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 § 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 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated
by Tsiaflakis et al (Pub. No.: US 2023/0095840).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, referring to Figures 1 and 3-5, Tsiaflakis et al
teaches a method for collecting data, the method comprising, at an ONU (i.e., ONU 1 to ONU M, Fig. 3) of an optical distribution network:
receiving (i.e., ONU 1 to ONU M, Fig. 3) downstream data packets in a
downstream frame, each downstream data packet including a layer-2 header comprising at least upstream transmission opportunities and corresponding Alloc-ID's, wherein each Alloc-ID identifies a T-CONT of an ONU of the optical distribution network, wherein the upstream transmission opportunities define upstream bandwidth allocation for the T-CONT of the ONU (i.e., Figs. 1, 3 and 4, page 2, paragraphs [0027]-[0030], page 3, paragraphs [0037]-[0040], and page 4, paragraphs [0041]-[0043]);
extracting (i.e., ONU 1 to ONU M, Fig. 3) at least part of the upstream transmission opportunities and their corresponding Alloc- IDs from the layer-2 headers; and
collecting (i.e., ONU 1 to ONU M, Fig. 3) the at least part of the upstream transmission opportunities and the corresponding Alloc-ID for transmission as a layer-3 output payload (i.e., Figures 1 and 3-5, page 2, paragraphs [0027]-[0030], page 3, paragraphs [0037]-[0040], page 4, paragraphs [0041]-[0043], and page 6, paragraph [0064]).
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 2-7, 10 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being
unpatentable over Tsiaflakis et al (Pub. No.: US 2023/0095840) in view of Kazawa et al (Pub. No.: US 2008/0279554).
Regarding claim 2, Tsiaflakis et al differs from claim 2 in that he fails to specifically teach the receiving, the extracting and the collecting are executed periodically at a time period comprised between 120 us and 130 µs. However, Kazawa et al in Pub. No.: US 2008/0279554 teaches the receiving, the extracting and the collecting are executed periodically at a time period comprised between 120 us and 130 µs (i.e., Figures 1, 2 and 5, page 2, paragraphs [0036]-[0040], and page 3, paragraphs [0041] and [0046]-[0047]). Based on this teaching, it would have been obvious to one having skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the receiving, the extracting and the collecting are executed periodically at a time period comprised between 120 us and 130 µs as taught by K et al in the system of Tsiaflakis et al. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do this since allowing providing communication services capable of satisfying a majority of users and improving the performance of the system.
Regarding claims 3 and 13, the combination of Tsiaflakis et al and Kazawa et al teaches further comprising transmitting the layer-3 output payload to a user output port of the ONU for being further processed by a computer (i.e., computer PC 14, Fig. 1 of Kazawa et al) coupled to the ONU (i.e., ONU 1, Fig. 1 of Kazawa et al).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Tsiaflakis et al and Kazawa et al teaches wherein the layer-3 output payload is an Ethernet packet payload (i.e., Fig. 1 of Kazawa et al).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Tsiaflakis et al and Kazawa et al teaches wherein the optical distribution network (i.e., Figs. 1 and 3 of Tsiaflakis et al, and Fig. 1 of Kazawa et al) is a G-PON, for example an XGS PON and the layer-2 is a transmission convergence layer.
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Tsiaflakis et al and Kazawa et al teaches further comprising: determining that an Alloc-ID comprised in a layer-2 header is an activation Alloc-ID (i.e., Fig. 3 of Tsiaflakis et al, and Figs. 1 and 2 of Kazawa et al); and sending the upstream transmission opportunities as a layer-3 output payload to an OLT of the optical distribution network (i.e., Fig. 3 of Tsiaflakis et al, and Figs. 1 and 2 of Kazawa et al).
Regarding claims 7 and 12, the combination of Tsiaflakis et al and Kazawa et al teaches further comprising storing the layer-3 output payload in a memory of the ONU (i.e., Fig. 3 of Tsiaflakis et al, and Figs. 1 and 2 of Kazawa et al).
Regarding claims 10 and 14, the combination of Tsiaflakis et al and Kazawa et al teaches further comprising: encapsulating the layer-3 output payload as payload in an upstream packet; and transmitting the upstream packet in the upstream direction over the optical distribution network to an optical line termination (OLT) for checking the layer-3 output payload at the OLT (i.e., Fig. 3 of Tsiaflakis et al, and Figs. 1 and 2 of Kazawa et al).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 9 and 15 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.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
applicant's disclosure.
Zhang (US Patent No. 11,805,339) discloses downlink bandwidth transmission method and apparatus for passive optical network.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications
from the examiner should be directed to Hanh Phan whose telephone
number is (571)272-3035. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone
are unsuccessful the examiner's supervisor, Kenneth Vanderpuye, can be
reached on (571)272-3078. The fax phone number for the organization
where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)273-8300. Any
inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or
proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is (703)305-4700.
/HANH PHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634
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