CTNF 18/434,488 CTNF 80103 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. This Office Action is in response to communication filed on 02/04/2026. Claims 4 and 16 have been cancelled. Claim 1-3, 5-15 and 17-20 are currently pending and have been considered below. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-3, 5-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ly et al (US 20220210698) in view of Intel Corporation (R2-2104888) . Regarding claim 1, Ly a wireless communication method ( provides a method performed by an electronic device , [0006]), comprising: receiving, by a second network device from a second communication device in [an inactive state], a service request (… wherein the request informs the core network that the electronic device is capable of aggregating data and relaying data from other electronic devices , Abstract) that includes an aggregation cause or indication that indicates that the second communication device is configured to perform an aggregation operation (… UEs provide a capability indication to the core network to indicate the support of relay aggregation, [0126]); transmitting, by the second network device to a core network device, a first message comprising an aggregation related information ( UEs provide a capability indication to the core network to indicate the support of relay aggregation. [0126]. The POSITA would understand that the indication is sent via the RAN, that is, the second network device must transmit the indication .) and receiving, by the second network device from the core network device, a second message that comprises the aggregation related information ( The core network then provisions relay UEs with data aggregation parameters used to aggregate and relay UE data. [0126]). Ly discloses receiving, by the second network device from a first network device, a third message that requests an addition of the second communication device for the aggregation operation ( The UE 102 then sends and receives data using this PDU session and the RAN node 105 and the UPF 176a assist in forwarding the data to and from the DN 202, [0139] ); and transmitting, by the second network device and in response to the receiving the third message ( The UE 102 sends a PDU Session Establishment request on top of a NAS message through the RAN node 105 to the AMF 172. In the request, the UE 102 includes a PDU Session ID and other session parameters such as PDU Session Type, Request Type, requested SSC mode, DNN, etc., [0140]), a fourth message that includes any one or more of ( The UE 102 sends a PDU Session Establishment request on top of a NAS message through the RAN node 105 to the AMF 172, [0140]): a radio configuration of the second communication device ([0210] The SMF 174 will use the secondary PDU Session IDs to determine the UPF anchors 176b, 176c, etc. identified by each PDU session ID ), or a second identifier of the second communication device. Ly does not expressly disclose the second communication device being in an inactive state. However, Intel Corporation discloses second communication device in an inactive state (page 2, section 2.1: “Control plane procedure. … The Remote UE may be in Uu RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state. The Relay UF may be in any of the Un RRC states correspondingly). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Ly with the teachings of Intel Corporation, the rationale being to allow the network device to configure high-bandwidth carriers for bursty traffic and minimize signaling overhead, and thus enhancing the network performance . Regarding claim 2, in the obvious combination, Ly discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation related information comprises the aggregation cause or indication ( UEs provide a capability indication to the core network to indicate the support of relay aggregation . Ly, [0126]). Regarding claim 3, in the obvious combination, Intel Corporation discloses the method of claim 1, wherein prior to the receiving the service request, the method further comprises: transmitting, by the second network device to the second communication device, a system information block (SIB) that includes an aggregation support indication that indicates to the second communication device that the second network device supports the aggregation operation (“… when NR sidelink relay UE RRC idle/inactive state, it could acquire NR sidelink relay related configuration via SIN configuration ” Intel Corporation, 2.1.2.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Ly with the teachings of Intel Corporation in order to allow the user equipment to identify and utilize multiple component carriers simultaneously for enhanced reliability and efficient spectrum utilization. 4. (Canceled). Regarding claim 5, in the obvious combination, Ly discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the core network device includes an access and mobility management function or AMF ( Access and Mobility Function (AMF) 172 : The UE 102 sends an N1 message through the RAN node 105 to the AMF 172 to initially establish a PDU session in the core network. Ly [0134]). Regarding claim 6, in the obvious combination, Intel Corporation discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the inactive state includes a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state (Intel Corporation: page 2, section 2.1: “Control plane procedure. … The Remote UE may be in Uu RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state. The Relay UF may be in any of the Un RRC states correspondingly ). Regarding claim 7, in the obvious combination, Ly discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the second network device and the core network device are in a connection management (CM) connected state ( For example, the AMF 172 may be responsible for registration management, connection management, reachability management, access authentication, access authorization . Ly [0089]). Regarding claim 8, in the obvious combination, Ly discloses the method of claim 7, wherein the core network device includes an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), and a user plane function (UPF) ( FIG. 1D, the 5G Core Network 109 may include an access and mobility management function (AMF) 172, a Session Management Function (SMF) 174, User Plane Functions (UPFs) 176a and 176b, a User Data Management Function (UDM) 197 , Ly [0087]). Regarding claim 9, in the obvious combination, Ly discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation related information comprises an address of a first communication device with which the second communication device is to perform the aggregation operation ( The SMF 174 may be responsible for Session Management, IP address allocation for the WTRUs 102 a, 102 b, and 102 c, [0090]). Regarding claim 10, in the obvious combination, Ly discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation related information comprises a first identifier of a first communication device with which the second communication device is to perform the aggregation operation (The base station 114 c and the WTRUs 102, e.g., WRTU 102 e , may utilize a cellular-based RAT, e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, etc. [0062]). Regarding claim 11, in the obvious combination, Ly discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation related information comprises a cell identifier of a cell to which the first communication device is connected or on which the first communication device is camped (The base station 114 c and the WTRUs 102, e.g., WRTU 102 e , may utilize a cellular-based RAT, e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, etc. [0062]). Regarding claim 12, in the obvious combination, Ly discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation related information comprises an identifier of a first network device or the second network device to which a first communication device is connected or on which the first communication device is camped (The base station 114 c and the WTRUs 102, e.g., WRTU 102 e , may utilize a cellular-based RAT, e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, etc. [0062]). Claim 13 contains subject matter similar to claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. (Ly, Figure 1B, 102 UE, 103 RAN). Claim 14 contains subject matter similar to claim 2, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. Claim 15 contains subject matter similar to claim 3, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. 16. (Canceled). Claim 17 contains subject matter similar to claim 5, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. Claim 18 contains subject matter similar to claim 6, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. Claim 19 contains subject matter similar to claim 7, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. Claim 20 contains subject matter similar to claim 8, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIO R PEREZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7846. The examiner can normally be reached 10Am - 6PM EST M-F. 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For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /JULIO R PEREZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644 Application/Control Number: 18/434,488 Page 2 Art Unit: 2644
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