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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 04/28/2026 have been placed in record and considered by the examiner.
Summary
This action is in reply to Applicant’s Amendments and Remarks filed on 05/20/2026.
Claims 1, 3-14 and 16-20 are pending.
Claims 2 and 15 are canceled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to claims 1, 3-14 and 16-20, filed on 05/20/2026 have been considered fully but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant presented arguments –
A. First, WANG fails to disclose "the configuration information indicates a radio link control (RLC) channel to be used by the first UE for sending the first data" of claim 1, because the Applicant submits that the RLC channel of claim 1 and the PC5 RLC bearer of WANG are entirely different concepts under 3GPP TS 38.331. (REMARKS, Pages 6 of 9 - 7 of 9)
B. Second, WANG fails to disclose "wherein the configuration information comprises a correspondence between RLC channels and identity (ID) information of the first data; wherein the ID information o[the first data comprises a device ID of the second UE' of claim 1, because WANG at the best refers to the target UE identifier in WANG [0195]. (REMARKS, Pages 7 of 9 - 8 of 9)
The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
A. With respect to argument A, the Examiner presents that the claim requires only “a RLC channel” not as defined by the Applicant. Therefore any RLC channel will meet the requirement. WANNG’s PC5 RLC bearer is also a channel for control and data, as evident from WANG –
[0067] …. Uu SRB0 is mapped to the PC5 RLC bearer associated with a sidelink logical channel LCID0 …. and that Uu SRB1 is mapped to the PC5 RLC bearer associated with a sidelink logical channel LCID1, and so on.
Fig. 10 S310, [0156] In S310: a relay UE receives a data packet from a source UE through the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE. The data packet is mapped by the source UE to the PC5 RLC bearer.
Therefore, WANG teaches "the configuration information indicates a radio link control (RLC) channel to be used by the first UE for sending the first data" as required by claim 1.
B. With respect to argument B, the Examiner presents that WANG discloses –
[0066] The PC5 RLC bearer is also referred to as PC5 BH bearer….
[0157] In S320: the relay UE parses the data packet, identifies the target UE corresponding to the data packet, maps the data packet to the relay BH bearer between the relay UE and the target UE, and sends the data packet to the target UE.
[0158] The source UE and the target UE perform data forwarding through the relay UE. For an L2 UE-to-UE relay, the source UE and the target UE can establish a unicast link (L2 link/PC5-S link) through the relay UE, perform PC5 RRC signaling exchange, and maintain an end-to-end PDCP.
[0159] In the preceding solution, the source UE maps the data packet to the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and sends the data packet to the relay UE. The relay UE receives and parses the data packet, identifies the target UE corresponding to the data packet, maps the data packet to the relay BH bearer between the relay UE and the target UE, and sends the data packet to the target UE. Thus, relay data forwarding between the source communication device and the target communication device applicable to a 5G NR system is implemented.
[0160] Considering that the relay UE may serve multiple remote UE pairs at the same time, a sending UE needs to indicate a target remote UE when sending data to the relay UE. The relay UE needs to indicate a source sending remote UE when forwarding data to the target remote UE. A reception UE/target UE needs to be able to identify which SLRB the data received from the PC5 BH bearer corresponds to and deliver the data to the corresponding PDCP entity. Therefore, an adaptation layer is required for data routing processing between the source UE and the relay UE and/or the relay UE and the target UE. An L2 UE-to-UE relay control plane protocol stack is shown in FIG. 11. A user plane protocol stack is shown in FIG. 12.
[0161] Assuming that UE1 is a source sending UE, UE3 is a target UE, the connection between UE1 and the relay UE is referred to as access BH, and the connection between the relay UE and UE3 is relay BH, the control plane and user plane data routing processing is as follows.
See also Fig. 14 S410 and S420, and
[0191] …. The first configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: …… the mapping relationship between the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and a relay BH bearer.
See also, [0194] The second configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: end-to-end sidelink bearer configuration between the source UE and the target UE, PC5 RLC bearer configuration between the source UE and the relay UE, or the mapping relationship between the end-to-end sidelink bearer between the source UE and the target UE and the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE.
[0195] The end-to-end sidelink bearer configuration between the source UE and the target UE includes any one of the following: ….. the PC5 RLC bearer identifier or index between a source UE and a relay UE associated with the source UE.
