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.
Claims 1-11 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Poulin [USPAT 6,545,979] in view of Jiang et al. (“Jiang”) [PGPUB 2018/0270144].
Regarding claim 1, the Poulin reference discloses a delay measurement method, comprising: acquiring target time information carried by a first delay measurement packet [ie. OAM loopback cell to acquire target time information; Poulin; figures 1-2; column 5, lines 11-35],
the target time information comprising first time information filled by an intermediate node on a transmission path and second time information filled by a destination node on the transmission path [ie. time stamp from MP2 (“intermediate node”) and time stamp from Node 2 (“destination node”); Poulin; fig 2; col 5, lines 17-44],
wherein the first time information is used to acquire a time of the first delay measurement packet at the intermediate node, and the second time information is used to acquire a time of the first delay measurement packet at the destination node [Poulin; fig 2 and 4; col 5, lines 17-44],
acquiring an accumulative one-way link delay from a source node to the destination node according to the first time information and the second time information [ie. calculate link delay being able to divide Round Trip Delay (RTD) into two (“one-way link delay”); Poulin; col 3, lines 35-67 and col 5, lines 32-54].
The Poulin reference discloses timestamps from different points and nodes [Poulin; fig 2; col 5, lines 17-44]. The Poulin reference does not specifically disclose the timestamps were “residence time”. Also, the Poulin reference does not specifically disclose transmitting a second delay measurement packet comprising the accumulative one-way link delay to the destination node, so that the destination node acquires a one-way delay from the source node to the destination node according to the accumulative one-way link delay.
However, in the same field of endeavor, the Jiang reference discloses residence time [Jiang; fig 2-3; paragraphs 0008, 0045, 0059, and 0066] and transmitting a second delay measurement packet comprising the accumulative one-way link delay to the destination node, so that the destination node acquires a one-way delay from the source node to the destination node according to the accumulative one-way link delay [ie. send link delay to all network nodes (“destination node”); Jiang; para 0048, 0050, and 0075-0076]. The Poulin and Jiang references are analogous art, since they have similar problem solving area in being able to manage transmission delay. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of a residence time and sending link delay, taught by Jiang, into the system, taught by Poulin. The motivation for doing so would have been for nodes to acquire the link delay and low-delay service path [Jiang; para 0006-0007].
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the acquiring target time information carried by a first delay measurement packet comprises: transmitting the first delay measurement packet comprising a loopback flag to the destination node; receiving the first delay measurement packet returned by the destination node according to the loopback flag, wherein the first time information is filled by the intermediate node into the first delay measurement packet in response to the first delay measurement packet residing in the intermediate node on the transmission path and the second time information is filled by the destination node into the first delay measurement packet in response to the first delay measurement packet residing in the destination node on the transmission path; and acquiring the target time information comprising the first time information and the second time information from the first delay measurement packet [Poulin; abstract; fig 2; col 2, lines 11-14 and col 5, lines 17-44] [Jiang; para 0066].
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the target time information further comprises a first transmit timestamp and a first reception timestamp filled by the source node; and the acquiring the target time information comprising the first time information and the second time information from the first delay measurement packet comprises: acquiring, from the first delay measurement packet, the target time information comprising the first time information, the second time information, the first transmit timestamp, and the first reception timestamp [ie. Node 1 (“source”) time it took for cell to leave (“first transmit time”) and come back (“first reception time”); Poulin; col 4, lines 20-24 and col 5, lines 23-44].
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the acquiring an accumulative one-way link delay from a source node to the destination node according to the first time information and the second time information comprises: acquiring the accumulative one-way link delay from the source node to the destination node according to the first time information, the second time information, the first transmit timestamp, and the first reception timestamp [Poulin; col 4, lines 20-24 and col 5, lines 23-54].
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the first time information comprises a first ingress timestamp and a first egress timestamp, and the second time information comprises a second ingress timestamp and a second egress timestamp; and the acquiring the accumulative one-way link delay from the source node to the destination node according to the first time information, the second time information, the first transmit timestamp, and the first reception timestamp comprises: calculating the accumulative one-way link delay from the source node to the destination node according to a difference between the first egress timestamp and the first ingress timestamp, a difference between the second egress timestamp and the second ingress timestamp, and a difference between the first reception timestamp and the first transmit timestamp [ie. processing interval is the time difference between the egress port and the ingress port of the node; Poulin; col 6, lines 26-41].
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the delay measurement method of claim 1, wherein the source node stores a second transmit timestamp when transmitting the first delay measurement packet and a second reception timestamp when receiving the first delay measurement packet; and the acquiring an accumulative one-way link delay from a source node to the destination node according to the first time information and the second time information comprises: acquiring the second transmit timestamp and the second reception timestamp; and acquiring the accumulative one-way link delay from the source node to the destination node according to the second transmit timestamp, the second reception timestamp, the first time information, and the second time information [claim 6 is dependent upon claim 1 (not upon claim 3); ie. Node 1 (“source”) time it took for cell to leave (“second transmit time”) and come back (“second reception time”); Poulin; col 4, lines 20-24 and col 5, lines 23-44].
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the first time information comprises a third ingress timestamp and a third egress timestamp, and the second time information comprises a fourth ingress timestamp and a fourth egress timestamp; and the acquiring the accumulative one-way link delay from the source node to the destination node according to the second transmit timestamp, the second reception timestamp, the first time information, and the second time information comprises: calculating the accumulative one-way link delay from the source node to the destination node according to a difference between the second reception timestamp and the second transmit timestamp, a difference between the third egress timestamp and the third ingress timestamp, and a difference between the fourth egress timestamp and the fourth ingress timestamp [ie. processing interval is the time difference between the egress port and the ingress port of the node; Poulin; col 6, lines 26-41].
