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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made of the information disclosure statements filed on December 7, 2024. The U.S. patents and Foreign Patents have been considered.
Drawings
The drawings submitted on September 14, 2023 have been considered and accepted.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 3, 5-6, 11, 13, 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shah et al. (Patent No. US 11,818,115), hereinafter Shah, in view of Ripa (Pub. No. US 2022/0070246).
Claim 1. Shah discloses a method, comprising:
receiving, at a multi cloud service orchestration platform from a client, a request for performance of a workflow (See Col. 18 lines 38-56; user device may present a dynamic and interactive GUI on the display of the user device that includes one or more selectable/input areas for initiating one or more multi-step workflow journeys (user requests workflow to be performed). See Col. 15 lines 17-23; networks established and maintained by one or more cloud-based providers. See Col. 25 lines 44-54; Orchestration Engine Framework);
authenticating and authorizing the client (See Col. 20 lines 4-19; a user is authenticated, has been granted access to the platform 200 … );
invoking orchestration of the workflow; invoking the workflow (See Col. 30 lines 30-42; the one or more workflow journeys may be initiated by launching one or more software applications that provides links to available workflow journeys and/or enables any number of users to initiate any number workflow journeys simultaneously);
validating a workflow definition associated with the workflow, and on successful validation, initializing execution of the workflow (See Col. 18 lines 38-56; The user device may then present a dynamic and interactive GUI on the display of the user device that includes, among other things, one or more selectable/input areas for initiating one or more multi-step workflow journeys (e.g., such as the exemplary unified lending journey). Receiving input via the one or more selectable/input areas may in turn cause the user device to initiate the one or more multi-step workflow journeys, for example, by generating and transmitting a signal or instruction to the platform 200. In some embodiments, the one or more workflow journeys may be initiated by launching one or more software applications that (among other things) provides links to available workflow journeys and/or enables any number of users to initiate any number workflow journeys simultaneously. In some embodiments, successfully logging in to the platform 200 automatically launches the one or more software applications. See Col. 47 lines 18-36; define each workflow journey, allocate system resources across any number of journeys so as to optimize system performance and efficiency, identify workflow events, update workflow journeys and/or resource allocation (in real-time) as needed, continuously update the next-best step options for any given workflow journey, transition between and amongst workflow steps, events, and/or states, etc. See also Col. 11 lines 24-42); and
Shah doesn’t explicitly disclose executing, at an activity container, the workflow.
However, Ripa discloses executing, at an activity container, the workflow (See Parag. [0050-0051]; the user may access each individual activity by clicking inside the respective activity container ... invoking file download menu item 53 causes RPA design interface 50 to insert a file download activity into workflow 56, for instance by adding an activity container associated with a file download activity to the workflow area of interface 50. FIG. 7 illustrates such an activity container 70d according to some embodiments of the present invention, container 70d further exposing an activity configuration interface enabling the user to configure an RPA file download activity by setting various activity parameters …).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow, taught by Shah, to be executed at an activity container, as taught by Ripa. This would be convenient to facilitating the automation of file download activities (Ripa, Parag. [0001]).
Claim 3. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Shah further discloses wherein the workflow resides in a workflow registry prior to execution (See Col. 22 lines 4-28; Management Framework 230, which may include an events database 231, an event states database 232 and a transition utility 233. The events database 231 may be configured to capture, maintain and store event metadata for one or more workflows (e.g., the unified lending workflow). In operation, each time an event occurs and/or is triggered, metadata associated with that event may be captured, maintained and stored in the events database 231. Similarly, state machine metadata (e.g., state machine codes for each workflow event) may be captured and stored by the event states database 232).
Claim 5. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Ripa further discloses wherein the workflow is executed in the activity container according to immutable workflow parameters, and a security context, that are immutable and cannot be modified by the activity container while the workflow is executing (See Parag. [0024-0025]; A workflow typically comprises a sequence of custom automation steps, herein deemed activities … Some types of workflows may include, but are not limited to, sequences, flowcharts, finite state machines (FSMs), and/or global exception handlers. Sequences may be particularly suitable for linear processes, enabling flow from one activity to another without cluttering a workflow).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow, taught by Shah, to be executed at an activity container, as taught by Ripa. This would be convenient to facilitating the automation of file download activities (Ripa, Parag. [0001]).
