DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in reply communication filed on 07/07/2026.
Claims 1, 3-6, and 8-20 are pending.
Claims 2 and 7 are cancelled.
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 Argument
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filled on 07/07/2026, with respect to 35 U.S.C. §103 rejection of claims 1-20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of ZHANG et al. (US 2020/0236581), He et al. (US 2021/0298034), and LEE et al. (US 2019/0335356).
Claim Objections
Claims 15 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 15 recited, “the UE to transmit…” in line 2. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the transmitting UE to transmit…”.
Appropriate corrections are required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 6, 8, 11-12, and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (US 2020/0236581) in view of He et al. (US 2021/0298034).
Regarding claim 1, ZHANG discloses a processor for wireless communication [see Fig. 10A, 10B, ¶¶ 9, 104-109; UE2/remote UE in a wireless communication system], comprising:
at least one controller coupled with at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to [see Fig. 11, ¶¶ 9 104; a memory, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver]:
determine, at a medium access control (MAC) entity of a transmitting user equipment (UE), data volume information [see Fig. 10A, 10B, ¶¶ 99, 108, 124; determine, at a medium access control (MAC) entity of a Remote UE/transmitting UE, available resources are including in a Sidelink BSR/ data volume information; ¶ 116, sidelink resource of the Relay UE can be obtained by requesting to a base station through a SR or a Sidelink BSR],
wherein the data volume information comprises an identifier (ID) indicating a sidelink destination [see Fig. 10A, 10B, ¶¶ 125-128; wherein the Remote Sidelink BSR/(data volume information) comprises Dest Index which is a ProSe Destination of the UE/ (dentifier (ID) indicating a sidelink destination)] and a buffer status field indicating an amount of data available for transmission to a destination [see Fig. 10A, 10B, ¶ 132; Table 3, a buffer status field indicating an Buffer Sizes/ (amount of data available for transmission) to a destination (Dest Index)]; and
transmit the data volume information to a relay UE [see Fig. 8, 9, ¶ 118; Remote UE transmitting Remote sidelink BSR to Relay UE].
Although, ZHANG discloses determine, at a medium access control (MAC) entity of a transmitting user equipment (UE), available resources that including a Sidelink resource and a Uulink resource; and transmit the data volume information to a relay UE, but does not explicitly disclose “receive control signaling indicating whether the MAC entity of the transmitting UE is enabled to transmit the data volume information to the relay UE”.
However, He discloses receive control signaling indicating whether the MAC entity of the transmitting UE is enabled to transmit the data volume information to the relay UE [see Fig. 2, ¶¶ 234-235; remote UE 115-a receive sidelink grant 215-a/(control signaling) indicating whether the remote UE 115-a is enabled to transmit a BSR 220/data volume information (in Fig. 2; each BSR may indicate a buffer size of one or more buffers at the corresponding remote UE 115 (e.g., UE 115-a for BSR 220-a and UE 115-b for BSR 220-b))].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “receive control signaling indicating whether the MAC entity of the transmitting UE is enabled to transmit the data volume information to the relay UE” as taught by He in the system of ZHANG, so that it would establishing the communication link may enable the base station to schedule communications between the remote UE and the relay UE [see He; ¶ 179].
Regarding claim 3, the combined system of ZHANG and He discloses the processor of claim 1.
He further discloses wherein the control signaling is part of UE to UE radio resource signaling [see ¶¶ 90, 180, 226; wherein the control signaling is part of UE to UE radio resource signaling].
Regarding claims 6 and 8, a transmitting user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor [Fig. 18, ¶ 218; a remote UE includes a processor 910, a memory 920 and a transceiver 930] coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to perform the processor for wireless communication recited as in claims 1 and 3 respectively; therefore, claims 6 and 8 are rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claims 1 and 3 respectively.
Regarding claim 11, ZHANG discloses a relay user equipment (UE) [see Fig. 8-10B, ¶¶ 114-126; relay UE in a wireless communication system], comprising:
at least one controller coupled with at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to [Fig. 18, ¶ 218; a relay UE 800 includes a processor 810, a memory 820 and a transceiver 830]:
transmit control signaling [see Fig. 2, ¶ 118; transmit perform control to make a resource request to the base station],
wherein the data volume information comprises an identifier (ID) indicating a sidelink destination [see Fig. 10A, 10B, ¶¶ 125-128; wherein the Remote Sidelink BSR/(data volume information) comprises Dest Index which is a ProSe Destination of the UE/ (dentifier (ID) indicating a sidelink destination)] and a buffer status field indicating an amount of data available for transmission to a destination [see Fig. 10A, 10B, ¶ 132; Table 3, a buffer status field indicating an Buffer Sizes/ (amount of data available for transmission) to a destination (Dest Index)]; and
receive the data volume information from the transmitting UE [see ¶ 118; Relay UE receive Remote Sidelink BSR/(data volume information) from the Remote UE/ transmitting UE].
