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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 03/07/2025 08/29/2024, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
Specification, page 5, paragraphs [0015], group figures 4A and 4B, together, which is improper. Each Figure needs to be described individually and uniquely, and, the descriptions of Figures may not be identical, they need to be different, from one another.
Drawings
Figures 1-4B should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claims 1-3, 6-9, 11-13 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over {Moderator (Huawei), "FL summary#7 for Al 9.4.1.2 SL-U physical channel design framework", 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 Meeting #114, R1-2308591, August 2023, 210 pages}, hereinafter, Huawei, in view of {Samsung, "Summary of email discussions [114-R18-38.213-NR_SL_enh2]", 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 #114, R1-2308778, August 2023, 42 pages}, hereinafter, Samsung.
Examiner note: In the dependent Claims: Compact notation has been utilized, wherein, when a feature is, partly, attributed to a reference, other than the primary reference, the primary reference does not explicitly disclose the combination of the feature. The motivation to combine references, is the same as, the parent claim.
Claim 1. Huawei teaches a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising: a transceiver configured to receive a set of configurations; and a processor operably coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to: determine, based on the set of configurations, a sidelink (SL) bandwidth part (BWP) (e.g., pages 103 [H], 187-188 Annex B, 197 first Agreement); determine, based on the set of configurations, a resource pool in the SL BWP (e.g., pages 103 [H], 187-188 Annex B, 199 second Agreement); determine, based on the set of configurations, a number of resource block (RB) sets in the SL BWP, wherein the number of RB sets include one anchor RB set and one or more non-anchor RB sets (e.g., pages 103 [H], 187-188 Annex B, 208 Agreement); and determine, based on the set of configurations, a slot for a transmission of a sidelink synchronization signals and physical sidelink broadcast channel (S-SS/PSBCH) block (e.g., pages 104, 117, 129, 140, 151), wherein the transceiver is further configured to: attempt to transmit the S-SS/PSBCH block in the slot and at least in the anchor RB set, wherein a channel access procedure is performed on a channel that includes the anchor RB set (e.g., pages 30, 31, 37, 42, 46, 51, 55, 69, 81); and attempt to transmit the S-SS/PSBCH block in the slot and in the one or more non-anchor RB sets only when the channel access procedure fails (e.g., page 30, OPPO, first paragraph: UE can use remaining power to transmit S-SSB on other RB sets; page 48; page 99 [M] Each R16/R17 NR SL S-SSB slot has K corresponding additional candidate S-SSB occasion(s) in different time slot(s); page 194 first Agreement: Alt 1: UE attempts to transmit on all or some of additional candidate S-SSB occasion(s) only when it fails to transmit on R16/R17 S-SSB occasion(s). Alt 4: upon LBT failure on a (candidate) S-SSB occasion, a UE attempts to transmit on the subsequent additional candidate S-SSB occasion if within a period S-SSB transmission has not been transmitted in any prior occasions; 206 Alt 2: For one PSCCH/PSSCH transmission, PSCCH/PSSCH receiver UE attempts to transmit PSFCH on a candidate PSFCH occasion if and only if it fails to transmit on previous PSFCH occasion(s) (e.g., due to LBT failure, or due to UL/SL prioritization, etc.)(e.g., pages 6:2.3.1.1 During resource (re)selection, PHY excludes the resources for the RB set where C-LBT failure was detected).
Huawei does not explicitly teach the combination of the underlined feature, above.
Huawei does not explicitly teach the combination of these features: “non-”.
The missing elements are disclosed by Samsung ((e.g., page 10:3-4 attempt to transmit means that the UE intends to transmit but may not transmit due to channel access failure)(e.g., page 6; pages 24-25 2) RAN1 has the agreement on how to determine anchor RB set, and the current agreements implies that the rest RB sets are non-anchor after the determination of anchor RB set; page 30 after allocating power PS-SSB(i) for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in the anchor RB-set, the UE equally allocates power remaining from PCMAX, if any, for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in used non-anchor RB-sets)).
(AIA ) 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, because: e.g., see Huawei pages 1-2; Samsung pages 1-3.
Therefore, the combination of references, discloses the combination of the claimed limitations.
Claim 2. Huawei in view of Samsung teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more non-anchor RB sets is associated with the resource pool (e.g., pages 37; 46; 55-56; 69; 81; 95; 103 [H], page 187 Annex B, SL resource pool can be (pre-)configured to include integer number of RB sets; page 199 Agreement; page 208. In Huawei).
Claim 3. Huawei in view of Samsung teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the slot is determined from one of a first set of slots or a second set of slots (e.g., page 39 [M]; page 57 [M]; page 71 [M]; page 206 Agreement. In Huawei).
Claim 6. Huawei in view of Samsung teaches the UE of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a first power allocated for an S-SS/PSBCH block in the anchor RB set; and determine a second power allocated for an S-SS/PSBCH block in the one or more non-anchor RB sets (e.g., page 6; pages 24-25 2) RAN1 has the agreement on how to determine anchor RB set, and the current agreements implies that the rest RB sets are non-anchor after the determination of anchor RB set; page 30 after allocating power PS-SSB(i) for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in the anchor RB-set, the UE equally allocates power remaining from PCMAX, if any, for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in used non-anchor RB-sets. In Samsung).
