DETAILED ACTION RCE
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/08/26 has been entered.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
3. This action is in response to RCE filed on 06/08/26.
4. Claims 1-11, 13-17 & 20 are under examination.
5. Claims 12, 18-19 & 21-23 are cancelled.
Drawings
6. The drawings filed on 11/01/23 are accepted by the examiner.
Response to Arguments/Remarks
7. Applicants’ amendment filed on 06/08/26 regarding a 103 rejection has been considered but is not persuasive (see Response to amendment/remarks on final action mailed out on 03/10/26). Therefore, the 103 rejection is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
8. 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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
9. Claims 1-7, 9-11, 13-17 & 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (hereinafter referred as Zhang) International Publication No. WO 2018/171514, in view of Xu et al. (hereinafter referred as Xu) US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0051758 A1.
Regarding claims 1 & 20: Zhang discloses a relay user equipment (UE) (See FIG. 2 & Para. 0066; a relay device)/a method for processing a link failure, comprising:
a processor (See FIG. 2 & Para. 0066; a terminal device (i.e., a relay device) includes a CPU); and
a memory (See FIG. 2 & Para. 0066; a terminal device (i.e., a relay device) includes a memory) storing a computer program executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
send a first notification message (corresponding to first indication information) to a remote UE (corresponding to remote device) upon a link failure (corresponding to radio link failure) occurring on a link between the relay UE and a network, wherein the link failure comprises at least one of: a radio link failure (See Para, 0066-0067; The relay device determines the first indication information based on the current link status between the relay device and the base station, wherein the current link status is link reconfiguration, failure, link handover failure, handover in progress, radio link failure, or radio resource control connection re-establishment failure. the relay device sends the first indication information to the remote device).
Zhang does not explicitly disclose wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE; wherein the method further comprises: receiving a message sent by the remote UE for releasing or maintaining the RRC connection with the relay UE.
However, Xu from the same field of endeavor discloses wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE (See Para. 0086-0087, 110 & 0130; the relay wireless device (relay device in Zhang) transmits a RRC set up message to the remote wireless device (remote device in Zhang). the RRC procedure is used to reconfigure an existing RRC connection between the remote wireless device and the cellular base station (for example, the cellular base station may attempt to perform a RRC reconfiguration procedure), or may be used to release an existing RRC connection between the remote wireless device and the cellular base station. the relay UE 1304 may provide a RRC release message to the remote UE 1302);
wherein the method further comprises: receiving a message sent by the remote UE for releasing or maintaining the RRC connection with the relay UE (See Para. 0087, 0110, 0130 & 0133; the relay wireless device receives RRC set up completer message from the remote wireless device. the relay wireless device to: receive an indication to release the remote wireless device from the cellular base station in response to the indication of the link failure of the wireless link between the relay wireless device and the remote wireless device).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE; wherein the method further comprises: receiving a message sent by the remote UE for releasing the RRC connection or maintaining the RRC connection as taught by Xu in the system of Zhang for performing radio resource control connection procedures for remote wireless devices in a wireless communication system (See Para. 0005; lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 2: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a method, wherein sending the first notification message to the remote UE comprises: determining whether to send the first notification message to the remote UE based on a cell chosen to reestablished a connection with the relay UE (See Para. 0071; after receiving a handover command containing multiple configuration information from the serving base station, the relay device switches from the current serving base station to the target base station. At this point, the relay device will determine whether to send the first indication information to the remote device based on the link status with the network device).
Regarding claim 3: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a method, wherein sending the first notification message to the remote UE comprises: receiving an area range sent by the network device, wherein the area range is a cell list or a tracking area list (See Para. 0204; receive the indication information sent by the network device, which is used to indicate whether the second terminal device should perform a group operation (e.g., tracking area update operation)); in response to performing by the relay UE a cell reestablishment within the area range, not sending the first notification message to the remote UE; and in response to not performing by the relay UE a cell reestablishment within the area range, sending the first notification message to the remote UE (See Para. 0146-0147; the network device does not allow the relay device and/or remote device to perform group tracking area updates and does not send feedback information to the relay device and/or remote device (leading to the network device losing the tracking area information of the relay device and/or remote device). This also avoids increasing the difficulty for the network device to subsequently page the relay device and/or remote device).
