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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in this instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/24/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 8-13 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (hereinafter “Zhang”) [PGPUB 2020/0322910].
Regarding claim 8, the Zhang reference discloses a method for selecting a synchronization reference source, comprising: selecting a first synchronization reference source of a carrier X by means of a first communication module of an SL UE, and taking the first synchronization reference source as a synchronization reference source of a second communication module, wherein the SL UE supports both the first communication module and the second communication module [ie. two different carriers for the same SL UE; Zhang; paragraphs 0079, 0106, and 0124-0125].
Regarding claim 9, the Zhang reference discloses receiving configuration information of a list of available carriers by means of the second communication module; for a carrier Y in the list of available carriers, configuring a first configuration of the first carrier Y, wherein the first configuration is used for indicating whether the second communication module uses a synchronization reference source selected by the first communication module or uses a synchronization reference source selected by the second communication module; or the first configuration is used for indicating the second communication module to use the first synchronization reference source selected by the first communication module; or the first configuration is used for indicating to take the synchronization reference source selected by the second synchronization module as a main synchronization reference source or a synchronization reference source with the highest priority [Zhang; fig 2; para 0106-0111 and 0124-0125].
Regarding claim 10, the Zhang reference discloses in a case where the first configuration is not configured, the second communication module uses a selected second synchronization reference source as the synchronization reference source [Zhang; para 0126].
Regarding claim 11, the Zhang reference discloses receiving a second configuration by means of the first communication module, wherein the second configuration is used for indicating a priority criterion corresponding to a first module; and the priority criterion comprises: a synchronization priority configuration corresponding to the carrier X, and the priority configuration is used for determining a priority set corresponding to different synchronization reference sources on the carrier X [Zhang; para 0124-0126 and 0270].
Regarding claim 12, the Zhang reference discloses the priority criterion further comprises: a configuration of the list of available carriers [Zhang; para 0270-0275].
Regarding claim 13, the Zhang reference discloses in a case where the first communication module selects a carrier Z and the carrier Z selects a third synchronization reference source, the first synchronization reference source of the carrier X is used as the third synchronization reference source selected by the carrier Z [Zhang; para 0124-0126].
Regarding claim 17, the Zhang reference discloses an apparatus for selecting a synchronization reference source, used for implementing the method as claimed in claim 8, and the apparatus comprises: a selection module, configured to select a first synchronization reference source of a carrier X by means of a first communication module of an SL UE, and take the first synchronization reference source as a synchronization reference source of a second communication module, wherein the SL UE supports both the first communication module and the second communication module [Zhang; para 0079, 0106, 0124-0125, and 0294-0295].
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.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Yoshioka et al. (hereinafter “Yoshioka”) [PGPUB 2025/0119854].
Regarding claim 14, the Zhang reference discloses the first communication module has a capability of making a synchronization reference selection [Zhang; para 0079, 0106, and 0124-0125] but does not specifically disclose according to a priority criterion defined by LTE.
However, in the same field of endeavor, the Yoshioka reference discloses a priority criterion defined by LTE [ie. NR receives the prioritized synchronization signal to use a synchronization source from the priority criterion of the LTE-SL; Yoshioka; fig 22; para 0151-0159]. The Zhang and Yoshioka references are analogous art, since they have similar problem solving area in being able to manage device to device communications. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of criterion defined by LTE, taught by Yoshioka, into the system, taught by Zhang. The motivation for doing so would have been to allow devices to communicate with each other based on the two different radio access systems [Yoshioka; para 0079].
Claims 1-7, 15, 16, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshioka et al. (hereinafter “Yoshioka”) [PGPUB 2025/0119854] in view of Zhang et al. (hereinafter “Zhang”) [PGPUB 2020/0322910].
Regarding claim 1, the Yoshioka reference discloses a method for selecting a synchronization reference source, comprising: receiving a synchronization priority configured for an NR device or an NR module, such that the configured NR device or NR module uses a synchronization source by using a priority criterion of LTE [ie. NR receives the prioritized synchronization signal to use a synchronization source from the priority criterion of the LTE-SL; Yoshioka; figure 22; paragraphs 0151-0159].
The Yoshioka reference discloses the NR device uses a synchronization source but does not specifically disclose selects a synchronization reference source.
However, in the same field of endeavor, the Zhang reference discloses selects a synchronization reference source [Zhang; fig 1; para 0016-0017, 0032-0034, 0079, 0081-0082, and 0086]. The Yoshioka and Zhang references are analogous art, since they have similar problem solving area in being able to manage device to device communications. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of selecting a synch source, taught by Zhang, into the system, taught by Yoshioka. The motivation for doing so would have been for a UE to helpfully provide other UEs with a subframe-level synchronization signal source. [Zhang; para 0007].
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses receiving a configured list of available carriers on which the NR device or NR module is allowed to work; for a carrier Y in the list of available carriers, receiving the configured synchronization priority of the carrier Y, and the configured synchronization priority of the carrier Y comprises at least one of the following: GNSS-NR, GNSS-LTE, eNBgNB, eNB or UE [Yoshioka; para 0132-0134 and 0152-0154] [Zhang; para 0038, 0081-0083 and 0115].
