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 .
Response to Arguments
In response to claim objection, filed 11/06/2025 on page 7 of the remarks, the claim objection has been withdrawn in light of claim amendment.
In response to 35 USC 112, filed 11/06/2025 on pages 7-8 of the remarks, the 35 USC 112 has been withdrawn in light of claim amendment.
In response to 35 USC 103, filed 11/06/2025 on pages 8-10 of the remarks, applicant argues that Hasegawa-Li fails to teach “determine, when more than one of the second hash values matches the first hash value, that the private information accumulated in the information accumulation server is falsified”.
Applicant’s argument have been considered but are moot, because the newly recited amendment does not rely on the newly recited reference being applied to the prior rejection of record or any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 5, 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasegawa et al. ( US 20210090091 hereinafter Hasegawa) in view of Li (US 11562375) and in further view of Henry (US 20150134977).
Re. claim 5, Hasegawa discloses an information system comprising: an information accumulation server, the information accumulation server comprising at least one first memory storing instructions and at least one first processor configured to execute the instructions to (Hasegawa discloses memory and processor [0036]); acquire first information containing public information and private information (Hasegawa discloses the data sent from the client device 200 to the server device 100 includes a file name that is data identification information that identifies data and an XML file. The XML file includes, as information read and generated by the input unit 204, information such as a manufacturer ID, a product name, and a manufacturing number, which is stakeholder identification information that identifies a stakeholder operating a client device [0044] Fig.1 ); transmit the acquired first information to the information provision server (Hasegawa [0044][0055]); and accumulate the private information of the first information (Hasegawa [0044][0055]); an information provision server, the information provision server comprising: at least one second memory storing instructions and at least one second processor configured to execute the instructions to (Hasegawa discloses memory and processor [0036]); acquire the first information from the information accumulation server (Hasegawa discloses The server device 100 issues Tx to the blockchain 300, and the issued Tx includes an ID of Tx and a file name, as well as a hash value generated by hash processing [0069]); generate second information containing the public information of the first information and the first hash value; register the second information on a distributed ledger by means of a blockchain (Hasegawa discloses data structure stored in the blockchain 300. The data structure includes a TxID 1001, a file name 1002, and a hash 1003 [0064] Fig. 10); wherein the at least one second processor is further configured to (Hasegawa discloses memory and processor [0036]).
Hasegawa do not explicitly teach but Li teaches transform the private information of the first information into a first hash value by using a predetermined hash function (Li teaches the hash value of the anti-counterfeiting identification code can be calculated [Col 12 lines 17-24]); receive an information provision request containing at least a part of the public information (Li teaches store the anti-counterfeiting identification information that is generated by the anti-counterfeiting participant for the target product in a blockchain in the form of a transaction [Col 5 lines 30-42] a transaction can be a service message or service request that is published by a user in the consortium blockchain and that includes a service intention [Col 7 lines 33-48]); transmit, when a sender of the information provision request has an access right to the private information, the public information and the private information to the sender in response to the information provision request (Li teaches verification request passes the validity verification, the anti-counterfeiting verification request to detect a data digest of the production information of the target product that is stored in association with the anti-counterfeiting identification code and a data digest of the inspection report of the target product [Col 12 lines 25-35]), search the distributed ledger by using a retrieval key being at least a part of the public information contained in the information provision request (Li teaches the user can initiate a query to the CAS system based on the data digest in the anti-counterfeiting information of the product through an application client device to obtain the production information of the product and the original content of the inspection report [Col 10 lines 17-23]. The product identification of the target product can be stored in the consortium blockchain together with the corresponding anti-counterfeiting identification information, so that the application client device can query the anti-counterfeiting identification code corresponding to the same product identification, the data digest of the production information, and the data digest of the inspection report in the consortium blockchain [Col 10 lines 48-61][Col 8 lines 44-56]); acquire the second information associated to the retrieval key from the distributed ledger (Li teaches the user can initiate a query to the CAS system based on the data digest in the anti-counterfeiting information of the product through an application client device to obtain the production information of the product and the original content of the inspection report [Col 10 lines 17-23]. The product identification of the target product can be stored in the consortium blockchain together with the corresponding anti-counterfeiting identification information, so that the application client device can query the anti-counterfeiting identification code corresponding to the same product identification, the data digest of the production information, and the data digest of the inspection report in the consortium blockchain [Col 10 lines 48-61][ Col 8 lines 44-56]); search the distributed ledger by using a retrieval key as at least a part of the public information contained in the information provision request (Li teaches the user can initiate a query to the CAS system based on the data digest in the anti-counterfeiting information of the product through an application client device to obtain the production information of the product and the original content of the inspection report [Col 10 lines 17-23]. The product identification of the target product can be stored in the consortium blockchain together with the corresponding anti-counterfeiting identification information, so that the application client device can query the anti-counterfeiting identification code corresponding to the same product identification, the data digest of the production information, and the data digest of the inspection report in the consortium blockchain [Col 10 lines 48-61][ Col 8 lines 44-56]); acquire the second information associated to the retrieval key from the distributed ledger; acquire a plurality of pieces pf the private information accumulated in the information accumulations server form the information accumulation server (Li teaches the user can initiate a query to the CAS system based on the data digest in the anti-counterfeiting information of the product through an application client device to obtain the production information of the product and the original content of the inspection report [Col 10 lines 17-23]. The product identification of the target product can be stored in the consortium blockchain together with the corresponding anti-counterfeiting identification information, so that the application client device can query the anti-counterfeiting identification code corresponding to the same product identification, the data digest of the production information, and the data digest of the inspection report in the consortium blockchain [Col 10 lines 48-61][ Col 8 lines 44-56]); transform the plurality of pieces of the private information acquired from the information