CTNF 18/632,839 CTNF 94960 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 (IDSs) were submitted on 09/07/2024, 01/24/2025 and 02/10/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner. Specification The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because of following informalities: The abstract contains phrases, “In this way, the first network device performs sidelink communication configuration based on the first paging parameter, so that quality of sidelink communication between the relay device and the remote device is improved, and scheduling flexibility of the first network device is improved” (lines 8-11) which refer to purported merits of the invention. See MPEP § 608.01(b). Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) 1 . Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses, a sidelink (SL) communication method, performed by a relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0291, SL communication method, performed by relay UE] , comprising: receiving first information from a remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0294-0295, (step 1102) the relay UE receives remote UE information from the remote UE] , wherein the first information comprises a first paging parameter of the remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0295, the remote UE information includes emote UE identification information, a remote UE mobility state, and a relay forwarding paging indication] ; and sending second information to a first network device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0298, (step 1130) the relay EU transmits the remote UE information to the base station] , wherein the second information comprises the first paging parameter [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0295, the remote UE information includes remote UE identification information, a remote UE mobility state, and a relay forwarding paging indication] , wherein the relay device communicates with the remote device by using a sidelink [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0294-0298, the relay UE communicates with the remote UE by using a side link] , and the remote device communicates with the first network device by using the relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0294-0298, the remote UE communicates with the base station by using the relay UE] . Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses, the method according to claim 1 as set forth above. Lin discloses, wherein the first paging parameter comprises a first identifier of the remote device [¶0135, the remote UE information includes a remote UE identifier] . Regarding claim 4, Lin discloses, the method according to claim 1 as set forth above. Lin discloses, receiving a first SL discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration from the first network device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0299, (step 1104) the relay UE receives RRC connection reconfiguration information from the base station; further see ¶0301, the RRC connection reconfiguration information may contain and use information related to the PC5 discontinuous reception configuration ] , wherein the first SL DRX configuration is used by the relay device to send a first message to the remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0304-0308, the PC5 discontinuous reception configuration information is used by the relay UE to send paging information to the remote UE; further see ¶0303, the PC5 discontinuous reception configuration information transmitted to the remote UE is used for the UE to listen to the paging information forwarded by the relay UE subsequently] , and the first message is used for paging the remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0303-0308, (step 1105) the paging information is used for paging the remote UE] ; and sending the first SL DRX configuration to the remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0304-0308, the relay UE transmits the PC5 DRX configuration to the remote UE] . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. 07-23-aia AIA The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co. , 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. 07-21-aia AIA Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Cheng et al (US Publication No. 2023/0246701 A1) 2 . Regarding claim 3, Lin discloses, the method according to claim 1 as set forth above. Lin does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Cheng discloses, wherein the first paging parameter further comprises cycle information [¶0154, the PO-related information may be the remote UE's 1104 PO, or the paging cycle and an identifier of the remote UE 1104] . It is noted that the above-mentioned feature is a known technique in the field Applicant's endeavor, e.g., telecommunication art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the system of Lin with "the above-mentioned known feature(s)" taught by Cheng to reach the claimed invention as set forth above. Since one having ordinary skill in the art could have recognized that applying the known technique taught by Cheng into the system of Lin would have yield predictable results and/or resulted in the improved system, such as e.g., enabling to inform devices of monitoring cycle used for sidelink or relay communication , such a modification (or application) would have involved the mere application of a known technique to a piece of prior art ready for improvement," the claim is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d 1509, 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 5, 8-11, 15-16 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Kang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0107246 A1) . Regarding claim 5, Lin discloses, the method according to claim 4 as set forth above. Lin does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Kang discloses, wherein the first SL DRX configuration is determined based on the second information [FIG. 10A; its related descriptions; ¶0053, the obtaining of the SL DRX configuration information may include receiving, from the BS , SL DRX configuration information generated based on the SL DRX assistance information; further see ¶0168, the SL DRX assistance information may include at least one or a combination of . . . traffic pattern information of the service of interest of the terminal (a period, a message size, a time offset, etc.); note that the SL DRX configuration information is generated based on the SL DRX assistance information ] . