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 .
Response to Amendment
This Office Action has been issued in response to Applicant’s Communication of amended application S/N 18/745,629 filed on February 3, 2026. Claims 28 to 48 are currently pending with the application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/09/2026 was filed before the mailing date of the final rejection. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 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); 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 nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 28 to 30, 32 to 40, and 42 to 48 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 21, and 23 of U.S. Patent 12,013,877. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims in the instant application are anticipated by the claims in the U.S. Patent.
Following mapping of claims 28 to 30, and 32 to 37 of Instant Application to claims 9, 12, 13, and 15 of U.S. Patent 12,013,877. Similar mapping applies to claims 38 to 40, and 42 to 48 of instant application, since they recite similar limitations.
Instant Application
U.S. Patent 12,013,877
28. A system, comprising: one or more processors coupled with memory to: execute, using a first protocol of a resource database and in accordance with a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) interface, an operation to authenticate a plurality of third party heterogenous external directories to the LDAP interface for access to the resource database, wherein the first protocol is different from a second protocol of the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories, and execution of the operation causes the LDAP interface to perform a protocol transition from the first protocol of the resource database to the second protocol of the plurality of third party heterogeneous external directories; receive, via the LDAP interface and responsive to the protocol transition, a request from the resource database to access a data cache of the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories; submit, via the LDAP interface, a query to the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories to search user data in the data cache of the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories indicated by the request; receive, via the LDAP interface, a response from the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories, the response indicating that the data cache of the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories does not include the user data; and transmit, via the LDAP interface, an instruction to cause the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories to include the user data in accordance with the query.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories has a unique function and a protocol different from functions and protocols of other third party heterogenous external directories, wherein the unique function includes communications, productivity, and file management.
30. The system of claim 28, wherein the LDAP interface maintains authorization credentials with the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories.
32. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more processors: define a team comprising a subset of user profiles selected from among a number of user profiles in the resource database; and select a subset of third party heterogenous external directories from among the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories that are accessible by the team through the LDAP interface.
34. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more processors, prevent, responsive to the operation authenticating the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories to the LDAP interface, the LDAP interface from using available bandwidth by limiting data transfer speed at the LDAP interface.
36. The system of claim 28, wherein the LDAP interface binds with the plurality of third party heterogeneous external directories for accessing the data cache of the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories to serve as a proxy for requests.
37. The system of claim 28, wherein the LDAP interface serves as a proxy for requests between the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories and the resource database.
9. A system for managing enterprise data, the system comprising: a bus system; a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device stores program instructions; and a number of processors connected to the bus system, wherein the number of processors execute the program instructions to: create a human resources (HR) database; create a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) interface in communication with the HR database and a number of third party heterogeneous external directories, wherein each third party heterogenous external directory has a unique function and a protocol different from functions and protocols of other third party heterogenous external directories, wherein the unique function includes communications, productivity, and file management; search associate identity data indicated by a user request through the LDAP interface across the number of third party heterogeneous external directories using an LDAP protocol and use the LDAP interface to limit data transfer speed to prevent the LDAP interface from using all available bandwidth, wherein the LDAP interface binds with the number of third party heterogeneous external directories for accessing a data cache of the number of third party heterogenous external directories to serve as a proxy for requests between the number of third party heterogenous external directories and the HR database, and wherein the LDAP interface maintains authorization credentials with the number of third party heterogenous external directories; submit, via the LDAP interface, a query to the number of third party heterogenous external directories, wherein the query triggers the number of third party heterogeneous external directories to search the user data in the data cache of the number of third party heterogenous external directories; receive, via the LDAP interface, a reply from the number of third party heterogenous external directories, wherein the reply denotes an update to the number of third party heterogenous external directories in accordance with the query; define a team comprising a subset of user profiles selected from among a number of user profiles in the HR database; and select a subset of third party heterogenous external directories from among the number of third party heterogenous external directories that are accessible by the team through the LDAP interface.
15. The system of claim 9, wherein the LDAP interface provides a protocol transition between the HR database and the number of third party heterogenous external directories.
33. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more processors: map users within the plurality of third party heterogeneous external directories to users within the resource database; and map employee groupings in the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories to teams within the resource database.
12. The system of claim 9, further comprising: mapping users listed in the number of third party heterogenous external directories to users listed in the HR database.
13. The system of claim 9, further comprising: mapping employee groupings in the number of third party heterogenous external directories to teams listed in the HR database.
35. The system of claim 28, wherein the LDAP interface provides a protocol transition between the resource database and the plurality of third party heterogenous external directories.
15. The system of claim 9, wherein the LDAP interface provides a protocol transition between the HR database and the number of third party heterogenous external directories.
Response to Arguments
This is in response to arguments filed on February 3, 2026. Applicant’s arguments have been respectfully and carefully considered. In view of claim amendments, and arguments, rejections under 35 USC § 103 are hereby withdrawn.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAQUEL PEREZ-ARROYO whose telephone number is (571)272-8969. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:30pm, Alt Friday, EST.
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, Sherief Badawi can be reached at 571-272-9782. 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.
/RAQUEL PEREZ-ARROYO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2169
Prosecution Insights