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 .
Election/Restrictions
Restriction to one of the following inventions is required under 35 U.S.C. 121:
I. Claims 1-10 and 20-26, drawn to a UE reporting measurements after receiving a positioning configuration, classified in H04W 24/10.
II. Claims 11-19 and 27-30, drawn to a UE determining a location of UEs or performing additional measurements, classified in H04W 64/00.
The inventions are independent or distinct, each from the other because: Inventions I and II are directed to related inventions. The related inventions are distinct if: (1) the inventions as claimed are either not capable of use together or can have a materially different design, mode of operation, function, or effect; (2) the inventions do not overlap in scope, i.e., are mutually exclusive; and (3) the inventions as claimed are not obvious variants. See MPEP § 806.05(j). In the instant case, the inventions as claimed can have a materially different design, mode of operation, function, or effect as in group I, the UE obtains a positioning configuration related to the SL positioning session and performs measurements in accordance with the positioning configuration while in group II a UE receives a message of measurements via sidelink and the message comprises an identifier common to a group of devices and the UE may perform additional measurements based on receiving the message of measurements. Furthermore, the inventions as claimed do not encompass overlapping subject matter and there is nothing of record to show them to be obvious variants.
Restriction for examination purposes as indicated is proper because all the inventions listed in this action are independent or distinct for the reasons given above and there would be a serious search and/or examination burden if restriction were not required because one or more of the following reasons apply:
a) The inventions have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classification; and
b) The inventions require a different field of search (e.g. searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search strategies or search queries).
Applicant is advised that the reply to this requirement to be complete must include (i) an election of an invention to be examined even though the requirement may be traversed (37 CFR 1.143) and (ii) identification of the claims encompassing the elected invention.
The election of an invention may be made with or without traverse. To reserve a right to petition, the election must be made with traverse. If the reply does not distinctly and specifically point out supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election shall be treated as an election without traverse. Traversal must be presented at the time of election in order to be considered timely. Failure to timely traverse the requirement will result in the loss of right to petition under 37 CFR 1.144. If claims are added after the election, Applicant must indicate which of these claims are readable upon the elected invention.
Should Applicant traverse on the ground that the inventions are not patentably distinct, Applicant should submit evidence or identify such evidence now of record showing the inventions to be obvious variants or clearly admit on the record that this is the case. In either instance, if the Examiner finds one of the inventions unpatentable over the prior art, the evidence or admission may be used in a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) of the other invention.
During a telephone conversation with Scott L. McMillan on 7/15/2026 a provisional election was made without traverse to prosecute the invention of group I, claims 1-10 and 20-26. Affirmation of this election must be made by Applicant in replying to this Office Action. Claims 11-19 and 27-30 are withdrawn from further consideration by the Examiner, 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 9/13/2024 has been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the sheet numbering is in the top margin of sheets 1-10. These numbers must be placed in the middle of the top of the sheet, but not in the margin. Each sheet must include a top margin of at least 1 inch, a left side margin of at least 1 inch, a right side margin of at least 5/8 inch, and a bottom margin of at least 3/8 inch. One of the shorter sides of the sheet is regarded as its top. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office Action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). 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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the word “a” appears as though it should be inserted before “first user equipment” on line 1. Appropriate correction is required.
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 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1-3, 7, 8, 10, 20, 21, 23, 24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0088883 A1) (hereinafter Rao) in view of Ryu et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0376458 A1) (hereinafter Ryu).
