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 .
This office action is a response to an application filed on 03/12/2024 in which claims 31-60 are pending. Claims 1-30 were cancelled.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/12/2024 and 09/08/2025 have been considered by the examiner. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claims 34, 39, 49 and 54 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 34, 39, 49 and 54 recite the parameter “no” which can be confused with the word no. The Examiner suggests to change the parameter “no” to no in order to avoid any confusion.
Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 33-35, 37-40, 44-45, 47-50, 52-55 and 59-60 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 § 103
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 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.
Claims 31, 36, 46 and 51 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (US 2019/0190690), hereinafter “Zhong” in view of Papasakellariou (US 2018/0070369).
As to claim 31, Zhong teaches a method (Zhong, [0128], Fig. 15, a method executed by a transmit end device), comprising:
receiving a first service data stream (Zhong, [0129], Fig. 15, step S1501, the transmit end device obtains an original data stream);
generating a first code block stream based on the first service data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15, step S1503, generate a first data stream by inserting a quantity mark k into the original data stream. The quantity mark k is used to identify a quantity of first data units in the original data stream, and k is greater than 0. Fig. 5, [0114], the quantity mark k is inserted in a start code block in the original data stream. Thus, generating a new code block stream with the code block where the quantity mark k was inserted), wherein the first code block stream comprises first clock frequency information (Zhong, [0147], the clock frequency information of the service is transparently transmitted using the code block stream generated using the original data stream and code block with the inserted quantity mark), and wherein k is a positive integer (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15, step S1503, k is greater than 0); and
sending the first code block stream (Zhong, Fig. 5, [0114], data stream with code block 505 and other code blocks, [0133], Fig. 15, step S1505, the transmit end device transmits the first data stream, which is the code block stream generated using the original data stream and code block with the inserted quantity mark).
Zhong teaches the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong does not explicitly teach the following underlined features: regarding claim 31, and wherein the first clock frequency information indicates a transmission duration of k first data frames of the first service data stream, or the first clock frequency information indicates a moment at which the k first data frames of the first service data stream are received.
However, Papasakellariou teaches and wherein the first clock frequency information indicates a transmission duration of k first data frames of the first service data stream (Papasakellariou, [0185] ln 15-22, DCI is transmitted including duration information of time slots supporting corresponding services. Fig. 18, [0190], the gNB configures the UE to operate in a slot structure with symbols of the same transmission duration, such as 1810 and 1820, or symbols with different transmission durations such as 1830 and 1840. The transmission durations are associated with services. See also Fig. 19, [0194]), or the first clock frequency information indicates a moment at which the k first data frames of the first service data stream are received.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong to have the features, as taught by Papasakellariou, in order to provide a system with different slot durations based on service type, where different services require different reliability requirements (Papasakellariou, [0110]).
As to claim 36, Zhong teaches a method (Zhong, [0148], Fig. 23, a method executed by a receive end device), comprising:
obtaining a first code block stream (Zhong, [0149], Fig. 23, step S2301, the receive end device receives a first data stream), wherein the first code block stream comprises first clock frequency information (Zhong, [0147], the clock frequency information of the service is transparently transmitted using the code block stream generated using the original data stream and code block with the inserted quantity mark), and wherein k is a positive integer (Zhong, [0151], Fig. 23, k is greater than 0);
obtaining the k first data frames (Zhong, [0149], Fig. 23, step S2301, the receive end device receives a first data stream) and the first clock frequency information from the first code block stream (Zhong, Fig. 23, step 2303, [0151], “Extract a quantity mark k from the first data stream, and determine a quantity of first data units in the first data stream”. [0152], “the first data unit may be all data units in the original data stream, or may be an idle unit in the original data stream. When the quantity mark k is used to identify a quantity of all data units in the original data stream, k may be an integer greater than 0”. [0153], step S2305, “Recover the original data stream from the first data stream, where a quantity of first data units in the original data stream is equal to k”); and
sending the k first data frames based on the first clock frequency information (Zhong, Fig. 2a, [0108] ln 20-36, the receive end device recovers the original data based on the quantity mark k, [0107], and sends the recovered data to customer device Cb as shown in Fig. 2a).
