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 .
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) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Rao et al. (US Publication 2019/0239112 A1).
In regards to claims 1 and 11, Rao et al. (US Publication 2019/0239112 A1) teaches, a method for wireless communication comprising: receiving, by a user equipment, a message from a communication node, wherein the message includes information about a logical channel group, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, or a QoS Flow Identity (QFI) parameter (see figure 8 step 804; see paragraph 125; The RAN (gNB) configures the SL-RBs and CCs for sidelink transmission (with and without PD). In some embodiments, the RAN configures the SL-RBs and CCs for sidelink transmission (with and without PD) by transmitting configuration information. The SL-RB configuration mapping (i.e. SL-RB-to-LCIDs, LCID-to-CCs) to support PD and multi-CC transmissions is provided to Tx UE and Rx UE. The RAN (gNB) may also request the transmission of the sidelink channel CBR and CQI for the configured CCs; see paragraphs 95-96; In the first embodiment pertaining to connection type-based SL-RB configuration, the packet flow generated by the upper layer (e.g. V2X service/application) intended for unicast transmission to a particular Rx UE with an L2 destination ID may be mapped to an SL-RB configured to support unicast transmission. Likewise, the packet flow generated by the upper layer intended for groupcast transmission to a group of Rx UEs, all UEs using a common L2 destination ID, may be mapped to an SL-RB configured to support groupcast transmission. Note that each packet flow intended for either unicast or groupcast transmission may contain one or multiple QFIs/VQIs. This refers to the scenario where a particular connection with a certain L2 destination (e.g. unicast) may support multiple QoS packet flows simultaneously. While all of these packet flows with common L2 destination ID may be mapped to the same SL-RB, further QoS related indications may be used to support differentiated QoS for packet flows with different QFI/VQI. These QoS indicators may be included within the LCID or as a separate indicator/flag in the PDCP PDU header. Based on these indicators, different QoS handling (e.g. logical channel prioritization (LCP), buffer status report (BSR) generation, and resource allocation) may be supported at the MAC layer when performing scheduling. ii) In the second embodiment pertaining to QoS-based SL-RB configuration, the packets with the same QoS indicators (e.g. QFI, VQI, PPPP, PPPR) in the upper layer packet headers are mapped to the same SL-RB configuration. In this case, similar to the DRBs used in the Uu interface, each SL-RB is customized to support a particular QoS flow. However, this approach maps different packet flows indicated with the same QFI to common SL-RBs even when the packets are intended for different L2 destination IDs and connection/transmission types. In this case the connection type indicators in the packet headers may be required to be visible at the lower layer (i.e. MAC) to ensure that multiplexing and scheduling packets are properly handled and transmitted to the correct sidelink destinations (i.e. unicast Rx UE or groupcast Rx UE(s))); and performing, by the user equipment, a sidelink transmission based on the information (see figure 8; transmission of the SL Data).
In regards to claims 6 and 16, Rao teaches, transmitting, by a communication node, a message to a user equipment, the message including information about a logical channel group, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, or a QoS Flow Identity (QFI) parameter (see figure 8 step 804; see paragraph 125; The RAN (gNB) configures the SL-RBs and CCs for sidelink transmission (with and without PD). In some embodiments, the RAN configures the SL-RBs and CCs for sidelink transmission (with and without PD) by transmitting configuration information. The SL-RB configuration mapping (i.e. SL-RB-to-LCIDs, LCID-to-CCs) to support PD and multi-CC transmissions is provided to Tx UE and Rx UE. The RAN (gNB) may also request the transmission of the sidelink channel CBR and CQI for the configured CCs; see paragraphs 95-96; In the first embodiment pertaining to connection type-based SL-RB configuration, the packet flow generated by the upper layer (e.g. V2X service/application) intended for unicast transmission to a particular Rx UE with an L2 destination ID may be mapped to an SL-RB configured to support unicast transmission. Likewise, the packet flow generated by the upper layer intended for groupcast transmission to a group of Rx UEs, all UEs using a common L2 destination ID, may be mapped to an SL-RB configured to support groupcast transmission. Note that each packet flow intended for either unicast or groupcast transmission may contain one or multiple QFIs/VQIs. This refers to the scenario where a particular connection with a certain L2 destination (e.g. unicast) may support multiple QoS packet flows simultaneously. While all of these packet flows with common L2 destination ID may be mapped to the same SL-RB, further QoS related indications may be used to support differentiated QoS for packet flows with different QFI/VQI. These QoS indicators may be included within the LCID or as a separate indicator/flag in the PDCP PDU header. Based on these indicators, different QoS handling (e.g. logical channel prioritization (LCP), buffer status report (BSR) generation, and resource allocation) may be supported at the MAC layer when performing scheduling. ii) In the second embodiment pertaining to QoS-based SL-RB configuration, the packets with the same QoS indicators (e.g. QFI, VQI, PPPP, PPPR) in the upper layer packet headers are mapped to the same SL-RB configuration. In this case, similar to the DRBs used in the Uu interface, each SL-RB is customized to support a particular QoS flow. However, this approach maps different packet flows indicated with the same QFI to common SL-RBs even when the packets are intended for different L2 destination IDs and connection/transmission types. In this case the connection type indicators in the packet headers may be required to be visible at the lower layer (i.e. MAC) to ensure that multiplexing and scheduling packets are properly handled and transmitted to the correct sidelink destinations (i.e. unicast Rx UE or groupcast Rx UE(s))), wherein the message enables the user equipment to perform a sidelink transmission based on the information (see figure 8; transmission of the SL Data).
