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
Acknowledgment is made for the applicant’s response and amendment filed on 12/18/2025
Remarks
The claims are presented as follows:
Claims 1, 6, 10 and 16 are amended.
Claims 2, 7, 11 and 17 are canceled.
Claims 1, 3-6, 8-10, 12-16, 18-20 are pending.
Response to Amendment
Applicant's arguments filed 12/18/2024 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The amendment submitted by the applicant does not overcome the rejection made by the examiner in the last office action. The applicant’s argument has been considered carefully and does not provide the evidence for lack of motivation.
Applicant recites that the reference does not disclose, teach or suggest
“receiving, by a relay terminal, first indication information from a network device, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating a relay mode supported by the network device and is carried in a system broadcast message
wherein the first indication information comprises a first field for indicating that the relay mode supported by the network device is at least one of a layer 2- based network relay or a layer 3-based network relay” entire claim 1.
TEKGUL teaches communication between a base station 604, a relay 602, and a UE 606 that includes selection between multiple supported modes for the relay 602 [0117] FIG.6 the base station 604 may select a mode for the relay 602, as illustrated at 611, from the supported modes communicated by the relay 602. The base station 604 may select the mode, at 611, based on the additional information 605 provided to the base station 604 by the relay 602. Where the additional information 605 includes eligible transmit and/or receive beams for a given mode, the base station 604 may determine the transmit and/or receive beam over which a communication between the base station 604 and the UE 606 will be sent, and may select a mode for which those beams are eligible [0121-122] The base station 604 may also indicate the selected mode to a UE 606 or child node that is served by the relay 602, e.g., in signaling 615 [0124-125] FIG.6; the base station determines a mode of operation for a remote unit, the mode of operation being a configuration for the remote unit to process a first signal received from a first wireless device to generate a second signal for transmission to a second wireless device ([0242] FIG.25).
The base station implements a layer 3 and layer 2 functionality. Layer 3 includes a radio resource control (RRC) layer, and layer 2 includes a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, the base station provides RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting of system information (e.g., MIB, SIBs), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting ([0086-90] FIG.6).
Therefore, TEKGUL teaches a relay node receiving first indication information from a network node used for indicating a relay mode supported by the network and is carried in a system broadcast message, the indication information comprises a first field for indicating that the relay mode supported by the network device is at least one of a layer 2- based network relay or a layer 3-based network relay as explained above and throughout the reference.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 1, 3-6, 8-10, 12-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable by TEKGUL et al Publication NO. (US 2021/0203406 A1).
Regarding claim 1, TEKGUL teaches a method for determining a relay mode, comprising:
receiving, by a relay terminal (Relay terminal 602 FIG.6), first indication information (mode indication 613 FIG.6) from a network device (base station 604 FIG.6), wherein the first indication information is used for indicating a relay mode supported by the network device (the base station 604 selects an operation mode for the relay 602 then indicates the selected mode to the relay 602, e.g., in signaling 613. The base station 604 may also indicate the selected mode to a UE 606 or child node that is served by the relay 602, e.g., in signaling 615 [0124-125] FIG.6; the base station determines a mode of operation for a remote unit, the mode of operation being a configuration for the remote unit to process a first signal received from a first wireless device to generate a second signal for transmission to a second wireless device [0242] FIG.25) and is carried in a system broadcast message (the base station provides RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting of system information (e.g., MIB, SIBs), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting [0086] FIG.6),
wherein the first indication information comprises a first field for indicating that the relay mode supported by the network device is at least one of a layer 2- based network relay or a layer 3-based network relay (the relay mode implemented by the base station is based one of a layer 2- based network relay or a layer 3-based network relay [0086] FIG.3).
claim 2 (cancelled).
Regarding claim 3, TEKGUL teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, by the relay terminal, a first request message to the network device, wherein the first request message is used for requesting configuration information corresponding to the relay mode supported by the network device (the relay 602 may notify the base station 604 that the relay 602 supports multiple relay modes. For example, the relay 602 may be the relay 500 described above with respect to FIG. 5 and may indicate to the base station 604 that it supports amplify-forward and decode-forward modes and/or that it is capable of switching between the two modes [0118] FIG.6).
Regarding claim 4, TEKGUL teaches the method of claim 1, wherein in a case where the relay terminal is within a network coverage of the network device, in response to the relay mode indicated by the first indication information being the same as a relay mode supported by the relay terminal, triggering, by the relay terminal, entry of a radio resource control connected state; and in a case where the relay terminal is within the network coverage of the network device, in response to the relay mode indicated by the first indication information being different from the relay mode supported by the relay terminal, triggering, by the relay terminal, a cell reselection (Each of the base stations 102 may provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area 110 [0069] and based on QoS selecting between Pcell and Scell that may operate in a licensed and/or an unlicensed frequency spectrum [0070-72] The relay 602 may select its mode based on a QoS or traffic type for a communication between the base station 604 and the UE 606. The relay 602 may select an amplify-forward mode when the QoS, or traffic type for the communication indicates that the communication is low latency traffic (e.g., URLLC traffic). The relay 602 may select a decode-forward mode when the QoS or traffic type does not indicate that the communication is low latency traffic (e.g., where the communication is eMBB traffic) [0128-130] FIG.1).
Regarding claim 5, TEKGUL teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, by the relay terminal, second indication information to the network device, wherein the second indication information is used for indicating a relay mode supported by the relay terminal (In response to selecting its mode of operation at 617, the relay 602 may indicate the selected mode to the base station 604, e.g., in signaling 619 [0130] FIG.6).
Regarding claims 6, 8-9, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 1-5, where the difference used is the limitations were presented from the “sending” side of the relay terminal and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above treated claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Claim 7 (cancelled).
Regarding claims 10, 12-15, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 1-5, where the difference used is the limitations were presented from the “relay terminal” side with a processor and memory (TEKGUL: FIG.14) and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above treated claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Claim 11 (cancelled).
Regarding claims 16, 18-20, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 1-5, where the difference used is the limitations were presented from the “network device” side with a processor and memory (TEKGUL: FIG.11) and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above treated claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Claim 17 (cancelled).
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
When responding to this office action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111(c).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDELNABI O MUSA whose telephone number is (571)270-1901, and email address is abdelnabi.musa@uspto.gov ‘preferred’. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kevin Bates, can be reached on 571-2723980. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ABDELNABI O MUSA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472