DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-3 and 16-29 are pending. Claims 4-15 and 30-50 are canceled.
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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Response to Arguments
Applicant' s arguments, see page 7 of the remarks, filed on 02/18/2026, with respect to claim objection have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claims 2-3, 17-21 and 23-29 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3 and 22-29 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-3 and 22-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. (US 20180270713, Park hereinafter) in view of Wang et al. (US 20230337169, Wang hereinafter).
As to claim 1: Park discloses a method of operating a communications device in a serving cell provided by an infrastructure equipment, the method comprising determining a radio access network (RAN) notification area (RNA) identity associated with a current serving cell, determining a cell identity associated with the serving cell (see at least paragraph [0141], a wireless device may receive RNA information from the base station. RNA information may comprise at least one of an RNA identifier, one or more cell identifiers of one or more cells of an RNA. The base station has to determine RNA identity and Cell identity before sending to a wireless device.),
transmitting … to a second communications device an indication of the RNA identity, and transmitting … to the second communications device an indication of the cell identity (see at least paragraph [0141], a wireless device may receive RNA information from the base station. RNA information may comprise at least one of an RNA identifier, one or more cell identifiers of one or more cells of an RNA.).
Park does not explicitly disclose transmitting the RNA identity and cell identity to second communication device via sidelink.
However Park discloses transmitting the RNA identity and cell identity to second communication device via sidelink (see at least paragraphs [0083]-[0088], [0104]-[0105], The relay terminal sends first information to the remote terminal, where the first information includes information related to a serving cell for the first terminal, and the information related to the serving cell for the first terminal includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier and a radio access network-based notification area code indicated by the first information. The first information is content of dedicated system information, and the dedicated system information may be sent by an access network to the relay terminal via a handover command or an RRC reconfiguration message.).
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement sidelink to send RNA code and cell identifier, as taught by Wang, into the invention of Park in order to maintain wireless communication (see Wang, paragraph [0003]).
As to claim 2: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 1. Park further discloses the method comprising providing a relay functionality for transmissions between the second communications device and the infrastructure equipment in the serving cell (see at least paragraph [0058], a wireless device and/or a base station may act as a relay node.).
As to claim 3: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 1. Park further discloses the method comprising receiving from the second communications device an RNA update request message, the RNA update request message indicating that the serving cell is not within a configured RNA of the second communications device, and forwarding the RNA update request message to the infrastructure equipment (see at least paragraphs [0143]-[0153], [0210], [0269] and [0284], when a wireless device in an RRC inactive state moves into a new RNA, the wireless device may perform an RNA update (RNAU) procedure, which may comprise a random access procedure by the wireless device and/or a UE context retrieve procedure. A UE context retrieve may comprise: receiving, by a base station from a wireless device, a random access preamble; and fetching, by a base station, a UE context of the wireless device from an old anchor base station.).
As to claim 22: Park discloses a method of operating an infrastructure equipment in a wireless communications network, the method comprising receiving in a cell an indication from a communications device that a configured radio access network (RAN) notification area (RNA) of the communications device, within which the communications device is not required to notify an infrastructure equipment of a cell reselection, does not include the cell (see at least paragraph [0156] In addition to the CN tracking areas, a UE in RRC_INACTIVE may be tracked on a “RAN based notification area” (called “RAN area” herein) wherein the UE may move freely without notifying the network. Once the UE moves outside the RAN area, it may perform a RAN area update.),
transmitting a request for a context associated with the communications device to a second infrastructure equipment (see at least paragraphs [0143]-[0145], sending a retrieve UE context request message comprising a resume identifier to the old anchor base station.), and
receiving from the second infrastructure equipment the context associated with the communications device and an indication that the communications device is providing relay functionality … to a second communications device (see at least paragraphs [0143]-[0145], receiving a retrieve UE context response message comprising the UE context of the wireless device from the old anchor base station.).