It is construed, since according to [0160, 0191] relay UE, serving multiple UE pairs, needs to indicate the source UE1 to remote UE3 so that UE3 can identify which SLRB the data received from the PC5 BH bearer corresponds to, and PC5 BH is also the PC5 RLC bearer, and the configuration information includes mapping relationship between the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and a relay BH bearer, it is implicit that the configuration information of S410 comprises a correspondence between RLC channels and identity (ID) information of the source UE1 or the second UE.
[0194-0195] also disclose configuration in include mapping relationship between the end-to-end sidelink bearer between the source UE and the target UE and the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and index or an identifier associated with the source UE
Therefore, WANG teaches "wherein the configuration information comprises a correspondence between RLC channels and identity (ID) information of the first data; wherein the ID information o[the first data comprises a device ID of the second UE' of claim 1.
Accordingly claim 1 and similarly claim 14 are rejected.
Dependent claims 3-13 and 16-20, being dependent on claims 1 and 14, are also rejected for the same reason as above.
NOTICE for all US Patent Applications filed on or after March 16, 2013
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 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.
Claims 1, 3-14 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as anticipated by Wang et al. (CN 111901847 A, of IDS, translated with family US 20230073469 A1, hereinafter ‘WANG’).
Regarding claim 1, WANG teaches a data transmission method, comprising:
sending, by a first user equipment (UE), first data according to configuration information (
Fig. 14 S410->S420,
[0185] In S410, a relay UE acquires first configuration information of relay communication from a base station.
[0186] The first configuration information of relay communication refers to configuration information for the base station to perform relay communication configuration for the relay UE, and may be bearer configuration information.
[0187] In S420, the relay UE performs data forwarding for a source UE and a target UE according to the first configuration information of relay communication.
See also [0192] Further, the relay communication method further includes the source UE acquiring second configuration information of relay communication from the base station; and the source UE communicating with the target UE through the relay UE according to the second configuration information of relay communication.), wherein the first data comprises data to be sent to a third UE which is of the first UE itself (
Fig. 15, UE1 or first UE, UE3 or third UE), or
is received from a network device by the first UE (
[0220] In one example, the source communication device is a base station, and the target communication device is a remote UE.
[0221] The first data reception module 510 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to receive the data packet from the base station through the relay bearer. The data packet is mapped by the base station from the Uu bearer of the remote UE to the relay bearer between the base station and the relay UE.
[0222] The first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to map the data packet to the PC5 RLC bearer between the relay UE and the remote UE and send the data packet to the remote UE), or
is received from a second UE by the first UE (
Fig. 15, UE1 or second UE, Relay UE or first UE, UE3 or third UE, Bidirectional Data communication between UE1 and UE3 via UE relay after step 8,
[0198] As shown in FIG. 15, UE1 discovers UE3 through a relay UE. UE1 and the relay UE, and the relay UE and UE3 separately establish an L2 link for data forwarding. A PC5-S connection establishment request message indicates relay forwarding. UE1 and UE3 establish an L2 link through the relay UE and exchange service types and QoS information service/QoS info………), and/or
data to be sent to the network device which is received from the second UE by the first UE (
[0211] In one example, the source communication device is the remote UE, and the target communication device is the base station.
[0212] The first data reception module 510 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to receive the data packet from the remote UE through the PC5 RLC bearer. The data packet is mapped from a Uu bearer to the PC5 RLC bearer between the remote UE and the relay UE by the remote UE based on a configured mapping relationship.
[0213] The first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to identify the Uu bearer of the remote UE to which the data packet belongs, map the data packet to the relay bearer between the relay UE and the base station, and transmit the data packet to the base station.
See also Fig. 10 Box 310, Fig. 11 L2 Relay UE for communication between UE1 and UE3, and Fig. 14 step S420 ), and wherein
the configuration information indicates a radio link control (RLC) channel to be used by the first UE for sending the first data (
Fig. 3, [0066] The PC5 RLC bearer is also referred to as PC5 BH bearer, SL BH bearer, or access BH bearer….
[0187] In S420, the relay UE performs data forwarding for a source UE and a target UE according to the first configuration information of relay communication.
[0191] the base station ….. sends the first configuration information of relay communication to the relay UE. The first configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: …… the mapping relationship between the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and a relay BH bearer.
[0192] Further, the relay communication method further includes the source UE acquiring second configuration information of relay communication from the base station; …..
[0194] The second configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: ….. PC5 RLC bearer configuration between the source UE and the relay UE.
