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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the application filed on 09/19/2024 has a total of 20 claims pending in the application; there are 3 independent claims and 17 dependent claims, all of which are ready for examination by the examiner.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claims 26-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MIAO et al. Publication No. (US 2025/0176016 A1) in view of Wang et al. Publication No. (US 2025/0008558 A1).
Claims 1-25. (Canceled).
Regarding claim 26, MIAO teaches a method comprising:
receiving, by a first device (second terminal device 120 FIG.4), in a slot, a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) from a second device (the first terminal device 110 transmits PSCCH or PSSCH and the information about the first sharing CO duration in slot 0. The first terminal device 110 may also indicate, in SCI on PSCCH in slot 0, the resource in slot 0 for current transmission [0052-54] FIG.5A);
receiving, by the first device, in the slot, a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) related to the PSCCH from the second device (the first terminal device 110 transmits PSCCH or PSSCH and the information about the first sharing CO duration in slot 0. The first terminal device 110 may also indicate, in SCI on PSCCH in slot 0, the resource in slot 0 for current transmission [0052-54] FIG.5A); and
performing, by the first device, sidelink transmission within a duration (the first terminal device 110 determines the transmission offset as the first sharing CO duration. That is, the first sharing CO duration comprises slots 0 to 5. It will be understood that although it is described that the first sharing CO duration comprises slots 0 to 5, the second terminal device 120 may only use slots 1 to 5 for its sidelink transmission because the first terminal device 110 has used slot 0 to transmit the information about the first sharing CO duration [0054-56] FIG.5B),
wherein channel occupancy sharing information related to an initiated channel occupancy is provided on the PSCCH (the first terminal device 110 may determine remaining time of a CO initiated by the first terminal device 110 as the remaining COT, the first terminal device 110 may determine an end of the second sharing CO duration as an end of the remaining COT [0074-75] FIG.5D), and
wherein the initiated channel occupancy is shared for the sidelink transmission by the first device within the duration starting a processing time from an end of the slot (the second terminal device 120 receives information about sharing CO from a first terminal device and determines CO for a second sidelink transmission of the second terminal device based on at least one of the following: the sharing CO, a first priority value for a subsequent sidelink transmission of the first terminal device, a second priority value for the second sidelink transmission, or a potential resource for the subsequent sidelink transmission [0104-106] FIG.7).
MIAO does not explicitly teach the channel occupancy is provided on the PSCCH and the PSSCH.
Wang teaches the channel occupancy is provided on the PSCCH and the PSSCH (Wang: A transmitter UE determining resources in unlicensed spectrum on which to transmit to one or more second UEs over a sidelink connection, using the determined resources to initiate a transmission within a channel occupancy time for the transmission, then indicates the time-frequency resources and the transmission scheme of the allocated PSSCH in the PSCCH, and launches the PSCCH and the PSSCH on the allocated resources for sidelink transmissions [0074-78] FIG.3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified MIAO by the teaching of Wang to provide the information on the PSCCH and the PSSCH in order to launch the PSCCH and the PSSCH on the allocated resources for sidelink transmissions (Wang: [0074] FIG.3).
Regarding claim 27, MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein the processing time is equal to a time required for sensing (the first terminal device 110 may perform a Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure of type 1 in sub-band #0 and #1 before slot 0 [0041] FIG.3).
Regarding claim 28, MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein, based on that the channel occupancy sharing information is provided within at least one resource block (RB) set, the sidelink transmission sharing the initiated channel occupancy is performed within the at least one RB set (the first terminal device 110 may use a resource block (RB) set as a LBT unit in frequency domain [0041] FIG.3).
Regarding claim 29, MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein the initiated channel occupancy is shared among devices performing groupcast sidelink transmission for a same destination ID (the ‘terminal device’ can further has ‘multicast/broadcast’ feature, to support public safety and mission critical, V2X applications, transparent IPv4/IPv6 multicast delivery, IPTV, smart TV, radio services, software delivery over wireless, group communications and IoT applications [0024] FIG.1).
Regarding claim 30, MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein the sidelink transmission includes PSCCH transmission and PSSCH transmission, or sidelink-synchronization signal block (S- SSB) transmission (the first terminal device 110 transmits PSCCH or PSSCH and the information about the first sharing CO duration in slot 0. The first terminal device 110 may also indicate, in SCI on PSCCH in slot 0, the resource in slot 0 for current transmission [0067] FIG.5C).
