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 .
This action is in response to the amendment filed on July 29, 2026. Claims 1-
18, 23 and 26 are pending. Claims 1-18, 23 and 26 represent COVERAGE REPORTING TECHNIQUE.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-18, 23 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luo et al. U.S. 20210282098 in view of Chang et al. U.S. 20240056166.
Luo teaches the invention substantially including relay communication method and apparatus (see abstract).
As to claim 1, Luo teaches a method performed by a radio device, the method comprising or initiating:
wherein the report message is indicative of an indirect coverage of the radio device by the RAN through one or more relay radio devices (paragraph 159, Luo discloses the first radio access network device may determine that the first terminal device may be connected to the second radio access network device by using the relay device in the coverage of the second radio access network device, such relay clearly shows that Luo teaches “an indirect coverage of the radio device”).
Luo teaches substantial features of the claimed invention such as a radio access network (RAN) but fails to explicitly teaches transmitting a report message to a first network node of a radio access network, RAN, associated with a coverage area, the report message being indicative of a coverage status of the radio device relative to the RAN.
However, Chang teaches transmission of coverage indicator by remote user equipment (ue) devices. Chang teaches transmitting a report message to a first network node, associated with a coverage area, the report message being indicative of a coverage status of the radio device (abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the method of Luo to include the teaching of “transmits a coverage indicator to a relay UE device served by a first cell where the coverage indicator at least indicates that the remote UE device is in coverage of a second cell” of Chang with the motivation being to allow the network to make relay-related resource and connectivity decisions with knowledge of the remote UE's coverage situation (paragraph 18 of Chang).
As to claim 2, Luo and Shang teach the method of claim 1, wherein the indirect coverage is provided through at least one of the relay radio devices by the first network node, optionally by at least one cell or at least one beam of the first network node, and/or wherein the RAN further comprises at least one second network node and the indirect coverage is provided through at least one of the relay radio devices by the at least one second network node, optionally by at least one cell or at least one beam of the at least one second network node (paragraph 4 of Luo).
As to claim 3, Luo and Shang teach the method of claim 1, wherein the report message is further indicative of a direct coverage of the RAN (paragraph 15 of Luo).
As to claim 4, Luo and Shang teach the method of claim 3, wherein the direct coverage is provided by the first network node, optionally by at least one cell or at least one beam of the first network node, and/or wherein the RAN further comprises at least one second network node and the direct coverage is provided by the at least one second network node, optionally by at least one cell or at least one beam of the at least one second network node (paragraph 194 of Luo).
As to claim 5, Luo and Shang teach the method of claim 3, wherein the report message differentiates between the direct coverage and the indirect coverage (paragraph 225 of Luo).
As to claim 6, Luo and Shang teach the method of claim 3, wherein the report message is indicative of the direct coverage and the indirect coverage indistinguishably from each other within the report (paragraph 39 of Luo).
As to claim 7, Luo and Shang teach the method of claim 1, wherein the report message is further indicative of lacking coverage of the radio device relative to the RAN (paragraph 99, Luo discloses It is assumed that the first terminal device moves from a coverage area of the first radio access network device to a coverage area of the second radio access network device, and a relay communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is described in detail by using an example in which a target radio access network device to which the remote device needs to be connected is the second radio access network device. Such teaching clearly discloses “”lacking coverage of the device.” And therefore, with the combination of the teaching of Shang, the motivation being to allow the network to make relay-related resource and connectivity decisions with knowledge of the remote UE's coverage situation (paragraph 18 of Chang)).
As to claim 8, Luo and Shang teach the method of claim 7, wherein the lacking coverage comprises the absence of both direct coverage of the RAN and indirect coverage of the RAN (paragraph 106, Luo discloses the first terminal device moves from the coverage area of the first radio access network device to the coverage area of the second radio access network device, the first terminal device may perform neighboring cell measurement to obtain information such as a cell identifier… The first terminal device may send a measurement report to the first radio access network device, where the measurement report includes cell identifiers of N cells and signal quality and/or signal power of the N cells that are measured by the first terminal device, and N is an integer greater than 0. Such teaching clearly disclose “the absence of both direct coverage of the RAN and indirect coverage of the RAN.” And therefore, with the combination of the teaching of Shang, the motivation being to allow the network to make relay-related resource and connectivity decisions with knowledge of the remote UE's coverage situation (paragraph 18 of Chang)).
the As to claim 9, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1,wherein the report message is further indicative of at least one of: an identity and/or a number and/or a signal metric of at least one of the respective network node, the cell, and the beam providing the indirect coverage; an identity and/or a number and/or a signal metric of the respective relay radio device through which the indirect coverage is provided; an identity and/or a number and/or a signal metric of at least one of the respective network node, the cell, and the beam providing the direct coverage; and an identity and/or a number and/or a signal metric of at least one of the respective network node, the cell, and the beam causing the lacking coverage (paragraph 106 of Luo).
As to claim 10, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, wherein the report message is indicative of a sequence and/or a map of the coverage status of the radio device, optionally comprising at least one of: a sequence and/or a map of the indirect coverage; a sequence and/or a map of the direct coverage; and a sequence and/or a map of the lacking coverage (paragraph 107, Luo discloses coverage area and a relay device of the radio access network (RAN)…; paragraph 129, Luo discloses mapping (“the term map” is here used) relationship that is configured for the second terminal device and that is between a data radio bearer of the second terminal device and a data radio bearer of the first terminal device. And therefore, with the combination of the teaching of Shang, the motivation being to allow the network to make relay-related resource and connectivity decisions with knowledge of the remote UE's coverage situation (paragraph 18 of Chang)).