accumulation server by using the predetermined hash function into a second hash value (Li teaches the hash value of the anti-counterfeiting identification code can be calculated [Col 12 lines 17-24]); compare the first hash value with a plurality of the second hash values (Li teaches if the data digest of the production information of the target product that is stored in association with the anti-counterfeiting identification code and the data digest of the inspection report of the target product are detected, it indicates that the plurality of types of anti-counterfeiting identification information included in the anti-counterfeiting information of the target product, which are stored in the consortium blockchain, are complete, and the anti-counterfeiting information of the target product passes the integrity verification [Col 12 lines 36-45] [Col 12 lines 25-35]); and transmit the public information associated to the retrieval key and the private information associated to one of the second values that matches the first hash value, to the sender (Li teaches the anti-counterfeiting identification code carried in the anti-counterfeiting verification request passes the validity verification, the smart contract can further perform an integrity verification on the anti-counterfeiting information of the target product, and initiate a query in the consortium blockchain based on the anti-counterfeiting identification code in the anti-counterfeiting verification request to detect a data digest of the production information of the target product that is stored in association with the anti-counterfeiting identification code and a data digest of the inspection report of the target product [Col 12 lines 25-35]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by Hasegawa to include transform the private information of the first information into a first hash value by using a predetermined hash function; receive an information provision request containing at least a part of the public information; transmit, when a sender of the information provision request has an access right to the private information, the public information and the private information to the sender in response to the information provision request; search the distributed ledger by using a retrieval key being at least a part of the public information contained in the information provision request; acquire the second information associated to the retrieval key from the distributed ledger; search the distributed ledger by using a retrieval key as at least a part of the public information contained in the information provision request; acquire the second information associated to the retrieval key from the distributed ledger; acquire a plurality of pieces pf the private information accumulated in the information accumulations server form the information accumulation server; transform the plurality of pieces of the private information acquired from the information accumulation server by using the predetermined hash function into a second hash value; compare the first hash value with a plurality of the second hash values; and transmit the public information associated to the retrieval key and the private information associated to one of the second values that matches the first hash value, to the sender as disclosed by Li. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of passing the integrity verification, which leads to preventing fake or counterfeit products (Li [Col 12 lines 36-57]).
Although Li teaches determine, when the first hash value and the second hash value do not match, that the private information accumulated in the information accumulation server is falsified (Li [Col 13 lines 26-34]). Hasegawa-Li do not explicitly teach but Henry teaches determine, when more than one of the second hash values matches the first hash value, that the private information accumulated in the information accumulation server is falsified (Henry teaches the tamper detector is operatively coupled to the BIOS ROM and is configured to access the one or more of the plurality of BIOS content partitions and corresponding one or more of the plurality of encrypted message digests upon assertion of the BIOS check interrupt, and is configured to direct the microprocessor to generate corresponding one or more of a plurality of second message digests corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of BIOS content partitions and corresponding one or more of a plurality of decrypted message digests corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of encrypted message digests using the same algorithms and key that were employed to generate the first message digest and the plurality of encrypted message digests, and is configured to compare the one or more of the plurality of second message digests with the one or more of the plurality of decrypted message digests [0014], detecting tamper when one or more second hash compares to one or more first hash).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by Hasegawa-Li to include determine, when more than one of the second hash values matches the first hash value, that the private information accumulated in the information accumulation server is falsified as disclosed by Henry. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of detecting tampering.
Re. claim 9, claim 9 is rejected with the same rationale as applied in claim 5 above.
Re. claim 11, claim 11 is rejected with the same rationale as applied in claim 5 above.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasegawa et al. ( US 20210090091 hereinafter Hasegawa) in view of Li (US 11562375) in view of Henry (US 20150134977) and in further view of Faulkner et al. (US 20210081935, hereinafter Faulkner).
Re. claim 7, Hasegawa-Li-Henry teach the information provision system according to claim 5, Hasegawa-Li teaches searching the distributed ledger, acquiring the public information and transmitting the public information, Hasegawa-Li-Henry do not explicitly teach but Faulkner teaches wherein the at least one second processor is further configured to: search, when the sender of the information provision request does not have an access right to the private information, the distributed ledger by using the retrieval key; acquire the public information of the second information associated to the retrieval key from the distributed ledger; and transmit the public information acquired from the distributed ledger to the sender (Faulkner teaches an adversary who observes the enclave’s 110 queries (e.g., to the ledger 105) only learns the time that the proof-of-membership was created (i.e., when the ledger contained 200 TXOs), but does not learn the individual identity of the TCO that is included in the input [0094] Fig. 31).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by Hasegawa-Li-Henry to include search, when a sender of the information provision request does not have an access right to the private information, the distributed ledger by using the retrieval key; acquire the public information of the second information associated to the retrieval key from the distributed ledger; and transmit the public information acquired from the distributed ledger to the sender as disclosed by Faulkner. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of avoids leakage of transaction information to untrusted entities (Faulkner [0094]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Akamatsu (US 20210303543) discloses when the hash values match, the block approval unit 15 approves the block as a normal block, and transmits the block approval notification to the block generation unit 14 of the own operator or the other operators that has transmitted the block approval request.
JP2007133818A discloses The comparison unit 14 compares two or more hash values to detect whether the data has been tampered with.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 KEVIN A AYALA whose telephone number is (571)270-3912. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8AM-5PM; Friday: Variable EST.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jorge Ortiz-Criado can be reached at 571-272-7624. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/KEVIN AYALA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2496