Regarding claim 31, the modified MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein the channel occupancy sharing information includes information related to a condition for determining whether to share the initiated channel occupancy (Wang: different tables may apply in differing radio conditions, differing network loads, for transmissions to differing types of UE and CAPC priority threshold configured [0154-157]).
Regarding claim 32, the modified MIAO teaches the method of claim 31, wherein, based on that the condition is not satisfied, a type of a channel access is determined as a first type of channel access, and wherein the first type of the channel access is a channel access based on random backoff (Wang: semi-static channel occupancy is an attractive solution because access latencies can be reduced to the minimum and lower complexity is required for channel access due to lack of necessity to perform random backoff [0046] configured grant, and Type 2 configured grant), or SL grants obtained by the UE itself via Mode 2 resource allocation, one or multiple tables are defined to indicate the mapping between CAPC values and PQIs. These tables are applicable by the UE to determine or select CAPC for a SL transmission when the CAPC is not indicated/signaled to the UE by the gNB or another controlling UE [0088]).
Regarding claim 33, the modified MIAO teaches the method of claim 31, wherein, based on that the condition is satisfied, a type of a channel access is determined as a second type of channel access, and wherein the second type of the channel access is a channel access based on channel sensing for a configured time (Wang: semi-static channel occupancy is an attractive solution because access latencies can be reduced to the minimum and lower complexity is required for channel access due to lack of necessity to perform random backoff [0046] configured grant, and Type 2 configured grant), or SL grants obtained by the UE itself via Mode 2 resource allocation, one or multiple tables are defined to indicate the mapping between CAPC values and PQIs. These tables are applicable by the UE to determine or select CAPC for a SL transmission when the CAPC is not indicated/signaled to the UE by the gNB or another controlling UE [0088]).
Regarding claim 34, MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein the channel occupancy sharing information is determined based on a channel access priority class (CAPC) value related to transmission of the second device (the first terminal device 110 may determine the first CAPC as an associated CAPC of the remaining COT [0082] FIG.1).
Regarding claim 35, MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein, based on that the channel occupancy sharing information is provided from the second device, the sidelink transmission within the duration is performed targeting the second device (the first terminal device 110 may determine an end of the second sharing CO duration as an end of the remaining COT [0074-75] FIG.5D)
Regarding claim 36, the modified MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein, based on that the channel occupancy sharing information is provided from the second device, sidelink-synchronization signal block (S-SSB) transmission within the duration is performed targeting the second device (Wang: in sidelink transmissions, primary and secondary synchronization signals (called S-PSS and S-SSS, respectively) are supported. Through detecting the S-PSS and S-SSS, a UE is able to identify the sidelink synchronization identity (SSID) from the UE sending the S-PSS/S-SSS. Through detecting the S-PSS/S-SSS, The PSBCH is transmitted along with the S-PSS/S-SSS as a synchronization signal/PSBCH block (SSB). The SSB has the same numerology as PSCCH/PSSCH on that carrier, and an SSB should be transmitted within the bandwidth of the configured BWP [0064-65]).
Regarding claim 37, the modified MIAO teaches the method of claim 26, wherein, based on that the channel occupancy sharing information is provided from the second device, sidelink-synchronization signal block (S-SSB) transmission within the duration is performed targeting a device other than the second device (Wang: in sidelink transmissions, primary and secondary synchronization signals (called S-PSS and S-SSS, respectively) are supported. Through detecting the S-PSS and S-SSS, a UE is able to identify the sidelink synchronization identity (SSID) from the UE sending the S-PSS/S-SSS. Through detecting the S-PSS/S-SSS, The PSBCH is transmitted along with the S-PSS/S-SSS as a synchronization signal/PSBCH block (SSB). The SSB has the same numerology as PSCCH/PSSCH on that carrier, and an SSB should be transmitted within the bandwidth of the configured BWP [0064-65]).
Regarding claims 38-41, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 26-37, where the difference used is the limitations were presented from the “first device” side with a transceiver, processor and memory (MIAO: 800-FIG.8 FIG.) and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above-mentioned claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Regarding claims 42-45, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 26-37, where the difference used is the limitations were presented from the “processing device” of the first device with a processor and memory (MIAO: 800-FIG.8 FIG.) and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above-mentioned claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Conclusion
When responding to this office action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111 (c).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDELNABI O MUSA whose telephone number is (571)270-1901, and email address is abdelnabi.musa@uspto.gov ‘preferred’. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kevin Bates, can be reached on 571-2723980. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDELNABI O MUSA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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