmission (as disclosed in section 0280). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the method of Sirotkin et al. and Goyal et al. with the TRP fail message as disclosed by Kurras et al. since Kurras et al. discloses invention provides enhanced reporting under real-time operating conditions (see section 0237).
Conclusion
5. 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.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CURTIS B ODOM whose telephone number is (571)272-3046. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5.
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/CURTIS B ODOM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631 September 2, 2026
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