DETAILED ACTION
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 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, 3, 6, 7, 10-12, 14-16 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 (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The claims state an indication is transmit indicating that one or more mandatory information elements are not included in the handover command. The plain meaning of the term “mandatory” is required/obligatory or something that must be present/occur. It is unclear what information Applicant is deeming to be mandatory let alone what information is mandatory that can be left out and the system still operate. If something is mandatory, it cannot be missing, thus it is unclear what is being claimed as mandatory information
Appropriate correction required.
Claims 3, 7, 12, 16 recites the limitation "the second relay". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Appropriate correction 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 (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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 20-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. “Cheng” US 2024/0031890 in view of Paladugu et al. “Paladugu” US 2024/0205764.
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Cheng teaches a method and a source network node (105-e Figure 5) operable to perform a sidelink path switch, the network node comprising processing circuitry operable to:
determine to switch a remote wireless device to sidelink communication with a target relay wireless device and the target relay wireless device is served by a target network node different from the source network node (Paragraph 167 step 540 teaches the source base station sends a handover indication message for the remote UE to handover to the target relay UE. This is viewed as the determination to switch as claimed. The connections between the UEs are sidelink connections; Paragraph 159. The target relay is served by the target base station 105-f (steps 510 and Figure 5).); and
transmit an indication to the target network node of the path switch involving the target relay wireless device (Steps 520/525 disclose the handover decisions communication between the source and target network nodes. Thus one can see an indication with respect to path switching is transmit as claimed; Paragraphs 164-165 and 169).
Cheng does not expressly disclose the relay wireless device is in an idle or inactive state; however, Paladugu teaches that the relay UEs can be in a RRC_Idle or RRC_Inactive state; Paragraph 67 and Figure 5).
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing to modify the teachings of Cheng to disclose the target relay UE is in a RRC inactive/IDLE state as taught by Paladugu.
One would be motivated to make the modification such that relay can properly transition to a RRC_Connected in order to establish the new link as taught by Paladugu; Paragraph 67.
Regarding claims 4 and 8, Cheng teaches the indication indicates one or more of:
An indication of on ongoing path switch, an identifier of the target relay wireless device; and context information of the target relay wireless device (during handover preparation, the handover command information is determined; Paragraphs 164-165 and 169. The handover command includes information relating to the target relay device instructions the remote UE to establish a connection to the target relay UE; Paragraphs 167 and 170. This information is viewed as the target relay identifier (since the UE must know this to connect to the target relay UE) as well as context information and path switch indication (i.e. handovers)).
Regarding claims 9 and 13, Cheng teaches a method and a target network node (105-f Figure 5) operable to perform a sidelink path switch, the network node comprising processing circuitry operable to:
Receive an indication from a source network node of a path switch for a remote wireless device to sidelink communication with a target relay wireless device wherein the target relay wireless device is served by a target network node different from the source network node (Paragraph 167 step 540 teaches the source base station sends a handover indication message for the remote UE to handover to the target relay UE. This is viewed as the determination to switch as claimed. The connections between the UEs are sidelink connections; Paragraph 159. The target relay is served by the target base station 105-f (steps 510 and Figure 5) Steps 520/525 disclose the handover decisions communication between the source and target network nodes. Thus one can see an indication with respect to path switching is transmit as claimed; Paragraphs 164-165 and 169); and
Configure the target relay wireless device to serve as a relay wireless device for the remote wireless device (Paragraphs 165, 166, 169 show the target base station communication with the target relay UE (530 and 535 of Figure 5) in order to configure the relay to serve the remote UE)).
Cheng does not expressly disclose the relay wireless device is in an idle or inactive state; however, Paladugu teaches that the relay UEs can be in a RRC_Idle or RRC_Inactive state; Paragraph 67 and Figure 5).
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing to modify the teachings of Cheng to disclose the target relay UE is in a RRC inactive/IDLE state as taught by Paladugu.
One would be motivated to make the modification such that relay can properly transition to a RRC_Connected in order to establish the new link as taught by Paladugu; Paragraph 67.
Regarding claims 12 and 16, Cheng teaches the indication indicates one or more of:
An indication of on ongoing path switch, an identifier of the target relay wireless device; and context information of the target relay wireless device (during handover preparation, the handover command information is determined; Paragraphs 164-165 and 169. The handover command includes information relating to the target relay device instructions the remote UE to establish a connection to the target relay UE; Paragraphs 167 and 170. This information is viewed as the target relay identifier (since the UE must know this to connect to the target relay UE) as well as context information and path switch indication (i.e. handovers)).
Regarding claim 20, Cheng teaches a remote wireless device (115-f Figure 5) operable to perform a sidelink path switch, the network node comprising processing circuitry operable to:
Receive, from a source network node, a path switch comment instructing the device to switch to sidelink communication with a target relay wireless device wherein the target relay wireless device is served by a target network node different from the source network node (Paragraph 167 step 540 teaches the source base station sends a handover indication message for the remote UE to handover to the target relay UE. This is viewed as the determination to switch as claimed. The connections between the UEs are sidelink connections; Paragraph 159. The target relay is served by the target base station 105-f (steps 510 and Figure 5) Steps 520/525 disclose the handover decisions communication between the source and target network nodes. Thus one can see an indication with respect to path switching is received as claimed; Paragraphs 164-165 and 169); and
Establishing a SL connection to the target relay device using information from the path switch command (Paragraphs 167 and 170 teaches the command is for the remote UE to handover from the source relay to the target relay thus establishing a SL connection to the target relay)).
Cheng does not expressly disclose the relay wireless device is in an idle or inactive state; however, Paladugu teaches that the relay UEs can be in a RRC_Idle or RRC_Inactive state; Paragraph 67 and Figure 5).
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing to modify the teachings of Cheng to disclose the target relay UE is in a RRC inactive/IDLE state as taught by Paladugu.
One would be motivated to make the modification such that relay can properly transition to a RRC_Connected in order to establish the new link as taught by Paladugu; Paragraph 67.
Regarding claim 21, Cheng teaches establish the SL connection to the target relay device by sending configuration information to the target relay device based on information from the path switch command (based on the received HO information in step 540, the remote UE sends a request to establish a connection to the target relay UE step 550; Paragraph 174. This request includes information for establishing connections thus this is viewed as configuration information based on information received in the handover (i.e. path switch)).
Regarding claim 22, Cheng teaches the configuration information includes one or more of:
An indication the SL connection is because of a path switch procedure and identifier of the target relay wireless device (during handover preparation, the handover command information is determined; Paragraphs 164-165 and 169. The handover command includes information relating to the target relay device instructions the remote UE to establish a connection to the target relay UE; Paragraphs 167 and 170. This information is viewed as the target relay identifier (since the UE must know this to connect to the target relay UE) as well as SL connection is because of a path switch (i.e. handovers)).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON M RENNER whose telephone number is (571)270-3621. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-5pm EST.
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/BRANDON M RENNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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