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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to amendment/reconsideration filed 7/14/2025, the amendment/reconsideration has been considered. Claims 1, 6-7, 10-11, 13, 18-19 and 21-32 are pending for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments are moot in light of the new ground of rejections set forth below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1, 6-7, 10-11, 13, 18-19, and 21-30 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (US 2022/0217081) in view of Peng (US 20230140531).
As to claim 1, Li discloses a data packet processing method, comprising:
obtaining third information of a second Segment ID (SID) from a Segment Routing Header (SRH) of a data packet ([0004], “The SRH includes a segment identifier list (SID list), The SID list includes a plurality of sequentially arranged segment identifiers (SIDs) that respectively indicate a plurality of segments”; [0007], “In the method, the newly added first pointer is set in the packet header to jointly form a two-dimensional pointer with a segment left (segment left, SL) pointer, namely, the second pointer, to indicate a location of a compressed segment identifier (Compressed SID, C-SID) in a SID list”; [0130], “…a value of the SL pointer in the packet header is 1, indicating a location of a first element in the SID list. Refer to FIG. 4, the first element includes four C-SIDs, which are: the C-SID 1, a C-SID 2, a C-SID 3, and a C-SID 4. A value of the CL pointer in the packet header is 1, indicating a location of a first C-SID in a container in the element, namely the C-SID 1. The network device 1 first updates the value of the CL pointer, for example, modifies the value of the CL pointer to 2, to indicate a location of a second C-SID in the container in the element. The network device 1 obtains a second C-SID, namely, the C-SID 2, in the first element based on indications of the SL pointer and the CL pointer, and copies the C-SID 2 to the DA field in the packet header to replace the original C-SID 1 in the DA field. In this case, the DA field includes a combination of the prefix part and the C-SID 2, namely, Al:0002:2222, which is a SID of the network device 2. The network device 1 queries a forwarding entry based on the SID of the network device 2 in the DA field, and sends the packet to the network device 2 based on a query result.”. Here, the value of the SL pointer in the packet header is third information being 1 indicating a position of the first element/container in the SID list, while the value of CL pointer is fourth information being 1 indicating a position of the of a first C-SID in the first element/container where the first C-SID is located, wherein the first C-SID can be equivalent to a second Segment ID (SID), and wherein the SID list comprises a plurality of elements/containers, and at least one of the elements/containers is used to containing multiple C-SIDs. Here, the C-SID 1 is equivalent to a second SID); and obtaining an index of the second SID from a destination address (DA) field of an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) header of the data packet (see citation above in limitation 1, DL pointer’s value of 1 for C-SID 1, see Figure 4B and Figure 2B, wherein the C-SID and CL points shown in Figure 4B are of the Destination Field Address (DA) field shown in Figure 2B, and wherein the header is an IPv6 header, see [0090], “FIG. 4B shows a structure of a packet encapsulated with a packet header. The packet header includes an IPv6 packet header and an SRH, and the SRH includes a SID list” and [0077], “As shown in FIG. 2B, a packet header of the packet includes an IPv6 packet header and an SRH.”), wherein the index of the second SID comprises fourth information and fifth information (see citation above in limitation 1, C-SID 1 which comprises CL pointer and Node ID, see figure 4C), the third information being used for indicating a position of a container where the second SID is located in an SID list of the data packet, the fourth information being used for indicating a position of the second SID in the container where the second SID is located (see citation above in limitation 1, wherein the value of the SL pointer in the packet header is third information being 1 indicating a position of the first element/container in the SID list, while the value of CL pointer is fourth information being 1 indicating a position of the of a first C-SID in the first element/container where the first C-SID is located, wherein the first C-SID can be equivalent to a second Segment ID (SID)), and the fifth information being used for indicating an SID type of the second SID (figure 4C, node ID), wherein the second SID is compressed ([0130], C-SID indicating compressed. Also see figure 4C and [0085], “the second part of each SID is different…the first part may be omitted…the prefix part of the second part, namely the node ID part and the function field, may be used as compressed segment identifier, namely a “C-SID”. Therefore the SID list includes a plurality of sequentially arranged C-SIDs and each C-SID is mapped to one segment on the SR network.” Here, the Node ID, although also serves as an identifier for a network device, can indicate a SID type, in a first way by differentiating the SID from other SIDs, and/or in a second way by indicating a compressed SID (C-SID) due to lack of a preceding first part or being the first field in the C-SID).