Regarding claim 4: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a method, wherein sending the first notification message to the remote UE comprises: wherein determining whether to send the first notification message to the remote UE based on the reestablished cell comprises: in response to the cell chosen to be reestablish the connection with the relay UE being identical to a serving cell before the link failure occurs, not sending the first notification message to the remote UE (See Para. 0103; the relay device is already in the process of handover, and during the handover process, the relay device will not send information to the base station..; after the relay device completes the handover, the relay device will send information to the target base station according to the configuration negotiated with the target base station. It is meaningless for information sent by a remote device to a relay device according to the configuration negotiated with the original serving base station, and then forwarded by the relay device to the target base station).
Regarding claim 5: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a method, wherein sending the first notification message to the remote UE comprises: determining to send the first notification message to the remote UE based on a configuration from a network device (See Para. 0071; after receiving a handover command containing multiple configuration information from the serving base station. At this point, the relay device will determine whether to send the first indication information to the remote device based on the link status with the network device).
Regarding claim 6: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a method, wherein determining to send the first notification message to the remote UE based on the configuration from the network device comprises: receiving first identification information sent by the network device, wherein the first identification information is configured to indicate to send the first notification message to all remote UEs; and determining whether to send the first notification message to all the remote UEs connected to the relay terminal UE based on the first identification information (See Para. 0071; after receiving a handover command containing multiple configuration information from the serving base station, the relay device switches from the current serving base station to the target base station. At this point, the relay device will determine whether to send the first indication information to the remote device based on the link status with the network device).
Regarding claim 7: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a method, wherein determining to send the first notification message to the remote UE based on the configuration from the network device comprises: receiving a plurality of pieces of second identification information sent by the network device, wherein each piece of the second identification information is configured to indicate whether to send the first notification message to a corresponding remote UE; and determining whether to send the first notification message to corresponding remote UEs based on the plurality of pieces of second identification information sent by the network device (See Para. 0071; after receiving a handover command containing multiple configuration information from the serving base station, the relay device switches from the current serving base station to the target base station. At this point, the relay device will determine whether to send the first indication information to the remote device based on the link status with the network device).
Regarding claim 9: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a method, wherein the first notification message comprises at least one of: a failure cause, in which the failure cause comprises at least one of: the radio link failure (See Para, 0066-0067; The relay device determines the first indication information based on the current link status between the relay device and the base station, wherein the current link status is link reconfiguration, failure, link handover failure, handover in progress, radio link failure, or radio resource control connection re-establishment failure. the relay device sends the first indication information to the remote device).
Regarding claim 10: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a method, further comprising at least one of: notifying a higher layer that the link failure has occurred (See Para, 0066-0067; The relay device determines the first indication information based on the current link status between the relay device and the base station. the relay device sends the first indication information to the remote device).
Regarding claim 11: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a method.
Furthermore, Xu disclose a method, in response to a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reestablishment with the relay UE succeeding, performing at least one of sending a second notification message to a network device (See FIG. 11 & Para. 0108; the relay UE may provide a RRC reestablishment complete message to the gNB).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include in response to a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reestablishment with the relay UE succeeding, performing at least one of sending a second notification message to a network device as taught by Xu in the system of Zhang for performing radio resource control connection procedures for remote wireless devices in a wireless communication system (See Para. 0005; lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 13: Zhang discloses a method for processing a link failure, performed by a remote user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving a first notification message (corresponding to first indication information) sent by a relay UE (corresponding to relay device),
wherein the first notification message is sent by the relay UE upon the link failure (corresponding to radio link failure) occurring on a link between the relay UE and a network device, in which the link failure comprises at least one of: a radio link failure (See Para, 0066-0067; The relay device determines the first indication information based on the current link status between the relay device and the base station, wherein the current link status is link reconfiguration, failure, link handover failure, handover in progress, radio link failure, or radio resource control connection re-establishment failure. the relay device sends the first indication information to the remote device).
