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 .
Priority
2. Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copies CHINA 202110781875.X has been filed on 07/09/2021. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. However, examiner notes that the certified copies lack a certified English translation.
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/21/2023 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
4. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
5. Claims 11-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 11 “User equipment (UE), comprising” should read “A user equipment (UE), comprising”
Claim 11 “(ii) otherwise, release the SL RLC entity and establish a SL RLC entity for the SRB1” should read “(ii) otherwise, in a case where there is a SL RLC entity associated with the SRB1, release the SL RLC entity and establish a SL RLC entity for the SRB1”. Otherwise, “the SL RLC entity” has insufficient antecedent basis.
Claim 11 “apply a default configuration used for SRB1 transmission” should read “apply a default configuration used for the SRB1 transmission”
Claim 12 has similar informalities to claim 11, therefore the same objections are applied.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
6. Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 11 recites “apply a default configuration used for SRB1 transmission to the SL RLC entity for the SRB1” is indefinite because it is unclear whether the “the SL RLC entity” is referring to “otherwise, release the SL RLC entity” in claim 11 or “establish a SL RLC entity for the SRB1” in claim 11. For the purpose of examination, “the SL RLC entity” will be interpreted as “establish a SL RLC entity for the SRB1” in claim 11.
Claim 12 is indefinite because it lacks antecedent basis similarly to claim 11. Therefore, for the purpose of examination, the claim will be interpreted similarly to claim 11.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
7. Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by CAI et al. (US 20240049327 A1, claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202110049294.7 filed Jan. 14, 2021, hereinafter, CAI).
Regarding claim 11, CAI discloses:
User equipment (UE) (Fig. 5B – remote terminal device; Fig. 18; [0110] In addition, for ease of understanding, remote UE and relay UE are used below for description. “Remote UE” described below may be replaced with a “first terminal device”, “relay UE” or “relay UE 1” described below; [0434] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. The communication apparatus 1800 may be the first terminal device or a chip system of the first terminal device in any one of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 to the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, and is configured to implement the method corresponding to the first terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments), comprising:
a processor (Fig. 18 – processor 1801); and
a memory (Fig. 18 – memory 1802) in electronic communication with the processor,
wherein instructions stored in the memory (Fig. 18 – instructions 1804) are executable ([0436] the communication apparatus 1800 includes one or more memories 1802, configured to store instructions 1804. The instructions 1804 may be run on the processor, so that the communication apparatus 1800 performs the method described in the foregoing method embodiments) to:
initiate a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection re-establishment procedure (Fig. 5B – S514 – S515; [0153] To perform RRC reestablishment, the remote UE needs to send an RRC reestablishment request message to the second network device corresponding to the selected first cell. The RRC reestablishment request message includes shortMAC-I. Therefore, the remote UE needs to determine the value of shortMAC-I. For example, the remote UE may determine the value of shortMAC-I based on an identifier of the first cell (for example, an ID of the first cell); [0158] The remote UE may suspend the SRB 1 in S504. To perform RRC reestablishment, the remote UE needs to send the RRC reestablishment request message to the second network device corresponding to the selected first cell. After receiving the RRC reestablishment request message, the second network device needs to send an RRC reestablishment message to the remote UE. The RRC reestablishment message is transmitted through the SRB 1. Therefore, the remote UE needs to resume the SRB 1 before receiving the RRC reestablishment message), in which a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) is re-established for a Signaling Radio Bearer 1 (SRB1) (Fig. 5B – S510; [0154] S510: The remote UE establishes or reestablishes a PDCP entity of a first SRB. In embodiments of this application, the first SRB is, for example, an SRB 1, or may be another SRB. In this embodiment of this application, an example in which the first SRB is the SRB 1 is used);
(i) in a case where there is no sidelink (SL) Radio Link Control (RLC) entity associated with the SRB1 (Fig. 5A- S504; [0142] S504: The remote UE suspends all RBs other than a second SRB. The RB suspended by the remote UE is a Uu RB. In embodiments of this application, the second SRB is, for example, an SRB 0, or may be another SRB. In this embodiment of this application, an example in which the second SRB is the SRB 0 is used; [0143] For example, the remote UE may further release an SL RLC bearer of the suspended RB; (hence there is currently no SL RLC associated with the SRB1)), establish a SL RLC entity for the SRB1 (Fig. 5B – S511; [0155] S511: The remote UE establishes or reestablishes an SL RLC bearer of the SRB 1), or (ii) otherwise, release the SL RLC entity and establish a SL RLC entity for the SRB1;
apply a default configuration used for SRB1 (Fig. 5B – S513) transmission to the SL RLC entity for the SRB1 ([0156] S512: The remote UE applies a default configuration of the SRB 1. The default configuration may be specified in a protocol); and
resume the SRB1 (Fig. 5B – S513; [0157] S513: The remote UE resumes the SRB 1).
