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 .
Claims 1-12 are subject under examination.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yasukawa (US 20180110001 A1)
Regarding claim1, Yasukawa US 20180110001 A1 teaches a remote user equipment (UE) device comprising:
a transceiver comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the transceiver configured
to communicate with a base station over an initial communication link (see fig 2 A M1 is remote UE connected to base station via relay R1),
the receiver configured to receive, from a first candidate relay UE device (see para 0033 “ if the remote UE discovers one or more relay node UEs via the discovery process, a terminal selection process is performed to decide which of the relay node UEs to use as a relay device (step 3).”) , a first
Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection status indicator indicating a current
connection status of the first candidate relay UE device to a base station and to receive,
from a second candidate relay UE device, a second RRC connection status indicator
indicating a current connection status of the second candidate relay UE device to the
base station (see para 0035 “each relay node UE is required to perform a discovery operation which transmits (announces) information related to relaying. Information related to relaying refers to information that is needed in the relaying operation, and includes capability information (relay capability/relay capacity), etc., of the relay node UE. In regard to relay capability, specific examples are: whether a relay operation is possible or not, the total number of links (number of users) that can provide a relay and the number of addable links, and whether or not the relay can be received in an RRC idle state,”;see para 0044 “ they conceived the idea of, based on the connection state of the relay node UE (relay candidate), controlling whether or not relay information (e.g., relay capability information) has been transmitted or controlling the transmission method)
the transceiver further configured to switch communication from the initial
communication link to a relayed communication link to communicate with the base
station over the relayed communication link through a preferred candidate relay UE, the
preferred candidate relay UE device selected from the first candidate relay UE device
and the second candidate relay UE device based, at least partially, on the first RRC
connection status indicator and the second RRC connection status indicator (see para 0045 “By controlling the relay operation based on the connection state of the relay node UE, the remote UEs (M1 through M3) can be controlled to each select a specified relay candidate (R2 in this example), as shown in FIG. 3B. FIG. 3B shows the case where, for example, the relay candidate R2 is in an RRC connected state, relay candidates R1 and R3 are in RRC idle states, and each remote UE (M1 through M3) has selected relay candidate R2 as a relay node UE.”)
Regarding claim 2, Yasukawa teaches wherein each of the RRC status
indicators is indicative of one of a plurality of RRC connected states comprising
connected (RRC CONN), idle (RRC IDLE), or inactive (RRC INACTIVE). see para 0045 “By controlling the relay operation based on the connection state of the relay node UE, the remote UEs (M1 through M3) can be controlled to each select a specified relay candidate (R2 in this example), as shown in FIG. 3B. FIG. 3B shows the case where, for example, the relay candidate R2 is in an RRC connected state, relay candidates R1 and R3 are in RRC idle states, and each remote UE (M1 through M3) has selected relay candidate R2 as a relay node UE.”)
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, 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.
6. 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.
7. Claim(s) 4, 5, 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasukawa (US 20180110001 A1) in view of Xu (US 20190387446 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Yasukawa doesn’t teach generate a measurement report in response to a quality of the direct communication link falling below a direct link quality threshold and determining that at least one link to a candidate relay UE device is above relay threshold.
Xu teaches generate a measurement report in response to a quality of the direct communication link falling below a direct link quality threshold and determining that at least one link to a candidate relay UE device is above relay threshold. (see para 0106 “If the remote UE determines that channel quality of a Uu link is less than a threshold configured by the base station, the remote UE triggers a path switching process.; see para 0108 “f the remote UE discovers one or more relay UEs that meet a condition, the remote UE selects one from the relay UEs.”; see para 0012 “configure..a radio bearer between the eRemote UE and the eRelay UE based on a quality of service (Quality of Service, QoS)”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine generate a measurement report in response to a quality of the direct communication link falling below a direct link quality threshold in the system of Yasukawa. The motivation is to ensure service continuity before and after path switching (Xu; see para 0006)
Regarding claim 5, Yasukawa doesn’t teach determine the quality of the direct communication link has fallen below the direct link quality threshold and to determine that at least one link to a candidate relay UE device is above relay threshold based on measurements at the remote UE.
Xu teaches determine the quality of the direct communication link has fallen below the direct link quality threshold and to determine that at least one link to a candidate relay UE device is above relay threshold based on measurements at the remote UE device(see para 0106 “If the remote UE determines that channel quality of a Uu link is less than a threshold configured by the base station, the remote UE triggers a path switching process.; see para 0108 “f the remote UE discovers one or more relay UEs that meet a condition, the remote UE selects one from the relay UEs.”; see para 0012 “configure..a radio bearer between the eRemote UE and the eRelay UE based on a quality of service (Quality of Service, QoS)”).
