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 § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by 3GPP, Identification PC5-S and Identification on PC5 and RRC Procedures, Lenovo, Motorola Mobility (R2-1912566; hereinafter 3GPP).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, 3GPP teaches communication terminal apparatus (read as UE) in a communication system, the communication system comprising a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses including the communication terminal apparatus (§3, A PC5 RRC Unicast connection between a pair of UEs.; §4, All NR V2X UEs to send and receive RRC messages.), and
configured to perform sidelink communication which is communication via a PC5 interface (§4, For PC5 interface we should have a light PC5 RRC “signaling exchanges” within a SL UE context.; §5, Proposal 6: RRC Procedures to exchange UE capability, Radio/Bearer configuration, PHY information/configuration are performed using the default SRB-PC5.),
wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit signaling using a default radio bearer in the sidelink communication (§4, Proposal 5: A specified default SRB (SRB-PC5) configuration should be used by all NR V2X UEs to send and received RRC messages.; §5, Proposal 6: RRC Procedures to exchange UE capability, Radio/Bearer configuration, PHY information/configuration are performed using the default SRB-PC5.).
Regarding claim 2, 3GPP teaches wherein the default radio bearer is a Signaling Radio Bearer (SRB) (§4, Proposal 5: A specified default SRB (SRB-PC5) configuration should be used by all NR V2X UEs to send and received RRC messages.).
Regarding claim 3, 3GPP teaches wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit PC5-S signaling using the SRB (§2.2, A PC5-S link is established for each service/application.; §4, RRC signaling messages can be exchanged; let us call this SRB-PC5; §4, Proposal 5: A specified default SRB (SRB-PC5) configuration should be used by all NR V2X UEs to send and received RRC messages.).
Regarding claim 4, 3GPP teaches wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit PC5- Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling using the SRB (§4, RRC signaling messages can be exchanged; let us call this SRB-PC5; §4, Proposal 5: A specified default SRB (SRB-PC5) configuration should be used by all NR V2X UEs to send and received RRC messages.).
Regarding claim 5, 3GPP teaches wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit, to another communication terminal apparatus of the communication terminal apparatuses, capability information of the communication terminal apparatus using the PC5-RRC signaling (§4, RRC signaling messages can be exchanged; let us call this SRB-PC5; §5, Proposal 6: RRC Procedures to exchange UE capability, Radio/Bearer configuration, PHY information/configuration are performed using the default SRB-PC5.).
Regarding claim 6, 3GPP teaches wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit, to another communication terminal apparatus of the communication terminal apparatuses, Access Stratum (AS) configuration (read as Radio/Bearer and PHY information/configuration) for unicast communication with the another communication terminal apparatus using the PC5-RRC signaling (§4, In Unicast, RRC signaling messages can be exchanged by using a default PC5 SRB configuration.; §4, Proposal 5, Default SRB (SRB-PC5) configuration should be used by all NR V2X UEs to send and receive RRC messages.; §5, Proposal 6, RRC Procedures to exchange UE capability, Radio/Bearer configuration, PHY information/configuration are performed using the default SRB-PC5.).
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.
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.
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP in view of Pan et al. (US 2021/0227620 A1; hereinafter Pan).
Regarding claim 7, 3GPP does not explicitly teach wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit information for requesting release of the AS configuration to the another communication terminal apparatus.
In analogous art, Pan teaches wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit information for requesting release of the AS configuration to the another communication terminal apparatus (¶ [0219] The purpose of this procedure is to establish/modify/release sidelink DRBs for a PC5-RRC connection.; ¶¶ [0225]-[0231] For each sidelink DRB that is to be released, set the slrb-PC5-ConfigIndex included in the slrb-ConfigToReleaseList corresponding to the sidelink DRB; submit the RRCReconfigurationSidelink message to lower layers for transmission.; ¶ [0269] The RRCReconfigurationSidelink message is the command to AS configuration of the PC5 RRC connection. It is only applied to unicast of NR sidelink communication.; ¶ [0273] Direction: UE to UE.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the release or change of AS configuration taught by Pan with sidelink communication via PC5 as taught by 3GPP. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce configuration errors and improve the reliability of unicast sidelink communication by communicating AS configuration changes or releases over default SRB-PC5 (Pan: ¶¶ [0047-0049]).
