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 . The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 10-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Foreign Patent Publication CN 115314340 A to Kedong (translated publication “Data Packet screening method and device electronic equipment and storage medium” to Kedong)
As to claim 1, Kedong disclose(s) a controller node configured for being connected to at least one further controller node via a communication interface transferring signals between a plurality of controller nodes, wherein the signals comprise identifiers, wherein the controller node comprises an identifier filter, wherein the identifier filter is a hardware filter device and is configured for:
receiving an identifier sent by a further controller node; (Kedong ; data packet identifier; pg. 7)
deciding if the identifier is relevant for the controller node; and (Kedong ; filter data packets only relevant packet are allowed to pass; pg. 7)
if the identifier is relevant for the controller node, performing a task relating to the identifier. (Kedong ; air conditioner controller receives temperature control information to set the temperature; p. 7)
As to claim 2, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the task comprises at least one of:
an operation task; (Kedong ; set the temperature; p. 7)
an output task;
a diagnostics task;
a configuration task.
As to claim 3, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein an identifier which is relevant for the controller node relates to a task the controller node is configured to perform. (Kedong ; data receiving node obtains data packets of a specific data type, i.e. A/C controller receives only air temperature control information; p. 7)
As to claim 4, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the identifier filter is configured for gating identifiers which are irrelevant for the controller node from issuing an interrupt request. (Kedong ; the filters teach gates which screen results for that there are fewer interrupt requests; p. 4)
As to claim 5, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the controller node is configured for acting as a slave controller node with respect to the further controller node. (Kedong ; master slave bus network; p. 2)
As to claim 6, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the controller node is configured for being a part of a controller node network comprising a plurality of controller nodes, specifically at least one master controller node and at least one slave controller node. (Kedong ; multi-master multi-slave bus network; p. 2)
As to claim 10, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the identifier filter comprises an identifier register indicating which identifiers are relevant for the controller node. (Kedong ; identification register; p. 8)
As to claim 11, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the identifier register is a lookup table comprising available identifiers and a corresponding relevance indication for each available identifier.
As to claim 12, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the relevance indication comprises an enable bit for each available identifier.
As to claim 13, Kedong disclose(s) a method for filtering identifiers, comprising:
a) receiving an identifier at an identifier filter of a controller node, wherein the identifier filter is a hardware filter device;
b) deciding if the identifier is relevant for the controller node by using the identifier filter;
and c) if the identifier is relevant for the controller node, performing a task relating to the identifier.
As to claim 14, Kedong disclose(s) a controller node network comprising:
a plurality of controller nodes;
and a communication interface connecting the controller nodes, wherein the communication interface is configured for transferring signals between the controller nodes, wherein the signals comprise identifiers, wherein at least one controller node comprises an identifier filter, wherein the identifier filter is a hardware filter device and is configured for:
receiving an identifier sent by a further controller node;
deciding if the identifier is relevant for the controller node;
and if the identifier is relevant for the controller node, performing a task relating to the identifier.
As to claim 15, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node network of claim 14, wherein the controller node network is a local interconnect network. (Kedong; CAN; p. 2)
As to claim 16, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node network of claim 14 wherein the controller node network comprises one controller node acting as a master controller node with respect to all further controller nodes of the controller node network. (Kedong; master slave bus network; p. 2)
As to claim 17, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node network of claim 14, wherein the controller node acting as a master controller node with respect to all further controller nodes is further connected to a controller area network. (Kedong; CAN; p. 2)
As to claim 18, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node network of claim 14, wherein the communication interface comprises a bus, specifically a serial bus. (Kedong; CAN; p. 2)
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.
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kedong in view NPL publication “Controller Area Network (CAN bus) Tutorial – Message Frame Format” to Voss (“Voss”).
As to claim 7, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1,
But does not expressly disclose wherein the identifier is a part of a header, wherein the header further comprises a synchronization break and a synchronization field, wherein the header is part of a data frame, wherein the data frame further comprises a response, wherein the data frame further comprises a configurable response space separating the header and the response.
Voss discloses the identifier is a part of a header, wherein the header further comprises a synchronization break and a synchronization field, (Voss; SOF bit; and sequence of bits; p. 3) wherein the header is part of a data frame, (Voss; Data Frame; p. 2) wherein the data frame further comprises a response, wherein the data frame further comprises a configurable response space separating the header and the response. (Voss; p.2)
At the time of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to combine the data frame of Voss and the filtering of CAN messages of Kedong. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings as both are concerned with CAN Networks. Voss describes CAN message are in fact data frames with synch field, breaks, and spaces separating parts of the frame. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art the CAN messages of Kedong would have the frame structure described in Voss.
Accordingly, the prior art references teach all of the claimed elements.
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to combine the teachings as all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. “The combination of familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results." See MPEP 2141(I) and (III) quoting Supreme Court decision KSR.
As to claim 8, Kedong-Voss disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a protected identifier, wherein the protected identifier comprises at least one protection measure, specifically at least one verification measure. (Voss; CRC field; p.2)
See similar motivation to rejection to claim 7.
As to claim 9, Kedong-Voss disclose(s) the controller node of claim 1, wherein the protected identifier comprises a parity indicator, specifically at least one parity bit, more specifically two parity bits. (Voss; CRC field 16 bits; p.5)
See similar motivation to rejection to claim 7.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kedong in view of U.S. Patent No. / U.S. Pre-Grant Publication “Introduction to CAN (Controller Area Network)” to Michael (“Michael”).
As to claim 19, Kedong disclose(s) the controller node network of claim 14,
But does not expressly disclose wherein at least one of the controller nodes is a microcontroller.
Michael discloses wherein at least one of the controller nodes is a microcontroller. (Michael; p. 4)
At the time of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to combine the microcontroller of Michael and the control node network of Kedong. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings as both are concerned with CAN networks. Michael describes CAN nodes are microcontrollers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art the CAN nodes of Kedong would have the microcontrollers in Michael, since a CAN network is a network of microcontrollers.
Accordingly, the prior art references teach all of the claimed elements.
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to combine the teachings as all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. “The combination of familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results." See MPEP 2141(I) and (III) quoting Supreme Court decision KSR.
Conclusion
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/BRYAN Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2445
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