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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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 8-9, 11, 13, 16-17 and 20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maaref et al. (US 2020/0367221, “Maaref”) in view of Jeon et al. (US 2019/0075589, “Jeon”).
Examiner’s note: in what follows, references are drawn to Maaref unless otherwise mentioned.
Maaref comprises the following features:
With respect to independent claims:
Regarding claim 1, a grant-free resource configuration method for a user equipment, the grant-free resource configuration method comprising:
receiving, first indication information from a network device (This will be discussed in view of Jeon.),
wherein the first indication information indicates a status of each resource block group in a grant-free (GF) resource ([0034] “the availability of a communication resource for use by a UE is determined based on the number of UEs already using that communication resource. This may, in some V2X SL grant-free (GF) scenarios, enable an optimized number of multiple UEs to share an SL transmission resource for GF transmissions”. For more clarification for the indication information, this will be discussed in view of Jeon.), the GF resource comprises one or more resource block groups ([0054] “The resource grid 100 has a frequency-domain length of 4 and a time-domain length of 5. In the time-domain, T0 to T4 could be slots, mini-slots, symbols, or any other quantization or unit of time. In the frequency-domain, F0 to F3 could be frequency sub-channels, combinations of sub-channels, resource blocks, resource block groups (RBGs)”), each resource block group comprises at least one resource block (This will be discussed in view of Jeon.), and the status comprises a congested state or an idle state (This will be discussed in view of Jeon.); and
performing, first communication with the network device by using a first resource (This will be discussed in view of Jeon.),
wherein the first resource is determined based on the first indication information ([0074 and Fig. 3] “Step 1: Collect the sensing information (e.g., usage information about usage of the candidate resource) for the current sensing window location (Block 304).”, [0075] “Step 2: Excluding the candidate communication resource from the set of candidate communication resources when the resource usage information exceeds a usage threshold.”, and [0076] “Step 3: Select a candidate resource from the candidate resources remaining in candidate resource set”), and the first resource is at least one resource block group in the GF resource ([0084] “Referring to FIG. 4, PSSCH RSRP is defined as the linear average over the power distributions (in [W]) of the resource elements that carry demodulation reference signals associated with PSSCH, within PRBs indicated by the associated PSCCH if there is one or more (pre-)configured (e.g. TFRP).”).
It is noted that while disclosing usage of GF resources, Maaref does not specifically teach about signaling an indication from a network device. It, however, had been known in the art before the effective date of the instant application as shown by Jeon as follows;
receiving, first indication information from a network device ([Jeon, 0225] “The RRC signaling for GF radio resource configuration may include one or more parameters indicating one or more of the following: periodicity and offset of a resource with respect to SFN=0, time domain resource allocation, frequency domain resource allocation”, and [Jeon, 0219] “An uplink (UL) transmission without a dynamic UL grant, which may be referred to as a grant-free (GF) UL transmission or a configured grant transmission”);
each resource block group comprises at least one resource block ([Jeon, 0143 and Fig. 3] “The smallest radio resource unit may be called a resource element (e.g., 301). Resource elements may be grouped into resource blocks (e.g., 302). Resource blocks may be grouped into larger radio resources called Resource Block Groups (RBG) (e.g., 303).”);
the status comprises a congested state or an idle state ([Jeon, 0250] “The base station may measure a level of congestion of the configured grant radio resource shared by a plurality of wireless devices based on statistics, for example, resource utilization, load, and/or a number of wireless devices sharing the configured grant radio resource and having set up a threshold policy to dynamically balance load or resource utilization of the configured grant radio resource.”);
performing, first communication with the network device by using a first resource ([Jeon, 0219] “The wireless device may be configured by the base station to use the configured grant radio resources to transmit, via the configured grant radio resources without a dynamic UL grant, one or more data packets.”).
It would have been obvious to modify Maaref so that the UE receives from the network device the resource-specific congestion/availability information measured by the base station in Jeon, rather than obtaining all such resource-usage information solely through UE sidelink sensing. The combination applies Jeon’s known network measured GF resource congestion and GF control signaling to provide the resource-usage information that Maaref already uses to exclude high-use resources and select a resource for GF transmission. This would predictably reduce collision and improved shared GF resource utilization.
Regarding claim 9, it is a communication apparatus claim corresponding to the method claim 1, except the limitations, “at least one processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions that, a memory having instructions stored” ([0099 and Fig. 6] “The UE 1554a includes a communication subsystem 1570a, two antennas 1572a and 1574a, a processor 1576a, and a memory 1578a. The UE 1554a also includes a communication module 1580a. The communication module 1580a is implemented by the processor 1576a when the processor 1576a accesses and executes a series of instructions stored in the memory 1578a”), and is therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 17, it is a communication apparatus claim corresponding to the method claim 1 in a reciprocal way, except the limitations, “at least one processor; and a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor” ([0098 and Fig. 6] “The managing module 1558 includes a processor 1562, a memory 1564, and a communication module 1566. The communication module 1566 is implemented by the processor 1562 when the processor 1562 accesses and executes a series of instructions stored in the memory 1564”), and is therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
With respect to dependent claims:
Regarding claims 3 and 11, the grant-free resource configuration method according to claim 1 and the communication apparatus according to claim 9, respectively, wherein the status further comprises one or more of a congestion level or an idle level ([Jeon, 0250] “The base station may measure a level of congestion of the configured grant radio resource shared by a plurality of wireless devices based on statistics”).
