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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 9-12 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priorities based on applications filed in China on 09/26/2021 and 11/09/2021. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202111130089.X and CN202111318202.7 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Thus, the current benefit accords to the PCT application with filing date 09/23/2022 because the PCT application, PCT/CN2022/120891, provides adequate support or enablement for the subject matter of the claims.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 2-4 and 13-17 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 recites “the User Equipment (UE)” but it should be “a User Equipment (UE).” Claims 3-4 recite “a UE to Network (U2N) relay.” Acronyms must be specified for UE. Claims 13-17 recite “a U2N remote UE.” Acronyms must be specified for U2N. Claims 13-17 recite “a U2N remote UE” twice. The second appearance should be “the U2N remote UE.”
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 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, 5, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 20, Yao discloses A first node for wireless communications, comprising and A method in a first node for wireless communications, comprising (Figs. 10 and 11, [0488]: remote terminal device includes an antenna for sending and receiving signals):
a first receiver, receiving a first message, the first message indicating a switch from a direct path to an indirect path (Fig. 10, [0454]-[0455]: in step S1010, remote terminal device receives, from a source network device, an RRC reconfiguration message indicating the remote UE to switch to an indirect path using a relay UE); and starting a first timer, where an expiration of the first timer triggers a Radio Resource Control (RRC) re-establishment (Fig. 10, [0458]-[0459]: in step 1012, remote terminal device starts a timer. [0457], [0461], [0469], claim 7: if the timer expires, the path switch / connection establishment with the relay UE fails which triggers a RRC reestablishment);
the first receiver, receiving a first signal on a sidelink after the action of starting a first timer and before the expiration of the first timer; and stopping the first timer as a response to receiving the first signal (Fig. 10, [0459], [0461]: after the timer is started, the timer may be stopped based on certain scenarios. [0466]-[0467]: one scenario may be when the remote UE receives, from the relay terminal device, a connection establishment response message indicating acceptance. [0468]: the timer may be stopped based on certain conditions, see Fig. 8, [0367], [0372]: one condition may be when the remote UE receives a connection establishment response message indicating allowance or an indicating message indicating the remote UE to stop the timer or that the relay UE has successfully accessed the network device, the remote UE stops the timer); and
a first transmitter, transmitting a second message, the second message used for feedback of the first message ([0472]: If the establishment of the connection between the relay UE and the remote UE succeeds, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the network device via the relay UE);
wherein the first message is transmitted via the direct path (Fig. 10, [0454]-[0455]: in step S1010, remote terminal device receives, from a source network device, an RRC reconfiguration message); the second message is transmitted via the indirect path ([0472]: the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the network device via the relay UE); the first message and the second message are RRC messages, respectively ([0454]-[0455], [0472]: RRC reconfiguration message and RRC reconfiguration complete message); the second message is relayed by a transmitter of the first signal ([0472]: the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the network device via the relay UE); the first message is used for the action of starting the first timer ([0458]-[0459]: remote terminal device starts a timer after receiving the RRC reconfiguration message).
Regarding claim(s) 5, Yao discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above.
Yao discloses the first timer is not a T304 ([0459]: the timer may be another newly introduced timer and not a timer T304).
Regarding claim 19, Yao discloses A second node for wireless communications, comprising (Figs. 10 and 12, [0493]-[0494]: network device includes a transceiver unit for sending and receiving signals):
a second transmitter, transmitting a first message, the first message indicating a switch from a direct path to an indirect path (Fig. 10, [0454]-[0455]: in step S1010, remote terminal device receives, from a source network device, an RRC reconfiguration message indicating the remote UE to switch to an indirect path using a relay UE); and
a second receiver, receiving a second message, the second message used for feedback of the first message ([0472]: If the establishment of the connection between the relay UE and the remote UE succeeds, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the network device via the relay UE);
wherein a transmitter of the second message starts a first timer, where an expiration of the first timer triggers an RRC re-establishment, and receives a first signal on a sidelink after the action of starting a first timer and before the expiration of the first timer; the first signal is used for stopping the first timer (These limitations recite actions performed by another transmitter/device different than the claimed second node that the apparatus claim is directed to. According to MPEP 2111.04 I., "wherein" clauses may raise a question as to the limiting effect of claim language. Claim scope is not limited by claim language that does not limit a claim to a particular structure. As applied to claim 19, the wherein clause recited above does not affect the structural configuration or functionality of the claimed second node because the limitation of the wherein clause recites functionality performed by another transmitter/device and is not an action that the one or more processors of the claimed second node performs. The operations performed by the claimed second node do not rely on the existence of the performance by the another transmitter/device. Thus, the limitation of the wherein clause is not given patentable weight in determining whether the claim is rejectable in view of prior art); the first message is transmitted via the direct path (Fig. 10, [0454]-[0455]: in step S1010, remote terminal device receives, from a source network device, an RRC reconfiguration message); the second message is transmitted via the indirect path ([0472]: the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the network device via the relay UE); the first message and the second message are RRC messages, respectively ([0454]-[0455], [0472]: RRC reconfiguration message and RRC reconfiguration complete message); the second message is relayed by a transmitter of the first signal ([0472]: the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the network device via the relay UE); the first message is used for the action of starting the first timer ([0458]-[0459]: remote terminal device starts a timer after receiving the RRC reconfiguration message).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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.
