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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Htay (US 20160057039 A1) in view of Chan (US 20100238003 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Htay teaches a method (Htay discloses a method implemented through a server, specifically an Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller, to determine carbon footprint of a network service in a network ([0003])) comprising: a processing system including at least one processor deployed in a communication network (Htay discloses a processing system — specifically server 200 operating as SDN controller 60 — deployed within a communication network. [0003]-[0004]: "The server can be a Software Defined Networking controller." [0022]: The server 200 includes "a processor 202, input/output (I/O) interfaces 204, a network interface 206, a data store 208, and memory 210." [0017]: The SDN controller 60 is deployed within the SDN network 10, a communication network operating at Layers 0-3.); and
providing, by the processing system, the electrical power source information to at least one element of the communication network (Htay expressly discloses that the SDN controller provides power source-derived information to network elements as a network parameter. [0030]: "The process 350 includes determining power sources for the devices 304, 306, 308 and the associated carbon footprint coefficients." [0027]: "This computed carbon footprint can become a network parameter in the SDN network 10, the SDN network devices 306, and the NFV network devices 308." [0051]-[0055]: The carbon footprint assignment process 500 computes and assigns carbon footprint data — which is directly derived from electrical power source type per CLLI code and utility identity — to each network element and proportionately to the network services running through those elements.) to perform at least one control action in the communication network in response to the electrical power source information (Htay discloses multiple control actions performed by the SDN controller in direct response to electrical power source information. [0027]: "The carbon footprint can be used for routing (e.g., preference lower carbon footprint devices), for green optimization (e.g., moving Virtual Machines (VM) to lower carbon footprints)." [0034]: "A Path Computation Engine (PCE) can use the maximum carbon footprint as service constraint when finding a route for the connection request. The route with the lowest carbon footprint is returned." [0003]: The server causes "relocating the one or more Virtual Machines based on determining a reduced carbon footprint," which constitutes VNF/VM instantiation and migration as a direct control action responsive to power source information.).
However, Htay does not expressly disclose obtaining an alternating current electrical power signal via an electrical power distribution line, wherein the alternating current electrical power signal is modulated to include electrical power source information for a source of electrical power; and extracting, by the processing system, the electrical power source information from the alternating current electrical power signal. Specifically, Htay [0030] acknowledges that each network device in the SDN network is physically powered by an electrical power source, and that the carbon footprint coefficient for each source "would be best if the power generators provided a way to get their dynamic value." Htay [0031] further discloses that "the process 350 can automatically retrieve details of the power source over a network by connecting to the power provider," confirming that Htay's system is designed to receive power source information directly from the utility — but does so via a separate data network query rather than via the AC power distribution line itself. This acknowledged need for a direct, real-time delivery mechanism from the power generator to the network device, combined with the inherent fact that every network device in Htay's SDN network is already physically connected to an AC power distribution line, would have motivated a person of ordinary skill in the art to employ a powerline carrier communication based modulated carrier signal on that existing AC line as the delivery channel for the power source information that Htay's system requires.
In an analogous art, Chan discloses an energy monitoring and control system that uses powerline carrier (PLC) communication over conventional AC premises wiring as the physical medium for transmitting energy-related information among networked devices, directly supplying the teachings missing from Htay. Chan discloses at [0053] that gateway 300's powerline chipsets 319 and 331 are coupled to premises AC wiring, and at [0060] that "gateway 300 may be connected to a premises location AC power supply, such as a standard 120-volt wall outlet" via an AC/DC coupler that simultaneously couples the powerline chipsets to the premises wiring — establishing that the gateway obtains the AC electrical power signal via the electrical power distribution line. Chan discloses at [0053] that the powerline chipsets implement "a modulated carrier signal on the wiring system" that "allows the transfer of data between the gateway 300 and various client devices connected to the powerline network," and at [0049] that the system connects solar power inverters — electrical power source devices — to the PLC network, with their data transmitted over this modulated AC carrier signal, constituting electrical power source information modulated onto the AC electrical power signal. Chan discloses at [0008] that each energy monitor unit includes "a power line transmitter and receiver for communicating with a gateway master control station," and at [0063] that "data is collected by gateway 300 from client devices via the network infrastructure through data signals," establishing that the gateway's powerline chipsets receive and extract — i.e., demodulate — data from the modulated AC carrier signal on the power distribution line.