Regarding claims 5, 13 and 20, the grant-free resource configuration method according to claim 1, the communication apparatus according to claim 9, and the communication apparatus according to claim 17, respectively, wherein the first resource excludes a third resource, and the third resource is at least one resource block group in the GF resource ([0075] “Step 2: Excluding the candidate communication resource from the set of candidate communication resources when the resource usage information exceeds a usage threshold.”).
Regarding claims 8 and 16, the grant-free resource configuration method according to claim 1 and the communication apparatus according to claim 9, respectively, wherein content of the first communication performed by the user equipment and the network device comprises one or more of a reference signal, a preamble (These alternatives are not examined.), a physical uplink shared channel ([Jeon, 0224] “A base station may use one or more preamble sequences that may be transmitted together with the PUSCH data, for example, for a wireless device ID identification. One or more preamble sequences may be designed to be reliable enough and to meet a detection requirement of a service, for example, URLLC. A preamble sequence may be uniquely allocated to a wireless device, for example, for wireless devices configured with a GF radio resource pool.”), a physical uplink control channel, an uplink control signal, a radio resource control message, and or control plane data (These alternatives are not examined.).
Claim(s) 2, 6-7, 10, 14-15 and 18 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maaref et al. (US 2020/0367221, “Maaref”) in view of Jeon et al. (US 2019/0075589, “Jeon”) and further in view of Ma et al. (US 2018/0139774, “Ma”).
Examiner’s note: in what follows, references are drawn to Maaref unless otherwise mentioned.
Regarding claims 2, 10 and 18, it is noted that while disclosing usage of GF resources, Maaref does not specifically teach about a second resource. It, however, had been known in the art before the effective date of the instant application as shown by Ma as follows;
the grant-free resource configuration method according to claim 1, the communication apparatus according to claim 9, and the communication apparatus according to claim 17, respectively,
wherein the first resource is determined based on the first indication information and a second resource, the second resource is at least one resource block group in the GF resource, the second resource is used for second communication between the user equipment and the network device, the second communication is a failed communication performed before the first communication ([Ma, 0212 and Fig. 6A] “there may be reference signal collision, …, but data decoding was unsuccessful, NACK message(s) may be sent from the TRP.”, and [Ma, 0224] “at step 607, i.e. if a NACK was transmitted by the TRP, the UE retransmits the data using an allocated GF resource or a dedicated resource.”).
It would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of instant application, after receiving Ma’s failure indication for a prior GF resource, to apply he Maaref resource-status selection process to select the retransmission resource. The known failed resource is necessarily relevant to selecting its replacement. The person skilled in the art would avoid reusing the resource associated with the failed/collided communication when the network’s current congestion/availability information identifies a less-congested candidate GF RBG.
Regarding claims 6 and 14, the grant-free resource configuration method according to claim 5 and the communication apparatus according to claim 13, respectively, wherein the third resource is invoked by a non-GF service ([Ma, 0117] “The TRP can temporarily reclaim some of the pre-allocated resource to use for UEs in the GB mode”, and to distinguish GB from GF, [Ma, 0099] “a first type of UL transmission resource assignment mechanism uses a pre-configured resource allocation or pre-allocated channel resource for grant-free UE transmission. A second type of UL transmission resource assignment mechanism uses a dynamically assigned channel resource for grant-based UE.”).
The rational and motivation for adding this teaching of Ma are the same as for claim 2.
Regarding claims 7 and 15, the grant-free resource configuration method according to claim 1 and the communication apparatus according to claim 9, respectively, wherein the first indication information comprises:
an index of the resource block group in the congested state in the GF resource ([Ma, 0277] “the first type of UL transmission resource assignment indicates a pre-configured transmission resource for the first UE for grant free transmission by providing a first index in the time domain”);
an index of the resource block group in the idle state in the GF resource; or
a first bitmap, wherein the first bitmap comprises N bits, the GF resource comprises N resource block groups, the N bits are in one-to-one correspondence with the N resource block groups, each bit indicates a status of a corresponding resource block group, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1 (These alternatives are not examined.).
The rational and motivation for adding this teaching of Ma are the same as for claim 2.
Claim(s) 4, 12 and 19 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maaref et al. (US 2020/0367221, “Maaref”) in view of Jeon et al. (US 2019/0075589, “Jeon”) and further in view of Blasco Serrano et al. (US 2021/0289549, “Serrano”).
Examiner’s note: in what follows, references are drawn to Maaref unless otherwise mentioned.
Regarding claims 4, 12 and 19, it is noted that while disclosing usage of GF resources, Maaref does not specifically teach about further indicating a selection weight. It, however, had been known in the art before the effective date of the instant application as shown by Serrano as follows;
the grant-free resource configuration method according to claim 1, the communication apparatus according to claim 9, and the communication apparatus according to claim 17, respectively, wherein the first indication information further indicates a selection weight of one or more of the resource block groups ([Serrano, 0062] “resources at subframes [n+T1, n+T2] may not be selected with equal probability and resources at subframes [n+T1, n+T3] may be selected with a lower probability than resources at subframes [n+T3+1, n+T2].”, and [Serrano, 0025] “at least one of the at least one parameter is a congestion control indicator, such that when congestion is low, T2 is small, and when suggestion is high, T2 is large.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of instant application to modify Maaref-Jeon GF-resource-selection procedure by using Serrano’s unequal-probability selection technique to the network-determined congestion/availability statuses of GF RBGs. In particular one skilled in the art would assign a lower selection probability, and thus a lower selection weight to RBGs identified as idle or less congested. This modification would permit the UE to favor lower-contention resources without excluding every higher-contention resource, thereby preserving a sufficient candidate-resource population while reducing collision probability and improving GF resource utilization.
Conclusion
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/HARRY H KIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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