Regarding claim 1, Rao discloses a method at first user equipment (UE) of reporting one or more measurements in a sidelink (SL) positioning session (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: sending a measurement report and/or location estimates to the anchor WTRU and/or network, including measurements and/or location estimates made based on RS received from network and/or received from another WTRU over a sidelink), the method comprising:
obtaining, at the first UE, a positioning configuration related to the SL positioning session (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: initiating a discovery procedure and/or receiving request for making the WTRU discoverable (e.g., via a sidelink or via the network) for performing collaborative positioning; receiving positioning related configuration (e.g., PRS, SRSp, sidelink PRS) and accordingly performing measurements and/or transmission of RS (e.g., SRSp, sidelink PRS) which may be used for determining the location of one of more WTRUs, possibly including an anchor WTRU and/or collaborative WTRU);
performing one or more measurements of one or more radio frequency (RF) signals at the first UE in accordance with the positioning configuration, wherein the one or more measurements are performed to determine a location of: the first UE, one or more target UEs other than the first UE, or both (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: receiving positioning related configuration (e.g., PRS, SRSp, sidelink PRS) and accordingly performing measurements and/or transmission of RS (e.g., SRSp, sidelink PRS) which may be used for determining the location of one of more WTRUs, possibly including an anchor WTRU and/or collaborative WTRU); and
sending a message indicative of the one or more measurements, wherein the message is sent via wireless communication from the first UE to a group of devices comprising a plurality of other UEs (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: sending a measurement report and/or location estimates to the anchor WTRU and/or network, including measurements and/or location estimates made based on RS received from network and/or received from another WTRU over a sidelink. Paragraph 0359 discloses in the case when a collaborating WTRU is performing measurements of DL-PRS and/or sidelink PRS corresponding to different anchor WTRUs, the collaborating WTRU may perform the calculation and indicate the measurements and/or location estimates along with the respective anchor WTRU ID when sending the measurement report).
Rao does not explicitly disclose the message is sent via multicast.
In analogous art, Ryu discloses the message is sent via multicast (Paragraph 0048 discloses a transmitting D2D UE 132 multicasts data to a plurality of receiving D2D UEs 131).
It 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 to incorporate a UE multicasting data to a plurality of UEs, as described in Ryu, with a WTRU sending data to WTRUs, as described in Rao, because doing so is combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results. Combining a UE multicasting data to a plurality of UEs of Ryu with a WTRU sending data to WTRUs of Rao was within the ordinary ability of one of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings of Ryu.
Therefore, it 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 to combine the teachings of Rao and Ryu to obtain the invention as specified in claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, as applied to claim 1 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein the plurality of other UEs comprise the one or more target UEs (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: initiating a discovery procedure and/or receiving request for making the WTRU discoverable (e.g., via a sidelink or via the network) for performing collaborative positioning; receiving positioning related configuration (e.g., PRS, SRSp, sidelink PRS) and accordingly performing measurements and/or transmission of RS (e.g., SRSp, sidelink PRS) which may be used for determining the location of one of more WTRUs, possibly including an anchor WTRU and/or collaborative WTRU; sending a measurement report and/or location estimates to the anchor WTRU and/or network, including measurements and/or location estimates made based on RS received from network and/or received from another WTRU over a sidelink).
Regarding claim 3, as applied to claim 1 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein the message is sent via a media access control-control element (MAC-CE) message (Paragraphs 0236, 0368, 0371, and 0373 disclose the positioning information (measurement report/location estimates). In some implementations where the WTRU sends the positioning information in L2/L1 signaling on a Uu interface, for example, the anchor WTRU/collaborative WTRU with Uu link may send positioning information via L1/L2 signaling including UL MAC CE or UCI, for example. In some implementations where the WTRU sends the positioning information in L2/L1 signaling on an SL interface, for example, a collaborative WTRU may send the positioning information to one or more anchor WTRU via sidelink L1/L2 signaling including SL MAC CE or SCI, for example).
Regarding claim 7, as applied to claim 1 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein the message is sent via a radio resource control (RRC) message (Paragraphs 0236, 0368, and 0370 disclose in some implementations, the WTRU may send the positioning information (measurement report/location estimates) to network and/or anchor WTRU in a NAS message; RRC signaling; L2/L1 signaling on Uu interface; SL signaling/data radio bearers; and/or L2/L1 signaling on SL interface. In some implementations where the WTRU sends the positioning information in RRC signaling, for example, the anchor WTRU/collaborative WTRU with Uu link may send the positioning information via RRC signaling message or messages).
