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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 09 June 2026 has been entered.
Response to amendment
3. This is a Non-Final Office action in response to applicant’s amendments and arguments filed on 09 June 2026.
4. Status of the claims:
• Claims 1, 5, and 9 have been amended.
• Claims 2, 6, and 10 have been canceled.
• Claims 1, 5, 9, 13, 16, and 19 are currently pending and have been examined.
Response to remarks/arguments
4. Applicant’s remarks and arguments filed on 09 June 2026 with respect to amended independent claims 1, 5, and 9 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection. Upon further search and consideration, a new ground(s) of obviousness rejection is made in view FU et al. (US 20230269802 A1).
5. In response to Applicant’s remarks and arguments filed on 09 June 2026 regarding amended independent claims 1, 5, and 9, the examiner acknowledges that the combination of Kuo and Perras et al. does not explicitly teach the newly recited features as argued by Applicant. However, the newly cited reference of FU et al. (US 20230269802 A1) teaches the newly added features.
Please see the rejection below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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 owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to 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 owned as of the effective filing 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.
10. Claims 1, 5, 9, 13, 16, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuo (US 20210400746 A1), Perras et al. (US 20230413171 A1) in view of FU et al. (US 20230269802 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kuo discloses a wireless communication method (Kuo, para. [0002]: the application relates to a wireless communication method and an apparatus), comprising:
receiving, by a relay terminal, a first message transmitted by a first terminal (Kuo, Fig. 16: The relay terminal receives Direct Communication Request 1 from the first terminal (UE1)), wherein the first message comprises a link layer identifier of a second terminal (Kuo, para. [0239], Fig. 16: the Direct Communication Request 1 comprises a Layer ID of the second terminal (UE2)), and the first message is a direct communication request message (Kuo, Fig. 16: UE1 sends a Direct Communication Request message 1 from UE1 to the Relay); and
transmitting, by the relay terminal, a second message to the second terminal based on the link layer identifier of the second terminal in the first message (Kuo, Fig.16: Relay terminal sends a Direct Communication Request 2 (e.g., second message) to UE2 based on UE2’s Application Layer ID in the Direct Communication Request 1 (e.g., first message)), wherein the second message is a direct communication request message (Kuo, Fig. 16: Relay sends a Direct Communication request message 2 to UE2); and
receiving, by the relay terminal, a third message transmitted by a second terminal (Kuo, Fig. 16: the relay terminal receives Direct Communication Accept 2 (e.g., as the third message) from UE2), the third message is a direct communication accept message (Kuo, Fig. 16: Direct Communication Accept 2 is a direct communication accept message between Relay terminal and UE2), and a data packet header of the third message carrying the link layer identifier of the second terminal (Kuo, para. [0162], [0093]: the source user info set to the target UE's application layer ID received from upper layers); and
transmitting, by the relay terminal, a fourth message to the first terminal (Kuo, Fig. 16: the relay terminal sends Direct Communication Accept 1 (e.g., as the fourth message) to UE1), the fourth message is a direct communication accept message (Kuo, Fig. 16: Direct Communication Accept 1 is a direct communication accept message between Relay terminal and UE1).
Kuo does not appear to disclose the third message comprising the link layer identifier of the first terminal; the fourth message comprising the link layer identifier of the second terminal, and a data packet header of the fourth message carrying the link layer identifier of the relay terminal.
In the same field of endeavor, Perras teaches the third message comprising the link layer identifier of the first terminal (Perras, Figs. 4-5, para. [0088]: An initiating WTRU (e.g., WTRU-1 shown in FIG. 4) may broadcast a direct communication request (DCR) message, which may include one or more provided services (e.g., V2X services), an upper layer identifier of a peer WTRU, and/or a source L2 identifier (ID) of the initiating WTRU); the fourth message comprising the link layer identifier of the second terminal (Perras, Figs. 4-5, para. [0088]: A peer WTRU (e.g., WTRU-2 shown in FIG. 4) may reply to the request, for example, with a direct communication accept (DCA) message. Such direct accept message sent by WTRU-2 is the fourth message. A DCA message may use the peer WTRU's L2 ID as the source L2 ID and the initiating WTRU L2 ID as the destination L2 ID), and a data packet header of the fourth message carrying the link layer identifier of the relay terminal (Perras, Figs. 4-5, para. [0088]: the DCA message may use the peer WTRU's L2 ID as the source L2 ID and the initiating WTRU L2 ID as the destination L2 ID. It is noted that: the act of routing or forwarding a message (e.g., accept, request or acceptance or confirmation message) to another device or node or station (e.g., relay or intermediate node or device or terminal) implicitly implies the use of header or field or the encapsulation of the address of the destination device in the message header).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Kuo with the teaching of Perras to include the above features such as the third message comprising the link layer identifier of the first terminal, the fourth message comprising the link layer identifier of the second terminal, and a data packet header of the fourth message carrying the link layer identifier of the relay terminal as taught by Perras. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a functionality to support connectivity to a network for remote WTRUs (Perras, para. [0092]).
The combination of Kuo and Perras does not appear to disclose the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal and a link layer identifier of the first terminal, and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal, wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID).
