DETAILED ACTION
It is hereby acknowledged that the following papers have been received and placed of record in the file: Amendment date 02/12/2026.
Claims 1-30 are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-30 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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(a) 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 1-2, 8-18, 21-22 and 27-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peng et al. (US 2022/0052945 A1) in view of Gandhi et al. (US 2020/0084147 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Peng teaches a packet processing method, comprising:
obtaining, by a first network device, a first data packet (node R1 receives a packet at steps 603-604 see Peng: ¶[0081-0082]; Fig.5);
obtaining, by the first network device, an updated data packet, by adding first indication information and second indication information to the first data packet (encapsulated (corresponding to adding) to the packet a slices label (corresponding to first indication label) and overlay service identification (corresponding to second indication information) see Peng: Fig.6 step 604; ¶[0082]), wherein the first indication information and the second indication information are located in a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) packet header of the updated packet (MPLS header information include slice label and overlay service information see Peng: Fig.2; Fig.3a-3b), , and
sending, by the first network device, the updated data packet to a second network device (forwarding, by the node R1, the packet with slice label and overlay service information to the R2 “When forwarding the packet to the node R2, the node R1 uses an underlay network resource dedicated to <slice-id=1, color=0>, such as subport port1.sub-if-1 dedicated to slice-1 and a queue thereof described in this embodiment” see Peng: Fig.6 step 604; ¶[0086]; Fig.5).
Peng does not explicitly teaches the first indication information and the second information are different pieces of information within the MPLS packet header of the updated data packet, the first indication information indicates a network slice corresponding to the updated data packet, and the second indication information indicates a forwarding path of the updated data packet and wherein the second indication information indicates the forwarding path by indicating at least one node on the forwarding path.
However, Gandhi teaches the first indication information and the second information are different pieces of information within the MPLS packet header of the updated data packet (first indication information such as PM label indicator PLI(1) 124 and second information PM metadata 125 in the MPLS label stack see Gandhi: ¶[0041]; Fig.1), the first indication information indicates a network slice corresponding to the updated data packet (PLI 124 indicating a performance measurement type {PLI(1)}, which include the segment routing, which SR technology is to be used with network slicing to provide services see Gandhi: ¶[0065]; ¶[0018]), and the second indication information indicates a forwarding path of the updated data packet and wherein the second indication information indicates the forwarding path by indicating at least one node on the forwarding path (second information (PM metadata 124) include includes a Session Identifier, an Ingress Node-ID (e.g., Node-ID for first network element 102), a TX timestamp, and a sequence number and 122 label include adjacent network elements see Gandhi: ¶[0064-0065]; Fig.1) in order to improve passive performance measurement (see Gandhi: ¶[0002]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Peng to include (or to use, etc.) the first indication information and the second information are different pieces of information within the MPLS packet header of the updated data packet, the first indication information indicates a network slice corresponding to the updated data packet, and the second indication information indicates a forwarding path of the updated data packet and wherein the second indication information indicates the forwarding path by indicating at least one node on the forwarding path as taught by Gandhi in order to improve passive performance measurement (see Gandhi: ¶[0002]).
Regarding claim 2, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein the MPLS packet header comprises an MPLS label stack, the MPLS label stack comprises a first label field and a second label field, the first label field indicates that the second label field comprises the first indication information, and the second label field comprises the first indication information (nodes S allocate MPLS label to the slice FEC and where packet include slice information and underlay network resource information “the node S may allocate an MPLS label to the slice FEC and create a corresponding ILM entry, a preset slice flag is set in the entry, and a label operation is SWAP (swapping), so that a packet which hits the ILM entry is forwarded using an underlay network resource according to overlay service identification information after a slice label in a label stack of the packet, the underlay network resource being dedicated to a service indicated by the overlay service identification information” see Peng: ¶[0064]; Fig.3a-3c).
