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
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Applicant cannot rely upon the certified copy of the foreign priority application to overcome this rejection because a translation of said application has not been made of record in accordance with 37 CFR 1.55. When an English language translation of a non-English language foreign application is required, the translation must be that of the certified copy (of the foreign application as filed) submitted together with a statement that the translation of the certified copy is accurate. See MPEP §§ 215 and 216.
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(s) 1-4, 12-15, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gulati et al (WO 2021/226616 A1) in view of Manolakos (US 2022/0091221 A1).
Regarding 1 & 18, Manolakos wireless communication method and apparatus, comprising:
a non-transitory the memory (see [0008]. Memory ) is configured to store a computer program or instructions, and the processor (see processor [0008]) is configured to execute the computer program or the instructions (see [0010], “non-transitory computer-readable medium”), to enable the method of: coupled to the processor-and including computer program code, wherein the non- transitory memory and the computer program code are configured (see [0010], “non-transitory computer-readable medium”), with the processor, to cause the communications apparatus to perform at least:
receiving, by a first device, a first request message from a second device (see request, positioning request, fig. 6), wherein the first request message is associated with requesting location information between a first terminal device and a second terminal device ( see request, positioning request, fig. 6. Note UE A and UE B ), or the first request message is associated with requesting measurement information between the first terminal device and the second terminal device (see request, positioning request, fig. 6),
wherein the measurement information is associated with determining the location information (UE associated with a vehicle may determine the UE’s position using positioning reference signal (PRS)-based measurements made by the UE associated with the vehicle and/or by anchor UEs, see [0065]), and wherein the location information comprises at least one of the following location information:
positioning information (see [0005], “positioning measurements”), relative distance information, or relative angle information (see for various positioning techniques” including Angle of Departure [0082]); and sending, by the first device (see UE A/UE B in fig. 2 ), the location information or the measurement information to the second device in response to the first request message (see positioning report, fig. 7);
Gulati does not explicitly disclose the language of relative location information and relative positioning information. However, Manolakos explicitly discloses the language of “relative location information” and “relative positioning information” (see [0005]-[0006], see relative information with respect to the first location and relative location information messages).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Gulati with that Manolakos. Doing so would conform to well-known standards in the field of invention.
Regarding claim 2, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first device is the first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the first device sends the location information to the second device; and wherein the method further comprises: obtaining, by the first device, the measurement information (see measurement 735, fig. 7), and determining, by the first device, the relative location information based on the measurement information; or obtaining, by the first device, the measurement information (see measurement fig. 6/ fig. 7), sending, by the first device, the measurement information to a location management network element (see network element LMF in fig. 7), and receiving, by the first device, the relative location information from the location management network element ;
Gulati does not explicitly disclose the language of relative location information and relative positioning information. However, Manolakos explicitly discloses the language of “relative location information” and “relative positioning information” (see [0005]-[0006], see relative information with respect to the first location and relative location information messages).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Gulati with that Manolakos. Doing so would conform to well-known standards in the field of invention.
Regarding claim 3, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the method according to claim 2, further comprising performing, before the sending the measurement information to the location management network element:
Gulati does not specifically disclose however Manolakos discloses sending, by the first device, a second request message to an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element (see AMF, LMF [0069]), wherein the second request message requests determination of the relative location information; and receiving, by the first device, a measurement request message from the location management network element, wherein the measurement request message requests the measurement information (see AMF, LMF [0069]);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Gulati with that Manolakos. Doing so would conform to well-known standards in the field of invention.
Regarding claim 4, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first device is an AMF network element; and wherein the method further comprises: sending, by the first device, a third request message to a location management network element based on the first request message, wherein the third request message requests the relative location information or the measurement information and receiving, by the first device, in response to the third request message (see request in fig, 6, which it is anticipated can be repeated any number of times), the relative location information or the measurement information that is from the location management network element; or sending, by the first device, a fourth request message to the first terminal device, and receiving, by the first device, in response to the fourth request message, the relative location information or the measurement information that is from the first terminal device (see request in fig, 6, which it is anticipated can be repeated any number of times) .
Regarding claim 12, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the wireless communication method, comprising: obtaining, by a first terminal device, measurement information between the first terminal device and a second terminal device through an interface between the first terminal device and the second terminal device (see measurement, fig. 6/7, note UE A and UE B); and obtaining, by the first terminal device, relative location information between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on the measurement information (see positioning request and subsequent report, fig. 7).
