DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. Claims 1-15 are pending.
Priority
3. Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies or papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/05/2025 and 03/11/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. Claims 1-10 and 12-14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Huawei Tech Co LTD (WO 2022/041158 A1 hereinafter “Huawei”).
Referring to claim 1, Huawei discloses a device for performing communication between dies (Huawei – Figs. 9, 10a-b & par. [0007] disclose the switch chip is further configured to forward data received from the at least two network interfaces or the at least one D2D interface to at least one of the at least two network interfaces and the at least one D2D interface.), comprising:
a plurality of dies (Huawei – Figs. 10a-b & par. [0007] disclose the multi-chip package structure includes a package substrate and at least a plurality of switch chips disposed on the package substrate.); and
a one-way communication module (Huawei – Fig. 9 & par. [0100, 0104, 0108] disclose a transmission link 41 may include a first link 411 and a second link 412, wherein a transmission direction of data in the second link 412 (as shown by an arrow in FIG. 9) is opposite to a transmission direction of data in the first link 411 (as shown by an arrow in FIG. 9). A first link 411 including MAC-Rx1, MAC-Tx1; a second link 412 including MAC-Rx2, MAC-Tx2.) for performing communication between the dies by being embedded in each of the plurality of dies (Huawei – Par. [0057-0059] disclose a bandwidth of unidirectional transmission data of a transmission circuit formed between two adjacent D2D interfaces 31 is 14.3 Tbps (128 × 112 = 14.3 Tbps).).
Referring to claim 2, Huawei discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the die includes a master port and a slave port (Huawei – Fig. 9 shows the switch chip 202 having a VSR-Tx and VSR-Rx.).
Referring to claim 3, Huawei discloses the device of claim 2, wherein the one-way communication module converts a request input through the slave port of the die into a packet including a die ID (Huawei – Par. [0009] discloses a scheduling request may be sent between the plurality of switch chips, a scheduling result may be generated, and data may be sent according to the scheduling result, to implement data exchange between the plurality of electrically connected switch chips. Par. [0045, 0047] disclose transmitting and receiving data over the Ethernet. One switch chip 202 is connected to another switch chip through each D2D interface 31 in the at least one D2D interface 31, and two network interfaces 30 are respectively connected to two Ethernet interfaces 101 of the switch 10. The switch chip 202 is used to transmit data between each other by connecting each D2D interface 31 in the at least one D2D interface 31 with one other switch chip 202. Furthermore, the switch chip 202 is also used to forward data received from the at least two network interfaces 30 or the at least one D2D interface 31 to at least one of the at least two network interfaces 30 and the at least one D2D interface 31.).
Referring to claim 4, Huawei discloses the device of claim 3, wherein a one-way communication module receiving the packet compares a destination die ID included in the packet with a die ID of the one-way communication module receiving the packet (Huawei – Fig. 10a & par. [0114] disclose when the VSR-Rx receives the data packet and transmits it to the IPP through MAC-Rx 3. When the switch chip 202 performs layer 2 forwarding, the IPP may read the source MAC address in the packet header, then read the destination MAC address in the packet header, and search the MAC address table for an interface corresponding to the destination MAC address. See par. [0117] discloses the data forwarding process of four switch chips 202-A, switch chips 202-B, switch chips 202-C, and switch chips 202-D that are sequentially connected end to end in the switch 10. Par. [0118] discloses when the data is forwarded in the same switch chip in the switch 10, for example, the switch chip 202-A, the destination switch chip and one of the source switch chips are switch chips 202-A. Par. [0129] discloses specifically, S101 is executed first, so that the data output by each IPP in the switch chip 202-A can be cached in a plurality of VOQ queues that are IB 401 in the switch chip 202-A of the source switch chip. In this case, an IB 401 as a switch chip 202-A of the source switch chip may determine a transmission path, and the transmission path may include: a switch chip 202-B serving as a destination switch chip from a switch chip 202-A serving as a source switch chip.).
Referring to claim 5, Huawei discloses the device of claim 4, wherein, when the destination die ID included in the packet is identical to an ID of a die in which the one-way communication module receiving the packet is embedded, the one-way communication module receiving the packet transfers the packet to a master port of the die in which the one-way communication module receiving the packet is embedded (Huawei – Par. [0125-126] disclose the source switch chip forwards the data to the destination switch chip. The EB 402 May send the data packet to the corresponding MAC-Tx 3 by means of the EPP, and finally send the data packet to the electronic device 11 electrically connected to the MR-TX by means of the MR-TX, so as to complete data forwarding.).
Referring to claim 6, Huawei discloses the device of claim 4, wherein, when the destination die ID included in the packet differs from an ID of a die in which the one-way communication module receiving the packet is embedded, the one-way communication module receiving the packet transfers the packet to a one-way communication module embedded in a die adjacent to the one-way communication module receiving the packet (Huawei – Par. [0129] disclose an IB 401 as a switch chip 202-A of the source switch chip may determine a transmission path, and the transmission path may include: a switch chip 202-B serving as a destination switch chip from a switch chip 202-A serving as a source switch chip.).
Referring to claim 7, Huawei discloses the device of claim 2, wherein the die includes a master interface for communication between the master port and the one-way communication module and a slave interface for communication between the slave port and the one-way communication module (Huawei – Par. [0113] discloses the VSR-Rx for receiving the signal and the VSR-Tx for sending the signal as shown in FIG. 9. In addition, the switch chip 202 further includes a third receiver MAC interface (hereinafter referred to as MAC-Rx 3) and a third transmitter MAC interface (hereinafter referred to as MAC-Tx 3). The MAC-Rx 3 and the MAC-Tx 3 May adopt a standard Ethernet protocol.).