See also [0200] … the relay BH bearer configuration between the relay UE and the target UE contained in the bearer configuration information sent by gNB1 to UE1 includes at least one of the following: a relay BH bearer identifier/index, RLC, a logical channel …..
(Construed that UE at least uses PC5 RLC bearer or channel to identify the relay BH bearer channel using a configured mapping information for forwarding or sending the first data to target or third UE, relay BH bearer configuration includes at least one of the following: a relay BH bearer identifier/index, RLC, a logical channel));
wherein the configuration information comprises a correspondence between RLC channels and identity (ID) information of the first data; wherein the ID information of the first data comprises a device ID of the second UE (
[0066] The PC5 RLC bearer is also referred to as PC5 BH bearer….
[0157] In S320: the relay UE parses the data packet, identifies the target UE corresponding to the data packet, maps the data packet to the relay BH bearer between the relay UE and the target UE, and sends the data packet to the target UE.
[0158] The source UE and the target UE perform data forwarding through the relay UE. For an L2 UE-to-UE relay, the source UE and the target UE can establish a unicast link (L2 link/PC5-S link) through the relay UE, perform PC5 RRC signaling exchange, and maintain an end-to-end PDCP.
[0159] In the preceding solution, the source UE maps the data packet to the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and sends the data packet to the relay UE. The relay UE receives and parses the data packet, identifies the target UE corresponding to the data packet, maps the data packet to the relay BH bearer between the relay UE and the target UE, and sends the data packet to the target UE. Thus, relay data forwarding between the source communication device and the target communication device applicable to a 5G NR system is implemented.
[0160] Considering that the relay UE may serve multiple remote UE pairs at the same time, a sending UE needs to indicate a target remote UE when sending data to the relay UE. The relay UE needs to indicate a source sending remote UE when forwarding data to the target remote UE. A reception UE/target UE needs to be able to identify which SLRB the data received from the PC5 BH bearer corresponds to and deliver the data to the corresponding PDCP entity. Therefore, an adaptation layer is required for data routing processing between the source UE and the relay UE and/or the relay UE and the target UE. An L2 UE-to-UE relay control plane protocol stack is shown in FIG. 11. A user plane protocol stack is shown in FIG. 12.
[0161] Assuming that UE1 is a source sending UE, UE3 is a target UE, the connection between UE1 and the relay UE is referred to as access BH, and the connection between the relay UE and UE3 is relay BH, the control plane and user plane data routing processing is as follows.
See also Fig. 14 S410 and S420, and
[0191] …. The first configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: …… the mapping relationship between the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and a relay BH bearer.
May see also, [0194-0195] configuration including … mapping relationship between the end-to-end sidelink bearer between the source UE and the target UE and the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE, and index between a source UE and a relay UE associated with the source UE.
(Construed, since according to [0160, 0191], or [0194-0195], relay UE, serving multiple UE pairs, needs indicate the source UE1 to remote UE3 so that UE3 can identify which SLRB the data received from the PC5 BH bearer corresponds to, and PC5 BH is also the PC5 RLC bearer, and the configuration information includes mapping relationship between the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and a relay BH bearer, it is implicit that the configuration information of S410 comprises a correspondence between RLC channels and identity (ID) information of the source UE1 or the second UE)).
Regarding claim 3, WANG teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the ID information of the first data comprises a device ID of the third UE (
[0195] The end-to-end sidelink bearer configuration between the source UE and the target UE includes any one of the following: a target UE identifier, ….. PC5 RLC bearer identifier or index between a source UE and a relay UE associated with the source UE.).
Regarding claim 4, WANG teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the device ID comprises at least one of the following of a UE: a layer 2 identifier (L2 ID) or an ID to be used at an adaptation layer for the first UE (
Fig. 12, [0160] …. Therefore, an adaptation layer is required for data routing processing between the source UE and the relay UE and/or the relay UE and the target UE. An L2 UE-to-UE relay control plane protocol stack is shown in FIG. 11. A user plane protocol stack is shown in FIG. 12.
[0169] Optionally, the source sending UE maps the encapsulated adaptation layer adapt PDU to the access BH bearer between the source sending UE and the relay UE based on a mapping relationship, which is …. configured by the base station…..between an SL SRB/DRB and an access BH bearer or between an SL SRB/DRB and an LCD (LCID-associated access BH bearer) ….
