DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/27/2026 has been entered.
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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1, 4-10, 12-16, and 18-20 are amended.
Claims 1, 10, and 16 are independent claims.
Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
Continuity
This instant application is a continuation (CON.) of 17/229,123 filed on 04/13/2021, which was patented number 12,061,606, and has provisional application 63/009,375 filed on 04/13/2020.
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 further rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claims do not amount to significantly more than an abstract idea.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites language of:
“generating, by a primary computing system comprising at least one processor, and in a change record database separate from a base record database, change entries reflecting changes to base entries in the base record database, wherein:
the primary computing system maintains the based record database and the change record database;
receiving, by the primary computing system, an external query from an external system that is separate from the primary computing system, wherein:
the external system maintains a derived record database that stores copies of one or more of the base entries in the base record database, and
the external query requests updated data indicative of one or more of the changes to the base entries in the base record database since a previous update to the derived record database;
generating, by the primary computing system, the updated data based on the external query, wherein:
the updated data comprises at least one change entry from the change record database that indicates the one or more of the changes to the base entries since the previous update to the derived record database; and
providing, by the primary computing system, the updated data to the external system in response to the external query, wherein the updated data:
causes the external system to update the derived record database based on the one or more of the changes to the base entries indicated by the at least one change entry.”
a/ Analysis under Step 2A, Prong I:
As above indicated limitations, the steps of “generating, …, and in a change record database separate from a base record database, change entries reflecting changes to base entries in the base record database” and “generating, …, the updated data based on the external query”, as drafted, are mental processes that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, cover performance of these indicated limitations in the mind (including an observation, evaluation, judgment, option, etc.), or by a human using a pen and paper, but for the recitation of generic computing component(s) (e.g., “a primary computing system comprising at least one processor”). Hence, if a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance in the mind, e.g., (thinking) that "can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper", but for the recitation of generic computer’s component(s), then it falls within the “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract ideas. See MPEP §2106.04(a)(2), Part III.
(*** similar rejection are applied to limitations recite in claims 10 and 16, respectively).
b/ Analysis under Step 2A, Prong II:
The remaining limitations in claims 1, 10, and 16 do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. For instance, the additional elements, e.g., “a computing system”, “an external system”, comprising at least one “processor” and “a memory”/ “medium” are known as generic computing components/units use as tools for performing the computing functions, e.g., the above indicated step(s). Next, the additional limitation/step of “receiving” and “providing” represent insignificant extra solution activities because these additional steps including in the claims do not specify how data/updated data is/are performed/processed; so that it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. See MPEP §2106.04(a)-(h).
c/ Analysis under Step 2B:
Furthermore, independent 1, 10, and 16 do not include additional elements/limitations beyond the judicial exception that, alone or in combination, are not “well-understood, routine, conventional” (see MPEP §2106.05(d)). As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the claims are recite the additional elements of “a computing system”, “an external system”, comprising at least one “processor” and “a memory”/ “medium” which amount to no more than mere instructions/functions to apply the exception using the highly generic computing component and is being only used as tool(s). Plus, the additional steps of “receiving” and “providing” represent insignificant extra solution activities because these additional steps including in the claims are the computing functions to apply the exception using a generic computer components that are well-understood, routine, conventional activity to a skill artisan in the relevant technical field of gathering and transmitting data, see Symantec, 838 F.3d at 1321, 120 USPQ2d at 1362.
For the at least above reasons, the limitations in claims 1, 10, and 16 that are considered both individually and as an ordered combination do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claims 2-9, 11-15, and 17-20 depend on independent claims 1, 10, and 16 and include all the limitations of claims 1, 10, and 16; and hence, claims 2-9, 11-15, 17-20 recite the same as being the above abstract idea under analysis of the Step 2A (Prong I, Prong II), and Step 2B, respectively.
