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
Claims 1-8 are presented for examination.
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the program” should have been “the power transaction program” in line 3. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form 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 invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Claudia et al (“Blockchain and Demand Response: Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Energy Transaction Privacy”; hereinafter Claudia1).
As per claim 1, Claudia discloses A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a power transaction program for causing a computer to execute processing of storing, in a blockchain, transaction information between a supply side and a demand side of power [Abstract; “In this paper, we present a decentralized implementation of demand response programs on top of the public blockchain which deals with the privacy of the prosumer’s energy data using zero-knowledge proofs and validates on the blockchain the prosumer’s activity inside the program using smart contracts. Prosumer energy data is kept private, while on the blockchain it is stored a zero-knowledge proof that is generated by the prosumer itself allowing the implementation of functions to validate potential deviation from the request and settle prosumer’s activity.”; Fig. 1], the processing comprising:
determining a supply amount by dividing a power resource on the supply side by aggregate period [Fig. 1-3 and 6; page 4; “The proposed platform allows consumers and producers to trade energy in a peer-to-peer network while the demand and the supply between two entities are matched through a mediator.”; page 5 (last paragraph); “We have considered DR programs in which a contract in the form of a zero-knowledge (ZK) program specifying the flexibility request is agreed upon by both an aggregator and the associated prosumer.”; page 6 (Table 1); flexibilityRequest[Hhour]; page 7; the aggregator determines the flexibility request profile required from each individual prosumer; page 9 (last paragraph); “On the prosumer layer, the energy data is fetched from a sensor associated with a device identifier and measurement type”; page 10; “For each prosumer, we have considered that its associated energy metering device provides monitored energy data over a time interval P. The interval P is split in N smaller disjoint intervals Ti, … for each interval Ti will compute the digital fingerprint of all the monitored data received from the sensor at each discrete timestamp from that interval. At the end of interval Ti, the edge device will sign and register the digital fingerprint of the monitored data on blockchain, thus ensuring an immutable log of this value. The blockchain will implement a decentralized storage algorithm that is responsible to store and compute a hash of period P, composed of all the digital fingerprints received for each interval Ti.”];
determining a demand amount of a plurality of customers who demand the power resource on the demand side [Fig. 1-3 and 6; page 4; “The proposed platform allows consumers and producers to trade energy in a peer-to-peer network while the demand and the supply between two entities are matched through a mediator.”; page 5 (last paragraph); “We have considered DR programs in which a contract in the form of a zero-knowledge (ZK) program specifying the flexibility request is agreed upon by both an aggregator and the associated prosumer.”; page 6 (Table 1); flexibilityRequest[Hhour]; page 7; the aggregator determines the flexibility request profile required from each individual prosumer; page 9 (last paragraph); “On the prosumer layer, the energy data is fetched from a sensor associated with a device identifier and measurement type”; page 10; “For each prosumer, we have considered that its associated energy metering device provides monitored energy data over a time interval P. The interval P is split in N smaller disjoint intervals Ti, … for each interval Ti will compute the digital fingerprint of all the monitored data received from the sensor at each discrete timestamp from that interval. At the end of interval Ti, the edge device will sign and register the digital fingerprint of the monitored data on blockchain, thus ensuring an immutable log of this value. The blockchain will implement a decentralized storage algorithm that is responsible to store and compute a hash of period P, composed of all the digital fingerprints received for each interval Ti.”];
determining a surplus power that is a difference between the supply amount and the demand amount [page 9 (last paragraph); “For the on-chain registration, the deviation between the monitored values and the flexibility request is computed and the ZK proof is issued.”];
generating, by using zero-knowledge protocol, the transaction information based on the supply amount, the demand amount, to store generated transaction information in the blockchain [page 9; “For the on-chain registration, the deviation between the monitored values and the flexibility request is computed and the ZK proof is issued. This information is signed and stored on blockchain with the digital fingerprint computed based on the real-time monitored values in a hashed-linked back manner.”].
