Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
2. A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/17/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
3. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 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 § 102
4. 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) Claims 1, 9, 34, and 69-70 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by KIM (US 2020/0008173 A1).
As per claim 1, KIM discloses a wireless communication method, comprising: transmitting, by a remote terminal to a relay terminal, a first message comprising a relay service mode required by the remote terminal, wherein the relay service mode is a first service mode and/or a second service mode, wherein the first service mode comprises a service mode requiring forwarding of uplink data, the second service mode is a service mode only forwarding a paging message (Fig.12 and ¶0114, step S1201 transmitting by the remote UE to a relay UE a message (i.e. first message) comprising relay request (i.e. relay service mode) by the remote UE, wherein the relay request message requesting/ requiring relay of UL traffic (i.e. uplink data) to the network (i.e. first service mode), please note that based on broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), and/or involves only one condition, therefore Examiner consider the one service mode only).
As per claim 9 as applied to claim 1 above, KIM further discloses, receiving, by the remote terminal, a second message as a response to the first message (Fig.12 and ¶0116, step S1206, receiving by the remote UE, relay request Ack message (i.e. second message) as a response to the relay request message (i.e. first message)).
As per claim 34, KIM discloses a wireless communication method, comprising: receiving, by a relay terminal from a remote terminal, a first message comprising a relay service mode required by the remote terminal, wherein the relay service mode is a first service mode and/or a second service mode, wherein the first service mode comprises a service mode requiring forwarding of uplink data, the second service mode is a service mode only forwarding a paging message (Fig.12 and ¶0114, step S1201 receiving by the relay UE from a remote UE a message (i.e. first message) comprising relay request (i.e. relay service mode) by the remote UE, wherein the relay request message requesting/ requiring relay of UL traffic (i.e. uplink data) to the network (i.e. first service mode), please note that based on broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), and/or involves only one condition, therefore Examiner consider the one service mode only).
As per claim 69, KIM discloses a remote terminal, comprising a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory (Fig.16, remote UE 100 comprising processor, memory and transceiver to store computer program) to: transmit to a relay terminal, a first message comprising a relay service mode required by the remote terminal, wherein the relay service mode is a first service mode and/or a second service mode, wherein the first service mode comprises a service mode requiring forwarding of uplink data, the second service mode is a service mode only forwarding a paging message (Fig.12 and ¶0114, step S1201 transmitting by the remote UE to a relay UE a message (i.e. first message) comprising relay request (i.e. relay service mode) by the remote UE, wherein the relay request message requesting/ requiring relay of UL traffic (i.e. uplink data) to the network (i.e. first service mode), please note that based on broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) and/or involves only one condition, therefore Examiner consider the one service mode only).
As per claim 70, KIM discloses a network device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory (Fig.16, network node 200 comprising processor, memory and transceiver to store computer program) to perform the method according to claim 34 (Fig.12 and ¶0114, step S1201 receiving by the relay UE from a remote UE a message (i.e. first message) comprising relay request (i.e. relay service mode) by the remote UE, wherein the relay request message requesting/ requiring relay of UL traffic (i.e. uplink data) to the network (i.e. first service mode), please note that based on broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) and/or involves only one condition, therefore Examiner consider the one service mode only).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
The factual inquiries 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 present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
A) claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIM (US 2020/0008173 A1) in view of TAO (US 2019/0373538 A1).
As per claim 7 as applied to claim 1 above, KIM does not explicitly teach wherein the second service mode comprises at least one of: identity information of the remote terminal, or information on a paging cycle of the remote terminal.
In the same field of endeavor, TAO teaches wherein the second service mode comprises at least one of: identity information of the remote terminal, or information on a paging cycle of the remote terminal (¶0007, determining that the terminal operates in the second mode according to a first information set and the terminal identifier).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM’s invention in order to provide a relay device-based communication between a terminal and a base station to improve long transmission distances, low power consumption, multiple nodes, and low cost.
B) Claims 20, 22-23, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIM (US 2020/0008173 A1) in view of BANGOLAE (WO 2017/039735 A1).
As per claim 20 as applied to claim 9 above, KIM does not explicitly teach, wherein the second message is a first PC5-Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.
In the same field of endeavor, BANGOLAE teaches wherein the second message is a first PC5-Radio Resource Control (RRC) message (¶0035 and ¶0038, signaling/messages (i.e. second message) over PC5 interface in RRC mode).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM’s invention in order to support data relaying for remote UEs through relay UEs without routing configuration when the relay changes, or when direct to relay-path change occurs for access to fast mobile wireless data for mobile electronic devices.
As per claim 22 as applied to claim 1 above, KIM does not explicitly teach receiving, by the remote terminal, an update message indicating an updated state of the relay terminal.
In the same field of endeavor, BANGOLAE teaches receiving, by the remote terminal, an update message indicating an updated state of the relay terminal (¶0069 and ¶0072, receiving by the remote UE update information (i.e. message) indicating updated state of the relay UE).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM’s invention in order to support data relaying for remote UEs through relay UEs without routing configuration when the relay changes, or when direct to relay-path change occurs for access to fast mobile wireless data for mobile electronic devices.