Regarding claim 2, the claim recites additional limitations of “wherein the change entries indicate times of the changes to the base entries” which do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. The claim language provides further definition of the change entries is indicated times of the changes to the base entries which does/do not amount to more than generally linking the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Thus, the claim does not include additional limitations/elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, when considered both individually and as an ordered combination, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Regarding claim 3, the claim recites further additional limitation of “wherein the change entries indicate types of the changes to the base entries”, which do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. The claim language provides further definition of the change entries is indicated types of the changes to the base entries which does not amount to more than generally linking the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Thus, the claim does not include additional limitations/elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, when considered both individually and as an ordered combination, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Regarding claim 4, the claim recites further additional limitation of “wherein: the external query indicates a subset of the base entries, and the at least one change entry corresponds to the subset of the base entries.” which do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. The claim language provides further definition of the query indicates a subset of the base entries and change entry which does/do not amount to more than generally linking the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Thus, the claim does not include additional limitations/elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, when considered both individually and as an ordered combination, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Regarding claim 5, the claim recites further additional limitation of “wherein: the external query indicates a timeframe, and the at least one change entry is associated with at least one time within the timeframe”, which do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. The claim language provides further definition of the query indicates a timeframe and associated change entry within the timeframe which does/do not amount to more than generally linking the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Thus, the claim does not include additional limitations/elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, when considered both individually and as an ordered combination, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Regarding claim 6, the claim recites further additional limitation of “wherein: the change record database comprises a first change entry associated with a first change, made at a first time, to a particular base entry of the base entries, the change record database comprises one or more subsequent change entries, the one or more subsequent change entries are associated with one or more subsequent changes, made at one or more times later than the first time, to the particular base entry, and generating the updated data comprises: including a latest one of the one or more subsequent change entries in the updated data, and omitting the first change entry from the updated data”, which do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. The claim language provides further definition of the change record database comprises one or more change entry at time interval which does/do not amount to more than generally linking the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Plus, the step of “generating the updated data…”, as drafted, is mental processing (thinking) that "can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper" that falls within “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract idea. Plus, the additional steps of “including” and “omitting...” represent insignificant extra solution activity because these additional steps including in the claim as the computing functions to apply the exception using a generic computer components that are well-understood, routine, conventional activity to a skill artisan in the relevant technical field of use.
Thus, the claim does not include additional limitations/elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, when considered both individually and as an ordered combination, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Regarding claim 7, the claim recites further additional limitation of “detecting, by the primary computing system, the changes to the base entries in the base database, wherein the primary computing system generates the change entries based on detecting the changes to the base entries”, which do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. The claim language provides further definition of the change database comprises one or more change entry at time interval which does/do not amount to more than generally linking the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Plus, the step of “detecting, …, the changes of the base entries”, as drafted, is mental processing that falls within “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract idea.
Thus, the claim recites additional limitations/elements, e.g., “the computing system” having at least one of processor, memory which are used as tool(s) for performing the instructions that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, when considered both individually and as an ordered combination, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Regarding claim 8, the claim recites further additional limitation of “wherein the external system is a first external system, the derived record database is a first derived record database that stores first copies of a first set of the base entries, the external query is a first external query, the updated data is first updated data indicating a first set of change entries corresponding to the first set of the base entries, and the method further comprises: receiving, by the primary computing system, a second external query from a second external system, wherein the second external system maintains a second derived record database that stores second copies of a second set of the base entries; generating, by the primary computing system, second updated data based on the second external query, wherein: the second updated data comprise a second set of change entries that corresponds to the second set of the base entries, the second set of change entries being different from the first set of change entries; and providing, by the primary computing system, the second updated data to the second external system, wherein the second updated data: causes the second external system to update the second derived database based on the second set of change entries”, which do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. The claim language provides further definition of the external system, the derived record database, the external query, and the updated data that do not amount to more than generally linking the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Plus, the step of “generating, …, second updated data …”, as drafted, is mental processing (thinking) that "can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper" that falls within “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract idea (see MEPE 2106.04(a)(2), part III)
The additional steps of “receiving”, “providing”, and “causes” represent insignificant extra solution activities because these additional steps including in the claims are the computing functions to apply the exception using a generic computer components that are well-understood, routine, conventional activity to a skill artisan in the relevant technical field of gathering and transmitting data, see Symantec, 838 F.3d at 1321, 120 USPQ2d at 1362.
