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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
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`Hajime Maekawa
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`MAT—8680US
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`9170
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`EXAMINER
`RATNERPRESTIA —
`10’2”” —
`7590
`M
`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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`10/23/2012
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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
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`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 04 October 2011.
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`2a)|:l This action is FINAL.
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`2b)IXI 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)IZ 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) _ are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
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`Application Papers
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`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11)I:| The drawing(s) filed on _ is/are: a)|:| accepted or b)|:| objected to by the Examiner.
`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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`12)I:I The oath or declaration is objected to by the Examiner. Note the attached Office Action or form PTO-152.
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`13)|:| Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
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`a)|:| AII
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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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`Attachment(s)
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`
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`1) IZI Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`2) I] Notice of Draftsperson‘s Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
`3) I] Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date _.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`4) I] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper N0(S )/Mai| Date. _
`5)I:I NOTICQ 0f Informal Patent Application
`6)I:I Other:—
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 03-11)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20121020
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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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`This Office Action is in response to the request for continued examination filed on
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`October 4, 2011.
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`2.
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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 with respect to Claims 1, 36, 38, 39 and 41 -53 have been
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`considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references
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`being used in the current rejection.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`2.
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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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`3.
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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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`

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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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`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 (lP Filter 12, Figure 1),
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`the electronic equipment comprising:
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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 related information storage section storing one or more
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`pieces of electronic equipment related information including the first address for
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`accessing the electronic equipment (lP Filter 12 stores electronic equipment related
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`information, pPort, for accessing the electronic equipment. Column 5, Lines 37-
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`55);
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`an electronic equipment identifier index correspondence management section for
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`storing the first address (The electronic equipment identifier, Ethernet Address, is
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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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`stored in a translation table based on the index information, plP. Column 5, Lines
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`37-55);
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`a send information receiving section for receiving the index information from the
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`electronic equipment (Packets are received at lP Filter 12 from Private Node 18.
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`Column 5, Lines 37-41); and
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`an information accessing section for obtaining first address based on the index
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`information (lP Filter 12 uses the translation table to obtain the electronic
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`equipment identifier, Ethernet Address, based on the index information, plP,
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`received from Private Node 18. Column 5, Lines 37-40).
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`wherein the information accessing section accesses the electronic equipment
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`related information based on the first address, and the server uses the electronic
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`equipment related information to access the electronic equipment (lP Filter accesses
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`Private Node 18 by accessing the related information, pPort and plP, to access
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`the electronic equipment. Column 5, Lines 37-55).
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`However, Wooton does not expressly disclose wherein the index information is a
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`memory address for where the first address is stored.
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`Somasundaram, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the index
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`information is a memory address for where the first address is stored (NAT Device
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`receives a packet and uses the source or destination pointers to translate a
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`private address at a memory location in the translation table, of a client device.
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`Paragraph bridging Columns 8 and 9).
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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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`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 pointers as taught by Somasundaram. The motivation would have been to
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`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 6
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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 7
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`Art Unit: 2456
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`Conclusion
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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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`If 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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`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—1000.
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`/KEVIN BATES/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2456
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`/R. B. M./
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`Examiner, Art Unit 2456
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