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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313- 1450
`wwwnsptogov
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`APPLICATION NO.
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` F ING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
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`CONF {MATION NO.
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`10/528,978
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`03/23/2005
`
`Hajime Maekawa
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`MAT—8680US
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`9170
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`EXAMINER
`RATNERPRESTIA —
`W” —
`7590
`W
`PO. BOX 980
`MCADAMS, BRAD
`VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-0980
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`ART UNIT
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`2456
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`MAIL DATE
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`03/28/2013
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`PAPER
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`Office Action Summary
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`Application No.
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`Applicant(s)
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` 10/528,978 MAEKAWA ET AL.
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`ROBERT B. MCADAMS
`2456
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY (30) DAYS,
`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR1. 136(a).
`In no event however may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX () MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1)|Zl Responsive to communication(s) filed on 18 March 2013.
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`2a)IZI This action is FINAL.
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`2b)|:l This action is non-final.
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`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:l Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
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`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims
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`5)|Z Claim(s) 1 36 38 39 and 41-53 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`6)|:| Claim(s)_ is/are allowed.
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`7)|Xl Claim(s) 1 36 38 39 and 41-53 is/are rejected.
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`8)|:| Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
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`9)I:I Claim((s)
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
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`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway
`program at a participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`httn:,I/www usntq. quwua'ertslanr events/
`h/Indexis or send an inquiry to PPeredback us Emmi.
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`Application Papers
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`10)|:| The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11)|:I The drawing(s) filed on _ is/are: a)I:I accepted or b)I:I objected to by the Examiner.
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`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
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`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`12)|:| Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
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`a)I:I All
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`b)|:l Some * c)I:I None of:
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`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No. _
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`3.I:I Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`
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`Attachment(s)
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`1) I] Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`2) D Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 09-12)
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`3) I] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`4) D Other:
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20130321
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 10/528,978
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
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`2.
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`This Office Action is in response to the amendment filed on March 18, 2013.
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`Claims 1, 36, 38-39 and 41 -53 are pending.
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`Response to Arguments
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`1.
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`Applicant's arguments filed 3/18/2013 have been fully considered but they are
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`not persuasive. The Applicant argues the prior art of record fails to teach 1) Accessing
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`a memory address within the server to obtain a first address, and subsequently
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`accessing the first address in the server to obtain an IP address which the server uses
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`to access the electronic equipment and 2) accessing a memory address which is “a
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`location in the data storage”. The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
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`1) The argued limitations of claim 1 requires 3 steps: receive an index, obtain
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`the first address from the index, and obtain the IP address to access the electronic
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`equipment. Somasundaram similarly teaches receiving a packet with a hash value
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`(index), obtaining the source or destination address (first address) from the hash value
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`in the Global Translation Table, and obtaining the IP address to access the electronic
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`equipment by searching for the binding related to the has value to find a source or
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`destination pointer, which points to the memory location where the translated electronic
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`equipment address is stored (Paragraph bridging Column 8 and 9).
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`2) “memory address” is a very broad term which includes memory locations,
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`physical addresses, logical addresses and virtual addresses to name a few. Therefore
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`Application/Control Number: 10/528,978
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`the broadest most reasonable interpretation of a memory address would include
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`anything that points to a memory location. Somasundaram uses the hash code to “point
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`to a memory location” or Global Translation Table, which stores the source or
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`destination address. Furthermore, once address is found, said address is used as a
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`pointer to “point to another memory location" that stores the equipment address.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`1.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`2.
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`Claims 1, 36, 38, 39 and 41-53 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
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`unpatentable over Wooton (U.S. Patent No. 6,128,298) in view of Somasundaram (U.S.
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`Patent No. 7,334,049).
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`As to Claims 1, 36 and 38-39, Wooton discloses an information processing
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`system (Figure 1) comprising: electronic equipment (Client Nodes 18, Figure 1) and a
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`server device (IP Filter 12, Figure 1),
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`the electronic equipment comprising:
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`Application/Control Number: 10/528,978
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`an electronic equipment identifier storing section for storing an electronic equipment
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`identifier that is a first address unique to the electronic equipment (Ethernet Address.
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`Column 4, Lines 55-64);
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`an index information holding section holding index information (Private IP
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`address, plP);
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`a send information sending section for obtaining the index information and
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`sending send information containing the index information to the server device (Client
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`Node 18 sends packets containing the plP to IP Filter 12. Column 5, Lines 36-41).
