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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the Specification filed 01/12/2024 has text that is not solid black and is difficult to read. Examiner respectfully requests that applicant upload a new Specification with solid black lettering with any subsequent Response.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Talebi Fard (US 2022/0353799 A1).
Talebi Fard is directed to the same field of invention as the instant claims, namely path reselection between a remote UE, one or more relay UEs, and a network device based at least in part on signal strength measured at the remote UE. See, for example, Fig. 23 recreated below.
PNG
media_image1.png
684
932
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding Claim 1, Talebi Fard teaches the below limitation(s):
a plurality of end wireless devices that include an antenna, a first processor and a first storage medium having first computer program instructions stored thereon (Talebi Fard Fig 20-22 teaches at least two remote UEs (i.e. end wireless devices) that are connected to the network via at least one relay device (i.e. transfer device); Fig 3 wireless device/UE 100 comprises processor 318, memory 326 (i.e. storage medium), and communication interface(s) 320 (i.e. antenna(s))), and
transmit and receive signals to and from a wireless terminal which is a communication target (Fig 25-27 RAN is in wireless communication with Relay UE1, Relay U2, and Remote UE (i.e. wireless terminal));
a plurality of transfer devices that transfer signals which are transmitted and received by the wireless terminal which is a communication target and the end wireless device (Fig 14, Fig 23-25 and [0303] teaches one or more first devices (relay UEs, UE-to-network relay UEs, and/or the like), which examiner is interpreting as the claimed "transfer device"); and
a transfer management device that includes a second processor and a second storage medium having second computer program instructions stored thereon (Fig 3 base station 105 (i.e. transfer management device) comprising processor 344, memory 346 (i.e. storage medium) and communication interface(s) 342 (i.e. antenna(s))), wherein the second computer program instruction, when executed by the second processor, perform processing of:
executing a transfer route control process of controlling paths between the plurality of transfer devices on the basis of the received communication status information, in a case where communication status information indicating a status of communication between the wireless terminal and the end wireless devices is received (Fig 24 wherein UE1 selects a relay UE (i.e. path selection/switching) based on access status info [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength (i.e. a status of communication)),
wherein the first computer program instruction, when executed by the first processor, perform processing of:
executing a switching process of controlling operations of the end wireless devices relating to communication between the end wireless devices and the wireless terminal on the basis of the communication status information (Fig 24 wherein UE1 (i.e. remote UE i.e. wireless terminal) selects a relay UE based on access status info (e.g. communication status); [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength (i.e. a status of communication)), and
the second processor receives the communication status information before the switching process is completed (Fig 24 UE3 (i.e. relay UE i.e. transfer device) transmits response message comprising access information to UE1 prior to relay selection).
Regarding Claim 2, Talebi Fard teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 1.
Talebi Fard further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein the communication status information received by the end wireless devices indicates a terminal signal strength which is a strength of a signal received by the wireless terminal and transmitted from the antenna (Talebi Fard [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength (i.e. a status of communication)).
Regarding Claim 3, Talebi Fard teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 2.
Talebi Fard further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein the communication status information received by the transfer management device indicates a terminal signal strength which is a strength of a signal received by the wireless terminal and transmitted from the antenna (Talebi Fard [0274] UE may detect that signal strength is not sufficient to connect to the network and perform a relay selection/path switching procedure in response; [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength (i.e. a status of communication)).
Regarding Claim 4, Talebi Fard teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 3.
Talebi Fard further teaches the below limitation(s):
determining whether the switching process is executed on the basis of the terminal signal strength (Talebi Fard [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength; see also [0274]).
Regarding Claim 5, Talebi Fard teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 2.
Talebi Fard further teaches the below limitation(s):
wherein the communication status information received by the transfer management device is information obtained on the basis of the terminal signal strength (Talebi Fard [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength).
Regarding Claim 6, Talebi Fard teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 5.
Talebi Fard further teaches the below limitation(s):
determining whether the switching process is executed on the basis of the terminal signal strength (Talebi Fard [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength), and
the information obtained on the basis of the terminal signal strength is a result of the end wireless device determining whether the switching process is executed on the basis of the terminal signal strength ([0274] UE may detect that signal strength is not sufficient to connect to the network and perform a relay selection/path switching procedure in response).
Regarding Claim 7, Talebi Fard teaches the limitation(s) of Claim 1.
Talebi Fard further teaches the below limitation(s):
acquiring the communication status information obtained by the end wireless devices by being transferred by a base station management device that manages the end wireless devices (Talebi Fard Fig 27 wherein Remote UE (wireless device) communicates with Relay UE to obtain access status and perform path reselection to communicate with RAN1 (i.e. base station), wherein examiner is interpreting the Relay UE of Fig 27 as a "base station management device" because it manages connection between the Remote UE and base station RAN1).
Regarding Claim 8, Talebi Fard teaches the below limitation(s):
a plurality of end wireless devices that include an antenna, a first processor and a first storage medium having first computer program instructions stored thereon (Talebi Fard Fig 20-22 teaches at least two remote UEs (i.e. end wireless devices) that are connected to the network via at least one relay device (i.e. transfer device); Fig 3 wireless device/UE 100 comprises processor 318, memory 326 (i.e. storage medium), and communication interface(s) 320 (i.e. antenna(s))), and
transmit and receive signals to and from a wireless terminal which is a communication target (Fig 25-27 RAN is in wireless communication with Relay UE1, Relay U2, and Remote UE (i.e. wireless terminal));
a plurality of transfer devices that transfer signals which are transmitted and received by the wireless terminal which is a communication target and the end wireless device (Fig 14, Fig 23-25 and [0303] teaches one or more first devices (relay UEs, UE-to-network relay UEs, and/or the like), which examiner is interpreting as the claimed "transfer device"); and
a transfer management device that includes a second processor and a second storage medium having second computer program instructions stored thereon (Fig 3 base station 105 (i.e. transfer management device) comprising processor 344, memory 346 (i.e. storage medium) and communication interface(s) 342 (i.e. antenna(s))), wherein the second computer program instruction, when executed by the second processor, perform processing of:
executing a transfer route control process of controlling paths between the plurality of transfer devices on the basis of the received communication status information (Fig 24 wherein UE1 selects a relay UE (i.e. path selection/switching) based on access status info [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength (i.e. a status of communication); [0303] remote UE (i.e. end wireless device) may determine to switch path from Uu to relay path e.g. due to signal strength (i.e. a status of communication)),
in a case where communication status information indicating a status of communication between the wireless terminal and the end wireless devices is received, the method comprising:
the first processor executing a switching process of controlling operations of the end wireless devices relating to communication between the end wireless devices and the wireless terminal on the basis of the communication status information (Fig 24 wherein UE1 (i.e. remote UE i.e. wireless terminal) selects a relay UE based on access status info (e.g. communication status)); and
the second processor receiving the communication status information before the switching process is completed (Fig 24 UE3 (i.e. relay UE i.e. transfer device) transmits response message comprising access information to UE1 prior to relay selection).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAWN D MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-8599. The examiner can normally be reached M-TR 8-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles C Jiang can be reached at (571) 270-7191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SHAWN D MILLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412