Claim 6. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Shah further discloses wherein the validating of the workflow definition, and the initializing of the execution of the workflow, are performed by a workflow service (See Col. 18 lines 38-56; The user device may then present a dynamic and interactive GUI on the display of the user device that includes, among other things, one or more selectable/input areas for initiating one or more multi-step workflow journeys (e.g., such as the exemplary unified lending journey). Receiving input via the one or more selectable/input areas may in turn cause the user device to initiate the one or more multi-step workflow journeys, for example, by generating and transmitting a signal or instruction to the platform 200. In some embodiments, the one or more workflow journeys may be initiated by launching one or more software applications that (among other things) provides links to available workflow journeys and/or enables any number of users to initiate any number workflow journeys simultaneously. In some embodiments, successfully logging in to the platform 200 automatically launches the one or more software applications. See Col. 47 lines 18-36; define each workflow journey, allocate system resources across any number of journeys so as to optimize system performance and efficiency, identify workflow events, update workflow journeys and/or resource allocation (in real-time) as needed, continuously update the next-best step options for any given workflow journey, transition between and amongst workflow steps, events, and/or states, etc. See also Col. 11 lines 24-42).
Claim 11. Shah discloses a non-transitory storage medium having stored therein instructions that are executable by one or more hardware processors to perform operations (See Col. 8 lines 26-43 and Col. 15 lines 8-16) comprising:
receiving, at a multi cloud service orchestration platform from a client, a request for performance of a workflow (See Col. 18 lines 38-56; user device may present a dynamic and interactive GUI on the display of the user device that includes one or more selectable/input areas for initiating one or more multi-step workflow journeys (user requests workflow to be performed). See Col. 15 lines 17-23; networks established and maintained by one or more cloud-based providers. See Col. 25 lines 44-54; Orchestration Engine Framework);
authenticating and authorizing the client (See Col. 20 lines 4-19; a user is authenticated, has been granted access to the platform 200 … );
invoking orchestration of the workflow; invoking the workflow (See Col. 30 lines 30-42; the one or more workflow journeys may be initiated by launching one or more software applications that provides links to available workflow journeys and/or enables any number of users to initiate any number workflow journeys simultaneously);
validating a workflow definition associated with the workflow, and on successful validation, initializing execution of the workflow (See Col. 18 lines 38-56; The user device may then present a dynamic and interactive GUI on the display of the user device that includes, among other things, one or more selectable/input areas for initiating one or more multi-step workflow journeys (e.g., such as the exemplary unified lending journey). Receiving input via the one or more selectable/input areas may in turn cause the user device to initiate the one or more multi-step workflow journeys, for example, by generating and transmitting a signal or instruction to the platform 200. In some embodiments, the one or more workflow journeys may be initiated by launching one or more software applications that (among other things) provides links to available workflow journeys and/or enables any number of users to initiate any number workflow journeys simultaneously. In some embodiments, successfully logging in to the platform 200 automatically launches the one or more software applications. See Col. 47 lines 18-36; define each workflow journey, allocate system resources across any number of journeys so as to optimize system performance and efficiency, identify workflow events, update workflow journeys and/or resource allocation (in real-time) as needed, continuously update the next-best step options for any given workflow journey, transition between and amongst workflow steps, events, and/or states, etc. See also Col. 11 lines 24-42); and
Shah doesn’t explicitly disclose executing, at an activity container, the workflow.
However, Ripa discloses executing, at an activity container, the workflow (See Parag. [0050-0051]; the user may access each individual activity by clicking inside the respective activity container ... invoking file download menu item 53 causes RPA design interface 50 to insert a file download activity into workflow 56, for instance by adding an activity container associated with a file download activity to the workflow area of interface 50. FIG. 7 illustrates such an activity container 70d according to some embodiments of the present invention, container 70d further exposing an activity configuration interface enabling the user to configure an RPA file download activity by setting various activity parameters …).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow, taught by Shah, to be executed at an activity container, as taught by Ripa. This would be convenient to facilitating the automation of file download activities (Ripa, Parag. [0001]).
Claim 13. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 3 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Claim 15. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 5 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Claim 16. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 6 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Claims 2, 4, 7-9, 12, 14, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shah et al. (Patent No. US 11,818,115), hereinafter Shah, in view of Ripa (Pub. No. US 2022/0070246); in further view of Duffy (Pub. No. US 2008/0216147).
