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 .
Preliminary Amendment
The present Office Action is based upon the original patent application filed on 7/30/2024 as modified by the preliminary amendment filed on 03/10/2025. Claims 1-11 and 16-24 are now pending in the present application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements submitted on 10/07/2024 and 05/07/2025 have been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
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.
Claims 1-2, 9-11, 16-17 and 20-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Applicant provide YAMATO (US 2019/0036830 Al, hereinafter Yamato).
Regarding claim 1, Yamato discloses, an information transmission method (see e.g., “controlling a data flow that provides data obtained by a device such as a sensor to an application that uses the data”, [0001]), wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by an access network device, first address information of an application server (see e.g., “The application-side metadata is metadata describing attribute information about the application, information indicating the specification (required specification) of the sensing data requested by the application”, Fig. 2B, [0075] and/or “the attribute information about the application may include an ID identifying the application, a type of the application, and a network address of the application”, Fig. 2B, [0076]), wherein the access network device is configured to generate sensing data (see e.g., “the sensor network adapter 22 acquires the necessary sensing data from the sensor 21 based on the data-flow control command, and transmits the sensing data to the corresponding application server 30”, Fig. 1, [0099]); and
obtaining, by the access network device, second address information of the access network device (see e.g., “The sensor-side metadata waiting for the processing is acquired one by one from a sensor-side metadata table owned by the storage 11 (step S11)”, Fig. 4, [0088] and/or “The sensor-side metadata is metadata describing attribute information about the sensor, information indicating a specification of the sensing data that the sensor can provide…the attribute information about the sensor may include an ID identifying the sensor, a type of the sensor, a network address of the sensor…”, Fig. 2A, [0069]);
transmitting, by the access network device, the sensing data based on the first address information and the second address information (see e.g., “The sensor-side metadata waiting for the processing is acquired one by one from a sensor-side metadata table owned by the storage 11 (step S11)”, Fig. 4, [0088] and/or “One piece of application-side metadata is acquired from the application-side metadata table of the storage 11 (step S12)”, Fig. 4, [0089] and/or “Whether the specification and the transaction condition (provision condition) of the sensing data specified by the application-side metadata satisfy the request specification and the transaction condition (use condition) of the sensing data specified by the sensor-side metadata is determined”, Fig. 4, [0090] and/or “the data-flow controller 15 generates the data-flow control command issuing the instruction to transmit the sensing data to the target sensor, and transmits the data-flow control command to the sensor 21 (or the sensor network adapter 22 that manages the sensor 21) (Step S18)…the sensor network adapter 22 acquires the necessary sensing data from the sensor 21 based on the data-flow control command, and transmits the sensing data to the corresponding application server 30.”, [0098-0099]).
Regarding claim 2, Yamato discloses, wherein the second address information is internet protocol (IP) address information of the access network device (see e.g., “the attribute information about the sensor may include an ID identifying the sensor, a type of the sensor, a network address of the sensor, and an operation history of the sensor. For example, an IP address…”, Fig. 2A, [0069]).
Regarding claim 9, Yamato discloses, wherein the second address information is allocated by the access network device (see e.g., “The sensor-side metadata waiting for the processing is acquired one by one from a sensor-side metadata table owned by the storage 11 (step S11).”, Fig. 2A, [0088] and/or “The sensor-side metadata is metadata describing attribute information about the sensor, information indicating a specification of the sensing data that the sensor can provide, information indicating the provision condition of the sensing data, and the like. For example, the attribute information about the sensor may include an ID identifying the sensor, a type of the sensor, a network address of the sensor…”, Fig. 2A, [0069).
Regarding claim 10, Yamato discloses, sending, by the access network device, the second address information to the application server (see e.g., “the sensor network adapter 22 acquires the necessary sensing data from the sensor 21 based on the data-flow control command, and transmits the sensing data to the corresponding application server 30.”, [0099] and/or “The data-flow control command includes a data-flow control command ID, information identifying the sensor (a sensor ID, a sensor network address), information identifying the application (an application ID, an application network address), and information about time the data is transmitted.”, [0100]).
