DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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 § 103
2. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
3. 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.
4. The factual inquiries 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.
5. 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.
6. Claims 1, 13 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haga et al. (US 2020/0351123 A1, hereinafter “Haga”) in view of Suzuki et al. (US 2016/0344691 A1, hereinafter “Suzuki”).
Regarding claims, 1, 13 and 17, Haga teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that, when executed by a processor of a frame translation device (gateway 100 of fig. 1. Fig. 6. ¶ [0043]. ¶ [0117]) disposed between a first network (CAN buses 30a and 30b of fig 1. ¶ [0048], The buses 30a and 30b are communication paths for the first network) based on a first protocol (¶ [0051] The C-ECUs 500a to 500d communicate frames in accordance with the CAN protocol) and a second network (Ethernet of fig. 1. ¶ [0048], the Ethernet (registered trademark) cables 20a to 20d are communication paths for the second network) based on a second protocol (¶ [0053], The E-ECUs 200a to 200c transmit or receive Ethernet (registered trademark) frames (E frames) in accordance with the Ethernet (registered trademark) protocol) causes the frame translation device to perform a processing, the processing comprising: causing at least one buffer to hold sorted frames and, when a number of held frames reaches M, to collectively output the M frames (¶ [0076], When a CAN-ID of a CAN frame received from a CAN bus is a particular ID, the transfer control unit 140 causes the frame construction section 142 to construct an E frame including CAN frame information (data and the like) regarding the CAN frame having the particular ID and the transmission section 122 to immediately transmit the E frame to the second network even if the certain condition relating to the number of CAN frames received is not satisfied. In other words, when one frame is received (i.e., the value of M is one), the frame is immediately transmitted ); causing a buffer to hold sorted frames and, when a number of held frames reaches N, to collectively output the N frames (¶ [0075], the transfer control unit 140 causes the frame construction section 142 to construct an E frame and the transmission section 122 to transmit the E frame when a certain condition relating to the number of CAN frames received by a reception section (the reception section 111a or the reception section 111b) has been satisfied for CAN frames whose destinations are the same. The certain condition relating to the number of CAN frames received is that, for example, N CAN frames whose destinations are the same be received (e.g., a CAN frame whose CAN frame information is to be included in an E frame for a destination be received N times after a previous E frame for the destination is transmitted)); causing a sort portion to sort frames in the buffer ( ¶ [0058]. Fig. 8, ¶ [0071], ¶ [0079], ¶ [0092], the transfer control unit 140 stores the CAN frame information including the CAN-ID, size, and data of the CAN frame in the buffer (the storage medium included in the gateway 100) while associating the CAN frame information with the destination (MAC address) selected on the basis of the transfer rule information (step S14)); a translation portion to add one header, which is based on the second protocol and includes a destination associated with buffer in the correspondence relationship, to all of the M frames outputted from the buffer, thereby forming a frame based on the second protocol (Ethernet frame of fig. 4, S11 of fig. 11, ¶ [0059]. ¶ [0060], ¶ [0077], sources, CAN-IDs having priority in transfer, destination network types, and destination identification information are associated with one another. If the transfer control unit 140 receives a CAN frame whose CAN-ID is 0x100 from the first CAN bus, therefore, the transfer control unit 140 causes the transmission section 122 to immediately transmit an E frame including CAN frame information, which is data and the like regarding the CAN frame, in a payload. ¶ [0078], ¶ [0079]. ¶ [0091]) and output the frame based on the second protocol to the second network; and adding one header, which is based on the second protocol and includes a destination associated with the buffer in the correspondence relationship, to all of the N frames outputted from the buffer (fig. 7, ¶ [0072], ¶ [0075]. ¶ [0079], ¶ [0083], the transmission section 122 transmits an E frame including CAN frame information regarding a plurality of CAN frames for which the same destination has been selected by the determination section 141 to the destination if the certain condition relating to the number of CAN frames received, whose CAN frame information is included in the E frame, is satisfied. Even while the certain condition is not satisfied, the transmission section 122 transmits, if a CAN frame having a particular ID is received, an E frame including CAN frame information regarding the CAN frame. When the transmission section 122 transmits an E frame including CAN frame information regarding a CAN frame having a particular ID, the transmission section 122 transmits the E frame while including, in the E frame, CAN frame information regarding a CAN frame that does not have a particular ID and that has been determined by the determination section 141 to be transmitted to the second network but has not yet been transmitted or transmits the E frame while including the CAN frame information in another E frame. Figs. 10, 11), thereby forming a frame based on the second protocol (Ethernet frame of fig. 4) and outputting the frame based on the second protocol to the second network, wherein a value of the M and a value of the N are each an integer of 1 or more (fig. 7-9, ¶ [0067], ¶ [0075], ¶ [0077]), and wherein at least one of the value of the M and the value of the N is an integer of 2 or more ( fig. 7, ¶ [0072], a plurality of sequentially received CAN frames are to be transmitted to the second network, the frame construction section 142 connects data (CAN frame information) regarding a plurality of (e.g., a predetermined number, namely N) CAN frames whose destinations selected by the determination section 141 are the same (e.g., the destinations are a MAC address of the same E-ECU) and turns on a CAN flag to construct an E frame).
