UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`15/428,277
`
`02/09/2017
`
`Hideaki YAMASHITA
`
`PANDP0195US
`
`1032
`
`MARK D. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`19TH FLOOR
`CLEVELAND, OH 44115
`
`WANG HARRY Z
`
`ART UNIT
`2185
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`10/10/2018
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`
`following e—mail address(es):
`
`ipdoeket@rennerotto.eom
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Off/09 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/428,277
`Examiner
`HARRY Z WANG
`
`Applicant(s)
`YAMASHITA et al.
`Art Unit
`AIA Status
`2185
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`|f 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).
`
`Status
`
`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 07/31/2018.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2a). This action is FINAL.
`
`2b) C] This action is non-final.
`
`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`
`4)[:] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`
`5)
`
`Claim(s) fl is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`E] Claim(s)
`
`is/are allowed.
`
`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
`
`[:1 Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`6 7
`
`8
`
`
`
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabte. 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
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11). The drawing(s) filed on 02/09/2017 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).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)[:] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`a)I:I All
`
`b)D Some”
`
`C)D None of the:
`
`1.[:]
`
`Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`2.[:]
`
`Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`
`3:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`
`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1) C] Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`2) E] Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20180924
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page 2
`
`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.
`
`Response to Amendment
`
`2.
`
`Claims 1-6 are currently pending.
`
`Response to Arguments
`
`3.
`
`Applica nt's arguments filed 07/31/2018 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
`
`4.
`
`Regarding Applicant’s argu ments that Cohen does not teach ”after the recording medium is
`
`inserted into the digital device," the Examiner respectfully disagrees.
`
`5.
`
`Cohen teachesa host device (Fig. 1, 102, Host)that is connected to a VG device (Fig. 1B, 116,
`
`I/O card)via an I/O interface (Fig. 1B, 104), where the host device accesses the memory ofthe I/O card.
`
`Applicant arguesthat the bus reconstruction does not occur after the recording medium (i.e. the I/O
`
`ca rd) is inserted into the digital device (i.e. host device). However, Cohen discloses that [1135], ”The
`
`processing begins with the I/O device inactive, such as unpowered,in a sleep mode, or b eing in a reset
`
`state (I/O Device Power Off or Reset State 601). The processing contin ues wh en the I/O device
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page 3
`
`becomes active, such as being powered." Furthermore, Cohen discloses that the I/O device contains
`
`[1111], ”one or more of the SSDs, the Switch/Fabric/Intermediate Controller, and/or the Card
`
`Memory are included on a physically identifiable module, card, or pluggable element (e.g. I/O Card
`
`116).” This means that in order to perform the functions of the claim limitations to the l/O ca rd (i.e.
`
`recording medium as per claim language), the l/O ca rd (which is disclosed to be pluggable) must be
`
`inserted into the digitial host device in order to be ”activated."The l/O card cannot activate (i.e. power-
`
`on) itself when it is not inserted into the digital host device. Since the claim limitation does not suggest
`
`that there is a hot-plug detection or port detection required, as long as the device is inserted, the claim
`
`limitation can occur ”after” the l/O device is inserted (i.e. connected to the host), which could be
`
`anytime at all as long as the l/O device is inserted into the host. Thus Cohen discloses ”afterthe
`
`recording medium is inserted into the digital device."
`
`6.
`
`Regarding Applicant’sarguments that Coehn does not teach ”the bus configuration ofthe
`
`local bus is reconstructed based on the information indicating the busconfiguration is acquired from
`
`the information storage unit via the communication unit by the digital device," the Examiner
`
`respectfully disagrees.
`
`7.
