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 Objections
Claims 17 and 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 17, in line 4, replace “the time synchronization device” with --a time synchronization device--.
Regarding claim 18, in lines 1-2, replace “according to claim 16” with --according to claim 17--since claim 17 recites non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Qiao, Lizhong (EP 3,226,504 A1).
Regarding claims 13 and 17, Qiao discloses a time synchronization device (Fig. 12, device C), comprising:
a memory, wherein the memory comprises computer-readable instructions (Fig. 16, memory 1603 storing executable instructions); and
a processor connected to the memory (Fig. 16, processor 1602), wherein when the computer-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the time synchronization device is caused to:
send time offset information of the time synchronization device to a first network device (Fig. 5, S503, the second BC of the boundary device of third party network side sends a delay response packet to the first BC device. Herein, the boundary device of third party network side is device C and the first BC device is device A, illustrated in Fig. 12. Device A corresponds to the first network device, as claimed) wherein the time synchronization device is a device on a synchronization path (Fig. 12, device C is a device in a synchronization path between device A, device C, device D and device B), the time offset information is information about a time offset between the time synchronization device and an upstream time device (Fig. 5, S503, delay response packet is time offset between device C and device A. Herein, device A is the upstream time device), and the time offset information is used by the first network device to calculate a time offset of the synchronization path (Fig. 7, boundary device of upstream network determines time synchronization offset and sends to a boundary device of a downstream network side. Herein, boundary device of upstream network is the first network device).
Regarding claims 14 and 18, Qiao discloses that wherein the time offset information of the time synchronization device comprises a time offset, the time offset is an offset between time of the time synchronization device and time of the upstream time device (Fig. 5, S503, delay response packet is time offset between device C and device A. Herein, device A is the upstream time device), and the time offset is used by the first network device to calculate the time offset of the synchronization path (Fig. 7, boundary device of upstream network determines time synchronization offset and sends to a boundary device of a downstream network side. Herein, boundary device of upstream network is the first network device).
Regarding claims 15 and 19, Qiao discloses that wherein the time offset information of the time synchronization device further comprises a timestamp, and the timestamp is used by the first network device to calculate the time offset of the synchronization path (Fig. 3, delay response packet includes timestamp information).
Regarding claims 16 and 20, Qiao discloses that the time synchronization device is further caused to: receive a request sent by the first network device, wherein the request is used to request the time offset information of the time synchronization device (Fig. 3, peer delay request packet is received).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not teach or fairly suggest obtain synchronization path information, wherein the synchronization path information is information about a synchronization path between a first time synchronization device and a time source; obtain time offset information of a plurality of time synchronization devices, wherein the time offset information of each of the plurality of time synchronization devices is information about a time offset between the time synchronization device and an upstream time device, and the plurality of time synchronization devices are time synchronization devices on the synchronization path; and calculate an offset between time of the first time synchronization device and time of the time source based on the synchronization path information and the time offset information of the plurality of time synchronization devices, as specified in independent claim 1.
Conclusion
Arai et al (US 2022/0060310 A1), same field of endeavor, discloses time synchronization path (Figs. 4-14).
Aweya (US 2016/0170439 A1), same field of endeavor, discloses time synchronization using P2P transparent clocks (Figs. 1-4).
Hirota (US 2013/0077509 A1), same field of endeavor, discloses relay time synchronization message (Figs. 4-5, 10-11, and 13).
Zinner (US Patent No. 12,119,925 B2), same field of endeavor, discloses optimizing time synchronization between devices (Figs. 1-7).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH VU H LY whose telephone number is (571)272-3175. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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ANH VU H. LY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2472
/ANH VU H LY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472