DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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) 1-13 and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent 10,503347 to Humayun et al. in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0292374 to Hutchins et al. in further view of U.S. Patent Application 2020/0004746 to Randall et al or alternatively in view of English Translation of CN 109767842 A.
As to claims 1 and 15, Humayun discloses an outbreak management server system comprising:
a memory device storing (i) case rules each specifying at least one condition for satisfying the respective case rule (Humayun column 41 lines 5-19 see (“An anomaly may be detected based on simple rules and evidence nodes in column 40 lines 64-67 and decision nodes in column 41 lines 1-4), and (ii) instructions therein, the instructions defining a graph database structure for disease outbreak tracking (Humayun column 40 lines 1-13 where Examiner interprets a “graph database structure” as a graph data base uses nodes, edges, and properties to represent and store data and Humayun teaches storing at least an article database structure in a node, edge (connector node) and property (rule) structure), the instructions specifying for a given host that:
a host node is created, the host node being associated with host parameters (Humayun see end user column 37 lines 31-49),
an episode node is connected to the host node via a ‘case’ link, the episode node being associated with episode parameters that are related to a disease classification of the host (Humayun column 41 lines 5-19 and column 61 lines 1-15), and
a rule node is connected to the episode node via a ‘found’ link, the rule node being associated with a case workflow, an assignment, and a notification (Humayun see end user column 37 lines 31-49); and
However, Humayun does not explicitly teach:
an outbreak management server configured to:
receive patient data related to the host,
store at least some of the received patient data to the graph database at one or more parameters of at least one of the host node or the episode node based on contents of the at least some of the received patient data matching parameter definitions of the respective node,
compare parameters of the host node and the episode node to the conditions of the case rules,
responsive to a case rule having at least one condition that first matches the parameters of the host node and episode node, create a link between the rule node and the episode node, use the linkage to cause a case workflow of the case rule to be added for the episode node, the episode node to be assigned to an individual or a team, and a notification to be generated regarding association with the case rule.
Hutchens discloses:
an outbreak management server configured to:
receive patient data related to the host (Hutchins [0045] see health event),
store at least some of the received patient data based on contents of the at least some of the received patient data matching parameter definitions (Hutchins [0045]-[0047] see “assign a priority or severity to the health event before the event is reintroduced into the workflow with the new priority”),
compare parameters of the host node and the episode node to the conditions of the case rules (Hutchins [0053] see “processing nodes 505B and 505C contain different sets of consumers assigned to process health events with different priorities’), and
for a case rule having at least one condition that first matches the parameters of the host node and episode node, create a link between the rule node and the episode node, the linkage causing a case workflow of the case rule to be added for the episode node, the episode node to be assigned to an individual or a team, and a notification to be generated regarding association with the case rule (Hutchins [0047] see workflow manager) the case workflow defining a sequence of steps or actions for obtaining documentation related to the case of the episode node (Hutchins [0018] wherein the workflow The workflows determine actions to take when processing the health events such as notifying a care provider, suppressing or ignoring the event, or storing the event in a data repository.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing of the invention by applicant to assign tasks to a workflow based on detected patient events as in Hutchins in the graph database system of Humayun to improve outbreak detection and hasten management or a response.
However Hutchins and Humayun do not explicitly teach a graph database configured to connect or link nodes via a data relationship. Randall discloses a graph database configured to connect or link nodes via a data relationship (Randall abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing of the invention by applicant to utilize a graph database as in Randall in the system of Hutchins and Humayun to improve processing of data.
Alternatively, CN 109767842 A discloses a graph database configured to connect or link nodes via a data relationship (“Thus, the invention can provide building method for a medical professional knowledge network of a high efficiency. wherein the graphical database comprises image database Neo4J, ArangoDB graph database, OrientDB pattern database, FlockDB graph database, GraphDB pattern database, InfiniteGraph graph database, Titan pattern database, Cayley pattern database. image database is a database of knowledge frame pattern, the format and content of data required in the pattern database after filling to the image database to obtain the knowledge map.
It should be noted that, the knowledge map is mainly to nodes and edges to show the relationship between data and data, compared with the advantages of the traditional relational database can quickly solve the complex problem of relationship, such as in social network relationships between person and person.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing of the invention by applicant to utilize a graph database as in CN 109767842 A in the system of Hutchins and Humayun to improve efficiency when processing of data.
As to claims 2 and 16, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Humayun discloses the system wherein the case rules are arranged in an order or hierarchy (Humayun column 44 lines 23-41), and
wherein the outbreak management server is further configured to sequentially compare the one or more conditions of each of the case rules to the parameters of the host node and episode node until there is a match to one case rule (Humayun column 44 lines 23-41).
As to claims 3 and 17, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Humayun discloses the system wherein the case workflow additionally defines a sequence of steps specified by objects for managing a disease associated with the episode node (Humayun column 56 lines 1-32).
