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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/8/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues Ling fails to disclose all elements of claim as amended, and that there are substantial differences between the claimed invention and the disclosure of Ling. In particular and without limitation, Ling fails to disclose communicating between a remote WD and a network node at least one relay paging response configuration message configuring the remote WD with a plurality of alternative response paths that can be used when responding to paging, wherein the plurality of alternative response paths comprises responding directly to the network node or responding to the network node via a relay WD, the at least one relay paging response configuration message comprising information and/or settings that the remote WD would require to respond to paging using any of the alternative response paths. Applicant argues Ling merely discloses that after a remote UE determines to keep an EMM-idle state, it identifies a proper relay, and if the configuration is done when out-of-Coverage, then the remote UE might already know the proper relay UE, and that thus, three different configuration options may be: i) pre- configuration to maintain EMM-idle in OoC or depending on UE type/needs/services; ii) network configuration to maintain EMM-idle in OoC in addition to/instead of pre- configuration, if this is done while in coverage - the in-coverage configuration may be done via either dedicated or broadcast signaling. For in-coverage a configuration may
also be done through relay, iii) if the configuration is performed when out of coverage, the
network may configure the remote UE through relay. The in-coverage UE with relay
capability may relay configuration information related to an OoC UE idle mode mobility
configuration (e.g. whether OoC UE should keep EMM-idle state or not and
corresponding conditions/rules) based on a network configuration. If the OoC remote UE
determines to keep the EMM-idle state, such as as long as possible, the OoC remote UE may determine whether to maintain a sidelink (SL) connection with at least one relay UE all the time or establish a sidelink (SL) connection with at least one relay UE "on demand" or using broadcast based SL communication (for example, SL connection establishment may not be triggered for paging relay) based on the pre-configuration and/or the network configuration.
However, The Examiner respectfully disagrees. It appears that the Applicant’s argument relies on a specific interpretation of the claim language whereas the language of the claims would also capture the prior art of record. The Examiner respectfully request the Applicant to reconsider what the claim language may inadvertently capture.
Consider the following interpretation of at least Claim 1, a method performed by a remote wireless device (WD) for establishing communication between the remote WD and a network node (This method is outlined by the Publication as a whole), wherein the remote WD is camping on the network and has an established sidelink connection with a relay WD (e.g., this architecture is illustrated in at least figure 1), wherein the method comprises: communicating, between the remote WD and the network node, at least one relay paging response configuration message configuring the remote WD with a plurality of alternative response paths that can be used when responding to paging (i.e., a configuration from the network node that instructs or assist in a WD responding when paged. ), wherein the plurality of alternative response paths comprises responding directly to the network node or responding to the network node via the relay WD (i.e., relay in OoC or respond directly when paged, the Applicant is reminded based on the broadest reasonable interpretation the limitation is written in the alternative and therefore does not necessarily require both), the at least one relay paging response configuration message comprising information and/or settings that the remote WD would require to respond to paging using any of the alternative response paths (i.e., relay OoC and respond directly. The Applicant is reminded based on the broadest reasonable interpretation the limitation is written in the alternative and therefore does not necessarily require both information and settings), monitoring for a paging message directly from the network node and intended for the remote WD directly from the network node(i.e., this reads on a device that listens for a broadcast. All devices can monitor for broadcast and choose to ignore accordingly based on the configuration if the broadcast is not meant for the listening device), upon detecting the paging message directly from the network node and intended for the remote WD (i.e., this reads on a conventional paging message actually), transmitting the paging response to be relayed to the network node to the relay WD over the sidelink connection (i.e., the ability to respond to pages via a sidelink).
Based on the above interpretation, the rejection is maintained as proper. The Examiner respectfully request the Applicant to reconsider what the claim language may inadvertently capture.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 18-19, 32 and 51-61 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ling et al. WO 2018/083381, hereinafter, ‘Ling’.
