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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 05/18/2026 with respect to claims 1-20 have been fully considered but they are moot, because the new ground of rejection was made in view of Pan; Li-Te et al. (US 20170093541 A1), hereinafter, “Pan” in view of MLadin et al (US 20210127343 A1), hereinafter, “MLadin” do not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 non-obviousness.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pan; Li-Te et al. (US 20170093541 A1), hereinafter, “Pan” in view of MLadin et al (US 20210127343 A1), hereinafter, “MLadin”.
Regarding claim 1, Pan discloses: A communication method (Pan: fig 17, para [0246], a communication method for a remote UE), comprising: obtaining, by a first terminal device, first information (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0111] and [0160], where, Remote UE equivalent to “first terminal”, receives first information from the base station eNB via Relay UE, the DL relay data 1), wherein the obtaining the first information includes obtaining a first multicast and broadcast service (MBS) service identifier (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0115], TMGI: indicates the MBMS service (equivalent to “first MBS service”) the ProSe UE-Network Relay is relaying”), and
first sidelink (SL) resource information (Pan: fig 17-18, para [0259], where, “the relay UE may trigger a regular SL BSR (equivalent to “first sidelink information”) based on the current buffer status (e.g., new data available for SL transmission) and may then initiate a SL resource request procedure (e.g., sending SR and reporting the regular SL BSR)”),
a mapping relationship exists between the first MBS service identifier and the first SL resource information (Pan: fig 17 and 18, par [0180], where, a mapping relationship exists between the MBMS Relay information, TMGI and ECGI in a Relay Discovery Additional Information Discovery message); receiving, by the first terminal device based on the first SL resource information, the data that is of the first MBS and that is sent by the first relay terminal device (Pan: fig 17 and 18, par [0180], where, the remote UE receives the first data based on first MBMS relay information with SL grant);
Pan does not explicitly teach: the first MBS service identifier identifies a first relay terminal device supporting a first MBS; and the first SL resource information is usable for transmitting data of the first MBS service identifier identifying the first relay terminal supporting the first MBS to the first terminal device.
MLadin teaches: the first MBS service identifier identifies a first relay terminal device supporting a first MBS (MLadin: fig 4, Step 2, para [0041], where, “Remote UE 401 may send to the ProSe UE-to-network relay 402 a TMGI Monitoring Request (TMGI, MBMS (equivalent to “first MBS”) SAIs, ProSe per-packet priority) even if it has already known the ProSe layer-2 Group ID for the corresponding TMGI (step 411)”); and
the first SL resource information is usable for transmitting data of the first MBS service identifier identifying the first relay terminal supporting the first MBS to the first terminal device (MLadin: fig 4, para [0041], “Remote UE 401 may send to the ProSe UE-to-network relay 402 a TMGI Monitoring Request (TMGI, MBMS (equivalent to “first MBS”) SAIs, ProSe per-packet priority” and fig 13A-E, para [0246], where, sidelink communication for LTE D2D/V2X (equivalent to “first sidelink” resource)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use “the first MBS service identifier identifies a first relay terminal device supporting a first MBS; and the first SL resource information is usable for transmitting data of the first MBS service identifier identifying the first relay terminal supporting the first MBS to the first terminal device” as taught by MLadin into Pan in order to optimize network resources, an SCS should be able to tell the core network (CN) if a data source is delay tolerant (MLadin: para [0028]).
Regarding claim 8, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 1 above. The claims are mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding information processing apparatus, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto. Additionally, the claim includes a memory and a processor. However, Adachi discloses the memory and the processor (Pan: fig 2, para [0032]).
Regarding claim 15, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 1 above. The claims are mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding information processing apparatus, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto. Additionally, the claim includes a memory and a processor. However, Adachi discloses the memory and the processor (Pan: fig 2, para [0032]).
