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 application has been examined.
Claims 1-15 are pending.
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 1 and 9 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. These claims recite, in the second limitation: “… and the sidelink logical channel is indicating in a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) used to send the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message”. It is unclear what’s intended to be claimed by that phrase. Could it be that instead of indicating, should it say indicated? Proper clarification is respectfully requested.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al. (USPN 10,856,128; hereinafter Kang) in view of R2-152148 “MAC PDU Addressing for Communication with UE-to-network Relay” (hereinafter R2-152148).
Regarding claim 1 Kang discloses a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising a processor (fig. 15, communication device that performs D2D) configured to:
receive configuration information associated with ProSe User Equipment (UE)-to-network relay discovery (fig. 8; in operation 805, ProSe protocol layer of the remote UE configures Relay Request information for discovering for a neighboring relay UE in order to ensure the connectivity to the network, and transmits the same to the L2 layer within a modem of the remote UE), the configuration information comprising one or more destination identities (IDs) for a ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message (col. 17, lines 1-18; wherein the information comprises UE identities);
transmit the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message using at least one of the one or more IDs (col. 17, lines 19-50; wherein the relay UE transmits ProSe Relay Discovery L2 message), wherein the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message is sent using a sidelink logical channel configured to transmission of ProSe discovery messages, and the sidelink logical channel is indicating in a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) used to send the ProSe UE-to- Network Relay discovery message (col. 12, line 55 – col. 13, line 40; col. 13, lines 50-60; col. 14, lines 17-24; wherein the discovery message is sent via a PSSCH via MAC layer packet); and
receive a response to the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message, the response being received via the sidelink logical channel configured to transmission of ProSe discovery messages (col. 17, lines 47-65; wherein the remote UE transmits a message in response to the discovery information).
Kang discloses L2 discovery messages, but it fails to explicitly disclose layer-2 identities. However, R2-152148, in the same field of endeavor related to UE-to-network relay discovery, discloses layer-2 identities in discovery messages (section 2; MAC PDU destined to a UE is sent by setting the Destination Layer 2 ID to ProSe UE ID). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Kang with the teachings of R2-152148 in order to enhance device-to-device communications (R2-152148; section 1 “Introduction” objective of this work item is to enhance LTE device to device, both for discovery and communication).
Regarding claim 2 the modified Kang discloses the WTRU of claim 1, wherein the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message is transmitted via a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmission (col. 12, line 55 – col. 13, line 40; col. 13, lines 50-60; col. 14, lines 17-24; wherein the discovery message is sent via a PSSCH via MAC layer packet).
Regarding claim 3 the modified Kang discloses the WTRU of claim 1, wherein the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message comprises an indication of one or more services that the WTRU is attempting to access via a UE-to-Network Relay (col. 4, lines 24-35; col. 13, lines 33-40; the discovery signal includes an identifier indicating service information).
Regarding claim 4 the modified Kang discloses the WTRU of claim 3, wherein one or more services comprise one or more vehicle-to-everything (V2X) services (col. 26, lines 20-30; vehicles or RSUs or user equipment supporting V2X communication services and the RSU 110 supports the V2X communication services).
Regarding claim 5 the modified Kang discloses the WTRU of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises one or more radio access parameters associated with transmissions sent to the UE-to-Network Relay (col. 17, lines 1-18; information includes at least one of the UE identifier, group identifier, relay UE discovery indicator, PLMN identifier, and APN information).
Regarding claim 6 the modified Kang discloses the WTRU of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises an indication of one or more authorized public land mobile networks (PLMNs) (col. 17, lines 1-18; information includes at least one of the UE identifier, group identifier, relay UE discovery indicator, PLMN identifier, and APN information).
Regarding claim 7 the modified Kang discloses the WTRU of claim 1, wherein the sidelink logical channel configured to transmission of ProSe discovery messages corresponds to a predefined logical channel (col. 12, line 55 – col. 13, line 40; col. 13, lines 50-60; col. 14, lines 17-24; wherein the discovery message is sent via a PSSCH via MAC layer packet).
Regarding claim 8 the modified Kang discloses the WTRU of claim 1, wherein the sidelink logical channel configured to transmission of ProSe discovery messages is associated with a pre-configured radio bearer (col. 12, line 55 – col. 13, line 40; col. 13, lines 50-60; col. 14, lines 17-24; col. 27, lines 18-25; PSSCH, and bearer for RRC messaging).
