DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having application No 18/894,103 filed on 09/24/2024 is presented for examination by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
Claims 1-7, and 10-12 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Majmundar et al. (U.S 20200053629, Feb. 13, 2020) in view of Haustein et al. (US 20230189315, Jun. 15, 2023).
Regarding Claim 1, Majmundar discloses the apparatus comprising detection unit configured to detect that a first relay node communicating with a base station of the network over a first communication path no longer fulfills requirements for communication in a specific slice(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, The retransmission component determine, based on the delivery status message, a second protocol data unit that was not successfully transmitted before handover of a communication channel with the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node is a first relay node) to a third relay node device(wherein the third relay node in this case is a second relay node). the retransmission component can retrieve the second protocol data unit from a buffer component that stores PDUs for a predetermined period of time (communication in a specific period or slice));
and instruction unit configured to provide an instruction to connect to a second relay node that is located on a second communication path fulfilling the requirements for communication in the specific slice and is connectable from the first relay node, in accordance with a result of the detection performed by the detection unit(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, the retransmission component then, via the transceiver component, transmit the second protocol data unit to the third relay node device to facilitate transmission of the second protocol data unit by the third relay node device to the target network node device, the transceiver component forward the delivery status message to a parent node device).
Majmundar discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except a communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network.
Haustein is the same field of invention teaches a communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network (page 44, par(1031), line 1-10, IAB network facilitates split gNB architecture with a central unit (CU) and distributed units (DUs)).
Majmundar and Haustein l analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the based communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network the teaching of Majmundar to include the IAB network facilitates split gNB architecture with a central unit (CU) and distributed units the teaching of Haustein because it is providing good signal power transfer from the transmitter to the targeted received communication partner.
Regarding Claim 2, Majmundar discloses the instruction unit configured to identify the second relay node based on a relay node that is not included in the first communication path(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, The retransmission component determine, based on the delivery status message, a second protocol data unit that was not successfully transmitted before handover of a communication channel with the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node ia a first relay node) to a third relay node device).
Regarding Claim 3, Majmundar discloses storage unit configured to store a connection candidate node connectable from the first relay node and communication quality between the connection candidate node and the first relay node in association with each other, wherein in a case where the instruction unit identifies a plurality of relay nodes that are connectable from the first relay node and fulfill the requirements for communication in the specific slice(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, The retransmission component determine, based on the delivery status message, a second protocol data unit that was not successfully transmitted before handover of a communication channel with the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node is a first relay node) to a third relay node device(wherein the third relay node in this case is a second relay node). the retransmission component can retrieve the second protocol data unit from a buffer component that stores PDUs for a predetermined period of time (communication in a specific period or slice)), the instruction unit identifies a relay node having high communication quality with respect to the first relay node as the second relay node(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, the retransmission component then, via the transceiver component, transmit the second protocol data unit to the third relay node device to facilitate transmission of the second protocol data unit by the third relay node device to the target network node device, the transceiver component forward the delivery status message to a parent node device).
Regarding Claim 4, Majmundar discloses comprising obtainment unit configured to obtain a connection candidate list indicating a relay node connectable from the first relay node, wherein the instruction unit identifies a relay node connectable from the first relay node based on the connection candidate list obtained by the obtainment unit(page 4, par(0041), line 1-10, Based on the list, the network node compare the PDUs that were transmitted to network node via network node, and then identify PDUs that were sent to network node and which were not successfully transmitted to network node, the network node retrieve these PDUs from a buffer on the network node and retransmit the PDUs to network node).
Regarding Claim 5, Majmundar discloses in a case where the instruction unit is unable to identify the second relay node that is located on the second communication path fulfilling the requirements for communication in the specific slice and is connectable from the first relay node, the instruction unit identifies a fourth relay node that is connectable from a third relay node communicating with the base station via the first relay node and fulfills the requirements for communication in the specific slice, and the instruction unit instructs the third relay node to connect to the fourth relay node(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, The retransmission component determine, based on the delivery status message, a second protocol data unit that was not successfully transmitted before handover of a communication channel with the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node ia a first relay node) to a third relay node device(wherein the third relay node in this case is a second relay node). the retransmission component can retrieve the second protocol data unit from a buffer component that stores PDUs for a predetermined period of time (communication in a specific period or slice)).
Regarding Claim 6, Majmundar discloses in a case where the second communication path fulfills requirements for communication in a slice to be supported by the first relay node, the instruction unit instructs the first relay node to disconnect from the first communication path(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node is a first relay node) to a third relay node device(wherein the third relay node is a second relay node), the retransmission component can retrieve the second protocol data unit from a buffer component that stores PDUs for a predetermined period of time (communication in a specific period or slice)).