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses receiving a configured list of available carriers on which an NR SL communication module is allowed to work; for a carrier Y in the list of available carriers, receiving whether the configured synchronization priority of the carrier Y is based on a priority criterion of LTE or NR, wherein the configured synchronization priority comprises: GNSS, base station or UE [Yoshioka; para 0132-0134 and 0152-0154] [Zhang; para 0038, 0081-0083 and 0115].
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses different synchronization priority configurations correspond to different priority criteria, and the method further comprises at least one of the following: GNSS-NR represents that GNSS is taken as a highest synchronization source, and dividing a priority set 1 of different synchronization reference sources according to a priority criterion defined by NR; GNSS-LTE represents that GNSS is taken as the highest synchronization source, and dividing a priority set 2 of different synchronization reference sources according to a priority criterion defined by LTE; eNBgNB represents that eNB or gNB is taken as the highest synchronization source, and dividing a priority set 3 of different synchronization reference sources according to the priority criterion defined by NR; eNB represents that eNB is taken as the highest synchronization source, and dividing a priority set 4 of different synchronization sources according to the priority criterion defined by LTE; UE represents that a timing of the UE is taken as the highest synchronization source; and selecting a synchronization reference source according to an order in the priority set of the detected synchronization reference sources [Yoshioka; para 0106-0107 and 0152] [Zhang; para 0038-0042].
Regarding claim 5, the Yoshioka reference discloses a method for selecting a synchronization reference source, comprising: configuring a synchronization priority configured for an NR device or an NR module, such that the configured NR device or NR module uses a synchronization source by using a priority criterion of LTE [ie. NR receives the prioritized synchronization signal to use a synchronization source from the priority criterion of the LTE-SL; Yoshioka; figure 22; paragraphs 0151-0159].
The Yoshioka reference discloses the NR device uses a synchronization source but does not specifically disclose selects a synchronization reference source.
However, in the same field of endeavor, the Zhang reference discloses selects a synchronization reference source [Zhang; fig 1; para 0016-0017, 0032-0034, 0079, 0081-0082, and 0086]. The Yoshioka and Zhang references are analogous art, since they have similar problem solving area in being able to manage device to device communications. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of selecting a synch source, taught by Zhang, into the system, taught by Yoshioka. The motivation for doing so would have been for a UE to helpfully provide other UEs with a subframe-level synchronization signal source. [Zhang; para 0007].
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses configuring a list of available carriers on which an NR SL communication module is allowed to work, and for a carrier Y in the list of available carriers, configuring a synchronization priority of the carrier Y to comprise at least one of the following: GNSS-NR, GNSS-LTE, eNBgNB, eNB or UE [Yoshioka; para 0132-0134 and 0152-0154] [Zhang; para 0038, 0081-0083 and 0115].
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses configuring a list of available carriers on which an NR SL communication module is allowed to work, and for a carrier Y in the list of available carriers, configuring whether the carrier Y is based on a priority criterion of LTE or NR, wherein the configured synchronization priority comprises: GNSS, base station or UE [Yoshioka; para 0132-0134 and 0152-0154] [Zhang; para 0038, 0081-0083 and 0115].
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses an apparatus for selecting a synchronization reference source, used for implementing the method as claimed in claim 1, and the apparatus comprises: a receiving module, configured to receive a synchronization priority configured for an NR device or an NR module, such that the configured NR device or NR module selects a synchronization reference source by using a priority criterion of LTE [Yoshioka; para 0151-0159 and 0198-0202] [Zhang; para 0081-0082 and 0294-0295].
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses an apparatus for selecting a synchronization reference source, used for implementing the method as claimed in claim 5, and the apparatus comprises: a configuration module, configured to configure a synchronization priority configured for an NR device or an NR module, such that the configured NR device or NR module selects a synchronization reference source by using a priority criterion of LTE [Yoshioka; para 0151-0159 and 0198-0202] [Zhang; para 0081-0082 and 0294-0295].
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer program is configured to, when executed by a processor, implement execute the method according to claim 1 [Yoshioka; para 0151-0159 and 0198-0202] [Zhang; para 0081-0082 and 0294-0295].
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses an electronic apparatus, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method according to claim 1 [Yoshioka; para 0151-0159 and 0198-0202] [Zhang; para 0081-0082 and 0294-0295].
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Yoshioka-Zhang further discloses an electronic apparatus, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to run the computer program so as to execute the method according to claim 5 [Yoshioka; para 0151-0159 and 0198-0202] [Zhang; para 0081-0082 and 0294-0295].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fouad et al. [PGPUB 2023/0337159] describes sidelink communications between NR and LTE devices.
Lee et al. [PGPUB 2021/0250881] describes V2X communication with GNSS.
Zhao et al. [PGPUB 2021/0274457] describes using GNSS for synchronizing signals.
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/JASON D CARDONE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2458
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