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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 2-4, 7-13 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a), as failing to comply with the written description requirement. Claims 2 and 19 contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. For example, claim element “total asset” is not defined in the instant specification.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 7-13 and 19 are allowable over prior art.
The closest prior art found are Shi et al. US patent application 2019/0260574 [herein “Shi”], in view of Singh, et al. Sidechain technologies in blockchain networks: An examination and state-of-the-art review. Journal of Network and Computer Applications 149 (2020), pp. 1-16 [herein “Singh”], and further in view of Xie et al. US patent application 2020/0153899 [herein “Xie”].
Claim 2 recites “A method for adding an additional chain to a blockchain, the method comprising: depositing, by a node of the blockchain, a new asset corresponding to the additional chain, the node having an old asset corresponding to the blockchain; selecting the node as one of consensus nodes for connecting an additional block to the additional chain based on a share value corresponding to the new asset; and performing, by the node, distributed consensus for connecting the additional block, wherein nodes participating in the additional chain include major shareholder nodes for processing transactions,”
Shi teaches a blockchain system with a two-mode blockchain consensus protocol (i.e., distributed consensus). The system includes a committee of nodes (i.e., major shareholder nodes), one of which is a collecting node selected by the consensus protocol, and one or more nodes (i.e., minor shareholder nodes) that operate based on a second consensus protocol [0006]. A blockchain (i.e., additional chain) is a sequence of blocks linked together in a chain, where each block contains one or more transactions [0069]. The collecting node receives a transaction (i.e., connects additional block) to be added (i.e., deposited) to the blockchain [0039].
A stakeholder is a node selected to validate (i.e., perform) the transaction using the proof of stake protocol. The right to validate (i.e., participate) is assigned to a node (i.e., consensus node) based on its value of stakes (i.e., share value). In other words, the probability of being selected as a stakeholder for validating (i.e., processing) transactions is proportional to that node’s holding of tokens in escrow (i.e., new asset) [0038].
Singh teaches sidechain (i.e., additional chain) as a secondary blockchain connected to the main blockchain with its own consensus protocol and a two-way peg (Singh: sec. 1, para. 3). The two-way peg allows transfer (i.e., deposit) of MainCoins (i.e., old asset) from the mainchain to SideCoins (i.e., new asset) in the sidechain at a fixed rate and vice versa, using a Gateway Oracle connecting gateway contracts on both sides of the transfer, such that the total number of MainCoins from the mainchain remains conserved with respect to the total number of SideCoins from the sidechain exchanged back to the mainchain (Singh: sec. 2.1, para. 1).
However, none of the references taken either alone or in combination with the prior art of record disclose the amended limitation “wherein the new asset and the old asset are of a same type and each of the new asset and the old asset is a respective portion of a total asset of each node, wherein the new asset is used to determine the consensus nodes of the additional chain and the old asset is used to determine consensus nodes of the blockchain”, in particular regarding a single blockchain managing multiple diverse types of assets, such as computing a total asset.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled "Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance."
Conclusion
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 SHELLY X. QIAN whose telephone number is (408)918-7599. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8-5 PT.
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/SHELLY X QIAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2154
/SYED H HASAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2154
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