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 .
Claims 1-20 have been presented for examination and are rejected.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55 and of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy was filed on 09/10/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 09/06/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 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 1-2, 5, 10-11, 13 and 16-20 are rejected Under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Wang (US 20200296025 hereinafter Wang).
With respect to claims 1, 10 and 20, Wang teaches a first network device for sending traffic, comprising:
at least one processor;
a memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first network device to:
receive a route advertisement packet from a second network device(Wang, see paragraph [0107] routing information may be exchanged between a P device and another device in a manner of advertising a route by using a public network. Therefore, the first P device receives a route sent by another device, and the route includes an address of a corresponding device),
wherein the route advertisement packet comprises a common field and a variable field, the common field carries a common part of N segment routing over internet protocol version 6 (SRv6) segment identifiers (SIDs), the variable field carries a variable part of a first SRv6 SID in the N SRv6 SIDs, the N SRv6 SIDs correspond to a first prefix, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2 (Wang, see paragraphs [0007, 0020] The first PE device is configured with a first IP version 6 segment routing (SRv6) VPN segment identifier (SID), and the first SRv6 VPN SID is used to identify the VPN to which the second CE device belongs or an outgoing interface through which the first PE is connected to the second CE device. …The first SRv6 VPN SID is the same as the second SRv6 VPN SID. ….N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Paragraph [0159] further discloses the NLRI field may include, a TLV field (a variable length)…);
obtain the N SRv6 SIDs based on the common part and the variable part of the first SRv6 SID(Wang, see paragraph [0017] The N egress PE devices include a first PE device and a second PE device. The first PE device is configured with a first SRv6 VPN SID); and
generate a first route including the first prefix and the N SRv6 SIDs (Wang, see paragraph [0025] the first VPN route is carried in a BGP-Prefix-SID attribute field of an MP-BGP message, and the BGP-Prefix-SID attribute field includes an SRv6-VPN SID TLV field. The SRv6-VPN SID TLV field includes a T field, an L field, and a V field, and the V field is used to carry the third SRv6 VPN SID).
With respect to claims 2 and 11, Wang teaches the first network device, wherein the N SRv6 SIDs further correspond to a second prefix, and the program instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first network device to:
generate a second route including the second prefix and the N SRv6 SIDs (Wang, see paragraph [0149] the first VPN route includes the second SRv6 VPN SID and the third SRv6 VPN SID. Therefore, after the second SRv6 VPN SID is carried in the BGP-Prefix-SID attribute field, a new field further needs to be extended in the BGP-Prefix-SID attribute field to carry the third SRv6 VPN SID).
With respect to claims 5 and 13, Wang teaches the first network device, wherein the route advertisement packet further comprises indication information indicating a quantity of the N SRv6 SIDs, and the program instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first network device to:
obtain the N SRv6 SIDs based on the common part, the variable part of the first SRv6 SID, and the indication information (Wang, see paragraphs [0007, 0020] The first PE device is configured with a first IP version 6 segment routing (SRv6) VPN segment identifier (SID), and the first SRv6 VPN SID is used to identify the VPN to which the second CE device belongs or an outgoing interface through which the first PE is connected to the second CE device. …The first SRv6 VPN SID is the same as the second SRv6 VPN SID. ….N is an integer greater than or equal to 2).
With respect to claim 16, Wang teaches the first network device, wherein the route advertisement packet comprises an attach type length value field carrying the indication information (Wang, see paragraph [0011] the BGP-Prefix-SID attribute field includes an SRv6-VPN SID type-length-value (TLV) field, and the SRv6-VPN SID TLV field includes a type (T) field, a length (L) field, and a value (value, V) field. The V field is used to carry the third SRv6 VPN SID).
With respect to claim 17, Wang teaches the first network device, wherein the route advertisement packet comprises a second NLRI field including the variable field (Wang, see paragraph [0159] the NLRI field may include, for example, a TLV field (a variable length). The TLV field may include a T field, an L field, and a V field. The T field is used to indicate the type of the carried third SRv6 VPN SID).
With respect to claim 18, Wang teaches the first network device, wherein the route advertisement packet comprises a border gateway protocol (BGP) update message or a BGP link state protocol advertisement message (Wang, see paragraph [0095] routing information may be exchanged between the P device and another device in a manner of advertising a route by using a public network, for example, an interior gateway protocol (IGP), a route protocol (for example, an intermediate system to intermediate system (IS-IS) protocol, open shortest path first (OSPF), or a border gateway protocol (BGP)). … A neighbor relationship may be established between CE 1 and PE 3 directly connected to CE 1, for example, the neighbor relationship is established by using a border gateway protocol (BGP) session. CE 1 advertises, by using a BGP message, routing information of CE 1 to PE 3 directly connected to CE 1, and PE 3 learn of the routing information of CE 1).