Regarding claim 8, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein the sending, by the first network device, the updated data packet to the second network device comprises: determining, by the first network device based on the network slice, a forwarding resource used to send the updated data packet; and sending, by the first network device, the updated data packet based on the forwarding resource (At step 905, after being received by the node R2, the packet hits the ILM entry according to the top label2. Since the ILM entry includes the preset slice flag, the node R2 knows that label2 is immediately followed by 32-bit overlay service identification information <slice-id=1, color=0> in the packet. See Peng: ¶[0123]).
Regarding claim 9, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 8 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein the forwarding resource comprises one or more of a processing resource, an outbound interface resource (overlay service identification include port information in the packet see Peng: Figs.4-5; ¶[0078]), or a queue resource of the first network device.
Regarding claim 10, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein further comprises: updating, by the first network device, the first data packet to obtain a second packet, wherein the second data packet comprises the first indication information and third indication information, and the third indication information indicates a forwarding path of the second packet; and sending, by the first network device, the second packet to a third network device (updating slice label and overlay service identification information in the packet “At step 905, after being received by the node R2, the packet hits the ILM entry according to the top label2. Since the ILM entry includes the preset slice flag, the node R2 knows that label2 is immediately followed by 32-bit overlay service identification information <slice-id=1, color=0> in the packet. Therefore, the node R2 swaps label2 for label4 according to the label operation of SWAP in the ILM entry, and then forwards the packet to the node R4 using an underlay network resource dedicated to <slice-id=1, color=0>, such as link3 and a queue” see Peng: ¶[0123]).
Regarding claim 11, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein the first network device is a network device in an MPLS network or a segment routing-multi-protocol label switching (SR-MPLS) network (MPLS segment touting protocol see Peng: ¶[0014];¶[0049]; ¶[0052]).
Regarding claim 12, Peng teaches a packet processing method, comprising:
receiving, by a first network device, a data packet sent by a second network device (node R1 (corresponding first network device) receives a packet at steps 603-604 from CE1-1 to CE3-1 (second network device) see Peng: ¶[0081-0082]; Fig.5), wherein the packet comprises a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) packet header (MPLS header information include slice label and overlay service information see Peng: Fig.2; Fig.3a-3b), and the MPLS packet header comprises first indication information and second indication information (encapsulated (corresponding to adding) to the packet a slices label (corresponding to first indication label) and overlay service identification (corresponding to second indication information) see Peng: Fig.6 step 604; ¶[0082);
determining, by the first network device, a network slice corresponding to the data packet based on the first indication information (determine preset slice flag in the packet “Since the FTN entry includes the preset slice flag, carrying overlay service identification information of a VPN service is supported in encapsulation of a packet, so that the overlay service identification information of the VPN service may be provided when the VPN route is iterated to an MPLS LSP of a public network, so as to map onto a specific underlay network resource” see Peng: Fig.6 step 604); and
forwarding, by the first network device, an updated packet to a third network device based on the network slice, wherein the third network device is a device on a forwarding path of the packet and is determined based on the second indication information (forwarding, by the node R1, the packet with slice label and overlay service information to the R2 “When forwarding the packet to the node R2, the node R1 uses an underlay network resource dedicated to <slice-id=1, color=0>, such as subport port1.sub-if-1 dedicated to slice-1 and a queue thereof described in this embodiment” see Peng: Fig.6 step 604; ¶[0086]; Fig.5).
Peng does not explicitly teaches the first indication information and the second information are different pieces of information within the MPLS packet header of the updated data packet, the first indication information indicates a network slice corresponding to the updated data packet, and the second indication information indicates a forwarding path of the updated data packet; and wherein the second indication information indicates the forwarding path by indicating at least one node on the forwarding path.