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the above-mentioned feature(s) as taught by Kang in the system of Lin in order to cause the system to be able to support sidelink discontinuous reception procedure adapted to various services being demanded [e.g., ¶0009-0010 of Kang] . Regarding claim 8, Lin discloses, a sidelink (SL) discontinuous reception based communication method, performed by a first network device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0291, SL communication method, performed by base station (eNB)] , comprising: receiving second information from a relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0298, (step 1130) the base station receives remote UE information from relay UE] , wherein the second information comprises a first paging parameter of a remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0295, the remote UE information includes remote UE identification information, a remote UE mobility state, and a relay forwarding paging indication] ; and performing SL configuration . . . the second information [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; further see ¶0081, the apparatus further includes: a first transmission unit, which is configured to, when the received PC5 discontinuous reception configuration information is configured by the base station , transmit remote user equipment (UE) information to a base station or transmit the remote UE information to the base station through a relay UE ; note that the base station configures PC5 discontinuous reception configuration information ] , wherein the relay device communicates with the remote device by using an SL [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0294-0298, the relay UE communicates with the remote UE by using a side link] , and the remote device communicates with the first network device by using the relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0294-0298, the remote UE communicates with the base station by using the relay UE] . Although Lin discloses, “performing SL configuration . . . the second information”, Lin does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized and bold limitations), performing SL configuration based on the second information. However, Kang discloses, performing SL configuration based on the second information [FIG. 10A; its related descriptions; ¶0053, BS the obtaining of the SL DRX configuration information may include receiving, from the BS , SL DRX configuration information generated based on the SL DRX assistance information; further see ¶0168, the SL DRX assistance information may include at least one or a combination of . . . traffic pattern information of the service of interest of the terminal (a period, a message size, a time offset, etc.); note that the BS (NW) generates SL DRX configuration information based on the SL DRX assistance information ] . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the above-mentioned feature(s) as taught by Kang in the system of Lin in order to cause the system to be able to support sidelink discontinuous reception procedure adapted to various services being demanded [e.g., ¶0009-0010 of Kang] . Regarding claim 9, Lin in view of Kang discloses, the method according to claim 8 as set forth above. Lin discloses, wherein the first paging parameter comprises a first identifier of the remote device [¶0135, the remote UE information includes a remote UE identifier] . Regarding claim 10, Lin in view of Kang discloses, the method according to claim 8 as set forth above. Lin discloses, sending a first SL discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration to the relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0299, (step 1104) the base station transmits RRC connection reconfiguration information to the relay UE; further see ¶0301, the RRC connection reconfiguration information may contain and use information related to the PC5 discontinuous reception configuration ] , wherein the first SL DRX configuration is for transmitting a first message [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0304-0308, the PC5 DRX configuration is for transmitting the paging information] , the first message is a message sent by the relay device to the remote device, and the first message is used for paging the remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0304-0308, the paging information is transmitted by the relay UE to the remote UE and is used for paging the remote UE] . Regarding claim 11, claim 11 is rejected at least based on a similar rationale applied to claim 5. Regarding claim 15, Lin discloses, a sidelink (SL) communication method, performed by a remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0291, SL communication method, performed by remote UE] , comprising: sending first information to a relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0294-0295, (step 1102) the remote UE transmits remote UE information to relay UE] , wherein the first information comprises a first paging parameter of the remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0295, the remote UE information includes emote UE identification information, a remote UE mobility state, and a relay forwarding paging indication] ; and receiving a first SL discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration from the relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0299 and 0302, (step 1105), the remote UE receives the PC5 discontinuous reception configuration information from the relay UE] , wherein the first SL DRX configuration is determined . . . second information [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; further see ¶0081, the apparatus further includes: a first transmission unit, which is configured to, when the received PC5 discontinuous reception configuration information is configured by the base station , transmit remote user equipment (UE) information to a base station or transmit the remote UE information to the base station through a relay UE ; note that the base station configures PC5 discontinuous reception configuration information ] , the second information comprises the first paging parameter [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0295, the remote UE information includes remote UE identification information, a remote UE mobility state, and a relay forwarding paging indication] , and the first SL DRX configuration is used by the remote device to receive a first message from the relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0304-0306, (step 1107), the PC5 discontinuous reception configuration information is used by the remote UE to receive paging information transmitted by the relay UE at the paging occasion] , wherein the relay device communicates with the remote device by using a sidelink [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0294-0298, the relay UE communicates with the remote UE by using a side link] , and the remote device communicates with the first network device by using the relay device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0294-0298, the remote UE communicates with the base station by using the relay UE] . Although Lin discloses, “wherein the first SL DRX configuration is determined . . . second information”, Lin does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized and bold limitations), wherein the first SL DRX configuration is determined based on second information. However, Kang discloses, wherein the first SL DRX configuration is determined based on second information [FIG. 10A; its related descriptions; ¶0053, the obtaining of the SL DRX configuration information may include receiving, from the BS , SL DRX configuration information generated based on the SL DRX assistance information; further see ¶0168, the SL DRX assistance information may include at least one or a combination of . . . traffic pattern information of the service of interest of the terminal (a period, a message size, a time offset, etc.); note that the BS (NW) generates SL DRX configuration information based on the SL DRX assistance information ] . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the above-mentioned feature(s) as taught by Kang in the system of Lin for similar rationales set forth in claim 8. Regarding claim 16, claim 16 is rejected at least based on a similar rationale applied to claim 9. Regarding claim 18, Lin in view of Kang discloses, the method according to claim 15 as set forth above. Lin discloses, wherein the first message is used for paging the remote device [FIG. 11; its related descriptions; ¶0303-0308, the paging information transmitted from the relay UE is used for paging the remote UE] . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Ji et al (US Publication No. 2022/0322283 A1) . Regarding claim 6, Lin discloses, the method according to claim 4 as set forth above. Lin does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Ji discloses, wherein the second information further comprises delay information , and the delay information indicates a first delay of forwarding a message from the first network device by the relay device to the remote device [¶0032, configuring delay information indicative of a maximum allowed delay for paging message forwarding towards terminals to be relayed, and transmitting said delay information to a relay terminal connected to said mobile access entity] . It is noted that the above-mentioned feature is a known technique in the field Applicant's endeavor, e.g., telecommunication art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the system of Lin with "the above-mentioned known feature(s)" taught by Ji to reach the claimed invention as set forth above. Since one having ordinary skill in the art could have recognized that applying the known technique taught by Ji into the system of Lin would have yield predictable results and/or resulted in the improved system, such as e.g., enabling remote UE to reliably receive messages forwarded from relay UE , such a modification (or application) would have involved the mere application of a known technique to a piece of prior art ready for improvement," the claim is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d 1509, 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Chae et al (US Publication No. 2021/0176720 A1) . Regarding claim 7, Lin discloses, the method according to claim 4 as set forth above. Lin does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Chae discloses, wherein the second information further comprises a time interval between a system frame number and a direct frame number [¶0269, the UE may signal offset information between the SFN and the DFN by a physical layer signal or a higher layer signal (e.g., some field of a PSBCH)] . It is noted that the above-mentioned feature is a known technique in the