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 § 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)(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.
Claims 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al. WO 2021244487 (Corresponding US 2023/0086478 to Wang et al. is being used for mapping purposes).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
As per claims 21 and 40, Wang et al. teach a device comprising (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification). Wang et al. teach one or more memories storing instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the instructions (see ref. Fis. 1, 6B and 7B para 0226-0229 of the specification), wherein execution of the instructions causes the device to: receive a first packet, wherein the first packet comprises first capability information, the first capability information indicates a processing capability of a first network device, and the processing capability corresponds to an option in a packet header of an internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification); and determine the processing capability of the first network device based on the first capability information (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 and the claims 1-19 of the specification).
As per claim 22, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 21, wherein executing the instructions further causes the device to: send a second packet based on the processing capability of the first network device, wherein the second packet comprises the IPv6 packet (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0007, 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification).
As per claim 23, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 22, wherein executing the instructions further causes the device to: send the second packet to the first network device based on the processing capability of the first network device (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0007, 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification).
As per claim 24, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 23, wherein a packet header of the second packet comprises at least one first option, and the first network device is capable of processing the at least one first option (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0011-0013, 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification).
As per claim 25, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 23, wherein a packet header of the second packet comprises at least one second option, the at least one second option comprises an intersection set of options that a plurality of network devices on a forwarding path of the second packet are capable of processing, and the plurality of network devices comprises the first network device (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
As per claim 26, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 23, wherein a packet header of the second packet comprises a third option and a fourth option, the first network device is capable of processing the third option, the first network device is incapable of processing the fourth option, a second network device on a forwarding path of the second packet is capable of processing the fourth option, and the second network device comprises a different device than the first network device (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
As per claim 27, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 22, wherein executing the instructions further causes the device to: determine based on the processing capability of the first network device, a path for transmission of the second packet (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
As per claim 28 , wang et al. teach the device according to claim 27, wherein: the determined path for transmission of the second packet passes through the first network device, and the first network device is capable of processing all options in a packet header of the second packet; the determined path for transmission of the second packet passes through the first network device, and the first network device is capable of processing at least one option in the packet header of the second packet; or the determined path for transmission of the second packet does not pass through the first network device, and the first network device is incapable of processing at least one option in the packet header of the second packet device (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
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As per claim 29, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 21, wherein executing the instructions further causes the device to send a first capability information collection packet to the first network device, wherein the first packet is generated based on the first capability information collection packet (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
As per claim 30, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 29, wherein executing the instructions further causes the device to send a second capability information collection packet to a third network device; and obtain second capability information, wherein the second capability information indicates a processing capability of the third network device (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
As per claim 31, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 29, wherein the first capability information collection packet passes through the first network device and a third network device, the first packet further comprises capability information of the third network device, and the capability information of the third network device indicates a processing capability of the third network device (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
As per claim 32, wang et al. teach the device according to claim 29, wherein: the first capability information collection packet passes through the first network device and a third network device, and the first capability information indicates an intersection set of the processing capability of the first network device and the processing capability of the third network device (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
As per claim 33, wang et al. teach a network device, comprising: one or more memories storing instructions (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification); and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the instructions (see ref. Fig. 1, 6B and 7B para 0226-0229 of the specification), wherein execution of the instructions causes the network device to: send a first packet, wherein the first packet comprises first capability information (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification); and the first capability information indicates a processing capability of the network device, the processing capability corresponds to an option field in a packet header of an internet protocol version 6 IPv6 packet (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 and claims 1-19 of the specification).
As per claim 34, wang et al. teach the network device according to claim 33, wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to: receive a first capability information collection packet; and generate the first packet based on the first capability information collection packet (see ref. Fig. 2 and 3, elements S201 -S203 para 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification).
As per claim 35, wang et al. teach the network device according to claim 34, wherein the first capability information collection packet comprises an option set, and wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to: generate the first packet based on a processing capability of the network device for each option in the option set, wherein the first capability information indicates the processing capability of the network device for each option in the option set. (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0167-0178, 0189-0196, 0003-0004, 0026-0032, and 0181- 0188 of the specification).
As per claim 36, wang et al. teach the network device according to claim 33, wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to: receive a second packet, wherein the second packet comprises second capability information, wherein the second capability information indicates a processing capability of a second network device, and the processing capability corresponds to an option field in a packet header of an IPv6 packet; and generate the first packet based on the second packet, wherein the first packet further comprises the second capability information, or the first capability information indicates an intersection set of a processing capability of the network device for the option field in the packet header of the IPv6 packet and the processing capability of the second network device for the option field in the packet header of the IPv6 packet (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
As per claim 37, wang et al. teach the network device according to claim 33, wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to: determine the first capability information based on at least one first option that the network device is capable of processing, wherein the first capability information comprises the at least one first option (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0189-0196 of the specification).
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As per claim 38, wang et al. teach the network device according to claim 33, wherein the processing capability comprises one or more of: a type of an option that the network device is capable of processing, a maximum quantity of options that the network device is capable of processing, a first processing operation that the network device is capable of performing on a first target option, a second processing operation that the network device is capable of performing on a packet that comprises a second target option, or a third processing operation that the network device is capable of performing on a packet that does not comprise a third target option (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0167 -0179 of the specification).
As per claim 39, wang et al. teach the network device according to claim 33, wherein the first packet comprises a type length value (TLV) field, and the TLV field comprises the first capability information (see ref. Fig. 4, Table 1, para 0167 -0179 of the specification).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nagarajan et al. US 2008/0159287 Teaches Efficient Performance Monitoring Using IPV6 Capabilities.
WO 2007033542 Teaches A method for Testing The Network Capability and The Device Thereof
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/AYAZ R SHEIKH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2476