However, Gandhi taught the first indication information and the second information are different pieces of information within the MPLS packet header of the updated data packet (first indication information such as PM label indicator PLI(1) 124 and second information PM metadata 125 in the MPLS label stack see Gandhi: ¶[0041]; Fig.1), the first indication information indicates a network slice corresponding to the updated data packet (PLI 124 indicating a performance measurement type {PLI(1)}, which include the segment routing, which SR technology is to be used with network slicing to provide services see Gandhi: ¶[0065]; ¶[0018]), and the second indication information indicates a forwarding path of the updated data packet; and wherein the second indication information indicates the forwarding path by indicating at least one node on the forwarding path (second information (PM metadata 124) include includes a Session Identifier, an Ingress Node-ID (e.g., Node-ID for first network element 102), a TX timestamp, and a sequence number and 122 label include adjacent network elements see Gandhi: ¶[0064-0065]; Fig.1) in order to improve passive performance measurement (see Gandhi: ¶[0002]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Peng to include (or to use, etc.) the first indication information and the second information are different pieces of information within the MPLS packet header of the updated data packet, the first indication information indicates a network slice corresponding to the updated data packet, and the second indication information indicates a forwarding path of the updated data packet; and wherein the second indication information indicates the forwarding path by indicating at least one node on the forwarding path as taught by Gandhi in order to improve passive performance measurement (see Gandhi: ¶[0002]).
Regarding claim 13, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 12 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein forwarding, by the first network device, the updated data packet to the third network device based on the network slice comprises: determining, by the first network device, based on the network slice corresponding to the data packet, a forwarding resource allocated by the first network device to the network slice; and forwarding, by the first network device, the updated data packet to the third network device by using the forwarding resource (forwarding packet based on overlay service information (slice id and color number) see Peng: ¶[0036-0037]; Fig.5).
Regarding claim 14, claim 14 is rejected for the same reason as claim 9 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 15, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 12 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein one of the updated data packet comprises the first indication information, or the packet comprises updated first indication information; wherein the updated first indication information is determined based on the first indication information, and the updated first indication information indicates the network slice corresponding to the updated data packet (encapsulated (corresponding to adding) to the packet a slice label (corresponding to first indication label) and overlay service identification (corresponding to second indication information) and wherein overlay service identification includes network slice information see Peng: Fig.6 step 604; ¶[0082]).
Regarding claim 16, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 15 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein the updated data packet comprises updated second indication information, and the updated second indication information indicates a forwarding path of the updated data packet (encapsulated (corresponding to adding) to the packet a slice label (corresponding to first indication label) and overlay service identification (corresponding to second indication information) and wherein overlay service identification includes network slice information see Peng: Fig.6 step 604; ¶[0082]).
Regarding claim 17, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 12 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein the method further comprises, before the first network device forwards the packet based on the network slice corresponding to the data packet: decapsulating, by the first network device, the data packet to obtain a decapsulated packet (pops the slice label and the overlay service identification information see Peng: ¶[0093]; Fig.6 Steps 604-606).
Regarding claim 18, claim 18 is rejected for the same reason as claim 2 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 21, claim 21 is rejected for the same reason as claim 1 as set forth hereinabove. Claim 21 recites a network device that perform the same functionalities as method of claim 1 as described hereinabove.
Regarding claim 22, claim 22 is rejected for the same reason as claim 2 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 27, claim 27 is rejected for the same reason as claim 12 as set forth hereinabove. Claim 27 recites a network device that perform the same functionalities as method of claim 12 as described hereinabove.
Regarding claim 28, claim 28 is rejected for the same reason as claim 13 as set forth hereinabove.
Claims 3-7, 19-20, 23-26 and 29-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peng et al. (US 2022/0052945 A1) in view of Gandhi et al. (US 2020/0084147 A1) and further in view of Kumar et al. (US 2015/0109902 A1).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 2 as described hereinabove. The modified Peng does not explicitly teaches wherein the first label field comprises an extension label (EL) and an extended special purpose label (ESPL).