Haga does not explicitly teach a first buffer and a second buffer; based on a correspondence relationship between first and second destinations of the frame based on the first protocol and the first and second buffers, sorting frames based on the first protocol into the first buffer and the second buffer; wherein in the correspondence relationship, the first destination is associated with the first buffer, the second destination is associated with the second buffer; wherein the processing further includes: measuring a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the second protocol in the second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the second protocol in the second network; and adjusting the value of the M based on the first transmission quantity and adjusting the value of the N based on the second transmission quantity.
Suzuki teaches sorting frames into a first buffer and a second buffer based on a correspondence relationship between first and second destinations of the frame and the first and second buffers (figs. 2, 4, 5, 8. ¶ [0107], the packet integration queue 121 receives packets from the first packet output node 110 and accumulates the received packets in the internal queues 121-1 each corresponding to packet output nodes that are the destinations of the received packets. ¶ [0088], ¶ [0089]);wherein in the correspondence relationship, the first destination is associated with the first buffer the second destination is associated with the second buffer (figs. 2, 4, 5, ¶ [0088], the packet integration queue 121 holds as many internal queues 121-1 as the number of destination nodes to sort and accumulate packets, which the first packet output node 110 has output. ¶ [0089], the internal queues 121-1 corresponding to respective destination nodes), and wherein the processing further includes: measuring a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the destination/second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the destination/second network (figs. 2-5, ¶ [0092], the packet extraction in a round-robin fashion, the packet extraction unit 122 searches the internal queues 121-1 in order with respect to each destination that the packet integration queue 121 holds. When packets addressed to an identical destination have been accumulated in a searched internal queue 121-1, the packet extraction unit 122 extracts all the accumulated packets and hands all the extracted packets to the packet encapsulation unit 124. ¶ [0096], ¶ [0117]); and adjusting the value of the M based on the first transmission quantity and adjusting the value of the N based on the second transmission quantity (figs. 2-5, ¶ [0092], However, when a size obtainable by totaling the sizes of respective packets accumulated in a searched internal queue 121-1 surpasses an upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet, which is defined for the network 400, all the packets accumulated in the searched internal queue 121-1, even if they were extracted and encapsulated, could not be transmitted to the network 400. Thus, in such a case, only packets in such a number that the total value of the sizes of the packets to be extracted does not surpass the upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet defined for the network 400 are extracted from the internal queue 121-1 in the packet integration queue 121. The “upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet defined for the network 400”. ¶ [0065], ¶ [0066], the number of packets to be integrated can be set automatically ).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to associate the first destination with the first buffer and associate the second destination with the second buffer, to sort frames into a first buffer and a second buffer based on a correspondence relationship between first and second destinations of the frame based on the first protocol and the first and second buffers, and to measure a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the second protocol in the second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the second protocol in the second network; and to adjust the value of the M based on the first transmission quantity and adjusting the value of the N based on the second transmission quantity in the system of Haga to comply with maximum packet length for the second network and to reduce an overhead on a network bandwidth caused by encapsulation headers (¶ [0065] and ¶ [0066] of Suzuki).
7. Claims 3, 4, 7, 8, 15, 16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haga in view of Suzuki as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sasaki et al. (US 2019/0082016 A1, hereinafter “Sasaki”).
Regarding claims 3, 15 and 19, Haga in view of Suzuki teaches non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the processing further includes: transmitting the M frames based on a priority and transmitting N frames based on a priority (Haga: figs. 9-11, ¶ [0077], If the transfer control unit 140 receives a CAN frame whose CAN-ID is 0x100 from the first CAN bus, therefore, the transfer control unit 140 causes the transmission section 122 to immediately transmit an E frame including CAN frame information, which is data and the like regarding the CAN frame, in a payload.¶ [0078], ¶ [0089], ¶ [0090], ¶ [0092] If determining in step S10 that the CAN-ID of the CAN frame does not have priority in transfer, the transfer control unit 140 stores the CAN frame information including the CAN-ID, size, and data of the CAN frame in the buffer (the storage medium included in the gateway 100) while associating the CAN frame information with the destination (MAC address) selected on the basis of the transfer rule information ).
Haga does not explicitly teach wherein the processing further includes: adjusting the value of the M based on a priority of the first destination; and adjusting the value of the N based on a priority of the second destination.