Consider Claim 1 and as applied to Claims 18 and 32, Ling a method performed by a remote wireless device (WD) (e.g., see remote device 16 of figure 1) for establishing communication between the remote WD and a network node (e.g., see network node 12 of figure 1), wherein the remote WD is camping on the network and has an established sidelink connection with a relay WD, wherein the method comprises: communicating, between the remote WD and the network node (e.g., see communication between remote 16 and network 12 in figures 4 and 5), at least one relay paging response configuration message configuring the remote WD with a plurality of alternative response paths that can be used when responding to paging (e.g., see network configuration -page 5 lines 19-20, “the network may configure the relay UE” lines 34-36, page 6 lines 14-19, page 9 lines 20-28, and page 12 lines 27. Figure 4 and 5- 26’ and 28), wherein the plurality of alternative response paths comprises responding directly to the network node or responding to the network node via the relay WD (“ the remote UE may access the network through the connected relay UE or directly to the network if the remote UE is in coverage – page 10 lines 28-32), the at least one relay paging response configuration message comprising information and/or settings that the remote WD would require to respond to paging using any of the alternative response paths (i.e., the network configuration received by the remote device as outlined in figures 4 and 5, which requires the remote UE to discover the relay UE, the network selects which relay UE to configure the remote UE , page 5 lines 29-30), monitoring for a paging (PO)message directly from the network node and intended for the remote WD, and upon detecting the (paging occasion -noted on at least page 7 line 35, )paging message directly from the network node and intended for the remote WD, transmitting the paging response to be relayed to the network node to the relay WD over the sidelink connection (see sidelink establishment noted in at least figures 4 and 5, “the remote UE may try to use the proper relay UE 14 to perform ,,,monitoring” page 6 lines 20-32, see also monitoring illustrated in figures 4 and 5).
Consider Claims 2 and 59, Ling teaches wherein the method comprises: - entering a power efficient state over the established sidelink connection after communicating the at least one relay paging response configuration message (e.g., as noted on at least page 11 lines 25-32, “Upon receiving the paging message at the remote UE's PO, the relay UE may send the received paging message to the remote UE via the SL broadcast communication without establishing a one-to-one SL connection. Additionally, if the remote UE provides the full UE ID to the relay UE, the relay UE may check the received paging message and request the remote UE to access to the network only if relay UE detects the paging message of remote UE. In this way, only relevant paging messages are relayed using sidelink”).
Consider Claims 3, Ling teaches wherein the method comprises: - in response to detecting the paging message from the network node, activating the sidelink connection with the relay WD(e.g., as noted on at least page 11 lines 25-32, “Upon receiving the paging message at the remote UE's PO, the relay UE may send the received paging message to the remote UE via the SL broadcast communication without establishing a one-to-one SL connection. Additionally, if the remote UE provides the full UE ID to the relay UE, the relay UE may check the received paging message and request the remote UE to access to the network only if relay UE detects the paging message of remote UE. In this way, only relevant paging messages are relayed using sidelink”).
Consider Claim 4, Ling teaches wherein monitoring for a paging message from the network node comprises monitoring a direct link connection with the network node (e.g., see direct monitoring as illustrated in context with item 38 of figure 5 - “monitoring paging message”).
Consider Claim 5, Ling teaches wherein communicating the at least one relay paging response configuration message comprises communicating the at least one relay paging response configuration message directly with the network node (“the remote UE may access the network through the connected relay UE or directly to the network if the remote UE is in coverage – page 10 lines 28-32).
Consider Claim 6, Ling teaches wherein communicating the at least one relay paging response configuration message comprises communicating the at least one relay paging response configuration message with the network node via the relay node(“the remote UE may access the network through the connected relay UE or directly to the network if the remote UE is in coverage – page 10 lines 28-32).
Consider Claims 2 and 59, Ling teaches wherein relaying comprises: - receiving the paging response to be relayed to the network node from the remote WD via the sidelink connection, and - transmitting, to the network node, the paging response received from the remote WD(e.g., see relaying as illustrated in figures 4 and 5 and consider “the remote UE may access the network through the connected relay UE or directly to the network if the remote UE is in coverage – page 10 lines 28-32)).
