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 .
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 1-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chun et al. (WO 2025/151367 A1; hereafter CHUN).
With respect to claim 1, CHUN discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (First UE, Second UE, Third UE, U2U Relay of FIG. 17; paragraphs [0229] and [0230]), comprising:
at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and, based at least in part on stored information that is stored in the at least one memory, the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is configured to cause the UE to:
receive a discovery message (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]) associated with UE-to-network relayed communication (FIG. 17);
determine a multiple hop discovery based at least on the discovery message (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]); and
verify the discovery message, wherein the discovery message is at least integrity protected (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]).
With respect to claim 2, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discovery message further includes hop count information for the multiple hop discovery (paragraph [0340] and [0341]), wherein a verification of the discovery message is based at least in part on the hop count information (paragraph [0340] and [0341]).
With respect to claim 3, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discovery message comprises a discovery announcement message or a discovery request message (paragraph [0058]).
With respect to claim 4, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is further configured to cause the UE to: receive an additional discovery message associated with an emergency service without integrity protection, wherein the integrity protection for the discovery message uses a null integrity protection algorithm (paragraph [0149]).
With respect to claim 5, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver coupled to the at least one processor, the transceiver being configured to receive the discovery message (paragraph [0058]).
With respect to claim 6, CHUN discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a relay user equipment (UE) (First UE, Second UE, Third UE, U2U Relay of FIG. 17; paragraphs [0229] and [0230]), comprising:
at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and, based at least in part on stored information that is stored in the at least one memory, the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is configured to cause the relay UE to:
receive a discovery message (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]) associated with UE-to-network relayed communication (FIG. 17);
determine a multiple hop relaying of the discovery message; increment a hop count (paragraph [0340] and [0341]) for the discovery message (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]);
protect integrity of the discovery message; and forward the discovery message having an incremented hop count (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]).
With respect to claim 7, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 6, wherein the discovery message comprises a discovery announcement message, a discovery solicitation message, or a discovery response message (paragraph [0058]).
With respect to claim 8, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is further configured to cause the relay UE to: provide an additional discovery message associated with an emergency service and having integrity protection based on a null integrity protection algorithm (paragraph [0149]).
With respect to claim 9, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a transceiver coupled to the at least one processor, the transceiver being configured to receive the discovery message (paragraph [0058]).
With respect to claim 10, CHUN discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (First UE, Second UE, Third UE, U2U Relay of FIG. 17; paragraphs [0229] and [0230]), comprising:
at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and, based at least in part on stored information that is stored in the at least one memory, the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is configured to cause the UE to:
determine a multiple hop path for UE-to-network relayed communication (FIG. 17) with a wireless network, the multiple hop path including multiple relay UEs between the UE and the wireless network (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]);
perform a security procedure (paragraph [0149]) for the UE-to-network relayed communication via the multiple hop path to the wireless network (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]); and
exchange communication with the wireless network via the multiple hop path based on the security procedure (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]).
With respect to claim 11, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 10, wherein to perform the security procedure for the multiple hop path, the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is further configured
to cause the UE to:
receive a prose relay user key (PRUK) and PRUK identifier (ID) from a network entity (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]); provide a direct communication request to the wireless network via a donor relay UE and an intermediate relay UE in the multiple hop path between the UE and the wireless network; and establish a secure PC5 link with the intermediate relay UE based on a derived key associated with the PRUK (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 12, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 11, wherein the derived key is a same derived key for the donor relay UE and the intermediate relay UE in the multiple hop path to the wireless network (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 13, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 11, wherein the derived key is a second key that is derived from a first key associated with the donor relay UE (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 14, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the security procedure is for a user plane (UP) (155B in FIG. 1B).
With respect to claim 15, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the security procedure is for a control plane (CP) (155A in FIG. 1B).
With respect to claim 16, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a transceiver coupled to the at least one processor, the transceiver being configured to exchange the communication with the wireless network (FIG. 21).
With respect to claim 17, CHUN discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a donor relay user equipment (UE) (First UE, Second UE, Third UE, U2U Relay of FIG. 17; paragraphs [0229] and [0230]), comprising:
at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and, based at least in part on stored information that is stored in the at least one memory, the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is configured to cause the donor relay UE to:
determine a multiple hop path for UE-to-network relayed communication (FIG. 17); and
perform a security procedure (paragraph [0149]) for the UE-to-network relayed communication via the multiple hop path (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]) including the donor relay UE and at least one intermediate relay UE between the UE and a wireless network (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]).
With respect to claim 18, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 17, wherein to perform the security procedure for the multiple hop path, the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is configured to cause the donor relay UE to:
receive a direct communication request from the UE, wherein the direct communication request includes a prose relay user key (PRUK) (ID) for the UE(paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]) ; request a key to a network based on the PRUK ID; and obtain a first key from the network (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 19, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is further configured to cause the donor relay UE to:
provide a second key to an intermediate relay UE in the multiple hop path (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 20, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second key is a same key as the first key obtained by the donor relay UE (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 21, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is further configured to cause the donor relay UE to:
derive the second key from the first key, wherein the second key is a different key than the first key (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 22, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 17, wherein the security procedure is for a user plane (UP) (155B in FIG. 1B).
With respect to claim 23, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 17, wherein the security procedure is for a control plane (CP) (155A in FIG. 1B).
With respect to claim 24, CHUN discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at an intermediate relay equipment (UE) (First UE, Second UE, Third UE, U2U Relay of FIG. 17; paragraphs [0229] and [0230]), comprising:
at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and, based at least in part on stored information that is stored in the at least one memory, the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is configured to cause the intermediate relay UE to:
perform, at the intermediate relay UE, a security procedure for UE-to-network relayed communication via a multiple hop path (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]) between the UE and a wireless network (FIG. 17); and
forward communication between the wireless network and the UE via a donor relay UE based on the security (paragraph [0149]) procedure (FIG. 16; FIG. 21; paragraphs [0058], [0096], [0204]).
With respect to claim 25, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 24, wherein, to perform the security procedure for the UE-to-network relayed communication via the multiple hop path, the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is further configured to cause the intermediate relay UE to:
receive a direct communication request from the UE, wherein the direct communication request includes a prose relay user key (PRUK) identifier (ID) (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]); request a key based on the PRUK ID; obtain the key from the donor relay UE; and establish secure communication with the UE based on the key (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 26, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 25, wherein the key is a same key as for the donor relay UE (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 27, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 25, wherein the key is a second key that is different than a first key for the donor relay UE, and wherein the second key is derived from the first key (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 28, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a transceiver coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, is further configured to cause the intermediate relay UE to:
provide a third key to an additional intermediate relay UE between the UE and the intermediate relay UE, wherein the third key is derived from the second key (paragraph [0149], [0260] and [0262]).
With respect to claim 29, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 24, wherein the security procedure is for a user plane (UP) (155B in FIG. 1B).
With respect to claim 30, CHUN further discloses the apparatus of claim 24, wherein the security procedure is for a control plane (CP) (155A in FIG. 1B).
Conclusion
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/BRIAN T O CONNOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465 January 5, 2026