Phong DangDETAILED ACTION
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, feature(s) in the limitations below must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
“Memory storing a plurality of protocol”
“A selection unit”
“A vehicle module”
“A processor configured to generate data for transmission”
“A bus connection configured to couple to a data bus”
“Bus-detection circuitry coupled to the bus connection”
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “selection unit configured to choose one of the plurality of protocol” in claims 1 and 14.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-8 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim limitation “selection unit configured to choose one of the plurality of protocol” invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. However, the written description fails to disclose the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the entire claimed function and to clearly link the structure, material, or acts to the function. The Specification as filed is silent regarding which part(s) is/are construed as the selection unit and/or performing the selecting function of the selection unit. Therefore, the claim is indefinite and is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
Applicant may:
(a) Amend the claim so that the claim limitation will no longer be interpreted as a limitation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph;
(b) Amend the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites what structure, material, or acts perform the entire claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(c) Amend the written description of the specification such that it clearly links the structure, material, or acts disclosed therein to the function recited in the claim, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)).
If applicant is of the opinion that the written description of the specification already implicitly or inherently discloses the corresponding structure, material, or acts and clearly links them to the function so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize what structure, material, or acts perform the claimed function, applicant should clarify the record by either:
(a) Amending the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function and clearly links or associates the structure, material, or acts to the claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(b) Stating on the record what the corresponding structure, material, or acts, which are implicitly or inherently set forth in the written description of the specification, perform the claimed function. For more information, see 37 CFR 1.75(d) and MPEP §§ 608.01(o) and 2181.
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 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mizuno et al US 20050265377.
Regarding claim 9, Mizuno teaches method for communicating modulated data along a serial bus, comprising:
by an integrated circuit (see figure 1 and figure 2, interface module 1-1):
determining a desired protocol for serial data transmission from a plurality of protocols (see para 0040, The selector 151 in the protocol processing unit 15 is also controlled by the output signal S18 from the above mode switching circuit 18 to activate either the Fibre Channel protocol processing part 150A or Gigabit Ethernet protocol processing part 150B);
modulating data to form the modulated data based on the determined protocol; and communicating the modulated data along a serial bus (see para 0042, the part 150A or 150B performs protocol processing on transmission data received from the storage control unit 20 and outputs the transmission data).
Regarding claim 10, Mizuno further teaches receiving an indictor signal; and wherein the determining is based at least in part on the received indicator signal (see figure 2 and para 0043, the switch control signal S20 from the storage control unit 20).
Regarding claim 11, Mizuno further teaches receiving data for transmission; and wherein the modulating data to form the modulated data comprises modulating the received data (see para 0042, transmission data received from the storage control unit 20).
Regarding claim 12, Mizuno further teaches selecting, using a multiplexer, a data pathway based at least in part on the desired protocol (the selector 151 is construed as a multiplexer since it selects one I/O from two different parts as disclosed in para 0040).
Regarding claim 13, Mizuno further teaches reading an indictor signal from a memory; and wherein the determining is based at least in part on the indicator signal (see para 0028, the communicate mode selection information may be set automatically from a control program running in the storage control unit or set in response to a command issued from an external management console to the control program).
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 1-8, and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizuno et al US 20050265377 and in view of Amancherla et al US 20180351654.
Regarding claim 1, Mizuno teaches an integrated circuit, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a Universal Data Bus Serializer (see figure 1 and figure 2, interface module 1-1 comprising the interface processing unit 10, also see para 0032, The interface processing unit 10 is comprised of a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) 13), and the Universal Data Bus Serializer comprises:
an input configured to receive data for transmission over a data bus (input of the I/O port P-1);
memory storing a plurality of protocol operating instructions, wherein each protocol operating instruction corresponds to a given operating protocol (memory storing protocol software 150A, 150B of protocol processing unit 15, see para 0040, The protocol processing parts 150A and 150B may be prepared as software which is executed by a microprocessor composing the protocol processing unit 15);
a selection unit (mode switching unit 18, selector 151 and selector 17 as the selection unit), coupled to the input and the memory, configured to choose one of the plurality of protocol operating instructions based on a given protocol (see para 0040, The selector 151 in the protocol processing unit 15 is also controlled by the output signal S18 from the above mode switching circuit 18 to activate either the Fibre Channel protocol processing part 150A or Gigabit Ethernet protocol processing part 150B); and
a serial data output configured to couple to the data bus and output serial data based at least in part on the given protocol (output at the SERDES 13, see para 0042, the part 150A or 150B performs protocol processing on transmission data received from the storage control unit 20 and outputs the transmission data).
But Mizuno fails to teach the system is a data bus of a vehicle.
However, Amancherla teaches a similar protocol conversion system for a data bus of a vehicle (see figure 1, protocol converter 126 for vehicle data bus 118).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the protocol conversion system of Mizuno and incorporate the system into a data bus of a vehicle.
The motivation for doing so is to improve the compatibility of the vehicle communication system.
Regarding claim 2, Mizuno further teaches an indicator signal input, wherein the selection unit is configured to choose the given protocol based at least in part on the indicator signal input (see figure 2 and para 0043, the switch control signal S20 from the storage control unit 20).
Regarding claim 3, Mizuno further teaches the input is configured to receive data from a processor of a module (see para 0042, transmission data received from the storage control unit 20).
Regarding claim 4, Mizuno further teaches the input is configured to receive a binary input signal (see para 0026, 8B/10B encoding).
Regarding claim 5, Mizuno further teaches the selection unit comprises a multiplexer (the selector 151 is construed as a multiplexer since it selects one I/O from two different parts as disclosed in para 0040).
