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
IDS(es) submitted on 1/10/2024 has/have been considered.
Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration filed on 12/15/2023 has been acknowledged.
Drawings
Drawing(s) submitted on 12/15/2023 have been acknowledged.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xu et al. (US 2019/0223066; hereinafter Xu).
Regarding claim 1, XU discloses an apparatus comprising:
at least one processor (Fig. 13; UE); and
at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor (Fig. 13; UE), cause the apparatus at least to perform:
establishing a direct connection to a serving cell in a wireless network ([0130]: UE 204A is initially attached to the source cell 202A);
establishing a sidelink connection to a relaying apparatus at least via which data is relayed between the apparatus and the serving cell ([0127]-[0128]: UE204A maintains a sidelink with UE 204B, the relaying/assisting UE);
detecting a mobility event relating to the direct connection ([0130]: mobility from source cell to target cell when UE 204A is moving from source cell coverage to target cell coverage, Fig. 2D);
determining for the mobility event a target cell in the wireless network ([0130]: initiating mobility from source cell to target cell when UE 204A is moving from source cell coverage to target cell coverage, Fig. 2D, and detaching from source cell to handover to target cell); and
causing transmitting over the sidelink connection to the relaying apparatus a control signal message to be relayed to the serving cell, the control signal message indicating at least the mobility event, the target cell and an identifier of the apparatus (Fig. 5, step 506 wherein the relaying UE 204B reports to source cell information about the UE 204A that is leaving the coverage area of the source cell and moving into the coverage of a target cell, shown in Fig. 2D; requesting the source cell negotiate handover to the target cell).
Regarding claim 2, Xu discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to perform, before causing transmitting the control signal message to the relaying apparatus:
adding information indicating the serving cell to the control signal message (Fig. 5, step 506 wherein the relaying UE 204B reports to source cell information about the UE 204A that is leaving the coverage area of the source cell and moving into the coverage of a target cell, shown in Fig. 2D; requesting the source cell negotiate handover to the target cell).
Regarding claim 3, Xu discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to perform, before adding the information indicating the serving cell:
determining, whether the relaying apparatus is served by the serving cell (Fig. 4B, [0103]: wherein UE 204B is not connected to the network and relies on a third UE 204C to connect to UE 204A then to the network); and
performing the adding in response to determining that the relaying apparatus is not served by the serving cell [0103]: wherein UE 204B is not connected to the network and relies on a third UE 204C to connect to UE 204A then to the network).
Regarding claim 4, Xu discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to perform:
detecting as the mobility event that a conditional handover execution condition for the target cell is met ([0130]: initiating mobility from source cell to target cell when UE 204A is moving from source cell coverage to target cell coverage, Fig. 2D, and detaching from source cell to handover to target cell; the condition of acceptable SINR); and
indicating in the control signal message that the mobility event is a conditional handover (Fig. 5, step 506 wherein the relaying UE 204B reports to source cell information about the UE 204A that is leaving the coverage area of the source cell and moving into the coverage of a target cell, shown in Fig. 2D; requesting the source cell negotiate handover to the target cell).
Regarding claim 5, Xu discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to at least perform:
detecting as the mobility event a beam link failure of the direct connection ([0061]: link failures);
initiating a beam link failure recovery to a candidate beam ([0130]: initiating mobility from source cell to target cell when UE 204A is moving from source cell coverage to target cell coverage, Fig. 2D, and detaching from source cell to handover to target cell);
determining a cell providing the candidate beam to be the target cell ([0130]: initiating mobility from source cell to target cell when UE 204A is moving from source cell coverage to target cell coverage, Fig. 2D, and detaching from source cell to handover to target cell); and
indicating in the control signal message that the mobility event is a beam link failure ([0130]: initiating mobility from source cell to target cell when UE 204A is moving from source cell coverage to target cell coverage, Fig. 2D, and detaching from source cell to handover to target cell).
Regarding claim 6, Xu discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control signal message is a containerized control message transmitted to the relaying apparatus within a radio resource control reconfiguration sidelink message ([0085]: maintaining a sidelink connection between UE 204A and UE 204B during assisted handover).
Regarding claim 9, Xu discloses a network apparatus comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:
establishing a direct connection to an apparatus in a wireless network ([0130]: the source cell 202A is initially attached to UE 204A);
establishing via at least a relaying apparatus a second connection to the apparatus with a relay context for the relaying apparatus to act as a relay node to relay data between the network apparatus and the apparatus using a sidelink connection between the relaying apparatus and the apparatus ([0127]-[0128]: UE204A maintains a sidelink with UE 204B, the relaying/assisting UE);
receiving over the second connection a control signal message indicating at least a mobility event relating to the direct connection, a target cell and an identifier of the apparatus (Fig. 5, step 506 wherein the relaying UE 204B reports to source cell information about the UE 204A that is leaving the coverage area of the source cell and moving into the coverage of a target cell, shown in Fig. 2D; requesting the source cell negotiate handover to the target cell); and
stopping, in response to the control signal message, at least transmitting data over the direct connection to the apparatus ([0130]: initiating mobility from source cell to target cell when UE 204A is moving from source cell coverage to target cell coverage, Fig. 2D, and detaching from source cell to handover to target cell).
10. (Original) The network apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to at least perform, in response to the mobility event indicated being a conditional handover:
stopping receiving data over the direct connection from the apparatus;
causing transmitting to a target network apparatus providing the target cell information for receiving data from the apparatus and for transmitting data to the apparatus; forwarding to the target network apparatus data to be transmitted to the apparatus; and
causing transmitting to one or more network apparatuses that provide one or more cells that have been determined to be a candidate cell for the conditional handover information indicating to release resources allocated for the apparatus.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUCK HUYNH whose telephone number is (571)272-7866. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am - 6pm.
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/CHUCK HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644