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 Chan's PLC-based modulated AC signal mechanism with Htay's power-source-aware SDN/NFV control system for the following reasons. Htay at [0030]-[0031] expressly acknowledges that power source coefficient data "would be best if the power generators provided a way to get their dynamic value," and that the system can "automatically retrieve details of the power source over a network by connecting to the power provider." This acknowledged need for a direct, real-time delivery mechanism from the power generator would have motivated a person of ordinary skill in the art to employ Chan's PLC-based modulated carrier signal on the AC power distribution line — the physical connection that already exists between the generator and every network device in Htay's system — as the most direct and reliable delivery channel for that information. Further, Chan at [0066] discloses that its gateway connects to the World Wide Web (WWW) and to external server computers operated by utility companies, establishing that PLC-extracted energy source data is designed to flow to external network-level processing systems such as Htay's SDN controller. The combination involves nothing more than selecting from a finite set of known solutions for delivering real-time power source information to network devices, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 2, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the processing system comprises a power supply module for converting the alternating current electrical power signal into a direct current signal for powering at least one component of the communication network (Chan at [0060] discloses that gateway 300 "may be connected to a premises location AC power supply, such as a standard 120-volt wall outlet," and that "the power supply unit of gateway 300 may provide the desired DC-voltages required by the variety of high-speed powerline, low-speed powerline, ZigBee, or other chipsets embodied in the system." Chan further discloses at [0060] that "specific chipsets typically operate at particular DC-voltages which are essential for proper functioning," confirming that the power supply module converts the incoming AC electrical power signal into DC for powering components of the system. This AC-to-DC conversion function is further confirmed by Chan's disclosure at [0052] of a DC converter 337 within the backup battery module 335 of gateway 300, and at [0070] of a power supply 437 providing a "12V 500 mA DC output" in the appliance module. The processing system of the combination — Htay's SDN controller/server 200, modified to incorporate Chan's PLC-based AC signal reception as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 — would inherently include this same AC-to-DC power supply module, as every network device powered from an AC mains supply requires AC-to-DC conversion to power its internal components. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate Chan's disclosed power supply module into the combined system, as it represents a standard, well-understood design feature explicitly taught by Chan and necessary for the operation of the processing system's internal components.).
Regarding claim 3, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the power supply module includes a demodulator to extract the electrical power source information from the alternating current electrical power signal (Chan at [0060] discloses that "coupling of powerline chipsets 319 or 331 to premise wiring may be embodied in an AC/DC coupler integrated into the power supply unit or battery backup module 335 of gateway 300." Chan further discloses at [0060] that "in utilizing a 120-volt AC power source to supply electrical power to the gateway 300, an AC/DC coupler may additionally couple powerline chipsets 319 or 331 to the premises wiring via the same power source." Chan thus explicitly teaches that the powerline chipsets — which perform the demodulation of the modulated carrier signal on the AC wiring per [0053] — are coupled to the AC power distribution line through an AC/DC coupler that is physically integrated into the power supply unit of the gateway. Because the powerline chipsets 319/331 implement the demodulation function ([0053]: "the carrier signal allows the transfer of data between the gateway 300 and various client devices"), and because those chipsets are coupled to the AC line via a coupler integrated into the power supply unit ([0060]), Chan teaches a power supply module that includes, or is directly integrated with, a demodulator for extracting information from the AC electrical power signal. To the extent Chan does not expressly place the demodulator entirely within the power supply module as a single discrete unit, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to do so, as Chan expressly teaches integrating the AC/DC coupler and the powerline chipset coupling into the power supply unit as a unified design, and combining these already co-located functions into a single module involves nothing more than routine engineering with a predictable result.).
Regarding claim 5, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the alternating current electrical power signal is modulated to include the electrical power source information using a power line carrier communication (Chan expressly and explicitly teaches this limitation. Chan at [0053] discloses that gateway 300's powerline chipsets 319 and 331 "allow the use of existing electrical wiring for the provisioning of network infrastructure throughout premises wiring by implementing a modulated carrier signal on the wiring system," and that "[t]he carrier signal allows the transfer of data between the gateway 300 and various client devices connected to the powerline network." Chan at [0008] further characterizes its entire system as one for "monitoring and controlling individual loads and transmitting energy usage information over conventional AC wiring," using "powerline technology to connect and communicate across premises wiring" ([0064]) — which is the definition of powerline carrier (PLC) communication. Chan at [0069] further confirms that the powerline chipsets may implement the HomePlug standard, which is a recognized power line carrier communication standard. The modulated carrier signal on the AC wiring that carries energy source information — including data from solar power inverters per [0049] — is therefore implemented using power line carrier communication as expressly and inherently taught by Chan. The rejection of claim 1 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 1 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 5 is unpatentable.).
