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 .
Claims 1 to 20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 9, filed 08/19/2025, with respect to claim indefiniteness have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 USC 112 Rejection of claims 1 and 8 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 10 to 13, filed on 08/19/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kundu, US 2021/0390004, assigned to NVIDIA, titled “Accelerated Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio Operation”.
Examiner believes Kundu Reference is the closest prior art. Because the current application is directed towards Fig. 8 of the drawings. The claimed element 810, O-RAN standard specific processing (HW acceleration) in a High Network Interconnect is essentially an NVIDIA GPU or CUDA core processor capable of 5G functionality. The current applicant does not provide any specifics or details as to the constitution of O-RAN standard specific processing (HW acceleration). Examiner’s BRI is reasonable in this case. In addition, any NVIDIA CUDA core processor would necessarily have high speed memory for input/output data buffering and processing: e.g. the Tx/Rx Flows.
In sum, the Kundu reference is in the same field of endeavor as the current application. Claim 1 as of now is not distinguishable from the teachings of Kundu. The Kundu reference does a better job teaching claim 1 than claim 8. Examiner is relying on the argument that for two-way communication to take place, i.e. transmit and receive, the receiving process is the reverse of the transmission side.
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Response to Amendment
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 2, 4-5, 8-9, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kundu, US 2021/0390004, assigned to NVIDIA , titled “Accelerated Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio Operation” in view of Wu, US 2015/0063358.
For claim 1, a method for open radio access network (0-RAN) fronthaul traffic processing comprising: writing one or more transmitting (Tx) input descriptors into a Tx input descriptor buffer, each Tx input descriptor having one or more fields (Kundu, Fig. 3, Layer 2 to Layer 1 Interface 304 and Layer 1 Accelerator Interface 306; PP98; see also, PP105, data flows from a CPU via Layer 1 Accelerator to hardware accelerator 308);
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fetching, by a Tx input descriptor buffer reader, one or more Tx input descriptors from the Tx input descriptor buffer (Kundu, Fig. 4, Library stores the descriptors, see also Fig. 25D/E, WD (Work Descriptor) Fetch 2591, Hypervisor 2596; PP368);
implementing, using one or more acceleration components, (Kundu, Fig. 3, Hardware Accelerator 308, PP98) Tx flow processing for one or more Tx packets to generate processed Tx flow data based on at least the fetched one or more Tx input descriptors;
queueing, by a Tx packet writer, the processed Tx flow data into a Tx packet memory; (Kundu, Fig. 2, enqueue Function 212A, PP95) and
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pushing the processed Tx flow data queued in the Tx packet memory to one or more egress queues for O-RAN fronthaul traffic (Kundu, Fig. 3, Fronthaul Interface 312, PP96 and 100) transmitting through one or more Ethernet lanes (Kundu, Fig. 2, Element 212A and Transmission, PP95 teaches , Ethernet Interface) .
Kundu, does not use the phrase, “flow input descriptor”. However, the claims do not define what the descriptors are, other than one or more fields. Currently it is interpreted as a label. Kundu teaches work descriptors. Since Kundu is applying NVIDIA’s processing power towards 5G new radio, the work here is clearly data traffic or data flows for 5G communication.
Nonetheless, in the analogous art of cellular communication, Wu teaches flow descriptors (Wu, Fig. 4, Buffer 404, PP53). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings of Kundu with that of Wu. Since Kundu teaches a method and a system of 5G fronthaul traffic using hardware accelerators, whereas Kundu is more high level, Wu provides more details on the descriptors in the context of 5G communication. Any specific detail not taught in Kundu, is supplemented by Wu.
For claim 8, it is the reverse of claim 1. If claim 1 is about 5G fronthaul traffic from a transmission perspective, claim 8 is from a receiver perspective.