However, Kumar teaches wherein the first label field comprises an extension label (EL) and an extended special purpose label (ESPL) (SR-typed extension header containing header fields 78 (corresponding extension label) and list of segment identifier 80 (corresponding to extended special purpose label) see Fig.7 elements 76, 78, 80; ¶[0038-0039]) in order to recovery from failure of edge router that utilize boarded gateway protocol for tunneling data traffic that utilizes segment routing (see Kumar: ¶[0002]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of the modified Peng to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein the first label field comprises an extension label (EL) and an extended special purpose label (ESPL) as taught by Kumar in order to recovery from failure of edge router that utilize boarded gateway protocol for tunneling data traffic that utilizes segment routing (see Kumar: ¶[0002]).
Regarding claim 4, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. The modified Peng does not explicitly teaches wherein the MPLS packet header comprises an MPLS special purpose label, and a reserved field in the MPLS special purpose label comprises the first indication information.
However, Kumar teaches wherein the MPLS packet header comprises an MPLS special purpose label, and a reserved field in the MPLS special purpose label comprises the first indication information (segment details 80 and a reserved filed PL1 54a see Kumar: Fig.7; ¶[0055]; ¶[0057]) in order to recovery from failure of edge router that utilize boarded gateway protocol for tunneling data traffic that utilizes segment routing (see Kumar: ¶[0002]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of the modified Peng to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein the MPLS packet header comprises an MPLS special purpose label, and a reserved field in the MPLS special purpose label comprises the first indication information as taught by Kumar in order to recovery from failure of edge router that utilize boarded gateway protocol for tunneling data traffic that utilizes segment routing (see Kumar: ¶[0002]).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 4 as described hereinabove. Kumar further teaches wherein the MPLS special purpose label comprises an entropy label or a flow identifier (Flow-ID) label (flow label field, next header field “In particular, an SR-typed IPv6 outer header can include IPv6 fields such as a 4-bit "version" field identifying IPv6, a traffic class field, a flow label field, a next header field (specifying a value of "43" for identifying the SR-typed extension header 76 as a routing header)” see Kumar: ¶[0039]) in order to recovery from failure of edge router that utilize boarded gateway protocol for tunneling data traffic that utilizes segment routing (see Kumar: ¶[0002]).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 4 as described hereinabove. Peng further teaches wherein the reserved field comprises one or more of a priority field or a time to live (TTL) field (TTL of tope slice label in MPLS packet see Peng: ¶[0076]).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Peng taught the packet processing method according to claim 1 as described hereinabove. The modified Peng does not explicitly teaches wherein the MPLS packet header comprises an MPLS extension header, and the MPLS extension header carries the first indication information.
However, Kumar teaches wherein the MPLS packet header comprises an MPLS extension header, and the MPLS extension header carries the first indication information (SR-typed extension header containing header fields 78 (corresponding extension label) and list of segment identifier 80 (corresponding to extended special purpose label) see Fig.7 elements 76, 78, 80; ¶[0038-0039]) in order to recovery from failure of edge router that utilize boarded gateway protocol for tunneling data traffic that utilizes segment routing (see Kumar: ¶[0002]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of the modified Peng to include (or to use, etc.) the wherein the MPLS packet header comprises an MPLS extension header, and the MPLS extension header carries the first indication information as taught by Kumar in order to recovery from failure of edge router that utilize boarded gateway protocol for tunneling data traffic that utilizes segment routing (see Kumar: ¶[0002]).
Regarding claim 19, claim 19 is rejected for the same reason as claim 3 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 20, claim 20 is rejected for the same reason as claim 4 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 23, claim 23 is rejected for the same reason as claim 3 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 24, claim 23 is rejected for the same reason as claim 4 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 25, claim 25 is rejected for the same reason as claim 5 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 26, claim 26 is rejected for the same reason as claim 6 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 29, claim 29 is rejected for the same reason as claim 14 as set forth hereinabove.
Regarding claim 30, claim 30 is rejected for the same reason as claim 15 as set forth hereinabove.
Conclusion
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GUANG W. LI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2478
March 19, 2026
/GUANG W LI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478