In the same field of endeavor, FU teaches the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0070]: The Direct Communication Request may include a target UE identifier for a target UE) and a link layer identifier of the first terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0070]: The Direct Communication Request may include a source UE identifier for the source UE), and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0071]: The UE-to-UE relay assigns itself a Layer-2 ID, denoted as L2-ID_R, which is used in the Non-IP PC5 link to the source UE and the Non-IP PC5 link to the target UE), wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID) (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0071]: The UE-to-UE relay assigns itself a Layer-2 ID, denoted as L2-ID_R, which is used in the Non-IP PC5 link to the target UE. Moreover, para. [0005] further teaches at access stratum, each link can be identified by the source and destination Layer 2 identifier (L2 ID)).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Kuo and Perras with the teaching of FU to include the above features such as the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal and a link layer identifier of the first terminal, and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal, wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID) as taught by FU. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide the L2-ID_R in the request message (FU, para. [0072]).
Regarding claim 5, Kuo discloses a wireless communication method (Kuo, para. [0002]: the application relates to a wireless communication method and an apparatus), comprising:
transmitting, by a first terminal, a first message to a relay terminal (Kuo, Fig. 16: The first terminal (UE1) sends Direct Communication Request 1 to the Relay terminal), wherein the first message comprises a link layer identifier of a second terminal (Kuo, para. [0239], Fig. 16: the Direct Communication Request 1 comprises a Layer ID of the second terminal (UE2)), the first message is a direct communication request message (Kuo, Fig. 16: UE1 sends a Direct Communication Request message 1 from UE1 to the Relay), and the link layer identifier of the second terminal in the first message is used by the relay terminal to transmit a second message to the second terminal (Kuo, Fig.16: UE2’s Application Layer ID in the Direct Communication Request 1 (e.g., first message) received by Relay is used to send a Direct Communication Request 2 (e.g., second message) to the second terminal (UE2)), wherein the second message is a direct communication request message (Kuo, Fig. 16: Relay sends a Direct Communication request message 2 to UE2); and
receiving, by the first terminal, a fourth message transmitted by the relay terminal (Kuo, Fig. 16: the relay terminal sends Direct Communication Accept 1 (e.g., as the fourth message) to UE1), the fourth message is a direct communication accept message (Kuo, Fig. 16: Direct Communication Accept 1 is a direct communication accept message between Relay terminal and UE1).
Kuo does not appear to disclose the fourth message comprising the link layer identifier of the second terminal, and a data packet header of the fourth message carrying the link layer identifier of the relay terminal.
In the same field of endeavor, Perras teaches the fourth message comprising the link layer identifier of a second terminal (Perras, Figs. 4-5, para. [0088]: A peer WTRU (e.g., WTRU-2 shown in FIG. 4) may reply to the request, for example, with a direct communication accept (DCA) message. Such direct accept message sent by WTRU-2 is the fourth message. A DCA message may use the peer WTRU's L2 ID as the source L2 ID and the initiating WTRU L2 ID as the destination L2 ID), and a data packet header of the fourth message carrying the link layer identifier of the relay terminal (Perras, Figs. 4-5, para. [0088]: the DCA message may use the peer WTRU's L2 ID as the source L2 ID and the initiating WTRU L2 ID as the destination L2 ID. It is noted that: the act of routing or forwarding a message (e.g., accept, request or acceptance or confirmation message) to another device or node or station (e.g., relay or intermediate node or device or terminal) implicitly implies the use of header or field or the encapsulation of the address of the destination device in the message header).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Kuo with the
teaching of Perras to include the above features such as the fourth message comprising
a link layer identifier of a second terminal, and a data packet header of the fourth
message carrying a link layer identifier of the relay terminal as taught by Perras. The
motivation for doing so would have been to provide a functionality to support
connectivity to a network for remote WTRUs (Perras, para. [0092]).
The combination of Kuo and Perras does not appear to disclose the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal and a link layer identifier of the first terminal, and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal, wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID).
In the same field of endeavor, FU teaches the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0070]: The Direct Communication Request may include a target UE identifier for a target UE) and a link layer identifier of the first terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0070]: The Direct Communication Request may include a source UE identifier for the source UE), and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0071]: The UE-to-UE relay assigns itself a Layer-2 ID, denoted as L2-ID_R, which is used in the Non-IP PC5 link to the source UE and the Non-IP PC5 link to the target UE), wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID) (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0071]: The UE-to-UE relay assigns itself a Layer-2 ID, denoted as L2-ID_R, which is used in the Non-IP PC5 link to the target UE. Moreover, para. [0005] further teaches at access stratum, each link can be identified by the source and destination Layer 2 identifier (L2 ID)).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Kuo and Perras with the teaching of FU to include the above features such as the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal and a link layer identifier of the first terminal, and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal, wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID) as taught by FU. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide the L2-ID_R in the request message (FU, para. [0072]).
