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 .
Application # 19/271,984 was filed on 7/17/2025.
Claims 1-20 are subject to examination.
An IDS filed on 8/19/2025 has been fully considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) obtaining a first parameter set having a first identifier and a feature of data flow which is a mental process which can be done using a paper wherein one can receive parameter set in form of a offset, identifier and feature; sending the first parameter set to a device, which can also be deemed a mental process wherein one can take that paper can scan into a device. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the claim recites network device to perform the obtaining and sending steps. The device in both steps is recited at a high-level of generality such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. This additional element does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional element of using network device to perform both steps of obtaining and sending amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive step. The claim is not patent eligible.
With respect to claims 2-10, 12-20, recites limitations which are deemed mental processes. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the claim recites network device to perform the steps. The device in steps is recited at a high-level of generality such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. This additional element does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional element of using network device to perform steps amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive step. The claim is not patent eligible.
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) 1-3, 5-13, 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joshi et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2021/0083967 (hereinafter Joshi) in view of Dutta et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2023/0388220 (hereinafter Dutta)
With respect to claim 1, Joshi teaches a parameter advertisement method, comprising:
-obtaining, by a first network device, a first parameter set (i.e. priority), having a first identifier (i.e. n-tuple identifier sets) and a feature of a data flow (Paragraph 7)
-sending, by the first network device, the first parameter set to a second network device (Paragraph 11-12, 58)
Joshi does not explicitly teach first identifier indicating a compression algorithm.
Dutta teaches first identifier indicates a compression algorithm (Paragraph 41, 43-45); sending the first parameter set (i.e. offset) to a second network device (Paragraph 78, 40, 43-45). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Dutta’s teaching in Joshi’s teaching to come up with having first identifier indicating a compression algorithm. The motivation for doing so would be system can be configured to support source routing using source route compression based on use of address compression.
With respect to claim 2, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but Dutta further teaches wherein the first parameter set further comprises at least one of an offset (Paragraph 78) or a first priority, the offset indicates at least one of a packing start location (i.e. beginning) (Paragraph 78) or a packing end location, and the first priority indicates that a packing function is validated.
With respect to claim 3, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but Joshi further teaches wherein sending, the first parameter set to the second network device comprises: sending, by the first network device, a first border gateway protocol (BGP) packet to the second network device, wherein the first BGP packet comprises the first parameter set (Paragraph 58, 63)
With respect to claim 5, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but Joshi further teaches wherein the first BGP packet is a border gateway protocol flow specification (BGP flow spec) packet (Paragraph 6) or a border gateway protocol Ethernet virtual private network (BGP EVPN) packet
With respect to claim 6, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but Joshi further teaches wherein the first parameter set comprises the offset and the first priority, and the method further comprises: sending, by the first network device, a second BGP packet to the second network device, wherein the second BGP packet comprises the first priority and the feature of the data flow (Paragraph 7, 11-12, 58) and
Joshi does not explicitly teach offset.
Dutta teaches sending, by the first network device, a third BGP packet to the second network device, wherein the third BGP packet comprises the offset and the feature of the data flow. (Paragraph 78, 40, 43-45). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Dutta’s teaching in Joshi’s teaching to come up with having first identifier indicating a compression algorithm. The motivation for doing so would be system can be configured to support source routing using source route compression based on use of address compression.
With respect to claim 7, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but Dutta further teaches wherein sending, the first parameter set to the second network device comprises: sending, by the first network device, an interior gateway protocol (IGP) packet to the second network device (Paragraph 50), wherein the IGP packet comprises a type-length-value (TLV) having a second type, the first identifier, and the feature of the data flow (Paragraph 89-91) and the second type indicates packing (Paragraph 78).
With respect to claim 8, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but Joshi further teaches wherein after sending, the first parameter set to the second network device, the method further comprises: receiving, by the first network device, a first data packet from the second network device, wherein the first data packet comprises the feature of the data flow (Paragraph 7); obtaining, by the first network device, the first identifier based on the first data packet and the feature of the data flow (Paragraph 11-12, 58-59); obtaining, by the first network device, a second data packet based on the first identifier and the first data packet, wherein the second data packet is obtained by unpacking the first data packet based on the first identifier (Paragraph 51) and sending, by the first network device, the second data packet (Paragraph 52, 54)
With respect to claim 9, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but Joshi further teaches wherein after sending, the first parameter set to the second network device, the method further comprises: obtaining, by the first network device, a second parameter set, having a second priority and the feature of the data flow, wherein the second priority indicates that the packing function is invalidated (Paragraph 54); and sending, by the first network device, the second parameter set to the second network device (Paragraph 52, 54)
With respect to claim 10, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but Joshi further teaches wherein after sending, the first parameter set to the second network device, the method further comprises: obtaining, by the first network device, a third parameter set, having a second identifier and the feature of the data flow, wherein the second identifier indicates to withdraw packing or disable a packing function (Paragraph 69); and sending, by the first network device, the third parameter set to the second network device (Paragraph 70).
With respect to claim 11, Joshi teaches a parameter advertisement apparatus disposed in a first network device, the apparatus comprising:
-a processor, and a memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: obtain a first parameter set (i.e. priority), having a first identifier (i.e. n-tuple identifier sets) and a feature of a data flow (Paragraph 7)
sending the first parameter set (Paragraph 11-12, 58)
Joshi does not explicitly teach first identifier indicating a compression algorithm.
Dutta teaches first identifier indicates a compression algorithm (Paragraph 41, 43-45); sending the first parameter set (i.e. offset) to a second network device (Paragraph 78, 40, 43-45). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Dutta’s teaching in Joshi’s teaching to come up with having first identifier indicating a compression algorithm. The motivation for doing so would be system can be configured to support source routing using source route compression based on use of address compression.
With respect to claim 12-13, 15-20 respectively, teaches same limitations as claims 2-3, 5-10 respectively, therefore rejected under same basis.
Claim(s) 4, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joshi et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2021/0083967 (hereinafter Joshi) in view of Dutta et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2023/0388220 (hereinafter Dutta) further in view of Wang et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2019/0104060 (hereinafter Wang)
With respect to claim 4, Joshi and Dutta teaches the method of claim 1, but fails to further teaches wherein a network layer reachability information (NLRI) field in the first BGP packet comprises the feature of the data flow, an extended community attribute field in the first BGP packet comprises a first type and the first identifier, and the first type indicates packing.
Wang teaches wherein a network layer reachability information (NLRI) field in the first BGP packet comprises the feature of the data flow, an extended community attribute field in the first BGP packet comprises a first type and the first identifier, and the first type indicates packing (Paragraph 115). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Wang’s teaching in Joshi and Dutta’s teaching to come up with having network layer reachability information field comprising feature of data flow, community attribute field, identifier. The motivation for doing so would be to route the data flow including network hop information and identify network layer protocol.
With respect to claim 14, it teaches same limitations as claim 4, therefore rejected under same basis.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A). Yang et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2024/0172049
B). Vaidya et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2017/0048147.
C). Matthews et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2011/0051735.
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DHAIRYA A. PATEL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2453
/DHAIRYA A PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2453
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