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 office action is in reply communication filed on 09/25/2024.
Claims 1-6 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by PARK et al. (US 2023/0262660) (having earlier Priority date of 07/10/2020).
Regarding claim 1, FAN discloses a terminal [see Fig. 21A, 21B, 32, ¶¶ 377-397, 467; a transmission UE 3200 (also see Fig. 21A, 21B, 33, ¶¶ 394-397; a reception UE 3300 as terminal)] comprising:
a receiving unit [see Fig. 32, ¶ 469; transceiver 3210] that receives a signal from another terminal on any subchannel included in a resource pool including non-contiguous frequency resources [see ¶¶ 382, 386; the PSFCH frequency resource sets for HARQ feedback transmission may be non-contiguous on the frequency axis; (¶ 379, transmission UE receiving PSFCH /reception UEs transmitting PSFCH); also see Method A, ¶ 453];
a transmitting unit [see Fig. 32, ¶ 469; transceiver 3210] that transmits a signal to another terminal on any subchannel included in the resource pool [see Fig. 13B, 21B, ¶¶ 386, 388; transmit a PSCCH or PSSCH through unicast communication in slot index ‘0’ and start subchannel index (or start RB index) ‘1’; also see Method A, ¶ 453]; and
a control unit [see Fig. 32, ¶ 469; controller 3220] that determines in which actual component carriers subchannels constituting the resource pool are included [see ¶ 383; assumed that the PSFCH frequency resource in the resource pool is constituted of M RBs as shown in FIG. 7 or the resource pool is constituted of M frequency resources as shown in FIG. 6 (i.e., when the symbols used for PSFCH transmission/reception in the PSFCH-configured resource pool use all of the M RBs); also see Method A, ¶ 453], wherein the transmitting unit transmits a control signal to another terminal in the resource pool [see ¶ 383; transmit sidelink control information in the corresponding resource pool; also see Method A, ¶ 453, (transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information)].
Regarding claim 2, FAN discloses the terminal according to claim 1.
FAN further discloses wherein in a case where the control unit determines that each of the subchannels is included in a single one of the actual component carriers, the transmitting unit transmits the control signal on the single one of the actual component carriers [see Fig. 24, ¶ 435; case 1, where PSFCH reception/transmission each is performed in the same carrier in response to PSSCH transmission/reception].
Regarding claim 3, FAN discloses the terminal according to claim 1.
FAN further discloses wherein in a case where the control unit determines that each of the subchannels is included in a single one of the actual component carriers, the transmitting unit transmits the control signal on a plurality of the actual component carriers [see Fig. 24, ¶¶ 435-438; case 2, wherein the PSFCH signals transmitted/received on a specific carrier may include HARQ-ACK information for the PSSCH signals transmitted/received on a plurality of carriers].
Regarding claim 4, FAN discloses the terminal according to claim 1.
FAN further discloses wherein in a case where the control unit determines that at least one of the subchannels is included in a plurality of the actual component carriers, the transmitting unit transmits the control signal on a single one of the actual component carriers [see Fig. 24, ¶¶ 443; case 3, where it may be considered that PSSCHs may be transmitted/received through a plurality of carriers, and PSFCH signals are transmitted/received through one carrier (e.g., primary cell)].
Regarding claim 5, FAN discloses the terminal according to claim 1.
FAN further discloses terminal according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the control unit determines that at least one of the subchannels is included in a plurality of the actual component carriers, the transmitting unit transmits the control signal on the plurality of the actual component carriers [see Fig. 24, ¶¶ 435-438; case 3, where the PSFCH signal including HARQ-ACK information for the PSSCH signal transmitted/received on specific carrier i may be transmitted/received on specific carrier i or j and this may be determined through SCI information].
Regarding claim 6, the claim recites communication method executed by a termina to perform the terminal recited as in claim 1; therefore, claim 6 is rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claim 1.
Conclusion
In additional to references cited that are used for rejection as set forth above, AKKARAKARAN et al. (US 2022/0053519) is also considered as relevant prior arts for rejection of in claims 1 and 6 (Fig. 3, 6, ¶¶ 68, 96-98).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHONG LA whose telephone number is (571) 272-2588. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. (EST).
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/PHONG LA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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