DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to amendment filed December 22nd, 2025.
Claims 21~40 are examined.
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 arguments, filed 12/22/25, with respect to claims 21~40 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The USC 102 and 103 rejections have been withdrawn. However, the Double Patenting rejection still applies and will require a terminal disclaimer to obviate the U.S Patent discussed below.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 21~40 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1~20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,997,215. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because for example, claims 1 and 8 of the U.S Patent mentioned above, contain every element of claims 1 of the instant application and thus obvious. Claims 21~40 of the instant application is therefore not patently distinct from claims 1~20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,997,215 and as such are unpatentable over obvious-type double patenting.
Instant App 18/639,481
U.S Patent 11,997,215
21. A method, comprising: receiving, at a data center that includes a plurality of computer systems, a manifest file specifying credentials to be created and used by a first application executing in the data center to communicate with a second application executing in the data center; creating, at the data center in response to the manifest file, a plurality of credentials for the first application; storing, at the data center, the plurality of credentials in a credentials repository; and executing, on a production server within the data center, a production version of the first application, wherein the executing includes receiving decrypted versions of the plurality of credentials from the credential repository, wherein the decrypted versions are accessible within the data center, but are inaccessible outside the data center.
1. A method, comprising: storing, at a storage location in a data center, a signed package that includes an encrypted version of a secret referenced by a first application, wherein the encrypted version of the secret has been encrypted by an encryption service using a symmetric key that has been generated using a data center public key of a data center key pair of the data center, and wherein the signed package includes information indicating that the secret is associated with the first application; sending, by the first application executing on a production server within the data center, a request for a decrypted version of the secret to a decryption service executing within the data center; the decryption service: verifying the signed package; in response to the signed package being verified, deriving the symmetric key using a data center private key of the data center key pair; decrypting the encrypted version of the secret using the symmetric key; and returning the decrypted version of the secret to the first application.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the manifest file is received from a software automation pipeline that automatically performs compiling and testing of the first application.
5. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the signed package is received from a software automation pipeline that automatically performs compiling and testing of the first application.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the manifest file includes a secret specification that defines secret parameters and application metadata for a first of the plurality of credentials; and wherein the creating includes creating the first credential in accordance with the secret specification.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the secret is created by the encryption service based on specified secret parameters supplied to the encryption service.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein the encryption and decryption services are implemented using containers.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the decryption service executes within a container.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the data center, a manifest file for the first application, the manifest file specifying a set of secrets to be created for use by the first application; creating the set of secrets and storing the created secrets within the data center for use by the first application while executing on the production server; and wherein the created secrets are not accessible outside the data center.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21~40 are allowed once a Terminal Disclaimer is filed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 HEE SOO KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-3229. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas Taylor can be reached on (571) 272-3889. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HEE SOO KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2443