In regards to claims 2, 7, 12 and 17 Rao teaches, wherein the information indicates at least one of: a mapping between an identifier of a logical channel group and QoS information (see paragraph 95; These QoS indicators may be included within the LCID), a mapping between the identifier of the logical channel group and a scheduling request identity, a mapping between the identifier of the logical channel group and a configured grant resource, a mapping between the identifier of the logical channel group and a transmission mode, a mapping between the QoS parameter and a scheduling request identity, a mapping between the QoS parameter and a configured grant resource, a mapping between the QoS parameter and a transmission mode, a mapping between the QFI parameter and a scheduling request identity, a mapping between the QFI parameter and a configured grant resource, or a mapping between the QFI parameter and a transmission mode.
In regards to claims 3, 8, 13 and 18 Rao teaches, wherein the information indicates, for each logical channel group, a list or a range of associated QoS information, a list or a range of associated QFI information, a list of scheduling request identities, a list of allowed configured grant resources (see paragraph 103; Given a V2X service and a CC selection duration, the list of supported CCs (or channels) is obtained from the upper layers (non-access). Here, the V2Xservice-to-CC provides the mapping between the V2X service (application) and the supported CCs (channels). In addition, a pre-configured SL-RB ID-to-CC mapping (configured by RRC) may be used to determine the initial list of CCs. A number of LCIDs, each associated to a CC, can also be pre-configured to an SL-RB. The intersection between the V2Xservice-to-CC and SL-RB ID-to-CC provides the initial list of CCs), or a list of transmission modes, wherein the information indicates, for each scheduling request identity, a list of QoS identities or a list of QFI parameters, or wherein the information indicates, for each configured grant type index, a list of QoS identities or a list of QFI parameters.
In regards to claims 4, 9, 14 and 19 Rao teaches, wherein the information about the QoS parameter includes at least one of: associated QFI information (see paragraph 71; QoS flow Indicator (QFI)), one or more scheduling request identities, one or more configured grant resources, or one or more transmission modes, and wherein the information about the QFI parameter includes at least one of: associated QoS information (see paragraph 95; Note that each packet flow intended for either unicast or groupcast transmission may contain one or multiple QFIs/VQIs. This refers to the scenario where a particular connection with a certain L2 destination (e.g. unicast) may support multiple QoS packet flows simultaneously. While all of these packet flows with common L2 destination ID may be mapped to the same SL-RB, further QoS related indications may be used to support differentiated QoS for packet flows with different QFI/VQI), one or more scheduling request identities, one or more configured grant resources, or one or more transmission modes.
In regards to claims 5, 10, 15 and 20 Rao teaches, wherein a transmission mode indicates whether the communication node schedules a transmission resource for the sidelink transmission or the user equipment selects the transmission resource from a pool of resources configured by the communication node (see paragraph 79; The UEs in Mode 4 can autonomously select the CCs and resources from resource pools to support V2X transmissions on sidelink), the method further comprising: determining, by the user equipment, an amount of sidelink data available for a logical channel, wherein the logical channel is configured with a transmission mode that indicates the communication node schedules the transmission resource (see paragraph 99; The resources in each CC may be defined in terms of a subframe-subchannel grid as shown in FIG. 5. In this case, within each subframe, specified in the time-domain, there can be multiple subchannels in the frequency domain. Each subchannel, in turn, is composed of a group of adjacent PRBs, which are used to transport the user plane and control plane data. Note that the subchannel may refer to a bandwidth part (BWP) within a CC, where different BWPs in different CCs may support a variety of numerologies (i.e. varied subcarrier spacing) in NR. A resource pool in each CC indicates the subframes and the subchannels that can be used for both Mode 3 and Mode 4 V2X communications; see paragraph 98; For Mode 4 V-UEs, the mapping between the SL-RB, LCIDs and CCs can be pre-configured by the network semi-statically with RRC signalling or statically for each V2X service subscribed by the UE. In this case, the semi-static configuration applies in RRC Connected or RRC Inactive modes and static configuration can be used when the UE is in RRC Idle state. For Mode 3 V-UEs, the configuration between the SL-RB, LCIDs and CCs can be done semi-statically with RRC signalling by the network), or the logical channel belongs to a logical channel group configured with a transmission mode that indicates the communication node schedules the transmission resource.
Relevant Prior Art
Prior art Wang et al. (US Publication 2021/0409990 A1) teaches a base station transmitting a sidelink driving test configuration information and the UE performing the sidelink driving test and reporting the information to the base station (see figure 3).
Prior art Chen et al. (US Publication 2021/0329487 A1) teaches, a terminal acquiring first information of QoS of a yet to be transmitted packet, configuring a sidelink bearer and mapping the yet to be transmitted date to the sidelink bearer form transmission to a second terminal (see figure 3).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY P PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-3086. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/JAY P PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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