DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority to PCT/CN2023/0111953 filed 8/9/2023 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-20 filed 8/2/2024 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/8/2024 and 9/18/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph 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.
Claims 15, 16, and 20 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 or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 15 and 16 recites the limitation "the default values". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 15 and 16 depend from claims 13 and 11, respectively, reciting further limitations to “the default values”. However, neither claim 13 nor claim 11 establishes antecedent basis for “default values”. Only claim 14 establishes antecedent basis for “default values”. Therefore, for examination purposes, claims 15 and 16 will each be treated as depending from claim 14.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. Claim 20 recites a single element apparatus (processor) for causing a wireless device to perform the various steps, amounting to a lack of structure making up the claimed apparatus. Therefore, claim is held be indefinite.
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.
Claims 1-13 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ganesan et al. (US20250287421A1), hereafter Ganesan.
Regarding claims 1, 17, and 20 (as best understood),
Ganesan (Title: Sidelink LBT Type Indication for UE to UE COT Sharing) discloses a wireless device (Fig. 1-2B and 10, UE 104) comprising an antenna (Fig. 1; paragraph 104), a radio operably coupled to the antenna (Transmitter/Receiver 1010-1012); and baseband processor (Fig. 10, processing subsystem 1006) operably coupled to the radio (Fig. 10, via bus) configured to perform a method (i.e. Fig. 4, 5, 11-13) for sharing a COT in a SL channel comprising performing a CCA (i.e. LBT) to initialize the COT (paragraph 8, 73, 108; LBT based on clear channel assessment procedure); determininga portion of the COT (Fig. 3A, portions 312-318) may be shared and transmitting (Fig. 4, step 405; Fig. 5, step 505; Fig. 11, step 1105), by the first wireless device (Fig. 4, 5; UE-1) to one or more qualifying wireless devices (Fig. 5, UE-2/104b and UE-3/104c), first SCI comprising: a destination ID of the one or more qualifying devices, an offset, and a SL duration that defines a duration of time available for the one or more qualifying wireless devices to share the COT (paragraph 55-56, 67-73, 113; COT sharing indicators include CO duration, destination ID offset).
Regarding claims 2 and 18,
Ganesan discloses the SL duration indicates the remaining duration of the COT (paragraph 31, 48, 56, 71-73; “remaining duration” of COT).
Regarding claims 3-4,
Ganesan discloses resuming transmission in the COT, by the first wireless device, after or prior to the end of the SL duration (Fig. 3B, paragraph 70-71; initiating UE-1 continues to transmit in the remaining CO duration if a second UE does not utilize the allocated/shared COT resources).
Regarding claim 5,
Ganesan discloses receiving, by the first wireless device, second SCI from one of the one or more qualifying devices indicating a conclusion of transmissions in a shared portion of the COT (Fig. 3A; paragraph 60-; each of COT shared portions 314-318 defines starting/ending times within COT 310).
Regarding claim 6,
Ganesan discloses an expected value of the duration of the second wireless device transmission is indicated as an offset in the second SCI (paragraph 84; offset period defines time UE is expected to transmit data).
Regarding claims 7 and 19,
Ganesan discloses performing a second CCA, by the first wireless device, prior to resuming transmission/in the COT prior to the end of the SL duration (Fig. 3B, paragraph 70-71; initiating UE-1 continues to transmit in the remaining CO duration after monitoring the shared COT for a preset duration/i.e. second CCA showing that the second UE does not utilize the allocated/shared COT resources).
Regarding claim 8,
Ganesan discloses the resumed transmission has a Channel Access Priority Class (CAPC) value indicating a higher priority than potential transmissions from the one or more qualifying wireless devices (paragraph 65).
Regarding claim 9,
Ganesan discloses the first SCI further comprising a second offset and a second SL duration, wherein the second offset and second SL duration define a second duration of time available for the one or more qualifying wireless devices to share the COT (paragraph 62-71, 113; SL duration/offset for each of multiple UEs).
Regarding claim 10,
Ganesan discloses the offset and SL duration are repeated at regular intervals across the COT (Fig. 6-9; paragraph 48, 61-63, 74, 88-93, 112-120; interlacing scheme among plurality of UEs).
Regarding claim 11,
Ganesan discloses the destination ID indicates a second wireless device (Fig. 2B, 4, 5, 11-13; paragraph 56, 62-66, 72, 111-113).
Regarding claim 12-13,
Ganesan discloses the first SCI further comprising: a second offset and a second SL duration, wherein the offset and SL duration indicate a first slot available for sharing associated with a first qualifying wireless device of the one or more qualifying wireless devices, and the second offset and second SL duration indicate a second slot available for sharing associated with a second qualifying wireless device of the one or more qualifying wireless devices (paragraph 62-71, 113; SL duration/offset for each of multiple UEs).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ganesan in view of Zhu et al. (US20250071564A1), hereafter Zhu.
Regarding claims 14 and 15 (as best understood),
Ganesan does not expressly show default values of zero offset and duration indicating that the second wireless device is not sharing the COT.
Zhu discloses analogous art (Title: Sharing a COT of FBE) including default values of zero offset and duration indicating that the second wireless device is not sharing the COT (paragraph 163-166; when downlink transmission exactly occupies the COT, updated duration of 0 signaled indicating device not sharing the COT).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to modify Ganesan by providing default values of zero offset and duration indicating that the second wireless device is not sharing the COT, as shown by Zhu, thereby improving channel efficiency of frame-based equipment to ensure devices accurately occupy a COT segment that is capable of being shared.
Regarding claim 16 (as best understood),
The combination of Ganesan and Zhu discloses the default values comprise an offset value indicating an expected duration of a transmission from the second wireless device (Ganesan: paragraph 84; offset period defines time UE is expected to transmit data; Zhou: paragraph 163-166; when downlink transmission exactly occupies the COT, updated duration of 0 signaled indicating device not sharing the COT). See motivation above.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY B SEFCHECK whose telephone number is (571)272-3098. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6AM-4PM.
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/GREGORY B SEFCHECK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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