Claim(s) 2 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1) in view of Feng et al. (US 2019/0029061 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 2, Yao discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above.
Yao discloses the first signal is a signal between the User Equipment (UE) and a relay, (Fig. 10, [0461]: remote UE receives, from the relay terminal device, a connection establishment response message indicating acceptance. Fig. 8, [0367], [0372]: remote UE receives a connection establishment response message indicating allowance or an indicating message indicating the remote UE to stop the timer or that the relay UE has successfully accessed the network device).
Yao does not disclose, but Feng discloses the first signal is a signal between the User Equipment (UE) and a relay, which is generated by PC5 Radio Link Control (PC5-RLC) (Fig. 9, [0178], [0185]-[0186]: the remote UE sends a direct communication request to the relay equipment and the relay UE sends a direct communication response to the remote UE. The direct communication response contains a RRC container encapsulated with an RLC-layer configuration. [0022]: the D2D communication interface between the remote UE and the relay UE may be a PC5 interface).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the relay terminal device, as taught by Yao, to transmit a direct communication response encapsulated with an RLC-layer configuration to the remote UE via a PC5 interface, as taught by Feng.
Doing so allows the remote terminal equipment to configure a corresponding RLC layer and/or PDCP layer according to an RRC configuration in the direct communication response (Feng: [0186]).
Regarding claim(s) 6, Yao in view of Feng discloses all features of claim(s) 2 as outlined above.
Yao discloses the first timer is not a T304 ([0459]: the timer may be another newly introduced timer and not a timer T304).
Claim(s) 3 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1) in view of Wang et al. (US 2023/0073469 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 3, Yao discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above.
Yao does not disclose, but Wang discloses the first signal is received from a UE to Network (U2N) relay of the first node, and the first signal is received from a Layer 2 (L2) relay ([0127]: the relay UE replies the layer 2 connection establishment response message to the remote UE. Fig. 1, [0049]: UE-to-Network relay: For UE relay transmission in weak or non-coverage regions, as mode 1 in FIG. 1, UE1 with poor signal quality is allowed to communicate with a network through nearby UE2 with network coverage. This can help operators expand coverage and increase capacity. UE2 is referred to as a UE-to-Network relay, that is, a relay UE).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the relay terminal device, as taught by Yao, to be a UE-to-Network relay and reply the layer 2 connection establishment response message to the remote UE, as taught by Wang.
Doing so allows a remote UE with poor signal quality to communicate with a network through nearby UE-to-Network relay UE with network coverage which helps operators expand coverage and increase capacity (Wang: [0049]).
Regarding claim(s) 7, Yao in view of Wang discloses all features of claim(s) 3 as outlined above.
Yao discloses the first timer is not a T304 ([0459]: the timer may be another newly introduced timer and not a timer T304).
Claim(s) 4 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1) in view of Feng et al. (US 2019/0029061 A1) and Wang et al. (US 2023/0073469 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 4, Yao in view of Feng discloses all features of claim(s) 2 as outlined above.
Yao does not disclose, but Wang discloses the first signal is received from a UE to Network (U2N) relay of the first node, and the first signal is received from a Layer 2 (L2) relay ([0127]: the relay UE replies the layer 2 connection establishment response message to the remote UE. Fig. 1, [0049]: UE-to-Network relay: For UE relay transmission in weak or non-coverage regions, as mode 1 in FIG. 1, UE1 with poor signal quality is allowed to communicate with a network through nearby UE2 with network coverage. This can help operators expand coverage and increase capacity. UE2 is referred to as a UE-to-Network relay, that is, a relay UE).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the relay terminal device, as taught by Yao, to be a UE-to-Network relay and reply the layer 2 connection establishment response message to the remote UE, as taught by Wang.
Doing so allows a remote UE with poor signal quality to communicate with a network through nearby UE-to-Network relay UE with network coverage which helps operators expand coverage and increase capacity (Wang: [0049]).
