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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 are allowed.
Claim Objections
Claims 3 -10, 13, and 16-18 are objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) as being in improper form because a multiple dependent claim should refer to other claims in the alternative only. See MPEP § 608.01(n). Accordingly, the claims have not been further treated on the merits.
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.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because claim 20 represents a claim that does not fall within one of the four statutory categories of invention. Since the claimed computer readable media may be software carried on a wave, the claim as a whole can be considered to be only a carrier wave which is not a "process", "machine" or "article of manufacture".
The claim may be amended by changing “computer readable medium” to -- non-transitory computer readable medium --, thus excluding that portion of the scope covering transitory signals.
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.
Claim(s) 11 - 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Levy, publication number: US 2020/0311307.
As per claim 11, Levy teaches A computer implemented method for distributed data management on a central server, comprising:
generating a query for a user device (Query, [0057][0095]);
sending the query to the user device (Query sent to validators, [0099][0103-0104]);
receiving a signed data envelope and an identifier from the user device in response to the query (Support server receiving data from validators, [0110], hints, [0099][0104][0121]);
providing the identifier to at least one validator (random shares and lists to S Servers, [0105][0110]); and
receiving a result from the at least one validator based on whether data of the signed data envelope satisfies a condition of the query (receiving results regards a match, [0117]).
As per claim 12, Levy teaches comprising pushing the signed data envelope and the identifier to the at least one validator, or making the signed data envelope and the identifier available for collection by the at least one validator (multiple s-servers, [0115]).
As per claim 13, Levy teaches wherein the central server receives a plurality of signed data envelopes and associated identifiers and provides the plurality of signed data envelopes and associated identifiers to a plurality of validators and combines the results from the plurality of validators (Aggregators, [0114]).
As per claims 14 and 19-21, Levy teaches a computer implemented method for distributed data management using a validator, comprising:
receiving an identifier of a user device and a query from a central server (Hints [0099][0110][0121][0104] and query [0057][0095]);
providing a validation public key (Key, [0081]) and identifier of the user device for the user device (hints, [0099][0104][0121]);
receiving a data envelope associated with the identifier of the user device, wherein the data envelope is encrypted with the validation public key (encrypting data, [0081], Hash, [0057]);
determining if data in the data envelope satisfies at least one condition of the query (determining match, [0115][0117]); and
transmitting to the central server a result based on whether the data in the data envelope satisfies the at least one condition of the query (transmitting match result, [0115][0117]).
As per claim 15, Levy teaches wherein the data envelope is signed with a private key forming a key pair with a public key of the user device (Encryption, [0081]).
As per claim 16, Levy teaches wherein the validation public key and the identifier of the user device are sent to the user device or made available for the user device to collect (Key, [0081], Hint, [0104]).
As per claim 17, Levy teaches wherein receiving an identifier of a user device and a query from a central server comprises receiving a plurality of identifiers and selecting one for processing (aggregator, [0115]).
As per claim 18, Levy teaches wherein the validator is a user device (S-server, [0108-0113]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OLUGBENGA O IDOWU whose telephone number is (571)270-1450. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 5pm.
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, Jung Kim can be reached at 5712723804. 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.
/OLUGBENGA O IDOWU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2494