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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
1. Claims 10, 12, 16, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 10 recites a “fourth request.” However, Claim 10 (nor Claim 5 or Claim 1) recite a second request or a third request, and the claim is unclear whether the claim requires this second request or this third request.
Claim 12 recites a “fifth request.” However, Claim 10 (nor Claim 5 or Claim 1) recite a second request, a third request, or a fourth request, and the claim is unclear whether the claim requires this second request, this third request, or this fourth request.
Claims 16 and 21 recites “a sixth request,” “a seventh request,” and “an eight request.” However, the claim is unclear as to whether this requires a first request, a second request, a third request, a fourth request, or a fifth request.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
2. Claims 1-5, 7, 10, 12, 14-16, 18, 20-21, 23-24, and 29-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dickinson (US 20160294770 A1).
Claim 1 Dickinson teaches an information processing method, applied to a first network function, comprising:
obtaining network address translation information from a first device or function; (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices)
performing a processing according to the network address translation information; (FIG. 3, step 315, ¶0035, step 330, ¶0036, or step 350, ¶0037, performing a processes according to the information) wherein the network address translation information comprises one or more of the following: a correspondence between a public network address and a private network address; (¶0035, wherein the request includes a correspondence, i.e. a relationship, representative public network addresses for the private network addresses) a public network address; a private network address; a port number of public network address; a port number of private network address.
Claim 2 Dickenson teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the first network function comprises at least one of the following:
network exposure function (NEF); session management function (SMF); user plane function (UPF); policy control function (PCF); network address translation function. (¶0035, NAT-related functionality)
Claim 3 Dickenson teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the first device or function comprises one or more of the following:
network address translation function; (¶0035, NAT-related functionality) network address translation device; network address translation network element; external function; device or function or network element having network address translation information; device or function or network element having network address translation function.
Claim 4 Dickenson teaches Claim 1, and further teaches determining a target first device or function; (¶0035, wherein the request includes the target device)
obtaining the network address translation information from the target first device or function. (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices)
Claim 5 Dickinson teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the obtaining the network address translation information from the first device or function comprises:
obtaining a first request from an application function (AF), wherein the first request comprises the public network address; (¶0035, wherein the obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices comprises the first request from an AF)
determining a target first device or function according to the first request; (¶0035, wherein the request comprises a target first device) and
obtaining a correspondence between the public network address and the private network address, (¶0035, wherein the request includes a correspondence, i.e. a relationship, representative public network addresses for the private network addresses) or
the private network address corresponding to the target public network address, from the target first device or function;
wherein when the correspondence between the public network address and the private network address is obtained from the target first device or function, the performing the processing according to the network address translation information comprises: according to the public network address and the correspondence between the public network address and the private network address, determining the private network address corresponding to the public network address. (¶0035, determining a private network address corresponding to the public network address)
Claim 7 Dickenson teaches Claim 1, and further teaches obtaining a second request from an AF, wherein the second request is configured to request a mapping relationship between the public network address and the private network address; (Examiner notes that this is interpreted as merely a second iteration of the request process; ¶0035, wherein the obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices comprises the first request from an AF)
determining a target first device or function according to the second request; (¶0035, wherein the request comprises a target first device)
obtaining a correspondence between the public network address and the private network address from the target first device or function; (¶0035, wherein the request includes a correspondence, i.e. a relationship, representative public network addresses for the private network addresses)
wherein the determining the target first device or function comprises: determining the target first device or function through a network repository function (NRF); (¶0035, wherein the request comprises a target first device)
wherein the determining the target first device or function through the NRF comprises: sending a third request to the NRF; (Examiner notes that this is interpreted as merely a third iteration of the request process; ¶0035, wherein the obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices comprises the first request from an AF)
receiving information of the target first device or function which is sent by the NRF according to the third request;
wherein the third request comprises information of the private network address and/or information of the public network address; (¶0035, wherein the request includes a correspondence, i.e. a relationship, representative public network addresses for the private network addresses) the information of the private network address comprises: one or more of IPv4 address, IPv6 prefix, the IP domain; (¶0035, wherein the address comprises the IP domain) one or more of IPv4 address and |Pv6 prefix in the information of the public network address.
Claim 10 Dickinson teaches Claim 5, and further teaches calling a service of the target first device or function to obtain the correspondence between the public network address and the private network address from the target first device or function; (¶0035, the request the correspondence, i.e. a relationship, between representative public network addresses for the private network addresses) wherein the calling the service of the target first device or function to obtain the correspondence between the public network address and the private network address from the target first device or function comprises:
sending a fourth request to the target first device or function, wherein the fourth request comprises an ID and/or a type of the first network function; (¶0035, requesting configure network address translation devices comprises the first request from an AF) receiving the correspondence between the public network address and the private network address sent by the target first device or function according to the fourth request. (¶0035, receiving the private addresses corresponding to the public address)
Claim 12 Dickinson teaches Claim 5, and further teaches calling a service of the first device or function to obtain the private network address corresponding to the public network address from the target first device or function; (¶0035, the request the correspondence, i.e. a relationship, between representative public network addresses for the private network addresses) wherein the calling the service of the first device or function to obtain the private network address corresponding to the public network address from the target first device or function comprises:
sending a fifth request to the target first device or function, wherein the fifth request comprises an ID and/or a type of the first network function and the private network address; (¶0035, requesting configure network address translation devices comprises the first request from an AF) receiving the private network address corresponding to the public network address and sent by the target first device or function according to the fifth request. (¶0035, receiving the private addresses corresponding to the public address)
Claim 14 Dickenson teaches Claim 1, and further teaches according to a request of an AF, obtaining the private network address corresponding to the public network address; (¶0035, determining a private network address corresponding to the public network address)
according to a request from a second device or function, obtaining the public network address corresponding to the private network address. (¶0035, determining a public network address corresponding to the private network address)
Claim 15 Dickenson teaches an information processing method, applied to a first device or function, comprising:
sending network address translation information to the first network function, (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, sending a request to configure network address translation devices) wherein the network address translation information comprises one or more of the following: a correspondence between a public network address and a private network address; (¶0035, wherein the request includes a correspondence, i.e. a relationship, representative public network addresses for the private network addresses) a public network address; a private network address; a port number of a public network address; a port number of a private network address.