As per claim 7, Claudia discloses a power transaction method implemented by a computer of storing, in a blockchain, transaction information between a supply side and a demand side of power [Abstract; “In this paper, we present a decentralized implementation of demand response programs on top of the public blockchain which deals with the privacy of the prosumer’s energy data using zero-knowledge proofs and validates on the blockchain the prosumer’s activity inside the program using smart contracts. Prosumer energy data is kept private, while on the blockchain it is stored a zero-knowledge proof that is generated by the prosumer itself allowing the implementation of functions to validate potential deviation from the request and settle prosumer’s activity.”; Fig. 1], the method comprising:
determining a supply amount by dividing a power resource on the supply side by aggregate period [Fig. 1-3 and 6; page 4; “The proposed platform allows consumers and producers to trade energy in a peer-to-peer network while the demand and the supply between two entities are matched through a mediator.”; page 5 (last paragraph); “We have considered DR programs in which a contract in the form of a zero-knowledge (ZK) program specifying the flexibility request is agreed upon by both an aggregator and the associated prosumer.”; page 6 (Table 1); flexibilityRequest[Hhour]; page 7; the aggregator determines the flexibility request profile required from each individual prosumer; page 9 (last paragraph); “On the prosumer layer, the energy data is fetched from a sensor associated with a device identifier and measurement type”; page 10; “For each prosumer, we have considered that its associated energy metering device provides monitored energy data over a time interval P. The interval P is split in N smaller disjoint intervals Ti, … for each interval Ti will compute the digital fingerprint of all the monitored data received from the sensor at each discrete timestamp from that interval. At the end of interval Ti, the edge device will sign and register the digital fingerprint of the monitored data on blockchain, thus ensuring an immutable log of this value. The blockchain will implement a decentralized storage algorithm that is responsible to store and compute a hash of period P, composed of all the digital fingerprints received for each interval Ti.”];
determining a demand amount of a plurality of customers who demand the power resource on the demand side [Fig. 1-3 and 6; page 4; “The proposed platform allows consumers and producers to trade energy in a peer-to-peer network while the demand and the supply between two entities are matched through a mediator.”; page 5 (last paragraph); “We have considered DR programs in which a contract in the form of a zero-knowledge (ZK) program specifying the flexibility request is agreed upon by both an aggregator and the associated prosumer.”; page 6 (Table 1); flexibilityRequest[Hhour]; page 7; the aggregator determines the flexibility request profile required from each individual prosumer; page 9 (last paragraph); “On the prosumer layer, the energy data is fetched from a sensor associated with a device identifier and measurement type”; page 10; “For each prosumer, we have considered that its associated energy metering device provides monitored energy data over a time interval P. The interval P is split in N smaller disjoint intervals Ti, … for each interval Ti will compute the digital fingerprint of all the monitored data received from the sensor at each discrete timestamp from that interval. At the end of interval Ti, the edge device will sign and register the digital fingerprint of the monitored data on blockchain, thus ensuring an immutable log of this value. The blockchain will implement a decentralized storage algorithm that is responsible to store and compute a hash of period P, composed of all the digital fingerprints received for each interval Ti.”];
determining a surplus power that is a difference between the supply amount and the demand amount [page 9 (last paragraph); “For the on-chain registration, the deviation between the monitored values and the flexibility request is computed and the ZK proof is issued.”];
generating, by using zero-knowledge protocol, the transaction information based on the supply amount, the demand amount, to store generated transaction information in the blockchain [page 9; “For the on-chain registration, the deviation between the monitored values and the flexibility request is computed and the ZK proof is issued. This information is signed and stored on blockchain with the digital fingerprint computed based on the real-time monitored values in a hashed-linked back manner.”].
