Detailed Action
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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
Applicant’s Remarks are persuasive in view of the claim amendments, and as such the prior art rejections are withdrawn.
The amendment necessitated the new ground of rejection under 35 USC 101 since the level of abstraction currently recited is greater that the initial set of claims. Please refer to the interview summary.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. As amended, the independent claims now recite analyzing two data structures (two graphs) and classifying the nodes in the graph into two categories, then sorting at least two nodes of the classified nodes. Into a profile and matching/comparing one node for one graph with one node from the other graph. They further recite defining edges between two nodes and one floating node and generating another data structure (interconnected security graph) comprising two nodes, one other node and edges and traversing the graph from a selected node and outputting another graph (restricted graph). This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because all the steps may be performed mentally. The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because there is not recitation of how the generated restricted graph is used or what benefit does it provide. The same analysis applies to the dependent claims.
Although claims 11, 16 and 20 recite generation of a graphical representation of an attack graph, there is no meaningful recitation that links the generated graphical representation of an attack graph to the steps performed in the parent claims, and therefore they do not, as recited, integrate the abstract ideas into a practical application since they simply recite generating an additional data structure without significantly more. Amending these claims to link the generation of the attack graph to the steps recited in the parent claims may help advance prosecution.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would be allowable if the 101 rejection is overcome. The reason for the allowable subject matter is that the prior art of record, alone or in combination, fails to teach or render obvious the independent claims, as amended.
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.
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/NOURA ZOUBAIR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2434