Zhong teaches the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong does not explicitly teach the following underlined features: regarding claim 36, wherein the first clock frequency information indicates a transmission duration of k first data frames of a first service data stream, or the first clock frequency information indicates a moment at which the k first data frames of the first service data stream are received.
However, Papasakellariou teaches wherein the first clock frequency information indicates a transmission duration of k first data frames of a first service data stream (Papasakellariou, [0185] ln 15-22, DCI is transmitted including duration information of time slots supporting corresponding services. Fig. 18, [0190], the gNB configures the UE to operate in a slot structure with symbols of the same transmission duration, such as 1810 and 1820, or symbols with different transmission durations such as 1830 and 1840. The transmission durations are associated with services. See also Fig. 19, [0194]), or the first clock frequency information indicates a moment at which the k first data frames of the first service data stream are received.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong to have the features, as taught by Papasakellariou, in order to provide a system with different slot durations based on service type, where different services require different reliability requirements (Papasakellariou, [0110]).
As to claim 46, Zhong teaches a communication apparatus (Zhong, [0128], Fig. 15, a transmit end device), comprising
at least one processor (Zhong, Fig. 33, [0185], the device includes a processor); and
at least one memory storing program instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor (Zhong, Fig. 33, [0185], [0187], the device includes a memory that stores program code executed by the processor to perform the functions described), cause the apparatus to:
receive a first service data stream (Zhong, [0129], Fig. 15, step S1501, the transmit end device obtains an original data stream);
generate a first code block stream based on the first service data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15, step S1503, generate a first data stream by inserting a quantity mark k into the original data stream. The quantity mark k is used to identify a quantity of first data units in the original data stream, and k is greater than 0. Fig. 5, [0114], the quantity mark k is inserted in a start code block in the original data stream. Thus, generating a new code block stream with the code block where the quantity mark k was inserted), wherein the first code block stream comprises first clock frequency information (Zhong, [0147], the clock frequency information of the service is transparently transmitted using the code block stream generated using the original data stream and code block with the inserted quantity mark), and wherein k is a positive integer (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15, step S1503, k is greater than 0), and wherein k is a positive integer (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15, step S1503, k is greater than 0); and
send the first code block stream (Zhong, Fig. 5, [0114], data stream with code block 505 and other code blocks, [0133], Fig. 15, step S1505, the transmit end device transmits the first data stream, which is the code block stream generated using the original data stream and code block with the inserted quantity mark).
Zhong teaches the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong does not explicitly teach the following underlined features: regarding claim 46, wherein the first clock frequency information indicates transmission duration of k first data frames of the first service data stream, or the first clock frequency information indicates a moment at which the k first data frames of the first service data stream are received
However, Papasakellariou teaches wherein the first clock frequency information indicates transmission duration of k first data frames of the first service data stream (Papasakellariou, [0185] ln 15-22, DCI is transmitted including duration information of time slots supporting corresponding services. Fig. 18, [0190], the gNB configures the UE to operate in a slot structure with symbols of the same transmission duration, such as 1810 and 1820, or symbols with different transmission durations such as 1830 and 1840. The transmission durations are associated with services. See also Fig. 19, [0194]), or the first clock frequency information indicates a moment at which the k first data frames of the first service data stream are received
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong to have the features, as taught by Papasakellariou, in order to provide a system with different slot durations based on service type, where different services require different reliability requirements (Papasakellariou, [0110]).
As to claim 51, Zhong teaches a communication apparatus (Zhong, [0148], Fig. 23, a receive end device), comprising
at least one processor (Zhong, Fig. 33, [0185], the device includes a processor); and
at least one memory storing program instructions, which, when executed by the processor (Zhong, Fig. 33, [0185], [0187], the device includes a memory that stores program code executed by the processor to perform the functions described), cause the apparatus to:
obtain a first code block stream (Zhong, [0149], Fig. 23, step S2301, the receive end device receives a first data stream), wherein the first code block stream comprises first clock frequency information (Zhong, [0147], the clock frequency information of the service is transparently transmitted using the code block stream generated using the original data stream and code block with the inserted quantity mark), and wherein k is a positive integer (Zhong, [0151], Fig. 23, k is greater than 0);
obtain the k first data frames (Zhong, [0149], Fig. 23, step S2301, the receive end device receives a first data stream) and the first clock frequency information from the first code block stream (Zhong, Fig. 23, step 2303, [0151], “Extract a quantity mark k from the first data stream, and determine a quantity of first data units in the first data stream”. [0152], “the first data unit may be all data units in the original data stream, or may be an idle unit in the original data stream. When the quantity mark k is used to identify a quantity of all data units in the original data stream, k may be an integer greater than 0”. [0153], step S2305, “Recover the original data stream from the first data stream, where a quantity of first data units in the original data stream is equal to k”); and
send the k first data frames based on the first clock frequency information (Zhong, Fig. 2a, [0108] ln 20-36, the receive end device recovers the original data based on the quantity mark k, [0107], and sends the recovered data to customer device Cb as shown in Fig. 2a).