Thus, the claim does not include additional limitations/elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, when considered both individually and as an ordered combination, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Regarding claim 9, the claim recites additional limitations/elements “wherein the first external system and the second external system, respectively, submit instances of the first external query and the second external query to the computing system at different intervals,” which do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. The claim language provides further definition of the change database comprises one or more change entry at time interval which does/do not amount to more than generally linking the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Thus, the claim does not include additional limitations/elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, when considered both individually and as an ordered combination, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Regarding claims 11-15 and 17-20, the claims recite the similar limitations of claims 2-9; and therefore, are also rejected on the same above basis.
For at least above reasons, claims1-20 are not drawn to eligible subject matter as they are directed to an abstract idea without significant more.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-4, 7, 10-12, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Caro et al., US Patent No. 11,055,276 (hereinafter as “Caro”) in view of Hallgren et al., US Patent No. 10,956,406 B2 (hereinafter as “Hallgren”), and further in view of Muralidhar et al., US Pub. No. 2020/0183909 (hereinafter as “Muralidhar”), and Park et al., US Pub. No. 20130218879 (hereinafter as “Park”).
Regarding claim 1, Caro teaches: a computer-implemented method comprising:
generating, by a primary computing system comprising at least one processor (see Fig. 1, element 101 is interpreted as a primary computing system), and in a change record database separate from a base record database (see Abstract: e.g., “changes made to the base table”), change entries reflecting changes to base entries in the base record database (see Fig. 1, element 106, and Figs. 2-4: shown database 200 is interpreted as the base database, which is separated from the change data table 300 and Updated database 400 having change data/entry; col. 6, lines 20-23, e.g., “identify which fields of record data have been modified. The record header may also have a change flag to indicate store, modify, or erase of record…”, wherein the field(s) is/are defined in the col. 5, lines 43-48; and col. 9, lines 13-25: “The field associated with column 206 and row 212 has been changed from marketing to sales indicating that the employee Joe has been changed from the Marketing department to the Sales department with the corporation. The field associated with column 208 and row 214 has been changed from 65000 to 75000 which indicates that Mary's salary has been increased by 10000. In column 202, both fields associated with row 212 and row 214 have been changed to “update” indicating that a field of data has been updated or needs to be updated in the respective row.”), wherein: the primary computing system maintains the base record database and the change record database (again in Fig. 1, elements 101, 102 and 106; and Figs. 2-4 via the Database 200, and Change Data table 300);
receiving, by the primary computing system, an external query from an external system that is separate from the primary computing system (Fig. 1 is shown Computer System 101 is interpreted as the primary computing system, and at least one of Device 114, and Device 118 is interpreted as at least external system; and col. 3, lines 9-10 disclose “different transaction queries” which are interpreted at least external query);
generating, by the primary computing system, the updated data based on the external query (Fig. 1 as explained above to the primary computing system at element 101; Figs. 3-4 via elements 300 and 400, e.g., change and update data in the column 202; and col. 3, lines 9-10, and col. 47-53 via structure query language (SQL) as request to subject for the data changes as the updated data in the database table(s)); and
providing, by the primary computing system, the updated data to the external system in response to the external query (e.g., retrieve the change data view as result set inherit to the providing updated data/change entry in the result set, see in col. 7, lines 31-35 and col. 10, lines 46-48; and as explained above the external query, see col. 3, lines 9-10 via “different transaction queries”).
Caro does not explicitly teach the limitations: “wherein: the external system maintains a derived record database that stores copies of one or more of the base entries in the base record database, and the external query requests updated data indicative of one or more of the changes to the base entries in the base record database since a previous update to the derived database”; and “wherein: the updated data comprises at least one change entry from the change record database that indicates the one or more of the changes to the base entries since the previous update to the derived record database”; and “wherein the updated data: causes the external system to update the derived record database, based on the one or more of the changes to the base entries indicated by the at least one change entry.”