Kundu teaches a method for open radio access network (0-RAN) fronthaul traffic processing comprising:
writing one or more receiving (Rx) direct memory access (DMA) descriptors in an Ethernet DMA descriptor buffer (Kundu, PP253 and 255 teaches direct memory access (DMA), PP256 teaches DMA engines, Fig. 25D, PP365 teaches WD descriptor);
queueing one or more Rx input descriptors in an Rx input descriptor buffer (Kundu, Fig. 2, enqueue function 212B);
implementing, using one or more acceleration components, Rx flow processing for one or more Rx frames based on at least the fetched one or more Rx input descriptors (Kundu, Fig. 3, Hardware Accelerator 308, PP98); and
writing, by an Rx buffer writer, an Rx output status into an Rx output status buffer when the one or more acceleration components finish the Rx flow processing (Kundu, Fig. 3, Layer 1 Accelerator Interface 306 and Layer 2 to Layer 2 Interface 304).
Kundu, does not use the phrase, “Rx input descriptor”. However, the claims do not define what the descriptors are, other than one or more fields. Currently it is interpreted as a label. Kundu teaches work descriptors. Since Kundu is applying NVIDIA’s processing power towards 5G new radio, the work here is clearly data traffic or data flows for 5G communication.
Nonetheless, in the analogous art of cellular communication, Wu teaches flow descriptors (Wu, Fig. 4, Buffer 404, PP53). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings of Kundu with that of Wu. Since Kundu teaches a method and a system of 5G fronthaul traffic using hardware accelerators, whereas Kundu is more high level, Wu provides more details on the descriptors in the context of 5G communication. Any specific detail not taught in Kundu, is supplemented by Wu.
For claim 2, Kundu and Wu teach the method of parent claims 1. Kundu further teaches the one or more fields comprise a field of message type set as control plane (Kundu, Fig. 55 teaches a control plane stack) and other fields set per ORAN standard, the ORAN standard for 5G NR or 4G LTE (Kundu, PP164 teaches O-RAN)
For claims 4 and 9, Kundu and Wu teach the method of parent claims 1 and 8. Wu further teaches the Rx input descriptor buffer and the Rx output status buffer are circular buffers. (Wu, pp 14 teaches circular and non-circular buffers).
For claim 5, Kundu and Wu teach the method of parent claim 1. Wu further teaches the Tx flow processing is tracked, a Tx output status is written by a Tx output status writer into a Tx output status buffer.([0014]: Wu teaches method of tracking memory consumption in the data structure (ring buffer) that includes (updating) pointers to addresses of data items stored in memory (404 descriptor buffer, 406 DMA completed pointers). [0061]: When the Demultiplexer 128 is done absorbing/consuming a descriptor, the DEMUX-DMA 126 sets an event notification. The ASP FW 202 may perform a write operation of a payload pointer (e.g. payload pointer 409), where such a pointer may include a PA valid bit to indicate that the pointer indicates available memory in the memory (ringbuffer).)
For claim 12, Kundu and Wu teach the method of parent claim 8. Wu further teaches wherein the Rx data stored in an Rx packet memory are pushed from one or more ingress queues ([0032]: The receiving method reverses the transmission method. The ring buffer receives depacketized data from the depacketizer (see Fig. 1), and stores the data units. [0043]: See Fig. 1. Ethernet Messages from the ports (equates to ingress queues), through the switch 114 are depacketized 120 and then stored in the ring buffer 118.), to which one or more Rx Ethernet frames received from an Ethernet interface are queued (The receiving method reverses the transmission method. [0032] See Fig. 1, Ethernet Messages from the ports (equates to ingress queues), through the switch 114 are depacketized 120 and then stored in the ring buffer 118.).
Claims 3, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kundu, US 2021/0390004, in view of Wu, US 2015/0063358, further in view of Raghothaman US 2021/0243840.
Regarding claim 3, Kundu and Wu teaches the method of parent claim 8. Kundu and Wu do not teach the one or more fields comprise a field of message type set as user plane, a field to define a starting physical resource block (PRB) of data section description (start_prbc), and a field to define the number of continuous PRBs per data section description (Numprbc).
However, in the analogous art of 5G Fronthaul, Raghothaman teaches: the one or more fields comprise a field of message type set as user plane, a field to define a starting physical resource block (PRB) of data section description (start_prbc), and a field to define the number of continuous PRBs per data section description (Numprbc). ([0037-0041]: C-plane 500 and U- plane 502 messages both include startPRBC field 518 and NumPRBC field 520, as common for eCPRI transport payload (connecting DU and RU per ORAN standard.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings of Kundu with that of Raghothaman. Since Kundu teaches a method and a system of 5G fronthaul traffic using hardware accelerators, whereas Kundu is more high level, Raghothaman provides more details on the descriptors in the context of 5G communication.