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the transmitting a second delay measurement packet comprising the accumulative one-way link delay to the destination node so that the destination node acquires a one-way delay from the source node to the destination node according to the accumulative one-way link delay comprises: generating a second delay measurement packet comprising an accumulative delay field; filling the accumulative one-way link delay into the accumulative delay field; transmitting the second delay measurement packet comprising the accumulative delay field to the destination node, so that the destination node acquires a one-way delay from the source node to the destination node according to information in the accumulative delay field, wherein a residence time of the second delay measurement packet is accumulated, by a node on the transmission path, into the accumulative delay field in response to the second delay measurement packet residing in the node [Poulin; col 4, lines 41-57 and col 5, lines 17-34] [Jiang; para 0060 and 0066].
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the first delay measurement packet and the second delay measurement packet are both an Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) protocol measurement packet, the OAM protocol measurement packet comprises a measurement type flag field, and when the measurement type flag field is set to a first preset value, the OAM protocol measurement packet is configured as the first delay measurement packet; and when the measurement type flag field is set to a second preset value, the OAM protocol measurement packet is configured as the second delay measurement packet [ie. based on OAM cell type; Poulin; fig 2 and 4; col 6, lines 9-18] [Jiang; para 0048, 0050, and 0075-0076].
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the OAM protocol measurement packet further comprises an ingress timestamp field and an egress timestamp field, wherein the ingress timestamp field is used for filling in a timestamp in response to the OAM protocol measurement packet being received, and the egress timestamp field is used for filling in a timestamp in response to the OAM protocol measurement packet being transmitted [Poulin; col 6, lines 11-41].
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses the OAM protocol measurement packet further comprises a residence time field, and the residence time field is used for filling in the residence time of the OAM protocol measurement packet in a node [Poulin; col 6, lines 11-41] [Jiang; fig 2-3; paragraphs 0008, 0045, 0059, and 0066].
Regarding claims 14 and 17-20, the apparatus of claims 14 and 17-20 perform the similar steps as the method of claims 1-5. The combination of Poulin-Jiang teaches the method of claims 1-5, as referenced above. The additional limitations of a “memory”, a “processor”, and a “computer program” are rejected with the citation of column 5, lines 55-63 of Poulin and paragraphs 0092-0093 of Jiang. Therefore, claims 14 and 17-20 are rejected using the same art and rationale set forth above in the rejection of claims 1-5, by the teachings of Poulin-Jiang.
Regarding claim 15, the article of manufacture of claim 15 performs the similar steps as the method of claim 1. The combination of Poulin-Jiang teaches the method of claim 1, as referenced above. The additional limitations of “non-transitory computer-readable storage medium” and a “computer” are rejected with the citation of column 5, lines 55-63 of Poulin and paragraphs 0092-0093 and 0119 of Jiang. Therefore, claim 15 is rejected using the same art and rationale set forth above in the rejection of claim 1, by the teachings of Poulin-Jiang.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses a computer program product, comprising a computer program or computer instructions, wherein the computer program or the computer instructions are stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a processor of a computer device reads the computer program or the computer instructions from the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program or the computer instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the computer device to perform the delay measurement method of claim 1 [Poulin; column 5, lines 55-63] [Jiang; para 0092-0093 and 0119].
Claims 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Poulin-Jiang, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Watve et al. (“Watve”) [PGPUB 2014/0043987].
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses wherein the acquiring an accumulative one-way link delay from a source node to the destination node according to the first time information and the second time information comprises: transmitting the first time information and the second time information, acquires the accumulative one-way link delay from the source node to the destination node according to the first time information and the second time information [Poulin; col 3, lines 35-67 and col 5, lines 32-54] [Jiang; para 0048, 0050, and 0075-0076]. The combination of Poulin-Jiang does not specifically disclose a transmitting information to a network controller.
However, in the same field of endeavor, the Watve reference discloses transmitting information to a network controller [ie. controller 205; Watve; para 0024-0025 and 0034]. The Poulin-Jiang and Watve references are analogous art, since they have similar problem solving area in being able to manage transmission delay. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of a network controller, taught by Watve, into the system, taught by Poulin-Jiang. The motivation for doing so would have been to be able to store the delay by a network controller.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Poulin-Jiang further discloses wherein the transmitting a second delay measurement packet comprising the accumulative one-way link delay to the destination node so that the destination node acquires a one-way delay from the source node to the destination node according to the accumulative one-way link delay comprises: transmitting the second delay measurement packet comprising the accumulative one-way link delay to the destination node, so that the destination node transmits the accumulative one-way link delay to acquire the one-way delay from the source node to the destination node [Poulin; col 3, lines 35-67 and col 5, lines 32-54] [Jiang; para 0048, 0050, and 0075-0076]. The combination of Poulin-Jiang does not specifically disclose a transmitting information to a network controller.
However, in the same field of endeavor, the Watve reference discloses transmitting information to a network controller [ie. controller 205; Watve; para 0024-0025 and 0034]. The Poulin-Jiang and Watve references are analogous art, since they have similar problem solving area in being able to manage transmission delay. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of a network controller, taught by Watve, into the system, taught by Poulin-Jiang. The motivation for doing so would have been to be able to store the delay by a network controller.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Vasseur et al. [USPAT 8,254,272] describes a path computation client and a path computation chain.
Tzeng et al. [PGPUB 2023/0246723 describes two-step peer to peer link delay measurements.
Kini et al. [PGPUB 2021/0203596] describes packet residency time from when a packet ingresses a device to when the packet egresses from the device.
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/JASON D CARDONE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2458