In the same field of endeavor (i.e., data processing), Hallgren teaches: wherein:
the external system maintains a derived record database that stores copies of one or more of the base entries in the base record database (Fig. 2 is shown the derived datasets and raw dataset which are stored in the database, see in Abstract: “Using a distributed database system that manages a plurality of different raw datasets and a plurality of derived datasets that have been derived from the raw datasets based on a plurality of derivation relationships that link the raw datasets to the derived datasets, a subset of records that are candidates for propagated deletion of specified data values is determined…”; and col. 5, lines 49-60, and col. 6, lines 20-27: “The propagated deletion instructions 134 are further programmed to cause the API 150 to perform specified update operations on the raw datasets that result in deletion of specified datasets, rows, columns or cells, and to instruct the core RDD processor to initiate one or more build operations that automatically cause propagating the updates and deletions downstream to derived datasets 220”), and
the external query requests updated data indicative of one or more of the changes to the base entries in the base record database since a previous update to the derived database (see Fig. 2 and col. 8, lines 41-54: “Referring now to FIG. 3B, at block 320 the process is programmed, based on the specified subset of candidate records, to access metadata in the distributed database system to determine one or more raw datasets in which the records reside. For example, if deletion request 136 effectively communicates “DELETE ALL RECORDS OF JANE DOE DATED EARLIER THAN 6 MONTHS AGO,” and the process of FIG. 3A results in identifying a count of “36” records that need to be deleted across a plurality of different raw datasets that matched queries in the system, there is a need to identify every raw dataset that contains one of the “36” records. Identification may use label values carried in the records that were identified or other metadata from distributed data storage system 180.”).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to combine the teachings of the cited references because the teachings of Hallgren would have provided Caro with the above indicated limitations for allowing a skill artisan in motivation to query request update data of changes in dataset=entries of raw=base table/database and updated to derived dataset (Hallgren: Figs. 1-3; Abstract, and cols. 5-8).
Caro and Hallgren do not explicitly teach the limitations: “wherein: the updated data comprises at least one change entry from the change record database that indicates the one or more of the changes to the base entries since the previous update to the derived record database”; and “wherein the updated data: causes the external system to update the derived record database, based on the one or more of the changes to the base entries indicated by the at least one change entry.”
In the same field of endeavor (i.e., data processing), Muralidhar further teaches: “wherein: the updated data comprises at least one change entry from the change record database that indicates the one or more of the changes to the base entries since the previous update to the derived record database” (par. [0018] “generating a transactional stream of modifications made to a database table are disclosed. Database change tracking enables a user to determine how a database has been modified over time. Such database modifications may be initiated by a data manipulation language (DML) command such as an insert, update, or delete command.”; pars. [0023] and [0060] e.g., “a SQL statement may be utilized by referring the INSERTED or DELETED columns in a changeset to return an indication of which rows in the table have been inserted or deleted”; and Fig. 1A is shown the Table Version 0 as base table/db indicated previous update that derived to the Table Version 1, and Table Version 3, and wherein the Change Tracking Stream at element 102 is interpreted as the query requests updated data indicating the changes of entries, e.g., entry 1, entry 2, entry 3, and further in Figs. 1B and 2-3);
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to combine the teachings of the cited references because the teachings of Muralidhar would have provided Caro and Hallgren with the above amended limitations for allowing a skill artisan in motivation to query request update data of changes in entries of database tables in different versions for efficiently tracking change at low-cost (Muralidhar: Figs. 1A-3; Abstract, and pars. [0018-22] and [0036]).
Caro, Hallgren, and Muralidhar do not explicitly teach that the updated data: “causes the external system to update the derived record database, based on the one or more of the changes to the base entries indicated by the at least one change entry.”
