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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-15 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.
The terminology used in the claims are inconsistent with their generally accepted meaning. The applicant’s amendment to the independent claims clarifies the that the non-alternate portion of the mapping relationship is considered an “each zone.” However, this is inconsistent with the concept of “each zone” because, for example, a statement directed to each zone in a mapping relationship would be applicable to all zones in the mapping relationship and not a subset. Suggested language for overcoming this rejection, using Claim 1 as a reference, is provided below:
Claim 1 (Currently Amended),
A wear leveling method for a solid-state drive, comprising:
determining, according to a mapping relationship, an identifier of a first target zone corresponding to an identifier of a to-be-written zone in response to receiving a data write command issued by a host drive unit, wherein the data write command carries the identifier of the to-be-written zone determined by the host drive unit and to-be-written data, the mapping relationship comprises one or more entries, wherein each entry includes an identifier of an alternate zone corresponding to an identifier of a target zone, and the alternate zone of each target zone is a zonetarget zone in the mapping relationship has non-fewest programmed/erased cycles; and
writing the to-be-written data to the first target zone.
The remaining claims are objected to as being dependent from, but failing to cure the deficiencies of, a rejected base claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gary W Cygiel whose telephone number is (571)270-1170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 11am-3pm PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arpan P Savla can be reached at (571) 272-1077. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Gary W. Cygiel/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2137
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