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`the server device comprising:
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`an electronic equipment identifier index correspondence management section for
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`storing the first address at an address in the data storage in the server device indicated
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`by the memory address; (The electronic equipment identifier, Ethernet Address, is
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`stored in a translation table based on the index information, plP. Column 5, Lines
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`37-55);
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`an electronic equipment related information storage section for storing an
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`electronic equipment related information including an IP address for accessing the
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`electronic equipment in the address indicated by the first address (IP Filter 12 stores
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`electronic equipment related information, pPort, for accessing the electronic
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`equipment. Column 5, Lines 37-55);
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`Application/Control Number: 10/528,978
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`a send information receiving section for receiving the memory address as the
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`index information from the electronic equipment (Packets are received at IP Filter 12
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`from Private Node 18. Column 5, Lines 37-41); and
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`an information accessing section for obtaining the IP address of the electronic
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`equipment from the electronic equipment related information storage section (IP Filter
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`12 uses the translation table to obtain the electronic equipment identifier,
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`Ethernet Address, based on the index information, plP, received from Private
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`Node 18. Column 5, Lines 37-40).
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`However, Wooton does not expressly disclose wherein the accessing the first
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`address using the index to obtain the IP address and related information.
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`Somasundaram, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the information
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`accessing section accesses (i) the memory address indicated by the index information
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`received by the send information receiving section, to obtain the first address, and (ii)
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`the first address obtained from the electronic equipment identifier index correspondence
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`management section to obtain the IP address of the electronic equipment related
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`information to access the electronic equipment wherein the index information is a
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`memory address for where the first address is stored (NAT Device receives a packet
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`including a hash code (index) to the Global Translation Table which stores the
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`source or destination address wherein once the address is found, said address is
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`used as a pointer to find the memory location where the IP address and related
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`equipment information is stored. Paragraph bridging Columns 8 and 9).
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`Application/Control Number: 10/528,978
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`At the time of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill
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`in the art to have combined the information processing system as taught by Wooton
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`with using indexed memory locations as taught by Somasundaram. The motivation
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`would have been to mask private addresses.
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`As to Claims 41 and 42, Wooton-Somasundaram teach the information
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`processing system as previously discussed in Claim 1. Wooton further teachers
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`wherein the electronic equipment related information includes a port number and
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`Internet protocol address for accessing the electronic equipment (Private IP address
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`and Private Port. Column 5, Lines 41-50).
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`As to Claims 43, Wooton-Somasundaram teach the information processing
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`system as previously discussed in Claim 1. Wooton further teachers wherein the
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`electronic equipment identifier is an Internet protocol address associated with the
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`electronic equipment (ilP address. Column 5, Lines 41-50).
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`As to Claims 44 and 47, Wooton-Somasundaram teach the information
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`processing system as previously discussed in Claim 1. Wooton further teachers
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`wherein the electronic equipment identifier is a MAC address associated with the
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`electronic equipment (Ethernet Address. Column 5, Lines 41-50).
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`Application/Control Number: 10/528,978
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`As to Claims 45, 46 and 48-49, Wooton-Somasundaram teach the information
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`processing system as previously discussed in Claim 1. Wooton further teachers
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`wherein the send information does not include the electronic equipment identifier
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`(Private Node 18 sends only the index information, plP addressed to IP Filter 12.
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`Column 5, Lines 37-54).
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`As to Claims 50-52, Wooton-Somasundaram teach the information processing
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`system as previously discussed in Claim 1. Wooton further teachers wherein electronic
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`equipment related information includes an Internet protocol address of a router (lP
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`Filter 12) coupled to the electronic equipment (Wootton; Column 5, Lines 37-67 and
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`Column 6, Lines 1-18).
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`As to Claim 53, Wooton-Somasundaram teach the information processing
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`system as previously discussed in Claim 36. Wooton further teachers wherein the
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`electronic equipment identifier obtained by the information accessing section is the
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`same as an electronic equipment identifier stored at the electronic equipment (Ethernet
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`Address of Private Node 18 is the same the Ethernet Address stored in Ethernet
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`Table 36 of the IP Filter 12. Paragraph bridging Columns 7 and 8).
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`Application/Control Number: 10/528,978
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`Page 8
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`Conclusion
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`2.
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
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`this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP
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`§ 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
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`CFR1.136(a).
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`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
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`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
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`In the event a first reply is filed within
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`TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not
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`mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the
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`shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any
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`extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of
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`the advisory action.
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`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later
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`than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to ROBERT B. MCADAMS whose telephone number is
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`(571)270-3309. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 7am-
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`5pm.
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`lf attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Rupal Dharia can be reached on 571-272—3880. The fax phone number for
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`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 10/528,978
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`Page 9
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
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`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571 -272—1 000.
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`/R. B. M./
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`Examiner, Art Unit 2456
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`/Rupa| D. Dharia/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2456
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`