In the same field of endeavor (i.e., data processing), Park further teaches that the updated data: “causes the external system to update the derived record database, based on the one or more of the changes to the base entries indicated by the at least one change entry” (Fig. 1, element 10, wherein the external terminal having the external databases; and pars. [0068] “The data provided through the external database system 10 can have a format that is different from that of the SOI database 70. In such a case, the problem of redundantly managing the same data by considering the same data to be different by normalizing in the same format can be resolved. For example, in the case of a phone number, if the SOI database 70 stores the phone number as 02-555-5555 and the external database (DB) system 10 stores the phone number as 02)555-5555, the external DB data normalization module 20 converts the phone number information format of input SOI data imported through the external DB system 10 to conform to the phone number information format of the SOI database 70” which teaches the updated the derived record database in the external system).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to combine the teachings of the cited references because the teachings of Park would have provided Caro, Hallgren, and Muralidhar with the above amended limitation for allowing a skill artisan in motivation to perform the updates/changes data of the records in the external database(s) of the external system (Park: pars. [0065-68]).
Regarding claim 2, Caro teaches: “wherein the change entries indicate times of the changes to the base entries” (see col. 6, lines 23-37, wherein the “record versions” indicate/identify the times of the changes/updates to the base fields/rows having entries).
Regarding claim 3, Caro teaches: “wherein the change entries indicate types of the changes to the base entries” (see col. 4, lines 12-17 “The transactions regarding the database may be changes to fields in the database where the changes are updates, modifications, additions, deletions, etc. The change to the data in the present technology also changes a record header identifying a change in the value of each field for that record in the database”, and col. 20-23, e.g., “identify which fields of record data have been modified. The record header may also have a change flag to indicate store, modify, or erase of record…”).
Regarding claim 4, Caro and Hallgren, in combination, teach: “wherein: the external query indicates a subset of the base entries” (Caro: col. 6, lines 40-54, e.g., receiving query for a returned result set to the updated/changed record associated with the base table=database, Fig. 5 at element 512; Hallgren: Figs. 1-3, via raw datasets), and “the at least one change entry corresponds to the subset of the base entries” (Caro: Figs. 2-4; and col. 6, lines 20-23: “identify which fields of record data have been modified...”, wherein the field(s) is/are defined in the col. 5, lines 43-48, and col. 9, lines 13-25: “The field associated with column 206 and row 212 has been changed from marketing to sales indicating that the employee Joe has been changed from the Marketing department to the Sales department with the corporation. The field associated with column 208 and row 214 has been changed from 65000 to 75000 which indicates that Mary's salary has been increased by 10000. In column 202, both fields associated with row 212 and row 214 have been changed to “update” indicating that a field of data has been updated or needs to be updated in the respective row” disclose subset of the base entries as known by a skill artisan).
Regarding claim 7, Caro further teaches: “detecting, by the primary computing system, the changes to the base entries in the base record database” (see Fig. 2, element 200: shown base database having a particular base entry, Fig. 3, element 300, indicate change entry detection, and Fig. 4, element 400 – Updated Database=change database; and col. 7, lines 9-15, wherein the “types of changes (Store, Modify, Erase…” set of fields intended of use the change of the base entry of the base record is detecting; Figs. 2-4, that should be delete or insert rather than the update/change), and “wherein the primary computing system generates the change entries based on detecting the changes to the base entries” (see Figs. 2-4 as shown the base table at database 200, and the change data indication in data table 300; and col. 6, lines 20-23: “identify which fields of record data have been modified. The record header may also have a change flag to indicate store, modify, or erase of record...”).
Claims 10-12, and 15-18 are rejected in the analysis of above claims 1-4, 7; and therefore, the claims are rejected on that basis.
Claims 5-6, 13-14, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Caro, Hallgren, Muralidhar, and Park, and in view of Shuma, US Pub. No. 2020/0125660 A1 (hereinafter as “Shuma”).
Regarding claim 5, the claim is rejected by the same reasons set forth above to claim 1. However, Caro, Hallgren, Muralidhar, and Park do not explicitly teach: “wherein: the external query indicates a timeframe, and the at least one change entry is associated with at least one time within the timeframe.”