Claim 2. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Shah further discloses wherein the workflow corresponds to a workflow definition included in a workflow package that also comprises a workflow implementation, an activity definition, and an activity implementation (See Col. 11 lines 24-42; a workflow refers to a combination of data processing activities (e.g., processes, scripts, routines, functions, workflows, etc.) that, if completed, achieve a particular outcome (e.g., provide a product, sub-product, service, etc.). In addition to defining data processing activities to be performed, a workflow may also define the systems, module, components, etc. responsible for performing said data processing activities, inter-dependencies between and among the data processing activities, options for executing, arranging and/or completing the data processing activities and options for contingencies (e.g., error handling). In some embodiments, a workflow may span across any number of computer modules, components, systems, platforms and/or networks).
Shah in view of Ripa doesn’t explicitly disclose the workflow is a digitally signed workflow.
However, Duffy discloses a digitally signed workflow (See Parag. [0051] and Fig. 4; If the digital signature is valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 checks, at S37, the credentials of the signatory authority for the predicate assertion. In particular, the secure processing apparatus 1 checks that the signatory authority satisfies any requirement for a certifying authority set out in the workflow template for that predicate assertion. If the credentials are not valid, the secure processing apparatus 1 issues, at S39, an error report and the routine ends at S41. If the credentials of the signatory authority are valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 appends, at S43, the predicate assertion and the associated digital signature to the workflow instance certificate and the routine ends at S45).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow taught by Shah in view of Ripa, to be digitally signed, as taught by Duffy. This would be convenient to allow confirmation that the data segment has not been tampered with and/or confirmation of the identity of the originator of the data segment (Duffy, Parag. [0004]).
Claim 4. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Ripa further discloses wherein the activity container executes only workflows (See Parag. [0050-0051]; the user may access each individual activity by clicking inside the respective activity container ... invoking file download menu item 53 causes RPA design interface 50 to insert a file download activity into workflow 56, for instance by adding an activity container associated with a file download activity to the workflow area of interface 50 …).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow, taught by Shah, to be executed at an activity container, as taught by Ripa. This would be convenient to facilitating the automation of file download activities (Ripa, Parag. [0001]).
Shah in view of Ripa doesn’t explicitly disclose the workflow is a digitally signed workflow.
However, Duffy discloses a digitally signed workflow (See Parag. [0051] and Fig. 4; If the digital signature is valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 checks, at S37, the credentials of the signatory authority for the predicate assertion. In particular, the secure processing apparatus 1 checks that the signatory authority satisfies any requirement for a certifying authority set out in the workflow template for that predicate assertion. If the credentials are not valid, the secure processing apparatus 1 issues, at S39, an error report and the routine ends at S41. If the credentials of the signatory authority are valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 appends, at S43, the predicate assertion and the associated digital signature to the workflow instance certificate and the routine ends at S45).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow taught by Shah in view of Ripa, to be digitally signed, as taught by Duffy. This would be convenient to allow confirmation that the data segment has not been tampered with and/or confirmation of the identity of the originator of the data segment (Duffy, Parag. [0004]).
Claim 7. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Shah in view of Ripa doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein a digitally signed workflow package that comprises the workflow definition, as well as a workflow implementation, an activity definition, and an activity implementation, is validated and reviewed by a certificate authority.
However, Duffy discloses wherein a digitally signed workflow package that comprises the workflow definition, as well as a workflow implementation, an activity definition, and an activity implementation, is validated and reviewed by a certificate authority (See Parag. [0051] and Fig. 4; If the digital signature is valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 checks, at S37, the credentials of the signatory authority for the predicate assertion. In particular, the secure processing apparatus 1 checks that the signatory authority satisfies any requirement for a certifying authority set out in the workflow template for that predicate assertion. If the credentials are not valid, the secure processing apparatus 1 issues, at S39, an error report and the routine ends at S41. If the credentials of the signatory authority are valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 appends, at S43, the predicate assertion and the associated digital signature to the workflow instance certificate and the routine ends at S45).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow taught by Shah in view of Ripa, to be validated and reviewed by a certificate authority, as taught by Duffy. This would be convenient to allow confirmation that the data segment has not been tampered with and/or confirmation of the identity of the originator of the data segment (Duffy, Parag. [0004]).
Claim 8. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Shah further discloses wherein a workflow package that comprises the workflow definition, as well as a workflow implementation, an activity definition, and an activity implementation, is stored, prior to execution of the workflow, in a workflow registry by a workflow subsystem (See Col. 22 lines 4-28; Management Framework 230, which may include an events database 231, an event states database 232 and a transition utility 233. The events database 231 may be configured to capture, maintain and store event metadata for one or more workflows (e.g., the unified lending workflow). In operation, each time an event occurs and/or is triggered, metadata associated with that event may be captured, maintained and stored in the events database 231. Similarly, state machine metadata (e.g., state machine codes for each workflow event) may be captured and stored by the event states database 232).
