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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/21/2024 and 01/10/2025 were filed after filing of the instant application on 12/18/2023. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: Where, the claim 2, line 10, exhibits typo as the limitation recites, “wherein the second relay terminal device is different from the second relay terminal device”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adachi et al (US 2018/0234808 A1), hereinafter, “Adachi” in view of Lee et al (US 2018/0077618 A1), hereinafter, “Lee”.
Regarding claim 1, Adachi discloses: A communication method (Adachi: fig 9, para [0006], a communication method for apparatus), comprising: obtaining, by a first terminal device, first information (Adachi: fig 9-10 and 13, para [0160], where, UE100-1 Relay UE equivalent to “first terminal”, receives first information from the base station eNB200 DeNB), wherein the obtaining the first information includes obtaining a first multicast and broadcast service (MBS) service identifier (Adachi: fig 9-10 and 13, para [0160], where, “In step S102, the UE 100-1 determines that relaying of the MBMS service is requested from the remote UE by the TMGI monitoring request. The UE 100-1 requests the eNB 200 to provide a radio resource for relaying the MBMS service. For example, the UE 100-1 uses an SLUE information message (SL UE information equivalent to “sidelink resource”) to request the eNB 200 to provide the radio resource”), and
first sidelink (SL) resource information (Adachi: fig 9-10 and 13, para [0160], where, “the UE 100-1 uses an SLUE information message (SL UE information equivalent to “first sidelink resource information”) to request the eNB 200 to provide the radio resource. The SLUE information message is a message used if the UE is interested in the proximity service (such as Direct Discovery, Direct Communication, and UE-to-Network relay)”),
Adachi does not explicitly teach: a mapping relationship exists between the first MBS service identifier and the first SL resource information; a first MBS is an MBS supported by a first relay terminal device; and the first SL resource information is usable for transmitting data of the first MBS to the first terminal device; 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.
a mapping relationship exists between the first MBS service identifier and the first SL resource information, a first MBS is an MBS supported by a first relay terminal device (Lee: fig 14, para [0104] and para [0108], where, “For UE-to-Network Relay, if relayed data is delivered from the remote UE towards the network, the data is delivered from PC5 interface (in SL) to Uu interface (in UL) in the relay UE. The network may inform the remote UE and the relay UE of mapping relationship between a destination/group and MBMS service/session information including a temporary mobile group identity (TMGI)”), and the first SL resource information is usable for transmitting data of the first MBS to the first terminal device (Lee: fig 14, para [0144] and para [0108], where, “the UE1 may simultaneously perform MBMS reception and ProSe communication/discovery. When the UE indicates a set of frequencies to the eNB via a MBMS interest indication message or a sidelink UE information message”); and
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 (Lee: fig 14, para [0144], where, “if the UE should perform MBMS reception and ProSe communication/discovery simultaneously, the UE may make sure that the UE can simultaneously receive MTCH and receive/transmit STCH on the set of frequencies for destinations/groups/services that the UE joined”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use “a mapping relationship exists between the first MBS service identifier and the first SL resource information; a first MBS is an MBS supported by a first relay terminal device; and the first SL resource information is usable for transmitting data of the first MBS to the first terminal device; 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” as taught by Lee into Adachi in order to perform synchronization for out of coverage operation, UE(s) may act as a synchronization source by transmitting SBCCH and a synchronization signal (Lee: para [0068]).
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 (Adachi: para [0106]).
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 (Adachi: para [0106]).
Regarding claims 2, 9 and 18, Adachi modified by Lee disclose: wherein the obtaining the first information further includes obtaining a second MBS service identifier (Adachi: para [0129]-[0130], where, MBMS identifier received from cell different from servicing cell equivalent to “second MBS service identifier”) and second SL resource information (Adachi: fig 13, para [0160]-[0161], where, “second radio resource” equivalent to “second SL resource”), a mapping relationship exists between the second MBS service identifier (Lee: fig 14, para [0104] and para [0108], where, “For UE-to-Network Relay, if relayed data is delivered from the remote UE towards the network, the data is delivered from PC5 interface (in SL) to Uu interface (in UL) in the relay UE. The network may inform the remote UE and the relay UE of mapping relationship between a destination/group and MBMS service/session information including a temporary mobile group identity (TMGI)”), and the second SL resource information, a second MBS is an MBS supported by a second relay terminal device (Adachi: fig 14, para [0128], where, UE-to-Network relay 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 (Adachi: para [0129]-[0130], where, MBMS identifier received from cell different from servicing cell equivalent to “second MBS service identifier”, fig 13, para [0160]-[0161], where, “second radio resource” equivalent to “second SL resource”); 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 (Adachi: para [0129]-[0130], where, MBMS identifier received from cell different from servicing cell equivalent to “second MBS service identifier”), wherein the second relay terminal device is different from the second relay terminal device (Adachi: fig 9, para [0116]-[0119], where, DeNB eNB200 equivalent to “second relay terminal” and UE100-1 Relay UE equivalent to “first relay terminal” and they are different).
Regarding claims 3, 10 and 19, Adachi modified by Lee disclose: wherein the obtaining, by the first terminal device, the first information includes: receiving, by the first terminal device (Adachi: fig 9, para [0116], where, Relay UE 100-1 equivalent to “first terminal”), the first information sent by the first relay terminal device or the second relay terminal device (Adachi: fig 10-13, para [0160]-[0164], where, in step 0, the first terminal sent the MBMS reception information equivalent to “first information”).
Regarding claims 4, 11 and 20, Adachi modified by Lee disclose: wherein the obtaining, by the first terminal device, the first information includes (Adachi: fig 14, para [0168]-[0171], where, UE 100-1 Relay UE equivalent to “first terminal device”): receiving, by the first terminal device, the first information sent by a network device (Adachi: fig 14, para [0168]-[0171], where, UE 100-1 Relay UE equivalent to “first terminal device”), wherein the first information further includes identification information of the first relay terminal device (Adachi: fig 14, para [0168]-[0171], where, UE 100-1 Relay 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 (Adachi: fig 14, para [0168]-[0172], where, UE 100-1 Relay UE equivalent to “first terminal device”),.
Regarding claims 5 and 12, Adachi modified by Lee disclose: wherein the obtaining the first information further includes obtaining identification information of the second relay terminal device (Adachi: fig 14, para [0168]-[0171], where, UE 100-1 Relay UE equivalent to “first terminal device”), and the identification information of the second relay terminal device corresponds to the second MBS service identifier and the second SL resource information (Adachi: fig 14, para [0168]-[0172], where, UE 100-1 Relay UE equivalent to “first terminal device”).
Regarding claims 6, 13 and 16, Adachi modified by Lee disclose: 6. The method according to claim 1, 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) (Adachi: fig 14, para [0171], where, “The UE 100-1 selects a transmission resource pool corresponding to the specified TMGI (MBMS traffic), based on the transmission resource pool information”).
Regarding claims 7, 14 and 17, Adachi modified by Lee disclose: further comprising: sending, by the first terminal device (Adachi: fig 14, para [0168]-[0171], where, UE 100-1 Relay UE equivalent to “first terminal device”), second information, wherein the second information is usable for requesting to send the first information (Adachi: fig 14, para [0168]-[0171], where, UE 100-2 Remote UE equivalent to “second terminal device”),
Conclusion
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.
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/NIZAM U AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461