[0195] The end-to-end sidelink bearer configuration between the source UE and the target UE includes any one of the following: …. PC5 RLC bearer identifier or index between a source UE and a relay UE associated with the source UE.
See also [0198] … UE1 and UE3 establish an L2 link through the relay UE ….
[0201] UE1 receives base station configuration and exchanges the PC5 BH bearer configuration between the source UE and the relay UE with the relay UE through a PC5 RRC signaling).
Regarding claim 5, WANG teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the ID information of the first data comprises an ID of a bearer carrying the first data (
See [0194, 0195] cited above for claim 2,
[0195] …..a target UE identifier, a bearer identifier or index, a mapping from a QoS flow to a sidelink bearer,…. or the PC5 RLC bearer identifier ).
Regarding claim 6, WANG teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the first UE is a relay UE between other UEs and the network device (
[0211] In one example, the source communication device is the remote UE, and the target communication device is the base station.
[0212] The first data reception module 510 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to receive the data packet from the remote UE through the PC5 RLC bearer. The data packet is mapped from a Uu bearer to the PC5 RLC bearer between the remote UE and the relay UE by the remote UE based on a configured mapping relationship.
[0213] The first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to identify the Uu bearer of the remote UE to which the data packet belongs, map the data packet to the relay bearer between the relay UE and the base station, and transmit the data packet to the base station.
[0220] In one example, the source communication device is a base station, and the target communication device is a remote UE.
[0221] The first data reception module 510 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to receive the data packet from the base station through the relay bearer. The data packet is mapped by the base station from the Uu bearer of the remote UE to the relay bearer between the base station and the relay UE.
[0222] The first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to map the data packet to the PC5 RLC bearer between the relay UE and the remote UE and send the data packet to the remote UE).
Regarding claim 7, WANG teaches the method of claim 6, wherein the first UE is a relay UE for relay from the network device to the third UE, the first data is data which is received from the network device by the first UE and to be sent to the third UE (
See [0220-0222] cited for Claim 6), and the configuration information indicates an RLC channel for a first proximity based service (ProSe) communication interface (PC5 interface) to be used by the first UE for sending the first data (
[0222] The first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to map the data packet to the PC5 RLC bearer between the relay UE and the remote UE and send the data packet to the remote UE).
Regarding claim 8, WANG teaches the method of claim 7, wherein the device ID in the ID information comprises the device ID of the third UE (
[0222] The first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to map the data packet to the PC5 RLC bearer between the relay UE and the remote UE and send the data packet to the remote UE.
[0223] In one example, a manner in which the base station maps the Uu bearer of the remote UE to the relay bearer between the base station and the relay UE includes at least one of the following: ….. .. the base station delivers the data packet of the Uu bearer of the remote UE to an adaptation layer to make the data packet processed by the adaptation layer, adds an adaptation layer packet header to the data packet, and maps the data packet to a relay Uu BH bearer dedicated for data forwarding. The adaptation layer packet header includes at least one of the following: a remote UE identifier, a Uu bearer identifier or index of the remote UE….).
Regarding claim 9, WANG teaches the method of claim 6, wherein the first UE is a relay UE for relay from the second UE to the network device, the first data is data which is received from the second UE by the first UE and to be sent to the network device (
See [0211-0213] cited for claim 6), and the configuration information indicates an RLC channel for a second Uu interface to be used by the first UE for sending the first data to the network device (
[0213] The first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to identify the Uu bearer of the remote UE to which the data packet belongs, map the data packet to the relay bearer between the relay UE and the base station, and transmit the data packet to the base station.
[0217] In one example, a manner in which the relay UE maps the data packet to the relay bearer between the relay UE and the base station and transmits the data packet to the base station includes at least one of the following: the relay UE maps the data packet to a Uu RLC bearer associated with a relay UE protocol data unit (PDU) session dedicated for data forwarding to transmit; or the relay UE maps the data packet to a relay Uu backhaul bearer dedicated for relay data forwarding to send.).
Regarding claim 10, WANG teaches the method of claim 9, wherein the device ID in the ID information comprises the device ID of the second UE (
[0216] In one example, the first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to identify the Uu bearer of the remote UE to which the data packet belongs based on either an one-to-one mapping relationship, acquired from the base station … between Uu bearers of the remote UE and PC5 RLC bearers, or a Uu bearer identifier or index of the remote UE contained in an adaptation layer packet header.