`
`Cohen further discloses that the host device (Fig. 13, 102) contains a shadow map (Fig. 13, 108)
`
`that [1117], ”Host 102... enabled to access Shadow Map 108 to save and retrieve all or any portions of
`
`mapping information usable to convert LBAs to block and/or page addresses targeting one or more
`
`portions ofI/Odevice NVM." Thus the shadow map is capable of helping the host 102 to be able to
`
`retrieve mapping information to the various portions of the l/O device 116. Furthermore, [1117], ”the
`
`Shadow Map follows (e.g. shadows) information in one or more ofthe instances of Map 141" and that
`
`[1100], ”Map 141 converts between data addressing used on External Interfaces 110 and data
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page4
`
`addressing used on Device Interfaces 190, using Table 143 to map external data addresses to locations
`
`in NVM 199.” Cohen shows that the shadow map 108 contains information from map 141 that maps
`
`information between the external interface (Fig. 1A, 110) and the different device interfaces(Fig. 1A,
`
`190). Figure 10 of Cohen then shows that the map information is used by the host device in order to use
`
`the existing information about the bus structure (Fig. 10, 1021; [1164], lfthe command is a read
`
`command, or alternatively a read command type (Read 1121R), then the host checks ifthere are any
`
`valid entries in the shadow map for LBAs the read accesses (LBAValid in Shadow Map? 1151).
`
`If any
`
`valid entries are found (Yes 1151Y), then the host issues to the I/Odevice a pre-mapped read
`
`command with location information from thevalid entries) (i.e. map 141 information). Thus, because
`
`the claim language only says that the local bus configuration is reconstructed based on the bus
`
`configuration information, reconstructed bus information can be broadly interpreted as reusing bus
`
`configuration information to tra nsfer data comma nds.
`
`Claim Objections
`
`1.
`
`Claim 5 objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) as being in improper form because a multiple
`
`dependent claim dependent on claims 1 and 4. See MPEP § 608.01(n). For the purposes of examination
`
`this claim will be interpreted as " An infnrmati-an processing apparatus comprising: a nest device having
`
`an interface; the aria pier accarding t0 claim 4, which is cennected to the nest device via the interface;
`
`and the recording medium accnrciing to claim 4."
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page 5
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`2.
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C.102 thatform 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 i nventionwaspatented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale
`orotherwise availableto the public before the effective filing date ofthe claimed invention.
`
`3.
`
`Claims 1 & 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cohen (US
`
`2013/0297894).
`
`4.
`
`Regarding claim 1, Cohen teachesa recording medium (Fig. 1B, 116, Recording medium card)
`
`which is connectable to a digital device (Fig. 1B, 102, Host), the recording medium comprising: a local
`
`bus (Fig. 1B, 116, Local bus 110/180) having a plurality of switches or bridges (Fig. 1B, 103, Switch, 110,
`
`Bridges); a plurality of recording units connected to the local bus (Fig. 1B, 199, NVM recording units); an
`
`information storage unit (Fig. 1B, 141, Map)which stores information indicatinga bus configuration of
`
`the local bus (Paragraph 1100, Map 141 converts between data addressing used on External Interfaces
`
`110 and data addressing used on Device Interfaces 190, usingTable 143 to map external data
`
`addresses to locations in NVM 199); and a communication unit for transferring the information to and
`
`from the digital device (Fig. 1B, 104, Intermediate I/F), wherein, afterthe recording medium is inserted
`
`into the digital device (Fig. 10, 1001A, Initialize), the bus configuration of the local bus is reconstructed
`
`based on the information indicating the bus configuration acquired from the information storage unit
`
`via the communication unit by the digital device (Fig. 10, 1031, Update shadow map; Paragraph0328,
`
`sending the update to the shadowcopy ofthe map from the l/O device to the I/O space memory of
`
`the computing host).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page 6
`
`5.
`
`Regarding claim 2, Cohen teaches the recording medium of claim 1. Cohen further teaches
`
`wherein the local bus is a PCI bus or a PCIe bus (Paragraph 0029, the couplingis via one or more host
`
`interfaces including PCle).
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`6.
