DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 02/05/2024, in which claims 1-15 and 21-22 are pending and ready for examination.
Claims 16-20 have been cancelled.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Sen et al. (hereinafter, “Sen”; US patent 10,511,954).
In response to claims 1 and 15,
Sen teaches a method implemented by a first Wireless Transmit/Receive Unit (WTRU), the method comprising: performing a discovery procedure (column 15, lines 5-27, UE1 is equated to a WTRU, performing a direct discovery by a UE at step 1 explicitly teaches this limitation),
detecting, based on a result of the performed discovery procedure, that the a second WTRU is directly reachable (column 15, lines 15-27, UE1 is equated to first and UE2 is equated to second WTRU, step 2, establishing communication between UEs is interpreted as detecting that the a second WTRU is directly reachable based on step 1);
initiating, following an established indirect link with the second WTRU, establishment of a PC5 direct link with the second WTRU (fig. 7, step 2, direct discovery communication using WLAN is equated to indirect link with the second WTRU, step 7, discovery communication over PC5 is equated to PC5 direct link, column 15, lines 5-27, step 6, instructing or directing the UE1 by a prose server is read as initiating following step 2 or an established indirect link with the second WTRU an establishment of PC5 direct link);
switching from the indirect link to the PC5 direct link, wherein the switching from the indirect link to the PC5 direct link includes initiating an indirect-to-direct path switch by including sending a message comprising indirect link information (column 15, lines 5-27, step 7 is read as switching from the indirect link to the PC5 direct link, step 7 is also interpreted as initiating an indirect-to-direct path switch and sending a message, column 13, lines 1-21, neighbor awareness networking (NAN ID is read as indirect link information, using a WLAN discovery frame with a NAN ID for a PC5 message explicitly teaches initiating an indirect-to-direct path switch by including sending a message comprising indirect link information).
In response to claims 3, 10,
Sen teaches wherein the message comprises a direct communication request message or a direct security mode complete message (fig. 7, step 7, column 15, lines 5-27, establishing a direct communication between two UEs is read as using a direct communication request message, 13, lines 1-21, using a WLAN discovery frame with a NAN ID for a PC5 message explicitly teaches message comprises a direct communication request message).
In response to claims 6, 13
Sen teaches further comprising: receiving information indicating whether to switch to the PC5 direct link based on a triggering condition being satisfied (column 7, lines 52-67 is interpreted as performing a PC5 communication procedure, column 15, line 40-62, step 3, threshold or battery level is equated to a triggering condition, step 1, receiving an instruction from a server is read as receiving information indicating for switching whether to switch to the PC5 direct link, step 4, sending a request (to a server ) for a preferred selection is interpreted as deciding whether to switch to the PC5 direct link based on based on threshold or the triggering condition being satisfied);
determining whether the triggering condition is satisfied (column 15, lines 40-62, step 3, threshold level is equated to condition for satisfaction, determine connection establishment based on the threshold level explicitly teaches determining whether the triggering condition is satisfied); and
triggering the switching from the indirect link to the PC5 direct link based on the triggering condition being satisfied (column 15, lines 40-62, establishing communication/discovery explicitly teaches this limitation).
In response to claim 8,
Sen teaches a first Wireless Transmit/Receive Unit (WTRU), having established an indirect link with a second WTRU, the first WTRU comprising: a processor configured to (column 21, lines 32-47, controller 2801 is equated to a processor):
perform a discovery procedure; detect, based on a result of the performed discovery procedure, that the a second WTRU is directly reachable; initiate, following an established indirect link with the second WTRU, establishment of a PC5 direct link with the second WTRU; and switch from the indirect link to the PC5 direct link, wherein the switching from the indirect link to the PC5 direct link includes initiating an indirect-to-direct path switch including sending a message comprising indirect link information (these limitations are identical to claim 1, therefore, these limitations are rejected as claim 1); and
a transmitter/receiver configured to: communicate, with the second WTRU, over the established PC5 direct link after the path switch (column 21, lines 32-47, transceiver 2802 is equated to a transceiver, this limitation is identical to claim 1, therefore, it is rejected as claim 1).
In response to claims 21 and 22,
Sen teaches wherein the message includes information indicating a type of path switch (column 15,lines 5-27, step 7, establishing discovery/communication is read as using the message for indication, LTE prose radio access technology is equated to a type of path switch).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4-5, 7, 9, 11-12 and 14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
As for dependent claims 2 and 9, these claims are objected, because there is no prior art in the record that teaches claimed limitation “wherein the indirect link information includes any of: (1) one or more relay identifiers associated with the indirect link ; (2) an internet protocol address of the first WTRU; (3) an internet protocol address of the second WTRU; (4) an application identifier; and 5) user information of the second WTRU.”
The closest prior art in the record Sen et al. (US patent 10,511,954) teaches on column 15, lines 5-27 about using a location for establishing a direct PC5 communication, but he fails to teach the above cited limitation.
As for dependent claims 4 and 11, these claims are objected, because there is no prior art in the record that teaches claimed limitation “the message includes information indicating a preference by the first WTRU that IP internet protocol addresses of the first and second WTRUs used for the indirect link be reused for the PC5 direct link.”
The closest prior art in the record Sen et al. (US patent 10,511,954) teaches on column 15, lines 5-27 about using a location for establishing a direct PC5 communication, but he fails to teach the above cited limitation.
Claims 5 and 12 are objected because these claims depend on claim 4 and 11.
As for dependent claims 7 and 14, these claims are objected, because there is no prior art in the record that teaches claimed limitation “sending a domain name system query message including information indicating a proximity-based service (ProSe) for indirect links; and receiving a DNS domain name system response message including the internet protocol address and the user information of the second WTRU.”
The closest prior art in the record Sen et al. (US patent 10,511,954) teaches on column 15, lines 5-27 about using a location for establishing a direct PC5 communication, but he fails to teach the above cited limitation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
20230020458…………………paragraph 61.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABUSAYEED HAQUE whose telephone number is (571)270-7252. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am -7:30 pm.
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/ABUSAYEED M HAQUE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466