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 .
Response to Remarks
Regarding 112b rejection:
The applicants’ amendments hereby overcome the outstanding 112b rejections.
Regarding claim 1, 11 and 12:
The applicant states in page 15 of the remarks “but they do not provide additional instructions to indicate whether the transmitted message is a “request” or “response”…Wang does not discuss the possibility of using an OAM frame to transmit only one of a bandwidth adjustment request message of bandwidth adjustment response message” and thus doesn’t teach “any field that can be used for indicating a type of bandwidth adjustment message…”. The examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicants’ position. Firstly, Section 2.4.2 paragraph 1 clearly states “It carries the resize control overhead consisting in 2-bit bandwidth adjustment request, 3-bit bandwidth adjustment response…Table 2-2 described the encoding of each of these overhead fields BW_ADJ_REQ[1:2]…BW_ADJ_ACK[1:3]”. Furthermore, Table 2-2 clearly shows what message is comprised within each REQ and ACK messages i.e. 00 is BW_ROLLBACK_REQ, 000 is BW_ROLLBACK_ACK, etc. Thus, Wang clearly teaches the bandwidth adjustment request and acknowledgment messages as required by the claims. As per the applicants remarks wherein Wang doesn’t “provide additional instructions to indicate whether the transmitted message is a “request” or “response”, such limitations are not claimed within the limitations. The claim also doesn’t recite “the possibility of using an OAM frame to transmit only one of a bandwidth adjustment request message of bandwidth adjustment response message”. In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., doesn’t provide additional instructions to indicate whether the transmitted message is a “request” or “response” and the possibility of using an OAM frame to transmit only one of a bandwidth adjustment request message of bandwidth adjustment response message) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 8, 9, 14, 16, 18 and 21 are 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 11-13, 15, 17, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Wang (The mechanism of Hitless bandwidth adjustment of OSU).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a bandwidth adjustment method (see sections 2.1, 2.2.a and 2.2.2), comprising: performing interaction of bandwidth adjustment signaling between nodes via a hitless bandwidth adjustment Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) frame (Fig. 2-1 and Section 2.2.1, paragraph 1, an overview of a step-by-step OSU bandwidth increase procedure example from source end node Al to sink end node Cl with an intermediate node Bin the middle. It identifies some control/status messages to/from network management as well as the necessary in-band hitless adjust overhead control commands and acknowledges between source and sink nodes), wherein the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame (Figs. 2-5 and 2-6 shows this) carries indication information, the indication information is used for indicating a type of a bandwidth adjustment message transmitted in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame (Section 2.4.1, The OSU OAM frame overhead area includes the version number VER, tributary port number TPN, OSU frame type FT, OAM frame type OT and cyclic redundancy check CRC8 fields. The VER, TPN, FT and CRC8 overhead fields are described in previous clauses. An OSU OAM frame is identified by its frame type; Section 2.4.2, The OSU hitless bandwidth adjustment control frame is an OSU OAM frame identified by its OT[1:5]. Figure 2-6 shows its specific frame format), and the type of the bandwidth adjustment message comprises: a bandwidth adjustment request message and a bandwidth adjustment acknowledge message (see table 2-2 that shows the constituents of the bandwidth adjustment message).
Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information comprises: a first indication overhead corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment request message (Table 2-2: BW _ADJ_REQ[l:2]), and a second indication overhead corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment acknowledge message (Table 2-2: BW _ADJ_ACK[l:2]).
Regarding claim 4, Wang teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information comprises: a first message status corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment request message and a second message status corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment acknowledge message (Section 2.2.1, paragraph 1, It identifies some control/status messages to/from network management as well as the necessary in-band hitless adjust overhead control commands and acknowledges between source and sink nodes (potentially carried within the OSU-OAM frames part of the OSUP connection in data plane) in forward and backward directions), wherein the first message status comprises a valid status and an invalid status (Section 2.2.1, Once the bandwidth resources are ready and adjusted for increase, an acknowledge status for bandwidth increase request is responded and relayed within the OSUP trail connection (i.e., carried through OSU-OAM frame) in the backward direction from Sink end node to source end node. Once the acknowledge for bandwidth increase request is detected at the source node, the OSU and then the client bandwidth could be increased), and the second message status comprises a valid status and an invalid status (Section 2.2.1, Once the bandwidth increase is completed at the source, a bandwidth increase confirm command is sent and relayed from source end node to sink end node within the OSUP trail connection (i.e. carried through OSU-OAM frame) and then an acknowledge status for bandwidth increase completion is responded and relayed within the OSUP trail connection).
