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 .
Detailed Action
In amendments dated 6/23/25, Applicant amended claims 1, 4-5, 8, 10-11, 14-15, 18, and 20, canceled no claims, and added no new claims. Claims 1-2, 4-12, and 14-20 are presented for examination.
Objections
Claims 1 and 11 are objected to because of the following informality: the fifth limitation in each claim recited “the extracted terms” but the third limitation recites “extracting key terms” so “the extracted terms” lacks antecedent basis.
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 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 1-2, 4-12, and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to mental processes without significantly more. Independent claims 1 and 11 each recites parsing, by the lightweight software layer, the data event notification to identify the data; analyzing, by the lightweight software layer, the data and content of the data according to a rule by extracting key terms from the content of the data; and based on the analyzing, automatically generating, by the lightweight software layer, metadata pertaining to the data, a metadata change pertaining to the data based on the data event notification, and metadata regarding the content of the data according to the rule so that the metadata regarding the content of the data includes a key value pair when a condition in the rule is found in the extracted terms from the content of the data. Parsing data, analyzing data, and generating metadata are mental processes accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Each claim recites additional elements of receiving, by a lightweight software layer, a data event notification, which is automatically generated by a data storage site, in response to a data state change to data based on an input/output operation request by a data operator; and retrieving, by the lightweight software layer, the data based on the data event notification, wherein the data is retrieved in response to provision of a suitable credential that is verified by a credential store that is associated with the lightweight software layer, which are both input steps and insignificant extra-solution activity; transmitting, by the lightweight software layer, the generated metadata including the metadata pertaining to the data, the metadata regarding the content of the data, and the metadata change to a repository; and automatically updating a catalog in the repository based on the transmitted metadata, which are both output steps and insignificant extra-solution activity; and wherein the lightweight software layer is not located inline in a data path between the data storage site and the data operator such that a second data path between the data storage site and the lightweight software layer is independent of the data path between the data storage site and the data operator, wherein the repository enables users to access the catalog by a query, and wherein, upon receiving an event notification of deletion of the data, the lightweight software layer takes an action to update metadata to indicate that the data is no longer available. which are each insignificant extra-solution activity. Claims 1 and 11 each recites a lightweight software layer and claim 11 recites a non-transitory storage medium which are generic components of a computer system. Examiner notes paragraph 0002 discusses the painful task of a businesses generating meaningful metadata from their data and paragraph 0005 discusses how creating a customized metadata generation process for each new situation is time-consuming and expensive. Paragraph 0013 discusses automatically generated data notifications, persisting metadata derived from the data incident to data event notifications, and automatically generated metadata in response to the event notification, which are each claimed. However, the claim steps do not recite a particular improvement in any technology or function of a computer per MPEP 2106.04(d) and do not recite any unconventional steps in the invention per MPEP 2106.05(a). Therefore, the recited mental processes are not integrated into a practical application.
Taking the claims as whole, receiving a data event notification is routine and conventional in the art per Sinha et al (US 20220318204, paragraph 0020 receiving an event data message), Ramaswamy et al (US 20220188719, paragraph 0283 receiving notification of a file event), and Myneni et al (US 20210182388, paragraph 0038 receiving an alert for a file event). Transmitting metadata to a repository and enables users to access the catalog by a query are each sending data across a network per specification paragraph 0071 (“embodiments of the invention may be performed in client-server environments, whether network or local environments, “) and is each routine and conventional in the art per the list of such actions in MPEP 2016.05(d) part II. Automatically updating a catalog in the repository and updating metadata to indicate that the data is no longer available are each storing data which is routine and conventional in the art per the list of such actions in MPEP 2016.05(d) part II. Also, retrieving, by the lightweight software layer, the data based on the data event notification is retrieving data from memory which is routine and conventional in the art per the list of such actions in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. A lightweight software layer that is not located inline in a data path between the data storage site and the data operator describes a path for sending and receiving data which is routine and conventional in the art per the list of such actions in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Also, having a second data path between the data storage site and the lightweight software layer that is independent of the data path between the data storage site and the data operator is routine and conventional per Glover (US 2016-147896 paragraph 0032 figure 1B, path 1 from data sources 130 and user devices 200 is different from path 2 between user devices 200 and search systems 300) and Xu (US 20130144860 paragraphs 0025-0026 figure 1 path 1 between storage 120 and client 110 different then path 2 between client 110 and extractor 112 and server system 140). The lightweight software layer in claims 1 and 11 and the non-transitory storage medium in claim 11 are still generic computer components. Thus these claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited mental processes.
Claims 2 and 12 each recites wherein the generated metadata is different from metadata concerning the data, and which existed prior to creation of the generated metadata, and generating metadata is a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claims 4 and 14 each recites wherein the method is performed out-of-band with respect to a data path extending between entities that were involved in performance of a data event that corresponds to the data event notification, and performing operations a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claims 5 and 15 each recites wherein the repository is automatically updated when a change is made to the data, and updating a repository is saving data which is routine and conventional per the list of such actions in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Claims 6 and 16 each recites wherein the data event notification is received from a data storage site, and receiving data from storage is routine and conventional per the list of such actions in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II.
Claims 7 and 17 each recites wherein one or more of the retrieving, analyzing, generating, and transmitting, are performed automatically in response to receipt of the data event notification, and performing operations a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claims 8 and 18 each recites wherein the lightweight software layer is integrated together with an entity that generated the data event notification, and is also integrated together with the repository, and integrating software layers with entities is sending data across a network which is routine and conventional per the list of such actions in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Claims 9 and 19 each recites wherein the data event notification pertains to an operation performed on the data, and/or to an operation performed in handling the data, and notifying of an event is a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claims 10 and 20 each recites wherein the analyzing comprises determining if the rule is applicable to the content of data, and analyzing data is a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper.
Responses to Applicant’s Remarks
Regarding objections to claims 4 and 14 for antecedent basis of “the recited operations,” in view of amendments removing this language, these objections are withdrawn. Regarding rejections of claims 1-2, 4-12, and 14-20 under 35 U.S.C. 102 by Dain, Applicant’s amendments overcome Dain’s teachings, in particular analyzing the data and content of the data according to a rule by extracting key terms from the content of the data, thus these rejections are withdrawn. Regarding rejections of claims 1-2, 4-12, and 14-20 under 35 U.S.C. 101 for reciting mental processes without significantly more, Applicant’s arguments and amendments have been considered but are not persuasive. On page 10 of is Remarks Applicant asserts “claims 1 and 11 provide a specific way to address the problem.” Examiner construes the problem as “crawl a source repository periodically to identify new data, use manual crafting of document parsing to generate content metadata, and manually craft connectors for persistence layers in which metadata should be stored,” as excerpted from specification paragraph 0005. Examiner notes the recited claims do not specifically preclude these activities, for example “retrieving … the data based on the data event notification” could be crawling or accomplished after crawling for said data. Furthermore, the parsing, retrieving, analyzing, and generating actions as well as taking an action to update metadata are each recited broadly and without details from the invention that may show an improvement in a technology or a function of a computer, which is required per MPEP 2106.04(d) for a practical application as shown in the rejections maintained above.
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.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRUCE M MOSER whose telephone number is (571)270-1718. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
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/BRUCE M MOSER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2154 8/29/05