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 in response to the Amendment filed on 04/06/2026. In the instant Amendment, claims 1, 11, and 20-21 have been amended. Claim 26 have been added. Claims 1, 11, and 21 are independent claims. Claims 1-26 have been examined and are pending. This Action is made FINAL.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-26 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 1-2, 5, 11-12, 15, 21, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (“ZHANG,” CN 108600222, published on 09/28/2018) in view of RABINOVICH et al. (“RABINOVICH,” US 20230171015, published on 06/01/2023), and further in view of ZHANG 2 et al. (“ZHANG 2,” CN 118199945, published on 06/14/2024).
Regarding Claim 1;
ZHANG discloses a node in a system of interconnected nodes configured to communicate over a network, the node comprising (abstract: establishing a first secure channel between the CA and TA, generating the corresponding the first secure channel session key, CA and TA performs data interaction and based on channel session key and a preset channel transmission rules perform encryption and decryption on the data transmission through the first secure channel):
communication circuitry configured to receive, a secured message from among a plurality of secured messages, each one of the plurality of secured messages being identified with a respective secure channel from among a plurality of secure channels (page 8, pars 4-5; the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA. Terminal TA using the decrypted private key Tpri request data [] checking if the decrypted data is correct; page 8, par 8; TA needs to simultaneously support a plurality of security channel, each channel number corresponds to the one secure channel context TA, under different secure channel session key, IV counter and other parameters stored in the respective secure channel context, do not interfere with each other),
wherein the secured message comprises channel information and a key number, the channel information indicating a secure channel of the secured message (page 8, par 4; the CA generates one random number, as the channel session key of the safe channel, the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA); and
processing circuitry configured to: generate, a temporary session key in accordance with a cryptographic function that utilizes a shared secret stored at the node, the channel information, and the key number (page 8, par 4; the CA generates one random number, as the channel session key of the safe channel, the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA); and
authenticate or authenticate and decrypt a content of the received secured message using the temporary session key (page 8, par 4; the CA generates one random number, as the channel session key of the safe channel, the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA; Terminal TA using the decrypted private key Tpri request data [] checking if the decrypted data is correct, then the new security channel for establishing context, storing related parameter, step 309, returning the security channel establishing success message. CA and TA are first secure channel to obtain the channel session key and other parameters, finishing the establishment of the first secure channel).
ZHANG discloses communication circuitry configured to receive, a secured message from among a plurality of secured messages, each one of the plurality of secured messages being identified with a respective secure channel from among a plurality of secure channels as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose receive, from another node in the system of interconnected nodes via the network, a secured message.
However, in an analogous art, RABINOVICH discloses secured clock synchronization system/method that includes:
receive, from another node in the system of interconnected nodes via the network, a secured message (RABINOVICH: par 0079; the validation entity is configured at the client clock and the secured channel is a preconfigured AEAD channel. Accordingly, master clock sends, via the AEAD secured channel, the encrypted copies and of respective PTP messages to the client clock; par 0103; the validation entity receives, from the master clock and the transparent clocks, the encrypted paired messages via the AEAD secured channels).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of RABINOVICH with the method/system of ZHANG to include receive, from another node in the system of interconnected nodes via the network, a secured message. One would have been motivated to sends each paired message to a validation entity (VE) via a secured channel between MCN and VE. When PTP messages traverse transparent clock nodes (TCN) between MCN and CCN, each TCN generates a paired message for each version of PTP message updated thereby and sends each generated paired message to VE via a secured channel between respective TCN and VE (RABINOVICH: abstract).
The combination of ZHANG and RABINOVICH disclose generate, a temporary session key in accordance with a cryptographic function that utilizes a shared secret stored at the node, the channel information, and the key number as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose a shared secret stored at the node contained in the received secured message.
