DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in responsive to Application 18/131579 filed on 04/6/2023. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims:
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) complies with 37 CFR 1.97 provisions. Accordingly, the Examiner has considered the IDS.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because the claims (original) describes features that are not described in the specification. For example, the steps of “translate the telephony network formatted signal…” & “identify a DTN associated with the targeted DTN…” of, at least, the independent claims are not described in the specification. All claim elements must be described in the specification.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1, 3, 8, 10, 15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
The limitations “translate the telephony network formatted signal…” & “identify a DTN associated with the targeted DTN…” of, at least, the independent claims and “…send a status message to the telephony end client in the telephony network, wherein the status message includes a timestamp indicating when the translated telephony formatted signal will reach the targeted DTN end device or client” [emphasis added] of claim 3 are not described in the specification in a way as to make or use the invention. For example, there is nowhere in the specification that explains/details the translation process from SIP/HTTP/HTTPS etc. to DTN protocol. The claims focus on those identified steps but yet there are not enough details in the specification describing the process. This means that the specification left out critical features that are necessary to make or use the invention.
The specification also describes a DTN connector that handles the signal but that DTN connector -not claimed- is not even described in details for those essential steps to satisfy the 112 (a) requirement. See instant specification ¶0029-¶0035 & Fig. 2.
Also, assuming that those features are known in the art, still that does not make the specification aware of it since the specification did not disclose such features. This means that one of ordinary skill in the art will not be able to reproduce what is claimed since the skilled artisan will not be able to know how to translate a regular signal into the DTN protocol nor to test this from outer of space (Wands factors/guidelines).
As to claim 3, how can the system know in advance when to send the package to the recipient? After all the DTN is a delayed relay system that transfer the signal based on the destination being enabled or not, but there is no way for the system to know such information in advance.
Claims 8, 10, 15 and 17 are substantially similar to the above claims, thus, the same rationale applies. Therefore, the claims are rejected under 35 USC 112 (a).
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, 3, 8, 10, 15 and 17 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.
Claims 1, 8 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted steps are: “translate the telephony network formatted signal…” & “identify a DTN associated with the targeted DTN…” of, at least, the independent claims because it is unclear how to translate from a regular signal to a DTN protocol nor it is understood. This incomplete essential steps between translation DTN protocol and “identify of a DTN” amount to a gap between the steps. The specification is not helpful to fill in the gap. The specification describes “DTN connector” -which is not claimed- but still this connector is not described to show how the translation from radio signal to DTN protocol. See ¶0029 & Fig. 2.
As to claim 3, the limitation “…send a status message to the telephony end client in the telephony network, wherein the status message includes a timestamp indicating when the translated telephony formatted signal will reach the targeted DTN end device or client” [emphasis added] is not clear because the DTN system as disclosed has no way of knowing when will the system is able to bundle and send the signal to destination. Instead, what is disclosed and known in the art, the system waits a response from the destination or keeps trying to send it once the destination is enabled to receive the signal.
Claims 8, 10, 15 and 17 are substantially similar to the above claims, thus, the same rationale applies. Therefore, the claims are rejected under 35 USC 112 (b).
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.
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.
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 1-2, 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15-16 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsuji et al. (hereinafter Tsuji) US 2019/0191326 A1 in view of Kudou et al. (hereinafter Kudou) US 2016/0205030 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Tsuji teaches a computer program product for connecting telephony calls to a Delay and/or Disruption Tolerant Network (DTN), the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith (see Fig. 1; DTN 1 & 2), the computer readable program code being configured, when executed by a processor, to:
receive a telephony network formatted signal from a telephony network (¶0037-¶0041 & Fig. 1; DTN 2 processing unit 203 receives a signal S1 to be relayed from node 1 (101) or DTN-1 104 and transfer it to node 2 (201));
identify a telephony protocol being used by the telephony network (¶0046; destination EID (which may also be called a destination EID2 indicated by the signal S3 has an information structure such as “dtn://<destination node name >/<application ID>”. The part “dtn://” in the destination EID is an example of a protocol indication to be used when the DTN protocol is used. The part “<destination node name>” of the destination EID indicates identification information indicating a DTN node running on the server apparatus 20 that is a substantial destination of the data to be transmitted from the node 1 (101). A destination EID2 is identification information indicating the DTN-2 processing unit 203 running on the server apparatus 20. A part “<application ID>” of the destination EID indicates identification information based on the purpose (which may also be called an application) of data to be transmitted from the node 1 (101) (which may also be called application identification information or an application ID or an App ID). The aforementioned information structure of the destination EID given for illustration purpose, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, another information element may be inserted between “<destination node name>” and “<application ID>”);