Sasaki teaches wherein the processing further includes: adjusting the priority of the first destination/buffer; and adjusting the priority of the second destination/buffer (¶ [0163], if the vehicle traveling state (traveling state of the vehicle 9) is a traveling state, the degree of priority of the control system data reception buffer and control system data transmission buffer is raised, and if the vehicle traveling state is a stopped state, the degree of priority of the information system data reception buffer and information system data transmission buffer is raised conversely. That is to say, the priority transmission buffer is the transmission buffer 240a (control system data transmission buffer) while the vehicle 9 is traveling, and is the transmission buffer 240b (information system data transmission buffer) when the vehicle 9 is stopped, for example. ¶ [0170], ¶ [0082]).
Haga further teaches the transfer control unit immediately (i.e., the value of M can be one) transmits a higher priority frame (¶ [0090], ¶ [0091], ¶ [0077] ). The transfer control unit stores the non-priority frames in a buffer. The transfer control unit transmits the non-priority frames when the certain condition relating to the number of non-priority is satisfied (¶ [0092]-¶ [0094] )
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to adjust the degree of priority of the buffers (e.g., when the vehicle is traveling, raise the priority of control system buffer (i.e., transmit the high priority frames immediately (i.e., value of M is one) and transmit the non-priority frames when the certain condition relating to the number of non-priority frame is satisfied (i.e. value of N is more than one) and raise the priority of the information system buffer (i.e., transmit the high priority frames immediately (i.e., value of N is one) and transmit the non-priority frames when the certain condition relating to the number of non-priority frame is satisfied (i.e. value of M is more than one)) when the vehicle stopped) in the system of Haga in view of Suzuki to further improve industrial applicability (¶ [0170] of Sasaki).
Regarding claims 4, 16 and 20, Haga in view of Suzuki teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the processing further includes: transmitting the M frames based on a priority and transmitting N frames based on a priority (Haga: figs. 9-11, ¶ [0077], If the transfer control unit 140 receives a CAN frame whose CAN-ID is 0x100 from the first CAN bus, therefore, the transfer control unit 140 causes the transmission section 122 to immediately transmit an E frame including CAN frame information, which is data and the like regarding the CAN frame, in a payload.¶ [0078], ¶ [0089], ¶ [0090], ¶ [0092] If determining in step S10 that the CAN-ID of the CAN frame does not have priority in transfer, the transfer control unit 140 stores the CAN frame information including the CAN-ID, size, and data of the CAN frame in the buffer (the storage medium included in the gateway 100) while associating the CAN frame information with the destination (MAC address) selected on the basis of the transfer rule information ).
Haga does not explicitly teach wherein the processing further includes adjusting the value of the M and the value of the N based on a priority of the first destination and a priority of the second destination.
Sasaki teaches wherein the processing further includes: adjusting the priority of the first destination/buffer; and adjusting the priority of the second destination/buffer (¶ [0163], if the vehicle traveling state (traveling state of the vehicle 9) is a traveling state, the degree of priority of the control system data reception buffer and control system data transmission buffer is raised, and if the vehicle traveling state is a stopped state, the degree of priority of the information system data reception buffer and information system data transmission buffer is raised conversely. That is to say, the priority transmission buffer is the transmission buffer 240a (control system data transmission buffer) while the vehicle 9 is traveling, and is the transmission buffer 240b (information system data transmission buffer) when the vehicle 9 is stopped, for example. ¶ [0170], ¶ [0082]).
Haga further teaches the transfer control unit immediately (i.e., the value of M can be one) transmits a higher priority frame (¶ [0090], ¶ [0091], ¶ [0077]). The transfer control unit stores the non-priority frames in a buffer. The transfer control unit transmits the non-priority frames when the certain condition relating to the number of non-priority is satisfied (¶ [0092]-¶ [0094] )
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to adjust the degree of priority of the buffers (e.g., when the vehicle is traveling, raise the priority of control system buffer (i.e., to transmit the high priority frames immediately (i.e., value of M is one) and transmit the non-priority frames when the certain condition relating to the number of non-priority frame is satisfied (i.e. value of N is more than one) and raise the priority of the information system buffer (i.e., to transmit the high priority frames immediately (i.e., value of N is one) and transmit the non-priority frames when the certain condition relating to the number of non-priority frame is satisfied (i.e. value of M is more than one)) when the vehicle stopped) in the system of Haga in view of Suzuki to further improve industrial applicability (¶ [0170] of Sasaki).
Regarding claim 7, Haga in view of Suzuki and Sasaki teaches the program according to claim 3, wherein adjusting the value of the M includes adjusting a priority of the first destination, and wherein adjusting the value of the N includes adjusting a priority of the second destination, as set forth above.
Haga does not explicitly teach wherein the processing further includes measuring a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the second protocol in the second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the second protocol in the second network, wherein adjusting the value of the M includes adjusting a priority of the first destination based on the first transmission quantity, and wherein adjusting the value of the N includes adjusting a priority of the second destination based on the second transmission quantity.