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine receive an RRC reconfiguration message from the base station, the RRC reconfiguration message identifying the preferred candidate relay UE device and establish the relayed communication link in the system of Yasukawa. The motivation is to ensure service continuity before and after path switching (Xu; see para 0006)
Regarding claim 7, Yasukawa doesn’t teach the receiver is further configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration message
from the base station, the RRC reconfiguration message identifying the preferred
candidate relay UE device, and the controller is further configured to establish, in response to the RRC reconfiguration message, the relayed communication link to the base station through the preferred candidate relay UE device.
Xu teaches the receiver is further configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration message from the base station, the RRC reconfiguration message identifying the preferredcandidate relay UE device (see para 0110 “The base station sends a radio resource control connection reconfiguration (RRC Connection Reconfiguration) message to the remote UE, to configure, for the remote UE, a resource allocation manner used for the communication between the remote UE and the relay UE”) ; and
the controller is further configured to establish, in response to the RRC
reconfiguration message, the relayed communication link to the base station through
the preferred candidate relay UE device (See para 0110 “The base station sends a radio resource control connection reconfiguration (RRC Connection Reconfiguration) message to the remote UE, to configure, for the remote UE, a resource allocation manner used for the communication between the remote UE and the relay UE.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine receive an RRC reconfiguration message from the base station, the RRC reconfiguration message identifying the preferred candidate relay UE device and establish the relayed communication link in the system of Yasukawa. The motivation is to ensure service continuity before and after path switching (Xu; see para 0006)
Regarding claim 8, Yasukawa doesn’t teach wherein the initial communication link is a first relay communication link through an initial relay UE device, the controller
configured to select the preferred candidate relay UE device.
Xu teaches wherein the initial communication link is a first relay communication link through an initial relay UE device, the controller configured to select the preferred candidate relay UE device. (see para 0108- para 0109 “If the remote UE discovers one or more relay UEs that meet a condition, the remote UE selects one from the relay UEs. S303: The remote UE starts to establish a connection to the selected relay UE.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the initial communication link is a first relay communication link through an initial relay UE device, select the preferred candidate relay UE device in the system of Yasukawa. The motivation is to ensure service continuity before and after path switching (Xu; see para 0006)
Regarding claim 9, Yasukawa doesn’t teach the first RRC connection status notification is received in a first discovery message from the first candidate relay UE device and the second RRC connection status notification is received in a second discovery message from the second candidate relay UE device.
Xu teaches wherein the first RRC connection status notification is received in a first discovery message from the first candidate relay UE device and the second RRC connection status notification is received in a second discovery message from the second candidate relay UE device. US 20190387446 A1 see para 0206 “The eRelay UE includes the cell identity of the serving cell of the eRelay UE in a discovery message to be sent to the eRemote UE. The discovery message may be a discovery announcement message or a discovery response message.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the first RRC connection status notification is received in a first discovery message from the first candidate relay UE device and the second RRC connection status notification is received in a second discovery message from the second candidate relay UE device in the system of Yasukawa. The motivation is to ensure service continuity before and after path switching (Xu; see para 0006)
8. Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasukawa (US 20180110001 A1) in view of Xu (US 20190387446 A1) and further in view of Huang (US 2018/0092022 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Modified Yasukawa doesn’t teach wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the base station, a measurement report configuration identifying criteria
for generating the measurement report, the controller configured to generate the
measurement report in response to determining the criteria for generating the
measurement report has been met.
Huang (US 2018/0092022 A1) teaches wherein the receiver is configured to
receive, from the base station, a measurement report configuration identifying criteria
for generating the measurement report, the controller configured to generate the
measurement report in response to determining the criteria for generating the
measurement report has been met. (see para 0293 “The remote UE can receive the measurement reporting configuration information sent by the base station before sending the measurement report to the base station, and reports, according to the measurement report configuration information, the measurement result to the base station when the measurement reporting condition is satisfied.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine receive, from the base station, a measurement report configuration identifying criteria for generating the measurement report, the controller configured to generate the measurement report in response to determining the criteria for generating the measurement report has been met in the system of Yasukawa. The motivation is to improve the communication quality (Huang: see para 0266)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/PAMIT KAUR/Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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