translate the telephony network formatted signal from the telephony protocol to a DTN protocol for transmission to a targeted DTN side end device or client (abstract, Figs. 1-2; the system receives a signal S1 then determines if the signal needs to be relayed to server 2/second apparatus [end device or client]. See also, ¶0042; conversion-1 processing unit 102 may change the connection destination of a socket set up (generated) with the address N2Addr designated by the node 1 (101) to the proxy-1 processing unit 103 indicated by the address P1Addr based on the address conversion information T1021. In other words, for example, the signal S1 transmitted from the node 1 (101) is converted [translated] to a signal S2 to be transferred to the proxy-1 processing unit 103 indicated by the address P1Addr through the conversion-1 processing unit 102);
identify a DTN associated with the targeted DTN end device or client (¶0041-¶0043 & Figs. 2-3; EID is identified. For example, proxy-1 processing unit 103 having received the signal S2 transfers a signal S3 including a destination EID (Directed EID (Endpoint IDentification)) 2 indicated in the destination information T1031 and data included in the signal S2 to the DTN-1 processing unit 104 [identify a DTN]. In order to receive the signal S2 including the data transmitted from the node 1 (101), the proxy-1 processing unit 103 may generate in advance a socket (which may also be called a server socket) with the address P1Addr designated based on the destination information T1031 (which may also be called an initial setting). As indicated by the address conversion information T1021 in FIG. 2, the address P1Addr of the proxy-1 processing unit 103 and the address N2Addr of the node 2 (201) have a one-to-one relationship. In other words, for example, the socket of the address P1Addr is associated with the node 2 (201)
Note that FIG. 1, nodes according to a DTN protocol (which may also be called a DTN node) may be the DTN-1 processing unit 104 and the DTN-2 processing unit 203. The destination EID2 (DirectedEID2) indicated by the signal S3 in the example in FIG. 1 is identification information indicating the DTN-2 processing unit 203 running on the server apparatus 20. In the example in FIG. 3, “dtn://serverA/AppID1” is illustrated as an example of the destination EID (T1031-2) “DirectedEID2”, and “dtn://serverB/AppID2” is illustrated as an example of a destination EID (T1031-2) “DirectedEID4”. See ¶0045-¶0046);
forward the translated telephony formatted signal from the telephony network to the targeted DTN end device or client (abstract, Fig. 1-2 & ¶0041-¶0050; the signal is relayed [forward] from first node to a second node);
and forward translated DTN formatted signals from the targeted DTN end device or client to a targeted telephony side end device or client in the telephony network (abstract, Fig. 1-2 & ¶0041-¶0050; the signal is relayed [forward] from first node to a second node. For example, proxy-1 processing unit 103 having received the signal S2 transfers a signal S3 including a destination EID (Directed EID (Endpoint IDentification)) 2 indicated in the destination information T1031 and data included in the signal S2 to the DTN-1 processing unit 104. In order to receive the signal S2 including the data transmitted from the node 1 (101), the proxy-1 processing unit 103 may generate in advance a socket (which may also be called a server socket) with the address P1Addr designated based on the destination information T1031 (which may also be called an initial setting). As indicated by the address conversion information T1021 in FIG. 2, the address P1Addr of the proxy-1 processing unit 103 and the address N2Addr of the node 2 (201) have a one-to-one relationship. In other words, for example, the socket of the address P1Addr is associated with the node 2 (201)).
Tsuji does not expressly teach that the “signal” in the claim above is a telephony signal. However, this limitation is suggested because the system determines whether the signal requires relay/DTN or not, which means that the system determines whether the communication is continuous or not [UMTS vs DTN]. See abstract. Despite that Examiner cites to Kudou. Kudou is analogues art because Kudou is directed to DTN network that relays messages from Internet or public cellular network or wireless LAN. See Fig. 1 & ¶0025.
Kudou also teaches DTN nodes and telephony signals where the system determines when to use either network (DTN 100 includes a DTN node 1 and a plurality of DTN nodes 2. These DTN nodes autonomously relay a message (data bundle or data packet), thereby achieving the delivery of the message from a source node to a destination node. As described above, either or both of the source node and the destination node may belong to the DTN 100 (DTN nodes), or belong to other networks (not shown). Other networks may include at least one of the Internet, a public cellular network, and a wireless LAN. See Fig. 1 & ¶0025).
For example, the degree of contribution of the DTN node 1 may be evaluated based on a contribution of the DTN node 1 to sending messages when at least one of the source nodes and the destination node belongs to a network other than the DTN 100. The degree of contribution of the DTN node 1 may be evaluated based on a frequency of connection of the DTN node 1 to other networks that provide continuous communications as compared with the DTN 100. Other networks that provide continuous communications as compared with the DTN 100 may include a wireless network infrastructure. The wireless network infrastructure may include a public cellular network (e.g., a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or an Evolved Packet System (EPS)), a wireless LAN, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, or a combination thereof.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed limitation to incorporate the teachings of Dudou into the system of Tsuji in order to provide, for example, an efficient memory control method suitable for a store-and-forward type wireless network (abstract). Utilizing such teachings enable the system to achieve the delivery of the message from a source node to a destination node (¶0025).