Park does not explicitly disclose receiving the context associated with the communications device and an indication that the communications device is providing relay functionality to a second communications device via sidelink.
However Park discloses receiving the context associated with the communications device and an indication that the communications device is providing relay functionality to a second communications device via sidelink (see at least paragraphs [0083]-[0088], [0104]-[0105], The relay terminal sends first information to the remote terminal, where the first information includes information related to a serving cell for the first terminal, and the information related to the serving cell for the first terminal includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier and a radio access network-based notification area code indicated by the first information. The first information is content of dedicated system information, and the dedicated system information may be sent by an access network to the relay terminal via a handover command or an RRC reconfiguration message.).
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement sidelink to send RNA code and cell identifier, as taught by Wang, into the invention of Park in order to maintain wireless communication (see Wang, paragraph [0003]).
As to claim 23: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 22. Park further discloses the method comprising in response to receiving the indication that the communications device is providing relay functionality to the second communications device, transmitting to a core network element a request that data for the second communications device is transmitted to the infrastructure equipment (see at least paragraph [0058], a wireless device and/or a base station may act as a relay node.).
As to claim 24: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 22. Park further discloses the method comprising receiving from the second infrastructure equipment a context associated with the second communications device (see at least paragraphs [0143]-[0145], receiving a retrieve UE context response message comprising the UE context of the wireless device from the old anchor base station.).
As to claim 25: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 22. Park further discloses the method comprising receiving data for transmission to the second communications device (see at least paragraph [0170], when receiving packets for a wireless device (e.g. UE) in an RRC inactive state from a user plane core network entity (e.g. UPF).), and transmitting a RAN paging notification in the cell indicating that downlink data is available for transmission to the second communications device (see at least paragraph [0170], a first base station (e.g. gNB) may initiate a RAN paging procedure by transmitting one or more first paging messages to one or more second base stations.).
As to claim 26: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 22. Park further discloses the method comprising in response to receiving the indication that the communications device is providing relay functionality to the second communications device, transmitting an indication that a configured RNA of the second communications device includes the cell (see at least paragraphs [0058] and [0141], a wireless device and/or a base station may act as a relay node. A wireless device may receive RNA information from the base station. RNA information may comprise at least one of an RNA identifier, one or more cell identifiers of one or more cells of an RNA).
As to claim 27: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 26. Park further discloses wherein the indication that the configured RNA of the second communications device includes the cell is transmitted as a small data transmission such that the second communications device does not enter a connected state in order to receive the indication (see at least paragraph [0140], an anchor base station may be a base station that may keep a UE context (a wireless device context) of a wireless device at least during a time period that a wireless device stays in a RAN notification area (RNA) of an anchor base station, and/or that a wireless device stays in an RRC inactive state.).
As to claim 28: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 26. Park further discloses wherein the indication that the configured RNA of the second communications device includes the cell is transmitted in a paging message (see at least paragraph [0169], RAN paging message.).
As to claim 29: Park and Wang disclose the method according to claim 26. Park further discloses the method comprising in response to receiving the indication that the communications device is providing relay functionality to the second communications device, transmitting an indication that the second communications device is required to enter a connected state, wherein the indication that the configured RNA of the second communications device includes the cell is transmitted while the second communications device is in the connected state (see at least paragraph [0191], The RNA paging procedure may comprise transmitting a first RNA paging message to a plurality of base stations belonging to an RNA associated with the wireless device by the anchor base station and/or broadcasting a second RNA paging message via a radio interface by base stations that receives the first RNA paging message. In an example, if the wireless device receives the second RNA paging message, it may transmit a first RNA paging response to the base station that transmitted the second RNA paging message. After receiving the first RNA paging response, the base station may transmit a second RNA paging response to the anchor base station.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-21 are allowed.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KABIR U JAHANGIR whose telephone number is (571)272-0796. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am to 6:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Ngo can be reached at (571)272-3139. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K. J./
Examiner, Art Unit 2464
/RICKY Q NGO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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