Regarding claim 9, Kuo discloses a wireless communication method (Kuo, para. [0002]: the application relates to a wireless communication method and an apparatus), comprising:
receiving, by a second terminal, a second message transmitted by a relay terminal based on a link layer identifier of the second terminal (Kuo, para. [0239], Fig.16: second terminal (UE2) receives Direct Communication Request 2 (e.g., second message) sent by the Relay terminal based on UE2’s Application Layer ID received in the Direct Communication Request 1 (e.g., first message)), wherein the second message is a direct communication request message (Kuo, Fig. 16: Relay sends a Direct Communication request message 2 to UE2); and
transmitting, by the second terminal, a third message to the relay terminal (Kuo, Fig. 16: second terminal (UE2) send a Direct Communication Accept 2 to the relay terminal), the third message is a direct communication accept message (Kuo, Fig. 16: Direct Communication Accept 2 is a direct communication accept message between Relay terminal and UE2).
Kuo does not appear to explicitly disclose the third message comprising the link layer identifier of the first terminal, and a data packet header of the third message carrying a link layer identifier of the second terminal.
In the same field of endeavor, Perras teaches the third message comprising the link layer identifier of the first terminal (Perras, Figs. 4-5, para. [0088]: An initiating WTRU (e.g., WTRU-1 shown in FIG. 4) may broadcast a direct communication request (DCR) message, which may include one or more provided services (e.g., V2X services), an upper layer identifier of a peer WTRU, and/or a source L2 identifier (ID) of the initiating WTRU), a data packet header of the third message carrying a link layer identifier of the second terminal (Perras, Figs. 4-5, para. [0088]: the DCA message may use the peer WTRU's L2 ID as the source L2 ID and the initiating WTRU L2 ID as the destination L2 ID. It is noted that: the act of routing or forwarding a message (e.g., accept, request or acceptance or confirmation message) to another device or node or station (e.g., relay or intermediate node or device or terminal) implicitly implies the use of header or field or the encapsulation of the address of the destination device in the message header).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Kuo with the teaching of Perras to include the above features such as the third message comprising the link layer identifier of the first terminal and a data packet header of the third message carrying a link layer identifier of the second terminal as taught by Perras. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a functionality to support connectivity to a network for remote WTRUs (Perras, para. [0092]).
The combination of Kuo and Perras does not appear to disclose the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal and a link layer identifier of the first terminal, and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal, wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID).
In the same field of endeavor, FU teaches the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0070]: The Direct Communication Request may include a target UE identifier for a target UE) and a link layer identifier of the first terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0070]: The Direct Communication Request may include a source UE identifier for the source UE), and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0071]: The UE-to-UE relay assigns itself a Layer-2 ID, denoted as L2-ID_R, which is used in the Non-IP PC5 link to the source UE and the Non-IP PC5 link to the target UE), wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID) (FU, FIG. 3, para. [0071]: The UE-to-UE relay assigns itself a Layer-2 ID, denoted as L2-ID_R, which is used in the Non-IP PC5 link to the target UE. Moreover, para. [0005] further teaches at access stratum, each link can be identified by the source and destination Layer 2 identifier (L2 ID)).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the system of Kuo and Perras with the teaching of FU to include the above features such as the second message comprises the link layer identifier of the second terminal and a link layer identifier of the first terminal, and a data packet header of the second message carries a link layer identifier of the relay terminal, wherein the link layer identifier of the second terminal is a Layer 2 identifier (ID) as taught by FU. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide the L2-ID_R in the request message (FU, para. [0072]).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Kuo, Perras, and FU discloses a relay device (Kuo, Fig. 16: The relay terminal of figure 16), comprising a processor (Kuo, Figs. 2, 16: The relay terminal of figure 16 that receives the direct communication request 1 comprises a processor to process information) and a memory (Kuo, Figs. 2, 16: The relay terminal of figure 16 that receives the direct communication request 1 comprises a memory to store information), wherein the memory has a computer program stored thereon, and the processor is configured to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method according to claim 1 (the combination of Kuo, Perras, and FU performs the method according to claim 1).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Kuo, Perras, and FU discloses first terminal (Kuo, Figs. 2, 16: The UE1 of figure 16), comprising a processor (Kuo, Figs. 2,16: The UE1 of figure 16 that transmits the direct communication request 1 comprises a processor to process information) and a memory (Kuo, Figs. 2, 16: The UE1 of figure 16 that transmits the direct communication request 1 comprises a memory to store information), wherein the memory has a computer program stored thereon, and the processor is configured to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method according to claim 5 (the combination of Kuo, Perras, and FU performs the method according to claim 5).
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Kuo, Perras, and FU discloses a second terminal (Kuo, Fig. 16: UE2 of figure 16), comprising a processor (Kuo, Figs. 2,16: The UE of figure 16 that receives the direct communication request 2 comprises a processor to process information) and a memory (Kuo, Figs. 2, 16: The UE2 of figure 16 that receives the direct communication request 2 comprises a memory to store information), wherein the memory has a computer program stored thereon, and the processor is configured to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method according to claim 9 (the combination of Kuo, Perras, and FU performs the method according to claim 9).
Conclusion
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEAN F VOLTAIRE whose telephone number is (571)272-3953. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, REBECCA E. SONG can be reached at (571)270-3667. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEAN F VOLTAIRE/Examiner, Art Unit 2417
/REBECCA E SONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2417
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