Regarding claim 12, CAI discloses:
A method performed by user equipment (UE) (Fig. 5B – remote terminal device; Fig. 18; [0110] In addition, for ease of understanding, remote UE and relay UE are used below for description. “Remote UE” described below may be replaced with a “first terminal device”, “relay UE” or “relay UE 1” described below), the method ([0434] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. The communication apparatus 1800 may be the first terminal device or a chip system of the first terminal device in any one of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 to the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, and is configured to implement the method corresponding to the first terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments.) comprising:
initiating a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection re-establishment procedure (Fig. 5B – S514 – S515; [0153] To perform RRC reestablishment, the remote UE needs to send an RRC reestablishment request message to the second network device corresponding to the selected first cell. The RRC reestablishment request message includes shortMAC-I. Therefore, the remote UE needs to determine the value of shortMAC-I. For example, the remote UE may determine the value of shortMAC-I based on an identifier of the first cell (for example, an ID of the first cell); [0158] The remote UE may suspend the SRB 1 in S504. To perform RRC reestablishment, the remote UE needs to send the RRC reestablishment request message to the second network device corresponding to the selected first cell. After receiving the RRC reestablishment request message, the second network device needs to send an RRC reestablishment message to the remote UE. The RRC reestablishment message is transmitted through the SRB 1. Therefore, the remote UE needs to resume the SRB 1 before receiving the RRC reestablishment message), in which a PDCP is re-established for a Signaling Radio Bearer 1 (SRB1) (Fig. 5B – S510; [0154] S510: The remote UE establishes or reestablishes a PDCP entity of a first SRB. In embodiments of this application, the first SRB is, for example, an SRB 1, or may be another SRB. In this embodiment of this application, an example in which the first SRB is the SRB 1 is used);
(i) in a case where there is no sidelink (SL) Radio Link Control (RLC) entity associated with the SRB1 (Fig. 5A- S504; [0142] S504: The remote UE suspends all RBs other than a second SRB. The RB suspended by the remote UE is a Uu RB. In embodiments of this application, the second SRB is, for example, an SRB 0, or may be another SRB. In this embodiment of this application, an example in which the second SRB is the SRB 0 is used; [0143] For example, the remote UE may further release an SL RLC bearer of the suspended RB; (hence there is currently no SL RLC associated with the SRB1)), establishing a SL RLC entity for the SRB1 (Fig. 5B – S511; [0155] S511: The remote UE establishes or reestablishes an SL RLC bearer of the SRB 1), or (ii) otherwise, releasing the SL RLC entity and establish the SL RLC entity for the SRB1;
applying a default configuration used for the SRB1(Fig. 5B – S513) transmission to the SL RLC entity for the SRB1 ([0156] S512: The remote UE applies a default configuration of the SRB 1 (the SRB1 is established as an SL RLC entity in S511). The default configuration may be specified in a protocol); and
resuming the SRB1 (Fig. 5B – S513; [0157] S513: The remote UE resumes the SRB 1).
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. PTO-892 form.
Freda et al. (US-20240259906-A1) teaches regarding reception of an RRC message resuming Uu-based operation, for example, a WTRU, when connected to a WTRU-to-network relay, may suspend all Uu DRBs and may maintain SRBs. The WTRU may trigger relay RLF and resume DRBs when it receives an RRC message from the network over an SRB via Uu.
CHENG et al. (US-20240163935-A1) teaches techniques for configuring an RLC channel for delivering a remote UE's Uu (e.g., UE-to-base station connection) signal radio bearer (SRB) message (e.g., SRB0 or SRB1 message). the relay UE and the remote UE may use a specified configuration for an SL (or PC5) RLC channel for a first SRB message (e.g., SRB0), and a default configuration for an SL RLC channel for a second SRB message (e.g., SRB1—RRC resume message and RRC reestablishment message).
Pan et al. (US-20220174758-A1) teaches a remote User Equipment (UE) to support UE-to-Network relay communication. The remote UE establishes a PC5 connection with a first relay UE for a relay communication with a first network node. The remote UE also performs a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection establishment procedure with the first network node via the first relay UE. RRC connection establishment involves SRB1 establishment.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THERESA NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2386. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9AM - 5PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MOO JEONG can be reached at (571)272-9617. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THERESA NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2418
/Moo Jeong/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2418