Regarding claim 6, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the electrical power source information identifies: a source of the alternating current electrical power signal; or a type of a source of the alternating current electrical power signal (Htay expressly teaches both alternatives. With respect to identifying the source of the electrical power signal, Htay at [0054] discloses that each network element's carbon footprint coefficient is determined based on the "CLLI code and utility involved," directly identifying the specific utility company — i.e., the named source of the electrical power — supplying each network element. Htay at [0031] further provides a concrete example, expressly identifying Florida Power & Light as the named electrical power source supplying a network device. With respect to identifying the type of source, Htay at [0031] expressly distinguishes between solar energy and natural gas as different types of electrical power sources supplying the same utility site depending on time of day and weather conditions. Htay at [0050] further provides an explicit table listing CO₂ emissions for numerous distinct fuel source types — including coal, natural gas, geothermal, solar, nuclear, and others — confirming that Htay's system identifies and tracks the specific type of electrical power source associated with each network element. The rejection of claim 1 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 1 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 6 is unpatentable.).
Regarding claim 7, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one control action comprises at least one of: instantiating a virtual network function; de-instantiating a virtual network function; or configuring a virtual network function (Htay expressly teaches all three alternatives. With respect to instantiating a virtual network function, Htay at [0003] discloses "operating a hypervisor to manage Network Function Virtualization through one or more Virtual Machines associated with the network service," and at [0047] describes replacing physical security appliances with Virtual Machines running on a server — i.e., instantiating a VNF in place of a physical appliance — as a direct result of carbon footprint optimization based on power source information. With respect to de-instantiating a virtual network function, Htay at [0003] and [0034] discloses relocating Virtual Machines from one data center to another based on determining a reduced carbon footprint attributable to the power source at the destination data center. VM relocation inherently requires de-instantiating the VM at the source data center and instantiating it at the destination, as the hypervisor 380 described at [0033]-[0034] manages this movement between two data centers. Htay at [0057] expressly confirms this two-step process: "moving the VM to DC2" from DC1, which a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand to require de-instantiation at DC1. With respect to configuring a virtual network function, Htay at [0033] discloses that the hypervisor 380 "can be a network resource broker and scheduling application that offers immediate or scheduled bandwidth-on-demand to the enterprise 302 through an end-user portal or applications such as cloud and NFV orchestration systems via its open northbound API," establishing that the hypervisor performs configuration of virtual network functions as part of its NFV management role in response to carbon footprint — i.e., power source — information. The rejection of claim 1 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 1 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 7 is unpatentable.).
Regarding claim 8, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one control action comprises a routing action (Htay [0027] discloses that the carbon footprint derived from electrical power source information "can be used for routing (e.g., preference lower carbon footprint devices)," teaching routing as a control action performed in response to electrical power source information. Htay at [0034] further discloses that "a Path Computation Engine (PCE) can use the maximum carbon footprint as service constraint when finding a route for the connection request" and that "[t]he route with the lowest carbon footprint is returned, if requested," confirming that routing decisions in Htay's SDN network are made directly in response to power source-derived carbon footprint information. The rejection of claim 1 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 1 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 8 is unpatentable.).