With respect to claim 19, Wang teaches the first network device, wherein the common field is in a prefix SID attribute of the BGP update message (Wang, see paragraph [0146] specifically, the first VPN route may be carried in a BGP-Prefix-SID attribute field of the MP-BGP message).
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 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 of this title, 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 3-4, 6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 20200296025 hereinafter Wang) in view of Pang et al. (CN 114285907 A hereinafter Pang).
With respect to claims 3 and 12, Wang teaches the first network device, yet fails to explicitly disclose wherein the route advertisement packet further comprises N-1 variable fields, the N-1 variable fields respectively carry variable parts of N-1 SRv6 SIDs, the N-1 SRv6 SIDs are SRv6 SIDs other than the first SRv6 SID in the N SRv6 SIDs, and the program instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first network device to:
obtain the N SRv6 SIDs based on the common part, the variable part of the first SRv6 SID, and the variable parts of the N-1 SRv6 SIDs.
However, Pang discloses wherein the route advertisement packet further comprises N-1 variable fields, the N-1 variable fields respectively carry variable parts of N-1 SRv6 SIDs, the N-1 SRv6 SIDs are SRv6 SIDs other than the first SRv6 SID in the N SRv6 SIDs (Pang, see page 13, lines 38-47, page 14, lines 20-27, based on segment routing internet protocol 6 (Segment Routing Internet Protocol Version 6, SRv6) function chain (service function chain, SFC) scene; … The first data message includes: section route expansion message head SRH, SL value, and original data message; SRH comprises multiple SID, SID multiple SID comprises N-1 value-added service VAS node corresponding to the SID, and post-SID; N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the value of SL is used for indicating a SID in the SRH), and
the program instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first network device to:
obtain the N SRv6 SIDs based on the common part, the variable part of the first SRv6 SID, and the variable parts of the N-1 SRv6 SIDs (Pang, see page 11, lines 10-15, according to the input interface of the message (SFF is connected with the SF receiving IPv4 message interface) information, searching configuration information, then adding new SRH information for original data message according to the configuration information, SRv6 packet to obtain the second SRv6 packet. The destination address of the second SRv6 packet is SF #SID 2Proxy. Page 18, lines 17-23, further discloses the classifier performs SRv6 packet encapsulation to the data message according to the SRv6 TE Policy, and increases the SRH comprising the first field. the value of N in the first field … S602, SFF reads the first field in the first data message, and copying N-1 first data message according to the first field, obtaining N first data message).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to combine the teaching Wang with the teaching of Pang to provide a route advertisement packet comprising N-1 variable fields that carry variable parts of N-1 Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) Segment Identifiers (SIDs) and it’s primarily to reduce the overhead in the route advertisement message, which enhances scalability, conserves control plane resources, and allows for more compact representation of SRv6 service paths.
With respect to claim 4, Wang-Pang teaches the first network device, wherein the route advertisement packet further comprises an offset value and a length value, the length value indicates a length of each of the variable parts of the N SRv6 SIDs, and the offset value indicates an offset location of each of the variable parts of the N SRv6 SIDs in an SRv6 SID (Wang, see paragraphs [0007, 0020] The first PE device is configured with a first IP version 6 segment routing (SRv6) VPN segment identifier (SID), and the first SRv6 VPN SID is used to identify the VPN to which the second CE device belongs or an outgoing interface through which the first PE is connected to the second CE device. …The first SRv6 VPN SID is the same as the second SRv6 VPN SID. ….N is an integer greater than or equal to 2).
With respect to claim 6, Wang teaches the first network device, yet fails to explicitly disclose wherein the program instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first network device to:
obtain the first SRv6 SID based on the common part and the variable part of the first SRv6 SID; and obtain N-1 SRv6 SIDs based on the first SRv6 SID and the indication information, wherein the N-1 SRv6 SIDs are SRv6 SIDs other than the first SRv6 SID in the N SRv6 SIDs
However, Pang discloses wherein the program instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first network device to:
obtain the first SRv6 SID based on the common part and the variable part of the first SRv6 SID; and obtain N-1 SRv6 SIDs based on the first SRv6 SID and the indication information, wherein the N-1 SRv6 SIDs are SRv6 SIDs other than the first SRv6 SID in the N SRv6 SIDs (Pang, see page 11, lines 10-15, SRv6 packet to obtain the second SRv6 packet. The destination address of the second SRv6 packet is SF #SID 2Proxy. Page 18, lines 17-23, further discloses the classifier performs SRv6 packet encapsulation to the data message according to the SRv6 TE Policy, and increases the SRH comprising the first field. the value of N in the first field is determined according to the number of the VAS nodes corresponding to the data message. The classifier obtains the first data message after packaging the IPv4 data message, the first data message sends the first data message to SFF through the pre-positive node of SFF. S602, SFF reads the first field in the first data message, and copying N-1 first data message according to the first field, obtaining N first data message).