Regarding claim 8, as applied to claim 1 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein the message is sent via a non-access stratum (NAS) message (Paragraphs 0236, 0368, and 0370 disclose in some implementations, the WTRU may send the positioning information (measurement report/location estimates) to network and/or anchor WTRU in a NAS message; RRC signaling; L2/L1 signaling on Uu interface; SL signaling/data radio bearers; and/or L2/L1 signaling on SL interface. In some implementations where the WTRU sends the positioning information in a NAS message, for example, the anchor WTRU/collaborative WTRU with individual/group LPP session or sessions may send the positioning information to network (LMF and/or gNB) NAS message or messages via SRBs (e.g., SRB1, SRB2, SRB3) or DRBs).
Regarding claim 10, as applied to claim 1 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein for a target device comprising the first UE or one or the one or more target UEs, determining the location of the target device comprises determining: a location of the target device in a coordinate system, a location of the target device, relative to another device or structure, or a range between the target device and another device, or a combination thereof (Paragraph 0038 discloses provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) regarding the current location of the WTRU 102. Paragraph 0077 discloses position (e.g., relative position). Paragraph 0228 discloses collaborative positioning may include reporting of the measurements and (e.g., along with) other information related to relative location of the WTRUs with respect to each other in a collaborative group, for example).
Regarding claim 20, Rao discloses a first user equipment (UE) for reporting one or more measurements in a sidelink (SL) positioning session (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: sending a measurement report and/or location estimates to the anchor WTRU and/or network, including measurements and/or location estimates made based on RS received from network and/or received from another WTRU over a sidelink), the first UE comprising:
a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory (Figure 1B and paragraph 0031 disclose the WTRU 102 may include a processor 118, a transceiver 120, a transmit/receive element 122, non-removable memory 130, removable memory 132), wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
obtain a positioning configuration related to the SL positioning session (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: initiating a discovery procedure and/or receiving request for making the WTRU discoverable (e.g., via a sidelink or via the network) for performing collaborative positioning; receiving positioning related configuration (e.g., PRS, SRSp, sidelink PRS) and accordingly performing measurements and/or transmission of RS (e.g., SRSp, sidelink PRS) which may be used for determining the location of one of more WTRUs, possibly including an anchor WTRU and/or collaborative WTRU);
perform one or more measurements of one or more radio frequency (RF) signals at the first UE in accordance with the positioning configuration, wherein the one or more measurements are performed to determine a location of: the first UE, one or more target UEs other than the first UE, or both (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: receiving positioning related configuration (e.g., PRS, SRSp, sidelink PRS) and accordingly performing measurements and/or transmission of RS (e.g., SRSp, sidelink PRS) which may be used for determining the location of one of more WTRUs, possibly including an anchor WTRU and/or collaborative WTRU); and
send a message indicative of the one or more measurements, wherein the message is sent via multicast wireless communication via the transceiver to a group of devices comprising a plurality of other UEs (Paragraph 0210 discloses a collaborative WTRU or member WTRU, in the context of collaborative positioning, may be used interchangeably to refer to a WTRU involved in performing one or more of the following: sending a measurement report and/or location estimates to the anchor WTRU and/or network, including measurements and/or location estimates made based on RS received from network and/or received from another WTRU over a sidelink. Paragraph 0359 discloses in the case when a collaborating WTRU is performing measurements of DL-PRS and/or sidelink PRS corresponding to different anchor WTRUs, the collaborating WTRU may perform the calculation and indicate the measurements and/or location estimates along with the respective anchor WTRU ID when sending the measurement report).
Rao does not explicitly disclose the message is sent via multicast.
In analogous art, Ryu discloses the message is sent via multicast (Paragraph 0048 discloses a transmitting D2D UE 132 multicasts data to a plurality of receiving D2D UEs 131).
