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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicants’ communication filed on 12/30/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently pending in the instant application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 13 states “wherein downlink information of the second terminal device is comprised in second sensing assistance information corresponding to the first sensing node, and the second sensing assistance information is sent by the access network device, wherein the uplink information indicates an uplink radio resource occupancy status of the second terminal device, and the downlink information indicates a downlink radio resource occupancy status of the second terminal device.” It is unclear what the mobile terminal is downlinking to? Is this terminal to terminal (i.e. to a target)? Please explain or amend.
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.
Claims -1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhu et al. (US 2023/0309144 A1).
Regarding Claim 14 Zhu teaches the limitations "A wireless communication device, comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program, wherein the at least one memory and the at least one processor are configured with the computer program, to cause the wireless communication device at least to: (see abstract, fig. 3 and par. 0031);
receive first sensing assistance information corresponding to a first sensing node and sent by a first node; (see fig. 31 and par. 0504, where UE (i.e. first sensing node) sends capability reports (i.e. equated to sensing assistance) to base station (wireless communication device) and the capability report can be relayed between multiple nodes (i.e. receiving a capability report from one node pertaining to another “sensing node”) (see fig. 5, 12, par. 0014 and 0174-0175 showing relay nodes for cooperation information which includes sensing requests and capabilities);
wherein the wireless communication device is a sensing control node, (see fig. 31 (base station 4170) and par. 0475 showing sensing control);
the first sensing assistance information comprises one or more of following information of the first sensing node:
sensing capability information, (see fig. 31 capability report)
operating bandwidth information,
sensing precision information,
transmit power information,
electric quantity information,
resource occupancy information,
indication information of expecting or not expecting to participate in sensing,
location information, or
information for matching with sensed targets" (see par. 0363 “T.sub.se may be determined based on certain system parameters and requirements, such as sensing transmit power, sensing bandwidth, the number of beams (for beam steering to cover a given region), sensing overhead, one or more sensing performance metrics (e.g. positioning accuracy), or the like.” and par. 0479 “The sensing capability report may include an indication of supported sensing types (including RF, imaging, LIDAR and camera) and the details of capability for each of supported sensing types. For example, for RF sensing, the sensing capability report may indicate a supported frequency bands and bandwidth, supported sensing signals and supported duplexing mode (full duplex or half duplex). The sensing capability report can be transmitted together with a known UE capability report.”).
Examiner also notes to assist when any amendments that Yuan et al. (US 2025/0097752) also teaches claims, 1, 14 and 20’s sensing assistance from one node to another node about a third node (see fig. 9 and par. 0287 and 0292).
Claims 1 and 20 are rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 2 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing capability information comprises one or more of following information: sensing capability indication information, wherein the sensing capability indication information is used to indicate whether the first sensing node has a sensing capability (see fig. 31 and par. 0479 “sensing capability report” is the indication”),
wherein the sensing capability comprises one or more of following capabilities: a capability of sending a sensing signal; a capability of receiving a sensing signal; or a capability of processing a sensing signal; or a sensing capability level" (see par. 0479).
Claim 15 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 3 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the operating bandwidth information comprises one or more of following information: an operating bandwidth of the first sensing node; or a bandwidth of a sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing node" (see par. 0363 “T.sub.se may be determined based on certain system parameters and requirements, such as sensing transmit power, sensing bandwidth, the number of beams (for beam steering to cover a given region), sensing overhead, one or more sensing performance metrics (e.g. positioning accuracy), or the like.”).
Claim 16 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 4 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing precision information comprises one or more of following information: measurement precision, measurement result quantification precision, or antenna information" (see par. 0479 “may include an indication of supported sensing types (including RF, imaging, LIDAR and camera) and the details of capability for each of supported sensing types.” In other words, shows precision, antenna information).
Claim 17 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 5 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the resource occupancy information comprises one or more of following information: traffic information, channel state information of a link associated with the first sensing node, or time-frequency resource information" (see par. 0496 “It may be possible that the UE 4110 cannot transmit (step 4524) the sensing results over the specified resources, for example, due to the resources being occupied by traffic. In such a case, the UE 4110 may request, from the BS 4170, additional resources or indicate, to the BS 4170, that the sensing results may not be transmitted over the specified resources.”).
Regarding Claim 6 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the indication information of expecting or not expecting to participate in sensing comprises one or more of following: indication information of expecting or not expecting to participate in sending a sensing signal; indication information of expecting or not expecting to participate in receiving a sensing signal; information about a sensed target expected or not expected for participating in sensing; or information about a sensing service expected or not expected for participating in sensing" (see par. 0479 “a sensing capability report indicating the sensing capability of the UE 4110. The sensing capability report may include an indication of supported sensing types” where the sensing capabiiity report indicates whether the UE will be able to participate in sensing requests).