Zhang does not explicitly disclose wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE in accordance with the first notification message; and transmitting a message to the relay for releasing maintaining the RRC connection with the relay UE.
However, Xu from the same field of endeavor discloses wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE in accordance with the first notification message (See Para. 0086-0087, 110 & 0130; the relay wireless device (relay device in Zhang) transmits a RRC set up message to the remote wireless device (remote device in Zhang). the RRC procedure is used to reconfigure an existing RRC connection between the remote wireless device and the cellular base station (for example, the cellular base station may attempt to perform a RRC reconfiguration procedure), or may be used to release an existing RRC connection between the remote wireless device and the cellular base station. the relay UE 1304 may provide a RRC release message to the remote UE 1302); and
transmitting a message to the relay for releasing maintaining the RRC connection with the relay UE (See Para. 0087, 0110, 0130 & 0133; the relay wireless device receives RRC set up completer message from the remote wireless device. the relay wireless device to: receive an indication to release the remote wireless device from the cellular base station in response to the indication of the link failure of the wireless link between the relay wireless device and the remote wireless device).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE in accordance with the first notification message; and transmitting a message to the relay for releasing maintaining the RRC connection with the relay UE as taught by Xu in the system of Zhang for performing radio resource control connection procedures for remote wireless devices in a wireless communication system (See Para. 0005; lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 14: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a remote UE.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a remote UE, wherein the first notification message comprises at least one of: the radio link failure (See Para, 0066-0067; The relay device determines the first indication information based on the current link status between the relay device and the base station, wherein the current link status is link reconfiguration, failure, link handover failure, handover in progress, radio link failure, or radio resource control connection re-establishment failure. the relay device sends the first indication information to the remote device).
Regarding claim 15: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a remote UE.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a remote UE, determining to maintain the connection with the relay UE, stopping sending relay data to the relay UE (See Para. 0014; stop sending data to the first terminal device).
Regarding claim 16: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a remote UE.
Furthermore, Xu disclose a remote UE, receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reestablishment success notification of the relay UE sent by the relay UE; and resuming sending the relay data to the relay UE (See FIG. 16 & Para. 0116 & 0108-0109 & 0139; RRC reestablishment complete and resume message).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reestablishment success notification of the relay UE sent by the relay UE; and resuming sending the relay data to the relay UE as taught by Xu in the system of Zhang for performing radio resource control connection procedures for remote wireless devices in a wireless communication system (See Para. 0005; lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 17: The combination of Zhang and Xu discloses a remote UE.
Furthermore, Zhang disclose a remote UE, receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reestablishment failure notification of the relay UE sent by the relay UE; and disconnecting from the relay UE and performing at least one of a relay reselection, a trigger of a connection re-establishment, or a cell reselection (See Para. 0014, 0138 & 0146; the second terminal device can reselect the first terminal device to reduce the communication latency caused by reselecting the first terminal device and RRC reestablishment message).
Regarding claim 22: Zhang discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (See FIG. 2 & Para. 0066; a terminal device (i.e., a relay device) includes a memory) for storing instructions, wherein when the instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed by a processor of a relay user equipment (UE), to perform:
send a first notification message (corresponding to first indication information) to a remote UE (corresponding to remote device) upon a link failure (corresponding to radio link failure) occurring on a link between the relay UE and a network, wherein the link failure comprises at least one of: a radio link failure (See Para, 0066-0067; The relay device determines the first indication information based on the current link status between the relay device and the base station, wherein the current link status is link reconfiguration, failure, link handover failure, handover in progress, radio link failure, or radio resource control connection re-establishment failure. the relay device sends the first indication information to the remote device).