Regarding Claim 7, Majmundar discloses in a case where the second communication path includes the first communication path, the instruction unit instructs the first relay node to disconnect from the first communication path(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, The retransmission component determine, based on the delivery status message, a second protocol data unit that was not successfully transmitted before handover of a communication channel with the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node is a first relay node) to a third relay node device).
Regarding Claim 10, Majmundar discloses in a case where the detection unit detects that the first communication path no longer fulfills requirements for communication in a plurality of slices, the instruction unit provides priority to a slice requested by a larger number of UEs, and provides an instruction to connect to the second relay node that fulfills requirements for communication in the slice that is provided priority(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, The retransmission component determine, based on the delivery status message, a second protocol data unit that was not successfully transmitted before handover of a communication channel with the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node is a first relay node) to a third relay node device(wherein the third relay node in this case is a second relay node)).
Regarding Claim 11, Majmundar discloses the method comprising detecting that a first relay node communicating with a base station of the network over a first communication path no longer fulfills requirements for communication in a specific slice(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, The retransmission component determine, based on the delivery status message, a second protocol data unit that was not successfully transmitted before handover of a communication channel with the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node is a first relay node) to a third relay node device(wherein the third relay node in this case is a second relay node). the retransmission component can retrieve the second protocol data unit from a buffer component that stores PDUs for a predetermined period of time (communication in a specific period or slice));
and providing an instruction to connect to a second relay node that is located on a second communication path fulfilling the requirements for communication in the specific slice and is connectable from the first relay node, in accordance with a detection resultpage 5, par(0054), line 1-10, the retransmission component then, via the transceiver component, transmit the second protocol data unit to the third relay node device to facilitate transmission of the second protocol data unit by the third relay node device to the target network node device, the transceiver component forward the delivery status message to a parent node device).
Majmundar discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except a communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network.
Haustein is the same field of invention that teaches a communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network (page 44, par(1031), line 1-10, IAB network facilitates split gNB architecture with a central unit (CU) and distributed units (DUs)).
Majmundar and Haustein l analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the based communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network the teaching of Majmundar to include the IAB network facilitates split gNB architecture with a central unit (CU) and distributed units the teaching of Haustein because it is providing good signal power transfer from the transmitter to the targeted received communication partner.
Regarding Claim 12, Majmundar discloses configured to detect that a first relay node communicating with a base station of the network over a first communication path no longer fulfills requirements for communication in a specific slice (page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, The retransmission component determine, based on the delivery status message, a second protocol data unit that was not successfully transmitted before handover of a communication channel with the target network node device from the second relay node device(wherein the second relay node is a first relay node) to a third relay node device(wherein the third relay node in this case is a second relay node). the retransmission component can retrieve the second protocol data unit from a buffer component that stores PDUs for a predetermined period of time (communication in a specific period or slice));
and instruction unit configured to provide an instruction to connect to a requirements for communication in the specific slice and is connectable from the first relay node, in accordance with a result of the detection performed by the detection unit(page 5, par(0054), line 1-10, the retransmission component then, via the transceiver component, transmit the second protocol data unit to the third relay node device to facilitate transmission of the second protocol data unit by the third relay node device to the target network node device, the transceiver component forward the delivery status message to a parent node device).
Majmundar discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer of the communication control apparatus to function as detection unit , communication control method to be executed by a communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network.
Haustein is the same field of invention that teaches communication control method to be executed by a communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network (page 44, par(1031), line 1-10, IAB network facilitates split gNB architecture with a central unit (CU) and distributed units (DUs)).
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer of the communication control apparatus to function as detection unit (page 44, par(1031), line 1-10, IAB network facilitates split gNB architecture with a central unit (CU) and distributed units (DUs)).
Majmundar and Haustein l analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the based communication control apparatus for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network the teaching of Majmundar to include the IAB network facilitates split gNB architecture with a central unit (CU) and distributed units the teaching of Haustein because it is providing good signal power transfer from the transmitter to the targeted received communication partner.
Examiner Notice
Claim 1 would be allowable if (i) claims 8 or 9 are incorporated into the independent claim 1.
Claim 11 would be allowable if (i) claims 8 or 9 are incorporated into the independent claim 11.
Claim 12 would be allowable if (i) claims 8 or 9 are incorporated into the independent claim 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure are:
Luo et al. (US 20190305923, Oct. 3, 2019) teaches Resource Coordination for Half Duplex Communications.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IQBAL ZAIDI whose telephone number is (571)270-3943. The examiner can normally be reached on M to Thu 8.a.m to 6.p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NGO RICKY can be reached on 571-272-3139. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/IQBAL ZAIDI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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