Regarding claim 11, Yamato discloses, wherein the first address information and the second address information are further used for transmission of sensing requirement information, and the sensing requirement information indicates the access network device to generate the sensing data (see e.g., “the sensor network adapter 22 acquires the necessary sensing data from the sensor 21 based on the data-flow control command, and transmits the sensing data to the corresponding application server 30.”, [0099] and/or “The data-flow control command includes a data-flow control command ID, information identifying the sensor (a sensor ID, a sensor network address), information identifying the application (an application ID, an application network address), and information about time the data is transmitted.”, [0100]).
Regarding claim 16, Yamato discloses, a communication apparatus comprising (see e.g., Fig. 1, sensor network adapter 22 and sensor network server 10 combined) comprising:
a memory storing instructions (see e.g., “ Fig. 1, Sensor Network server 10 with inherent memory); and
a processor executing the instructions stored in the memory (see e.g., Fig. 1, Sensor Network server 10 with inherent processor and memory and/or Controller 15), to cause the communication apparatus to:
receive first address information of an application server (see e.g., “The application-side metadata is metadata describing attribute information about the application, information indicating the specification (required specification) of the sensing data requested by the application”, Fig. 2B, [0075] and/or “the attribute information about the application may include an ID identifying the application, a type of the application, and a network address of the application”, Fig. 2B, [0076]), wherein the communication apparatus is configured to generate sensing data (see e.g., “the sensor network adapter 22 acquires the necessary sensing data from the sensor 21 based on the data-flow control command, and transmits the sensing data to the corresponding application server 30”, Fig. 1, [0099]); and
obtain second address information of the communication apparatus (see e.g., “The sensor-side metadata waiting for the processing is acquired one by one from a sensor-side metadata table owned by the storage 11 (step S11)”, Fig. 4, [0088] and/or “The sensor-side metadata is metadata describing attribute information about the sensor, information indicating a specification of the sensing data that the sensor can provide…the attribute information about the sensor may include an ID identifying the sensor, a type of the sensor, a network address of the sensor...”, Fig. 2A, [0069]);
transmit sensing data based on the first address information and the second address information (see e.g., “The sensor-side metadata waiting for the processing is acquired one by one from a sensor-side metadata table owned by the storage 11 (step S11)”, Fig. 4, [0088] and/or “One piece of application-side metadata is acquired from the application-side metadata table of the storage 11 (step S12)”, Fig. 4, [0089] and/or “Whether the specification and the transaction condition (provision condition) of the sensing data specified by the application-side metadata satisfy the request specification and the transaction condition (use condition) of the sensing data specified by the sensor-side metadata is determined”, Fig. 4, [0090] and/or “the data-flow controller 15 generates the data-flow control command issuing the instruction to transmit the sensing data to the target sensor, and transmits the data-flow control command to the sensor 21 (or the sensor network adapter 22 that manages the sensor 21) (Step S18)…the sensor network adapter 22 acquires the necessary sensing data from the sensor 21 based on the data-flow control command, and transmits the sensing data to the corresponding application server 30.”, [0098-0099]).
Regarding claim 17, Yamato discloses, wherein the second address information is internet protocol (IP) address information of the communication apparatus (see e.g., “the attribute information about the sensor may include an ID identifying the sensor, a type of the sensor, a network address of the sensor, and an operation history of the sensor. For example, an IP address…”, Fig. 2A, [0069]).
Regarding claim 20, Yamato discloses, wherein the second address information is allocated by the communication apparatus (see e.g., “The sensor-side metadata waiting for the processing is acquired one by one from a sensor-side metadata table owned by the storage 11 (step S11).”, Fig. 2A, [0088] and/or “The sensor-side metadata is metadata describing attribute information about the sensor, information indicating a specification of the sensing data that the sensor can provide, information indicating the provision condition of the sensing data, and the like. For example, the attribute information about the sensor may include an ID identifying the sensor, a type of the sensor, a network address of the sensor…”, Fig. 2A, [0069).