field Applicant's endeavor, e.g., telecommunication art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the system of Lin with "the above-mentioned known feature(s)" taught by Chae to reach the claimed invention as set forth above. Since one having ordinary skill in the art could have recognized that applying the known technique taught by Chae into the system of Lin would have yield predictable results and/or resulted in the improved system, such as e.g., ensuring to help relay or sidelink devices accurately align transmission and reception timing for reliable communication in different communication domains , such a modification (or application) would have involved the mere application of a known technique to a piece of prior art ready for improvement," the claim is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d 1509, 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Kang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0107246 A1) and further in view of Ji et al (US Publication No. 2022/0322283 A1) . Regarding claim 12, Lin in view of Kang discloses, the method according to claim 10 as set forth above. Lin in view of Kang does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Ji discloses, wherein the second information further comprises delay information , and the delay information indicates a first delay of forwarding a message from the first network device by the relay device to the remote device [¶0032, configuring delay information indicative of a maximum allowed delay for paging message forwarding towards terminals to be relayed, and transmitting said delay information to a relay terminal connected to said mobile access entity] . It is noted that the above-mentioned feature is a known technique in the field Applicant's endeavor, e.g., telecommunication art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the system of Lin in view of Kang with "the above-mentioned known feature(s)" taught by Ji to reach the claimed invention as set forth above. Since one having ordinary skill in the art could have recognized that applying the known technique taught by Ji into the system of Lin in view of Kang would have yield predictable results and/or resulted in the improved system, such as e.g., enabling remote UE to reliably receive messages forwarded from relay UE , such a modification (or application) would have involved the mere application of a known technique to a piece of prior art ready for improvement," the claim is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d 1509, 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Kang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0107246 A1) and further in view of Ji et al (US Publication No. 2022/0322283 A1) and further in view of Wu et al (US Publication No. 2023/0101557 A1) 3 . Regarding claim 13, Lin in view of Kang and Ji discloses, the method according to claim 12 as set forth above. Although Lin discloses, wherein the first SL DRX configuration comprises information indicating a start moment of a first SL DRX on-duration timer [¶0010, a discontinuous reception period and an on-duration] , Lin in view of Kang and Ji does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Wu discloses, a difference between the start moment of the first SL DRX on-duration timer and a start moment of a paging occasion of the remote device is less than or equal to the first delay [¶0070, the starting time of the on-duration period may be right after the relay UE 104 monitors and decodes the paging occasion of the remote UE 106. In some embodiments, a small offset may be provided from the paging occasion to the start of the on-duration period to account for the relay operations of the relay UE 104; further see ¶0072] ( see also e.g., ¶0069-0071 of US Provisional App. No. 63/248,427 ) . It is noted that the above-mentioned feature is a known technique in the field Applicant's endeavor, e.g., telecommunication art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the system of Lin in view of Kang and Ji with "the above-mentioned known feature(s)" taught by Wu to reach the claimed invention as set forth above. Since one having ordinary skill in the art could have recognized that applying the known technique taught by Wu into the system of Lin in view of Kang and Ji would have yield predictable results and/or resulted in the improved system, such as e.g., enabling remote UE to reliably receive messages forwarded from relay UE , such a modification (or application) would have involved the mere application of a known technique to a piece of prior art ready for improvement," the claim is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d 1509, 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Kang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0107246 A1) and further in view of Chae et al (US Publication No. 2021/0176720 A1) . Regarding claim 14, Lin in view of Kang discloses, the method according to claim 10 as set forth above. Lin in view of Kang does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Chae discloses, wherein the second information further comprises a time interval between a system frame number and a direct frame number [¶0269, the UE may signal offset information between the SFN and the DFN by a physical layer signal or a higher layer signal (e.g., some field of a PSBCH)] . It is noted that the above-mentioned feature is a known technique in the field Applicant's endeavor, e.g., telecommunication art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the system of Lin in view of Kang with "the above-mentioned known feature(s)" taught by Chae to reach the claimed invention as set forth above. Since one having ordinary skill in the art could have recognized that applying the known technique taught by Chae into