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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment, filed on 09/17/2026, has been entered and carefully considered.
Claims 2, 3, 5, 7-12, 14-16, 18, 20-25 and 27-31 have been amended and Claims 2-31 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 2, 15, 28 and 30 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.
Applicant amended the independent claims significantly, which necessitate the new ground rejection.
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 2-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 2023/0217466 A1), in view of Lee et al (US 2020/0296690 A1).
Regarding Claim 2, 15, 28, 30, Zhao teaches a user equipment (UE)/method/computer-readable medium for wireless communication, comprising:
one or more memories; and one or more processors (Fig. 8, memory and processor), coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
receive, from a transmitter, information to be used by the UE to identify a channel sensing mode, from a set of channel sensing modes for sensing channel availability of a sidelink channel, for a communication on the sidelink channel ([0092], “When the user equipment needs to transmit data, it can determine the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode by itself or according to the indication of the base station”, it’s noted that the base station is the transmitter, and the sensing and non-sensing modes for the set of channel sensing modes), wherein each channel sensing mode of the set of channel sensing modes is associated with a set of resources ([0092], “two modes for determining candidate resources” implies each channel sensing mode of the one or more channel sensing modes is associated with a set of resources); and
transmit, based at least in part on an identification of the channel sensing mode and using resources selected from the set of resources associated with the channel sensing mode, the communication on the sidelink channel in accordance with the channel sensing mode, wherein the identification of the channel sensing mode is based at least in part on the received information ([0092], “One is the candidate resource determination mode in which the user equipment does not perform sensing before selecting a resource, and the other is the candidate resource determination mode in which the user performs sensing before selecting a resource. The embodiments of the disclosure may not limit the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode selected by the user equipment. When the user equipment needs to transmit data, it can determine the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode by itself or according to the indication of the base station. For example, the user equipment can determine the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode according to the current status of the equipment (such as power), the priority of the data to be transmitted, or other factors”).
Zhao does not explicitly teach wherein the information indicates, for the set of resources, the set of channel sensing modes from which the UE is to identify the channel sensing mode.
However, Lee teaches the information indicates, for the set of resources, the set of channel sensing modes from which the UE is to identify the channel sensing mode ([0021], “the network may notify (or indicate to) a pedestrian UE of the resource pool type, i.e., whether only random selection is allowed to be performed, or whether only partial sensing based resource selection is allowed to be performed, or whether both random selection and partial sensing based resource selection are allowed to be performed, when selecting a resource than can transmit a V2X signal”).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the base station indication of Zhao so that it indicates for a resource pool, the set of channel sensing modes allowed in that pool, as taught by Lee. Lee explains that because ethe UE performs operations adequate to the resource pool type, interference caused to other UEs may be reduced (see para 0021 of Lee). This complement Zhao’s stated goal of letting the UE choose between sensing and non-sensing modes based on factors such as power (para 0092 of Zhao). The modification applies a known technique (per-pool signaling of allowed sensing mechanism) to a known device to yield predictable results.
Regarding claim 3, 16, 29, 31, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the set of channel sensing modes include at least one of:
a first channel sensing mode associated with a channel sensing window that occurs after a resource selection trigger in a time domain, or a second channel sensing mode that is associated with no channel sensing window ([0092], “One is the candidate resource determination mode in which the user equipment does not perform sensing before selecting a resource, and the other is the candidate resource determination mode in which the user performs sensing before selecting a resource”).
Regarding claim 4, 17, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to transmit the communication on the sidelink channel, are configured to:
select resources associated with the sidelink channel for the communication in accordance with the channel sensing mode; and
transmit, using the resources, the communication on the sidelink channel ([0092]).
Regarding claim 5, 18, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to perform the identification of the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes for sensing channel availability of the sidelink channel, for the communication on the sidelink channel, are configured to:
determine a value of one or more parameters related to a quality of service (QoS) associated with the communication; and identify the channel sensing mode, from the one or more channel sensing modes, based at least in part on the value of the one or more parameters ([0092], “the user equipment can determine the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode according to the current status of the equipment (such as power), the priority of the data to be transmitted, or other factors”).