Regarding claim 21, Yamato discloses, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that are executed by a processor to cause a communication apparatus to perform (see e.g., “control method causing at least one hardware processor to perform…”, [0140] and or “A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program configured to cause a computer to perform operations”, claim 8) a method comprising:
receiving first address information of an application server (see e.g., “The application-side metadata is metadata describing attribute information about the application, information indicating the specification (required specification) of the sensing data requested by the application”, Fig. 2B, [0075] and/or “the attribute information about the application may include an ID identifying the application, a type of the application, and a network address of the application”, Fig. 2B, [0076]), wherein the communication apparatus is configured to generate sensing data (see e.g., “the sensor network adapter 22 acquires the necessary sensing data from the sensor 21 based on the data-flow control command, and transmits the sensing data to the corresponding application server 30”, Fig. 1, [0099]); and
obtaining second address information of the communication apparatus (see e.g., “The sensor-side metadata waiting for the processing is acquired one by one from a sensor-side metadata table owned by the storage 11 (step S11)”, Fig. 4, [0088] and/or “The sensor-side metadata is metadata describing attribute information about the sensor, information indicating a specification of the sensing data that the sensor can provide…the attribute information about the sensor may include an ID identifying the sensor, a type of the sensor, a network address of the sensor…”, Fig. 2A, [0069]);
transmitting sensing data based on the first address information and the second address information (see e.g., “The sensor-side metadata waiting for the processing is acquired one by one from a sensor-side metadata table owned by the storage 11 (step S11)”, Fig. 4, [0088] and/or “One piece of application-side metadata is acquired from the application-side metadata table of the storage 11 (step S12)”, Fig. 4, [0089] and/or “Whether the specification and the transaction condition (provision condition) of the sensing data specified by the application-side metadata satisfy the request specification and the transaction condition (use condition) of the sensing data specified by the sensor-side metadata is determined”, Fig. 4, [0090] and/or “the data-flow controller 15 generates the data-flow control command issuing the instruction to transmit the sensing data to the target sensor, and transmits the data-flow control command to the sensor 21 (or the sensor network adapter 22 that manages the sensor 21) (Step S18)…the sensor network adapter 22 acquires the necessary sensing data from the sensor 21 based on the data-flow control command, and transmits the sensing data to the corresponding application server 30.”, [0098-0099]).
Regarding claim 22, Yamato discloses, wherein the second address information is internet protocol (IP) address information of the communication apparatus (see e.g., “the attribute information about the sensor may include an ID identifying the sensor, a type of the sensor, a network address of the sensor, and an operation history of the sensor. For example, an IP address…”, Fig. 2A, [0069]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 3, 18 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Yamato, in view of, Moreman (US 2012/0011274 Al, hereinafter Moreman).
Regarding claim 3, Yamoto fails to explicitly disclose, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, and the proxy IP address information corresponds to IP address information of the access network device.
In the same field of endeavor, Moreman discloses, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, and the proxy IP address information corresponds to IP address information of the access network device (see e.g., “From operation 320, the routine 300 continues to operation 325 where the routing module 20, executing on the gateway 10, may substitute the actual IP address in the aforementioned IP source field 52 or 62 with a proxy IP address 24. For example, the routing module 20 may apply Network Address Translation ("NAT") or Network Address Port Translation ("NAPT") rules to the upstream data traffic 54 and/or 64 and may substitute the IPv6 address: 2001:0070::0050, utilized by the computing device 50, with the proxy or logical IPv6 address: 2001:0080::0050.”, Fig. 3, [0032] and/or “the routine 300 continues to operation 330 where the routing module 20, executing on the gateway 10, may route the upstream data traffic 54 from the computing device 50 to the alternative service provider 80, utilizing a proxy IP address 24 in the IP source field.”, Fig. 3, [0033]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Yamoto with Moreman, in order to utilize proxy IP addressing in a gateway to communicate upstream data traffic to multiple disparate service providers (please see Moreman, [0028]).
Regarding claim 18, Yamoto fails to explicitly disclose, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, and the proxy IP address information corresponds to IP address information of the communication apparatus.
