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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 6-8 of the Applicant’s Response, Applicant: “In view of the above, Pan at least fails to disclose that "wherein the RB configuration comprises a first identifier and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity configuration, the first identifier indicates a first security protection parameter for security protection of data transmitted between a first PDCP entity of the first terminal device and a second PDCP entity of the second terminal device," as recited by claim 1 (and similarly claims 7 and 13)“.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s argument. Pan discloses establishing a sidelink data radio bearer through a UE to UE relay. The UE transmits a PC5 RRC Reconfiguration message, i.e. radio bearer configuration (paragraph 402). In this radio bearer configuration message is a sidelink logical channel identity, SL-CH ID (LCID), which is used for security through ciphering and deciphering at the transmit UE and receive UE, respectively (paragraph 402). The SL-LCID used for establishing the DRB from UE1 to the relay, first SL-LCID, is also configured for the DRB from the relay to UE2, second SL-LCID, which makes the security protection less prone for errors (paragragh 403). Also in the radio bearer configuration message to the receive UE is, among other things, a PDCP configuration (paragraph 405). Pan discloses that NR sidelink communication performs the ciphering/deciphering at the PDCP entity (paragraph 367), and security is established at the PDCP layer in an end to end manner between UE1 and UE2 (paragraph 391). Thus Pan teaches: “wherein the RB configuration comprises a first identifier and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity configuration, the first identifier indicates a first security protection parameter for security protection of data transmitted between a first PDCP entity of the first terminal device and a second PDCP entity of the second terminal device”.
In view of the above discussions the rejection of claims 1-18 still stands.
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) 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pan et a. (US 2022/0007445) (“Pan”).
For claims 1, 7, and 13; Pan discloses: relay communication method, applied in a second terminal device or a chip of the second terminal device, wherein a first terminal device and the second terminal device perform data transmission through a relay device (paragraph 402-405: For UE-to-UE Relay communication, each sidelink packet transmitted from UE1 to UE2 via a Relay UE will be protected by security context established between UE1 and UE2), and the method comprises: receiving a radio bearer (RB) configuration from the first terminal device by using the relay device, wherein the RB configuration comprises a first identifier and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity configuration ; or the RB configuration comprises the PDCP entity configuration, and the PDCP entity configuration comprises the first identifier (paragraph 403-405: UE1 may send a first RRCReconfigurationSidelink message to the Relay UE to establish the first sidelink radio bearer or logical channel The first RRCReconfigurationSidelink message sent from UE1 to the Relay UE could include one Sidelink Radio Bearer (SLRB) configuration of the first sidelink radio bearer or logical channel and a sidelink logical channel identity assigned (by UE1) to the first sidelink radio bearer or logical channel. More specifically, the Relay UE may send a second RRCReconfigurationSidelink message to UE2 to establish the second sidelink radio bearer or logical channel… Such SLRB configuration could include, for example, SDAP configuration, PDCP configuration, RLC configuration and/or MAC configuration for the associated sidelink radio bearer or logical channel); the first identifier indicates a first security protection parameter; and the first security protection parameter is used for security protection of first data, and the first data is data transmitted between a first packet data convergence protocol PDCP entity of the first terminal device and a second PDCP entity of the second terminal device (paragraph 365-367: The ciphering function includes both ciphering and deciphering and is performed in PDCP, if configured… For downlink and uplink ciphering and deciphering, the parameters that are required by PDCP for ciphering are defined in TS 33.501 [6] and are input to the ciphering algorithm. The required inputs to the ciphering function include the COUNT value, and DIRECTION (direction of the transmission: set as specified in TS 33.501 [6]). The parameters required by PDCP which are provided by upper layers TS 38.331 [3] are listed below: BEARER (defined as the radio bearer identifier in TS 33.501 [6]. It will use the value RB identity-1 as in TS 38.331 [3])… For NR sidelink communication, the ciphering function is activated for sidelink SRBs); establishing the second PDCP entity based on the PDCP entity configuration (paragraph 402-405: Such SLRB configuration could include, for example, SDAP configuration, PDCP configuration, RLC configuration and/or MAC configuration for the associated sidelink radio bearer or logical channel); and when the first data is transmitted between the second PDCP entity of the second terminal device and the first PDCP entity of the first terminal device through the relay device, performing security protection on the first data by using the first security protection parameter (paragraph 365-367: The ciphering function includes both ciphering and deciphering and is performed in PDCP, if configured… For downlink and uplink ciphering and deciphering, the parameters that are required by PDCP for ciphering are defined in TS 33.501 [6] and are input to the ciphering algorithm. The required inputs to the ciphering function include the COUNT value, and DIRECTION (direction of the transmission: set as specified in TS 33.501 [6]). The parameters required by PDCP which are provided by upper layers TS 38.331 [3] are listed below: BEARER (defined as the radio bearer identifier in TS 33.501 [6]. It will use the value RB identity-1 as in TS 38.331 [3])… For NR sidelink communication, the ciphering function is activated for sidelink SRBs).
For claims 2, 8, and 14; Pan discloses: wherein first information of the first identifier is associated with the first security protection parameter; or the first identifier is associated with the first security protection parameter (paragraph 365-367: For downlink and uplink ciphering and deciphering, the parameters that are required by PDCP for ciphering are… BEARER (defined as the radio bearer identifier in TS 33.501 [6]. It will use the value RB identity-1).
For claims 3, 9, and 15; Pan discloses: wherein the first information comprises a low bit of a first quantity of the first identifier (paragraph 365-367: For NR sidelink communication, the ciphering and deciphering function as specified in TS 33.536 [14] is applied with KEY (NRPEK), COUNT, BEARER (LSB 5 bits of LCID as specified in TS 38.321 [4]) and DIRECTION (which value shall be set is specified in TS 33.536 [14]) as input).
For claims 4, 10, and 16; Pan discloses: wherein the first information comprises five low bits of the first identifier (paragraph 365-367: For NR sidelink communication, the ciphering and deciphering function as specified in TS 33.536 [14] is applied with KEY (NRPEK), COUNT, BEARER (LSB 5 bits of LCID as specified in TS 38.321 [4]) and DIRECTION (which value shall be set is specified in TS 33.536 [14]) as input).
For claims 5, 11, and 17; Pan discloses: wherein the first identifier is associated with any one of the following: an identifier of the RB configuration and an identifier of an RB (paragraph 365-367: For downlink and uplink ciphering and deciphering, the parameters that are required by PDCP for ciphering are… BEARER (defined as the radio bearer identifier in TS 33.501 [6]. It will use the value RB identity-1).
For claims 6, 12, and 18; Pan discloses: wherein the identifier of the RB configuration is a sidelink RB configuration index (paragraph 425: It could also be feasible to use an index of sidelink DRB configuration of the SL DRB (e.g. SLRB-Uu-ConfigIndex or SLRB-PC5-ConfigIndex) to replace the RB ID for ciphering or deciphering as described above. And, the index of sidelink DRB configuration could be included in the header of an adaptation layer PDU).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ye et al. (US 2022/0104053); Ye discloses the RLC may process requests from and provide indications to an instance of PDCP via one or more radio link control service access points (RLC-SAP). These requests and indications communicated via RLC-SAP may comprise one or more RLC channels.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN D BLANTON whose telephone number is (571)270-3933. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-6pm EST, Mon-Thu.
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/JOHN D BLANTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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