Detailed Action
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-13, 15-21 are pending in the application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on June 9, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, and accordingly, the IDS has been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 5-6, 9-10, 18-21 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.
Regarding claim 5, the claim recites, “the CBR signals.” Claim 1 recites, “carry CBR signals” and “carry multiple CBR signals.” As such, it is not clear which CBR signals are being referred to by “the CBR signals” in claim 5.
Regarding claim 9, the claim recites, “the CBR signal.” It is not clear which CBR signal “the CBR signal” is referring to because claim 1 recites, “CBR signals” and “multiple CBR signals.” Claim 10 is rejected for the same reason as claim 9.
Regarding claim 18, the claim recites, “the CBR signal.” It is not clear which CBR signal “the CBR signal” is referring to because claim 15 recites, “CBR signals” and “multiple CBR signals.” Claim 20 is rejected for the same reason as claim 18.
Regarding claim 18, the claim recites, “the CBR signals.” Claim 15 recites, “CBR signals” and “multiple CBR signals.” As such, it is not clear which CBR signals are being referred to by “the CBR signals” in claim 18.
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 1-4, 7, 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gorshe et al US Patent Publication No. 2025/0365244 (“Gorshe”) in view of Zhang et al. US Patent Publication No. 2021/0194624 (“Zhang”).
Regarding claim 1, Gorshe teaches a carrying method for a constant bit rate (CBR) service, comprising:
transmitting, in a Metro Transport Network (MTN) path, a frame container with a frame length for carrying CBR signals (para. [0028] communication of a CBR client signal via an MTN);
wherein the frame container comprises a data block (D block), and a T block, the frame container is configured to carry multiple CBR signals, and the multiple CBR signals are mapped into first area where a payload is placed in the frame container (para. [0081] multi-frame in order to carry four 2 Mb/s El client signals within the same 10 Gb/s fgMTN channel. source node may use the data bytes of the fgCPU /D/ blocks and at least 5 bytes of the T7 /T/ block).
Gorshe does not expressly teach the frame container with a fixed frame length and comprises an SO block and a payload is placed in the frame container with interleaving based on a fixed byte length
Zhang discloses a frame container with a fixed frame length and comprises an S0 block, a data block (D block), and a T block, where a payload is placed in the frame container with interleaving based on a fixed byte length (fig. 8,9a-9c. para. [0131]-[0132] 8B service bitstream may be considered as sending of a string of consecutive control codes and a string of consecutive data codes in an interleaved manner. structure of a frame may include an S code, a Code, T code, para. [0139] T7 block S0 block, D block. para. [0259] A fixed length of the block unit is 1 byte (8 bits)). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gorche with Zhang’s disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the in the art would have been motivated to do so for reducing overhead of indication information based in part on blocks and block indicators (para. [0013])
Regarding claim 15, Gorshe teaches an electronic device, comprising:
a processor, a memory, and a communication bus; wherein the communication bus is configured to implement a communication connection between the processor and the memory; and
the processor is configured to execute one or more computer programs stored in the memory to cause the electronic device to transmit in a Metro Transport Network (MTN) path, a frame container with a frame length for carrying CBR signals (para. [0028] communication of a CBR client signal via an MTN);
wherein the frame container comprises an S0 block, a data block (D block), and a T block, the frame container is configured to carry multiple CBR signals, and the multiple CBR signals are mapped into a first area where a payload is placed in the frame container (para. [0081] multi-frame in order to carry four 2 Mb/s El client signals within the same 10 Gb/s fgMTN channel. source node may use the data bytes of the fgCPU /D/ blocks and at least 5 bytes of the T7 /T/ block).
Gorshe does not expressly teach the frame container with a fixed frame length and comprises an SO block and a payload is placed in the frame container with interleaving based on a fixed byte length
Zhang discloses a frame container with a fixed frame length and comprises an S0 block, a data block (D block), and a T block, where a payload is placed in the frame container with interleaving based on a fixed byte length (fig. 8,9a-9c. para. [0131]-[0132] 8B service bitstream may be considered as sending of a string of consecutive control codes and a string of consecutive data codes in an interleaved manner. structure of a frame may include an S code, a Code, T code, para. [0139] T7 block S0 block, D block. para. [0259] A fixed length of the block unit is 1 byte (8 bits)). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gorche with Zhang’s disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the in the art would have been motivated to do so for reducing overhead of indication information based in part on blocks and block indicators (para. [0013]).
