DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to Application #18/683,014 filed 2/12/2024. Claims 1-17 and 19-21 are subject to examination.
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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim recites the limitation “a signal sending module, configured to send, by the relay node, an access signal to the base station ...”. However, the claim is directed to a terminal apparatus, not a relay node. For the sake of clarity, it is recommended that the claim be amended to read “a signal sending module, configured to send, via the relay node, an access signal to the base station”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-8 and 12-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, 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 2, claim 2 recites the limitation “before receiving a synchronization signal of the base station ...”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the “a synchronization signal” recited in this limitation corresponds to the “the synchronization signal” previously recited in the last paragraph of claim 1.
Regarding Claim 5, claim 5 recites the limitation “before sending a first request message to a relay node ...”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the “a first request message” and the “a relay node” recited in this limitation corresponds to the “the first request message” and “the relay node” previously recited in the second paragraph of claim 1.
Regarding Claim 6, claim 6 recites the limitation “after receiving a synchronization signal of the base station ...”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the “a synchronization signal” recited in this limitation corresponds to the “the synchronization signal” previously recited in the last paragraph of claim 1.
Regarding Claim 8, claim 8 recites the limitation “before sending, by the relay node, an access signal to the base station ...”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the “an access signal” recited in this limitation corresponds to the “the access signal” previously recited in the last paragraph of claim 1.
Regarding Claim 12, claim 12 recites the limitation “after receiving a first request message sent by a terminal ...”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the “a first request message” and the “a terminal” recited in this limitation corresponds to the “the first request message” and “the terminal” previously recited in the second paragraph of claim 9.
Regarding Claim 15, claim 15 recites the limitation “before receiving a first request message sent by a terminal ...”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the “a first request message” and the “a terminal” recited in this limitation corresponds to the “the first request message” and “the terminal” previously recited in the second paragraph of claim 9.
Regarding Claim 16, claim 16 recites the limitation “before receiving an access signal sent by the terminal ...”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the “an access signal” recited in this limitation corresponds to the “the access signal” previously recited in the last paragraph of claim 9.
Regarding Claims 3-4, 7, and 13-14, claims 3-4, 7, and 13-14 each depend on independent claims 2, 6, or 12 and therefore inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112 issues of these claims.
Tentative Indication of Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 6-7, 11, and 13-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but appear to contain allowable subject matter if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, pending satisfactory overcoming of the above objections and rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
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)(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.
Claims 1-2, 8-10, 12, 16-17, and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Xu et al. (US 2020/0170075 A1, hereinafter “Xu”, provided in IDS dated 11/14/2024).
Regarding Claim 1, Xu teaches a method for accessing a cell served by a base station, applied to a terminal, comprising: sending a first request message to a relay node, wherein the first request message is used for requesting the relay node to relay a signal between the terminal and the base station (Xu: the Relay-UE receives the signaling forwarding request message from the Remote-UE, see paragraph [0065] and Fig. 3);
receiving a synchronization signal of the base station relayed by the relay node (Xu: The Remote-UE receives control signaling such as ... a synchronization signal ... sent by an access network via the sidelink interface, see paragraph [0066]); and
sending, by the relay node, an access signal to the base station after receiving the synchronization signal, wherein the access signal is used for accessing the cell served by the base station (Xu: The Remote-UE ... sends control signaling such as a request message ... for the access network via the sidelink interface, see paragraph [0066]; The signaling includes ... a connection or resource request message, see paragraph [0085]).
Regarding Claim 2, Xu teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein before receiving a synchronization signal of the base station relayed by the relay node, the method further comprises: receiving a response message sent by the relay node in response to the first request message (Xu: the Relay-UE receives the signaling forwarding request message from the Remote-UE ... and directly sends the response message, see paragraph [0065]),
wherein the response message is used for indicating agreement on the relaying of the signal between the terminal and the base station, or refusal on the relaying of the signal between the terminal and the base station (Xu: if the Relay-UE determines that the signaling may be forwarded, the Relay-UE sends an acknowledgement message to ... the Remote-UE, see paragraph [0056]; if the Relay-UE rejects to forward the signaling, a negative acknowledgement message is sent to ... the Remote-UE, see paragraph [0062]).
