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 . The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions. 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 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.
Response to Remarks/Arguments
This communication is considered fully responsive to the Amendment filed on 12 January 2026.
The 35 USC § 102 rejection(s) to claim(s) 1-20 is/are withdrawn since the claim(s) has/have been amended accordingly.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 12 January 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 under 35 USC § 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of CORBEL.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication US 20220377043 A1 to Yang et al. (“Yang”) in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication US 20100080240 A1 to CORBEL (“CORBEL”).
As to claim 1, Yang disclose(s) a network device for a user plane device, the network device comprising:
at least one processor;
one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to:
generate address translation information of a terminal, wherein the address translation information comprises a private address of the terminal, a public address, and a port range; (Yang; provision NAT address and port; [0077]; allocate NAP IP Address and port[0107])
and translate an address of a service packet based on the address translation information, wherein the service packet is a packet from the terminal or a packet to be sent to the terminal; (Yang; receiving packet, replace the address with NAT address and/or port; [0077])
wherein the UP device is in a virtual broadband gateway system in which a UP and a control plane are separated. (Yang; Fig. 7; CP and UP separated, service VPN; [0105]
But does not expressly disclose the private address used by the terminal in an access network, a public address used by the terminal in a backbone network.
CORBEL discloses the private address used by the terminal in an access network, a public address used by the terminal in a backbone network, and wherein the UP device is configured to connect the access network and the backbone network. (CORBEL; Fig. 1; [0054]; address translation between access network and backbone network; the FAI connects an access network and a backbone network )
At the time of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to combine the access network and backbone translation of CORBEL and the Network Address Translation of Yang. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings as both are concerned with address translation. Using network translation between a backbone and access network was well known to those of skill in the art at the time of invention. Private and public network address can be accommodated via address translation when packets traverse one network to another.
Accordingly, the prior art references teach all of the claimed elements.
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to combine the teachings as all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art.
As to claim 2, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 1, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
send the address translation information of the terminal to a CP device in the vBNG system. (Yang; PGW-C is in the CP; [0107];[0122])
As to claim 3, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 2, wherein the address translation information of the terminal is sent to the CP device via a session establishment response. (Yang; Fig. 8A session establishment request)
As to claim 4, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 1, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
receive a public address pool from a CP device in the vBNG system, wherein the public address pool comprises the public address of the address translation information of the terminal. (Yang; IP pool [0107]; [0128]; fig. 12 )
As to claim 5, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 4, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
apply for the public address pool with the CP device in the vBNG system. (Yang ; the SMF/PGW-C device handles the pool of addresses; [0126]; [0127])
As to claim 6, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 4, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
select the public address and a plurality of ports corresponding to the public address, to obtain the address translation information of the terminal. (Yang ; select addresses from the pool; [0141])
As to claim 7, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 1, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
receive the private address Yang; NAT address is private [0003];[0054] )
As to claim 8, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 7, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
receive an access request from the terminal; (Yang; Fig. 8A; create session request; )
and send the access request to the CP device; (Yang; Fig. 8A; create session request sent to PGW_C; )
wherein the private address is allocated by the CP device based on the access request. (Yang; Fig. 5; NAT IP address is based on PCC rule; [0073])
As to claim 9, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 1, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to translate the address of the service packet comprises:
the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to translate the address of the service packet into the public address and a port within the port range, wherein the address of the service packet is the private address Yang; receiving packet, replace the address with NAT address and/or port and vice versa depending on whether inbound our outbound; [0077])
As to claim 10, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) a network device for a control plane device, the network device comprising:
at least one processor;
one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to:
receive address translation information of a terminal from a user plane device, wherein the address translation information comprises a private address used by the terminal in an access network, a public address used by the terminal in a backbone network, and a port range;
wherein the CP device and the UP device are in a virtual broadband gateway system in which a UP and a CP are separated, and the UP device is configured to connect the access network and the backbone network.
See similar rejection to claim 1.
As to claim 11, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 10, wherein the address translation information of the terminal is sent to the CP device via a session establishment response.
See similar rejection to claim 3.
As to claim 12, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 10, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
send a public address pool to the UP device, wherein the public address pool comprises the public address of the address translation information of the terminal.
See similar rejection to claim 4.
As to claim 13, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 12, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
receive an application for the public address pool from the UP device.
See similar rejection to claim 5.
As to claim 14, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 10, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
allocate the private address to the terminal;
and send the private address
See similar rejection to claim 7.
As to claim 15, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the network device according to claim 14, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to:
receive an access request from the UP device;
the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to allocate the private address to the terminal comprises:
the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to allocate the private address to the terminal based on the access request.
See similar rejection to claim 8.
As to claim 16, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) a virtual broadband gateway system, in which a user plane and a control plane are separated, the vBNG system comprising:
a UP device comprising at least one first processor, and one or more first memories coupled to the at least one first processor and storing first programming instructions, which when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the UP device to:
generate address translation information of a terminal, wherein the address translation information comprises a private address used by the terminal in an access network, a public address used by the terminal in a backbone network, and a port range;
and translate an address of a service packet based on the address translation information, wherein the service packet is a packet from the terminal or a packet to be sent to the terminal; and connect the access network and the backbone network;
and a CP device comprising at least one second processor, and one or more second memories coupled to the at least one second processor and storing second programming instructions, which when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the CP device to:
receive the address translation information of the terminal from the UP device.
See similar rejection to claim 1 and 2.
As to claim 17, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the vBNG system according to claim 16, wherein the first programming instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the UP device to:
receive a public address pool from the CP device, wherein the public address pool comprises the public address of the address translation information of the terminal.
See similar rejection to claim 4.
As to claim 18, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the vBNG system according to claim 17, wherein the first programming instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the UP device to:
apply for the public address pool with the CP device.
See similar rejection to claim 5.
As to claim 19, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the vBNG system according to claim 16, wherein the first programming instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the UP device to:
receive the private address
See similar rejection to claim 7.
As to claim 20, Yang-CORBEL disclose(s) the vBNG system according to claim 16, wherein the first programming instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the UP device to translate the address of the service packet comprises:
the first programming instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the UP device to translate the address of the service packet into the public address and a port within the port range, wherein the address of the service packet is the private address
See similar rejection to claim 9.
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 extension fee 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to s whose telephone number is (571)270-5606. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oscar Louie can be reached on (571) 270-1684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/BRYAN Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2445