As per claim 8, Claudia discloses a power transaction apparatus of storing transaction information between a supply side and a demand side of power in a blockchain, the power transaction apparatus comprising a hardware processor configured to perform processing including:
determining a supply amount by dividing a power resource on the supply side by aggregate period [Fig. 1-3 and 6; page 4; “The proposed platform allows consumers and producers to trade energy in a peer-to-peer network while the demand and the supply between two entities are matched through a mediator.”; page 5 (last paragraph); “We have considered DR programs in which a contract in the form of a zero-knowledge (ZK) program specifying the flexibility request is agreed upon by both an aggregator and the associated prosumer.”; page 6 (Table 1); flexibilityRequest[Hhour]; page 7; the aggregator determines the flexibility request profile required from each individual prosumer; page 9 (last paragraph); “On the prosumer layer, the energy data is fetched from a sensor associated with a device identifier and measurement type”; page 10; “For each prosumer, we have considered that its associated energy metering device provides monitored energy data over a time interval P. The interval P is split in N smaller disjoint intervals Ti, … for each interval Ti will compute the digital fingerprint of all the monitored data received from the sensor at each discrete timestamp from that interval. At the end of interval Ti, the edge device will sign and register the digital fingerprint of the monitored data on blockchain, thus ensuring an immutable log of this value. The blockchain will implement a decentralized storage algorithm that is responsible to store and compute a hash of period P, composed of all the digital fingerprints received for each interval Ti.”];
determining a demand amount of a plurality of customers who demand the power resource on the demand side [Fig. 1-3 and 6; page 4; “The proposed platform allows consumers and producers to trade energy in a peer-to-peer network while the demand and the supply between two entities are matched through a mediator.”; page 5 (last paragraph); “We have considered DR programs in which a contract in the form of a zero-knowledge (ZK) program specifying the flexibility request is agreed upon by both an aggregator and the associated prosumer.”; page 6 (Table 1); flexibilityRequest[Hhour]; page 7; the aggregator determines the flexibility request profile required from each individual prosumer; page 9 (last paragraph); “On the prosumer layer, the energy data is fetched from a sensor associated with a device identifier and measurement type”; page 10; “For each prosumer, we have considered that its associated energy metering device provides monitored energy data over a time interval P. The interval P is split in N smaller disjoint intervals Ti, … for each interval Ti will compute the digital fingerprint of all the monitored data received from the sensor at each discrete timestamp from that interval. At the end of interval Ti, the edge device will sign and register the digital fingerprint of the monitored data on blockchain, thus ensuring an immutable log of this value. The blockchain will implement a decentralized storage algorithm that is responsible to store and compute a hash of period P, composed of all the digital fingerprints received for each interval Ti.”];
determining a surplus power that is a difference between the supply amount and the demand amount [page 9 (last paragraph); “For the on-chain registration, the deviation between the monitored values and the flexibility request is computed and the ZK proof is issued.”];
generating, by using zero-knowledge protocol, the transaction information based on the supply amount, the demand amount, to store generated transaction information in the blockchain [page 9; “For the on-chain registration, the deviation between the monitored values and the flexibility request is computed and the ZK proof is issued. This information is signed and stored on blockchain with the digital fingerprint computed based on the real-time monitored values in a hashed-linked back manner.”].
As per claim 2, Claudia discloses wherein the determining of the supply amount and the determining of the demand amount are performed per predetermined unit transaction time, the determining of the surplus power includes obtaining the surplus power by calculating a difference between the supply amount and the demand amount of power per unit transaction time for the aggregate period [page 6 (Table 1); flexibilityRequest[Hhour]; page 7; the aggregator determines the flexibility request profile required from each individual prosumer; page 9 (last paragraph); “On the prosumer layer, the energy data is fetched from a sensor associated with a device identifier and measurement type”; “For the on-chain registration, the deviation between the monitored values and the flexibility request is computed and the ZK proof is issued.”; page 10; “For each prosumer, we have considered that its associated energy metering device provides monitored energy data over a time interval P.”].