Consider Claim 51, Ling teaches wherein monitoring the paging occasion comprises monitoring one or more of: - a first paging occasion configured for the remote WD, and - a second paging occasion configured for the relay WD (e.g., se calculated PO noted on page 7 line 35, page 8 line 10-34).
Consider Claim 52, Ling teaches wherein communicating comprises transmitting a capability message to the network node, wherein the capability message comprises an indication indicating that the relay WD has an established sidelink connection with the remote WD (e.g., see at least page 1 line 17 – 2 line 11 – “establish a sidelink connection”).
Consider Claim 53, Ling teaches wherein the relay paging response configuration message comprises an identifier (ID) identifying the remote WD (e.g., “the remote UE may disclose at least some identifier information” page 8 lines 21-22).
Consider Claim 54, Ling teaches wherein the relay paging response configuration message comprises an identifier (ID) identifying the remote WD (e.g., the remote UE may disclose at least some identifier information” page 8 lines 21-22-The benefit of providing full remote UE's ID to the relay UE is that the number of paging messages which need to be relayed by the relay UE is limited – page 11 lines 1-4).
Consider Claim 55, Ling teaches wherein communicating comprises: - receiving, from the network node, a paging monitoring request message requesting the relay WD to monitor paging occasions for the remote WD (e.g., see network configuration -page 5 lines 19-20, “the network may configure the relay UE” lines 34-36, page 6 lines 14-19, page 9 lines 20-28, and page 12 lines 27. Figure 4 and 5- 26’ and 28)
Consider Claim 56, Ling teaches wherein the paging monitoring request message is indicative of configured paging occasions for the remote WD(e.g., see calculated PO noted on page 7 line 35, page 8 line 10-34).
Consider Claim 57, Ling teaches wherein receiving comprises receiving the paging monitoring request message via one or more of: - wake-up signaling, - Physical Downlink Control Chanel (PDCCH) signaling, and - Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling (e.g., see RRC signaling on page 13).
Consider Claim 58, Ling teaches wherein the paging monitoring request message indicative of configured paging occasions for the remote WD comprises an identifier (ID) identifying the remote WD(e.g., the remote UE may disclose at least some identifier information” page 8 lines 21-22-The benefit of providing full remote UE's ID to the relay UE is that the number of paging messages which need to be relayed by the relay UE is limited – page 11 lines 1-4).
Consider Claim 60, Ling teaches wherein performing the discovery process comprises one or more of: - transmitting a first discovery signal, and - receiving a second discovery signal from the second remote WD(discovery signals are illustrated at the top of flow diagrams in figures 4 and 5 ).
Consider Claim 61, Ling teaches wherein the method comprises: - relaying data between the remote WD and the network node(relaying illustrated in flow diagrams of figures 4 and 5 ).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US PATENT PUB. NO.: 2025/0227662 -ON DEMAND PAGING FOR EXECUTING A PATH SWITCH IN SIDELINK RELAY.
US PATENT PUB. NO.: 2024/0007908 - COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE, INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT AND METHODS - transmissions may be made by means of one or more of a sidelink (SL) system information block (SIB), a sidelink master information block (SL-MIB) or an on-demand SIB. In some embodiments, these transmissions may be multicast (e.g. to all or a group of the remote UEs which use the relay UE 404 as a relay). In some embodiments these transmissions may be unicast (e.g. using an RRC connection which terminates at the remote UE).
• US PATENT PUB. NO.: 2022/0061021 PAGING OVER SIDELINK VIA A RELAY USER EQUIPMENT - A second user equipment (UE) receives a paging message for a first UE from a base station while in a radio resource control (RRC) idle mode or an RRC inactive mode and transmits the paging message from the second UE to the first UE over sidelink.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES TERRELL SHEDRICK whose telephone number is (571)272-8621. The examiner can normally be reached 8A-5P.
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, Matthew D Anderson can be reached at 571 272 4177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHARLES T SHEDRICK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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