Regarding claim(s) 8, Yao in view of Feng and Wang discloses all features of claim(s) 4 as outlined above.
Yao discloses the first timer is not a T304 ([0459]: the timer may be another newly introduced timer and not a timer T304).
Claim(s) 13 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1) in view of Back et al. (US 2025/0133537 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 13, Yao discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above.
Yao does not disclose, but Back discloses the first node is a U2N remote UE; when a U2N remote UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state, a U2N relay UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state ([0150], table 14: When both U2N Relay UE and U2N Remote UE are in RRC IDLE/RRC INACTIVE, the U2N Relay UE monitors paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE(s)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the remote terminal device, as taught by Yao, to be a U2N remote UE in RRC Idle state or RRC Inactive state with the U2N Relay UE, as taught by Back.
Doing so allows the U2N Relay UE to monitor paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE (Back: [0150], table 14).
Regarding claim(s) 17, Yao discloses all features of claim(s) 5 as outlined above.
Yao does not disclose, but Back discloses the first node is a U2N remote UE; when a U2N remote UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state, a U2N relay UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state ([0150], table 14: When both U2N Relay UE and U2N Remote UE are in RRC IDLE/RRC INACTIVE, the U2N Relay UE monitors paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE(s)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the remote terminal device, as taught by Yao, to be a U2N remote UE in RRC Idle state or RRC Inactive state with the U2N Relay UE, as taught by Back.
Doing so allows the U2N Relay UE to monitor paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE (Back: [0150], table 14).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1) in view of Feng et al. (US 2019/0029061 A1) and Back et al. (US 2025/0133537 A1)..
Regarding claim(s) 14, Yao in view of Feng discloses all features of claim(s) 2 as outlined above.
Yao does not disclose, but Back discloses the first node is a U2N remote UE; when a U2N remote UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state, a U2N relay UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state ([0150], table 14: When both U2N Relay UE and U2N Remote UE are in RRC IDLE/RRC INACTIVE, the U2N Relay UE monitors paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE(s)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the remote terminal device, as taught by Yao, to be a U2N remote UE in RRC Idle state or RRC Inactive state with the U2N Relay UE, as taught by Back.
Doing so allows the U2N Relay UE to monitor paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE (Back: [0150], table 14).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1) in view of Wang et al. (US 2023/0073469 A1) and Back et al. (US 2025/0133537 A1)..
Regarding claim(s) 15, Yao in view of Wang discloses all features of claim(s) 3 as outlined above.
Yao does not disclose, but Back discloses the first node is a U2N remote UE; when a U2N remote UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state, a U2N relay UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state ([0150], table 14: When both U2N Relay UE and U2N Remote UE are in RRC IDLE/RRC INACTIVE, the U2N Relay UE monitors paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE(s)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the remote terminal device, as taught by Yao, to be a U2N remote UE in RRC Idle state or RRC Inactive state with the U2N Relay UE, as taught by Back.
Doing so allows the U2N Relay UE to monitor paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE (Back: [0150], table 14).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1) in view of Feng et al. (US 2019/0029061 A1), Wang et al. (US 2023/0073469 A1), and Back et al. (US 2025/0133537 A1)..
Regarding claim(s) 16, Yao in view of Feng and Wang discloses all features of claim(s) 4 as outlined above.
Yao does not disclose, but Back discloses the first node is a U2N remote UE; when a U2N remote UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state, a U2N relay UE is in RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state ([0150], table 14: When both U2N Relay UE and U2N Remote UE are in RRC IDLE/RRC INACTIVE, the U2N Relay UE monitors paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE(s)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the remote terminal device, as taught by Yao, to be a U2N remote UE in RRC Idle state or RRC Inactive state with the U2N Relay UE, as taught by Back.
Doing so allows the U2N Relay UE to monitor paging occasions of its PC5-RRC connected U2N Remote UE (Back: [0150], table 14).
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao et al. (US 2024/0179786 A1) in view of Kang et al. (US 2024/0214848 A1).
Regarding claim(s) 18, Yao discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above.
Yao discloses switching from a direct path to an indirect path comprises at least transmitting a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) status report ([0195]: the UE may transmit a PDCP status report message to the base station in the case of a path change from the direct connection with the base station to the connection with the sidelink relay).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to program the remote terminal device, as taught by Yao, to transmit a PDCP status report message to the base station in case of a path change from direct to indirect connection, as taught by Kang.
Doing so allows the UE to transmit information on a downlink PDCP data PDU received by the UE from the base station (Kang: [0195]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THE HY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3813. The examiner can normally be reached on Mo-Fr: 8am-4pm.
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/THE HY NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
TheHy.Nguyen@USPTO.gov