Regarding claim 6, Mizuno further teaches the selection unit comprises a modulation processor configured to modulate data based at least in part on one of the given protocol (see para 0038, Because the data transmission rates differ between the Fiber Channel and Gigabit Ethernet as described above, in the present embodiment, the clock oscillator 16A with a reference frequency of 106.25 MHz for Fibre Channel and the clock oscillator 16B with a reference frequency 125 MHz for Gigabit Ethernet are prepared and clock frequency to be supplied to the SERDES 13 is switched by the selector 17 e.g. providing two different modulation frequencies for the two protocols).
Regarding claim 7, Mizuno further teaches the memory is configured to store an instruction for the selection unit to select the given protocol (see para 0028, the communicate mode selection information may be set automatically from a control program running in the storage control unit or set in response to a command issued from an external management console to the control program).
Regarding claim 8, Amancherla further teaches the integrated circuit is included in a vehicle (see para 0005, a bus input-output (I/O) processor coupled to a vehicle data bus onboard a vehicle).
Regarding claim 14, Mizuno teaches an integrated circuit comprising a Universal Data Bus Serializer (see figure 1 and figure 2, interface module 1-1 comprising the interface processing unit 10, also see para 0032, The interface processing unit 10 is comprised of a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) 13), wherein the Universal Data Bus Serializer comprises:
an input configured to receive input data from a processor (input of the I/O port P-1, see para 0042, transmission data received from the storage control unit 20);
memory storing a plurality of protocol operating instructions, wherein each protocol operating instruction corresponds to a given operating protocol (memory storing protocol software 150A, 150B of protocol processing unit 15, see para 0040, The protocol processing parts 150A and 150B may be prepared as software which is executed by a microprocessor composing the protocol processing unit 15);
a selection unit (mode switching unit 18, selector 151 and selector 17 as the selection unit), coupled to the input and the memory, configured to choose one of the plurality of protocol operating instructions based at least in part on a given protocol (see para 0040, The selector 151 in the protocol processing unit 15 is also controlled by the output signal S18 from the above mode switching circuit 18 to activate either the Fibre Channel protocol processing part 150A or Gigabit Ethernet protocol processing part 150B); and
a serial data output configured to couple to a bus connection, wherein the Universal Data Bus Serializer is configured to output serial data from the serial data output by modulating the input data based at least in part on the given protocol (output at the SERDES 13, see para 0042, the part 150A or 150B performs protocol processing on transmission data received from the storage control unit 20 and outputs the transmission data).
But Mizuno fails to teach the integrated circuit is implemented in a vehicle module, comprising: the processor configured to generate data for transmission and a bus connection configured to couple to a data bus of a vehicle;
However, Amancherla teaches a similar protocol conversion system implemented in a vehicle module, comprising: the processor configured to generate data for transmission and a bus connection configured to couple to a data bus of a vehicle (see figure 1, on-board data processing device 114 and vehicle data bus 118);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the protocol conversion system of Mizuno and incorporate the system into a data bus of a vehicle.
The motivation for doing so is to improve the compatibility of the vehicle communication system.
Regarding claim 15, Mizuno further teaches the integrated circuit further comprises an indicator signal input; and wherein the selection unit is configured to choose the given protocol based at least in part on an indicator signal received via the indicator signal input (see figure 2 and para 0043, the switch control signal S20 from the storage control unit 20).
Regarding claim 16, Mizuno further teaches the processor is configured to generate the indicator signal (see para 0043, the switch control signal S20 from the storage control unit 20).
Regarding claim 17, Amancherla further teaches the vehicle module comprises bus-detection circuitry coupled to the bus connection; and wherein the bus-detection circuitry is configured to determine a protocol of the bus and communicate a bus indication signal to the indicator signal input (see para 0017, the Bus I/O Processor 120 receives an uplink communication from the mobile computing device 150, it knows which protocol to convert the communication into based on which on-board data processing device 114 is intended to receive the communication).
Regarding claim 18, Mizuno further teaches the selection unit comprises a multiplexer (the selector 151 is construed as a multiplexer since it selects one I/O from two different parts as disclosed in para 0040).
Regarding claim 19, Mizuno further teaches the selection unit comprises a modulation processor configured to modulate data based at least in part on the given protocol (see para 0038, Because the data transmission rates differ between the Fiber Channel and Gigabit Ethernet as described above, in the present embodiment, the clock oscillator 16A with a reference frequency of 106.25 MHz for Fibre Channel and the clock oscillator 16B with a reference frequency 125 MHz for Gigabit Ethernet are prepared and clock frequency to be supplied to the SERDES 13 is switched by the selector 17 e.g. providing two different modulation frequencies for the two protocols).
Regarding claim 20, Mizuno further teaches the memory is configured to store an instruction for the selection unit to select the given protocol (see para 0028, the communicate mode selection information may be set automatically from a control program running in the storage control unit or set in response to a command issued from an external management console to the control program).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yamada et al US Patent No. 11,831,739 discloses a SERDES for a vehicle data bus performing protocol conversion on a received data signal
Yamada et al US 20220286321 discloses a vehicle communication network hub with a multi-protocol signal converter
Rennig et al US 20220191059 discloses a vehicle communication bus supporting two different encoding protocols and signal modulation to support the protocols
Wiley US 20170019186 discloses a multi-protocol signal bridge
Norden US 20050210177 discloses a switch having a multiplexer configurable for a plurality of communication protocol
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHONG H DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-0470. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30AM - 6:00PM.
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/PHONG H DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2184