Regarding claim 13, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the method according to claim 12, wherein the obtaining the location information comprises: determining, by the first terminal device, the relative location information based on the measurement information (see measurement fig. 6/7); or sending, by the first terminal device, the measurement information to an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, and receiving, by the first terminal device, the location information sent by the AMF network element; or sending, by the first terminal device, a location request message to an AMF network element, wherein the location request message is requests determination of the relative location information;
Gulati does not explicitly disclose the language of relative location information and relative positioning information. However, Manolakos explicitly discloses the language of “relative location information” and “relative positioning information” (see [0005]-[0006], see relative information with respect to the first location and relative location information messages).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Gulati with that Manolakos. Doing so would conform to well-known standards in the field of invention.
Regarding claim 14, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the method according to claim 12, further comprising performing, before the obtaining the measurement information: receiving, by the first terminal device, a request message, wherein the request message requests obtaining of the measurement information or the location information through the interface (see request and report in fig. 6/7 between UEs);
Gulati does not explicitly disclose the language of relative location information and relative positioning information. However, Manolakos explicitly discloses the language of “relative location information” and “relative positioning information” (see [0005]-[0006], see relative information with respect to the first location and relative location information messages).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Gulati with that Manolakos. Doing so would conform to well-known standards in the field of invention.
Regarding claim 15, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the method according to claim 14, wherein the request message further comprises trigger condition information and action information, wherein the trigger condition information indicates that the first terminal device performs a first action when the location information meets a first condition (see “ may select a channel for transmission of a sidelink communication based at least in part on the measurement(s).”, condition is signal strength via RSSI), wherein the action information indicates the first action (low or weak RSSI, [0055]); and wherein the method further comprises: performing, by the first terminal device, the first action in response to the location information meeting the first condition (see select channel [0055]);
Gulati does not explicitly disclose the language of relative location information and relative positioning information. However, Manolakos explicitly discloses the language of “relative location information” and “relative positioning information” (see [0005]-[0006], see relative information with respect to the first location and relative location information messages).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Gulati with that Manolakos. Doing so would conform to well-known standards in the field of invention.
Regarding claim 19, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the communication apparatus is the first terminal device or the second terminal device, and wherein the communication apparatus sends the relative location information to the second device; and wherein the non-transitory memory and the computer program code are configured, with the processor, to further cause the communications apparatus to perform at least: obtaining the measurement information and determining the location information based on the measurement information (see positioning information fig. 6/7); or obtaining the measurement information (see measurement, fig. 6/7), sending the measurement information to a location management network element (see positioning measuring reports), and receiving the relative location information from the location management network element (see LMF, fig. 6/7);
Gulati does not explicitly disclose the language of relative location information and relative positioning information. However, Manolakos explicitly discloses the language of “relative location information” and “relative positioning information” (see [0005]-[0006], see relative information with respect to the first location and relative location information messages).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Gulati with that Manolakos. Doing so would conform to well-known standards in the field of invention.
Regarding claim 20, Gulati in view of Manolakos discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the non-transitory memory and the computer program code are configured, with the processor, to further cause the communications apparatus to perform, before the sending the measurement information to a location management network element:
wherein the second request message requests determination of the location information (see request fig. 6/7); and receiving a measurement request message (see request fig. 6/7 being recieved) from the location management network element, wherein the measurement request message requests the measurement information (see measurement fig. 6/7).
Gulati does not explicitly disclose however Manolakos discloses sending a second request message to an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element (see AMF, [0099]), and Relative location information (relative location information [0006]);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Gulati with that Manolakos. Doing so would conform to well-known standards in the field of invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-11 & 16-17 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hao et al. (US 2022/0007148 A1) – user equipment and positioning method.
Wang et al. (US 2017/0318428 A1) – relative location information obtaining method.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to K. WILFORD SHAHEED whose telephone number is (469) 295-9175. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9 am-6pm; CST; ALT Friday. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. The examiner’s Supervisor, Jinsong Hu, can be reached at (571)272-3965, where attempts to reach the examiner are unsuccessful.
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/KHALID W SHAHEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643