As per claim 3, Claudia discloses wherein there are a plurality of power resources on the supply side [page 1 (under Introduction; 1st paragraph); renewable energy sources], and the processing further comprises creating matching data per the predetermined unit transaction time, the matching data indicating which of the plurality of power resources provides whatsupply amount to which of the plurality of customers [page 4 (1st paragraph); “… two entities are matched through a mediator.”], and generating the transaction information by using a zero-knowledge proof and power tracking information obtained as a result of aggregating the matching data according to the zero-knowledge protocol, to store the generated transaction information in the blockchain [page 9; “For the on-chain registration, the deviation between the monitored values and the flexibility request is computed and the ZK proof is issued. This information is signed and stored on blockchain with the digital fingerprint computed based on the real-time monitored values in a hashed-linked back manner.”].
As per claim 5, Claudia discloses wherein in referring to the transaction information on a specific customer, the processing further comprises according to zero-knowledge protocol using the power tracking information for each of the plurality of customers included in the transaction information stored on the blockchain and a certification key and an approval key for transaction information extraction generated and stored in advance, extracting the transaction information on the specific customer by using the certification key via a smart contract [page 4 (1st paragraph); “… real-time tracking of generation and demand, efficient data aggregation, and optimized distributed energy generation management.”], providing the extracted transaction information and a zero-knowledge proof to a third party [page 5 (2nd paragraph); “Anonymizing data is an important issue when involving consumers and prosumers because the transaction information from the blockchain is public. Zero-knowledge proof cryptographic techniques can assure privacy for verifying private data without revealing it in its clear form.”], and receiving verification of the transaction information by the third party using the approval key [page 5 (2nd paragraph); “Anonymizing data is an important issue when involving consumers and prosumers because the transaction information from the blockchain is public. Zero-knowledge proof cryptographic techniques can assure privacy for verifying private data without revealing it in its clear form.”; “A verifier considers an entity’s data as “trustworthy” if one or more valid digital signatures, originating from other trusted entities, are met.”].
As per claim 6, Claudia discloses wherein the computer caused by the program to cause the processing is a power transaction apparatus of a power retailer that receives a transfer of the power resource to execute the process based on respective power contracts with a power station on the supply side and a customer on the demand side [Fig. 1; page 2 (last paragraph); “Under a blockchain-based implementation, the energy consumption data of each individual prosumer is stored in the blockchain blocks as transactions while smart contracts define the rules for implementing the DR program.”].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Claudia et al (“Blockchain and Demand Response: Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Energy Transaction Privacy”; hereinafter Claudia1) in view of Alexandra et al (CN 111345005; hereinafter Alexandra).
As per claim 4, Claudia discloses the invention substantially. Claudia does not specifically disclose regarding an unspent transaction output (UTXO) node. However, Alexandra (in the same field of endeavor, i.e., a blockchain recording system) discloses utilizing UTXO verification [page 3: paragraphs – 2, 5-7]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cited references as both are directed to utilize a blockchain technique to secure a transaction when a smart contract under the public record and use of UTXO will further add the benefit of creating unlocking transaction using the UTXO.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A. US-20210281413 discloses blockchain-based transaction method and apparatus, and remitter device wherein a transaction data is stored in the blockchain includes generating a first zero-knowledge proof.
B. US-20200402171 discloses an electronic transaction system utilizing zero-knowledge proof system.
C. US-20220036346 discloses recording a transaction on a global blockchain including a verifying network node to record the transaction on the global blockchain, the verifying network node verifying the transaction in accordance with a zero-knowledge protocol.
D. US-20190034923 discloses a secure and confidential custodial transaction system, method and device using zero-knowledge protocol.
E. US-20230198765 discloses multi-directional zero-knowledge attestation systems and methods.
F. US-20180232818 discloses a power sale timing optimum control system is provided with a communication unit, a demand prediction unit, a supply prediction unit, and a timing determination unit.
N. JP-6727681 discloses an electric power trading support system is a system for supporting electric power trading between a plurality of power plants and a plurality of consumers.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SURESH K SURYAWANSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-3668. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00 PM.
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, Shah Kamini can be reached at 5712722279. 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.
/SURESH SURYAWANSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
1 Prior art cited by applicant in submitted information discloser statement.