Claim 18 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 7 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the information for matching with sensed targets comprises one or more of following:
a sensing service list,
a sensing node list, or
a sensed target list,
wherein the sensing service list comprises one or more of following lists for the first sensing node:
a list of services expected for sensing,
a list of services capable of being sensed,
a list of services allowed to be sensed,
a list of services not expected for sensing,
a list of services incapable of being sensed, or
a list of services not allowed to be sensed; and/or
the sensing node list comprises one or more of following lists for a sensed target:
a first list,
a second list,
a third list,
a fourth list,
a fifth list, or
a sixth list,
wherein the sensed target expects to be sensed by any sensing node in the first list, the sensed target is capable of being sensed by any sensing node in the second list, the sensed target is allowed to be sensed by any sensing node in the third list, the sensed target does not expected to be sensed by any sensing node in the fourth list, the sensed target is incapable of being sensed by any sensing node in the fifth list, and the sensed target is not allowed to be sensed by any sensing node in the sixth list; and/or the sensed target list comprises one or more of following lists for the first sensing node: a list of sensed targets expected for sensing, a list of sensed targets capable of being sensed, a list of sensed targets allowed to be sensed, a list of sensed targets not expected for sensing, a list of sensed targets incapable of being sensed, or a list of sensed targets not allowed to be sensed." (Examiner notes, claims 7 and 19 are alternate dependents based upon alternates provided in parent claims 1 and 14. Therefore, the limitations are not required as other alternates have been shown above).
Claim 19 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 8 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is further caused to:
send the first sensing assistance information based on configuration information (see par. 0498 “ In a “Semi-Static” sensing configuration, the sensing operation (step 4522, FIG. 31) to be carried out by the UE 4110 is pre-configured.”),
wherein the configuration information is used to configure one or more of following:
content comprised in the first sensing assistance information; see fig. 31, here the configuration compirises what is to be sensed (i.e. content);
resource information used for transmission of the first sensing assistance information; (see par. 0499 “In contrast to a semi-static sensing configuration (a.k.a., a pre-configured sensing configuration), wherein the BS 4170 specifies all detailed configurations, including the transmission resources.”).
an identifier of the first sensing node; or
a type of the first sensing node" (see par. 0126 “Sensing data may also include description and/or tags (e.g., header information) that identify the purpose and/or source of the sensing data, or identify the target that the sensing data is associated with.”).
Regarding Claim 9 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 8, wherein the resource information comprises one or more of following:
a transmission cut-off time of the first sensing assistance information,
information about a time unit occupied by the first sensing assistance information, or
a frequency domain resource occupied by the first sensing assistance information,
wherein the transmission cut-off time comprises a first time unit and/or a first time length, the first time unit is used to indicate that the first sensing assistance information is sent no later than the first time unit, the first time length is used to indicate that the first sensing assistance information is sent no later than a second time unit, wherein the second time unit is determined based on the first time length and a first reference time unit, and the first reference time unit is a time unit occupied by the configuration information" (Examiner notes, claims 9 is an alternate dependent based upon alternates provided in parent claims 1 and 14. Therefore, the limitations are not required as other alternates have been shown above). Also see par. 0377 showing time of sensing and par. 0479 showing the sensing capability report may indicate a supported frequency bands and bandwidth, supported sensing signals and supported duplexing mode (full duplex or half duplex).”).
Regarding Claim 10 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first node is the first sensing node or a sensed target" (see par. 0013-00116, showing the nodes are interchangeable, i.e. any node can be a sensing node).
Regarding Claim 11 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 10, wherein if the first node is the sensed target, the computer program causes the wireless communication device to perform: receiving pieces of first sensing assistance information respectively corresponding to one or more sensing nodes, wherein the one or more sensing nodes comprise the first sensing node; wherein in a case that the first node receives pieces of first sensing assistance information respectively corresponding to a plurality of sensing nodes, the pieces of first sensing assistance information respectively corresponding to the plurality of sensing nodes are sent by the first node through a same resource or channel; or the pieces of first sensing assistance information respectively corresponding to the plurality of sensing nodes are sent by the first node respectively through independent resources or channels; or the pieces of first sensing assistance information respectively corresponding to the plurality of sensing nodes are grouped into at least one group, and pieces of first sensing assistance information in a same group are sent by the first node through a same resource or channel" (Examiner notes, claims 11 is an alternate dependent based upon alternates provided in parent claim 10. Therefore, the limitations are not required as other alternates have been shown above). Also see par. 0028-0029 “receiving sensing data or compressed sensing data from the target. Optionally, the cooperative sensing involves sensing based on echo signal(s) reflected off at least one target, and sensing data or compressed sensing data received from at least one target”).
Regarding Claim 12 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first node is a first terminal device or an access network device" (see par. 0013-00116, showing the nodes are interchangeable, i.e. any node can be a sensing node).
Regarding Claim 13 Zhu teaches the limitations "The wireless communication device according to claim 12, wherein the first sensing node is a second terminal device, the first sensing assistance information comprises uplink information of the second terminal device, wherein downlink information of the second terminal device is comprised in second sensing assistance information corresponding to the first sensing node, and the second sensing assistance information is sent by the access network device, wherein the uplink information indicates an uplink radio resource occupancy status of the second terminal device, and the downlink information indicates a downlink radio resource occupancy status of the second terminal device" (see fig. 31 and par. 0478-479, showing the terminal sends capability report as uplink information).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID BILODEAU whose telephone number is (571)270-3192. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6:00am-4:00pm Eastern Standard Time. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, Applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley Kim can be reached at (571) 272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/David Bilodeau/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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