obtaining first information and second information of a first SID according to the third information, the fourth information and the fifth information of the second SID (it is to be noted that the claim does not require a specific way as to “according to”, neither does the claim require a specific relationship between any of the first information and second information and any of the third, fourth, and fifth information therefore Examiner interprets that obtaining the set of first information and second information of a first SID is according to or consistent with the set of the third information, the fourth information and the fifth information of the second SID. See citation in limitation 1, wherein the first information and second information are obtained according to the third information, fourth information, and fifth information because the SL pointer being 1 points to the same container/section, with CL pointer for C-SID 2 being 2 as being a C-SID next to C-SID 1 in the same section of the container, and the C-SIDs indicate both are compression), the first information being used for indicating a position of a container where the first SID is located in an SID list of the data packet, and the second information being used for indicating a position of the first SID in the container where the first SID is located, wherein the SID list comprises a plurality of containers, and at least one of the plurality of containers is used for containing multiple compressed SIDs ([0007], “In the method, the newly added first pointer is set in the packet header to jointly form a two-dimensional pointer with a segment left (segment left, SL) pointer, namely, the second pointer, to indicate a location of a compressed segment identifier (Compressed SID, C-SID) in a SID list”; [0130], “…a value of the SL pointer in the packet header is 1, indicating a location of a first element in the SID list. Refer to FIG. 4, the first element includes four C-SIDs, which are: the C-SID 1, a C-SID 2, a C-SID 3, and a C-SID 4. A value of the CL pointer in the packet header is 1, indicating a location of a first C-SID in a container in the element, namely the C-SID 1. The network device 1 first updates the value of the CL pointer, for example, modifies the value of the CL pointer to 2, to indicate a location of a second C-SID in the container in the element. The network device 1 obtains a second C-SID, namely, the C-SID 2, in the first element based on indications of the SL pointer and the CL pointer, and copies the C-SID 2 to the DA field in the packet header to replace the original C-SID 1 in the DA field. In this case, the DA field includes a combination of the prefix part and the C-SID 2, namely, Al:0002:2222, which is a SID of the network device 2. The network device 1 queries a forwarding entry based on the SID of the network device 2 in the DA field, and sends the packet to the network device 2 based on a query result.”. Here, the value of the SL pointer in the packet header is first information being 1 indicating a position of the first element/container in the SID list, while the value of CL pointer is second information being 2 indicating a position of the of a second C-SID in the first element/container where the second C-SID is located, wherein the second C-SID can be equivalent to a first Segment ID (SID), and wherein the SID list comprises a plurality of elements/containers, and at least one of the elements/containers is used to containing multiple C-SIDs), and the second SID is an SID immediately before the first SID in the SID list (see citation in rejection to limitation 1, wherein C-SID 1 is an SID immediately before C-SID 2);
obtaining a position of the first SID in the SID list according to the first information and the second information (see citation above and [0097], “The new pointer may be referred to as the CL pointer, and the CL pointer and the SL pointer form the two-dimensional pointer. A value of the SL pointer is used to determine a location of a currently to-be-processed element in the SID list, and a value of the CL pointer is used to determine a location of the currently to-be-processed C-SID in the element. Therefore, a location of the currently to-be-processed C-SID in the SID list may be determined based on the value of the SL pointer and the value of the CL pointer. In other words, the value of the SL
pointer and the value of the CL pointer jointly indicate the location of the C-SID in the SID list.”); and
copying the first SID to the DA field of the data packet, and sending the data packet (see citation in limitation 1, wherein the SID of the network C-SID 2 corresponding to the network device 2 is equivalent to the first SID).