Regarding claim 9 Kang discloses a method implemented by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:
receiving configuration information associated with ProSe User Equipment (UE)-to-network relay discovery (fig. 8; in operation 805, ProSe protocol layer of the remote UE configures Relay Request information for discovering for a neighboring relay UE in order to ensure the connectivity to the network, and transmits the same to the L2 layer within a modem of the remote UE), the configuration information comprising one or more destination identities (IDs) for a ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message (col. 17, lines 1-18; wherein the information comprises UE identities);
transmitting the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message using at least one of the one or more IDs (col. 17, lines 19-50; wherein the relay UE transmits ProSe Relay Discovery L2 message), wherein the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message is sent using a sidelink logical channel configured to transmission of ProSe discovery messages, and the sidelink logical channel is indicating in a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) used to send the ProSe UE-to- Network Relay discovery message (col. 12, line 55 – col. 13, line 40; col. 13, lines 50-60; col. 14, lines 17-24; wherein the discovery message is sent via a PSSCH via MAC layer packet);
receiving a response to the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message, the response being received via the sidelink logical channel configured to transmission of ProSe discovery messages (col. 17, lines 47-65; wherein the remote UE transmits a message in response to the discovery information).
Kang discloses L2 discovery messages, but it fails to explicitly disclose layer-2 identities. However, R2-152148, in the same field of endeavor related to UE-to-network relay discovery, discloses layer-2 identities in discovery messages (section 2; MAC PDU destined to a UE is sent by setting the Destination Layer 2 ID to ProSe UE ID). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Kang with the teachings of R2-152148 in order to enhance device-to-device communications (R2-152148; section 1 “Introduction” objective of this work item is to enhance LTE device to device, both for discovery and communication).
Regarding claim 10 the modified Kang discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message is transmitted via a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmission (col. 12, line 55 – col. 13, line 40; col. 13, lines 50-60; col. 14, lines 17-24; wherein the discovery message is sent via a PSSCH via MAC layer packet).
Regarding claim 11 the modified Kang discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the ProSe UE-to-Network Relay discovery message comprises an indication of one or more services that the WTRU is attempting to access via a UE-to-Network Relay (col. 4, lines 24-35; col. 13, lines 33-40; the discovery signal includes an identifier indicating service information).
Regarding claim 12 the modified Kang discloses the method of claim 11, wherein one or more services comprise one or more vehicle-to-everything (V2X) services (col. 26, lines 20-30; vehicles or RSUs or user equipment supporting V2X communication services and the RSU 110 supports the V2X communication services).
Regarding claim 13 the modified Kang discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the configuration information comprises one or more radio access parameters associated with transmissions sent to the UE-to-Network Relay (col. 17, lines 1-18; information includes at least one of the UE identifier, group identifier, relay UE discovery indicator, PLMN identifier, and APN information).
Regarding claim 14 the modified Kang discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the configuration information comprises an indication of one or more authorized public land mobile networks (PLMNs) (col. 17, lines 1-18; information includes at least one of the UE identifier, group identifier, relay UE discovery indicator, PLMN identifier, and APN information).
Regarding claim 15 the modified Kang discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the sidelink logical channel configured to transmission of ProSe discovery messages corresponds to a predefined logical channel (col. 12, line 55 – col. 13, line 40; col. 13, lines 50-60; col. 14, lines 17-24; wherein the discovery message is sent via a PSSCH via MAC layer packet).
Citation of Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent Application Publication 2018/0352411 to Ryu et al. – that discloses a UE2NW relay transmitting an SLSS and a PSBCH performs UE2NW relay announcement to announce the existence of the UE2NW relay to OCC UEs. The announcement may be transmitted by an SLSS ID or by indication information indicating relay announcement on the PSBCH. In addition, relay announcement information may be included in a discovery message transmitted on a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), or in a D2D communication message transmitted on a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH).
WO 2016/182597 to Bangolae et al. – that discloses determine one or more relay configuration parameters and the relay UE information at the relay UE to act as a relay for a remote UE (710). The processors and the memory transmit a discovery message from the relay UE to the remote UE to establish a direct connection between relay UE and remote UE. The relay UE relays data from an evolved node B (730) to the remote UE through direct connection.
Conclusion
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/Aixa Guadalupe-Cruz/
Examiner
Art Unit 2466
/FARUK HAMZA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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