As to claim 11, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, wherein the coverage status of the radio device comprises a multi-connectivity, MC, of the radio device concurrently using multiple independent radio paths to the RAN, and wherein at least one or each of the multiple radio paths uses the indirect coverage of the RAN through at least one of the one or more relay radio devices (paragraph 119 of Luo).
As to claim 12, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, wherein the coverage status of the radio device comprises a handover, HO, of the radio device from a source radio path between the radio device and the RAN to a target radio path between the radio device and the RAN, and wherein at least one or each of the source radio path and the target radio path uses the indirect coverage of the RAN through at least one of the one or more relay radio devices (paragraph 97 of Luo).
As to claim 13, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, wherein the coverage status of the radio device comprises the direct coverage of the RAN while the radio device discovers at least one of the one or more relay radio devices through which the indirect coverage of the RAN is provided, optionally wherein the radio device uses concurrently the direct coverage and the indirect coverage for a or the MC of the radio device, or wherein the radio device is handed over from the direct coverage to the indirect coverage (paragraph 225 of Luo).
As to claim 14, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, wherein the coverage status of the radio device comprises the indirect coverage of the RAN through a first relay radio device of the relay radio devices while the radio device discovers a second relay radio device of the relay radio devices through which the indirect coverage of the RAN is provided, optionally wherein the radio device uses concurrently the indirect coverage through the first relay radio device and the indirect coverage through the second relay radio device for a or the MC of the radio device, or wherein the radio device is handed over from the indirect coverage through the first relay radio device (200) to the indirect coverage through the second relay radio device (paragraph 118 of Luo).
As to claim 15, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, wherein storing of information at the radio device as to the coverage status and/or the transmitting of the report message is triggered by at least one of: receiving a configuration message or a request message from the RAN; determining the lacking coverage of the RAN; establishing a connection with, or camping on, the first network node using the direct coverage or using the indirect coverage; establishing a connection with, or camping on, the at least one second network node using the direct coverage or using the indirect coverage; discovering, by the radio device, the one or more relay radio devices or at least one of the one or more relay radio devices for the indirect coverage; discovering, by the radio device, the first network node or the at least one second network node of the RAN; establishing a sidelink to at least one of the one or more relay radio devices, a change in the coverage status of the radio device relative to the RAN; and an expiry of a predefined period of time (paragraph 87 of Luo).
As to claim 16, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, further comprising or initiating: transmitting a status message to the RAN, optionally to the first network node or the at least one second network node (paragraph 23 of Luo).
As to claim 17, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the status message and the report message is indicative of at least one of: an availability of information at the radio device as to the coverage status of the radio device relative to the RAN, optionally wherein the status message is indicative of different time spans and/or different locations for which the information at the radio device as to the coverage status of the radio device relative to the RAN is available; an availability of information at the radio device as to the indirect coverage of the RAN through one or more relay radio devices, optionally wherein the status message is indicative of different time spans and/or different locations for which the information at the radio device (100) as to the indirect coverage of the RAN is available; an availability of information at the radio device as to the direct coverage of the RAN, optionally wherein the status message is indicative of different time spans and/or different locations for which the information at the radio device as to the direct coverage of the RAN is available; an availability of information at the radio device as to the lacking coverage of the RAN, optionally wherein the status message is indicative of different time spans and/or different locations for which the information at the radio device as to the lacking coverage of the RAN is available; a time span of the radio device being in indirect coverage of the RAN, optionally per network node or per cell or per beam or per relay radio device; a capability of the radio device to be in or use the indirect coverage of a RAN, optionally per radio access technology, RAT, of the RAN or per RAT of a sidelink between the radio device and the at least one relay radio device; a time span of the radio device being in direct coverage of the RAN, optionally per network node or per cell or per beam; a time span of the radio device being out of coverage of the RAN; a number and/or a list of identities of the one or more relay radio devices through which the radio device is or has been in indirect coverage of the RAN, optionally per network node or per cell or per beam; a frequency on which the indirect coverage is provided through the at least one relay radio device, optionally per network node or per cell or per beam or per relay radio device; a signal metric of the RAN measured at the relay radio device through which the indirect coverage is provided, optionally per network node or per cell or per beam or per relay radio device; a signal metric of the relay radio device measured at the radio device for the indirect coverage, optionally per network node or per cell or per beam or per relay radio device; and a radio access technology and/or a type and/or a mode of a sidelink between the radio device and the relay radio device (paragraph 93 of Luo).
As to claim 18, Luo and Shang teach method of claim 1, further comprising or initiating: receiving a request message from the RAN, optionally from the first network node or the at least one second network node, or from the one or more relay radio devices (paragraph 38, Luo discloses that request message sent by the first radio access network (RAN) device to the second radio access network device. Such limitation clearly discloses the subject claim matter).
Claims 23 and 26 did not teach anything different from the above rejected claims, therefore are rejected similarly.
Conclusion
4. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/EL HADJI M SALL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
