Detailed Action
The office action is in response to the communications filed on 01/12/2024.
Notice of 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 .
Claims Status
Claims 1-13 are pending in this application.
Prior Art Made of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sheng et al. (Publication No. US 2018/0092027), the prior art discloses that UE-to-Network Relay (UTNR) node transmit message 5-3-1, wherein the message comprises a system information availability message that indicates that the UTNR node is capable of providing system information to an interested remote UE, wherein the system information may be sidelink system information, or SIBX, or SIB-NB, or SIB18/SIB19; see figure 5-3 numeral 5-3-1 & ¶ 278. Receipt of the message 5-3-1 by the remote UE triggers the remote UE sending request message 5-3-2, wherein the request message 5-3-2 propose is to request system information suitable for the UE (e.g., a category type for the remote/evolved remote UE 26 or a listing of requested SIBs, for example); see figure 5-3 numeral 5-3-2 & ¶ 278. Upon receipt of the request message 5-3-2, the UTNR node prepares and sends a response message 5-3-4, which provides the appropriate system information for the remote UE 26; see figure 5-3 numeral 5-3-3 & ¶ 278.
Cheng et al. (Publication No. US 2023/0224802), the prior art discloses A remote UE perform relay selection, wherein the relay selection generally refers the procedure whereby the remote UE discovers relay nodes; see ¶ 69. The remote UE discovers [select] relay nodes [plurality] whose sidelink discovery reference signal receive power (SD-RSRP) is above a threshold level; see ¶ 69. The remote UE selects the relay node with the best SD-RSRP; see ¶ 69. After completing the relay discovery procedure, the remote UE establish a connection, via the PC5 interface [sidelink], with the relay UE; see figure 8 numeral 3.
Liao et al. ( Patent Publication No. US 2020/0344708), the prior art discloses a sequence flow of a connection setup procedure between the network and a remote UE via a relay UE; see figure 7. When a remote UE moves to an area with weak or no Uu link to the network, the remote UE can initiate the connection setup procedure for the connection between the network and a remote UE via a relay UE; see ¶ 38. The entire connection setup procedure comprises four parts: 1) Relay UE discovery, 2) Connection setup, 3) UE capability negotiation, and 4) RRC configuration; see figure 7 & ¶ 38.
Zheng et al. ( Patent Publication No. US 2023/0189356), the prior art discloses that the remote UE sends a first request for system information or system information block to a relay terminal; see figure 2 step 202 & ¶ 36. In response to the first request, the relay terminal sends, to the remote terminal, the target SI or SIB corresponding to the first request; see figure 2 step 204 & ¶ 41.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/09/2025 and 03/26/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11 and 13 are allowed.
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.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 12, the claim subject matter is directed to the machine statutory category based on the preamble, which recite “A processor configured to perform operations for a remote user equipment (UE)”. However, there are no structural elements or means-plus-functions recited within the claim. Therefore, the claim is indefinite because the claim only described the processor in terms of what it is configured to do, rather than the actual structural elements of the machine statutory category; MPEP §2173.05(g).
Conclusion
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/H.R/Examiner, Art Unit 2472
/KEVIN T BATES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2472