However, in an analogous art, ZHANG 2 discloses information encryption transmission system/method that includes:
a shared secret stored at the node contained in the received secured message (ZHANG 2: page 3, par 6; received encrypted message and identification information, wherein the encrypted message comprises key information, effective time length of information and encrypted random number, and the identification information comprises effective identification information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of ZHANG 2 with the method/system of ZHANG and RABINOVICH to include a shared secret stored at the node contained in the received secured message. One would have been motivated to performing encryption processing on the key information, the effective time length of the information and the encryption random number to obtain an encrypted message; and sending the encrypted message and the identification information (ZHANG 2: abstract).
Regarding Claim 2;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose the node of claim 1,
ZHANG discloses wherein the channel information comprises a secure channel indicator (SCI) (ZHANG: page 8, pars 4-5; the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated [] the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA. Terminal TA using the decrypted private key Tpri request data [] checking if the decrypted data is correct; page 8, par 8; TA needs to simultaneously support a plurality of security channel, each channel number corresponds to the one secure channel context TA, under different secure channel session key, IV counter and other parameters stored in the respective secure channel context, do not interfere with each other).
Regarding Claim 5;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose the node of claim 1,
ZHANG discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate, based upon other received ones of the plurality of secured messages identified with different secure channels, respective temporary session keys (ZHANG: page 8, par 8; TA needs to simultaneously support a plurality of security channel, each channel number corresponds to the one secure channel context TA, under different secure channel session key, IV counter and other parameters stored in the respective secure channel context, do not interfere with each other; page 6, par 10; channel session key can have multiple, such as two communication parties according to known parameters each calculated channel session key).
Regarding Claim 11;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 1, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 1, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 1.
Regarding Claim 12;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 2, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 2, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 2.
Regarding Claim 15;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 5, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 5, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 5.
Regarding Claim 21;
ZHANG discloses a node in a system of interconnected nodes configured to communicate over a network, the node comprising (abstract: establishing a first secure channel between the CA and TA, generating the corresponding the first secure channel session key, CA and TA performs data interaction and based on channel session key and a preset channel transmission rules perform encryption and decryption on the data transmission through the first secure channel):
processing circuitry configured to: generate a message, wherein the message is from among a plurality of messages, each one of the plurality of messages being identified with a respective secure channel from among a plurality of secure channels (page 8, pars 4-5; the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA. Terminal TA using the decrypted private key Tpri request data [] checking if the decrypted data is correct; page 8, par 8; TA needs to simultaneously support a plurality of security channel, each channel number corresponds to the one secure channel context TA, under different secure channel session key, IV counter and other parameters stored in the respective secure channel context, do not interfere with each other), and
wherein the message comprises secure channel information and a key number, the secure channel information indicating a secure channel of the message (page 8, par 4; the CA generates one random number, as the channel session key of the safe channel, the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA),
generate, at the node, a temporary session key in accordance with a cryptographic function that utilizes a shared secret stored at the node, the secure channel information, and the key number (page 8, par 4; the CA generates one random number, as the channel session key of the safe channel, the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA); and
generate, from the message, a secured message using the temporary session key (page 8, par 4; the CA generates one random number, as the channel session key of the safe channel, the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA); and
communication circuitry configured to transmit the secured message (page 8, par 4; the CA generates one random number, as the channel session key of the safe channel, the CA uses the TA of terminal public key Tpub encrypted request data packet, the request data packet contains the channel number of the newly allocated. CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC, the CA sends the encrypted request data packet transmission to the TA; Terminal TA using the decrypted private key Tpri request data [] checking if the decrypted data is correct, then the new security channel for establishing context, storing related parameter, step 309, returning the security channel establishing success message. CA and TA are first secure channel to obtain the channel session key and other parameters, finishing the establishment of the first secure channel).
ZHANG discloses transmit the secured message as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose transmit, to another node in the system of interconnected nodes via the network, the secured message.