Regarding claims 2, 9 and 18, Pan modified by MLadin disclose: wherein the obtaining the first information further includes obtaining a second MBS service identifier (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0115], TMGI: indicates the MBMS service (equivalent to “first MBS service”) the ProSe UE-Network Relay is relaying”) and second SL resource information (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0259], where, SL Grant corresponding to UL grant (equivalent to “second SL resources for second MBS service), a mapping relationship exists between the second MBS service identifier (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0259], where, MBS service related to the UL grant relaying”), and the second SL resource information, a second MBS is an MBS supported by a second relay terminal device (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0259], where, relay UE equivalent to “second relay terminal”), and the second SL resource information is usable for transmitting data of the second MBS to the first terminal device (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0259], where, Remote UE is equivalent to “first terminal”); and the method comprises: receiving, by the first terminal device based on the second SL resource information, the data that is of the second MBS and that is sent by the second relay terminal device (Pan: fig 17 and 18, par [0180], where, the remote UE receives the first data based on first MBMS relay information with SL grant); wherein the second relay terminal device is different from the second relay terminal device (MLadin: fig 4, para [0041], “Remote UE 401 may send to the ProSe UE-to-network relay 402 a TMGI Monitoring Request (TMGI, MBMS (equivalent to “first MBS”) SAIs, ProSe per-packet priority” and fig 13A-E, para [0246], where, sidelink communication for LTE D2D/V2X (equivalent to “first sidelink” resource)).
Regarding claims 3, 10 and 19, Pan modified by MLadin disclose: wherein the obtaining, by the first terminal device, the first information includes: receiving, by the first terminal device (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0259], where, Remote UE is equivalent to “first terminal”), the first information sent by the first relay terminal device or the second relay terminal device (Pan: fig 17-20, para [0259], where, Remote UE is equivalent to “first terminal”).
Regarding claims 4, 11 and 20, Pan modified by MLadin disclose: wherein the obtaining, by the first terminal device, the first information includes (Pan: fig 11, para [0156], where, “UE-1 sends a Direct Communication Request message to UE-2 in order to trigger mutual authentication”); receiving, by the first terminal device, the first information sent by a network device (Pan: fig 17 and 18, par [0180], where, the remote UE receives the first data based on first MBMS relay information with SL grant); wherein the first information further includes identification information of the first relay terminal device (Pan: fig 17, para [0259], where, Remote UE equivalent to “first terminal device”), and the identification information of the first relay terminal device corresponds to the first MBS service identifier and the first SL resource information (Pan: fig 17, para [0259], where, Remote UE equivalent to “first terminal device”, where, MBS for the first SL grant is equivalent to “first MBS service”).
Regarding claims 5 and 12, Pan modified by MLadin disclose: wherein the obtaining the first information further includes obtaining identification information of the second relay terminal device (MLadin: fig 9, para [0166], where, Relay UE 903 is equivalent to “second relay UE/device”), and the identification information of the second relay terminal device corresponds to the second MBS service identifier and the second SL resource information (Pan: fig 17, para [0259], where, MBS service related to SL grant for UL is equivalent to “second MBS service).
Regarding claims 6, 13 and 16, Pan modified by MLadin disclose: wherein the obtaining the first SL resource information or the second SL resource information includes obtaining a group layer-2 identity (G-L2ID) and/or resource pool information (RP info) (Pan: para [0116], where, “ProSe Layer-2 Group ID: link layer identifier of the group that transmits the MBMS traffic corresponding to the TMGI”).
Regarding claims 7, 14 and 17, Pan modified by MLadin disclose: further comprising: sending, by the first terminal device (Pan: fig 11, para [0156], where, “UE-1 sends a Direct Communication Request message to UE-2 in order to trigger mutual authentication”), second information, wherein the second information is usable for requesting to send the first information (Pan: fig 11, step 2, para [0158], where, ““Secure layer-2 link” implies at least mutual authentication between the two users. Whether bearer level confidentiality or integrity protection over PC5 is mandatory or not is in SA3 scope”).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 NIZAM U AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-9561. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fry, 7:00 AM-6:00 PM PST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Vu can be reached at 571-272-3155. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. 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.
/NIZAM U AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
Prosecution Insights