Regarding Claim 2, Tsuji in view of Dudou teaches the computer program product of claim 1, Tsuji further teaches wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to: receive a reply message from the targeted DTN end device or client, wherein the reply message uses the DTN protocol (this limitation is obvious from ¶0067 & ¶0107 where Tsuji teaches that the system will forward the signal once the destination is enabled to receive and it will continue to check the destination until it is enabled to receive the signal. The state notification unit 1043 also keep informing the system of each status of the communication information regarding the signal. One skilled in the art would understand that in DTN 1 or 2 of Fig. 1 in view of the cited paragraphs, the system notifies the client or sender of the status of the communication which is similar to a reply message); translate the reply message from the DTN protocol into the telephony protocol (same as above. Further, the system convert the signal from radio to DTN to transfer it which includes the communication since the conversion take place between two different networks e.g., radio and DTN); and forward the translated reply message to the telephony end client in the telephony network (same as above. Further, state notification unit 1043 is configured to notify communication information regarding a state and a result of a communication to a user by presenting a pop-up display or a log on a screen, for example. For example, the state notification unit 1043 may output communication information to a display unit (liquid crystal display, for example) in the terminal apparatus 10 or may write communication information in a log file. The notification information may include a result of execution of a control rule according to the purpose of the data from the node 1 (101) by the app inherent control unit 1041).
Regarding Claim 4, Tsuji in view of Dudou teaches the computer program product of claim 1, Tsuji further teaches wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to: associate an end user in the DTN with DTN destination information (obvious from Figs. 2-10 because the destination address is the end device or recipient. The different figures show the mapping to end destination, action and rules to follow in each scenario. For example, DTN path control unit 1042, for transmitting the bundle, obtains a destination IP address and a TCP port number (which may also be called a port number) based on TCP/IP corresponding to the EID (Endpoint ID) indicating the destination based on the bundle protocol with reference to the DTN path information T1043. When the connection with the transfer destination DTN node is disconnected, the DTN path control unit 1042 may store the bundle in a buffer 105 (which may also be called a bundle buffer) and, when the connection is re-connected, read out and transmit the bundle from the buffer 105); include a DTN instance bundle protocol endpoint identification in the DTN destination information (Figs. 2-9, e.g., 7 show identification mapped to bundle protocol to destination address); and determine where to forward the translated telephony formatted signal based on using the DTN destination information associated with the end user in the DTN (Figs. 2-9, e.g., 7 show identification mapped to bundle protocol to destination address. For example, DTN path control unit 1042, for transmitting the bundle, obtains a destination IP address and a TCP port number (which may also be called a port number) based on TCP/IP corresponding to the EID (Endpoint ID) indicating the destination based on the bundle protocol with reference to the DTN path information T1043. When the connection with the transfer destination DTN node is disconnected, the DTN path control unit 1042 may store the bundle in a buffer 105 (which may also be called a bundle buffer) and, when the connection is re-connected, read out and transmit the bundle from the buffer 105).
Regarding Claim 5, Tsuji in view of Dudou teaches the computer program product of claim 4, Tsuji further teaches wherein the forwarded translated telephony formatted signal is forwarded based on one or more of a contact schedule, a delay between the telephony end client and the targeted DTN end device or client, and an availability of routing options (availability of routing is selected as in Fig. 6. For example, On the other hand, the DTN-1 processing unit 104 may store the signal S3 in the buffer 105 in a case where the communication with the communication partner at the destination address over the network is not enabled. After that, in a case where it is detected that the communication with the other communication partner at the destination address over the network becomes enabled, a control according to the purpose of the data may be performed again on the data (which may also be called data from the node 1 (101)) included in the signal S3 stored in the buffer 105. After the control according to the purpose of the data is performed again, the signal S4 may be transmitted to the communication partner at the destination address corresponding to the destination EID. The destination EID may be a destination EID (T1031-2) indicated in the destination information T1031 or may be destination EID designated by the control according to the purpose of the data which is performed again. For example, according to the control rule group T1042-3 of the control method T1042-2 “METHOD 1 (ELAPSED TIME T)”, referring to FIG. 6, the destination EID may be changed in accordance with the length of a time period when the state that the communication is disabled continues. See ¶0067).
Claims 8-9, 11-12, 15-16 and 18-19 are substantially similar to the above claims, thus the same rationale applies.