Regarding the claimed SID type comprising an 8-bit type, a 16-bit type, a 32-bit type, or a 64-bit type, Li discloses that the SID elements can be 64 bits, or 32 bits (see [0017], “With reference to any one of the first aspect or the optional implementations of the first aspect, in a ninth optional implementation of the first aspect, a length of the element is 128 bits, 64 bits, or 32 bits”), but does not expressly disclose that an index in the packet header has such length type (64-bit or 32-bit length type) indicated in the packet header. Peng expressly disclose a concept for the length of an SID to be indicated in a packet header (Figure 5, see field “C” in the packet header”; [0061-][0062], “the segment routing header in the embodiment includes a segment identifier bit-length flag bit C and a Segment Left field. The segment identifier bit-length flag bit C may be arranged in a Flags field. When the segment identifier bit-length flag bit C is valid, it indicates that the length of each segment identifier field in the compressed segment identifier list contained in the segment routing header is the length of the compressed segment identifier, for example, a length of 32 bits of each segment identifier field…since the segment identifier bitlength flag bit C in the segment routing header is valid, data with the length of the compressed segment identifier, such as 32-bit of data is read from the compressed segment identifier list, that is, only one compressed identifier is read each time. In this case, it is to convert the compressed segment identifier into a conventional segment identifier with 128 bits, then copy the converted segment identifier with 128 bits into a Destination Address (DA) field in the IPv6 packet header.”).
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled in the art to combine Li with Peng. The result of the combination would have been a combination of the CL pointer in the IPV6 packet header’s DA field as disclosed by and the “C” field in a similar packet header as disclosed by Peng to serve as an index. The suggestion/motivation of the combination would have been to properly process the SID value according to its length (Peng, [0061-0063]).
As to claim 13, see similar rejection to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of containers is used for containing multiple compressed SIDs, especially when the number of containers is 1.
As to claim 6, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising:
updating the first information of the first SID to the SRH of the data packet (see citation in rejection to claim 1, limitation 1, e.g., Li, [0130], wherein the C_SID 2’s CL pointer in the header/SRH of the data packet is updated to 2, see also claim 3, “wherein the second pointer is a segment left (SL) pointer, the second pointer is comprised in a segment routing header (SRH) of the packet”);
updating the second information of the first SID to the DA of the data packet as an index of the first SID (see citation in rejection to claim 1, limitation 1, wherein the C_SID 2’s SL pointer is updated to and remained the same as the SL pointer of the C_SID 1 since they below to the same element/container).
As to claim 18, see similar rejection to claim 6.
As to claim 7, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein copying the first SID to the DA field of the data packet, and sending the data packet comprises:
copying the first SID to the DA field of the data packet, combining the first SID with a common prefix or an address block in the DA field to get a new DA, and forwarding the data packet to a next endpoint according to the new DA (see citation in rejection to claim 1, limitation 1, Li, [0130]); or,
copying the first SID and the second information to the DA field of the data packet, combining the first SID and the second information with the common prefix or the address block in the DA field to get a new DA, and forwarding the data packet to the next endpoint according to the new DA; or,
copying the first SID and the second information to the DA field of the data packet, and forwarding the data packet to the next endpoint.
As to claim 19, see similar rejection to claim 7.
As to claim 10, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first information and the second information of the first SID according to the third information, the fourth information and the fifth information of the second SID comprises:
determining whether the first SID and the second SID are in a same container according to the SID type of the second SID and an SID type of the first SID (see citation in claim 1, limitation 1, Li, wherein the SL pointer value being 1 indicates the same container. Also see citation in claim 1, limitation 1, e.g., Fig 4C and [0085], wherein the C-SID 1 and C-SID 2 are in a same compressed container indicated by the compressed SID type by not having a first part but instead starting with a Node ID. It is to be noted that the claimed “according to” does not require a specific way therefore Examiner interprets as any type of “according to” such as consistent with);
in response to the first SID and the second SID being in the same container, the first information of the first SID being the same as the third information of the second SID, obtaining the second information of the first SID according to the fourth information of the second SID (see citation in claim 1, limitation 1, Li, wherein obtaining CL pointer for C-SID 2 is in response to determining the SL pointer value being 1); and,
in response to the first SID and the second SID not being in the same container, obtaining the first information of the first SID according to the third information of the second SID, and determining the second information of the first SID according to the SID type of the first SID (Li, [0134], “the network device 302 determines whether a C-SID in a current DA field is the last C-SID in the element of the SID list. If the C-SID in the current DA field is the last C-SID in the element of the SID list, the network device 302 needs to update the value of the SL pointer and the value of the CL pointer. The plurality of network devices on the packet forwarding path sequentially process the plurality of C-SIDs in the SID list, and after processing a C-SID in one element in the SID list is completed, continue to process a C-SID in a next element. In this case, both the value of the CL pointer and the value of the SL pointer need to be modified, to ensure that the currently to-be-processed C-SID can still be determined based on the value of the CL pointer and the value of the SL pointer.” Here, the last C-SID in the current element (equivalent to the claim second SID) and the next C-SID (first C-SID in next element/container, equivalent to the claimed first SID) are not being in the same container, and the SL pointer of the next C-SID is obtained based on the SL pointer of the current last C_SID and plus 1, and the CL pointer of the next C-SID is determined according to an SID type of the next SID, e.g., determined to be 1 due to it being the first C-SID after the increment of SL pointer value).