In the same field of endeavor (i.e., data processing), Shuma teaches: “wherein: the external query indicates a timeframe, and the at least one change entry is associated with at least one time within the timeframe.” (see Fig. 5, element 504: shown as time(s) within timestamp/time frame, and further in pars. [0047] “a date and time of the last change made to the data row”, and [0056] wherein the query of SQL: “SELECT * from MY_TABLE where SPECIAL_REGISTER_DATE_CHANGE>“2018/10/01-12:20:00.000000” is interpreted as the external query; and par. [0068] “Date and time 504 may be derived from a timestamp generated by the processor when an update to the database is performed. Modern processors have available constructs such as special register CURRENT_DATE (for date) or CURRENT_TIMESTAMP (for date and time) that can be used to derive the date and time that a change occurred”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to combine the teachings of the cited references because the teachings of Shuma would have provided Caro, Hallgren, Muralidhar, and Park with the above indicated limitation for allowing a skill artisan in motivation to perform the updates/changes data of the records in the database(s) more efficient with the different date/time versions according to timeframe/timestamp (Shuma: Abstract and par. [0004]).
Regarding claim 6, the claim is rejected by the same reasons set forth above to claim 1. Furthermore, Caro teaches: wherein:
the change record database comprises a first change entry associated with a first change, made at a first time, to a particular base entry of the base entries (see Fig. 2, element 200: shown base database having a particular base entry, Fig. 3, element 300, indicate first change entry associated with the first change, and Fig. 4, element 400 – Updated Database=change database),
the change record database comprises one or more subsequent change entries, the one or more subsequent change entries are associated with one or more subsequent changes, made at one or more times later than the first time, to the particular base entry (e.g., record versions which is intended of use subsequent change entries associated with subsequent changes from each time, see col. 6, lines 23-39, wherein the current version, and old version are interpreted as changes made different times subsequently, wherein the current versions is inherited the “times later than the first time”), and
generating the updated data (see Figs. 3-4 implementing the updated data; col. 6, line 8: “creates change data related to database 102”) comprises: including a latest one of the one or more subsequent change entries in the updated data (see col. 6, lines 23-39, wherein the current version=latest one change entry, and the current and old versions are interchanged subsequently; and col. 7, lines 2-17 and lines 31-35, for instance, “…Such a subscription will denote the types of changes (Store, Modify, Erase—commonly referred to in SQL as Insert, Update, Delete) and the set of fields, F, that are of interest…”).
Caro, Muralidhar, and Park do not explicitly teach: “omitting the first change entry from the updated data.”
In the same field of endeavor (i.e., data processing), Shuma teaches: “omitting the first change entry from the updated data” (par. [0034]; par. [0037] “subsequent updates (e.g., addition, deletion, modification) are made to the data table, the appropriate index entries can be updated with the date and time of the change…”); and further in par. [0101] “If the data row found in the changed data rows 632 is a delete …, then the changed data row is ignored as it is no longer valid”, wherein the “is ignored” is interpreted as the “omit” of the first change row/entry; and pars. [0047-48] disclose the technique of omit the update data of the first change entry as “delete” rows and/or the data row is never updated).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to combine the teachings of the cited references because the teachings of Shuma would have provided Caro, Hallgren, Muralidhar, and Park with the above indicated limitation for allowing a skill artisan in motivation to perform the updates/changes data of the records in the database(s) more efficient including ignore/omit previous data/entry (Shuma: Abstract and par. [0004]).
Claims 13-14 and 19-20 are rejected in the analysis of above claims 5-6; and therefore, the claims are rejected on that basis.
Response to Arguments
Referring to claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. §101 as being abstract idea, Applicant’s arguments filed on 02/27/2026 (see Remarks, pages 10-13) have been fully considered, but are not persuasive.