`
`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 patentfora claimed invention maynot be obtained, notwithstanding thatthe claimed invention is
`not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, ifthe differences between the claimed inve ntion
`a nd the prior a rt are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the
`effective filingdate ofthe claimed invention to a person having ordinaryskill in the art to which the
`claimed invention pertains. Pa tentabilityshall not be negated bythe manner in which the invention
`was made.
`
`7.
`
`Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Cohen (US 2013/0297894) in
`
`view of Hess (US 2012/0265912).
`
`Regarding claim 3, Cohen teaches the recording medium of claim 2. Cohen does not teach
`
`wherein the communication unit is a sideband bus different from the PCI bus or the PCle bus.
`
`Hess teaches wherein the communication unit is a sideband bus (Fig. 2, Out-of-band control
`
`path; 291, 293, SCL/SDAsideband) different from the PCI bus or the PCle bus (Fig. 2, 295, PCle bus).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before date of application filing to
`
`have modified the recording medium to incorporate the teachings of Hess and include an out-of—band
`
`control path channel in order to configure the bus/card configurations ofthe recording medium card of
`
`Cohen.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page 7
`
`One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make these modifications in order to
`
`prevent the transfer of configuration data over an improperly configured bus (See Hess: Paragraph
`
`0025, untilthefunctional path conductors are configured and initialized correctly, thefunctional path
`
`conductors may not be sufficient to carry the functional path signals ) thus reducing the possibility of
`
`errors occurring in the data (See Hess: Paragraph 0042).
`
`8.
`
`Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatenta ble over Cohen (US
`
`2013/0297894) in view of Freimuth (US 2008/0147904).
`
`9.
`
`Regarding claim 4, Cohen teachesan eda pteriFig. 13, 107) in whicn a recording medium is
`
`inserted anti removed (Fig. 13, 116, Recording medium card), the recording medium including a local
`
`bus (Fig. 13, 116, Local bus 110/180) having a plurality of switches or bridges (Fig. 13, 103, Switch, 110,
`
`Bridges) and an information storage unit which stores information indicating a bus configuration of the
`
`iocai bus (Paragraph 1100, Map 141 converts between data addressing used on External Interfaces 110
`
`and data addressing used on Device Interfaces 190, usingTable 143 to map external data addresses to
`
`locations in NVM 199), the adapter comprising: an information acquisition unit for acquiring the
`
`information indicating tne bus configuration from the information storage unit (Fig. 18, 3.08, Sahadow
`
`map), wherein, after insertion of the recording medium is detected 13‘; the inses‘tiohjremoval detector
`
`(Fig. 10, 1801A}, the bus searcher sets a subordinate bus number of each of‘the piuraiity of switches or
`
`bridges base-2i on the information indicating tne nus configuration acquired by the information
`
`acquisition unit, and then reconstructs the bus configuration (Fig. 3.0, 1031, Undete map).
`
`Cohen teachesa PC|e I/O card with multiple recording units within that transmitsa map of the
`
`local bus configurations to the host device. Cohen does not explicitly teach the adapter comprising: a
`
`bus see rcnerfor setting a bus number from a root bus for each of tire piurality of switches or bridges to
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page 8
`
`construct a bus configuration; ah insertion/removai detector for detecting insertion and removai of the
`
`recording meciiurr: to anti from the adapter; anti an information acquisition unit for acquiring the
`
`information indicating the bus configuration from the information storage unit, wherein, afterinsertion
`
`of the recording meciiurr: is detected by the insertionlrei‘novai detector, the bus searcher sets a
`
`subordinate bus number of each of the oiurality of switches or bridges based on the information
`
`indicating the bus configuration acquired by the information acouisition unit.