As to claim 11, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of containers has a length equal to a length of a standard SID (Li, [0004], “A length of each SID on the SRv6 network is 128 bits. When every one SID is added to the SID list, a length of the SRH increases by 128 bits, and a length of the packet also increases by 128 bits” indicating that a length of the standard SID is 128 bit; [0026], “In the method, when the segment identifier list is generated, instead of a SID whose length is 128 bits, a compressed segment identifier is used to indicate a segment, so that a plurality of compressed segment identifiers corresponding to a plurality of segments can be accommodated in an element whose length is 128 bits and to which the SL pointer points in the segment identifier list” indicating that each of the plurality of elements/containers has a length of 128 bits as well), and each of the multiple compressed SIDs comprises a node identification (ID) and a value of function of a node (figure 4A).
As to claim 21, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the index of the second SID is placed after the second SID in the DA (see Li, [0130], wherein the CL pointer for C_SID 2 is placed in the DA, wherein the CL pointer is added after the compressed SID, see [0007]”, …the newly added first pointer is set in the packet header to jointly form a two-dimensional pointer with a segment left (segment left, SL) pointer, namely, the second pointer, to indicate a location of a compressed segment identifier (Compressed SID, C-SID) in a SID list”; [0102], “The CL pointer has a specific location in the packet header. In an example, the CL pointer may be included in the C-SID. FIG. 4C shows a structure of the C-SID. Refer to FIG. 4C. A last part of fields in the C-SID may be divided and used as a candidate field of the CL pointer”. In particular, see e.g., Figure 4B, wherein CL is placed after C-SID 1 which is mapped to the claimed second SID. This interpretation is consistent with the disclosure in the specification of the instant application, e.g., Figure 11, wherein XI is after X-SID).
As to claim 23, see similar rejection to claim 21.
As to claim 22, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 21, wherein the index of the second SID is placed at Least Significant Bits (LSBs) of the DA (Li, see citation in rejection to claim 21, e.g., Figure 4B, wherein CL is placed after C-SID 1 which is mapped to the claimed second SID, wherein the CL is placed at Least Significant Bits (LSBs) of the DA. This interpretation is consistent with the disclosure in the specification of the instant application, e.g., Figure 11 showing how XI is placed at the LSB of the DA).
As to claim 24, see similar rejection to claim 22.
As to claim 25, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the SID type of the first SID is indicated by a flavor of the second SID (Li, [0073], “The segment identifier includes two types: a node segment identifier (node SID) and an adjacent segment identifier (adjacent SID)”; figure 2A, “node ID” indicating that all SIDs in this context are node type SIDs. Also C-SID 2 of the first SID reflects compression which is a flavor of the second SID (C-SID 1)).
As to claim 26, Li-Peng discloses the node of claim 13, wherein the SID type of the first SID is indicated by a flavor of the second SID (Li, [0073], “The segment identifier includes two types: a node segment identifier (node SID) and an adjacent segment identifier (adjacent SID)”; figure 2A, “node ID” indicating that all SIDs in this context are node type SIDs. Also C-SID 2 of the first SID reflects compression which is a flavor of the second SID (C-SID 1)).
