DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claims 31 and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhu et al. (US 2023/0371110 A1, hereinafter “Zhu”).
Regarding claims 31 and 32, Zhu teaches a source integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor associated with a first central unit (CU) (e.g. IAB donor CU1 of fig. 8A) in a communication system, the source IAB donor associated with the first CU (e.g. IAB donor CU1 of fig. 8A) comprising: a transceiver; and a controller (figs. 10 and 11) configured to: control the transceiver to transmit, to a target IAB donor associated with a second CU (e.g. IAB donor CU2 of fig. 8A), a handover request message including information on a target cell (figs. 5, 8A-8B, ¶ [0370] S803: The IAB donor CU 1 sends a first handover request to the IAB donor CU 2, where the first handover request may include an identifier of the cell served by the IAB node 6. ¶ [0371], ¶ [0372]), control the transceiver to receive, from the target IAB donor associated with the second CU, default uplink (UL) configuration information (figs. 8A, 8B, ¶ [0383], ¶ [0394], Optionally, the configuration information of each of the one or more nodes corresponding to the handover 3 may include one or more of the following: a resource configuration of a candidate target cell, a configuration of an RLC layer and/or a logical channel, an uplink default BAP routing identifier (ID), an uplink default BH RLC channel, one or more IP addresses of the node, and a BAP address of the corresponding IAB donor DU 2), and control the transceiver to transmit, to a migrating IAB node via a source parent IAB node, the default UL configuration information, wherein the default UL configuration information related to the target path includes a default UL BAP routing identity (ID) and a default UL BH radio link control (RLC) channel (figs. 8A, 8B, ¶ [0394], ¶ [0400], ¶ [0421], S809: The IAB donor CU 1 sends, to the IAB node 2, RRC reconfiguration messages of the IAB node 2 respectively corresponding to the handover 1 and the handover 3. ¶ [0426], [0426] S810: The IAB donor CU 1 sends, to the IAB node 1, RRC reconfiguration messages of the IAB node 1 respectively corresponding to the handover 1 and the handover 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Claims 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2023/0199580 A1, hereinafter “Wang”) in view of Zhu et al. (US 2023/0247521 A1, hereinafter “Zhu’21”).
Regarding claims 15 and 22, Wang teaches a method performed by a migrating integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a source IAB donor associated with a first central unit (CU) via a source parent IAB node, an RRCReconfiguration message including default uplink (UL) configuration information related to a target path (figs 2, 3, 9A, ¶ [0090], the source IAB-donor-CU 811 may send a UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST message to the DU of the source parent IAB-node 630. In one implementation, the UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST message may include a generated RRCReconfiguration message. ¶ [0096], the DU of the source parent IAB-node 630 may forward the received RRCReconfiguration message to the MT of the migrating IAB-node 650. ¶ [0091] the RRCReconfiguration message may include a default BH RLC channel and a default backhaul adaption protocol (BAP) routing identification (ID) configuration for UL F1-C traffic mapping on the target path); transmitting, to a target parent IAB node associated with a second CU, an RRCReconfigurationComplete message (fig. 9A, ¶ [0099], the MT of the migrating IAB-node 650 may respond to the DU of the target parent IAB-node 640 with an RRCReconfigurationComplete message. ¶ [0100]); obtaining, a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) mapping configuration including backhaul (BH) routing configuration information associated with the target path, and for a BAP protocol data unit (PDU) to transmit, rewriting a header of the BAP PDU (¶ [0100], uplink packets may be sent from the migrating IAB-MT, which are forwarded to the target IAB-donor-CU 812 through the DU of the target parent IAB-node 640. ¶ [0103], the target IAB-donor-CU 812 may configure one or more BH RLC channel and one or more BAP-sublayer routing entry on the target path between the target parent IAB-node 640 and target IAB-donor-DU 614 as well as DL mappings on the target IAB-donor-DU 614 for the migrating IAB-node’s target path. ¶ [0107], the migrating IAB-node 650 may modify the uplink retransmission packets’ BAP header. ¶ [0077]. ¶ [0092], the RRCReconfiguration message may include one or more new TNL address as replacement for the one or more TNL address that is routable via the source IAB-donor-DU. ¶ [0095]), wherein the default UL configuration information related to the target path includes a default UL BAP routing identity (ID) and a default UL BH radio link control (RLC) channel (¶ [0091] the RRCReconfiguration message may include a default BH RLC channel and a default backhaul adaption protocol (BAP) routing identification (ID) configuration for UL F1-C traffic mapping on the target path).