Claims 3, 10 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsuji in view of Kudou and further in view of Fujita et al. (hereinafter Fujita) US 2010/0265951 A1.
Regarding Claim 3, Tsuji in view of Dudou teaches the computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to: determine whether the targeted DTN end device or client is unavailable for receipt of the translated telephony formatted signal (¶0066-¶0069; DTN processing until stores the signal until destination is enabled to receive the signal or data);
Tsuji still teaches that the system will keep checking until the destination is enabled to receive the signal. But Tsuji in view of Kudou do no expressly teach “timestamp” in the limitation “and in response to the targeted DTN end device or client being unavailable for receipt of the translated telephony formatted signal, send a status message to the telephony end client in the telephony network, wherein the status message includes a timestamp indicating when the translated telephony formatted signal will reach the targeted DTN end device or client.”
Fujita is analogues art because Fujita is directed to a DTN forward unit that calculates distribution probability for each node before forwarding the distribution.
In other words, Fujita teaches timestamps and determines when to send a signal to the destination based on the calculations of probability using a DTN forward unit. See ¶0005, ¶0040-¶0046 & ¶0073-¶0078 & Fig. 10.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed limitation to incorporate the teachings of Fujita into the system of Tsuji in view of Kudou in order to reduce the transmission amount of path request messages, and shorten the time required for a node that transmits a path request message to find a node having the probability of distribution to the destination node (¶0097).
Claims 10 and 17 are substantially similar to the above claims, thus the same rationale applies.
Claims 6-7, 13-14 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsuji in view of Kudou and further in view of Wang et al. (hereinafter Wang) US 2017/0346750 A1.
Regarding Claim 6, Tsuji in view of Dudou teaches the computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to: determine whether the targeted telephony side end device or client in the telephony network is unavailable for receipt of one of the translated DTN formatted signals; and in response to the targeted telephony side end device or client being unavailable for receipt of one of the translated DTN formatted signals, send a status message to the targeted DTN end device or client wherein the status message includes a timestamp indicating when one of the translated DTN formatted signals will be deliverable the telephony end client (¶0065-¶0068 & Fig. 6. For example, On the other hand, the DTN-1 processing unit 104 may store the signal S3 in the buffer 105 in a case where the communication with the communication partner at the destination address over the network is not enabled. After that, in a case where it is detected that the communication with the other communication partner at the destination address over the network becomes enabled, a control according to the purpose of the data may be performed again on the data (which may also be called data from the node 1 (101)) included in the signal S3 stored in the buffer 105. After the control according to the purpose of the data is performed again, the signal S4 may be transmitted to the communication partner at the destination address corresponding to the destination EID. The destination EID may be a destination EID (T1031-2) indicated in the destination information T1031 or may be destination EID designated by the control according to the purpose of the data which is performed again. For example, according to the control rule group T1042-3 of the control method T1042-2 “METHOD 1 (ELAPSED TIME T)”, referring to FIG. 6, the destination EID may be changed in accordance with the length of a time period when the state that the communication is disabled continues. See ¶0067).
Tsuji does not expressly teach “timestamp” in the above claim limitation. Wang on the other hand is analogous art because Wang is directed to Space Communications Protocol Specification-Transport Protocol (SCPS-TP) is the transmission protocol proposed by the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) facing the space communication environment, which is developed based on the transmission protocol of traditional ground communication. See ¶0004.
Wang also teaches timestamp e.g., After the destination end gateway of SCPS-TP receives the ACKs and packet of the source-end gateway, it analyzes, stores and transmits the packet to the ground destination end; The analyzed ACK and the packet include the acknowledgement number, timestamp and SCPS expansion information, and converted them into SCPS-TPpacket. See ¶0036.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed limitation to incorporate the teachings of Wang into the system of Tsuji in view of Kudou in order to record when the information or packets is received and analyzed (¶0036-¶0037). Utilizing such teachings enable the DTN network to store packets in a buffer and successfully transmit to the receiving end which includes the correct timestamp in CCSDS systems (¶0004).
Regarding Claim 7, Tsuji in view of Dudou teaches the computer program product of claim 6, Tsuji further teaches wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to convert the one of the translated DTN formatted signals into a bundled message using a Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), prior to the translated DTN formatted signal being delivered to the telephony end client (obvious because DTN uses bundle protocols such as communication under a special environment such as in the space or under the sea assuming the delays, see ¶0023-¶0024. Wang also teaches CCSDS or space systems, see ¶0004).
Claims 13-14 and 19-20 are substantially similar to the above claims, thus the same rationale applies.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHRAN ABU ROUMI whose telephone number is (469)295-9170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6AM-5PM.
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MAHRAN ABU ROUMI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2455
/MAHRAN Y ABU ROUMI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2455