DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 1-10 and 15-20 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 and 15 have the limitation: “a plurality of networks that includes a first network and a second network that is independent from the first network”. The claim language as a whole describes how the two networks are connected to various claimed components (agent circuits and a non-system-memory gateway) that interact with both networks and therefore these two networks do have some kind of dependency. It is unclear how these two networks are independent. The claim language should further elaborate on, in what particular ways the two networks are independent. Claim 3 has similar language with a third network.
Claims 2-10 and 16-20 are rejected by virtue of their dependence upon a rejected base claim.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Rowland et al. (US 2019/0258573).
Consider claim 11, Rowland et al. discloses a method, comprising: receiving, at a first circuit of a computer system having a plurality of agent circuits including a source agent circuit, network credit of the source agent circuit reserving routing storage for a non-DRAM transaction, the source agent circuit being coupled to a first packet-switching network of the computer system, and the computer system being situated on one or more co-packed integrated circuits (ICs); receiving, at a gateway circuit of the computer system, a request message for a non-DRAM transaction originating from the source agent circuit; storing, by the gateway circuit, the request message in an input buffer reserved for messages originating from the source agent circuit via the first packet-switching network; decoding, by the gateway circuit, the request message to determine that a destination agent circuit of the plurality of agent circuits is a destination for the request message, the destination agent circuit being coupled to a second packet-switching network of the plurality of packet-switching networks; routing, by the gateway circuit, the request message to an output buffer reserved for messages bound for the destination agent circuit via the second packet-switching network; arbitrating, by the gateway circuit, between multiple messages destined for the second packet-switching network; upon successful arbitration, outputting, by the gateway circuit, the request message; and returning, by the first circuit, network credit to the source agent circuit prior to the request message being received by the destination agent circuit (abstract, [0003], [0004], [0006], [0011], [0021], [0025], [0055], [0064], [0067], Rowland et al. discloses a packet switching network including integrated circuits that can contain multiple physical networks and source and destination agents. This system utilizes a credit based system that provides credits based on priority and returns credits when the process has completed. Rowland et al. does not disclose the use of DRAM and thus the messages sent are non-DRAM transactions. The system includes routers/bridges (gateways) and arbiters that include buffers/queues for holding messages while they traverse the system to their destination, determine priority and get them to the appropriate places.).
Consider claim 12, Rowland et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the first circuit is located within the gateway circuit (abstract, [0003], [0004], [0006], [0011], [0021], [0025], [0055], [0064], [0067], Rowland et al. discloses The system includes routers/bridges (gateways) and arbiters that include buffers/queues for holding messages while they traverse the system to their destination, determine priority and get them to the appropriate places.).
Consider claim 13, Rowland et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the first circuit is a network interface (NI) of the gateway circuit through which the gateway circuit receives the request message, and wherein the network credit is for NI-to-NI transmission over the first packet-switching network, the method further comprising the NI: receiving the request message; returning network credit to the source agent circuit; sending point-to-point credit to the gateway circuit; and forwarding the request message to the gateway circuit (abstract, [0003], [0004], [0006], [0011], [0021], [0025], [0055], [0064], [0067], the routers/bridges include input and output ports. The system includes routers/bridges (gateways) and arbiters that include buffers/queues for holding messages while they traverse the system to their destination, determine priority and get them to the appropriate places. . This system utilizes a credit based system that provides credits based on priority and returns credits when the process has completed.).
Consider claim 14, Rowland et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the first packet-switching network is the same as the second packet-switching network (abstract, [0003], [0004], [0006], [0011], [0021], [0025], [0055], [0064], [0067], multiple physical networks are disclosed.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 and 15-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Even though the general concepts described in the independent claims are known in the art, the particular configuration and interaction of the claimed components has not been found specifically in the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL ALSIP whose telephone number is (571)270-1182. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth M. Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL ALSIP/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2136