[0218] In one example, the first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE adaptation layer and to add a packet header to the data packet and map the data packet to the relay Uu BH bearer. The packet header includes at least one piece of the following information: a remote UE identifier, a remote UE Uu bearer identifier ……).
Regarding claim 11, WANG teaches the method of claim 6, wherein the ID of the bearer carrying the first data in the ID information is an ID of a Uu bearer for the first data (
Fig. 3, [0066] The PC5 RLC bearer is also referred to as PC5 BH bearer, SL BH bearer, or access BH bearer. The Uu bearer refers to a Uu DRB/SRB. The relay bearer, the relay Uu BH bearer, and the relay air interface bearer are the same and refer to the bearer between the relay UE and the base station.
[0216] In one example, the first data forwarding module 520 is specifically configured in the relay UE and to identify the Uu bearer of the remote UE to which the data packet belongs based on either an one-to-one mapping relationship, acquired from the base station … between Uu bearers of the remote UE and PC5 RLC bearers, or a Uu bearer identifier or index of the remote UE contained in an adaptation layer packet header.).
Regarding claim 12, WANG teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the first UE is a UE for communicating with the third UE through relay of a relay UE (
[0198] As shown in FIG. 15, UE1 discovers UE3 through a relay UE. UE1 and the relay UE, and the relay UE and UE3 separately establish an L2 link for data forwarding. A PC5-S connection establishment request message indicates relay forwarding. UE1 and UE3 establish an L2 link through the relay UE and exchange service types and QoS information service/QoS info………), wherein the first data is data to be sent to the third UE which is of the first UE itself (
See Fig 15 bidirectional data communication between UE1 and UE3 via Relay UE), or is received from the network device by the first UE, or is received from the second UE by the first UE, and the configuration information indicates an RLC channel for a third PC5 interface to be used by the first UE for sending the first data to the relay UE (
[0194] The second configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: end-to-end sidelink bearer configuration between the source UE and the target UE, PC5 RLC bearer configuration between the source UE and the relay UE, or the mapping relationship between the end-to-end sidelink bearer between the source UE and the target UE and the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE.).
Regarding claim 13, WANG teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the ID of the bearer carrying the first data in the ID information is an ID of a PC5 bearer for the first data (
[0195] The end-to-end sidelink bearer configuration between the source UE and the target UE includes any one of the following: a target UE identifier, a bearer identifier or index, a mapping from a QoS flow to a sidelink bearer, whether to carry an SDAP subheader, PDCP configuration, or the PC5 RLC bearer identifier or index between a source UE and a relay UE associated with the source UE.).
Regarding claim 14, WANG teaches a user equipment (UE), being a first user equipment (UE) (
Fig. 12, Fig. 15, UE1 or L2 Relay UE,
Fig. 20, Communication device) and comprising:
a transceiver (Fig. 12, Fig. 15, UE1 or L2 Relay UE, Fig. 20, Communication device, implicit);
a memory storing computer programs; and
a processor configured to execute the computer programs (
Fig. 20, [0268] FIG. 20 is a structural diagram of a communication device according to the present application. As shown in FIG. 20, the communication device provided in the present application includes one or more processors 910 and a memory 920. One or more processors 910 may be provided in the communication device. In FIG. 20, one processor 910 is used as an example. The memory 920 is used for storing one or more programs. When executed by the one or more processors 910, the one or more programs cause the one or more processors 910 to implement the sidelink relay communication method applied to UE-to-Network relay communication or the sidelink relay communication method applied to UE-to-UE relay communication described in embodiments of the present application.).
Further, claim 14 with features mutatis mutandis of claim 1, is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 16, WANG teaches the UE of claim 14, wherein the first UE is a relay UE for relay from the second UE to the third UE, wherein the first data is data which is of the relay UE itself and to be sent to the third UE or is obtained from the second UE and to be sent to the third UE, (
Fig. 15, UE1 or second UE, Relay UE or first UE, UE3 or third UE, Bidirectional Data communication between UE1 and UE3 via UE relay after step 8,
[0198] As shown in FIG. 15, UE1 discovers UE3 through a relay UE. UE1 and the relay UE, and the relay UE and UE3 separately establish an L2 link for data forwarding. A PC5-S connection establishment request message indicates relay forwarding. UE1 and UE3 establish an L2 link through the relay UE and exchange service types and QoS information service/QoS info………), and the configuration information indicates an RLC channel for a fourth PC5 interface to be used by the first UE for sending the first data to the third UE (
[0187] In S420, the relay UE performs data forwarding for a source UE and a target UE according to the first configuration information of relay communication.