Suzuki teaches wherein the processing further includes: measuring a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the destination/second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the destination/second network (figs. 2-5, ¶ [0092], the packet extraction in a round-robin fashion, the packet extraction unit 122 searches the internal queues 121-1 in order with respect to each destination that the packet integration queue 121 holds. When packets addressed to an identical destination have been accumulated in a searched internal queue 121-1, the packet extraction unit 122 extracts all the accumulated packets and hands all the extracted packets to the packet encapsulation unit 124. ¶ [0096], ¶ [0117]); and adjusting the value of the M based on the first transmission quantity and adjusting the value of the N based on the second transmission quantity (figs. 2-5, ¶ [0092], However, when a size obtainable by totaling the sizes of respective packets accumulated in a searched internal queue 121-1 surpasses an upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet, which is defined for the network 400, all the packets accumulated in the searched internal queue 121-1, even if they were extracted and encapsulated, could not be transmitted to the network 400. Thus, in such a case, only packets in such a number that the total value of the sizes of the packets to be extracted does not surpass the upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet defined for the network 400 are extracted from the internal queue 121-1 in the packet integration queue 121. The “upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet defined for the network 400”. ¶ [0065], ¶ [0066], the number of packets to be integrated can be set automatically ).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to measure a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the second protocol in the second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the second protocol in the second network, and to adjust the value of the M by adjusting a priority of the first destination based on the first transmission quantity, and adjust the value of the N by adjusting a priority of the second destination based on the second transmission quantity in the system of Haga in view of Suzuki and Sasaki to comply with maximum packet length for the second network and to reduce an overhead on a network bandwidth caused by encapsulation headers (¶ [0065] and ¶ [0066] of Suzuki).
Regarding claim 8, Haga in view of Suzuki and Sasaki teaches the program according to claim 4, wherein the processing further includes adjusting the value of the M and the value of the N includes adjusting the priority of the first destination and the priority of the second destination, as set forth above.
Haga does not explicitly teach wherein the processing further includes measuring a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the second protocol in the second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the second protocol in the second network, and wherein adjusting the value of the M and the value of the N includes adjusting the priority of the first destination and the priority of the second destination based on the first transmission quantity and the second transmission quantity.
Suzuki teaches wherein the processing further includes: measuring a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the destination/second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the destination/second network (figs. 2-5, ¶ [0092], the packet extraction in a round-robin fashion, the packet extraction unit 122 searches the internal queues 121-1 in order with respect to each destination that the packet integration queue 121 holds. When packets addressed to an identical destination have been accumulated in a searched internal queue 121-1, the packet extraction unit 122 extracts all the accumulated packets and hands all the extracted packets to the packet encapsulation unit 124. ¶ [0096], ¶ [0117]); and wherein adjusting the value of the M and the value of the N includes adjusting the priority of the first destination and the priority of the second destination based on the first transmission quantity and the second transmission quantity (figs. 2-5, ¶ [0092], However, when a size obtainable by totaling the sizes of respective packets accumulated in a searched internal queue 121-1 surpasses an upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet, which is defined for the network 400, all the packets accumulated in the searched internal queue 121-1, even if they were extracted and encapsulated, could not be transmitted to the network 400. Thus, in such a case, only packets in such a number that the total value of the sizes of the packets to be extracted does not surpass the upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet defined for the network 400 are extracted from the internal queue 121-1 in the packet integration queue 121. The “upper limit of the size of the data portion in a packet defined for the network 400”. ¶ [0065], ¶ [0066], the number of packets to be integrated can be set automatically ).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to measure a first transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the second protocol in the second network and a second transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the second protocol in the second network, and to adjusting the value of the M and the value of the N by adjusting the priority of the first destination and the priority of the second destination based on the first transmission quantity and the second transmission quantity in the system of Haga in view of Suzuki and Sasaki to comply with maximum packet length for the second network and to reduce an overhead on a network bandwidth caused by encapsulation headers (¶ [0065] and ¶ [0066] of Suzuki).
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claims 21-23 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.
9. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 21-23, prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest “measuring a third transmission quantity relating to the frame of the first destination based on the first protocol in the first network and a fourth transmission quantity relating to the frame of the second destination based on the first protocol in the first network; controlling a timing for adjusting the value of the M by predicting a situation in which frames are accumulated in the first buffer based on the third transmission quantity; and controlling a timing for adjusting the value of the N by predicting a situation in which frames are accumulated in the second buffer based on the fourth transmission quantity” in combination with the limitations specified in the base claim.
Response to Arguments
10. Applicant’s arguments filed on March 9, 2026 have been considered but are moot in view of new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANDISH RANDHAWA whose telephone number is (571)270-5650. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday (9 AM-7 PM).
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/MANDISH K RANDHAWA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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