However, in an analogous art, RABINOVICH discloses secured clock synchronization system/method that includes:
transmit, to another node in the system of interconnected nodes via the network, the secured message (RABINOVICH: par 0079; the validation entity is configured at the client clock and the secured channel is a preconfigured AEAD channel. Accordingly, master clock sends, via the AEAD secured channel, the encrypted copies and of respective PTP messages to the client clock; par 0103; the validation entity receives, from the master clock and the transparent clocks, the encrypted paired messages via the AEAD secured channels).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of RABINOVICH with the method/system of ZHANG to include transmit, to another node in the system of interconnected nodes via the network, the secured message. One would have been motivated to sends each paired message to a validation entity (VE) via a secured channel between MCN and VE. When PTP messages traverse transparent clock nodes (TCN) between MCN and CCN, each TCN generates a paired message for each version of PTP message updated thereby and sends each generated paired message to VE via a secured channel between respective TCN and VE (RABINOVICH: abstract).
The combination of ZHANG and RABINOVICH disclose generate, at the node, a temporary session key in accordance with a cryptographic function that utilizes a shared secret stored at the node, the secure channel information, and the key number contained in the generated message as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose a shared secret stored at the node contained in the received secured message.
However, in an analogous art, ZHANG 2 discloses information encryption transmission system/method that includes:
a shared secret stored at the node contained in the received secured message (ZHANG 2: page 3, par 6; received encrypted message and identification information, wherein the encrypted message comprises key information, effective time length of information and encrypted random number, and the identification information comprises effective identification information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of ZHANG 2 with the method/system of ZHANG and RABINOVICH to include a shared secret stored at the node contained in the received secured message. One would have been motivated to performing encryption processing on the key information, the effective time length of the information and the encryption random number to obtain an encrypted message; and sending the encrypted message and the identification information (ZHANG 2: abstract).
Regarding Claim 23;
This Claim recites a system that perform the same steps as system of Claim 5, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 5, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 5.
Claims 3-4, 6, 13-14, 16, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (CN 108600222) in view of RABINOVICH et al. (US 20230171015), and further in view of ZHANG 2 et al. (CN 118199945) and Abbott et al. (“Abbott,” US 20160149899, published on 05/26/2016).
Regarding Claim 3;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose the node of claim 1, further comprising:
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose all the limitations as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose a volatile memory, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to store the temporary session key in the volatile memory.
However, in an analogous art, Abbott discloses communication sessions system/method that includes:
a volatile memory, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to store the temporary session key in the volatile memory (Abbott: par 0045; store a private session key, which corresponds to the public session key, in a volatile memory).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Abbott with the method/system of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose to include a volatile memory, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to store the temporary session key in the volatile memory. One would have been motivated to decrypt the messages with the private identity key and the private session key. The session keys may expire during or upon completion of the communication session (Abbott: abstract).
Regarding Claim 4;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, ZHANG 2, and Abbott disclose the node of claim 3,
Abbott discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to store a single temporary session key in the volatile memory, which is overwritten based upon any other received one of the plurality of secured messages (Abbott: par 0045; exchange message comprising the first public session key. The second key exchange message can be transmitted via the authenticator. In addition, the second key exchange message can be encrypted with the second public identity key and/or the second public session key. The first device can store a private session key, which corresponds to the public session key, in a volatile memory [] overwrite the private session key in the volatile memory with other data when the private session key expires. The other data can be a new private session key).
The motivation is the same that of claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 6;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, ZHANG 2, and Abbott disclose the node of claim 3,
Abbott discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to overwrite a prior temporary session key stored in the volatile memory with an updated temporary session key generated for another received one of the plurality of secured messages (Abbott: par 0045; exchange message comprising the first public session key. The second key exchange message can be transmitted via the authenticator. In addition, the second key exchange message can be encrypted with the second public identity key and/or the second public session key. The first device can store a private session key, which corresponds to the public session key, in a volatile memory [] overwrite the private session key in the volatile memory with other data when the private session key expires. The other data can be a new private session key).
The motivation is the same that of claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 13;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 3, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 3, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 3.
Regarding Claim 14;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 4, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 4, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 4.