Referring to claim 8, Huawei discloses the device of claim 7, wherein the one-way communication module includes a first FIFO, which performs transmission and reception with the master port through the master interface, and a second FIFO, which performs transmission and reception with the slave port through the slave interface (Huawei – Par. [0113] discloses in addition, the forwarding processing unit in the processor of the switch chip 202 may include an uplink forwarding processing unit (IPP) and an egress pipeline (EPP) as shown in FIG. 9.).
Referring to claim 9, Huawei discloses the device of claim 7, wherein the one-way communication module includes an arbiter for arbitration of transmission and reception of packets (Huawei – Par. [0009] discloses the control logic of the destination switch chip is further configured to generate a scheduling result according to the scheduling request and the bandwidth of the destination AC switching chip; and the control logic of the source switch chip is further configured to: according to the scheduling result, cause the received data to dequeue from the queue, and send the received data to the destination switch chip through the at least one sending path.).
Referring to claim 10, Huawei discloses the device of claim 3, wherein the packet includes at least one of a source die ID, a destination die ID, read/write, a data length, a burst length, a 48-bit address, an MSB/LSB, or 128-bit data, or a combination thereof (Huawei – Par. [0114] discloses when the VSR-Rx receives the data packet and transmits it to the IPP through MAC-Rx 3. When the switch chip 202 performs layer 2 forwarding, the IPP may read the source MAC address in the packet header, then read the destination MAC address in the packet header, and search the MAC address table for an interface corresponding to the destination MAC address.).
Referring to claim 12, Huawei discloses a method for performing communication between dies, comprising:
converting a request into a packet including a die ID (Huawei – Par. [0009] discloses a scheduling request may be sent between the plurality of switch chips, a scheduling result may be generated, and data may be sent according to the scheduling result, to implement data exchange between the plurality of electrically connected switch chips. Par. [0045, 0047] disclose transmitting and receiving data over the Ethernet. One switch chip 202 is connected to another switch chip through each D2D interface 31 in the at least one D2D interface 31, and two network interfaces 30 are respectively connected to two Ethernet interfaces 101 of the switch 10. The switch chip 202 is used to transmit data between each other by connecting each D2D interface 31 in the at least one D2D interface 31 with one other switch chip 202. Furthermore, the switch chip 202 is also used to forward data received from the at least two network interfaces 30 or the at least one D2D interface 31 to at least one of the at least two network interfaces 30 and the at least one D2D interface 31.); and
determining, by a one-way communication module receiving the packet, whether to transmit the packet by comparing a destination die ID included in the packet with a die ID of the one-way communication module receiving the packet (Huawei – Par. [0017] discloses when the switch chip performs layer 2 forwarding, the forwarding processing unit may read the source MAC address in the packet header, then read the destination MAC address in the packet header, and search the MAC address table for an interface corresponding to the destination MAC address. Par. [0133] discloses when the switch 0 forwards the data to the switch chip 202-C, when the switch chip 202-A forwards the data to the switch chip 202-C, the switch chip 202-A may serve as one of the source switch chips and the switch chip 202-C as a destination switch chip. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the data is transmitted in the first reverse direction (for example, clockwise), the switch chip 202-A and the switch chip 202-C are separated by the switch chip 202-B serving as the first intermediate switch chip.).
Referring to claim 13, note the rejection of claim 5 above. The Instant Claim recites substantially same limitations as the above-rejected and is therefore rejected under same prior-art teachings.
Referring to claim 14, note the rejection of claim 6 above. The Instant Claim recites substantially same limitations as the above-rejected and is therefore rejected under same prior-art teachings.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. Claims 11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huawei in view of Maiolani et al. (US Pub. No. 2016/0378393 A1 hereinafter “Maiolani” – IDS Submission).
Referring to claim 11, Huawei discloses the device of claim 3, however, fails to explicitly disclose wherein the request is a read or write request.
Maiolani discloses the request is a read or write request (Maiolani – Par. [0034, 0036] disclose forward the resource access request with the modified position parameter(s) over the port to the further IC module coupled thereto. When the external master 525 wishes to access (e.g. read from or write to) a resource with local address 1000 within the replicated IC module 110 identified as (2, 1) in FIGS. 5 and 7, the external master 525 generates a resource access request having address (x, y, n)=(2, 1, 1000).).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include Maiolani’s teachings with Huawei’s techniques for the benefit of providing an integrated circuit module, an integrated circuit device and a method of decoding resource access requests (Maiolani – par. [0007]).
Referring to claim 15, note the rejection of claim 11 above. The Instant Claim recites substantially same limitations as the above-rejected and is therefore rejected under same prior-art teachings.
Related Prior Art
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a. Mittal et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0243787 A1 hereinafter “Mittal”) discloses a computing system having a memory component with an embedded media controller. The memory component is encapsulated within an integrated circuit (IC) package. The embedded controller within the IC package is configured to: receive incoming packets, via a serial communication interface of the controller, from a serial connection outside of the IC package; convert the incoming packets into commands and addresses according to a predetermined serial communication protocol; operate memory units encapsulated within the IC package according to the commands and the addresses; convert results of at least a portion of the commands into outgoing packets; and transmit the outgoing packets via the serial communication interface to the serial connection outside of the IC package.
Conclusion
The examiner requests, in response to this office action, support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line number(s) in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist the examiner in prosecuting the application. When responding to this office action, applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections. See 37 C.F.R.I .Ill(c).
In amending in reply to a rejection of claims in an application or patent under reexamination, the applicant or patent owner must clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present in view the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. The applicant or patent owner must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAYTON LEWIS-TAYLOR whose telephone number is (571) 2707754. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Thursday, 8AM TO 4PM, EASTERN TIME.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Idriss Alrobaye, can be reached on (571) 270-1023. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Dayton Lewis-Taylor/
Examiner, Art Unit 2181
Prosecution Insights