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 .
This is in response to communications filed on 12/10/25.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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) 1-10, 12-13, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mills (US Patent 6795450).
For claim 1, Mills teaches the following limitations: A device (Fig 8; lines 22-65 of col 8), comprising: a processor (Fig 8 shows various circuitries including state machine 801 – a processor; lines 30-33 of col 3); at least one network interface controller configured to provide access to a network (Fig 4 and Fig 10 shows the network of PHYs; Fig 4 shows the controller for transceivers; lines 15-25 of col 16; Fig 3; line 20, col 28 throughline 64, col 29 mention the transmission/receive circuit operation of the PHY to/from the network); and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a power-saving logic (lines 59-65 of col 28 mention that the state machine 801 provides the PHY link suspend functions; state machine has processor, memory and programmed instructions to implement the functionalities described in Fig 3, Fig 4 and Fig 10) that is configured to: establish a connection link with at least one neighbor device (Fig 10 shows the connection with another PHY; Fig 3 shows 320 and 330 as the connection mode with other device)); determine that it is suitable to enter a lower-power state (lines 57-67 of col 12; host controller wishing to enter a low power mode); enter the lower-power state (lines 1-3 of col 12; nodes are in sleep mode or idle mode) ; and transmit a plurality of link pulses to the at least one neighbor device while remaining in the lower-power state (lines 45-60 of col 10; lines 1-16 of col 12, line 50, col 12 through line 12, col 13 mention that the nodes are entered into sleep mode without causing the link to reset; lines 1-15 of col 13; link suspend pulses are shown in Fig 10; lines 50-53 of col 20)).
For claim 2, LSP is periodic and continuous (Fig 10).
For claim 3, LSP is periodic and continuous (Fig 10; lines 1-15 of col 13).
For claim 4, lines 63-66 of col 12 mention that both nodes wake up based on events. Lines 15-25 of col 16 mention leaving link suspend mode and therefore, the link suspend pulses will be ceased.
For claim 5, lines 44-55 of col 1 mention that the PHY follows the OSI model.
For claim 6, Fig 10 shows the PHY connections. Thus, the link is in PHY layer.
For claim 7, Fig 1 shows wired link 122.
For claim 8, both PHY can send the LSPs and therefore, the device receives the pulses (lines 58-60 of col 19).
For claim 9, lines 45-55 of col 24 mention about counting the arrival rate of LSPs. The rate is determined by counting total divided by time period. Thus, the counting of the received pulses is performed.
For claim 10, lines 5-25 of col 18 and lines 45-55 of col 24 mention that counting the arrival rate of LSPs against a preset time. Thus, if at least two LSPs are not received in the predetermined period, the low power state is exited to No connect state. Thus, the counting of LSPs is set to at least two as predetermined threshold. Fig 3 shows that LS mode can be exited any time by setting LSEN. Thus, when the LSPs are more than two in a time period and LSEN is set, the low power-state can be exited.
For claim 12, lines 45-55 of col 24 mention about counting the arrival rate of LSPs, which includes determining time interval between LSPs.
For claim 13, lines 45-55 of col 24 mention about counting the arrival rate of LSPs, which includes determining time interval between LSPs. The expiration of timer includes the compare against a threshold. The LS is exited if time expired.
For claim 20, Mills teaches the following limitations: A method of maintaining neighboring connections (lines 45-60 of col 10; lines 1-16 of col 12, line 50, col 12 through line 12, col 13 mention that the nodes are entered into sleep mode without causing the link to reset; lines 1-15 of col 13; link suspend pulses are shown in Fig 10; lines 50-53 of col 20), comprising: establishing a connection link with at least one neighbor device (Fig 10 shows the connection with another PHY; Fig 3 shows 320 and 330 as the connection mode with other device)); determining that it is suitable to enter a lower-power state (lines 57-67 of col 12; host controller wishing to enter a low power mode); entering the lower-power state (lines 1-3 of col 12; nodes are in sleep mode or idle mode) ; and transmitting a plurality of link pulses to the at least one neighbor device while remaining in the lower-power state (lines 45-60 of col 10; lines 1-16 of col 12, line 50, col 12 through line 12, col 13 mention that the nodes are entered into sleep mode without causing the link to reset; lines 1-15 of col 13; link suspend pulses are shown in Fig 10; lines 50-53 of col 20)), wherein the plurality of link pulses are configured to maintain a connection with the at least one neighboring device (lines 35-53 of col 20 – to keep the link between PHYs; lines 45-60 of col 10; lines 1-16 of col 12, line 50, col 12 through line 12, col 13).
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.
