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 § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 20claimed 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.
2. Claims 1-3, 6-7, 11, 13-16, 19, 20, 22, 24-26 and 28-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal et al. (US 2021/0328725, hereinafter Jassal) in view of Ganesan et al. (US 2021/0058905, hereinafter Ganesan).
Regarding claims 1 and 29, Jassal discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (Fig. 4), comprising:
a memory (para 0224; memory); and
one or more processors (para 0221; a processor), coupled to the memory, configured to: transmit, to another UE (para 0043 and 0056; UEs communicates with each other), a feedback communication associated with a transport block (para 0085; 0096; and 0098; feedback) in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (para 0043 – combining the TBs received from PDSCH), wherein the feedback communication is transmitted via a channel that is associated with the PDSCH (para 0063; and 0148 ; receiving feedback); and receive, from the other UE, a retransmission of the transport block based at least in part on the feedback communication being transmitted in the channel that is associated with the PDSCH (para 0041-0042; and 0085; data block retransmission).
Jassal does not explicitly disclose that the feedback communication is transmitted via a sidelink.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses that the feedback communication is transmitted via a sidelink (para 0102; 0104; and 0108; Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claim 14, Jassal discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (Fig. 4), comprising:
a memory (para 0224; memory); and
one or more processors (para 0221; a processor), coupled to the memory, configured to: receive, from another UE (para 0043 and 0056; UEs communicates with each other), a feedback communication associated with a transport block (para 0085; 0096; and 0098; feedback) in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (para 0043 – combining the TBs received from PDSCH), wherein the feedback communication is transmitted via a channel that is associated with the PDSCH (para 0063; and 0148; receiving feedback); and receive, from the other UE, a retransmission of the transport block based at least in part on the feedback communication being transmitted in the channel that is associated with the PDSCH (para 0041-0042; and 0085; data block retransmission).
Jassal does not explicitly disclose that the feedback communication is transmitted via a sidelink.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses that the feedback communication is transmitted via a sidelink (para 0102; 0104; and 0108; Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claims 2, and 15, Jassal does not explicitly disclose wherein the UE and the other UE are in wireless communication with a network entity that transmitted the transport block via a groupcast communication, and wherein the PDSCH is associated with the groupcast communication.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses wherein the UE and the other UE are in wireless communication with a network entity that transmitted the transport block via a groupcast communication (para 0086; and 0106; group cast transmission), and wherein the PDSCH is associated with the groupcast communication (para 0002 and 0106). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claims 3, 16, and 30, Jassal does not explicitly disclose wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from a network entity, a configuration associating the sidelink feedback channel with the PDSCH.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from a network entity, a configuration associating the sidelink feedback channel with the PDSCH (para 0002; 0099-0100; and 0107; sending to the group of UEs configuration info associated with sidelink harq feedback). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claims 6, 19 and 28, Jassal does not explicitly disclose wherein the configuration further configures a sidelink feedback resource pool, and wherein the sidelink feedback channel is associated with a subset of resources of the
sidelink feedback resource pool.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses wherein the configuration further configures a sidelink feedback resource pool (para 0070; and 0099), and wherein the sidelink feedback channel is associated with a subset of resources of the sidelink feedback resource pool (para 0071; and 0099). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claims 7, and 20, Jassal discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from the network entity, a downlink control information (DCI) message including an indication of the subset of resources (para 0151; 0165 – DCI carrying resource allocation field indicating PRBs within PRB set r).
Regarding claims 11 and 22, Jassal discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from the network entity, a downlink control information (DCI) message scheduling the PDSCH (para 0118 and 0127).
Jassal does not explicitly disclose wherein the DCI message indicates resources associated with the sidelink feedback channel.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses wherein the DCI message indicates resources associated with the sidelink feedback channel (para 0118 and 0127). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claims 13 and 24, Jassal discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit/receive, from the other UE via a sidelink control information (SCI) message (para 0094-0095; SCI).
Jassal does not explicitly disclose to transmit/receive a configuration associating the sidelink feedback channel with the PDSCH.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses to transmit/receive a configuration associating the sidelink feedback channel with the PDSCH (para 0118; 0127; and 0142). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claim 25, Jassal discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a network entity (para 0009; fig. 17B), comprising:
a memory (para 0225; memory); and
one or more processors (para 0225; a processing unit), coupled to the memory (para 0225), configured to:
transmit, to a group of user equipments (UEs) (para 0066; and 0254; group of UEs), a transport block in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (para 0003; and 0043; 0066; and 0262; tbs received from pdsch).
Jassal does not explicitly disclose transmitting to the group of UEs, a configuration associating a sidelink feedback channel with the PDSCH.