Shah in view of Ripa doesn’t explicitly disclose the workflow is a digitally signed workflow.
However, Duffy discloses a digitally signed workflow (See Parag. [0051] and Fig. 4; If the digital signature is valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 checks, at S37, the credentials of the signatory authority for the predicate assertion. In particular, the secure processing apparatus 1 checks that the signatory authority satisfies any requirement for a certifying authority set out in the workflow template for that predicate assertion. If the credentials are not valid, the secure processing apparatus 1 issues, at S39, an error report and the routine ends at S41. If the credentials of the signatory authority are valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 appends, at S43, the predicate assertion and the associated digital signature to the workflow instance certificate and the routine ends at S45).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow taught by Shah in view of Ripa, to be digitally signed, as taught by Duffy. This would be convenient to allow confirmation that the data segment has not been tampered with and/or confirmation of the identity of the originator of the data segment (Duffy, Parag. [0004]).
Claim 9. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Ripa further discloses wherein the workflow is executed in the activity container according to immutable workflow parameters (See Parag. [0024-0025]; A workflow typically comprises a sequence of custom automation steps, herein deemed activities … Some types of workflows may include, but are not limited to, sequences, flowcharts, finite state machines (FSMs), and/or global exception handlers. Sequences may be particularly suitable for linear processes, enabling flow from one activity to another without cluttering a workflow).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow, taught by Shah, to be executed at an activity container, as taught by Ripa. This would be convenient to facilitating the automation of file download activities (Ripa, Parag. [0001]).
Shah in view of Ripa doesn’t explicitly disclose the workflow parameters are digitally signed.
However, Duffy discloses workflow parameters are digitally signed (See Parag. [0051] and Fig. 4; If the digital signature is valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 checks, at S37, the credentials of the signatory authority for the predicate assertion. In particular, the secure processing apparatus 1 checks that the signatory authority satisfies any requirement for a certifying authority set out in the workflow template for that predicate assertion. If the credentials are not valid, the secure processing apparatus 1 issues, at S39, an error report and the routine ends at S41. If the credentials of the signatory authority are valid, then the secure processing apparatus 1 appends, at S43, the predicate assertion and the associated digital signature to the workflow instance certificate and the routine ends at S45).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow taught by Shah in view of Ripa, to be digitally signed, as taught by Duffy. This would be convenient to allow confirmation that the data segment has not been tampered with and/or confirmation of the identity of the originator of the data segment (Duffy, Parag. [0004]).
Claim 12. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 2 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Claim 14. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 4 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Claim 17. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 7 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Claim 18. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 8 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Claim 19. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 9 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shah et al. (Patent No. US 11,818,115), hereinafter Shah, in view of Ripa (Pub. No. US 2022/0070246); in further view of Shakhnovich (Pub. No. US 2020/0151630).
Claim 10. Shah in view of Ripa discloses the method as recited in claim 1,
Shah in view of Ripa doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein client security context data and workflow parameters are available to the workflow on a read-only basis.
However, Shakhnovich discloses wherein client security context data and workflow parameters are available to the workflow on a read-only basis (See Parag. [0093]; As shown in example GUI 4500 of FIG. 45, the user may view filled-out workflows in read-only mode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the workflow parameters, taught by Shah, to be available to the workflow on a read-only basis, as taught by Shakhnovich. This would be convenient to providing the workflow in accordance with the permission information for the workflow (Shakhnovich, Parag. [0003]).
Claim 20. The applicant is directed to the rejections to claim 10 set forth above, as it is rejected based on the same rationale.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (see PTO-form 892).
The following Patents and Papers are cited to further show the state of the art at the time of Applicant’s invention with respect to ensuring trust validation and integrity of workflow execution.
Stocker et al. (Patent No. US 11,334,471); “Mocking Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Activities for Workflow Testing;”
Teaches automatically generate a mock workflow comprising a duplicate of the original workflow wherein a set of RPA activities are replaced with substitute activities for testing to purposes. Some embodiments expose an intuitive interface co-displaying the substitute activities in parallel to their respective original activities and enabling a user to configure various mock parameters. Testing is then carried out on the mock workflow (See Abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GHIZLANE MAAZOUZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8118. The examiner can normally be reached Telework M-F 7:30-5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Philip J Chea can be reached on 571-272-3951. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GHIZLANE MAAZOUZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2499 /PHILIP J CHEA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2499