It 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 to incorporate a UE multicasting data to a plurality of UEs, as described in Ryu, with a WTRU sending data to WTRUs, as described in Rao, because doing so is combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results. Combining a UE multicasting data to a plurality of UEs of Ryu with a WTRU sending data to WTRUs of Rao was within the ordinary ability of one of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings of Ryu.
Therefore, it 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 to combine the teachings of Rao and Ryu to obtain the invention as specified in claim 20.
Regarding claim 21, as applied to claim 20 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein the one or more processors are configured to send the message via a media access control-control element (MAC-CE) message (Paragraphs 0236, 0368, 0371, and 0373 disclose the positioning information (measurement report/location estimates). In some implementations where the WTRU sends the positioning information in L2/L1 signaling on a Uu interface, for example, the anchor WTRU/collaborative WTRU with Uu link may send positioning information via L1/L2 signaling including UL MAC CE or UCI, for example. In some implementations where the WTRU sends the positioning information in L2/L1 signaling on an SL interface, for example, a collaborative WTRU may send the positioning information to one or more anchor WTRU via sidelink L1/L2 signaling including SL MAC CE or SCI, for example).
Regarding claim 23, as applied to claim 20 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein the one or more processors are configured to send the message via a radio resource control (RRC) message (Paragraphs 0236, 0368, and 0370 disclose in some implementations, the WTRU may send the positioning information (measurement report/location estimates) to network and/or anchor WTRU in a NAS message; RRC signaling; L2/L1 signaling on Uu interface; SL signaling/data radio bearers; and/or L2/L1 signaling on SL interface. In some implementations where the WTRU sends the positioning information in RRC signaling, for example, the anchor WTRU/collaborative WTRU with Uu link may send the positioning information via RRC signaling message or messages).
Regarding claim 24, as applied to claim 20 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein the one or more processors are configured to send the message via a non-access stratum (NAS) message (Paragraphs 0236, 0368, and 0370 disclose in some implementations, the WTRU may send the positioning information (measurement report/location estimates) to network and/or anchor WTRU in a NAS message; RRC signaling; L2/L1 signaling on Uu interface; SL signaling/data radio bearers; and/or L2/L1 signaling on SL interface. In some implementations where the WTRU sends the positioning information in a NAS message, for example, the anchor WTRU/collaborative WTRU with individual/group LPP session or sessions may send the positioning information to network (LMF and/or gNB) NAS message or messages via SRBs (e.g., SRB1, SRB2, SRB3) or DRBs).
Regarding claim 26, as applied to claim 20 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, further discloses wherein, to determine the location of a target device comprising the first UE or one or the one or more target UEs, the one or more processors are configured to determine: a location of the target device in a coordinate system, a location of the target device, relative to another device or structure, or a range between the target device and another device, or a combination thereof (Paragraph 0038 discloses provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) regarding the current location of the WTRU 102. Paragraph 0077 discloses position (e.g., relative position). Paragraph 0228 discloses collaborative positioning may include reporting of the measurements and (e.g., along with) other information related to relative location of the WTRUs with respect to each other in a collaborative group, for example).
Claims 4 and 22 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao in view of Ryu as applied to claims 3 and 21 above, and further in view of Zhang (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0053589 A1) (hereinafter Zhang).
Regarding claim 4, as applied to claim 3 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, discloses the claimed invention except explicitly disclosing wherein the MAC-CE message includes a logical channel ID (LCID) used by the group.
In analogous art, Zhang discloses wherein the MAC-CE message includes a logical channel ID (LCID) used by the group (Paragraph 0858 discloses a MAC subheader corresponding to the first MAC CE comprises a first LCID, and the first LCID indicates that a first logical channel group identity corresponds to the first serving cell group).
It 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 to incorporate a MAC CE comprising an LCID indicating indicates that a logical channel group identity corresponds to a serving cell group, as described in Zhang, with sending a message via a MAC CE message, as described in Rao, as modified by Ryu, because doing so is combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results. Combining a MAC CE comprising an LCID indicating indicates that a logical channel group identity corresponds to a serving cell group of Zhang with sending a message via a MAC CE message of Rao, as modified by Ryu, was within the ordinary ability of one of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings of Zhang.
