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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 5-6, 8 & 10-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species B-I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12-29-25.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A of Claims 1-4, 7, 9 & 18-20 in the reply filed on 12-29-25 is acknowledged.
Priority
Applicant' s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application, PCT/CN2022/085243 filed 4-6-22, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application Nos. CN202110381076.3, filed on 4-9-21 & CN202110400101.8 filed 4-14-21.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12-6-23. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 10-8-23. These drawings are acceptable.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claims 2-4 & 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2, line 4,
---and--- should be inserted before the 2nd occurrence of the word “the”
Claim 3, line 4,
---and--- should be inserted before the 2nd occurrence of the word “the”
Claim 4, line 2,
---and--- should be inserted before the word “the”
Claim 18, line 2,
“.” should be changed to ---;---
Claim 20, line 2,
“.” should be changed to ---;---
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7, 9 & 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1-2) as being anticipated by Zhang (US 2023/0397288 A1).
Regarding Claim 1.
Zhang (US 2023/0397288 A1) discloses A first node {Zhang: First Node 100b-Fig.1B} for wireless communications, comprising:
a first transmitter, accompanying a first message, starting a first timer {Zhang: transmitting first message 101b-Fig.1B & maintaining a first timer 102b-Fig.1B};
transmitting the first message, the first message comprising a Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling {Zhang: ¶0284 wherein “the first message comprising an RRC signaling”};
transmitting a first field {Zhang: ¶0156-wherein “when the first message comprises a RRCResumeRequest, a resumeIdentity field comprised by the first message comprises 24 bits; when the first message comprises a RRCResumeRequest1, a resumeIdentity field comprised by the first message comprises 40 bits”, ¶0157 wherein “the first message comprises a resumeCause field”; ¶0166 wherein “the first message comprises a ReestablishmentCause
field”; see also ¶0308-¶0309, ¶0318}; and
a first receiver, monitoring a second message, the second message comprising an RRC signaling, the second message being used to respond to the first message {Zhang: ¶0284 wherein “if a second message is received, and the second message being used as a response to the first message”};
as a response to any condition in a first condition set being satisfied, entering into a first RRC state from RRC_INACTIVE state {Zhang: step 103B, as a response to that the first timer is expired, switching from an RRC inactive state to a first RRC state 103b-Fig.1B; see also Figs.7A};
wherein if the second message is received, and as a response to the second message being received, stop the first timer {Zhang: ¶0284 wherein “if a second message is received, as a response to receiving the second message, stopping the first timer”};
the first field is used to assist in determining a transmission of the second message {Zhang: ¶0582 wherein “the second message comprises a RRCRelease, and the RRCRelease does not comprise a SuspendConfig field; the second message indicates that the RRC state of the first node is the RRC idle state;” ¶0584 wherein “the second message comprises a RRCReject; the second message indicates that the RRC state of the first node is the RRC idle state”; In other words, the first node transmitting the first message comprising ResumeIdentity field, ResumeCause field, or ReestablishmentCause field, wherein the field being used to determine the transmission of the second message, e.g. RRCRelease (¶0582) or RRCReject (¶0584) which indicates the RRC state of the first node is the RRC Idle state, emphasis added};
two conditions in the first condition set are respectively the first timer being expired {Zhang: ¶0284 wherein “as a response to that the first timer is expired, switches from an RRC inactive state to a first RRC state” is a first condition of the first condition set; see also s702b- (yes-s703b) in Fig.7B & ¶0788} and the second message being received {Zhang: ¶0284 wherein “as a response to receiving the second message, stopping the first timer” is second condition of the first condition set; see also s702b-s704b (Yes-s705b) in Fig.7B & ¶0788};
the first RRC state is a candidate state in a first candidate state set, and the first candidate state set comprises RRC_IDLE state {Zhang: ¶0284 wherein “the first RRC state is a candidate state in a first candidate state set, the first candidate state set comprising an RRC idle state”}.
Regarding Claim 2. The first node according to claim 1, wherein the behavior of “as a response to any condition in a first condition set being satisfied, entering into a first RRC state from RRC_INACTIVE state” comprises:
as a response to an expiration of the first timer, entering into the first RRC state from RRC_INACTIVE state {Zhang: ¶0284 wherein “as a response to that the first timer is expired, switches from an RRC inactive state to a first RRC state” is a first condition of the first condition set; see also s702b- (yes-s703b) in Fig.7B & ¶0788, ¶0399};
the second message not being received {Zhang: when the first timer is expired in s703B (Yes)-Fig.7B, the second message is inherently not received (e.g. s702b-No), emphasis added; see also ¶0396};
the first RRC state being RRC_IDLE state {Zhang: ¶0399 & ¶0402-wherein “the first RRC state is the RRC_IDLE state”}.
Regarding Claim 3. (Currently Corrected) The first node according to claim 1, wherein the behavior of “as a response to any condition in a first condition set being satisfied, entering into a first RRC state from RRC_INACTIVE state” comprises:
as a response to the second message being received, entering into [a] the first RRC state from RRC_INACTIVE state; the second message being received; {Zhang: ¶0034 wherein “if a second message is received, and the first timer is in the running state, as a response to receiving the second message, stopping the first timer; ¶0035 herein, the second message comprises an RRC signaling, and the second message is a response to the first message; the second message indicates the RRC state of the first node”; see also ¶0050-¶0052, ¶0100, ¶0402, ¶0471, ¶0582; In other words, upon receiving the second message’s indication of the RRC state, the first node entering the RRC state, wherein the RRC state is RRC-_IDLE state (¶0402 & ¶0582, ¶0584, ¶0590, ¶0591, ¶0720, ¶0722, ¶0727), emphasis added}
the first RRC state being RRC_INACTIVE state {Zhang: ¶0399 & ¶0403-wherein “the first RRC state is the RRC inactive state”}, or, the first RRC state being RRC_IDLE state {Zhang: ¶0399 & ¶0402-wherein “the first RRC state is the RRC_IDLE state”}.