Regarding Claim 8, Xu teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein before sending, by the relay node, an access signal to the base station, the method further comprises: sending a second request message to the relay node, wherein the second request message is used for requesting the relay node to relay the access signal to the base station (Xu: In step 601 ... the Relay-UE receives the request message from ... the Remote-UE, the Relay-UE agrees to forward the signaling from the Remote-UE to the base station ... The signaling includes ... a connection or resource request message ... In step 603, the Remote-UE sends signaling related to the base station to the Relay-UE, see paragraphs [0084]-[0088]).
Regarding Claim 9, Xu teaches a method for accessing a cell served by a base station, applied to a relay node, comprising: receiving a first request message sent by a terminal, wherein the first request message is used for requesting relaying of a signal between the terminal and the base station (Xu: the Relay-UE receives the signaling forwarding request message from the Remote-UE, see paragraph [0065] and Fig. 3);
relaying a synchronization signal of the base station to the terminal (Xu: The Remote-UE receives control signaling such as ... a synchronization signal ... sent by an access network via the sidelink interface, see paragraph [0066]); and
receiving an access signal sent by the terminal, and relaying the access signal to the base station, wherein the access signal is used for accessing the cell served by the base station (Xu: The Remote-UE ... sends control signaling such as a request message ... for the access network via the sidelink interface, see paragraph [0066]; The signaling includes ... a connection or resource request message, see paragraph [0085]).
Regarding Claim 10, Xu teaches the method according to claim 9, wherein the relaying a synchronization signal of the base station to the terminal comprises: configuring relay resources to the terminal (Xu: if the Relay-UE determines that the signaling may be forwarded, the Relay-UE sends an acknowledgement message to ... the Remote-UE. The acknowledgement message includes ... a forwarding resource, see paragraph [0056]);
receiving the synchronization signal sent by the base station (Xu: the Uu interface signaling between the base station and the Remote-UE is forwarded through the Relay-UE, such as ... synchronization signals, see paragraph [0068]); and
relaying the synchronization signal to the terminal according to the relay resources (Xu: he Relay-UE receives the signaling from the base station via the Uu interface and then forwards the signaling to the Remote-UE, see paragraph [0058]).
Regarding Claim 12, Xu teaches the method according to claim 9, wherein after receiving a first request message sent by a terminal, the method further comprises: sending a response message for the first request message to the terminal (Xu: the Relay-UE receives the signaling forwarding request message from the Remote-UE ... and directly sends the response message, see paragraph [0065]),
wherein the response message is used for indicating agreement on the relaying of the signal between the terminal and the base station, or refusal on the relaying of the signal between the terminal and the base station (Xu: if the Relay-UE determines that the signaling may be forwarded, the Relay-UE sends an acknowledgement message to ... the Remote-UE, see paragraph [0056]; if the Relay-UE rejects to forward the signaling, a negative acknowledgement message is sent to ... the Remote-UE, see paragraph [0062]).
Regarding Claim 16, Xu teaches the method according to claim 9, wherein before receiving an access signal sent by the terminal, and relaying the access signal to the base station, the method further comprises: receiving a second request message sent by the terminal, wherein the second request message is used for requesting relaying of the access signal to the base station (Xu: In step 601 ... the Relay-UE receives the request message from ... the Remote-UE, the Relay-UE agrees to forward the signaling from the Remote-UE to the base station ... The signaling includes ... a connection or resource request message ... In step 603, the Remote-UE sends signaling related to the base station to the Relay-UE, see paragraphs [0084]-[0088]).
Regarding Claim 17, Xu teaches an apparatus for accessing a cell served by a base station, applied to a terminal, comprising: a first message sending module, configured to send a first request message to a relay node, wherein the first request message is used for requesting the relay node to relay a signal between the terminal and the base station (Xu: the Remote-UE includes ... a first sending module 5023 ... the Relay-UE includes a second receiving module 5031 ... the first sending module 5023 is configured to send a request message to the second receiving module 5031, see paragraphs [0123]-[0124]);
a signal receiving module, configured to receive a synchronization signal of the base station relayed by the relay node (Xu: the Remote-UE includes ... a first receiving module 5021 ... the first receiving module 5021 included in the Remote-UE is configured to receive, through an air interface, the control signaling sent by the second sending module 5033 of the Relay-UE, see paragraph [0123]-[0124]); and
a signal sending module, configured to send, by the relay node, an access signal to the base station after receiving the synchronization signal, wherein the access signal is used for accessing the cell served by the base station (Xu: the Remote-UE includes ... a first sending module 5023 ... the Relay-UE includes a second receiving module 5031 ... the first sending module 5023 is configured to send a request message to the second receiving module 5031, see paragraphs [0123]-[0124]; The signaling includes ... a connection or resource request message, see paragraph [0085]).
