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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, Claims 1-7, 10 in the reply filed on July 16, 2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Examiner Note
The claims of the application are replete with alternative limitations often making it unclear what applicant intends to claim as their actual invention. In effort to advance prosecution, the examiner recommends limiting the use of alternative limitations. Claims should positively recite all limitations considered to be included as applicants claimed invention. Currently, the claims have been examined utilizing broadest reasonable interpretation and as best understood.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: First mention of the
acronyms “ECN”, “QoS”, and “L4S” should be clearly defined with a complete spelling out of the term. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: First mention of the
acronym “ECT” should be clearly defined with a complete spelling out of the term. Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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) 1-7, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (hereinafter Liu), WO 2024/016277.
In considering claim 1, Liu discloses An information processing method, comprising:
performing, by a first communication device, a first operation, wherein the first operation comprises AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
determining data packet detection information, wherein the data packet detection information comprises ECN information, (pg. 5, last para “When a node along the transmission path is experiencing a congestion condition, for IP packets marked with ECT(0) OR ECT(1), this node may mark the ECN field in IP header as “congested” (code point “11”) to indicate congestion in the transmission path”);
sending the data packet detection information, (pg. 5, last para “When a node along the transmission path is experiencing a congestion condition, for IP packets marked with ECT(0) OR ECT(1), this node may mark the ECN field in IP header as “congested” (code point “11”) to indicate congestion in the transmission path”);
configuring a third requirement or a seventh requirement for a QoS flow; OR
sending the third requirement or the seventh requirement corresponding to the QoS flow, wherein
the third requirement is used to require one of the following: performing the ECN operation for L4S on the uplink and/or the downlink, and performing the congestion monitoring and/or congestion reporting operation on the uplink and/or the downlink; and
the seventh requirement is used to require at least one of the following: performing the first ECN operation and/or the ECN operation for L4S on the uplink and/or the downlink, or performing the congestion monitoring and/or congestion reporting operation on the uplink and/or the downlink.
In considering claim 2, Liu discloses The method according to claim 1, wherein the
ECN information comprises AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: first ECN information (pg. 5, last para “IP packets marked with ECT(0) OR ECT(1)”) , second ECN information, OR third ECN information;
the first ECN information is information used to indicate a first value, (pg. 5, last para “IP packets marked with ECT(0) OR ECT(1)”);
the second ECN information is information used to indicate a second value; and
the third ECN information is information used to indicate a third value.
In considering claims 3-5, the claims further limit an embodiment of the claimed
invention that was not selected from the alternate embodiments listed in parent claim 1. Claims 3-5 therefore hold no patentable weight and are rejected based on their dependency of claim 1.
In considering claim 6, Liu discloses The method according to claim 2, wherein
a representation form of the first value is ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: 10, 2, and ECT(1), (pg. 5, last para “IP packets marked with ECT(0) OR ECT(1)”);
a representation form of the second value is one of the following: 01, 1, and ECT(0); and
a representation form of the third value is one of the following: 11, 3, and congestion experienced CE.
In considering claim 7, Liu discloses The method according to claim 1, wherein the
data packet detection information further comprises AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: source interface information, first data packet detection information (pg. 5, last para “for IP packets marked with ECT(0) OR ECT(1), this node may mark the ECN field in IP header as “congested” (code point “11”) to indicate congestion in the transmission path”), second data packet detection information, third data packet detection information, fourth data packet detection information, fifth data packet detection information, sixth data packet detection information, seventh data packet detection information, eighth data packet detection information, OR ninth data packet detection information.
In considering claim 20, Liu discloses A non-transitory readable storage medium,
wherein the non-transitory readable storage medium stores a program or instructions, (pg. 2, 1st para). Further, while claim 20 recites a different statutory category of invention, the claim recites substantially the same limitations as those in claim 1. Thus, claim 20 is rejected under the same rationale used in the rejection of claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HASSAN A PHILLIPS whose telephone number is (571)272-3940. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Deborah Reynolds can be reached at 571-272-0734. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HASSAN A PHILLIPS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2467
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