Regarding Claim 16;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 6, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 6, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 6.
Regarding Claim 22;
This Claim recites a system that perform the same steps as system of Claim 4, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 4, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 4.
Claims 7 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (CN 108600222) in view of RABINOVICH et al. (US 20230171015), and further in view of ZHANG 2 et al. (CN 118199945) and KASHER et al (“KASHER,” US 20160286011, published on 09/29/2016).
Regarding Claim 7;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose the node of claim 1,
ZHANG discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate, in accordance with a Media Access Control security (MACsec)-defined Layer Management Interface (LMI), a single secure channel that is used to receive each of the plurality of secured messages (ZHANG: page 8, par 4; generates one random number, as the channel Session key of the safe channel [] CA process example session key, a unique identifier, a channel testing data, test data may be a CRC, Hash and MAC; page 8, par 8; TA needs to simultaneously support a plurality of security channel, each channel number corresponds to the one secure channel context TA, under different secure channel session key, IV counter and other parameters stored in the respective secure channel context, do not interfere with each other).
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose the node of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate, in accordance with a Media Access Control security (MACsec) as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose defined Layer Management Interface (LMI).
However, in an analogous art, KASHER discloses communication sessions system/method that includes:
defined Layer Management Interface (LMI) (KASHER: par 0036; provide layer management interfaces through which layer management functions).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of KASHER with the method/system of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 to include defined Layer Management Interface (LMI). One would have been motivated to a media access control (MAC) layer, generate an end of packet indicator for the packet (KASHER: abstract).
Regarding Claim 17;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 7, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 7, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 7.
Claims 8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (CN 108600222) in view of RABINOVICH et al. (US 20230171015), and further in view of ZHANG 2 et al. (CN 118199945) and KASHER et al (US 20160286011)Ayumi et al (“Ayumi according to google translate,” JP 6737020 B2, published on 08/05/2020).
Regarding Claim 8;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, ZHANG 2, and KASHER disclose the node of claim 7,
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, ZHANG 2, and KASHER disclose all the limitations as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose wherein the processing circuitry is configured to delete the single secure channel and to generate an updated secure channel for another received one of the plurality of secured messages.
However, in an analogous art, Ayumi discloses communication sessions system/method that includes:
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to delete the single secure channel and to generate an updated secure channel for another received one of the plurality of secured messages (Ayumi: page 15, par 5; notifies that the allocation of the logical channel to the application AP11 has been released, it is naturally necessary to terminate the encrypted communication channel established on the logical channel. Therefore, the management program SSD1 that has received this report performs a process of terminating the encrypted communication path that has been opened for the application AP11 on the logical channel #1. Specifically, the open state column of the SD reference table T (SSD1) shown in FIG. 8 is set to “not opened”, and the information in each column of the application name, channel number, and session key is deleted; page 32, par 1; the process of deleting the session key “xxxxxx” for the old application AP11 is performed, in the case of the diagram shown in FIG. 20, since the “report process” from the defective program AP11 is not performed, the SD reference table T (SSD1) is displayed. , The old session key “xxxxxx” for the old application AP11 remains. Therefore, the management program SSD1 performs a process of rewriting the old session key “xxxxxx” with the new session key “yyyyyy”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Ayumi with the method/system of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, ZHANG 2, and KASHER to include wherein the processing circuitry is configured to delete the single secure channel and to generate an updated secure channel for another received one of the plurality of secured messages. One would have been motivated to establish an encrypted communication path with an external device and performing encrypted communication (Ayumi: technical field).
Regarding Claim 18;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 8, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 8, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 8.
Claims 9, 19, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (CN 108600222) in view of RABINOVICH et al. (US 20230171015), and further in view of ZHANG 2 et al. (CN 118199945) and Agaian et al. (“Agaian,” US 20160381054, published on 12/29/2016).
Regarding Claim 9;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose the node of claim 1,
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose all the limitations as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive the plurality of secured messages via an Ethernet communication protocol.
