DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1-10 have been examined and are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
3. Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 8/27/2024, 12/18/2024, 4/07/2025, and 4/08/2025 have been found to be in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
4. The drawings were received on 8/27/2024. These drawings are accepted.
Specification
5. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: COMMUNICATION METHOD, CONTROL TERMINAL, AND BASE STATION FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION STATE OF A RELAY DEVICE.
6. The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
7. 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.
8. Claims 1-10 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 (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
a) Claim 1 recites “wherein the receiving comprises receiving the control signal in a second slot before a predetermined slot than a first slot during which the operation state designated in the control signal is applied”. It is unclear the relation between the first slot and the predetermined slot. Since the control signal comprises the operation state, or at the least may be interpreted in this way, the limitation then becomes ambiguous with the incorporation of the plurality of slots. It is unclear which slot, and when the slot is received, that carries the operation state. For purposes of examination, the limitation is interpreted to correspond to receiving a control signal at a time before performing an operation according to the control signaling at a second time.
b) Claims 2-5, dependent upon claim 1, do not satisfy the deficiencies of the rejected base claim and are therefore also rejected.
c) Claim 7 recites similar limitations as claim 1 and is therefore similarly rejected.
d) Claim 8 recites similar limitations as claim 1 and is therefore similarly rejected.
e) Claim 9 recites similar limitations as claim 1 and is therefore similarly rejected.
f) Claim 10 recites similar limitations as claim 1 and is therefore similarly rejected.
9. Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: a receiver and/or processor, memory, and processor.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Claims 1-4 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application Publication 2022/0045746 A1 to Abedini et al. (hereinafter “Abedini”).
Regarding Claim 1, Abedini discloses a communication method performed by a control terminal configured to control a relay apparatus, the relay apparatus being configured to relay radio waves between a network node and a user equipment (Abedini: Figures 3 and 6, [0166] – corresponds to a repeater operable to communicate between a first and second wireless node, wherein a first wireless node may be a control node and a second wireless node may be the receiver node.), the communication method comprising:
receiving a control signal as layer-2 signaling from the network node wirelessly connected to the control terminal, the control signal designating an operation state of the relay apparatus (Abedini: Figure 6, step 635 with [0172-0190] – corresponds to receiving a control signal from the control node 605 regarding a mode of operation of the repeater node 610. In [0215-0217], the control node uses MAC and/or RLC signaling for transmitting the control signaling, which are Layer-2 signaling.); and
controlling the relay apparatus to apply the operation state designated in the control signal to the relay apparatus (Abedini: Figure 6 with [0190-0191] – corresponds to step 640 of Figure 6 in which the repeater operates in accordance with the configuration received in the control signaling.),
wherein the receiving comprises receiving the control signal in a second slot before a predetermined slot than a first slot during which the operation state designated in the control signal is applied (Abedini: [0216-0219] – corresponds to receiving the control signaling including a plurality of parameters for an operation mode at a time before performing an operation with another wireless node, according to the configuration in the control signaling from the control node and according to a scheduled operation with the repeater node and the wireless node. These times are incorporated in slots for communication between the repeater node and the control and wireless nodes.).
Regarding Claim 2, Abedini discloses the communication method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises information designating an operation state of the relay apparatus for a respective time period of a plurality of time periods (Abedini: [0213-0219] – corresponds to a latency parameter that may be part of configuration signaling in order for the repeater node to process other signals during a time period in which these other signals may be transmitted or received. “In some aspects, the latency values may be based at least in part on an expected first time (e.g., a time at a start of reception of the signal, a time at a completion of reception of the signal, a time at a reception of a command to repeat the signal) and an expected second time (e.g., a time at a start of transmission of a regeneration of the signal, a time at a start of reception and/or processing of the signal, and/or the like).”).
Regarding Claim 3, Abedini discloses the communication method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the network node, notification information for specifying the number of symbols during which the operation state designated in the control signal is applied (Abedini: [0017], [0170] – a number of symbols that are included with the latency parameter is received as part of the configuration for a processing mode.).
Regarding Claim 4, Abedini discloses the communication method according to claim 3, wherein the receiving of the notification information comprises receiving the notification information in higher layer signaling of a layer higher than a layer of the signaling (Abedini: [0202] – configuration of the repeater node may be performed by higher-layer signaling including radio resource control (RRC) signaling.).
Claim 6, directed to an apparatus embodiment of claim 6, recites similar features as claim 1 and is therefore rejected upon the same grounds as claim 1. Please see above rejection of claim 1. Abedini further discloses the apparatus as a repeater node comprising a receiver and a controller in at least Figure 15 with [0224-0228], [0312-0314].
Regarding Claim 7, Abedini discloses a network node (Abedini: Figure 16 with [0322]) wirelessly connected to a control terminal configured to control a relay apparatus, the relay apparatus being configured to relay radio waves between the network node and a user equipment (Abedini: Figures 3 and 6, [0166] – corresponds to a control node operable to communicate between a repeater node and a wireless node.), the network node comprising
a transmitter (Abedini: Figure 16, element 1604) configured to transmit a control signal as layer-2 signaling, the control signal designating an operation state of the relay apparatus (Abedini: Figure 6, step 635 with [0172-0190] – corresponds to transmitting a control signal from the control node 605 regarding a mode of operation of the repeater node 610 to the repeater node. In [0215-0217], the control node uses MAC and/or RLC signaling for transmitting the control signaling, which are Layer-2 signaling.),
wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the control signal in a second slot before a predetermined slot than a first slot during which the operation state designated in the control signal is applied (Abedini: [0216-0219] – corresponds to receiving the control signaling including a plurality of parameters for an operation mode at a time before performing an operation with another wireless node, according to the configuration in the control signaling from the control node and according to a scheduled operation with the repeater node and the wireless node. These times are incorporated in slots for communication between the repeater node and the control and wireless nodes.).