Accordance to the updated 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance (2019 PEG), examiner respectfully submits that, under analysis of Step 2A (Prong I), the amended claim 1 recites the steps of “generating, …, and in a change record database separate from a base record database, change entries reflecting changes to base entries in the base record database” and “generating, …, the updated data based on the external query”, as drafted, are mentally processing because these indicated limitations cover the performance in the human mind including an observation, evaluation, judgment, option, etc., and/or by a human using a pen and paper, but for the recitation of generic computing component(s) (e.g., “a primary computing system comprising at least one processor”) (see CyberSource Corp. v. Retail Decisions, Inc., 654 F.3d 1366, 1372, 99 USPQ2d 1690, 1695 (Fed. Cir. 2011)).
Hence, if a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance in the human mind (thinking) that "can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper", but for the recitation of generic computer’s component(s), then it falls within the “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract ideas. See MPEP §2106.04(a)(2), Part III.
Examiner respectfully submits that the similar above analysis is applied to limitations recited in claims 10 and 16.
Further analysis under Step 2A (Prong II) and Step 2B, the remaining limitations in claims 1, 10, and 16 do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application and are not “well-understood, routine, conventional” (see MPEP §2106.05(a)-(h)). For instance, the additional elements, e.g., “a computing system”, “an external system”, comprising at least one “processor” and “a memory”/ “medium” are known as high level of generality and merely used the computing components/units as tools for performing the above indicated steps recited in claims 1, 10, and 6 (e.g., “they are the basic tools of scientific and technological work”, see Benson, 409 U.S. at 67, 175 USPQ at 675)); Parker v. Flook, 437 U.S. 584, 589, 198 USPQ 193, 197 (1978); and Berkheimer v. HP, Inc., 881 F.3d 1360, 125 USPQ2d 1649 (Fed. Cir. 2018)). Also, the additional steps of “receiving” and “providing” represent insignificant extra solution activities because these additional steps including in the claims do not specify how data/updated data is/are processed/executed; so that it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea, and because these additional steps are the computing functions to apply the exception using a generic computer components that are well-understood, routine, conventional activity to a skill artisan in the relevant technical field of gathering and transmitting data (see Symantec, 838 F.3d at 1321, 120 USPQ2d at 1362).
For at least above reasons, the rejections are still sustained.
Referring to claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. §103, Applicant’s arguments filed on 02/27/2026 to respective claim 1, and similar to claims 10 and 16 (see Remarks, pages 14-15) have been fully considered, but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection necessitated by applicant's amendment to the claims. Applicant's newly amended features are taught implicitly, expressly, or impliedly by the prior art of record.
The Examiner respectfully reminds applicant of the broadest reasonable interpretation standard. See MPEP §2111 – Claim Interpretation, e.g., "During examination, the claims must be interpreted as broadly as their terms reasonably allow." In re American Academy of Science Tech Center, 367 F.3d 1359, 1369, 70 USPQ2d 1827, 1834 (Fed. Cir. 2004) (The USPTO uses a different standard for construing claims than that used by district courts; during examination the USPTO must give claims their broadest reasonable interpretation.) In Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 75 USPQ2d 1321 (Fed. Cir. 2005), the court further elaborated on the “broadest reasonable interpretation" standard and recognized that “The Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO") determines the scope of claims in patent applications not solely on the basis of the claim language, but upon giving claims their broadest reasonable construction." Thus, when interpreting claims, the courts have held that Examiners should (1) interpret claim terms as broadly as their terms reasonably allows and (2) interpret claim phrases as broadly as their construction reasonably allows.
The other claims argued merely because of a dependency on a previously argued claims in the brief presented to the examiner, filed 02/27/2026 (Remarks, page 18), are moot in view of the examiner's interpretation of the claims and art and are still considered rejected based on their respective rejections from at least a prior Office action (part(s) of recited again above).
Allowable Subject Matter
Dependent claims 8-9, in combination as considered as a whole, are objected to as being dependent upon the above the rejected base claims 1, 10, and 16, but would be allowable if and only if:
rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claims, and any intervening claims; and
must overcome the above indicated rejections under 35 U.S.C. §101 as being abstract idea.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jessica N. Le whose telephone number is (571)270-1009. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am - 5:30 pm (EST).
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/Jessica N Le/Examiner, Art Unit 2169 /MD I UDDIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2169
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