Regarding claim 6, Wang teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein performing the interaction of the bandwidth adjustment signaling between the nodes via the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame comprises: for any node in the network, determining the type carried in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame; and executing a bandwidth adjustment process corresponding to the type according to the type (Section 2.1, 5) For OSU hitless bandwidth increase process, a bandwidth increase command is sent first to the source end node, and then each node checks and confirms the OSU server bandwidth resources availability…After the successful completion of the bandwidth increase process is insideacted to network management system at the source end node,, it increases the customer's actual traffic bandwidth (i.e., increase packet client bit rate). 6) For OSU hitless bandwidth decrease process, the customer's actual traffic is reduced first, and then a bandwidth decrease command is sent to the source end node. The Ethernet tributary port rate at the source end node is first decreased to the target bit rate, and then in the order from source to sink, each node decreases the link bandwidth resource allocation in turn. Finally the Ethernet tributary port rate at the sink end node is decreased to the target bit rate).
Regarding claim 7, Wang teaches the method according to claim 1, further comprising: in cases where the node needs to send a bandwidth adjustment message and the node periodically sends the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame, carrying the bandwidth adjustment message needed to be sent in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame, and setting the indication information corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment message needed to be sent in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame, wherein the bandwidth adjustment message comprises a bandwidth adjustment request message (Section 2.1 12) The bandwidth adjustment OAM control frames (BW _ADJ_REQ) are periodically inserted).
Regarding claim 11, Wang teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is configured to execute (see sections 2.1, 2.2.a and 2.2.2), the following operations when running: performing interaction of bandwidth adjustment signaling between nodes via a hitless bandwidth adjustment Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) frame (Fig. 2-1 and Section 2.2.1, paragraph 1, an overview of a step-by-step OSU bandwidth increase procedure example from source end node Al to sink end node Cl with an intermediate node Bin the middle. It identifies some control/status messages to/from network management as well as the necessary in-band hitless adjust overhead control commands and acknowledges between source and sink nodes), wherein the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame (Figs. 2-5 and 2-6 shows this) carries indication information, the indication information is used for indicating a type of a bandwidth adjustment message transmitted in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame (Section 2.4.1, The OSU OAM frame overhead area includes the version number VER, tributary port number TPN, OSU frame type FT, OAM frame type OT and cyclic redundancy check CRC8 fields. The VER, TPN, FT and CRC8 overhead fields are described in previous clauses. An OSU OAM frame is identified by its frame type; Section 2.4.2, The OSU hitless bandwidth adjustment control frame is an OSU OAM frame identified by its OT[1:5]. Figure 2-6 shows its specific frame format), and the type of the bandwidth adjustment message comprises: a bandwidth adjustment request message and a bandwidth adjustment acknowledge message (see table 2-2 that shows the constituents of the bandwidth adjustment message).
Regarding claim 12, Wang teaches an electronic device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to run the computer program so as to execute the following operations (see sections 2.1, 2.2.a and 2.2.2): performing interaction of bandwidth adjustment signaling between nodes via a hitless bandwidth adjustment Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) frame (Fig. 2-1 and Section 2.2.1, paragraph 1, an overview of a step-by-step OSU bandwidth increase procedure example from source end node Al to sink end node Cl with an intermediate node Bin the middle. It identifies some control/status messages to/from network management as well as the necessary in-band hitless adjust overhead control commands and acknowledges between source and sink nodes), wherein the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame (Figs. 2-5 and 2-6 shows this) carries indication information, the indication information is used for indicating a type of a bandwidth adjustment message transmitted in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame (Section 2.4.1, The OSU OAM frame overhead area includes the version number VER, tributary port number TPN, OSU frame type FT, OAM frame type OT and cyclic redundancy check CRC8 fields. The VER, TPN, FT and CRC8 overhead fields are described in previous clauses. An OSU OAM frame is identified by its frame type; Section 2.4.2, The OSU hitless bandwidth adjustment control frame is an OSU OAM frame identified by its OT[1:5]. Figure 2-6 shows its specific frame format), and the type of the bandwidth adjustment message comprises: a bandwidth adjustment request message and a bandwidth adjustment acknowledge message (see table 2-2 that shows the constituents of the bandwidth adjustment message).
