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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/256,283
`
`12/28/2020
`
`Lilei WANG
`
`733456.620USPC
`
`1856
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`PANCHOLI, RINA C
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2477
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`06/09/2022
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`18-37 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 18-37 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)() The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 12/28/2020 is/are: a)[¥) accepted or b)(.) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)Z) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)X) All
`1.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20220413
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/256,283
`WANG etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`RINA C PANCHOLI
`2477
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 5/26/2021.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`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
`
`1. Claims 18-37 received on 5/26/2021 have been examined, of which claims 18 and
`
`28 are independent.
`
`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-AlA), second paragraph:
`The specification shall conclude with one or moreclaims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
`
`2. Claims 23-26, 33-36 are 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 pre-
`
`AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
`
`Claims 23-26, 33-36 recite: “number of symbols of the consecutive symbolsis large
`
`or small’; “less symbols are used for a demodulation reference signal (DMRS)” “the
`
`2 tk
`
`number of symbols of the consecutive symbols is smaller’;
`
`“the number of symbols
`
`of the consecutive symbols is relatively small’. The meets and bounds of relative
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 3
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`terms of number of symbols being less, large, small, smaller, relatively small — for
`
`claim interpretation are unclear.
`
`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 madein 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 waseffectivelyfiled
`before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
`
`> Claim(s) 18-20, 23-30 and 33-37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being
`
`anticipated by Khoryaevet al. (US 2020/0275458).
`
`3. Regarding claim 18, Khoryaev teaches a communication apparatus (user
`
`equipment UE 102, fig 1-3; abstract: UE selecting short TTI for v2v sidelink
`
`transmission), comprising;
`
`circuitry (processor 202, fig 2), which, in operation, determines consecutive
`
`symbols usedfor a sidelink communication within a slot (fig 8, Para 102: at
`
`operation 815, the UE 102 selects a short transmission time interval (TTI) for V2X
`
`sidelink transmission by UE; fig 14-17 show consecutive symbols as short TTI for
`
`sidelink transmissions and fig 18-19 show frequency multiplexing of control and
`
`shared channels); and
`
`a transmitter (communication interface device 220 coupled to antenna 230, fig
`
`2, para 55), which, in operation, transmits a physical sidelink shared channel
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 4
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`(PSSCH)in the consecutive symbols within the slot (Para 113-117: at operation
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`830, the UE 102 transmits a short PSSCH (SPSSCH), the UE 102 transmits the
`
`SPSSCH in the selected short TT1);
`
`wherein a number of symbols of the consecutive symbols is less than a
`
`number of symbols within the slot (fig 12-17 show different patterns for s-TTI,
`
`wherefig 14-17 show alignment with legacy subframe of 14 symbols and s-TTI
`
`occupies 3-7 symbols; Para 139: s-TTl is less than 1ms; para 169: s-TTI pattern
`
`includes ranges of symbols from 1 to 7; fig 6 shows radio frame of 10ms, whichis
`
`divided into 20 slots of 0.5ms (para 82) and fig 9 shows s-TTI as fourth of 1ms,
`
`whichis less than slot timing, further, fig. 15-17 showing s-TTI patterns less than 7
`
`symbols are number less than number of symbols within slot).
`
`4. Regarding claim 28, Khoryaev teaches a communication method (abstract: UE
`
`and methodfor selecting short TTI for v2v sidelink transmission), comprising;
`
`determining consecutive symbols used for a sidelink communication
`
`within a slot (fig 8, Para 102: at operation 815, the UE 102 selects a short
`
`transmission time interval (TTI) for V2X sidelink transmission by UE; fig 14-17 show
`
`consecutive symbols as short TTI for sidelink transmissions and fig 18-19 show
`
`frequency multiplexing of control and shared channels); and
`
`transmitting a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH)in the consecutive
`
`symbols within the slot (Para 113-117: at operation 830, the UE 102 transmits a
`
`short PSSCH (sPSSCH), the UE 102 transmits the sPSSCH in the selected short
`
`TTI; fig 14-17);
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 5
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`wherein a number of symbols of the consecutive symbols is less than a
`
`number of symbols within the slot (fig 12-17 show different patterns for s-TTI,
`
`wherefig 14-17 show alignment with legacy subframe of 14 symbols and s-TTI
`
`occupies 3-7 symbols; Para 139: s-TTl is less than 1ms; para 169: s-TTI pattern
`
`includes ranges of symbols from 1 to 7; fig 6 shows radio frame of 10ms, which is
`
`divided into 20 slots of 0.5ms (para 82) and fig 9 shows s-TTI as fourth of 1ms,
`
`whichis less than slot timing, further, fig. 15-17 showing s-TTI patterns less than 7
`
`symbols are number less than number of symbols within slot).
`
`5. Regarding claim 19 and 29, Khoryaevfurther teaches wherein a symbol next to a
`
`last symbol of the consecutive symbols is a guard period (as shownin fig 15,
`
`last symbol next to consecutive sTTI symbols of 6 or 3 symbols in 1510-1560 has
`
`gap period).
`
`6. Regarding claim 20 and 30, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the number of
`
`symbols of the consecutive symbols is more than one symbol (as shownin fig
`
`15, number of consecutive sTTI symbols are 6 or 3 symbols in 1510-1560, whichis
`
`more than one).