Regarding claim 9, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one control action comprises a reporting of the electrical power source information for the at least one element to at least one other device (Htay expressly teaches this limitation. Htay at [0020] discloses that carbon footprint information — which is directly derived from electrical power source type per [0030]-[0031] — is tracked and provided to enterprises so they can "optimize their network services such as through migration to providers with lower carbon footprint, moving virtualized data centers over the day to maximize usage of green power, participate in carbon credit trading." This establishes that Htay's processing system reports electrical power source information for network elements outward to other entities and devices. Htay at [0055] further discloses that "the service provider can proportionately assign the dynamic carbon footprint for this service, as well as track the dynamic carbon footprint for the lifetime of the network service" and provide it to the enterprise 302 involved — directly teaching reporting of per-element power source information to another device, namely the enterprise's systems. Htay at [0057]-[0058] additionally discloses that following VM movement, "the new carbon footprint cost of the VM at DC2...can be provided to the enterprise 302 involved," confirming that reporting of power source-derived information to at least one other device is an express and repeated feature of Htay's system. Chan further corroborates this teaching at [0008] and [0066], disclosing that the gateway "connects to the World Wide Web (WWW) or an external data source" and that "remote computing devices may be server computers operated by utility companies and send or receive data from customer sites via gateway 300," establishing that energy source information extracted from the AC power line is reported to external devices as a standard feature of the combined system. The rejection of claim 1 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 1 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 9 is unpatentable.).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Htay in view of Chan for the same reasons set forth with respect to claim 1. Claim 10 recites a computer-readable medium storing instructions (see, e.g., Htay [0025] and [0059]) when executed by a processing system including at least one processor when deployed in a communication network, cause the processing system to perform the same operations recited in method claim 1. The functional limitations of claim 10 correspond to the steps of claim 1 in executable-code form, and the scope and content of these features are substantially the same as those addressed in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, Htay teaches a method comprising:
obtaining, by a processing system including at least one processor (Htay discloses a processing system — specifically server 200 operating as SDN controller 60 — deployed within a communication network. [0003]-[0004]: "The server can be a Software Defined Networking controller." [0022]: The server 200 includes "a processor 202, input/output (I/O) interfaces 204, a network interface 206, a data store 208, and memory 210." [0017]: The SDN controller 60 is deployed within the SDN network 10, a communication network operating at Layers 0-3.), electrical power source information for a source of electrical power to at least one network element of a communication network (Htay discloses a processing system — SDN controller/server 200 including processor 202 — deployed in a communication network, that obtains electrical power source information identifying the type and identity of the electrical power source supplying each network element. [0030]: "The process 350 includes determining power sources for the devices 304, 306, 308 and the associated carbon footprint coefficients." [0031] provides a concrete example, identifying solar energy and natural gas as the power source types supplying network devices, and [0054] ties this information to the specific utility supplying each network element via CLLI code.);
selecting, by the processing system, at least one control action for the communication network in response to the electrical power source information (Htay expressly teaches selecting control actions in response to electrical power source information. [0027] discloses that the carbon footprint derived from power source type information "can be used for routing (e.g., preference lower carbon footprint devices), for green optimization (e.g., moving Virtual Machines (VM) to lower carbon footprints)." [0034] further discloses that a Path Computation Engine selects a route based on carbon footprint — derived from power source type — as a service constraint, returning "the route with the lowest carbon footprint." These disclosures establish that Htay's processing system affirmatively selects among available control actions based on the electrical power source information associated with each network element.); and
performing, by the processing system, the at least one control action in the communication network (Htay expressly teaches performing the selected control actions in the communication network. [0027] discloses routing preference for lower-carbon devices and VM migration as performed control actions. [0033]-[0034] discloses that the hypervisor 380 executes VM movement between data centers based on power source carbon footprint. [0056]-[0058] confirms that the VM is physically moved from DC1 to DC2 and the resulting carbon footprint is calculated and assigned, establishing that the selected control action is affirmatively performed in the communication network in response to the electrical power source information.).
However, Htay does not expressly disclose wherein the electrical power source information is obtained via an alternating current electrical power distribution line. As noted in the rejection of claim 1, Htay obtains this information via a separate data network query rather than via the AC electrical power distribution line.
In an analogous art, Chan [0053] discloses that gateway 300's powerline chipsets 319 and 331 implement "a modulated carrier signal on the wiring system" of the AC electrical premises wiring — i.e., the AC electrical power distribution line — to transfer energy-related data, including data from solar power inverters per [0049], between network devices. Chan [0060] further confirms that the gateway obtains this AC signal via the same power distribution line that supplies electrical power to the device, through an AC/DC coupler integrated into the power supply unit.
