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
Claims 1, 6-7 are presented for examination. Claims 3-5 and 8-9 are canceled.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/9/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 12/9/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In the remark, applicant argued (1) the amendment has included the previously objected claim 8.
Examiner traverse the argument:
As to point (1), the amendment did not fully include the previously objected claim 8. Rather, the amendment included a broaden limitation that changed claim 8’s requirement of having all first, second, third and fourth notifications with the claim language of “and” to a conditional limitation of “or” that optionally use any one of the four listed notifications to indicate a failure. Since the claims are examined based on the broadest, reasonable interpretation, the claims stand rejected as long as one of the four notification is met by the applied reference. Ma teaches the transmitter is configured to transmit, via signaling radio bearer, information indicating, to the base station apparatus, failure of the indirect path (pp. 0015-0016, 0138-0141, 0177-0178: third indication message or RRC reestablishment message) in a case that the processor receives, from the relay terminal apparatus: a first notification indicating a detection of a failure in a radio link between the base station apparatus and the relay terminal apparatus (pp. 0138-0141: fourth indication message).
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(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)(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 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ma et al (Ma), US 2019/0141771.
As per claim 1, Ma teaches the invention including a terminal apparatus for communicating with a base station apparatus by using a direct path and an indirect path (figure 3: Remote UE), the terminal apparatus comprising:
A processor (figure 8: Processor 801); and
A transmitter (figure 8; Communications module 803; pp. 0213), wherein
The direct path is a path through which the terminal apparatus communicates with the base station apparatus via a Uu interface (pp. 0127, 0138, 0151: direct path is a Uu link),
The indirect path is a path through which the terminal apparatus communicates with the base station apparatus via a relay terminal apparatus (pp. 0127: relay link), and
The transmitter is configured to transmit, via signaling radio bearer, information indicating, to the base station apparatus, failure of the indirect path (pp. 0015-0016, 0138-0141, 0177-0178: third indication message or RRC reestablishment message) in a case that the processor receives, from the relay terminal apparatus:
a first notification indicating a detection of a failure in a radio link between the base station apparatus and the relay terminal apparatus (pp. 0138-0141: fourth indication message),
a second notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has failed in a Uu RRC establishment or a Uu RRC resumption (pp. 0182),
a third notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has performed a reconfiguration with sync, or
a fourth notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has performed a cell reselection, and wherein
The processor is configured to include an identifier of the relay terminal apparatus in the transmitted information (pp. 0138: relay link failure indication message includes relay terminal device ID).
As per claim 6, Ma teaches the invention including a method performed by a terminal apparatus (figure 3: Remote UE) for communicating with a base station apparatus using a direct path and an indirect path, wherein:
The direct path is a path through which the terminal apparatus communicates with the base station apparatus via a Uu interface (pp. 0127, 0138, 0151: direct path is a Uu link),
The indirect path is a path through which the terminal apparatus communicates with the base station apparatus via a relay terminal apparatus (pp. 0127: relay link),
The method comprising:
transmitting, via signaling radio bearer, information indicating, to the base station apparatus, a failure of the indirect path (pp. 0015-0016, 0138-0141, 0177-0178: third indication message or RRC reestablishment message) in a case that the terminal apparatus receives, from the relay terminal apparatus:
a first notification indicating a detection of a failure in a radio link between the base station apparatus and the relay terminal apparatus (pp. 0138-0141: fourth indication message),
a second notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has failed in a Uu RRC establishment or a Uu RRC resumption (pp. 0182),
a third notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has performed a reconfiguration with sync, or
a fourth notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has performed a cell reselection, and
including an identifier of the relay terminal apparatus in the transmitted information (pp. 0138: relay link failure indication message includes relay terminal device ID).
As per claim 7, Ma teaches the invention including an integrated circuit implemented in a terminal apparatus (figure 3: Remote UE) for communicating with a base station apparatus by using a direct path and an indirect path, wherein:
The direct path is a path through which the terminal apparatus communicates with the base station apparatus via a Uu interface (pp. 0127, 0138, 0151: direct path is a Uu link),
The indirect path is a path through which the terminal apparatus communicates with the base station apparatus via a relay terminal apparatus (pp. 0127: relay link),
The integrate circuit is configured to cause the terminal apparatus to:
transmit, via signaling radio bearer, information indicating, to the base station apparatus, a failure of the indirect path (pp. 0138-0141: third indication message or RRC reestablishment message) in a case that the terminal apparatus receives, from the relay terminal apparatus:
a first notification indicating a detection of a failure in a radio link between the base station apparatus and the relay terminal apparatus (pp. 0138-0141: fourth indication message),
a second notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has failed in a Uu RRC establishment or a Uu RRC resumption (pp. 0182),
a third notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has performed a reconfiguration with sync, or
a fourth notification indicating that the relay terminal apparatus has performed a cell reselection, and
include an identifier of the relay terminal apparatus in the transmitted information (pp. 0138: relay link failure indication message includes relay terminal device ID).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Teyeb et al, US 2023/0127850
Parichehrehteroujeni et al, US 2024/0137830
A shortened statutory period for reply to this Office action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNY S LIN whose telephone number is (571) 272-3968.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached on 571-270-5630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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KENNY S. LIN
Examiner
Art Unit 2416
/Kenny S Lin/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
December 29, 2025