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
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) 1-2, 11-12, 15-17, 26-27, 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang (2024/0172167).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses a method of wireless positioning performed by a user equipment (terminal 11) comprising, receiving from a configuration entity (network side device), a first configuration, (para 483-484 – assistance data includes resource or SL-PRS configuration data) defining a plurality of selection windows for sidelink positioning, each selection window defining a set of resources within a resource pool for positioning for transmission or reception for at least one sidelink positioning reference signal(para 71-88, in particular para 80-81, defines measurement/selection window for sidelink PRS); and performing SL positioning using one of the plurality of selection windows (note para 4-5, the end result is that SL positioning is performed).
Regarding claim 12, Wang discloses a method of wireless positioning performed by a configuration entity, comprising identifying a user equipment (para 658- identification must be performed to send a target message to a terminal) , and sending to the UE, a first configuration (para 483-484), the first configuration defining a plurality of selection windows for sidelink positioning, each selection window defining a set of resources within a resource pool for positioning for transmission or reception for at least one sidelink positioning reference signal(para 71-88, in particular para 80-81, defines measurement/selection window for sidelink PRS).
Regarding claim 16, Wang discloses a user equipment (Figure 19) comprising a memory (109), at least one transceiver (radio frequency unit 101), and at least one processor (110) communicatively coupled to the memory and transceiver; the processor configured to: receive from a configuration entity (network side device), a first configuration, (para 483-484 – assistance data includes resource or SL-PRS configuration data) defining a plurality of selection windows for sidelink positioning, each selection window defining a set of resources within a resource pool for positioning for transmission or reception for at least one sidelink positioning reference signal(para 71-88, in particular para 80-81, defines measurement/selection window for sidelink PRS); and perform SL positioning using one of the plurality of selection windows (note para 4-5, the end result is that SL positioning is performed).
Regarding claim 27, Wang discloses a configuration entity (network side device, Figure 20) comprising a memory (75), at least one transceiver (72), and at least one processor (74) communicatively coupled to the memory and transceiver, the at least one processor configured to: identify a user equipment (para 658- identification must be performed to send a target message to a terminal) , and send to the UE, a first configuration (para 483-484), the first configuration defining a plurality of selection windows for sidelink positioning, each selection window defining a set of resources within a resource pool for positioning for transmission or reception for at least one sidelink positioning reference signal(para 71-88, in particular para 80-81, defines measurement/selection window for sidelink PRS).
Regarding claim 2 and 17, Wang discloses each of the plurality of selection windows defined by the first configuration is associated with at least one of: a priority (para 73, 84-85), a length of selection window (para 81 – denoting the selection window as n+T1).
Regarding claim 11, 15, 26 , 30, Wang further discloses the configuration entity includes an anchor UE (Figures 5-7, use of an anchor UE).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 3 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Wang in view of Dai (2024/0155546).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2).
Regarding claim 3 and 18, Wang discloses the use of SL-PRS windows but doesn’t disclose that one selection window subset is for transmitting an SL-PRS and one selection window subset is for receiving an SL-PRS. However, Dai teaches that an SL-PRS can be send in two separate transmission directions (Figure 13, 1310) and also that one SL-PRS is transmitted between UE and one is received between the same UE (Figure 11, example SL-PRS #2 and #3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include bidirectional SL-PRS in order to allow for multiple SL-PRS signals to assist with positioning.
This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C.102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B); or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement. See generally MPEP § 717.02.
Claims 4-6, 10, 19-21, 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Wang in view of Nam (2023/0086126).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2).
Regarding claims 4-6 and 10, 19-21, 25, Wang discloses the use of SL-PRS resource information but doesn’t explicitly state that the windows are divided into a plurality of parts, use of random or partial sensing, and the first configuration defining SL positioning or SL data while the second configuration reserved for SL-positioning. However, Nam teaches in an analogous art, the use of positioning reference signal resources being divided into a plurality of different part (Figure 3-4, structure of a time slot for positioning resources), where a first configuration is SL data (SCI/SL control block) and a second configuration being reserved for SL-positioning (SL-PRS burst). Nam also teaches that the random selection or full/partial sensing (para 22-24, para 71-74). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include a division of windows and type of data used as taught by Nam in order to provide control signaling through the entire SL process.
This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C.102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B); or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement. See generally MPEP § 717.02.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9, 13-14, 22-24, 28-29 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:
The prior art of record (Wang, Nam, Dai) disclose the use of SL-PRS windows for assisting in positioning of a user equipment within sidelink communications with control signaling. However, none of the prior art of record discloses nor fairly suggests identifying, during the sensing window, candidate resources within the RPP, determining that a SL-PRS should be transmitted or received; identifying a first selection window for SL positioning from among the plurality of selection windows for SL positioning; selecting, from among the resources within the first selection window for SL positioning, one or more resources for transmitting or receiving an SL-PRS; and transmitting or receiving the SL-PRS on the one or more resources, as well as receiving, from the UE, an indication that the UE failed to select one or more resources for transmitting or receiving an SL-PRS from among the resources within a first selection window for SL positioning from the plurality of selection windows for SL positioning a threshold number of times; modifying the first configuration in response to the indication; and sending the modified first configuration to the UE.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang (20190208441) discloses resource pool selection based on thresholds in sidelink operations
Tang (2020/0267523) discloses resource set selection based on transmission parameters to reduce interference.
Kang (2020/0314928) disclose RLC and RRC signaling to configure a PC5 connection between UE.
Wildschek (2023/0097745) discloses sidelink control information/resource information based on a UE capabilities.
Wang (2025/0031175) discloses SL-PRS mapping to the PSCCH based on bandwidth or time resources.
Zhang (12581518) discloses resource sets being selected based on an initial reference set.
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WILLIAM GEORGE TROST IV
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2641
/WILLIAM G TROST IV/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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