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)(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.
(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) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dai (WO 2022027298).
Regarding claim 1, Dai discloses a positioning method, wherein the method comprises:
transmitting, by a first terminal, a first sidelink (SL) positioning reference signal to a second terminal at least twice within first time (fig. 22, [0158], 2204 and 2214, transmits SL-PRS (SL-positioning reference signal) at t1 and t5, the first time includes both t1 and t5; repetitions measurements, repeat for any number of times), and receiving a second SL positioning reference signal from the second terminal (fig. 22, 2210, receives a SL-PRS from UE B at time t4); and
determining, by the first terminal, first time information (fig. 22, 2218, determine the time difference t5-t4);
wherein the first time information is related to transmission time of the first SL positioning reference signal (fig. 22, [0158], related to the transmission time, t5, of the SL-PRS) ;
the first time information comprises at least one of the following:
transmit timing information of the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted by the first terminal (fig. 22, [0158], related to the transmission time, t5, of the first SL-PRS) ;
receive timing information of the second SL positioning reference signal received by the first terminal (fig. 22, [0158], related to the receiving time, t4, of the second SL-PRS) ; or
a time difference between receive timing of the second SL positioning reference signal received by the first terminal and transmit timing of the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted by the first terminal (fig. 22, 2218, determine the time difference t5-t4).
Claims 15 and 20 are rejected similarly with claim 1 noting that Dai discloses a processor and memory (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 2, 17, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: transmitting, by the first terminal, the determined first time information to another communications device (fig. 22, 2218, 2224).
Regarding claims 3, 16, 17, 18, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein after the determining, by the first terminal, first time information, the method further comprises:
determining, by the first terminal, first information based on the first time information; wherein the first information is used for determining location information of the first terminal and/or the second terminal ([0157-58], fig. 22 the example implementation 2200 depicts a single-SL-RTT scenario, whereby a UE ( “UE A” ) performs relative positioning (ranging) of a single target UE, 2218, 2224).
Regarding claim 4, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein
the transmit timing information of the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted by the first terminal comprises transmit timing information of the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted by the first terminal at least twice; and/or
the receive timing information of the first SL positioning reference signal received by the second terminal comprises receive timing information of the first SL positioning reference signal received by the second terminal at least twice (fig. 22, transmitting time of the first SL-PRS at t5 and t1, respectively, by the first UE; receiving time of the first SL-PRS at t6, t3, respectively, by the second UE).
Regarding claim 5, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein time information comprises at least one of the following:
absolute time information (the time can be either absolute or relative, only two possibilities) or relative time information; and
the relative time information comprises at least one of the following:
time information of transmission time of an SL positioning reference signal with respect to a terminal time unit;
time information of the transmission time of the first SL positioning reference signal with respect to transmission time of the second SL positioning reference signal; or
relative time information between transmission times of the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted at least twice;
or
time information comprises at least one of the following:
a subframe or a slot unit (fig. 4, subframe and slot);
wherein
the subframe is a subframe corresponding to a terminal (fig. 4, [0153], transmission time or subframe from a UE), and
the slot unit is a time unit corresponding to a terminal (fig. 4, [0153], transmission time or subframe from a UE); wherein subcarrier spacing (SCS) associated with the slot unit is either of the following:
SL bandwidth part (BWP) and SCS for transmitting an SL positioning reference signal ([0087])
Regarding claim 6, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the time difference between receive timing of the second SL positioning reference signal received by the first terminal and transmit timing of the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted by the first terminal is: a time difference between a receive timing information associated with a first detected path of a time when the first terminal receives the second SL positioning reference signal and the transmit timing of the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted by the first terminal (figs. 2, 22, [0109]).
Regarding claim 7, Dai discloses the method according to claim 3, wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following:
identification information of the first terminal;
the first time information (fig. 22, [0158], related to the transmission time, t5, of the first SL-PRS) ;
first time stamp information (fig. 22);
identification information of the first SL positioning reference signal;
identification information of the second SL positioning reference signal;
reference signal receiving power (RSRP) of the second SL positioning reference signal; or
first line of sight (LOS) indicator information;
wherein the first time stamp information is used to indicate a time stamp associated with the first time information (fig. 22).
Regarding claim 8, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted by the first terminal at least twice comprises at least one of the following:
at least two SL positioning reference signal resources scheduled by one sidelink control information (SCI) (figs. 13, 22);
at least two SL positioning reference signal resources scheduled separately (figs. 13, 22) or
at least two SL positioning reference signal resources required for scheduling or request as indicated by indication information.
Regarding claim 9, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted at least twice, and/or the first SL positioning reference signal and the second SL positioning reference signal each satisfy a first condition;
wherein the first condition comprises at least one of the following:
bandwidths used for transmitting SL positioning reference signals are the same;
starting frequency domain positions used for transmitting SL positioning reference signals are the same;
periodicities for transmitting SL positioning reference signals are the same ([0158], repetition);
SCSs used for transmitting SL positioning reference signals are the same; or
sequence identities (IDs) used for transmitting SL positioning reference signals are the same.
Regarding claim 10, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the second SL positioning reference signal and the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted at least twice satisfy a second condition;
wherein the second condition comprises at least one of the following:
a time domain offset between the second SL positioning reference signal and the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted at least twice is less than or equal to a second time threshold;
a time domain offset between the second SL positioning reference signal and the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted at least twice is less than or equal to a third time threshold; or
sequence IDs of the second SL positioning reference signal and the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted at least twice are different (fig. 22, [0158]).
Regarding claim 11, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first time is at least one of the following:
a time range preconfigured by a network side (claim 8, configured to request a RTT repetitions);
a time range defined by a protocol; or
at least one time unit with respect to the first SL positioning reference signal transmitted for the first time.
Regarding claims 12, 19, Dai discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein before the transmitting, by a first terminal, a first SL positioning reference signal to a second terminal at least twice within first time, the method further comprises:
exchanging, by the first terminal, target information with a network-side device (fig. 22, 2202);
wherein the target information exchange comprises at least one of the following:
capability information exchange; assistance information exchange; first location information exchange; or
SL positioning reference signal request information exchange (fig. 22, 2202).
Regarding claim 13, Dai discloses the method according to claim 12, wherein
the capability information exchange is used to indicate whether the first terminal supports determining location information of the first terminal and/or the second terminal;
the assistance information exchange is used for the first terminal to receive preconfigured information for at least two transmissions of an SL positioning reference signal;
the first location information exchange is used for exchanging location information of the first terminal and/or location information of the second terminal; and
the SL positioning reference signal request information comprises a scheduling or transmission request for at least two transmissions of an SL positioning reference signal (fig. 22, claim 8, configured to request a RTT repetitions).
Regarding claim 14, Dai discloses the method according to claim 13, wherein the preconfigured information for at least two transmissions of an SL positioning reference signal comprises at least one of the following:
frequency domain information for transmitting the SL positioning reference signal;
time domain information for transmitting the SL positioning reference signal; or
sequence information for transmitting the SL positioning reference signal (fig. 22, claim 8, configured to request a RTT repetitions).
It is noted that the applicant uses selective language in some claims and the examiner is only showing one of the claimed options in those claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENSHENG ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1985. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:00am-6:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached at 571-272-2832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHENSHENG ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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