Regarding Claim 19, Xu teaches a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is configured to perform, when executed by a processor, the method as claimed in claim 1 (Xu: the Remote-UE device includes at least one of: a UE, Wearables, or an IOT/MTC terminal, see paragraph [0125]).
Regarding Claim 20, Xu teaches an electronic device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to perform the method as claimed in claim 1 (Xu: the Remote-UE device includes at least one of: a UE, Wearables, or an IOT/MTC terminal, see paragraph [0125]).
Regarding Claim 21, Xu teaches an electronic device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to perform the method as claimed in claim 9 (Xu: the signaling transmission device includes a processor 1101, a memory 1102 ... the processor 1101 is configured to execute a signaling transmission program stored in the memory 1102 to implement following steps of: ... signaling sent by a base station or a Remote-UE is received; and ... if it is determined that a signaling forwarding condition is satisfied ... the signaling between the Remote-UE and the base station is forwarded, see paragraphs [0132]-[0136]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 5 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu in view of Chang et al. (US 2024/0214900 A1, hereinafter “Chang”).
Regarding Claim 5, Xu teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein before sending a first request message to a relay node, the method further comprises: receiving indication information sent by the relay node (Xu: The Relay-UE may establish a connection with the Remote-UE through a discovery process. if the Relay-UE sends a notification message that instructs the Remote-UE to be connected, the Remote-UE initiates a connection establishment process with the Relay-UE after receiving the notification message, see paragraph [0080]).
Xu does not explicitly teach the indication information is used for indicating a readiness status of processing the first request message, and the readiness status comprises a busy status or an idle status.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Chang teaches the indication information is used for indicating a readiness status of processing the first request message, and the readiness status comprises a busy status or an idle status (Chang: the candidate relay UE devices 116, 118, 120 transmit RRC connection status notifications (indicators) 150, 152, 154. For the example, the RRC connection status indicators 150, 152, 154 are transmitted as part of a discovery message ... The RRC connection status indicators 150, 152, 154 may be any information or identifier that indicates to another UE device (e.g., remote UE device 106) the current RRC connection status of the relay UE device transmitting the indicator. For the example, the RRC connection status indicator indicates one of the following three status states ...: RRC connected (RRC CONN), RRC idle (RRC IDLE) or RRC inactive (RRC INACTIVE), see paragraph [0026]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Xu to include the features as taught by Chang above in order to prioritize candidate relay devices and reduce latency (Chang: see paragraphs [0024]-[0026]).
Regarding Claim 15, Xu teaches the method according to claim 9, wherein before receiving a first request message sent by a terminal, the method further comprises: sending indication information to the terminal (Xu: The Relay-UE may establish a connection with the Remote-UE through a discovery process. if the Relay-UE sends a notification message that instructs the Remote-UE to be connected, the Remote-UE initiates a connection establishment process with the Relay-UE after receiving the notification message, see paragraph [0080]).
Xu does not explicitly teach the indication information is used for indicating a readiness status of processing the first request message, and the readiness status comprises a busy status or an idle status.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Chang teaches the indication information is used for indicating a readiness status of processing the first request message, and the readiness status comprises a busy status or an idle status (Chang: the candidate relay UE devices 116, 118, 120 transmit RRC connection status notifications (indicators) 150, 152, 154. For the example, the RRC connection status indicators 150, 152, 154 are transmitted as part of a discovery message ... The RRC connection status indicators 150, 152, 154 may be any information or identifier that indicates to another UE device (e.g., remote UE device 106) the current RRC connection status of the relay UE device transmitting the indicator. For the example, the RRC connection status indicator indicates one of the following three status states ...: RRC connected (RRC CONN), RRC idle (RRC IDLE) or RRC inactive (RRC INACTIVE), see paragraph [0026]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Xu to include the features as taught by Chang above in order to prioritize candidate relay devices and reduce latency (Chang: see paragraphs [0024]-[0026]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Bienas et al. (US 2014/0126460 A1) teaches receiving an access signal (RACH resource request) sent by the terminal, and relaying the access signal to the base station, wherein the access signal is used for accessing the cell served by the base station.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHILLIP J EGAN KEARNS whose telephone number is 571-272-4869. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 10-5 EST.
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/P.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2416
/SHARMIN CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416