Therefore, it 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 to combine the teachings of Rao, Ryu, and Zhang to obtain the invention as specified in claim 4.
Regarding claim 22, as applied to claim 21 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, discloses the claimed invention except explicitly disclosing include, in the MAC-CE message, a logical channel ID (LCID) used by the group.
In analogous art, Zhang discloses include, in the MAC-CE message, a logical channel ID (LCID) used by the group (Paragraph 0858 discloses a MAC subheader corresponding to the first MAC CE comprises a first LCID, and the first LCID indicates that a first logical channel group identity corresponds to the first serving cell group).
It 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 to incorporate a MAC CE comprising an LCID indicating indicates that a logical channel group identity corresponds to a serving cell group, as described in Zhang, with sending a message via a MAC CE message, as described in Rao, as modified by Ryu, because doing so is combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results. Combining a MAC CE comprising an LCID indicating indicates that a logical channel group identity corresponds to a serving cell group of Zhang with sending a message via a MAC CE message of Rao, as modified by Ryu, was within the ordinary ability of one of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings of Zhang.
Therefore, it 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 to combine the teachings of Rao, Ryu, and Zhang to obtain the invention as specified in claim 22.
Claims 9 and 25 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rao in view of Ryu as applied to claims 1 and 20 above, and further in view of Yung et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0144140 A1) (hereinafter Yung).
Regarding claims 9 and 25, as applied to claims 1 and 20 above, Rao, as modified by Ryu, discloses the claimed invention except explicitly disclosing prior to sending the message, encrypting the message with the first UE, wherein the encrypting uses an encryption key specific to the group.
In analogous art, Yung discloses prior to sending the message, encrypting the message with the first UE, wherein the encrypting uses an encryption key specific to the group (Paragraph 0071 discloses encrypt the composite message for each user group identifier using an encryption key).
It 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 to incorporate encrypting a message for a group using an encryption key, as described in Yung, with sending a message, as described in Rao, as modified by Ryu, because doing so is combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results. Combining encrypting a message for a group using an encryption key of Yung with sending a message of Rao, as modified by Ryu, was within the ordinary ability of one of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings of Yung.
Therefore, it 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 to combine the teachings of Rao, Ryu, and Yung to obtain the invention as specified in claims 9 and 25.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Considering claim 5, the best prior art found during the prosecution of the present application, Rao, Ryu, and Zhang, fails to disclose, teach, or suggest the limitations of wherein the LCID is assigned by an entity organizing the SL positioning session; and the entity organizing the SL positioning session sends the LCID to each UE of the group in combination with and in the context of all of the other limitations in claim 5.
Claim 6 also includes allowable subject matter by virtue of its dependency on claim 5.
Any comments considered necessary by Applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure.
Umatt et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0088154 A1) discloses a system search for full service while on a cell with limited service;
Park et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0281628 A1) discloses a method and apparatus for receiving a timing advance command in a wireless communication system;
Bostrom et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0034085 A1) discloses medium access control timing advance group assignment;
Huang et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0308613 A1) discloses a random access method, user equipment and network equipment;
Suzuki et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0174194 A1) discloses a wireless communication method for device to device communication and user equipment;
Sebire et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0111818 A1) discloses cross reporting or empty buffers in dual connectivity;
Han et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0052826 A1) discloses a duplication transmission method and apparatus;
Zhang et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0314808 A1) discloses a BSR reporting method and apparatus;
Bao et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0070712 A1) discloses measurement report for sidelink-assisted positioning;
Goyal et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0295442 A1) discloses WTRU assisted positioning; and
Ramachandran et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0168808 A1) discloses enhanced ranging and positioning services in wireless networks.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to MARK G. PANNELL whose telephone number is (303) 297-4245. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm (Mountain Time).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, Applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Rafael Perez-Gutierrez can be reached on (571) 272-7915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/Mark G. Pannell/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
Prosecution Insights