Zhong teaches the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong does not explicitly teach the following underlined features: regarding claim 51, wherein the first clock frequency information indicates transmission duration of k first data frames of a first service data stream, or the first clock frequency information indicates a moment at which the k first data frames of the first service data stream are received
However, Papasakellariou teaches wherein the first clock frequency information indicates transmission duration of k first data frames of a first service data stream (Papasakellariou, [0185] ln 15-22, DCI is transmitted including duration information of time slots supporting corresponding services. Fig. 18, [0190], the gNB configures the UE to operate in a slot structure with symbols of the same transmission duration, such as 1810 and 1820, or symbols with different transmission durations such as 1830 and 1840. The transmission durations are associated with services. See also Fig. 19, [0194]), or the first clock frequency information indicates a moment at which the k first data frames of the first service data stream are received
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong to have the features, as taught by Papasakellariou, in order to provide a system with different slot durations based on service type, where different services require different reliability requirements (Papasakellariou, [0110]).
Claims 41 and 56 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (US 2019/0190690), hereinafter “Zhong” in view of Papasakellariou (US 2018/0070369) and further in view of Lee et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,929,953), hereinafter “Lee”.
Zhong and Papasakellariou teach the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong and Papasakellariou do not explicitly teach the following features: regarding claim 41, wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a moment at which a frame header of a 1st data frame in the k first data frames is received.
As to claim 41, Lee teaches wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a moment at which a frame header of a 1st data frame in the k first data frames is received (Lee, col 4 ln 53-54, “the portion of the frame may include a PHY header of the frame”, Fig. 5, col 9 ln 47-49, “At block 506, a receipt time at which the CSI of the portion of the frame was received from the transmitter 120a at block 302 may be determined”, claim 7, “determining a receipt time at which the header portion of the frame was received from the transmitter”. Fig. 2, col 3 ln 56-66, multiple input packets/frames 220 are received by the receiver).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong and Papasakellariou to have the features, as taught by Lee, in order to avoid locking onto the wrong frames, which may improve the receiver's throughput performance and consume relatively less (Lee, col 2 ln 41-53).
Zhong and Papasakellariou teach the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong and Papasakellariou do not explicitly teach the following features: regarding claim 56, wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a moment at which a frame header of a 1st data frame in the k first data frames is received.
As to claim 56, Lee teaches wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a moment at which a frame header of a 1st data frame in the k first data frames is received (Lee, col 4 ln 53-54, “the portion of the frame may include a PHY header of the frame”, Fig. 5, col 9 ln 47-49, “At block 506, a receipt time at which the CSI of the portion of the frame was received from the transmitter 120a at block 302 may be determined”, claim 7, “determining a receipt time at which the header portion of the frame was received from the transmitter”. Fig. 2, col 3 ln 56-66, multiple input packets/frames 220 are received by the receiver).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong and Papasakellariou to have the features, as taught by Lee, in order to avoid locking onto the wrong frames, which may improve the receiver's throughput performance and consume relatively less (Lee, col 2 ln 41-53).
Claims 42 and 57 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (US 2019/0190690), hereinafter “Zhong” in view of Papasakellariou (US 2018/0070369) and further in view of Schrecke et al. (US 2014/0328205), hereinafter “Schrecke”.
Zhong and Papasakellariou teach the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong and Papasakellariou do not explicitly teach the following features: regarding claim 42, wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a moment at which a frame trailer of a kth first data frame in the k first data frames is received.
