DETAILED ACTION
Office Action Summary
Claims 1-20 are pending in the instant application.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 USC § 102.
Applicant’s arguments filed 1/9/2026 have been considered but are not persuasive. (See “Applicant’s Arguments and Examiner’s Response” section below)
Applicant’s Arguments and Examiner’s Response
Applicant’s arguments filed 1/9/2026 have been considered but are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the cited prior art does not teach:
storing "first data" and "first metadata" at the "same location, within a memory device, corresponding to a memory address," as required by claims 1, 9, and 17)
However, the examiner disagrees as Agarwal, [0074]-[0075], teaches having different algorithms for encryption/decryption AND Agarwal, [0171], shows data can reside in one or more location, having different data encrypted separately using different techniques is having a first data and a meta data encrypted, meta data is not clearly defined so a first and second data are the data and meta data, also residing in the same location is taught as they are stored in same location for instance a hard drive, since the “same location” is not clearly defined the examiner interpreting storing items in same hard drive for instance is same location.
"pre-compute a keystream associated with the first metadata using the memory address," as recited by claims 3, 11, and 19.
However, the examiner disagrees as Agarwal, [0051] teaches “data store 120 may pre-compute and store such mapping information in situations where the data encryption service is required”, the mapping information is information that is associated with the data and it is precomputed.
features of claims 4, 5, 12, and 13. These claims require determining "whether to decrypt a second data based on an indicator within a second metadata" and returning "a third data to a host, wherein the third data is a pre-defined pattern of data."
However, the examiner disagrees as Agarwal, [0057] teaches encrypting using different policies so decrypting this data would inherently be done different the different policies., also if you look at figure 2 of Agarwal, it shows the different policies in a table and that policy being using to encrypt/decrypt is the indication.
parallel encryption of data and metadata as required by claims 6, 14, and 20. These claims require "encrypt the first data and the first metadata in parallel to obtain an encrypted first data and an encrypted first metadata."
However, the examiner disagrees as Agarwal, [0074]-[0075] teaches encrypting the different data items and [0081] teaches computations being performed in parallel, “and any number of the described operations can be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the processes.”
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 .
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Agarwal et al. (US Pre-Grant Publication No: 2017/0006064 A1) hereinafter referred to as Agarwal.
As per claims 1, 9 and 17, Agarwal teaches … encrypt or decrypt the first metadata using a first cryptographic algorithm; and (Agarwal, [0074]-[0075], teaches having different algorithms for encryption/decryption)
encrypt or decrypt the first data using a second cryptographic algorithm, wherein the first data and the first metadata are stored at a same location, within a memory device, corresponding to a memory address. (Agarwal, [0171], shows data can reside in one or more location)
As per claims 2, 10 and 18, Agarwal teaches … wherein the first cryptographic algorithm is a stream cipher, and the second cryptographic algorithm is a block cipher. (Agarwal, [0048] and [0049])
As per claims 3, 11 and 19, Agarwal teaches … wherein the cryptographic circuit is further to: receive, from a host, a request to read the first data from a memory device; pre-compute a keystream associated with the first metadata using the memory address; read the first metadata and the first data from the memory device; decrypt the first metadata using the keystream to obtain a decrypted first metadata; decrypt the first data using the second cryptographic algorithm to obtain a decrypted first data; and send the decrypted first data to the host. (Agarwal, [0051])
As per claims 4 and 12, Agarwal teaches … wherein the cryptographic circuit is further to determine whether to decrypt a second data based on an indicator within a second metadata. (Agarwal, [0057])
As per claims 5 and 13, Agarwal teaches … wherein the cryptographic circuit, responsive to a determination not to decrypt the second data, is further to send a third data to a host, wherein the third data is a pre-defined pattern of data. (Agarwal, [0057])
As per claims 6, 14 and 20, Agarwal teaches … wherein the cryptographic circuit is further to: receive, from a host, a request to write the first data to a memory device; encrypt the first data and the first metadata in parallel to obtain an encrypted first data and an encrypted first metadata; and write the encrypted first data and the encrypted first metadata to the memory device. (Agarwal, [0074]-[0075])
As per claims 7 and 15, Agarwal teaches … wherein the cryptographic circuit is further to: receive, from a host, a request to write a second data to a memory device, wherein the second data is a pre-defined pattern of data; obfuscate the second data using a third cryptographic algorithm to obtain obfuscated data; assert an indicator within a second metadata associated with the second data to indicate that the second data is the pre-defined pattern of data; and write the obfuscated data to the memory device. (Agarwal, [0074]-[0075], encrypting portion of data is obfuscating that portion)
As per claims 8 and 16, Agarwal teaches … wherein a portion of the first data comprises one or more error correcting code (ECC) symbols and the first metadata are encoded within the one or more ECC symbols. (Agarwal, [0048], teaches a digital signature for ensuring correctness)
Other Art of Record
Guan et al. (US 20240430084 A1) teaches (The disclosure relates to generating a ciphertext of arbitrary and flexibly large size and ensures that an adversary learns little about the encrypted data, even if the decryption key later leaks, unless substantially the entire ciphertext is stored. Given that communication will be inconveniently large for the adversary to store, the incompressible ciphertexts and signatures can be sent and received with low storage requirements for the honest users. In such a setting, the honest users would not store the entire ciphertext or signature, but instead generate, send, and process the communication bit-by-bit in a streaming fashion.)
Obokhov (US 20160239666 A1) teaches (A non-deterministic encryption functionality receives and encrypts an open-text input stream. Codes for error-correction are generated for the encrypted stream, and a correctable amount of non-deterministic random error is overlaid onto the encrypted stream and the codes for error-correction. The error-injected encrypted stream and codes for error-correction are re-encrypted and delivered to a using process. A non-deterministic decryption functionality reverses the encryption, in some embodiments using key values used during the encryption, and delivers an open-text stream to a using process. Some embodiments of a non-deterministic encryption include a reversible scrambling layer. In some embodiments, the non-deterministic encryption and decryption functionalities are performed, at least in part, by a controller of a solid state disk. In some embodiments, the functionalities are performed within a secure physical boundary provided by implementation within a single integrated circuit.)
De Jong (US 20050069131 A1) teaches (Obfuscation of an application program comprises receiving an obfuscated key decryption program comprising an instruction stream configured to perform a decryption algorithm for a first cryptographic key. The obfuscated key decryption program also has an encrypted second cryptographic key scrambled in its instruction stream. The second cryptographic key is encrypted with the first cryptographic key. The obfuscated key decryption program is executed to decrypt the second cryptographic key. The second cryptographic key is used for decrypting digital content.)
Bruno (US 11133924 B2) teaches (Disclosed examples decrypt a first block of sequential blocks using a first decryption key generated based on a first hash of a second decryption key and bit stream data, the first decryption key associated with the first block of the sequential blocks to generate a first segment of a band entropy coded bit stream; generate a third decryption key for a second block of the sequential blocks based on a second hash of the first decryption key and data of the first block of the sequential blocks; decrypt the second block of the sequential blocks using the third decryption key associated with the second block of the sequential blocks to generate a second segment of the band entropy coded bit stream; and merge the first and second segments of the band entropy coded bit stream to generate a source data bit stream using a bit mask for demultiplexing.)
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 SIMON P KANAAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3906. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F (7AM-4PM).
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, Catherine Thiaw can be reached on (571) 270-1138. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SIMON P KANAAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2407
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