the system of Lin in view of Kang would have yield predictable results and/or resulted in the improved system, such as e.g., such a modification (or application) would have involved the mere application of a known technique to a piece of prior art ready for improvement," the claim is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d 1509, 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Kang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0107246 A1) and further in view of Cheng et al (US Publication No. 2023/0246701 A1) . Regarding claim 17, Lin in view of Kang discloses, the method according to claim 15 as set forth above. Lin in view of Kang does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Cheng discloses, wherein the first paging parameter comprises cycle information [¶0154, the PO-related information may be the remote UE's 1104 PO, or the paging cycle and an identifier of the remote UE 1104] . It is noted that the above-mentioned feature is a known technique in the field Applicant's endeavor, e.g., telecommunication art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the system of Lin in view of Kang with "the above-mentioned known feature(s)" taught by Cheng to reach the claimed invention as set forth above. Since one having ordinary skill in the art could have recognized that applying the known technique taught by Cheng into the system of Lin in view of Kang would have yield predictable results and/or resulted in the improved system, such as e.g., enabling to inform devices of monitoring cycle used for sidelink or relay communication , such a modification (or application) would have involved the mere application of a known technique to a piece of prior art ready for improvement," the claim is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d 1509, 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (EP 3499975 A1) in view of Kang et al (US Publication No. 2023/0107246 A1) and further in view of Wu et al (US Publication No. 2023/0101557 A1) . Regarding claim 19, Lin in view of Kang discloses, the method according to claim 15 as set forth above. Lin in view of Kang does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Wu discloses, wherein the first SL DRX configuration further comprises a first SL DRX cycle , and the first SL DRX cycle is the same as a paging cycle of the remote device [¶0072, the DRX cycle of the paging SL-DRX configuration may be set equal to the RAN/core network paging cycle of the remote UE] ( see also e.g., ¶0071 of US Provisional App. No. 63/248,427 ) . It is noted that the above-mentioned feature is a known technique in the field Applicant's endeavor, e.g., telecommunication art. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the system of Lin in view of Kang with "the above-mentioned known feature(s)" taught by Wu to reach the claimed invention as set forth above. Since one having ordinary skill in the art could have recognized that applying the known technique taught by Wu into the system of Lin in view of Kang would have yield predictable results and/or resulted in the improved system, such as e.g., ensuring the relay transmission timing matches the remote device’s paging and DRX wake-up timing , such a modification (or application) would have involved the mere application of a known technique to a piece of prior art ready for improvement," the claim is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d 1509, 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1740, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)). Regarding claim 20, Lin in view of Kang discloses, the method according to claim 15 as set forth above. Lin in view of Kang does not explicitly disclose (see, italicized limitations), but Wu discloses, wherein the first SL DRX configuration further comprises duration of a first SL DRX on-duration timer , and the duration of the first SL DRX on-duration timer is greater than or equal to duration of a paging occasion of the remote device [¶0072, The DRX cycle of the paging SL-DRX configuration may be set equal to the RAN/core network paging cycle of the remote UE. an on-duration period may correspond to each paging occasion to provide the relay UE 104 with the opportunity to forward a paging indication in the event an MT-paging message is received] ( see also e.g., ¶0071 of US Provisional App. No. 63/248,427 ) . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the above-mentioned feature(s) as taught by Wu in the system of Lin in view of Kang for similar rationales set forth in claim 19. Conclusion 07-96 The prior art made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ko et al (US Publication No. 2023/0164803) [FIG. 12; ¶0154] Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUN JONG KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-3216. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30am-5:30pm(M-T). 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, Ian Moore can be reached on (571) 272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SUN JONG KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469 Application/Control Number: 18/632,839 Page 2 Art Unit: 2469 Application/Control Number: 18/632,839 Page 3 Art Unit: 2469 1 Lin was EP family of CN 108307489A filed as an IDS by the applicant. 2 Since Cheng is relying on PCT publication (WO 2022017195 A1) (see attached) to claim a priority date 07/09/2021, Cheng is qualified as a prior art under 102(a)(2) for the instant application with the effective filing date 10/15/2021. 3 Wu claims priority of US Provisional Application No. 63/248,427 filed on 09/24/2021, thus Wu is qualified as a prior art under 102(a)(2) for the instant application with the effective filing date 10/15/2021.
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