In an analogous art, Ganesan II discloses transmitting to the group of UEs, a configuration associating a sidelink feedback channel with the PDSCH (para 0002; 0099-0100; and 0107; sending to the group of UEs configuration info associated with sidelink harq feedback) . It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claim 26, Jassal does not explicitly disclose wherein the group of UEs are in wireless communication with the network entity via a groupcast communication, and
wherein the PDSCH is associated with the groupcast communication.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses wherein the group of UEs are in wireless communication with the network entity via a groupcast communication (para 0086 and 0106; groupcast), and wherein the PDSCH is associated with the groupcast communication (para 0002; 0078; 0086; and 0106). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
3. Claims 4-5, 17-18, and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal/Ganesan in view of Liu et al. (US 2022/0150804, hereinafter Liu).
Regarding claims 4, 17, and 27, Jassal/Ganesa does not explicitly disclose
wherein the PDSCH is associated with one PDSCH resource of multiple semi-persistently scheduled (SPS) PDSCH resources, wherein the sidelink feedback channel is associated with one sidelink feedback channel resource of multiple SPS sidelink feedback channel resources, and wherein the configuration associates each of the multiple SPS sidelink feedback channel resources with a corresponding PDSCH resource of the multiple SPS PDSCH resources.
In an analogous art, Liu discloses wherein the PDSCH is associated with one PDSCH resource of multiple semi-persistently scheduled (SPS) PDSCH resources (para 0459-0460), wherein the sidelink feedback channel is associated with one sidelink feedback channel resource of multiple SPS sidelink feedback channel resources (para 0072-0076), and wherein the configuration associates each of the multiple SPS sidelink feedback channel resources with a corresponding PDSCH resource of the multiple SPS PDSCH resources (para 0075-0078). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal/Ganesan’s method/system by having Liu’s disclosure in order to improve resource allocation of a communication system.
Regarding claims 5 and 18, Jassal/Ganesa does not explicitly disclose
wherein each of the multiple SPS PDSCH resources is associated with a priority value, and wherein the configuration associates each of the multiple SPS sidelink feedback channel resources with a PDSCH resource associated with a corresponding priority value that exceeds a priority value threshold.
In an analogous art, Liu discloses wherein each of the multiple SPS PDSCH resources is associated with a priority value, and wherein the configuration associates each of the multiple SPS sidelink feedback channel resources with a PDSCH resource associated with a corresponding priority value that exceeds a priority value threshold (para 0132-0134; 0139 and 0513-0516). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal/Ganesan’s method/system by having Liu’s disclosure in order to improve resource allocation of a communication system.
4. Claims 8 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal/Ganesan in view of Guo (US 2020/0029318, hereinafter Guo).
Regarding claims 8 and 21, Jassal discloses wherein the indication of the subset of resources indicates a time offset parameter (para 0140; 0142 and 0158) wherein the time offsct parameter indicates a time offset from a first time resource of the sidelink feedback resource pool to a start of time resources of the subset of resources
and a frequency offset parameter (para 0140).
Jassal/Ganesan does not explicitly disclose wherein the indication of the subset of resources indicates a frequency offset parameter (para 0237 and 0248); and wherein the frequency offset parameter indicates a frequency offset from a first frequency resource of the sidelink feedback resource pool to a start of frequency resources of the subset of resources (para 0203; 0205; 0237 and 0248). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal/Ganesan’s method/system by having Guo’s disclosure in order to improve synchronization of a communication system.
5. Claims 9-10, 12 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal/Ganesan in view of Selvanesan et al. (US 2021/0336728, hereinafter Selvanesan).
Regarding claim 9, Jassal discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from the network entity, a downlink control information (DCI) message scheduling the PDSCH (para 0151).
Jassal does not explicitly disclose wherein the DCI message activates the sidelink feedback resource pool.
In an analogous art, Selvanesan discloses wherein the DCI message activates the sidelink feedback resource pool (para 0125; and 0288). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal/Ganesan’s method/system by having Selvansan’s disclosure in order to improve resource allocation of a communication system.
Regarding claim 10, Jassal does not explicitly disclose wherein the subset of resources are randomly selected from the sidelink feedback resource pool by the UE.
In an analogous art, Ganesan discloses wherein the subset of resources are randomly selected from the sidelink feedback resource pool by the UE (para 0002; and 0073 ). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal’s method/system by having Ganesan’s disclosure in order to improve the efficiency of a communication system.
Regarding claims 12 and 23, Jassal/Ganesan does not explicitly disclose
wherein the DCI message includes a frequency domain resource assignment (FDRA) associated with the sidelink feedback channel and a time domain
resource assignment (TDRA) associated with the sidelink feedback channel.
In an analogous art, Selvanesan discloses wherein the DCI message includes a frequency domain resource assignment (FDRA) associated with the sidelink feedback channel (para 0291; and 0308 – frequency domain resource assignment) and a time domain resource assignment (TDRA) associated with the sidelink feedback channel (para 0291; and 0307 – time domain resource assignment). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jassal/Ganesan’s method/system by having Selvansan’s disclosure in order to improve resource allocation of a communication system.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMINA CHOUDHRY whose telephone number is (571)270-7102. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Thursday (7:30 a.m. to 5.00p.m.).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yemane Mesfin can be reached on (571)272-3927. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SAMINA F CHOUDHRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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