Regarding claim 11, Kundu and Wu teaches the method of parent claim 8. Kundu and Wu do not teach Rx flow processing comprising: parsing, using a Rx parser, the fetched one or more [[Tx]]Rx input descriptors to generate one or more Rx instructions; fetching, using a Rx data fetcher, Rx data stored in an Rx packet memory; and processing, using a deframer, the fetched Rx data with O-RAN specific header removed.
However, in the analogous art of 5G Fronthaul, Raghothaman teaches: Rx flow processing comprising: parsing, using a Rx parser, the fetched one or more Tx input descriptors to generate one or more Rx instructions ([0061, 0088]: The current RU receives and decodes the current C-plane or U- plane message and parses the common header fields 810 (Fig. 8, same as 510 Fig.5) in order to confirm that the payload version is appropriate and in order to identify the RU mask stored in the RU mask field 608, and the SectionID in 516); fetching, using a Rx data fetcher, Rx data stored in an Rx packet memory ([0061, 0088]: The current RU receives and decodes the current C-plane or U-plane message and parses the common header fields 810 (Fig. 8, same as 510 Fig.5) in order to confirm that the payload version is appropriate and in order to identify the RU mask stored in the RU mask field 608, and the SectionID in 516); and processing, using a deframer, the fetched Rx data with O-RAN specific header removed (Following the deconstruction of the C-plane or U-plane message, [0064-0066] the Rx data is separated from the common header fields 810 (see Fig. 8) and the RU mask is stored) .
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings of Kundu with that of Raghothaman. Since Kundu teaches a method and a system of 5G fronthaul traffic using hardware accelerators, whereas Kundu is more high level, Raghothaman provides more details on the descriptors in the context of 5G communication.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7 and 10 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claim 6 has features not taught in the prior art relied upon in the current office action or previous office action:
parsing, using a Tx parser, the fetched one or more Tx input descriptors to generate one or more Rx instructions; fetching, using a Tx data fetcher, Tx data stored in a symbol memory; and processing, using a framer, the fetched Tx data with O-RAN specific header added to form one or more Tx frames.
The previous office action relied on the combination of Raghothaman, Wu and Chandran to reject claim 6. In the current office action, with the introduction of the Kundu reference, it is not clear if a 4 reference combination is obvious at the effective filing date of the current application. Given the constrains, claim 6 is indicated as allowable. Claim 7 depends on claim 6, is therefore allowable for the same reason.
Claim 10 as amended has features not taught in the prior art relied upon in the current office action or previous office action:
setting an Rx ownership bits bit of the one or more Rx DMA descriptors to logic "0" when the one or more Rx DMA descriptors are written in the Ethernet DMA descriptor buffer; and resetting the Rx own bits bit of the written Rx DMA descriptors to logic "1" after the one or more acceleration components finish the Rx processing.
Claims 13-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: claim 13 is directed towards Fig. 9A of the current application. Claim 13 recites features not taught in the Kundu reference, or any other reference: an Ethernet interface that comprises a transmitting (Tx) packet memory, a receiving (Rx) packet memory, a Tx Ethernet direct memory access (DMA) descriptor buffer, and an Rx Ethernet DMA descriptor buffer; a symbol memory storing resource block (RB) allocations; and acceleration components implementing Tx flow processing, Rx flow processing, or a combination of both Tx and Rx flow processing, with hardware-software (HW-SW) interaction in the form of input descriptors and output status descriptors, that comprise: a Tx input descriptor buffer reader, a Tx input descriptor buffer, a Tx output status writer; a Rx input descriptor buffer reader, a Rx input descriptor buffer, and a Rx output status writer. Claims that depend on claim 13 are also allowable for the same reasons.
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Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Charles C Jiang whose telephone number is (571)270-7191. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 7 am to 5 pm Eastern Time.
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/CHARLES C JIANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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