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 Chan's PLC-based modulated AC signal mechanism with Htay's power-source-aware SDN/NFV control system for the following reasons. Htay at [0030]-[0031] expressly acknowledges that power source coefficient data "would be best if the power generators provided a way to get their dynamic value," and that the system can "automatically retrieve details of the power source over a network by connecting to the power provider." This acknowledged need for a direct, real-time delivery mechanism from the power generator would have motivated a person of ordinary skill in the art to employ Chan's PLC-based modulated carrier signal on the AC power distribution line — the physical connection that already exists between the generator and every network device in Htay's system — as the most direct and reliable delivery channel for that information. Further, Chan at [0066] discloses that its gateway connects to the World Wide Web (WWW) and to external server computers operated by utility companies, establishing that PLC-extracted energy source data is designed to flow to external network-level processing systems such as Htay's SDN controller. The combination involves nothing more than selecting from a finite set of known solutions for delivering real-time power source information to network devices, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim 12 depends from claim 11 and adds the same limitation as claim 7 — requiring that the at least one control action comprises at least one of instantiating, de-instantiating, or configuring a virtual network function. This limitation is fully taught by Htay in view of Chan for the same reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 7 above. Claim 12 is therefore unpatentable for the same reasons set forth in the rejections of claims 7 and 11.
Regarding claim 13, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the processing system comprises: a software-defined network controller; or a self-organizing network orchestrator (Htay expressly teaches the software-defined network controller alternative. Htay's entire disclosure is premised on an SDN controller as the processing system that obtains electrical power source information and performs control actions in the communication network in response thereto. Htay [0003]-[0004] expressly states: "The server can be a Software Defined Networking controller." Htay [0017] further discloses that "the SDN network 10 includes an SDN controller 60 with the ability to centrally program provisioning of forwarding on the network 10 in order for more flexible and precise control over network resources to support new services." Htay [0021] further describes the SDN controller 60 as comprising an infrastructure layer, a control layer, and an application layer through which it manages network services and performs control actions across the SDN network. The rejection of claims 11-12 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claims 11-12 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 13 is unpatentable.).
Claim 14 depends from claim 11 and adds the same limitation as claim 8 — requiring that the at least one control action comprises a routing action. This limitation is fully taught by Htay in view of Chan for the same reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 8 above. Claim 14 is therefore unpatentable for the same reasons set forth in the rejections of claims 8 and 11.
Regarding claim 15, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 14, wherein the processing system comprises: a router; or an endpoint device (Htay expressly teaches the router alternative. Htay's SDN network 10 includes packet switches and routers as processing elements that perform routing actions in the communication network. Htay [0017] discloses that the SDN controller 60 centrally programs "provisioning of forwarding on the network 10" for the switches 70, 72, 74, establishing that routing-capable processing elements are integral components of Htay's communication network. Htay [0019] further discloses that the packet switches 74 are traditional Ethernet switches performing routing and forwarding functions within the network. Htay [0027] discloses that the carbon footprint derived from electrical power source information becomes "a network parameter in the SDN network devices 306," confirming that individual routing devices within the network receive and act on power source information as part of the claimed control action. Chan further corroborates this teaching at [0045], disclosing a "modem or router 105" as a processing element within the energy-aware network. The rejection of claims 11 & 14 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claims 11 & 14 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 15 is unpatentable.).
Regarding claim 16, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the at least one control action is selected in accordance with a rule set or via a machine learning model-based control action selection algorithm implemented by the processing system (Htay expressly teaches the rule set alternative. Htay's SDN controller selects control actions based on explicit conditional rules applied to electrical power source information. Htay [0034] discloses a concrete rule governing VM migration: "If the new Data Center (DC) has a lower carbon footprint than the old DC it makes sense to allow the movement to execute" — establishing that the processing system applies an explicit conditional rule to power source-derived carbon footprint values to select the VM migration control action. Htay [0027] further discloses a routing preference rule directing the processing system to prefer network devices with lower carbon footprints — i.e., those powered by cleaner energy sources — when selecting routing control actions. Htay [0034] additionally discloses that a Path Computation Engine applies carbon footprint as "a service constraint when finding a route," returning "the route with the lowest carbon footprint" — a deterministic, rule-based selection algorithm applied to electrical power source information. The rejection of claim 11 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 11 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 16 is unpatentable.).
Regarding claim 17, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising: providing the electrical power source information to at least one device that is external to the communication network (Htay [0020] discloses that carbon footprint information — derived directly from electrical power source type — is tracked and provided to enterprises so they can "optimize their network services such as through migration to providers with lower carbon footprint, moving virtualized data centers over the day to maximize usage of green power, participate in carbon credit trading." Figure 4, illustrates the enterprise 302 is a device or system external to the communication network that receives power source information from Htay's processing system. Htay [0056]-[0058] further discloses that following VM movement, "the new carbon footprint cost of the VM at DC2...can be provided to the enterprise 302 involved," confirming that electrical power source information is affirmatively provided to an external device as a discrete step in Htay's process. Htay [0040] additionally contemplates providing carbon footprint information to individual users via the mobile device 400, which is external to the communication network, further corroborating this teaching. Chan independently corroborates this limitation at [0008] and [0066], disclosing that the gateway "connects to the World Wide Web (WWW) or an external data source" and that "remote computing devices may be server computers operated by utility companies and send or receive data from customer sites via gateway 300," establishing that energy source information is routinely provided to devices external to the local network in the combined system. The rejection of claim 11 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 11 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 17 is unpatentable.).