Regarding claim 13, Wang teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the bandwidth adjustment request message comprises a bandwidth increase request message or a bandwidth decrease request message (Table 2-2, 01: BW_INC_REQ, Bandwidth increase request; 10: BW _DEC_REQ, Bandwidth decrease request); and the bandwidth adjustment acknowledge message comprises a bandwidth increase acknowledge message or a bandwidth decrease acknowledge message (Table 2-2, 001: BW_INC_ACK, Bandwidth increase acknowledge; 010: BW _DEC_ACK, Bandwidth decrease acknowledge).
Regarding claim 15, Wang teaches the electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the indication information comprises: a first indication overhead corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment request message (Table 2-2: BW _ADJ_REQ[l:2]), and a second indication overhead corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment acknowledge message (Table 2-2: BW _ADJ_ACK[l:2]).
Regarding claim 17, Wang teaches the electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the indication information comprises: a first message status corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment request message and a second message status corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment acknowledge message (Section 2.2.1, paragraph 1, It identifies some control/status messages to/from network management as well as the necessary in-band hitless adjust overhead control commands and acknowledges between source and sink nodes (potentially carried within the OSU-OAM frames part of the OSUP connection in data plane) in forward and backward directions), wherein the first message status comprises a valid status and an invalid status (Section 2.2.1, Once the bandwidth resources are ready and adjusted for increase, an acknowledge status for bandwidth increase request is responded and relayed within the OSUP trail connection (i.e., carried through OSU-OAM frame) in the backward direction from Sink end node to source end node. Once the acknowledge for bandwidth increase request is detected at the source node, the OSU and then the client bandwidth could be increased), and the second message status comprises a valid status and an invalid status (Section 2.2.1, Once the bandwidth increase is completed at the source, a bandwidth increase confirm command is sent and relayed from source end node to sink end node within the OSUP trail connection (i.e. carried through OSU-OAM frame) and then an acknowledge status for bandwidth increase completion is responded and relayed within the OSUP trail connection).
Regarding claim 19, Wang teaches the electronic device according to claim 12, wherein performing the interaction of the bandwidth adjustment signaling between the nodes via the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame comprises: for any node in the network, determining the type carried in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame; and executing a bandwidth adjustment process corresponding to the type (Section 2.1, 5) For OSU hitless bandwidth increase process, a bandwidth increase command is sent first to the source end node, and then each node checks and confirms the OSU server bandwidth resources availability…After the successful completion of the bandwidth increase process is inside acted to network management system at the source end node,, it increases the customer's actual traffic bandwidth (i.e., increase packet client bit rate). 6) For OSU hitless bandwidth decrease process, the customer's actual traffic is reduced first, and then a bandwidth decrease command is sent to the source end node. The Ethernet tributary port rate at the source end node is first decreased to the target bit rate, and then in the order from source to sink, each node decreases the link bandwidth resource allocation in turn. Finally the Ethernet tributary port rate at the sink end node is decreased to the target bit rate).
Regarding claim 20, Wang teaches the electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to run the computer program so as to further execute the following operations: in cases where the node needs to send a bandwidth adjustment message and the node periodically sends the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame, carrying the bandwidth adjustment message needed to be sent in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame, and setting the indication information corresponding to the bandwidth adjustment message needed to be sent in the hitless bandwidth adjustment OAM frame, wherein the bandwidth adjustment message comprises at least one of: a bandwidth adjustment request (Section 2.1 12) The bandwidth adjustment OAM control frames (BW _ADJ_REQ) are periodically inserted).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See the notice of reference cited (PTO-892).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRANESH K BARUA whose telephone number is (571)270-1017. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Sat: 11-8pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Payne can be reached on 5712723024. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PRANESH K BARUA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2635