Regarding Claim 8, Abedini discloses a chipset for a control terminal configured to control a relay apparatus, the relay apparatus being configured to relay radio waves between a network node and a user equipment (Abedini: Figures 3 and 6, [0166] – corresponds to a repeater operable to communicate between a first and second wireless node, wherein a first wireless node may be a control node and a second wireless node may be the receiver node.), the chipset configured to execute processing of:
receiving a control signal in layer-2 signaling from the network node wirelessly
connected to the control terminal, the control signal designating an operation state of the relay apparatus (Abedini: Figure 6, step 635 with [0172-0190] – corresponds to receiving a control signal from the control node 605 regarding a mode of operation of the repeater node 610. In [0215-0217], the control node uses MAC and/or RLC signaling for transmitting the control signaling, which are Layer-2 signaling.); and
controlling the relay apparatus to apply the operation state designated in the control signal to the relay apparatus (Abedini: Figure 6 with [0190-0191] – corresponds to step 640 of Figure 6 in which the repeater operates in accordance with the configuration received in the control signaling.),
wherein the processing of receiving includes processing of receiving the control signal in a second before a predetermined slot than a first slot during which the operation state designated in the control signal is applied (Abedini: [0216-0219] – corresponds to receiving the control signaling including a plurality of parameters for an operation mode at a time before performing an operation with another wireless node, according to the configuration in the control signaling from the control node and according to a scheduled operation with the repeater node and the wireless node. These times are incorporated in slots for communication between the repeater node and the control and wireless nodes.).
Claim 9, directed to an article of manufacture embodiment of claim 1, recites similar features as claim 1 and is therefore rejected upon the same grounds as claim 1.
Regarding Claim 10, Abedini discloses a system comprising:
a control terminal configured to control a relay apparatus, the relay apparatus being configured to relay radio waves between a network node and a user equipment (Abedini: Figures 3 and 6, [0166] – corresponds to a repeater operable to communicate between a first and second wireless node, wherein a first wireless node may be a control node and a second wireless node may be the receiver node.), wherein the control terminal is configured to:
receive a control signal in layer-2 signaling from the network node wirelessly
connected to the control terminal, the control signal designating an operation state of the relay apparatus (Abedini: Figure 6, step 635 with [0172-0190] – corresponds to receiving a control signal from the control node 605 regarding a mode of operation of the repeater node 610. In [0215-0217], the control node uses MAC and/or RLC signaling for transmitting the control signaling, which are Layer-2 signaling.);
control the relay apparatus to apply the operation state designated in the control signal to the relay apparatus (Abedini: Figure 6 with [0190-0191] – corresponds to step 640 of Figure 6 in which the repeater operates in accordance with the configuration received in the control signaling.),
receive the control signal in a second before a predetermined slot than a first slot during which the operation state designated in the control signal is applied (Abedini: [0216-0219] – corresponds to receiving the control signaling including a plurality of parameters for an operation mode at a time before performing an operation with another wireless node, according to the configuration in the control signaling from the control node and according to a scheduled operation with the repeater node and the wireless node. These times are incorporated in slots for communication between the repeater node and the control and wireless nodes.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. The factual inquiries 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.
16. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini in view of United States Patent Application Publication 2021/0044412 A1 to Li et al. (hereinafter “Li”).
Regarding Claim 5, Abedini discloses the communication method according to claim 1, but does not expressly disclose receiving association information associating an operation state of the relay apparatus with an identifier, in higher layer signaling of a layer higher than a layer of the signaling;
receiving the control signal comprising the identifier; and
specifying the operation state corresponding to the identifier comprised in the received control signal, based on the association information.
However, this feature is not new or novel in the presence of Li. Li is similarly concerned with modes of operation for repeating/relaying a signal (Li: [0006]). Li discloses receiving association information associating an operation state of the relay apparatus with an identifier (Li: [0080-0081] – corresponds to receiving a repeater configuration “by transmitting the indication of the one or more repeater configurations to the repeater based at least in part on an identifier associated with the repeater.”), in higher layer signaling of a layer higher than a layer of the signaling (Li: [0104] – control signaling for a repeater configuration may be performed in accordance with radio resource configuration (RRC) signaling.);
receiving the control signal comprising the identifier (Li: [0080-0081] – corresponds to transmitting the configuration in control signaling to the repeater.); and
specifying the operation state corresponding to the identifier comprised in the received control signal, based on the association information (Li: [0080-0083] – one or more configurations for the identified repeater may have different parameters and may have different identifiers associated with a same or different user equipment.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the configuration information of Abedini in view of the configuration information of Li to include identification information for the reasons of reducing power consumption and increasing memory resources without the need for further hardware implementations (Li: [0073-0075]).
Conclusion
17. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN H ELLIOTT IV whose telephone number is (571)270-7163. The examiner can normally be reached M, T, R, F 5:00 AM-5:00 PM, W 5:00 AM-3:00 PM (EDT).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached at (571) 272-2832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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BENJAMIN H. ELLIOTT IV
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2474
/BENJAMIN H ELLIOTT IV/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474 July 21, 2026
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