Wang does not explicitly teach rewriting a header of the BAP PDU based on a BAP header change configuration, the BAP header change configuration including a first routing ID and a second routing ID.
Zhu’21 teaches obtaining, a BAP mapping configuration including backhaul (BH) routing configuration information associated with the target path, and for a BAP protocol data unit (PDU) to transmit, rewriting a header of the BAP PDU based on a BAP header change configuration, the BAP header change configuration including a first routing ID and a second routing ID (¶ [0192], if a target IAB donor DU connected through the target parent node is different from a source IAB donor DU connected through a source parent node, an uplink destination node (uplink) of the BAP layer changes in addition to a transmission path. Therefore, before the first network node forwards the first data packets, the header information of the BAP layer of the data packets needs to be modified. For example, the first network node receives configuration information provided by the target IAB donor CU. Specific content includes one or more new routing identifiers (for example, a default/default BAP routing ID, which may be used to forward all buffered data packets) to the target IAB donor DU, and optionally, further includes a next-hop node corresponding to each routing identifier, and an original routing identifier (pointing to an original transmission path to the source IAB donor DU) mapping to each new routing identifier. The first network node may directly send the BAP control PDU (for example, a flow control feedback control PDU including backhaul RLC channel (BH RLC channel) ) to the target parent node).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to transmit a BAP PDU, rewrite a header of the BAP PDU based on a BAP header change configuration, including a first routing ID and a second routing ID, in the system of Wang to ensure that the data packets buffered before handover are forwarded to the target IAB donor DU after the handover is completed (¶ [0192] of Zhu’21).
Regarding claims 17 and 24, Wang in view of Zhu’21 teaches the method of claim 15.
Wang does not explicitly teach wherein the BH routing configuration information includes BAP routing ID and information on a next hop BAP address, and the BAP routing ID including a BAP's address and a path identity (ID) associated with the target path.
Zhu’21 teaches wherein the BH routing configuration information includes BAP routing ID and information on a next hop BAP address, and the BAP routing ID including a BAP's address and a path ID associated with the target path (¶ [0192], Specific content includes one or more new routing identifiers (for example, a default/default BAP routing ID, which may be used to forward all buffered data packets) to the target IAB donor DU, and optionally, further includes a next-hop node corresponding to each routing identifier, and an original routing identifier (pointing to an original transmission path to the source IAB donor DU) mapping to each new routing identifier. The first network node replaces, based on the configuration information provided by the target IAB donor CU, the BAP routing IDs in the header information of the BAP layer carried in BAP PDUs being buffered by the first network node with the configured new routing identifiers, performs routing selection based on the new routing identifiers, and sends the data packets to the next-hop node (that is, the target parent node).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to include, in the BH routing configuration information, BAP routing ID and information on a next hop BAP address, and the BAP routing ID including a BAP's address and a path ID associated with the target path in the system of Wang in view of Zhu’21 to ensure that the data packets buffered before handover are forwarded to the target IAB donor DU after the handover is completed (¶ [0192] of Zhu’21).
Regarding claims 29 and 30, Wang in view of Zhu’21 teaches the method of claim 15, further comprising: routing the BAP PDU with rewritten header based on the default UL configuration information related to the target path or the BH routing configuration information associated with the target path (Wang: ¶ [0091], the RRCReconfiguration message may include a default BH RLC channel and a default backhaul adaption protocol (BAP) routing identification (ID) configuration for UL F1-C traffic mapping on the target path. Optionally in another implementation, the RRCReconfiguration message may include one or more additional BH RLC channel. Zhu’21: ¶ [0192]).
Response to Arguments
8. Applicant’s arguments filed on June 3, 2026 have been considered but are moot in view of new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
9. 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.
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANDISH RANDHAWA whose telephone number is (571)270-5650. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday (9 AM-7 PM).
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/MANDISH K RANDHAWA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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