Claim 16 Dickenson teaches Claim 15, and further teaches
sending a sixth request to a NRF, (Examiner notes that as the claim is unclear, see 112(b) to the how requests are distinguished, examiner interprets them as merely separate iterations of the same type of request; FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices) wherein the sixth request is configured to register with the NRF, wherein the sixth request comprises: information of the private network address and/or information of the public network address; (¶011, wherein the request is to control the registry, i.e. register comprising information of the network address) the information of the private network address comprises one or more of the following: IPv4 address segment, IPv46 prefix segment, IP domain information, (¶0035, wherein the address comprises the IP domain) and port number;
wherein the method further comprises one or more of the following:
sending a seventh request to the NRF, (Examiner notes that as the claim is unclear, see 112(b) to the how requests are distinguished, examiner interprets them as merely separate iterations of the same type of request; FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices) wherein the seventh request is configured to deregister with the NRF; (¶011, wherein the request is to control the registry, i.e. deregister comprising information of the network address)
sending an eighth request to the NRF, wherein the eighth request is configured to perform a registration update with the NRF. (Examiner notes that as the claim is unclear, see 112(b) to the how requests are distinguished, examiner interprets them as merely separate iterations of the same type of request; FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices)
Claim 18 Dickenson teaches Claim 15, and further teaches receiving a request from the first network function and comprising an ID and/or a type of a network device for the first network function; (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to comprising the network device for the network function) wherein the request further comprises one or more of: information of a candidate public network addresses and information of a candidate private network addresses; (¶0035, wherein the request comprises information of the network address)
according to the request, sending the network address translation information to the first network function. (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, sending the translation information)
Claim 20 Dickenson teaches an information processing method, applied to a network repository function (NRF), comprising:
obtaining a request from a first network function; (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices)
according to the request, sending information of a first device or function to the first network function, wherein the first device or function is configured to provide network address translation information or perform a network address translation according to network address translation information; (FIG. 3, step 315, ¶0035, step 330, ¶0036, or step 350, ¶0037, performing a processes according to the information)
the network address translation information comprises one or more of the following: a correspondence between a public network address and a private network address; (¶0035, wherein the request includes a correspondence, i.e. a relationship, representative public network addresses for the private network addresses) a public network address; a private network address; a port number of a public network address; a port number of a private network address.
Claim 21 Dickenson teaches Claim 20, and further teaches receiving a sixth request from the first device or function; (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices)
registering the first device or function according to the sixth request; the sixth request comprises: information of the private network address and/or information of the public network address; (¶011, wherein the request is to control the registry, i.e. register information of the network address)
the information of the private network address information comprises one or more of the following: IPv4 address segment, IPv46 prefix segment, IP domain information, (¶0035, wherein the address comprises the IP domain) port number;
wherein the method further comprises one or more of the following:
receiving a seventh request from the first device or function, and deregistering the first device or function according to the seventh request; (Examiner notes that as the claim is unclear, see 112(b) to the how requests are distinguished, examiner interprets them as merely separate iterations of the same type of request; FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices)
receiving an eighth request of the first device or function, and performing a registration update of the first device or function according to the eighth request. (Examiner notes that as the claim is unclear, see 112(b) to the how requests are distinguished, examiner interprets them as merely separate iterations of the same type of request; FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices)
Claim 23 Dickenson teaches an information processing method, applied to a first network function, comprising:
discovering, through a network repository function (NRF), a first device or function, (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, discovering by obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices) wherein the first device or function is configured to provide network address translation information or to perform a network address translation according to network address translation information; (FIG. 3, step 315, ¶0035, step 330, ¶0036, or step 350, ¶0037, performing a processes according to the information)
the network address translation information comprises one or more of the following: a correspondence between a public network address and a private network address; (¶0035, wherein the request includes a correspondence, i.e. a relationship, representative public network addresses for the private network addresses) a public network address; a private network address; a port number of a public network address; a port number of a private network address.
Claim 24 Dickenson teaches 23, and further teaches wherein the discovering through the NRF the first device or function comprises:
sending a request to the NRF; (FIG. 3, step 305, ¶0035, obtaining a request to configure network address translation devices)
the information of the private network address comprises: one or more of IPv4 address, IPv6 prefix, the IP domain; (¶0035, wherein the address comprises the IP domain) one or more of IPv4 address and IPv6 prefix in the information of the public network address.
Claim 29 is taught by Dickenson as described by Claim 1.
Claim 30 is taught by Dickenson as described by Claim 15.
Claim 31 is taught by Dickenson as described by Claim 20.
Claim 32 is taught by Dickenson as described by Claim 23.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER PALACA CADORNA whose telephone number is (571)270-0584. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00-7:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Follansbee can be reached at (571) 272-3964. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER P CADORNA/Examiner, Art Unit 2444
/JOHN A FOLLANSBEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2444
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