Regarding claim 18, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 17, further comprising: obtaining a selection of the at least one control action from the at least one device that is external to the communication network (Chan expressly teaches this limitation. Chan [0066] discloses that "utility companies may send command or control data signals to customer gateways 300 in order to shut down client devices during times of peak power usage," directly teaching that an external device — the utility company's remote server — sends a selected control action back to the gateway processing system for execution. Chan [0102] further discloses that "utility or service provider may command or control customer gateway 905 and thus connected customer client devices," and at [0103] that "customer may configure gateway 905 to operate based upon price levels provided by utility or service provider," establishing that the external utility server's transmissions constitute control action selections that the gateway receives and acts upon. Htay corroborates this teaching at [0033], disclosing that the hypervisor 380 "can be a network resource broker and scheduling application that offers immediate or scheduled bandwidth-on-demand to the enterprise 302 through an end-user portal or applications such as cloud and NFV orchestration systems via its open northbound API," establishing that control action selections originating from external orchestration systems are received and executed by the processing system. The rejection of claims 11 & 17 over Htay in view of Chan is incorporated herein by reference. For at least the reasons set forth in the rejection of claims 11 & 17 and for the additional reasons set forth above, claim 18 is unpatentable.).
Claim 19 depends from claim 11 and adds the same limitation as claim 5 — requiring that the AC electrical power signal on the power distribution line is modulated to include electrical power source information using a power line carrier communication. This limitation is fully taught by Htay in view of Chan for the same reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 5 above. Claim 19 is therefore unpatentable for the same reasons set forth in the rejections of claims 5 and 11.
Claim 20 depends from claim 19 and adds the same limitation as claim 6 — requiring that the electrical power source information identifies either a source of the AC electrical power signal or a type of a source of the AC electrical power signal. This limitation is fully taught by Htay in view of Chan for the same reasons set forth in the rejection of claim 6 above. Claim 20 is therefore unpatentable for the same reasons set forth in the rejections of claims 6, 11, and 19.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Htay (US 20160057039 A1) in view of Chan (US 20100238003 A1) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Templeton (US 20160036222 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Htay in view of Chan discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the power supply provides the electrical power source information to at least one element of the communication network via at least one of: an inter-integrated circuit communication; a system management bus communication; a serial peripheral interface communication; or a controller area network communication.
In an analogous art, Templeton expressly teaches using SMBus, SPI, and I2C as standard interfaces for a power supply to communicate status information to a system-level controller. Templeton discloses at [0007] that "the controller is connected to a management bus via a management bus interface" and that "the management bus can include any suitable bus such as a system management bus (SMBus), a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus, or an Inter-IC (I2C) bus." Templeton further at [0060] discloses that "control reports the statuses of the power supplies to the system supervisor via the SMBus," directly teaching a power supply communicating its operational information to a system-level controller over SMBus. Templeton thus teaches at least three of the four enumerated alternatives — SMBus, SPI, and I2C — in precisely the context of power supply-to-controller information communication.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the internal communication between the power supply module of the combined system of Htay and Chan and the processing system's network-facing components using any one of the interfaces taught by Templeton — SMBus, SPI, or I2C — for the following reasons. First, Templeton establishes that these three interfaces are recognized, interchangeable standard options for exactly this application: communicating power supply status and operational information to a system supervisor or controller. Second, the combined Htay/Chan processing system — an SDN controller/server receiving power source information from a PLC-enabled power supply module — presents the identical design problem that Templeton addresses: routing power-related information from a power supply unit to a processing system over a short-range serial management interface. Third, selecting among SMBus, SPI, or I2C for this purpose involves nothing more than a routine implementation detail among a small number of known, interchangeable alternatives, each yielding entirely predictable results.
Conclusion
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/RAJSHEED O BLACK-CHILDRESS/Examiner, Art Unit 2685