Claim(s) 15-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over, Ansari et al (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0103327) in view of Mills et al (US Patent 6795450)
For claim 15, Ansari et al teach the following limitations: A device (Fig 1 and Fig 7; the device is the source device 104 in Fig 1), comprising: a processor (Fig 7 includes processor); at least one network interface controller (I/O controller 142 shown in Fig 1) configured to provide access to a network ([0033] – communicate with other devices); and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor (memory is mentioned in [0088]-[0095] coupled to processor; Fig 7), wherein the memory comprises a power-saving logic ([0090]-[0091] – stored code are executed by processing element or controller; Fig 2 – Fig 3 shows the power saving logic) that is configured to: establish a connection link with at least one neighbor device (Fig 1; 102 is the neighbor device; other neighbor devices are intermediate devices [0034]; [0033]-[0034] data sent from 104 to display via 107; 107 is the connection link between 104 and 102); receive state data associated with the at least one neighbor device ([0055] – receive AUX_PHY_WAKE_ACK and knows that all devices exit low power state and ready to receive data over main-Link; AUX_PHY_WAKE_ACK carries the state data of the neighboring devices); determine that it is suitable to enter a lower-power state (step 202 in Fig 2 – “NO” branch; [0039]; if frame not to be transmitted; then 206 causes low power state entry); enter the lower-power state (Step 206 and 208 of Fig 2; [0012] – source, intermediate and sink devices are in low power state; [0034][0039][0048]); exit, in response to an event, the lower-power state (step 212; the event is step 210 in Fig 2); and initiate at least one operation based on the state data ([0055]; source device sends idle symbols or active streams based on received AUX_PHY_WAKE_ACK).
Ansari does not explicitly mention the following limitations:
Transmit a plurality of link pulses to the at least one neighbor device while remaining in the low power state.
Mill teaches the following limitations:
transmit a plurality of link pulses to the at least one neighbor device while remaining in the lower-power state (lines 45-60 of col 10; lines 1-16 of col 12, line 50, col 12 through line 12, col 13 mention that the nodes are entered into sleep mode without causing the link to reset; lines 1-15 of col 13; link suspend pulses are shown in Fig 10; lines 50-53 of col 20).
It would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Ansari and Mills so that the nodes in Ansari can maintain the link while the nodes are in low power mode (as taught in Mills). That way, link does not need to reset and performance would be improved. The link resetting takes longer time. With link maintenance, the faster operation is possible.
For claim 16, Ansari teaches wherein the at least one operation is associated with the at least one neighbor device ([0055]; source device sends idle symbols or active streams based on received AUX_PHY_WAKE_ACK to the sink device 102 and other devices).
For claim 17, Ansari et al teach the following limitations: wherein the at least one operation is configured to mimic an operation performed by the at least one neighbor device (the operation is to forward data to the display by the intermediate devices; thus, the upstream device mimics the operations of the earlier device; Fig 4 and Fig 5 shows the data forwarding from source to sink via the intermediate nodes and mimicking operation of earlier device in the stream).
For claim 18, Ansari teaches wherein the event is receiving one or more link pulses configured to indicate a wakeup signal (any wakeup event includes transmission of the pulses to the receiver devices of sink and intermediate devices [0050]).
For claim 19, Ansari teaches the source device can wait a preset time or wait for the handshaking signal ([0055]). Thus, in such cases, the event can occur although the predetermined handshaking signals not received within preset time. The system can be configured to wait a maximum preset time for the handshaking signal. Ansari does not mention any link pulses; instead, Ansari teaches AUX_PHY_WAKE_ACK as symbol. Mills teaches failure to receive the predetermined link pulses in a predetermined interval (lines 45-55 of col 24; lines 1-25 of col 18; failing to receive pulses within a period to enter no connect state – this requires at least two pulses a defined period).
Claim(s) 11, 14, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mills (US Patent 6795450) in view of Ansari et al (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0103327).
For claim 11, Mills mentions receiving state data receive (lines 5-15 of col 18), but does not explicitly mention from the neighbor device. Ansari teaches the power-saving logic is further configured to: receive state data from the at least one neighboring device ([0055]; source receives AUX_PHY_WAKE_ACK); and re-enter the lower-power state (Fig 2 is a continuous flow; the sink/source can again enter low power state). It would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to receive state data from the other device, since that way the sending device can determine how to control it’s own circuitries based on the receiver’s information. That way power can be better managed.
For claim 14, Mills mentions receiving state data receive (lines 5-15 of col 18), but does not explicitly mention from the neighbor device. Ansari teaches the power-saving logic is further configured to: receive state data from the at least one neighboring device ([0055]; source receives AUX_PHY_WAKE_ACK); and re-enter the lower-power state (Fig 2 is a continuous flow; the sink/source can again enter low power state). It would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to receive state data from the other device, since that way the sending device can determine how to control it’s own circuitries based on the receiver’s information. That way power can be better managed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/FAHMIDA RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2175