Regarding claim 8, 3GPP does not explicitly teach wherein, in a case where the communication terminal apparatus changes the AS configuration, the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit the changed AS configuration to the another communication terminal apparatus.
In analogous art, Pan teaches wherein, in a case where the communication terminal apparatus (read as UE) changes the AS configuration, the communication terminal apparatus is configured to transmit the changed AS configuration to the another communication terminal apparatus (¶¶ [0219]-[0222] The purpose of this procedure is to establish/modify/release sidelink DRBs or configure NR sidelink measurement and report for a PC5-RRC connection. The UE may initiate the sidelink RRC reconfiguration procedure to its peer UE in the following case: the modification for the parameters included in SLRB-Config of sidelink DRBs associated with the peer UE.; ¶¶ [0224]-[0231] The UE shall set the contents of RRCReconfigurationSidelink message as follows: for each sidelink DRB that is to be established or modified, set the SLRB-Config included in the slrb-ConfigToAddModList. The UE shall submit the RRCReconfigurationSidelink message to lower layers for transmission.; ¶ [0269] The RRCReconfigurationSidelink message is the command to AS configuration of the PC5 RRC connection. It is only applied to unicast of NR sidelink communication.; ¶ [0273] Direction: UE to UE.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the release or change of AS configuration taught by Pan with sidelink communication via PC5 as taught by 3GPP. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce configuration errors and improve the reliability of unicast sidelink communication by communicating AS configuration changes or releases over default SRB-PC5 (Pan: ¶¶ [0047-0049]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP in view of Paladugu et al. (US 2021/0243829 A1; hereinafter Paladugu).
Regarding claim 9, 3GPP does not explicitly teach wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to configure, for unicast communication using the default radio bearer, Discontinuous reception (DRX) for transmission and reception of Control Plane (C-Plane) signaling.
In analogous art, Paladugu teaches wherein the communication terminal apparatus is configured to configure, for unicast communication using the default radio bearer (read as pre-configured or defined first signaling radio bearer), Discontinuous reception (DRX) for transmission and reception of Control Plane (C-Plane) signaling (¶ [0080] The remote UE and the relay UE may establish a unicast link. The remote UE and the relay UE may establish an access-stratum (AS) configuration for the PC5 link.; ¶ [0155] Receiving or transmitting control-plane traffic via the one or more bearers based at least in part on the access stratum configuration.; ¶ [0168] The access stratum configuration corresponds to a radio access stratum configuration of the relay UE and includes an information element indicating radio access discontinuous reception configuration.; ¶ [0199] The reception component may receive control-plane traffic via one or more bearers. The transmission component may transmit control-plane traffic via the one or more bearers or a unicast link.; ¶ [0229] A first signaling radio bearer that is configured with a sidelink logical channel for communication via an established sidelink unicast link.; ¶ [0230] Wherein the first signaling radio bearer is a signaling radio access bearer 0 (SRB0) associated with radio resource control messaging.; ¶ [0234] A configuration for the first signaling radio bearer is pre-configured or defined.; ¶ [0311] A device for wireless communication configured to perform the method.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the method of transmission and reception of control plane signaling taught by Paladugu with sidelink communication via PC5 as taught by 3GPP. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce signaling delay and improve the reliability of unicast sidelink communication by carrying the control-plane signaling over a common, preconfigured SRB-PC5 between UEs (Paladugu: ¶ [0005]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee et al. (US 2022/0201538 A1) discloses “SDAP Reconfiguration Based on State Transition in Sidelink Communication”
Paladugu et al. (US 2021/0212151 A1) discloses “User Equipment to Network Relay”
Park et al. (US 2024/0357702 A1) discloses “Method and Apparatus for Carrying Out Wireless Communication Related to MAC Reset in NR V2X”
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID M KAYAL whose telephone number is (703)756-4576. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:30 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Ngo can be reached at 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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/D.M.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2464
/RICKY Q NGO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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