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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by BAO JINGCHAO (KR 20230170662 A.
Regarding claim 7, BAO JINGCHAO et al. teach a terminal comprising:
a transmitter that transmits, to a network node, first information related to first position measurement in inter-terminal direct (D2D) communication (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: Based on the proximity determination(s) and possibly based on shared capability information, one or more requests to form or join a virtual UE may be sent directly or indirectly to the positioning entity 800), and that transmits, to one or more another terminals, a second signal related to the second position measurement in the D2D communication (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: UE 1302 sends a virtual-UE request 1324 to UE 1301);
a receiver that receives, from a network including the network node, third information that is based on the first information, the third information including information on the first position measurement (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: Entity 800 may transmit a request 1326 to form a virtual UE containing UEs 1301 and 1302, or to add UE 1302 to a virtual UE containing UE 1301. request. Request 1325 and/or request 1326 may include the virtual-UE-ID of the virtual UE to be formed or the virtual UE to be joined by UE 1302 (e.g., if UE 1302 is a UE (e.g., 1301) when the virtual-UE-ID is obtained from). The virtual UE management unit 850 of the positioning entity 800 may, for example, display the indicated proximity of the UEs 1301 and 1302, the processing capability(s) of one or both of the UEs 1301 and 1302, the UE ( based on the requested processing limit(s) of UEs 1301, 1302, reporting capability(s) of one or both UEs 1301, 1302, and/or requested positioning accuracy, etc), and that receives, from the one or more another terminals, fourth information that is based on the second signal, the fourth information including information on the second position measurement (see pars. 00154-00166 and fig. 13-14: UE 1301 sends location estimate messages 1472, 1473 to one or both of UEs 1302, 1303 indicating a location estimate 1471 based on which of UEs 1301-1303 is a location client); and
a controller that obtains position information of the terminal based on at least one of the third information or the fourth information (see pars. 00166-00167 and figs. 13-15: UE 1301 may use the VUE-ID to determine which UEs will transmit the location estimate 1471 and determining a location estimate for the virtual UE 1305).
Regarding claim 11, BAO JINGCHAO et al. teach a positioning method executed by a terminal, the method comprising:
transmitting, to a network node, first information related to first position measurement in inter- terminal direct (D2D) communication (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: Based on the proximity determination(s) and possibly based on shared capability information, one or more requests to form or join a virtual UE may be sent directly or indirectly to the positioning entity 800);
receiving, from a network including the network node, a second signal that is based on the first information, the second signal including information on the first position measurement (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: Entity 800 may transmit a request 1326 to form a virtual UE containing UEs 1301 and 1302, or to add UE 1302 to a virtual UE containing UE 1301. request. Request 1325 and/or request 1326 may include the virtual-UE-ID of the virtual UE to be formed or the virtual UE to be joined by UE 1302 (e.g., if UE 1302 is a UE (e.g., 1301) when the virtual-UE-ID is obtained from);
transmitting, to one or more another terminals, third information related to the second position measurement in the D2D communication (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: UE 1302 sends a virtual-UE request 1324 to UE 1301);
receiving, from the one or more another terminals, fourth information that is based on the third information, the fourth information including information on the second position measurement (see pars. 00154-00166 and fig. 13-14: UE 1301 sends location estimate messages 1472, 1473 to one or both of UEs 1302, 1303 indicating a location estimate 1471 based on which of UEs 1301-1303 is a location client); and
obtaining position information of the terminal based on at least one of the third information or the fourth information (see pars. 00166-00167 and figs. 13-15: UE 1301 may use the VUE-ID to determine which UEs will transmit the location estimate 1471 and determining a location estimate for the virtual UE 1305).
Regarding claim 12, BAO JINGCHAO et al. teach and show a positioning system in inter-terminal direct (D2D) communication, the system comprising: a terminal; and
a network (see figs. 13-15), wherein the terminal includes a transmitter that transmits, to a network node, first information related to first position measurement in inter-terminal direct (D2D) communication (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: Based on the proximity determination(s) and possibly based on shared capability information, one or more requests to form or join a virtual UE may be sent directly or indirectly to the positioning entity 800), and that transmits, to one or more another terminals, a second signal related to the second position measurement in the D2D communication (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: UE 1302 sends a virtual-UE request 1324 to UE 1301);
a receiver that receives, from the network including the network node, third information that is based on the first information, the third information including information on the first position measurement (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: Entity 800 may transmit a request 1326 to form a virtual UE containing UEs 1301 and 1302, or to add UE 1302 to a virtual UE containing UE 1301. request. Request 1325 and/or request 1326 may include the virtual-UE-ID of the virtual UE to be formed or the virtual UE to be joined by UE 1302 (e.g., if UE 1302 is a UE (e.g., 1301) when the virtual-UE-ID is obtained from). The virtual UE management unit 850 of the positioning entity 800 may, for example, display the indicated proximity of the UEs 1301 and 1302, the processing capability(s) of one or both of the UEs 1301 and 1302, the UE ( based on the requested processing limit(s) of UEs 1301, 1302, reporting capability(s) of one or both UEs 1301, 1302, and/or requested positioning accuracy, etc), and that receives, from the one or more another terminals, fourth information that is based on the second signal, the fourth information including information on the second position measurement (see pars. 00154-00166 and fig. 13-14: UE 1301 sends location estimate messages 1472, 1473 to one or both of UEs 1302, 1303 indicating a location estimate 1471 based on which of UEs 1301-1303 is a location client); and
a controller that obtains position information of the terminal based on at least one of the third information or the fourth information, and wherein the network includes the network node that includes a receiver that receives the first information from the terminal,
wherein the network transmits the third information to the terminal (see pars. 00166-00167 and figs. 13-15: UE 1301 may use the VUE-ID to determine which UEs will transmit the location estimate 1471 and determining a location estimate for the virtual UE 1305).
Regarding claim 8, BAO JINGCHAO et al. also teach wherein the controller obtains the position information of the terminal based on the third information and the fourth information (see pars. 00166-00167 and figs. 13-15: UE 1301 may use the VUE-ID to determine which UEs will transmit the location estimate 1471 and determining a location estimate for the virtual UE 1305).
Regarding claim 9, BAO JINGCHAO et al. also teach wherein the second signal is a Sidelink Position Reference Signal (SLPRS) (see par. 00135: transmitting the position information sharing capability of the first UE from the first UE to the second UE via sidelink communication).
Regarding claim 10, BAO JINGCHAO et al. also teach wherein the receiver receives, from a second terminal, information to request position information of the terminal (see par. 00154 and fig. 13: UE 1302 sends a virtual-UE request 1324 to UE 1301), and wherein the transmitter transmits, to the second terminal, the position information of the terminal (see pars. 00154-00166 and fig. 13-14: UE 1301 sends location estimate messages 1472, 1473 to one or both of UEs 1302, 1303 indicating a location estimate 1471 based on which of UEs 1301-1303 is a location client).
Conclusion
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/DAVID Q NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643