As to claims 4 and 18, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Hutchins discloses the system wherein the outbreak management server is further configured to use the assignment of the case rule to create a leakage between the episode node and a node of an individual or a team via an ‘assigned’ link (Hutchins [0047] see workflow manager).
As to claims 5, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Humayun discloses the system wherein the notification identifies one or more individuals or organizations that should receive a message indicative of the case rule being satisfied for the host node and the episode node (Humayun see end user column 37 lines 31-49).
As to claims 6 and 19, see the discussion of claim 5, additionally, Hutchins discloses the system wherein the case rule includes guidance information for treating the case, the guidance information being included within the message that is related to the notification (Hutchins [0025]).
As to claim 7, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Hutchins discloses the system wherein each of the case rules are data structures or files that include the one or more conditions, assignment information, a link to the case workflow, and notification information (Hutchins [0026] Examiner notes that the contents of a file containing particular data is non-functional descriptive data and is anticipated by the file of Hutchins).
As to claims 8 and 20, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Humayun discloses an outbreak node (Humayun column 41 lines 5-19). Hutchins discloses the system wherein after the case workflow is completed, the management server is further configured to connect an outbreak node to the episode node via a ‘part of link to indicate that the host has become part of an disease when a result of the workflow is indicative that the case is associated with the disease (Hutchins [0018]) and
Wherein the node is connected to a definition node via a ‘defined as’ link, the definition node specifying disease parameters of the disease that are related to the outbreak node (Hutchins [0018]).
As to claim 9, see the discussion of claim 8, additionally, Humayun discloses the system wherein the disease parameters include at least one of a time/place related to the disease (Humayun column 56 lines 1-32).
As to claim 10, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Humayun discloses the system wherein the server is further configured to connect the host node to the outbreak node via the episode node after determining at least some of the patient data matches at least some of the disease parameters of the definition node (Humayun column 41 lines 5-19 and column 61 lines 1-15).
As to claim 11, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Humayun discloses the system wherein the host parameters include a patient classification flag(Humayun see end user column 37 lines 31-49),
As to claim 12, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Humayun discloses the system wherein the episode parameters include at least one of a ‘confirmed’ classification for the disease for the host (Humayun column 34 lines 16-20).
As to claim 14, see the discussion of claim 1, additionally, Humayun discloses the system, wherein the outbreak management server is further configured to: receive at least one of a geographic location or a journey associated with the host node (Humayun see end user column 37 lines 31-49).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent 10,503,347 to Humayun et al. in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0292374 to Hutchins et al. in further view of U.S. Patent Application 2020/0004746 to Randall et al or alternatively in view of English Translation of CN 109767842 A. in view of OFFICIAL NOTICE
As to claim 13, see the discussion of claim 1, however, Humayun and Hutchins do not explicitly teach the system wherein the outbreak management server is further configured to generate a case number for the respective episode parameter of the episode node after determining a ‘confirmed’ or a ‘probable’ classification for the host. Examiner takes OFFICIAL NOTICE that assigning case numbers to a detected event is exceedingly well known in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing of the invention by applicant to assign case numbers to the detected cases meeting a criteria as in the outbreak detection of Humayun and event detection of Hutchens to improve organization for further data processing.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that there no motivation to combine the references with respect to Humayun , Hutchens, and CN 109767842. The following motivations were provided: It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention by applicant to assign tasks to a workflow based on detected patient events as in Hutchins in the graph database system of Humayun to improve outbreak detection and hasten management or a response. That is, the combination of outbreak detection algorithm of Humayun and the workflow management of Hutchens would allow for an outbreak to be more quickly and effectively responded to. With respect to the combination with CN 109767842 A or Randal, CN 109767842 A itself notes an improvement to processing efficiency as cited in the rejection. Motivations were therefore provided.
Applicant argues that it would not have been obvious to modify Randall or Ping with Humayun and Hutchens for reasons of impermissible hindsight. In response to applicant's argument that the examiner's conclusion of obviousness is based upon improper hindsight reasoning, it must be recognized that any judgment on obviousness is in a sense necessarily a reconstruction based upon hindsight reasoning. But so long as it takes into account only knowledge which was within the level of ordinary skill at the time the claimed invention was made, and does not include knowledge gleaned only from the applicant's disclosure, such a reconstruction is proper. See In re McLaughlin, 443 F.2d 1392, 170 USPQ 209 (CCPA 1971). With respect to Randall the motivation to combine is similar to CN 109767842 A which itself recognizes processing efficiencies associated with the particular data structure. Examiner further notes that Randall is prior art with a filing date of 7/2/2019 and publication date of 1/2/2020 which is more than a year before the effective filing date (4/20/21).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the 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 MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Eliza Lam whose telephone number is (571)270-7052. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-4:30PST.
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/ELIZA A LAM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3686
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