As to claim 27, Li-Peng discloses the node of claim 13, wherein obtaining the first information and the second information of the first SID according to the third information, the fourth information and the fifth information of the second SID comprises:
determining whether the first SID and the second SID are in a same container according to the SID type of the second SID and an SID type of the first SID (see citation in claim 1, limitation 1, Li, wherein obtaining CL pointer for C-SID 2 is in response to determining the SL pointer value being 1 reflecting the same container, and also based on the CL pointer reflecting the compressed C-SIDs in the container, see Li, [0130], “…a value of the SL pointer in the packet header is 1, indicating a location of a first element in the SID list. Refer to FIG. 4, the first element includes four C-SIDs, which are: the C-SID 1, a C-SID 2, a C-SID 3, and a C-SID 4…the value of the CL pointer to 2, to indicate a location of a second C-SID in the container in the element. The network device 1 obtains a second C-SID, namely, the C-SID 2, in the first element based on indications of the SL pointer and the CL pointer”. It is to be noted that the claim does not limit a specific type of “according to” therefore Examiner interprets any type of according to/consistent with);
in response to the first SID and the second SID being in the same container, determining the first information of the first SID to be the same as the third information of the second SID, and obtaining the second information of the first SID according to the fourth information of the second SID (See citation in claim 1, limitation1, Li, e.g., [0130], same SL pointer value of 1 is determined to indicate that C-SID 1 and C-SID 2 are in the same container/element, and replacing C-SID 1 with C-SID 2); and
in response to the first SID and the second SID not being in the same container, obtaining the first information of the first SID according to the third information of the second SID, and determining the second information of the first SID according to the SID type of the first SID (Li, [0134], “the network device 302 determines whether a C-SID in a current DA field is the last C-SID in the element of the SID list. If the C-SID in the current DA field is the last C-SID in the element of the SID list, the network device 302 needs to update the value of the SL pointer and the value of the CL pointer. The plurality of network devices on the packet forwarding path sequentially process the plurality of C-SIDs in the SID list, and after processing a C-SID in one element in the SID list is completed, continue to process a C-SID in a next element. In this case, both the value of the CL pointer and the value of the SL pointer need to be modified, to ensure that the currently to-be-processed C-SID can still be determined based on the value of the CL pointer and the value of the SL pointer.” Here, the last C-SID in the current element (equivalent to the claim second SID) and the next C-SID (first C-SID in next element/container, equivalent to the claimed first SID) are not being in the same container, and the SL pointer of the next C-SID is obtained based on the SL pointer of the current last C_SID and plus 1, and the CL pointer of the next C-SID is determined according to an SID type of the next SID, e.g., determined to be 1 due to it being the first C-SID after the increment of SL pointer value).
As to claim 28, Li-Peng discloses the node of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of containers has a length equal to a length of a standard SID (Li, [0004], “A length of each SID on the SRv6 network is 128 bits. When every one SID is added to the SID list, a length of the SRH increases by 128 bits, and a length of the packet also increases by 128 bits” indicating that a length of the standard SID is 128 bit; [0026], “In the method, when the segment identifier list is generated, instead of a SID whose length is 128 bits, a compressed segment identifier is used to indicate a segment, so that a plurality of compressed segment identifiers corresponding to a plurality of segments can be accommodated in an element whose length is 128 bits and to which the SL pointer points in the segment identifier list” indicating that each of the plurality of elements/containers has a length of 128 bits as well), and each of the multiple compressed SIDs comprises a node identification (ID) and a value of function of a node (figure 4A), and each of the multiple compressed SIDs comprises a node identification (ID) and a value of function of a node (figure 4A).
As to claim 29, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of containers is not fully filled by the multiple compressed SIDs, and the one of the plurality of containers comprises padding bits (Li, figure 4C, figure 5a, figure 5C, wherein any one of the “Optional TLV objects (variable)” can be considered padding bits. Also see Figure 4D, “padding”).
As to claim 30, see similar rejection to claim 29.
As to claim 31, Li-Peng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the SRH further comprises an optional type length value (TL V) object field, and the DA field and the TLV object field are separate fields (Li, Figure 4B, “Optional TLV objects (variable)” which is a separate field from the DA field located above C-SID 7”, see comparison to Figure 2B).
As to claim 32, see similar rejection to claim 31.
Conclusion
7. 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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/HUA FAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2458
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