As to claim 42, Schrecke teaches wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a moment at which a frame trailer of a kth first data frame in the k first data frames is received (Schrecke, Fig. 4, [0038], “the receiving node records the time when last bit of the last packet in the back-to-back sequence was received at the receiving node”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong and Papasakellariou to have the features, as taught by Schrecke, in order to provide an effective solution to gathering the needed characteristics and utilize indirect methods to infer network quality and capability (Schrecke, [0010]).
Zhong and Papasakellariou teach the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong and Papasakellariou do not explicitly teach the following features: regarding claim 57, wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a moment at which a frame trailer of a kth first data frame in the k first data frames is received.
As to claim 57, Schrecke teaches wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a moment at which a frame trailer of a kth first data frame in the k first data frames is received (Schrecke, Fig. 4, [0038], “the receiving node records the time when last bit of the last packet in the back-to-back sequence was received at the receiving node”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong and Papasakellariou to have the features, as taught by Schrecke, in order to provide an effective solution to gathering the needed characteristics and utilize indirect methods to infer network quality and capability (Schrecke, [0010]).
Claims 43 and 58 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (US 2019/0190690), hereinafter “Zhong” in view of Papasakellariou (US 2018/0070369) and further in view of Leydier et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6,343,364), hereinafter “Leydier”.
Zhong and Papasakellariou teach the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong and Papasakellariou do not explicitly teach the following features: regarding claim 43, wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a first count value, wherein the first count value is a quantity of periods of a clock frequency of a local clock signal of a first communication apparatus in a duration in which the first communication apparatus receives the k first data frames.
As to claim 43, Leydier teaches wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a first count value (Leydier, col 4 ln 6-9, “counting a number of cycles R”), wherein the first count value is a quantity of periods of a clock frequency (Leydier, col 4 ln 6-9, “counting a number of cycles R of a free-running high frequency clock signal contained within a known number of bit periods S of the received downstream bit-serial signal”) of a local clock signal (Leydier, abstract, “a free-running high frequency clock signal (164)”, Fig. 13, col 11 ln 1-3, the signal CLKOSC 164 generated at the clock signal generator in the UCR 33) of a first communication apparatus (Leydier, Fig. 3, the USB clock recovery (UCR) 33 in the Integrated Circuit Module (ICM)) in a duration in which the first communication apparatus receives the k first data frames (Leydier, col 4 ln 6-9, “counting a number of cycles R of a free-running high frequency clock signal contained within a known number of bit periods S of the received downstream bit-serial signal”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong and Papasakellariou to have the features, as taught by Leydier, in order to provide a novel method and device for generating an internal clock signal that is synchronized by an externally applied signal (Leydier, col 1 ln 18-21).
Zhong and Papasakellariou teach the claimed limitations as stated above. As discussed above, Zhong discloses that the clock frequency information includes the quantity of first data units in the original data stream (Zhong, [0131], Fig. 15). Zhong and Papasakellariou do not explicitly teach the following features: regarding claim 58, wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a first count value, wherein the first count value is a quantity of periods of a clock frequency of a local clock signal of a first communication apparatus in a duration in which the first communication apparatus receives the k first data frames.
As to claim 58, Leydier teaches wherein the first clock frequency information comprises:
a first count value (Leydier, col 4 ln 6-9, “counting a number of cycles R”), wherein the first count value is a quantity of periods of a clock frequency (Leydier, col 4 ln 6-9, “counting a number of cycles R of a free-running high frequency clock signal contained within a known number of bit periods S of the received downstream bit-serial signal”) of a local clock signal (Leydier, abstract, “a free-running high frequency clock signal (164)”, Fig. 13, col 11 ln 1-3, the signal CLKOSC 164 generated at the clock signal generator in the UCR 33) of a first communication apparatus (Leydier, Fig. 3, the USB clock recovery (UCR) 33 in the Integrated Circuit Module (ICM)) in a duration in which the first communication apparatus receives the k first data frames (Leydier, col 4 ln 6-9, “counting a number of cycles R of a free-running high frequency clock signal contained within a known number of bit periods S of the received downstream bit-serial signal”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Zhong and Papasakellariou to have the features, as taught by Leydier, in order to provide a novel method and device for generating an internal clock signal that is synchronized by an externally applied signal (Leydier, col 1 ln 18-21).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICARDO H CASTANEYRA whose telephone number is (571)272-2486. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am - 5:30pm.
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/RICARDO H CASTANEYRA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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