[0191] the base station ….. sends the first configuration information of relay communication to the relay UE. The first configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: …… the mapping relationship between the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and a relay BH bearer.
[0192] Further, the relay communication method further includes the source UE acquiring second configuration information of relay communication from the base station; …..
[0194] The second configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: ….. PC5 RLC bearer configuration between the source UE and the relay UE.
See also [0200] … the relay BH bearer configuration between the relay UE and the target UE contained in the bearer configuration information sent by gNB1 to UE1 includes at least one of the following: a relay BH bearer identifier/index, RLC, a logical channel …..
(Construed that UE at least uses PC5 RLC bearer or channel to identify the relay BH bearer channel using a configured mapping information for forwarding or sending the first data to target or third UE, relay BH bearer configuration includes at least one of the following: a relay BH bearer identifier/index, RLC, a logical channel)).
Regarding claim 17, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding claim 18, WANG teaches the UE of claim 14, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive the configuration information sent by the network device (
Fig. 14 S410->S420,
[0185] In S410, a relay UE acquires first configuration information of relay communication from a base station.
[0186] The first configuration information of relay communication refers to configuration information for the base station to perform relay communication configuration for the relay UE, and may be bearer configuration information.).
Regarding claim 19, WANG teaches the UE of claim 14, wherein when the bearer carrying the first data is signaling radio bearer 0 (SRB0) and/or SRB1, the configuration information is configuration information predefined in a protocol (
[0065] The configured mapping relationship refers to a mapping relationship, which is configured by the base station or pre-configured or predefined, between the Uu bearer and the PC5 RLC bearer. That is, the remote UE maps the data packet from the Uu bearer to the PC5 RLC bearer according to the mapping relationship, which is configured by the base station or pre-configured or predefined, between the Uu bearer and the PC5 RLC bearer.
[0066] The PC5 RLC bearer is also referred to as PC5 BH bearer, SL BH bearer, or access BH bearer. The Uu bearer refers to a Uu DRB/SRB. The relay bearer, the relay Uu BH bearer, and the relay air interface bearer are the same and refer to the bearer between the relay UE and the base station.
[0067] Exemplarily, the predefined mapping relationship between the Uu bearer and the PC5 RLC bearer may be that a protocol defines that Uu SRB0 is mapped to the PC5 RLC bearer associated with a sidelink logical channel LCID0 (for example merely, it may be LCID1 or otherwise) and that Uu SRB1 is mapped to the PC5 RLC bearer associated with a sidelink logical channel LCID1, and so on.); or
when the bearer carrying the first data is SRB2 or a data radio bearer (DRB), the configuration information is information received from the network device by the first UE (
See [0065, 0066] cited above.
See also [0191] Specifically, the base station receives the forwarded service data related information reported by the relay UE, performs relay communication configuration for the relay UE based on the forwarded service data related information, and sends the first configuration information of relay communication to the relay UE. The first configuration information of relay communication includes at least one of the following: the relay BH bearer between the relay UE and the target UE or the mapping relationship between the PC5 RLC bearer between the source UE and the relay UE and a relay BH bearer.
See also Fig. 14 S410, S420, [0185-0187] receives configuration from base station for data forwarding according to the configuration, cited above for claims 16 and 18.).
Regarding claim 20, WANG teaches the UE of claim 15, wherein the transceiver is configured to:
obtain the ID information of the first data;
the processor is configured to determine, according to the configuration information, an RLC channel that matches the ID information of the first data; and
the transceiver is configured to send the first data by using the RLC channel that matches the ID information (
[0166] In one example, before the relay UE maps the data packet to the relay BH bearer between the relay UE and the target UE, the method further includes the relay UE processing the data packet by an adaptation layer. The adaptation layer processing includes adding an adaptation layer packet header. The adaptation layer packet header includes at least one of the following: a source UE identifier, a target UE identifier, a sidelink bearer identifier, a PC5 RLC bearer identifier or an associated logical channel identifier, or a sidelink bearer priority.
[0167] The adaptation layer packet header refers to the adaptation layer packet header added by a relay UE adaptation layer for a data packet.
See also Fig. 14 S410->S420, [0185-0186] cited above for claim 18).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Xu et al. (US 20220304083 A1), describing Data Forwarding Procedures For Relay Wireless Devices
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/SHAH M RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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