`
`Freimuth teaches an adapter (gig. 3, 832, MRmPCii‘v’i; 834., PC3 root compiex), the ada pter
`
`comprising: a bus sea renerfor setting a bus number from a root iaus for each oftne piurality of switches
`
`or bridges to construct a bus configuration (Fig. 8, 332, MR—PCEM}; an insertioni’removai detector for
`
`detecting insertion and reniovai otthe recording medium to and from the adapter {Fig 8, 832, With
`
`PCEM; Paragraph {3269, the operation starts by receiving, in a Witt—Kim, an “Add“ event indicating the
`
`addition eta component to the PCiefahric isteo 26313)}; and an information acquisition unit for
`
`acquiring the information indicating the bus configuration from the information storage unit (Fig. 3, 832,
`
`MRmPCii‘v’i; Fig. 26, 2623, gather characteristic information), wherein, after insertion of the recording
`
`medium is detected by the insertioniremovai detector (Fig. 26, 261i}, Receive add event}, the bus
`
`searcher sets a subordinate bus number of each of the piuraiity of switches or bridges hased on the
`
`information indicating the bus configuration acquired by the information acquisition unit (Fig. 28,
`
`ZEfiGfZE‘ifl, §et ports; Fig. 18, Base addresses}.
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before date of application filing to
`
`have modified the recording medium to incorporate the teachings of Freimuth and include a hot-plug
`
`detection circuitry to detect adding/removal of the device; an adapter connected to a host root bus and
`
`retrieve cha racteristic bus information (Paragraph 0191, The MR-PCIM 2562 maintains a fabric
`
`configu ration data structure 2566 which stores characteristic information) from the information
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page 9
`
`storage units of Cohen, and allocating the bus numbers based on the characteristic bus information
`
`provided.
`
`One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make these modifications because Cohen
`
`discloses a mapping information storage module (See Cohen: Fig. 13, 141) used for translating data
`
`between different bus interfaces which is synonymous and related to the characteristic information of
`
`the bus system of Freimuth (See Freimuth: Paragraph 0210, The MR-PCIM gathers characteristic
`
`information for the added component (step 2620)), thus it would have been obvious to make the
`
`modifications to yield the obvious result of being able to hot-plug devices in to configure them quickly
`
`(See Freimuth: Paragraph 0209) and allow the use of the characteristic information to determine the
`
`bus numbers thus allowing migration of bus settings to enable efficient environments (See Freimuth:
`
`Paragraph 0020).
`
`10.
`
`Regarding claim 5, Cohen in view of Freimuth teaches adapter& recording medium of claim 4.
`
`Cohen further teachesan information processing apparatus comprising: a host device having an
`
`interface (Fig. 13, 102, Host; Paragraph 0066, using a PCle-based host protocol, such as NVM Express,
`
`the updated information is communicated at least in part by the I/O device writing a region in the
`
`memory of the computing host and in forming the computing host with an interrupt; i.e. PCle internal
`
`interface); the adapter(Fig. 13, 107) which is connected to the host device via the interface (Paragraph
`
`0058, a PCle-addressable memory ofthe computing host); and the recording medium (Fig. 13, 104).
`
`11.
`
`Regarding claim 6, Cohen in view of Freimuth teaches the information processing apparatus of
`
`claim 5. Cohen further teaches wherein the digital device is configured by the host device and the
`
`adapter (Fig. 13, Digital device 102).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Num ber: 15/428,277
`Art Unit: 2185
`
`Page 10
`
`Conclusion
`
`8.
`
`THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded ofthe extension of time policy as set forth
`
`in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`
`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHSfrom
`
`the mailing date of this action.
`
`In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHSof the mailing date
`
`of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until afterthe end of the THREE-MONTH
`
`shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory
`
`action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing
`
`date of the advisory action.
`
`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than
`
`SIX MONTHSfrom the mailing date ofthis final action.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to HARRYZ WANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1716. The examiner can
`
`normally be reached on 9 am - 3 pm (Monday-Friday).
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
`
`USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use
`
`the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`Ifattemptsto reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tim
`
`Vo can be reached on 571-272-3642. The fax phone number for the organization where this application
`
`or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regardingthe status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application
`
`Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained
`
`from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available
`
`through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-
`
`