Same motivation as claim 3.
With respect to claims 9 and 15, Wang-Pang teaches the first network device, wherein the route advertisement packet comprises a first network layer reachability information (NLRI) field (Wang, see paragraphs [0156-0159] The NLRI field may include, for example, a TLV field (a variable length). The TLV field may include a T field, an L field, and a V field. The T field is used to indicate the type of the carried third SRv6 VPN SID. The L field is used to indicate a total length of the carried third SRv6 VPN SID, and is usually 16 bytes. The V field carries the third SRv6 VPN SID), and
the first NLRI field comprises the N-1 variable fields (Pang, see Page 18, lines 17-23, S602, SFF reads the first field in the first data message, and copying N-1 first data message according to the first field, obtaining N first data message).
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 20200296025 hereinafter Wang) in view of Lin et al. (CN 113452729 A hereinafter Lin).
With respect to claims 7 and 14, Wang teaches the first network device, yet fails to explicitly disclose wherein the N SRv6 SIDs are an arithmetic progression.
However, Lin discloses wherein the N SRv6 SIDs are an arithmetic progression (Lin, see page 15, lines 40-50, the sequence number value set determined by the way of arithmetic progression, which can ensure the sequence number value in each sequence number value set is not continuous; the value size is uniformly dispersed sequence number value set, … page 17, lines 12-20, the first traversing routing information may be routing information based on source routing mechanism, for example, can be based on SR (Segment Routing, segmented routing) MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching); The source routing mechanism of the multi-protocol label switching is based on the source routing mechanism of the SRv6 (Segment Routing IPv6), and the source routing mechanism is based on the source routing mechanism of the Segment Routing IPv6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to combine the teaching Wang with the teaching of Lin to provide the N SRv6 SIDs that are designed in an arithmetic progression, they are assigned as a contiguous sequentially increasing block and it brings major advantages in efficiency, scalability, and performance within the network infrastructure.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 20200296025 hereinafter Wang) in view of G. Dawra, Ed et al. (NPL -BESS working Group Internet-Draft).
With respect to claim 8, Wang teaches the first network device, yet fails to explicitly disclose wherein the route advertisement packet further comprises an offset value and a length value, the length value indicates a length of the variable part of the first SRv6 SID, and the offset value indicates an offset location of the variable part of the first SRv6 SID in the first SRv6 SID.
However, G. Dawra, Ed discloses wherein the route advertisement packet further comprises an offset value and a length value, the length value indicates a length of the variable part of the first SRv6 SID, and the offset value indicates an offset location of the variable part of the first SRv6 SID in the first SRv6 SID (G. Dawra, Ed, see page 10, lines 1-3, transposition Scheme where the SRv6 SID Structure Sub-Sub-TLV describes the sizes of the parts of the SRv6 SID and to also indicate offset of variable part along with its length in SRv6 SID value. Page 10, lines 20-29, the SRv6 SID Structure sub-sub-TLV defines the lengths of locator block, locator node, function and argument parts. The offset and length of argument part SID value moved to label field is set in transposition offset and length of SID structure TLV. The receiving router is then able to put together the entire SRv6 Service SID (e.g. for the End. DT2M behavior) placing the label value received in the ESI Label field of the Ethernet A-D per ES route into the correct transposition offset and length in the SRv6 SID with the End. DT2M behavior received for a EVPN Route Type 3 value).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to combine the teaching Wang with the teaching of G. Dawra, Ed to provide the system for the route advertisement packet including an offset value and a length value for the variable part of an SRv6 SID provides several key advantages such as: optimal compression and reduced packet header length by defining the exact position (offset) and size (length) of the variable part within a 128-bit SID, enhanced flexibility in SID encoding, support for dense network programming, improved scalability and hardware efficiency and reduced MTU overhead.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. This includes:
PG. Pub. US 20180375763 A1 Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) using an Internet Protocol Version 6 Segment Routing (SRv6) Underlay Network and SRv6-enhanced Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Signaling.
PG. Pub. US 20220116321 A1 Method for segment routing in network device, involves sending SR instructions to first router in first SR domain, second router in second SR domain or third router to enable interworking of first and second SR domains.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 Notice of References Cited.
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02/18/2026
/ELIZABETH KASSA/Examiner, Art Unit 2457
/ARIO ETIENNE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2457