Regarding claim 16, Gorshe teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the carrying method for a CBR service, wherein the carrying method comprises:
transmitting, in a Metro Transport Network (MTN) path, a frame container with a frame length for carrying CBR signals (para. [0028] communication of a CBR client signal via an MTN);
wherein the frame container comprises an SO block, a data block (D block), and a T block, the frame container is configured to carry multiple CBR signals, and the multiple CBR signals are mapped into a first area where a payload is placed in the frame container (para. [0081] multi-frame in order to carry four 2 Mb/s El client signals within the same 10 Gb/s fgMTN channel. source node may use the data bytes of the fgCPU /D/ blocks and at least 5 bytes of the T7 /T/ block).
Gorshe does not expressly teach the frame container with a fixed frame length and comprises an SO block and a payload is placed in the frame container with interleaving based on a fixed byte length
Zhang discloses a frame container with a fixed frame length and comprises an S0 block, a data block (D block), and a T block, where a payload is placed in the frame container with interleaving based on a fixed byte length (fig. 8,9a-9c. para. [0131]-[0132] 8B service bitstream may be considered as sending of a string of consecutive control codes and a string of consecutive data codes in an interleaved manner. structure of a frame may include an S code, a Code, T code, para. [0139] T7 block S0 block, D block. para. [0259] A fixed length of the block unit is 1 byte (8 bits)). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gorche with Zhang’s disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the in the art would have been motivated to do so for reducing overhead of indication information based in part on blocks and block indicators (para. [0013]).
Regarding claim 2, Gorshe in view of Zhang teach the method according to claim 1, wherein the first area comprises at least one of: an area where the payload is placed in the D block, or an area where the payload is placed in the T block (Gorshe: para. [0081] multi-frame in order to carry four 2 Mb/s El client signals within the same 10 Gb/s fgMTN channel. source node may use the data bytes of the fgCPU /D/ blocks and at least 5 bytes of the T7 /T/ block. Zhang: fig. 8,9a-9c. para. [0131]-[0132] 8B service bitstream may be considered as sending of a string of consecutive control codes and a string of consecutive data codes in an interleaved manner. structure of a frame may include an S code, a Code, T code, para. [0034] T7 block S0 block, D block).
Regarding claim 3, Gorshe in view of Zhang teach the method according to claim 1, wherein the fixed byte length is one byte (Zhang: para. [0259] fixed length of the block unit is 1 byte (8 bits)).
Regarding claim 4, Gorshe does not teach the method according to claim 1, wherein the frame container comprises frame overhead.
Zhang teaches frame container comprising frame overhead (para. [0061] predetermined container is composed of P-bit data blocks. overhead block is used as a frame header of the predetermined container). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gorche with Zhang’s disclosure of providing frame overhead. One of ordinary skill in the in the art would have been motivated to do so for providing indication information.
Regarding claim 7, Gorshe in view of Zhang teach the method according to claim 1, wherein in a case that the frame container does not carry a first CBR signal, in the first area, bytes configured to carry the first CBR signal are padded with a fixed value; and the first CBR signal is any one of the multiple CBR signals (Note: This is a contingent limitation. The claim does not require that the frame container not carry a first CBR signal. Therefore, the step of the claim is not required. See MPEP 2111.04. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a method (or process) claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition(s) precedent are not met.).
Regarding claim 17, Gorshe does not teach the electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the frame container comprises frame overhead.
Zhang teaches a frame container comprising frame overhead (para. [0061] predetermined container is composed of P-bit data blocks. overhead block is used as a frame header of the predetermined container). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gorche with Zhang’s disclosure of providing frame overhead. One of ordinary skill in the in the art would have been motivated to do so for providing indication information.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gorshe in view of Zhang and Li et al. US Patent Publication No. 2024/0223321 (“Li”).
Regarding claim 13, Gorsche does not teach the method according to claim 4, wherein the frame overhead carries clock frequency information; and the clock frequency information comprises timestamps of each of the multiple CBR signals.
Li teaches frame overhead that carries clock frequency information; and the clock frequency information comprises timestamps of CBR signals (para. [0030] first clock frequency information may be carried in at least one of the following content of the first data unit: an overhead area. para. [0169] overhead area may include a general overhead, a mapping overhead. para. [0172] CBR mapping overhead mainly includes a timestamp (TS), a payload length (PLn), and the like. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gorche and Zhang with Li’s disclosure such that the overhead carries clock frequency information of the CBR signals as disclosed by Gorsche. One of ordinary skill in the in the art would have been motivated to do so for providing additional information may be used for identifying and processing the frame.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 11-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 5-6, 9-10, 18-21 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/JOSHUA JOO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2445
