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.
Claim 1 and 3 is 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.
Claim 1 recites the subject matter “PC5” and “C2” seen in the claims. It is unclear on exactly what is meant by such subject matter. Examiner suggests defining such subject matter.
Claim 1 recites “reception circuitry is configured to transmit” in line 20. It is unclear on how reception circuitry may transmit.
Claim 1 recites “a link over the PC5” in line 21. It is however unclear if “a link” is referring to “a link over a PC5” as introduced in line 16 or is a different link. Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Claim 3 recites the subject matter “PC5” and “C2” seen in the claims. It is unclear on exactly what is meant by such subject matter. Examiner suggests defining such subject matter.
Claim 3 recites “a link over the PC5” in line 8. It is however unclear if “a link” is referring to “a link over a PC5” as introduced in line 3 or is a different link. Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2023/0319913), in view of Kim (US 2025/0227783), in view of Hoglund et al. (US 2024/0138001), hereinafter referred to as Kim, Kim (783), and Hoglund.
Regarding claim 1, 3, Kim discloses a User Equipment (UE) (The UAV 120-1 (also referred to herein as a UAV UE 120-1) includes an aircraft without a human pilot aboard and can also be referred to as an unmanned aircraft (UA), [0073] and figure 5 and figure 6 and [0109]) comprising:
transmission and reception circuitry (transmission and reception of wireless signals may include one or more components for analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components including antennas, radio frequency (RF) chains,…), [0016] and [0053]); and
controlling circuitry (UE may include a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory, [0006] and [0010] and [0053]), wherein
the UE is an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV)(The UAV 120-1 (also referred to herein as a UAV UE 120-1) includes an aircraft without a human pilot aboard and can also be referred to as an unmanned aircraft (UA), [0073]),
releasing a link over a PC5 for direct C2 communication between the UAV and a UAV controller (UAV-C), the controlling circuitry is configured to perform a procedure to release the link over the PC5 for direct C2 communication between the UAV and the UAV-C (UAV-C UE 120-2 and/or the UAV UE 120-1 may transmit C2 communications via unicast PC5 communications via the PC5 direct link established between the UAV UE 120-1 and the UAV-C UE 120-2 and the UAV UE 120-1 may release the direct link (e.g., the PC5 direct link) established with the UAV-C UE 120-2, [0108]-[0109] and [0107] and [0148] and [0083] and [0089] and [0095]), and
Kim however fails to disclose in a case that a request for releasing a link is received from an upper layer. Kim however discloses UAV-C UE 120-2 and/or the UAV UE 120-1 may transmit C2 communications via unicast PC5 communications via the PC5 direct link ([0108]). In a similar field of endeavor, Kim (783) discloses a case that a request for releasing a link is received from an upper layer (the unicast link may be released at the request of the application layer (or upper layer) of the UE. For example, the unicast link may be released based on various reasons and UE may include, for example,…, an UAV, [0289] and [0037]-[0038]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of receiving a request to release a unicast link from an upper layer as disclosed by Kim (783) into the method of a UAV UE releasing a unicast PC5 direct link established with a UAV-C as disclosed by Kim in order to improve the system and flexibly determine when a unicast link may be released, such a via a request from an upper layer.
Kim and Kim (783) fails to disclose transmit, in the procedure, a direct link release request message including a cause value indicating lack of resources for a link over the PC5. Kim however discloses UAV-C UE 120-2 and/or the UAV UE 120-1 may transmit C2 communications via unicast PC5 communications via the PC5 direct link ([0108]). In a similar field of endeavor, Hoglund discloses transmit, in the procedure, a direct link release request message including a cause value indicating lack of resources for a link over the PC5 (The connection release procedure is performed to release the existing PC5 unicast link between UE1 and UE2 and The direct link release request from the initiating UE may contain one of these cause values:… #5 lack of resources for PC5 unicast link, [0033]-[0038]). It 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 to incorporate the concept of having a direct link release request contain a cause value corresponding to lack of resources for PC5 unicast link as disclosed by Hoglund into the method of a UAV UE releasing a unicast PC5 direct link established with a UAV-C as disclosed by Kim and Kim (783) in order to improve the system and flexibly indicate when a unicast link may be released and with what cause.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim (US 2025/0301385) disclosing release the C2 connection over the PC5 is determined on the basis of a request for the application layer of the first UE based on the C2 connection state information (abstract).
Ferdi et al. (US 2023/0156554) disclosing the WTRU may be requested to release connection #1 associated with UAV-C #1/UAS id #1 based on an indication (e.g., when or on condition that authorization for C2 communications with UAV-C #1 is revoked)([0118]).
Ferdi et al. (US 2023/0199863) disclosing in the case of C2 traffic, there is a need to determine (1) how a UAV and a UAV-C may establish, modify, and revoke a security association (SA) used for C2 communications ([0081]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NGUYEN HOANG NGO whose telephone number is (571)272-8398. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang Yao can be reached at 571-272-3182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NGUYEN H NGO/ Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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