Although, ZHANG discloses transmit control signaling to the base station, does not explicitly disclose “transmit control signaling indicating whether a medium access control (MAC) entity of a transmitting UE is enabled to transmit data volume information to the relay UE”.
However, He discloses transmit control signaling indicating whether a medium access control (MAC) entity of a transmitting UE is enabled to transmit data volume information to the relay UE [Fig. 3, ¶¶ 41-44; the relay UE 115-b transmit a sidelink grant 215-a/ (control signaling) to remote UE 115-a indicating whether the remote UE 115-a is enabled to transmit a BSR 220-a/data volume information (in Fig. 2; each BSR may indicate a buffer size of one or more buffers at the corresponding remote UE 115 (e.g., UE 115-a for BSR 220-a and UE 115-b for BSR 220-a))] ];
receive the data volume information from the transmitting UE [Fig. 3, ¶¶ 41, 45-47; receive the BSR 220-a/(data volume information) from the Remote UE 115-a/transmitting UE].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “transmit control signaling indicating whether a medium access control (MAC) entity of a transmitting UE is enabled to transmit data volume information to the relay UE” as taught by He in the system of ZHANG, so that it would establishing the communication link may enable the base station to schedule communications between the remote UE and the relay UE [see He; ¶ 179].
Regarding claim 12, a transmitting user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor [Fig. 18, ¶ 218; a remote UE includes a processor 910, a memory 920 and a transceiver 930] coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to perform the processor for wireless communication recited as in claims 1 and 3 respectively; therefore, claims 6 and 8 are rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claims 1 and 3 respectively.
Regarding claim 15, the combined system of ZHANG and He discloses the relay UE of claim 11.
ZHANG further discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit the data volume information to a remote UE [¶ 120; request a resource needed for the Relay UE to forward the data of the Remote UE].
Regarding claims 16-17 and 20, a processor for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor [see Fig. 11, ¶¶ 9 104; a memory, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver] coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to perform the processor for wireless communication recited as in claims 11-12 and 15 respectively; therefore, claims 16-17 and 20 are rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claims 11-12 and 15 respectively.
Claims 4-5, 9-10, 13-14, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (US 2020/0236581) in view of He et al. (US 2021/0298034), and further in view of LEE et al. (US 2019/0335356).
Regarding claim 4, the combined system of ZHANG and He discloses the processor of claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the control signaling comprises information indicating a timer for enabling periodic buffer status reporting.
However, Lee discloses wherein the control signaling comprises information indicating a timer for enabling periodic buffer status reporting [¶¶ 130- 135; RRC controls BSR reporting by configuring the three timers periodicBSR-Timer, retxBSR-Timer].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “receive control signaling indicating whether the MAC entity of the transmitting UE is enabled to transmit the data volume information to the relay UE” as taught by He in the combined system of ZHANG and He, so that it would provide the serving eNodeB (eNB) with information about the amount of data available for transmission in the uplink (UL) buffers of the UE [see Lee; ¶ 5].
Regarding claim 5, the combined system of ZHANG and He discloses the processor of claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to determine a discontinuous reception (DRX) state of a remote UE based on the data volume information.
However, Lee discloses wherein the control signaling comprises information indicating a timer for enabling periodic buffer status reporting [¶¶ 130- 135; RRC controls BSR reporting by configuring the three timers periodicBSR-Timer, retxBSR-Timer].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “receive control signaling indicating whether the MAC entity of the transmitting UE is enabled to transmit the data volume information to the relay UE” as taught by He in the combined system of ZHANG and He, so that it would provide the serving eNodeB (eNB) with information about the amount of data available for transmission in the uplink (UL) buffers of the UE [see Lee; ¶ 5].
Regarding claims 9 and 10, the transmitting UE of claim 6 to perform the processor for wireless communication recited as in claims 4 and 5 respectively; therefore, claims 9 and 10 are rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claims 4 and 5 respectively.
Regarding claims 13 and 14, the relay UE of claim 11 to perform the processor for wireless communication recited as in claims 4 and 5 respectively; therefore, claims 13 and 14 are rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claims 4 and 5 respectively.
Regarding claims 18 and 19, the processor of claim 16 to perform the processor for wireless communication recited as in claims 4 and 5 respectively; therefore, claims 18 and 19 are rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claims 4 and 5 respectively.
Conclusion
In additional to references cited that are used for rejection as set forth above, WEI et al. (US 2019/0166640) is also considered as relevant prior arts for rejection of in claims 1, 6, 11, and 16 (Fig. 6, ¶¶ 93-105).
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/PHONG LA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469a