`
`7. Regarding claim 23 and 33, Khoryaev further teaches wherein a first symbol of
`
`the slot is not used for a demodulation reference signal (DMRS)irrespective of
`
`whether the number of symbols of the consecutive symbols is large or small
`
`(in fig 15, each configuration of 1510-1560 includes sTTI of 6 symbols or 3 symbols,
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
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`Page 6
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`and each pattern includesfirst symbol as PSSCH or for AGC settling, and the DMRS
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`is used for second or third symbol, but notfirst).
`
`8. Regarding claim 24 and 34, Khoryaevfurther teaches wherein less symbols are
`
`used for a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in case the numberof
`
`symbols of the consecutive symbols is smaller (as shownin fig 15, in 1510 s-TTI
`
`configuration, 6 symbol pattern uses 2 DMRS, while in 1540-1560 s-TTI
`
`configuration for 3 symbol pattern uses 1 DMRS symbol).
`
`9. Regarding claim 25 and 35, Khoryaevfurther teaches wherein a second symbol of
`
`the slot is used for the DMRSin a case the numberof symbols of the
`
`consecutive symbols is smaller (as shownin fig 15, in 1540-1560 s-TTI
`
`configuration for 3 symbol pattern uses 1 DMRS symbol, which is the second symbol
`
`in the pattern).
`
`10. Regarding claim 26 and 36, Khoryaev further teaches wherein a second symbol
`
`of the slot is used for a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in a case the
`
`number of symbols of the consecutive symbols is relatively small (as shownin
`
`fig 15, in 1540-1560 s-TTI configuration for 3 symbol pattern uses 1 DMRS symbol,
`
`whichis the second symbol in the pattern; 3 symbol pattern is relatively small to 6
`
`symbol pattern of 1510).
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 7
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`11. Regarding claim 27 and 37, Khoryaev further teaches wherein the number of
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`symbols of the consecutive symbols is selected from a plurality of numbers of
`
`symbols (fig 8, step 815; para 102: the UE 102 mayselect the short TTI from a
`
`plurality of short TTls (including but not limited to a plurality of candidate TTIs); also,
`
`fig 14-17 showsplurality of number of symbols (14) within the subframe, while s-TT|
`
`is shown asof 3, 4, 6 or 7 symbols).
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousnessrejections setforth 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.
`
`The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148
`
`USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining
`
`obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
`
`1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
`
`2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
`
`3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
`
`4. Considering objective evidence presentin the application indicating
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`obviousness or nonobviousness.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 8
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`This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the
`
`claims, the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was
`
`commonly ownedasof the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any
`
`evidenceto the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to
`
`point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly
`
`ownedas ofthe effectivefiling date of the later invention in order for the examiner to
`
`consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2)
`
`prior art against the later invention.
`
`> Claims 21-22 and 31-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
`
`over Khoryaevetal. (US 2020/0275458) in view of Lee et al. (WO 20181 74688,
`
`attached is the machine translation and publication)
`
`12. Regarding claim 21 and 31, Khoryaev teaches the limitations of parent claim.
`
`Khoryaevfails to teach, but Lee teaches wherein the number of symbols of the
`
`consecutive symbols is more than a number of consecutive symbols usedfor
`
`a transmission of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH)within the slot
`
`(fig 5b: S-PSCCH_L < S-PSSCH_L. Thatis, in the time domain, the number of
`
`symbols constituting the S-TTI based PSSCH is larger than the number of symbols
`
`constituting the S-TTI based PSCCH). Therefore, it woulci have been obvious to one
`
`of ordinary skill in the art before the effective fing date of the claimed invention fo
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 9
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`combine Vex sidelink communication using s-TTE selection as laugh by Khoryaey
`
`with contrading number of symbols for PSCCH and PSSCH in s-TTl as taught by
`
`Lee for the benelit cf efficient transmission power control in V2X as taught by Lee in
`
`page 6 (of the transiation}.
`
`13. Regarding claim 22 and 32, Khoryaevfurther teaches wherein the PSSCH andthe
`
`PSCCHare assignedin a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) manner(para
`
`149: Referring to FIG. 9, in the example scenario 900, the sPSCCH transmission
`
`920 may be multiplexed with the sPSSCH transmission 925 in the frequency
`
`domain, during the S-TTI 910).
`
`Furthermore, Lee also teachesin the fig 5b and 6, that PSCCH and PSSCH use
`
`different carriers for same s-TTI, whichis in frequency division multiplexing manner.
`
`Therefore, it would have oeer obvious to ore of ordinary Skil in the art before the
`
`effective fling date of the claimed invention to combine V2sidelink communication
`
`using s-PTl selection as taught by Khoryaey with controling number of symbols for
`
`PSCGH and PSSCH in s-TTl as taughi by Lee for the benefit of efficient
`
`transmission power control in V2X as taught Oy Lee in page 6 tof the translation),
`
`Conclusion
`
`The prior art made of record and notrelied upon is considered pertinent to
`
`applicant's disclosure.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 10
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`He et a. (US 20200029340) Fig. 21 - FDM of PSCCH, PSSCH and less number
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`of symbols for control channel compared to shared channel
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`Guo (US 20200022089): fig. 23 - FDM of PSCCH, PSSCH and less number of
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`symbols for control channel compared to shared channel in short TTI
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to RINA C PANCHOLI whosetelephone number is
`
`(571)272-2679. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7:30am-4pm.
`
`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 AutomatedInterview Request
`
`(AIR) at http:/Awww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor, Gregory Sefcheck can be reached on 571-272-3098. The fax phone
`
`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -
`
`273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
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`
`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/256,283
`Art Unit: 2477
`
`Page 11
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`If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access
`
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`
`/RINA C PANCHOLI/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
`6/4/2022
`
`