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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-9, 17-18, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zang (WO 2017/032136 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Zang teaches A signal transmission method, applied to an Optical Network Unit (ONU), the method comprising: sending an uplink detection signal to an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) in response to not receiving a downlink signal from the OLT (p. 4, ¶ 8) (“The receiving module is configured to receive a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”).
Regarding Claim 2, Zang teaches The method of claim 1, wherein sending the uplink detection signal to the OLT comprises: sending the uplink detection signal to the OLT in response to not receiving the downlink signal from the OLT within a first time period after the ONU is powered on. (p. 4, ¶ 8) (“The receiving module is configured to receive a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”) (it’s implicit that the ONU in Zhang must be turned on).
Regarding Claim 3, Zang teaches The method of claim 2, further comprising: canceling the sending of the uplink detection signal to the OLT in response to receiving the downlink signal from the OLT within the first time period after the ONU is powered on. (p. 4, ¶ 8) (“The receiving module is configured to receive a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”)
Regarding Claim 4, Zang teaches The method of claim 2 wherein before sending the uplink detection signal to the OLT, the method further comprises: detecting the downlink signal from the OLT within the first time period after the ONU is powered on; and the downlink signal comprises at least one of: a downlink frame and a downlink optical signal. (p. 4, ¶ 8) (“The receiving module is configured to receive a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”) (its inherent that the trigger message in Zang is an optical signal as its being sent between an OLT and ONU)
Regarding Claim 5, Zang teaches The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the downlink signal from the OLT within the first time period after the ONU is powered on comprises at least one of: detecting the downlink frame from the OLT within the first time period after the ONU is powered on, and in response to the downlink frame from the OLT being detected, determining that the downlink signal from the OLT has been received within the first time period after the ONU is powered on; and detecting a Signal Detect (SD) signal within the first time period after the ONU is powered on, and in response to the SD signal being detected, determining that the downlink signal from the OLT has been received within the first time period after the ONU is powered on, wherein the SD signal is generated by the ONU after receiving a downlink optical signal from the OLT. (p. 4, ¶ 8) (“The receiving module is configured to receive a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”)
Regarding Claim 6, Zang teaches The method of claim 3, wherein in response to the downlink signal from the OLT having been received within the first time period after the ONU is powered on, the method further comprises at least one of: receiving a bandwidth allocation message sent by the OLT; receiving a Physical Layer Operation Administration and Maintenance (PLOAM) message sent by the OLT; and receiving a Serial Number (SN) request message sent by the OLT. (p. 2, ¶ 3 (“In addition, the ONU switching process involves a downlink physical layer operation (Administrationand Maintenance, PLOAM) message”))
Regarding Claim 7, Zang teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink detection signal comprises at least one of: an uplink frame and an uplink optical signal. (p. 4, ¶ 8) (“The receiving module is configured to receive a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”) (its inherent that the trigger message in Zang is an optical signal as its being sent between an OLT and ONU)
Regarding Claim 8, Zang teaches The method of claim 1, wherein after sending the uplink detection signal to the OLT, the method further comprises: stopping the sending of the uplink detection signal to the OLT, in response to receiving the downlink signal sent by the OLT according to the uplink detection signal. (p. 4, ¶ 8) (“The receiving module is configured to receive a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”)
Regarding Claim 9, Zang teaches The method of claim 1, wherein after sending the uplink detection signal to the OLT, the method further comprises: continuing the sending of the uplink detection signal to the OLT, in response to not receiving the downlink signal from the OLT within a second time period after the uplink detection signal is sent. (p. 6-7 (“receiving a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”))
Regarding Claim 17 Zang teaches An Optical Network Unit (ONU), comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores program instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the signal transmission method of claim 1. (p. 4, ¶ 8) (its inherent that the ONU in Zhang have a processor and memory in order to perform the method taught in Zhang)
Regarding Claim 19, Zang teaches A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing program instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the signal transmission method of claim 1. (p. 9, ¶ 3)
Regarding Claim 20, Zang teaches The method of claim 3, wherein before sending the uplink detection signal to the OLT, the method further comprises: detecting the downlink signal from the OLT within the first time period after the ONU is powered on; and the downlink signal comprises at least one of: a downlink frame and a downlink optical signal. (p. 4, ¶ 8) (“The receiving module is configured to receive a notification message periodically sent by the ONU to notify the OLT to resend the trigger message when the trigger message is not received”) (its inherent that the trigger message in Zang is an optical signal as its being sent between an OLT and ONU).
Claim(s) 10-13, 18, 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ITU ("Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Networks (G-PON): Transmission convergence layer specification; G.984.3 (01 /14)", ITU-T STANDARD, INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION, GENEVA; CH no. G.984.3 (01/14), 13 January 2014.)
Regarding Claim 10, ITU teaches A signal transmission method, applied to an Optical Line Terminal (OLT), the method comprising: maintaining a downlink signal disabled state after power on, until an uplink detection signal from an Optical Network Unit (ONU) is received (p. 93: “LOSi”); and sending a downlink signal to the ONU in response to receiving the uplink detection signal from the ONU. (Id. (“cancellation conditions”))
Regarding Claim 11, ITU teaches The method of claim 10, wherein the uplink detection signal comprises at least one of: an uplink frame and an uplink optical signal. (p. 93: “LOSi”)) (its inherent that the communications in ITU are optical as they are being sent between an OLT and ONU)
Regarding Claim 12, ITU teaches The method of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises at least one of: detecting an uplink frame from the ONU, and in response to detecting the uplink frame from the ONU, determining that the uplink detection signal from the ONU has been received; and detecting a Signal Detect (SD) signal, and in response to detecting the SD signal, determining that the uplink detection signal from the ONU has been received, wherein the SD signal is generated by the OLT after receiving an uplink optical signal from the ONU. (p. 93: “LOSi”))
Regarding Claim 13, ITU teaches The method of claim 10, wherein sending a downlink signal to the ONU comprises at least one of: sending a downlink frame to the ONU; sending a downlink optical signal to the ONU; sending a bandwidth allocation message to the ONU; sending a Physical Layer Operation Administration and Maintenance (PLOAM) message to the ONU; and sending a Serial Number (SN) request message to the ONU. (p. 93: “LOSi”)) (it’s inherent that the OLT would resume normal communication protocol with the ONU after exiting the loss of signal protocol)
Regarding Claim 18, ITU teaches An Optical Line Terminal (OLT), comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores program instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the signal transmission method of claim 10. (p. 93: “LOSi”)) (its inherent that the OLT in ITU have a processor and memory in order to perform the method taught in ITU.
Regarding Claim 21, ITU teaches The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises at least one of: detecting an uplink frame from the ONU, and in response to detecting the uplink frame from the ONU, determining that the uplink detection signal from the ONU has been received; and detecting a Signal Detect (SD) signal, and in response to detecting the SD signal, determining that the uplink detection signal from the ONU has been received, wherein the SD signal is generated by the OLT after receiving an uplink optical signal from the ONU. (p. 93: “LOSi”))
Regarding Claim 22, A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing program instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the signal transmission method of claim 10. (p. 93: “LOSi”)) (its inherent that the OLT in ITU have a processor and memory in order to perform the method taught in ITU.
Conclusion
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/PAUL MORGAN BROCK/Examiner, Art Unit 2634 June 5, 2026
/KENNETH N VANDERPUYE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2634
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