Regarding Claim 4. The first node according to claim 1, wherein
the first message comprises an RRCResumeRequest message {Zhang: ¶0154-wherein “the first message comprises a RRCResumeRequest”; see also ¶0156, ¶0306-¶0308};
the second message comprises an RRCRelease message {Zhang: ¶0386-wherein “the second message comprises a RRCRelease”; see also ¶0582-¶0583 & ¶0720-¶0721}.
Regarding Claim 7. The first node according to claim 1, wherein accompanying a first message, not start the T319 {Zhang: ¶0189 wherein “the phrase that along with the first message, starting the first timer comprises that: transmitting the first message does not start a timer T319”}.
Regarding Claim 9. The first node according to claim 1, wherein the first message comprises the first field {Zhang: ¶0156-wherein “when the first message comprises a RRCResumeRequest, a resumeIdentity field comprised by the first message comprises 24 bits; when the first message comprises a RRCResumeRequest1, a resumeIdentity field comprised by the first message comprises 40 bits”, ¶0157 wherein “the first message comprises a resumeCause field”; ¶0166 wherein “the first message comprises a ReestablishmentCause
field”; see also ¶0308-¶0309, ¶0318}.
Regarding Claim 18. (Currently Corrected)
-Claim 18 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
A second node for wireless communications, comprising:
a second receiver, receiving a first message, the first message comprising an RRC signaling[.]; receiving a first field; and
a second transmitter, transmitting a second message, the second message comprising an RRC signaling, the second message being used to respond to the first message;
wherein accompanying the first message, a first timer is started;
as a response to any condition in a first condition set being satisfied, a transmitter of the first message enters into a first RRC state from RRC_INACTIVE state;
if the second message is received, as a response to the second message being received, the first timer is stopped;
the first field is used to assist in determining a transmission of the second message;
two conditions in the first condition set are respectively the first timer being expired and the second message being received;
the first RRC state is a candidate state in a first candidate state set, and the first candidate state set comprises RRC_IDLE state.
Regarding Claim 19.
-Claim 19 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
A method in a first node for wireless communications, comprising:
accompanying a first message, starting a first timer;
transmitting the first message, the first message comprising an RRC signaling;
transmitting a first field; and
monitoring a second message, the second message comprising an RRC signaling, the second message being used to respond to the first message;
as a response to any condition in a first condition set being satisfied, entering into a first RRC state from RRC_INACTIVE state;
wherein if the second message is received, and as a response to the second message being received, stop the first timer;
the first field is used to assist in determining a transmission of the second message;
two conditions in the first condition set are respectively the first timer being expired and the second message being received;
the first RRC state is a candidate state in a first candidate state set, and the first candidate state set comprises RRC_IDLE state.
Regarding Claim 20. (Currently Corrected)
-Claim 20 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
A method in a second node for wireless communications, comprising:
receiving a first message, the first message comprising an RRC signaling[.];
receiving a first field; and
transmitting a second message, the second message comprising an RRC signaling, the second message being used to respond to the first message;
wherein accompanying the first message, a first timer is started;
as a response to any condition in a first condition set being satisfied, a transmitter of the first message enters into a first RRC state from RRC_INACTIVE state;
if the second message is received, as a response to the second message being received, the first timer is stopped;
the first field is used to assist in determining a transmission of the second message;
two conditions in the first condition set are respectively the first timer being expired and the second message being received;
the first RRC state is a candidate state in a first candidate state set, and the first candidate state set comprises RRC_IDLE state.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Li (US 2024/0389180 A1) discloses a sidelink communication apparatus, applicable to a second terminal as a target relay terminal for direct to indirect path switch of a first terminal as a remote terminal, including: a first receiver configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration complete (RRCReconfigurationComplete) message from the first terminal; first initiating processor circuitry configured to initiate an RRC connection setup procedure or an RRC resume procedure; and a first transmitter configured to transmit a first indication information to the first terminal when the RRC connection setup procedure or the RRC resume procedure fails {Figs.1-23}.
Da Silva (US 10667185 B2) discloses that a method for avoiding unnecessary actions in a connection establishment comprises sending a request to a network node to initiate the connection establishment, upon sending the request to the network node, starting a timer for the connection establishment, wherein an expiration of the timer stops the connection establishment for a user equipment (UE), and stopping the timer to stop the connection establishment upon the UE receiving a suspend message or a release message, or upon the UE performing a cell reselection procedure while the timer is running. The timer may prevent the UE from waiting the connection establishment to be completed if there is an error or bad transmission in the connection establishment. Furthermore, the timer to stop the connection establishment may avoid unnecessary actions and inform other layers in the network when the timer expires to stop the connection establishment.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONGCHAU BA NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571) 272-3148. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30 AM -5:30 PM.
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/PHUONGCHAU BA NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464