However, in an analogous art, Agaian discloses preventing attacks system/method that includes:
wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive the plurality of secured messages via an Ethernet communication protocol (Agaian: par 0087; multimedia formatted file, such as 910A, is segmented into a plurality of messages for appropriate transmission over an Ethernet network using the TCP/IP protocol suite to manage the transfer between nodes).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Abbott with the method/system of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 to include wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive the plurality of secured messages via an Ethernet communication protocol. One would have been motivated to covert channel obfuscation operations on digital multimedia files being transferred through the system (Agaian: abstract).
Regarding Claim 19;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 9, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 9, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 9.
Regarding Claim 24;
This Claim recites a system that perform the same steps as system of Claim 9, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 9, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 9.
Claims 10, 20, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (CN 108600222) in view of RABINOVICH et al. (US 20230171015), and further in view of ZHANG 2 et al. (CN 118199945) and Agaian et al. (US 20160381054), and further in view of LUSKIND et al. (“LUSKIND,” US 20240357346, filed on 01/10/2023).
Regarding Claim 10;
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, ZHANG 2, and Agaian disclose the node of claim 9,
Agaian discloses wherein the Ethernet protocol (Agaian: par 0087; multimedia formatted file, such as 910A, is segmented into a plurality of messages for appropriate transmission over an Ethernet network using the TCP/IP protocol suite to manage the transfer between nodes).
The motivation is the same that of claim 9 above.
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, ZHANG 2, and Agaian disclose the Ethernet protocol as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose wherein the Ethernet protocol comprises a 10BASE-T1S or a 10BASE-T1L Ethernet protocol.
However, in an analogous art, LUSKIND discloses network switch system/method that includes:
wherein the Ethernet protocol comprises a 10BASE-T1S or a 10BASE-T1L Ethernet protocol (LUSKIND: par 0054; Ethernet protocols (e.g., 10/100/1000BASE-T) and single pair Ethernet (SPE) data ports for accommodating the Ethernet protocol 10BASE-T1L, 10BASE-T1S, or 100/100BASE-T1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of LUSKIND with the method/system of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, ZHANG 2, and Agaian to include wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive the plurality of secured messages via an Ethernet communication protocol. One would have been motivated to provide for locking unused data ports and for locking media access control (MAC) addresses to specific data ports (LUSKIND: abstract).
Regarding Claim 20;
This Claim recites a method that perform the same steps as system of Claim 10, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 10, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 10.
Regarding Claim 25;
This Claim recites a system that perform the same steps as system of Claim 10, and has limitations that are similar to Claim 10, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claim 10.
Claim 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHANG et al. (CN 108600222) in view of RABINOVICH et al. (US 20230171015), and further in view of ZHANG 2 et al. (CN 118199945) and BERUTO et al. (“BERUTO,” US 20190230705, published on 07/25/2019).
Regarding Claim 26
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose the node of claim 1,
The combination of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 disclose all the limitations as recited above, but do not explicitly disclose wherein the node and the another node are physically separate devices, and wherein the system of interconnected nodes is configured to communicate via a multi-drop bus.
However, in an analogous art, BERUTO discloses ethernet multidrop system/method that includes:
wherein the node and the another node are physically separate devices, and wherein the system of interconnected nodes is configured to communicate via a multi-drop bus (BERUTO: par 0064; creating transmit opportunities at proper times across a multi-drop network in order to avoid physical collisions on the medium).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of BERUTO with the method/system of ZHANG, RABINOVICH, and ZHANG 2 to include wherein the node and the another node are physically separate devices, and wherein the system of interconnected nodes is configured to communicate via a multi-drop bus. One would have been motivated to transmit data to the data exchange module when it receives information that no data is present on the medium (BERUTO: abstract).
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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAO WANG whose telephone number is (313)446-6644. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Luu Pham can be reached on (571)270-5002. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.W./Examiner, Art Unit 2439
/LUU T PHAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2439
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