In the same field of endeavor, Moreman discloses, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, and the proxy IP address information corresponds to IP address information of the communication apparatus (see e.g., “From operation 320, the routine 300 continues to operation 325 where the routing module 20, executing on the gateway 10, may substitute the actual IP address in the aforementioned IP source field 52 or 62 with a proxy IP address 24. For example, the routing module 20 may apply Network Address Translation ("NAT") or Network Address Port Translation ("NAPT") rules to the upstream data traffic 54 and/or 64 and may substitute the IPv6 address: 2001:0070::0050, utilized by the computing device 50, with the proxy or logical IPv6 address: 2001:0080::0050.”, Fig. 3, [0032] and/or “the routine 300 continues to operation 330 where the routing module 20, executing on the gateway 10, may route the upstream data traffic 54 from the computing device 50 to the alternative service provider 80, utilizing a proxy IP address 24 in the IP source field.”, Fig. 3, [0033]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Yamoto with Moreman, in order to utilize proxy IP addressing in a gateway to communicate upstream data traffic to multiple disparate service providers (please see Moreman, [0028]).
Regarding claim 23, Yamoto fails to explicitly disclose, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, and the proxy IP address information corresponds to IP address information of the communication apparatus.
In the same field of endeavor, Moreman discloses, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, and the proxy IP address information corresponds to IP address information of the communication apparatus (see e.g., “From operation 320, the routine 300 continues to operation 325 where the routing module 20, executing on the gateway 10, may substitute the actual IP address in the aforementioned IP source field 52 or 62 with a proxy IP address 24. For example, the routing module 20 may apply Network Address Translation ("NAT") or Network Address Port Translation ("NAPT") rules to the upstream data traffic 54 and/or 64 and may substitute the IPv6 address: 2001:0070::0050, utilized by the computing device 50, with the proxy or logical IPv6 address: 2001:0080::0050.”, Fig. 3, [0032] and/or “the routine 300 continues to operation 330 where the routing module 20, executing on the gateway 10, may route the upstream data traffic 54 from the computing device 50 to the alternative service provider 80, utilizing a proxy IP address 24 in the IP source field.”, Fig. 3, [0033]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Yamoto with Moreman, in order to utilize proxy IP addressing in a gateway to communicate upstream data traffic to multiple disparate service providers (please see Moreman, [0028]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Yamato, in view of, LI et al. (US 2021/0092792 Al, hereinafter Li).
Regarding claim 5, Yamoto fails to explicitly disclose, receiving, by the access network device, the second address information from a session management function network element.
In the same field of endeavor, Li discloses, receiving, by the access network device, the second address information from a session management function network element (see e.g., “The SMF network element sends the device identifier/IP address of the UPF network element to an NRF network element.”, [0236] and/or “The SMF network element sends, to the UPF network element, the IP address and/or the tunnel identifier of the GTP-U tunnel corresponding to the TSN pipe on the AN network element side., [0179]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Yamoto with Li, in order to provide a reliable-latency transmission service, to ensure reliability of data transmission of a latency sensitive service and a predictable end-to-end transmission latency, by using session management function (SMF) network element obtaining first information identifying a data stream, where the first information is used to instruct a transmit end to send a user stream by using the data stream and further using to instruct a receive end to receive the user stream by using the data stream (please see Li, paras. [0003] and [0008]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6, 19 and 24 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
As to claim 4, the prior arts fail to teach, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, the proxy IP address information corresponds to identifier information of a tunnel between the access network device and a user plane function network element, and the tunnel is used for transmission of the sensing data.
As to claim 6, the prior arts fail to teach, sending, by the access network device, first information to the session management function network element, wherein the first information is used to request the second address information of the access network device; and
the receiving, by the access network device, the second address information from a session management function network element comprises:
receiving, by the access network device from the session management function network element, the second address information in response to the first information.
As to claim 19, the prior arts fail to teach, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, the proxy IP address information corresponds to identifier information of a tunnel between the communication apparatus and a user plane function network element, and the tunnel is used for transmission of the sensing data.
As to claim 24, the prior arts fail to teach, wherein the second address information is proxy IP address information, the proxy IP address information corresponds to identifier information of a tunnel between the communication apparatus and a user plane function network element, and the tunnel is used for transmission of the sensing data.
Claims 7-8 also objected as being dependent on objected claim 6.
Conclusion
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/FARID SEYEDVOSOGHI/ Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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