Zhang does not explicitly disclose wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE; wherein the method further comprises: receiving a message sent by the remote UE for releasing the RRC connection or maintaining the RRC connection.
However, Xu from the same field of endeavor discloses wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE (See Para. 0086-0087, 110 & 0130; the relay wireless device (relay device in Zhang) transmits a RRC set up message to the remote wireless device (remote device in Zhang). the RRC procedure is used to reconfigure an existing RRC connection between the remote wireless device and the cellular base station (for example, the cellular base station may attempt to perform a RRC reconfiguration procedure), or may be used to release an existing RRC connection between the remote wireless device and the cellular base station. the relay UE 1304 may provide a RRC release message to the remote UE 1302);
wherein the method further comprises: receiving a message sent by the remote UE for releasing the RRC connection or maintaining the RRC connection (See Para. 0087, 0110, 0130 & 0133; the relay wireless device receives RRC set up completer message from the remote wireless device. the relay wireless device to: receive an indication to release the remote wireless device from the cellular base station in response to the indication of the link failure of the wireless link between the relay wireless device and the remote wireless device).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the first notification message is configured for the remote UE to determine to release or maintain an RRC connection with the relay UE; wherein the method further comprises: receiving a message sent by the remote UE for releasing the RRC connection or maintaining the RRC connection as taught by Xu in the system of Zhang for performing radio resource control connection procedures for remote wireless devices in a wireless communication system (See Para. 0005; lines 1-2).
10. Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang, in view of Xu, further in view of Wu et al. (hereinafter referred as Wu) US Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0070281 A1.
Regarding claim 8: The combination of Zhang and Xu disclose all the limitation of the claimed invention with an exception of wherein determining to send the first notification message to the remote UE based on the configuration from the network device comprises: receiving a quality of service requirement sent by the network device; in response to data of a remote UE satisfying a corresponding quality of service requirement, sending the first notification message to the remote UE satisfying the corresponding quality of service requirement; or in response to the data of a remote UE satisfying a corresponding quality of service requirement, not sending the first notification message to the remote UE satisfying the corresponding quality of service requirement.
However, Wu from the same field of endeavor discloses wherein determining to send the first notification message to the remote UE based on the configuration from the network device comprises: receiving a quality of service requirement sent by the network device; in response to data of a remote UE satisfying a corresponding quality of service requirement, sending the first notification message to the remote UE satisfying the corresponding quality of service requirement (See Para. 0088; the remote terminal measures channel quality of the sidelink channel between it and each relay equipment. the remote terminal transmits the measurement result and the relay identifiers of the relay equipment to the eNB, and the eNB selects an appropriate relay for the remote terminal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein determining to send the first notification message to the remote UE based on the configuration from the network device comprises: receiving a quality of service requirement sent by the network device; in response to data of a remote UE satisfying a corresponding quality of service requirement, sending the first notification message to the remote UE satisfying the corresponding quality of service requirement as taught by Wu in the system of Zhang in order to reduce a time interruption due to a poor relay link (See abstract; lines 7-8).
Conclusion
11. The prior art of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
A. Yan et al. 2024/0406830 A1 (Title: Method and apparatus for a MRO mechanism…) (See Abstract, Para. 0012 & 0037-0038).
B. Agiwal et al. 2024/0373490 A1 (Title: Radio resource control re-establishment) (See abstract, Para. 0006 & 00813-0016).
C. Wu et al. 2023/0239750 A1 (Title: Method and apparatus for a MRO mechanism of..) (See FIG. 1, Para. 0046, 0050 & 0160).
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MEWALE A AMBAYE whose telephone number is (571)270-1076. The examiner can normally be reached on M.F 6a.m.-2p.m..
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/MEWALE A AMBAYE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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