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 .
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) 1-5, 11-15 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (hereinafter Chen)(US 2026/0006626).
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches a first wireless device comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first wireless device (fig. 8, 12-13)to: receive, from a second wireless device a configuration indicating a sidelink (SL) resource pool, wherein the SL resource pool comprises a slot in which one or more SL reference signals (RSs) are transmitted(P[0139], sidelink resource pool; sidelink reference signal) : and
transmit, to [[a]]the second wireless device and via the slot, sidelink (SL) SL control information indicating a priority of an SL transmission of the slot comprising SL data and at least one SL reference signal (RS), (P[0139], resources that partially overlap in time with a candidate sidelink reference signal transmission occasion of the set of sidelink reference signal transmission occasions; SCI message includes information indicative of a priority value for a scheduled sidelink data message)wherein:
the SL transmission comprises: SL data in one or more first symbols of the slot and at least one SL RS in one or more second symbols, of the slot, that are after the one or more first symbols: and the priority is based on: a first priority of the at least one SL RS; and a second priority of the SL data(P[0144], first priority value; second priority value; comparison; signal transmission; P[0098],set of slots or symbols).
Regarding claim 2, Chen teaches the first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the first wireless device to receive one or more messages indicating a SL resource pool used for transmission of one or more SL RSs comprising the at least one SL RS(P[0153], configured; signaling indicating sidelink reference signal occasions being included within a sidelink resource pool).
Regarding claim 3, Chen teaches the first wireless device of claim 2, wherein transmitting the SL control information is via an SL resource of the SL resource pool(P[0153], control signaling indicating signal transmission occasions being included within a sidelink resource pool).
Regarding claim 4, Chen teaches the first wireless device of claim 2, wherein the one or more messages comprises at least one of: a radio resource configuration message; or a system information message(P[0100], configured by control signaling, RRC signaling).
Regarding claim 5, Chen teaches the first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the first wireless device to determine the priority based on a highest priority of: the first priority; and the second priority(P[0006], comparison of a first priority value and a second priority value).
Claims 11-15 and 20 are rejected for the same reason as set forth in claims 1-5 and 1 respectively.
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) 6-9, 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (hereinafter Chen)(US 2026/0006626) in view of Luo et a. (hereinafter Luo)(CN 117997496 A).
Regarding claim 6, Chen teaches all the particulars of the claim except, wherein: the SL data comprises a medium access control (MAC) packet data unit (PDU). However, Luo teaches in an analogous art wherein: the SL data comprises a medium access control (MAC) packet data unit (PDU) (P[0100], MAC -CE). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the SL data comprises a medium access control (MAC) packet data unit (PDU) in order to have improved efficiency.
Regarding claim 7, Chen teaches all the particulars of the claim except, wherein the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; and a logical channel associated with the MAC PDU. However, Luo teaches in an analogous art wherein the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; and a logical channel associated with the MAC PDU(Page 9, MAC-PDU; highest priority in all logical channels; SL-PRS). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; and a logical channel associated with the MAC PDU in order to have improved sidelink priority handling.
Regarding claim 8, Chen teaches all the particulars of the claim except, the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; and a MAC control element (CE) in the MAC PDU. However, Luo teaches in an analogous art wherein the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; and a MAC control element (CE) in the MAC PDU(Page 13, highest priority and one MAC CE in the MAC PDU; also SL-PRS). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; and a MAC control element (CE) in the MAC PDU in order to have improved sidelink priority handling.
Regarding claim 9, Chen teaches all the particulars of the claim except, wherein the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; a logical channel associated with the MAC PDU; and a MAC control element (CE) in the MAC PDU. However, Luo teaches in an analogous art wherein the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; a logical channel associated with the MAC PDU; and a MAC control element (CE) in the MAC PDU(Page 13, highest priority in all logical channels and one MAC CE in the MAC PDU; also SL-PRS). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the priority is a highest priority of: the at least one SL reference signal; a logical channel associated with the MAC PDU; and a MAC control element (CE) in the MAC PDU in order to have improved sidelink priority handling.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (hereinafter Chen)(US 2026/0006626) in view of Luo et a. (hereinafter Luo)(CN 117997496 A) and Han et al. (hereinafter Han)(US 2025/0274952).
Regarding claim 10, Chen in view of Luo teaches all the particulars of the claim except, wherein the MAC PDU comprises a MAC service data unit (SDU) from the logical channel associated with a respective priority or a respective priority value. However, Han teaches in an analogous art wherein the MAC PDU comprises a MAC service data unit (SDU) from the logical channel associated with a respective priority or a respective priority value(P[0107], Sidelink traffic channel service data units; priority; SL-MAC-PDU for SL transmission). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the MAC PDU comprises a MAC service data unit (SDU) from the logical channel associated with a respective priority or a respective priority value in order to have improved sidelink priority handling.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/MUTHUSWAMY G MANOHARAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647