Regarding claim 6, 19, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to identify the channel sensing mode based at least in part on the value of the one or more parameters, are configured to determine at least one of:
whether a transmission priority level, associated with the communication, satisfies a first threshold, whether a packet delay budget value, associated with the communication, satisfies a second threshold, or whether a remaining packet delay budget value, associated with the communication, satisfies a third threshold ([0065], “if the PDB of the data to be transmitted is small (that is, less than or equal to the third duration threshold), that is, the data delay requirement is relatively high, at this time, the user equipment at the transmitting end performs channel sensing or not perform channel sensing before selecting a resource”).
Regarding claim 7, 20, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to perform the identification of the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes for sensing channel availability of the sidelink channel, for the communication on the sidelink channel, are configured to:
determine a transmission priority level associated with the communication; determine whether the transmission priority level satisfies a threshold; and identify the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes, based at least in part on the determination of whether the transmission priority level satisfies the threshold ([0112], “in response to a data priority of the data to be transmitted being not less than a preset priority, and/or, in response to a PDB of the data to be transmitted being not greater than a sixth duration threshold, not sensing before selecting a resource or sensing less than a seventh duration threshold before selecting a resource.”).
Regarding claim 8, 21, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to perform the identification of the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes for sensing channel availability of the sidelink channel, for the communication on the sidelink channel, are configured to:
determine a packet delay budget value associated with the communication; determine whether the packet delay budget value satisfies a threshold; and identify the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes, based at least in part on the determination of whether the packet delay budget value satisfies the threshold ([0065], “if the PDB of the data to be transmitted is small (that is, less than or equal to the third duration threshold), that is, the data delay requirement is relatively high, at this time, the user equipment at the transmitting end performs channel sensing or not perform channel sensing before selecting a resource”).
Regarding claim 9, 22, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to perform the identification of the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes for sensing channel availability of the sidelink channel, for the communication on the sidelink channel, are configured to: determine a remaining packet delay budget value associated with the communication; determine whether the remaining packet delay budget value satisfies a threshold; and identify the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes, based at least in part on the determination of whether the remaining packet delay budget value satisfies the threshold ([0065], “if the PDB of the data to be transmitted is small (that is, less than or equal to the third duration threshold), that is, the data delay requirement is relatively high, at this time, the user equipment at the transmitting end performs channel sensing or not perform channel sensing before selecting a resource”).
Regarding claim 10, 23, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to receive the information from the transmitter, are configured to: receive, from the transmitter, an indication of the channel sensing mode to be used by the UE, wherein the identification of the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes, is based at least in part on the indication of the channel sensing mode to be used by the UE ([0092], “When the user equipment needs to transmit data, it can determine the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode by itself or according to the indication of the base station”).
Regarding claim 11, 24, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to perform the identification of the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes for sensing channel availability of the sidelink channel, for the communication on the sidelink channel, are configured to: identify the channel sensing mode, from the one or more channel sensing modes, based at least in part on a configuration in the received information ([0092]).
Regarding claim 12, 25, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to perform the identification of the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes for sensing channel availability of the sidelink channel, for the communication on the sidelink channel, are configured to: identify the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes, based at least in part on a value associated with one or more parameters corresponding to a power constraint of the UE ([0092], “the user equipment can determine the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode according to the current status of the equipment (such as power), the priority of the data to be transmitted, or other factors”).
Regarding claim 13, 26, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors are further configured to: determine whether the UE is enabled to change the channel sensing mode associated with the UE based at least in part on a configuration in the received information ([0092], “When the user equipment needs to transmit data, it can determine the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode by itself or according to the indication of the base station. For example, the user equipment can determine the sensing mode or the non-sensing mode according to the current status of the equipment (such as power), the priority of the data to be transmitted, or other factors”).
Regarding claim 14, 27, the aforementioned references teach all of the limitations applied in the parent claims, Zhao further teaches the one or more processors, to perform the identification of the channel sensing mode, from the set of channel sensing modes for sensing channel availability of the sidelink channel, for the communication on the sidelink channel, are configured to: determine one or more permitted channel sensing modes from the set of channel sensing modes; and identify the channel sensing mode, from the one or more permitted channel sensing modes, based at least in part on the determination of the one or more permitted channel sensing modes ([0092], “two modes for determining candidate resources can be provided. One is the candidate resource determination mode in which the user equipment does not perform sensing before selecting a resource, and the other is the candidate resource determination mode in which the user performs sensing before selecting a resource”).
Conclusion
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.
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/SIMING LIU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