Claim 7. Huawei in view of Samsung teaches the UE of claim 6, wherein the first power is same for all S-SS/PSBCH blocks in the anchor RB set (e.g., page 6; pages 24-25 2) RAN1 has the agreement on how to determine anchor RB set, and the current agreements implies that the rest RB sets are non-anchor after the determination of anchor RB set; page 30 after allocating power PS-SSB(i) for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in the anchor RB-set, the UE equally allocates power remaining from PCMAX, if any, for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in used non-anchor RB-sets. In Samsung).
Claim 8. Huawei in view of Samsung teaches the UE of claim 6, wherein the second power is same for all S-SS/PSBCH blocks in all the one or more non-anchor RB sets (e.g., page 6; pages 24-25 2) RAN1 has the agreement on how to determine anchor RB set, and the current agreements implies that the rest RB sets are non-anchor after the determination of anchor RB set; page 30 after allocating power PS-SSB(i) for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in the anchor RB-set, the UE equally allocates power remaining from PCMAX, if any, for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in used non-anchor RB-sets. In Samsung).
Claim 9. Huawei in view of Samsung teaches the UE of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a first total power for all S-SS/PSBCH blocks in the anchor RB set; determine a remaining power as a maximum transmission power (P.sub.CMAX) minus the first total power; and determine a second total power for all S-SS/PSBCH blocks in the one or more non-anchor RB sets as the remaining power when the remaining power is positive (e.g., page 6; pages 24-25 2) RAN1 has the agreement on how to determine anchor RB set, and the current agreements implies that the rest RB sets are non-anchor after the determination of anchor RB set; page 30 after allocating power PS-SSB(i) for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in the anchor RB-set, the UE equally allocates power remaining from PCMAX, if any, for transmission of each S-SS/PBCH block in used non-anchor RB-sets. In Samsung).
Claims 11-13 and 16-19 are rejected substantially the same as the corresponding Claims 1-3, 6-9.
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huawei in view of Samsung as applied to claim 1 and claim 11 above, and further in view of Liu (US 20240381423 A1).
Claim 10. Huawei in view of Samsung teaches the UE of claim 1,
Huawei in view of Samsung does not explicitly teach the combination of these features: the wherein the processor is further configured to: determine that at least one of: the anchor RB set is not associated with the resource pool; the slot is within a channel occupancy initiated by the UE; and the one or more non-anchor RB sets is within the channel occupancy initiated by the UE.
The missing elements are disclosed by Liu (e.g., Abstract, [0026] [0027] [0028] [0048] [0076] [0092] FIG. 7 [0096] [0100] [0102] [0105] -[0107] [0128]).
(AIA ) 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, because: e.g., see Liu [0002]- [0013].
Therefore, the combination of references, discloses the combination of the claimed limitations.
Claim 20 is rejected substantially the same as the corresponding Claim 10.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 and 14-15 are 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.
Allowable Subject Matter:
Claim 1. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising: a transceiver configured to receive a set of configurations; and a processor operably coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to: determine, based on the set of configurations, a sidelink (SL) bandwidth part (BWP); determine, based on the set of configurations, a resource pool in the SL BWP; determine, based on the set of configurations, a number of resource block (RB) sets in the SL BWP, wherein the number of RB sets include one anchor RB set and one or more non-anchor RB sets; and determine, based on the set of configurations, a slot for a transmission of a sidelink synchronization signals and physical sidelink broadcast channel (S-SS/PSBCH) block, wherein the transceiver is further configured to: attempt to transmit the S-SS/PSBCH block in the slot and at least in the anchor RB set, wherein a channel access procedure is performed on a channel that includes the anchor RB set; and attempt to transmit the S-SS/PSBCH block in the slot and in the one or more non-anchor RB sets only when the channel access procedure fails[[.]]
wherein the slot is determined from one of a first set of slots or a second set of slots[[.]]
wherein: an index of a slot in the first set of slots is given by NoffsetS-SSB+NintervalS-SSB+1⋅iS-SSB; an index 0 corresponds to a first slot in a frame with a system frame number (SFN) of a serving cell satisfying SFNmod16=0 or a direct frame number (DFN) satisfying DFNmod16=0; iS-SSB is a S-SS/PSBCH block index within a number of S-SS/PSBCH blocks in a period, where 0≤iS-SSB≤NperiodS-SSB-1 and NperiodS-SSB is provided by the set of configurations; NoffsetS-SSB is a slot offset from a start of the period to a first slot including a S-SS/PSBCH block, provided by the set of configurations; and NintervalS-SSB is a slot interval between S-SS/PSBCH blocks, provided by the set of configurations.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest prior art is provided in the Office Action, above, as applied. The underlined features, above, in combination with the rest of the limitations are not in the prior art.
Claim 5 is allowable because of its dependence on Claim 4. Claim 14 and Claim 15 are allowable for the same reasons as the corresponding Claim 4 and Claim 5
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and claims:
Xue (US 20210219283 A1) [0097]
Xue (US 20220312378 A1) [0004 0056 0057 0105 0110 0112 0114 0118 0129 0131]
SUN (US 20230007462 A1) [0070]
Wang (US 20230156663 A1) Abstract [0081]
LIU (US 20230232426 A1) Abstract [0066]
CHENG (US 20240089938 A1) Abstract [0037]
LIN (US 20260136377 A1) [0028]
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/HOOMAN HOUSHMAND/Examiner, Art Unit 2429
/AYMAN A ABAZA/SPE, Art Unit 2429