As per claim 23 as applied to claim 22 above, BANGOLAE further teaches wherein the update message includes a cause for interruption of a communication connection between the relay terminal and a network device (¶0069 and ¶0037-38, changing or updating information includes cause for service interruption between relay UE and eNB).
As per claim 31 as applied to claim 1 above, KIM does not explicitly teach, wherein the first message is a third PC5-RRC message.
In the same field of endeavor, BANGOLAE teaches wherein the first message is a third PC5-RRC message (¶0109, additional/third signaling for PC5 link RRC (i.e. third PC5-RRC message)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM’s invention in order to support data relaying for remote UEs through relay UEs without routing configuration when the relay changes, or when direct to relay-path change occurs for access to fast mobile wireless data for mobile electronic devices.
C) Claims 21, 27, and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIM (US 2020/0008173 A1) in view of BANGOLAE (WO 2017/039735 A1) and further in view of Wang (US 2023/0084017 A1).
As per claim 21 as applied to claim 20 above, KIM in view of BANGOLAE does not explicitly teach wherein the first PC5-RRC message comprises a response message for signaling for requesting a downlink message.
In the same field of endeavor, Wang teaches wherein the first PC5-RRC message comprises a response message for signaling for requesting a downlink message (¶0040-42, PC5 RRC response message for requesting downlink data transmission).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM and BANGOLAE invention in order to perform delayed relay forwarding upon determining the remote UE is in the DRX cycle based on the PC5 configuration to improve high traffic growth and increasing demand for high-bandwidth connectivity.
As per claim 27 as applied to claim 22 above, KIM in view of BANGOLAE does not explicitly teach, wherein the update message is a second PC5-Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.
In the same field of endeavor, Wang teaches wherein the update message is a second PC5-Radio Resource Control (RRC) message (¶0034-35, updated information is PC5 RRC message (i.e. second PC5 RRC message), also see ¶0026, PC5 status signaling messages (i.e. first, second, or more) in RRC connected state).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM and BANGOLAE invention in order to perform delayed relay forwarding upon determining the remote UE is in the DRX cycle based on the PC5 configuration to improve high traffic growth and increasing demand for high-bandwidth connectivity.
As per claim 32 as applied to claim 31 above, KIM in view of BANGOLAE does not explicitly teach wherein the third PC5-RRC message comprises signaling for requesting a downlink message.
In the same field of endeavor, Wang teaches wherein the third PC5-RRC message comprises signaling for requesting a downlink message (¶0040-42, PC5 RRC message for requesting downlink data transmission).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM and BANGOLAE invention in order to perform delayed relay forwarding upon determining the remote UE is in the DRX cycle based on the PC5 configuration to improve high traffic growth and increasing demand for high-bandwidth connectivity.
D) Claims 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIM (US 2020/0008173 A1) in view of BANGOLAE (WO 2017/039735 A1) and further in view of ZHUO (US 2022/0053370 A1).
As per claim 24 as applied to claim 23 above, KIM in view of BANGOLAE does not explicitly teach wherein the cause for the interruption of the communication connection comprises a link failure
In the same field of endeavor, ZHUO teaches wherein the cause for the interruption of the communication connection comprises a link failure (¶0312, data transmission interruption caused by the link failure of the backhaul link between the second IAB node and the parent node of the second IAB node or the RRC re-establishment failure).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM and BANGOLAE invention in order to perform cell reselection or RRC re-establishment in advance, to search for a new parent node for access to effectively reduces a time period of data transmission interruption caused by the link failure of the backhaul link.
E) Claim 33 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIM (US 2020/0008173 A1) in view of Cai (US 2023/0269799 A1)
As per claim 33 as applied to claim1 above, KIM does not explicitly disclose wherein the first message comprises a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) / Service Data Unit (SDU) on a sidelink bearer for Uu data, the sidelink bearer for Uu data being Uu Signaling Radio Bearer (SRB) 0/1/2.
In the same field of endeavor, Cai teaches wherein the first message comprises a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) / Service Data Unit (SDU) on a sidelink bearer for Uu data, the sidelink bearer for Uu data being Uu Signaling Radio Bearer (SRB) 0/1/2 (¶0268 and ¶0277, PDU on sidelink bearer for the Uu information being Uu SRB 0, a Uu SRB 1, a Uu SRB 2, or a Uu SRB 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify KIM’s invention in order to provides a sidelink signaling radio bearer configuration method and a communications apparatus, to configure an SL RLC bearer on a sidelink PC5 interface for a Uu SRB of a remote terminal device, and establish the SL RLC bearer to transmit the Uu SRB to improve quality of the control signaling transmitted on the Uu SRB, and improve control signaling transmission efficiency.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARIDEH MADANI whose telephone number is (571)272-1249. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday; 9 AM to 5 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JINSONG HU can be reached at 5712723965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FARIDEH MADANI/Examiner, Art Unit 2643
/JINSONG HU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2643