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 .
Detailed Action
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/6/26 has been entered.
Examiner notes, per MPEP 706..07(h)(III)(D), “If the conditions for filing an RCE have been satisfied, the technical support personnel will process the proper RCE. Any previously filed unentered amendments, and amendments filed with the RCE will normally be entered. Such amendments will be entered in the order in which they were filed in the absence of any specific instructions for entry.” Thus Examiner has examined the amendments dated 3/9/26 and the supplemental filing also dated 3/9/26 per Applicant’s RCE.
In amendments dated 3/9/26, Applicant amended claims 1 and 3-15, canceled no claims, and added no new clams. Claims 1 and 3-15 are presented for examination.
Examiner notes the amendments to claim 13 included adding a limitation "selecting, by the Control Center module scheduler, one or more work units based on a resource-status record for the agent module and sending the selected work units to the agent module;" which was not recited in claim 13 in the 9/10/25 version of the claims, which is in violation of 37 C.F.R. 1.121(c)(2) ("The text of any added subject matter must be shown by underlining the added text.").
Claim Construction
In claim 1, the third limitation recites the Control Center module is configured to “manage service discovery, workload allocation, resource coordination across a networked plurality of client nodes;” and the last limitation recites “wherein the Control Center module further comprises a scheduler, the scheduler configured to dynamically allocate workloads to the agent modules by selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records to minimize human intervention and optimizing system throughput.” Examiner notes the lack of clarity in the claim reciting the same function (workload allocation) performed by both the Control Center module and a scheduler within the Control Center module, and Examiner construes that a scheduler software module within the Control Center module dynamically allocates workloads in the manner recited.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: in claim 1:
a Control Center server comprising a Control Center module configured for distributed computing service administration and management, the Control Center module further
configured to:
manage service discovery, workload allocation, and resource coordination across a networked plurality of client nodes;
receive, validate, and authenticate agent module registration requests from remote client nodes; and
receive broadcast presence announcements from authenticated agent modules; and
maintain, for each authenticated agent module, a periodically updated resource-status record including at least available processing capability and current resource availability;
a plurality of agent modules deployed on distinct client nodes, each agent module configured to:
receive workload instructions from the Control Center module;
request and receive metadata from at least one content server;
execute extraction and enrichment services on retrieved data using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification; and
return processed data to a target destination;
a discovery and search enrichment module configured for managing connections;
a data analytics and search module configured for searches;
an external connections module configured for managing external connections; and
an external integration and export module configured for managing external integration services;
wherein the Control Center module further comprises a scheduler, the scheduler configured to dynamically allocate workloads to the agent modules by selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records to minimize human intervention and optimizing system throughput.
in claim 3:
wherein the Control Center module is further configured for licence & product management, source management, agent management, and extraction service management.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
Examiner notes the recited processor does not comprise the recited modules or explicitly perform any of the actions of the recited modules. Also, Examiner found support in specification paragraph 0079 (“A ‘module’ can be considered as a processor executing computer-readable code.”) providing the structure that performs the recited actions.
MPEP 2181(I)(C) says, for the third prong of the Analysis to be satisfied, "the term 'means' or 'step' or the generic placeholder recited in the claim must not be modified by sufficiently definite structure, material, or acts for achieving the specified function." The first limitation in claim 1 recites "a Control Center server comprising a Control Center module," which does not provide sufficiently definite structure for carrying out the recited functions of the Control Center module. Examiner notes the last limitation in claim 1 is also interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) because the Control Center server likewise does not provide does not provide sufficiently definite structure for carrying out the recited functions of the scheduler.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Objections
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informality: this clam recites “the Control Center server” and “the scheduler” which lack antecedent basis.
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. This claim recites “wherein the external integration and export module includes OpenSearch user interface dashboards and ODBC connections.” OpenSearch user interface dashboards are a trademarked name for a business product which can change over time. See MPEP 2173.05(u). Therefore the scope of the claim is unclear and the claim is indefinite.
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 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 and 3-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to mental processes without significantly more. Independent claim 1 recites a Control Center server comprising a Control Center module configured for distributed computing service administration and management; the Control Center module further configured to: manage service discovery, workload allocation, and resource coordination across a networked plurality of client nodes; each agent module configured to execute extraction and enrichment services on retrieved data using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification; a discovery and search enrichment module configured for managing connections; a data analytics and search module configured for searches; an external connections module configured for managing external connections; and an external integration and export module configured for managing external integration services; wherein the Control Center module further comprises a scheduler, the scheduler configured to dynamically allocate workloads to the agent modules by selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records to minimize human intervention and optimizing system throughput. Distributing computing service administration and management, managing service discovery, workload allocation, and resource coordination, executing extraction and enrichment services, managing connections, executing searches, managing external connections, managing external integration services, dynamically allocating workloads, and selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records are each recited broadly and are mental processes accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. This claim recites additional elements of receiving, validating, and authenticating agent module registration requests from remote client nodes; receiving broadcast presence announcements from authenticated agent modules, which are data gathering steps and insignificant extra-solution activity; maintain, for each authenticated agent module, a periodically updated resource-status record including at least available processing capability and current resource availability, which is storing the resource-status record and insignificant extra-solution activity; receive workload instructions from the Control Center module; request and receive metadata from at least one content server, which are data gathering steps and insignificant extra-solution activity; and return processed data to a target destination, which is an output step and insignificant extra-solution activity. Claim 1 recites a computer processor and various computer software modules which are generic components of a computer. Examiner notes specification paragraph 0005 discussing how enterprise content management systems would not scale effectively without introduction of automation. Paragraph 0006 describes how processes related to these systems require intensive computing resources and may be time-consuming and paragraph 0007 discusses how searchable indexes must be updated regularly which also consumes resources. Paragraph 0009 discusses the need to provide automation for these systems to minimize or eliminate adverse impacts to systems or network performance. The claim recites dynamically allocating workloads based on resource availability and processing capability thereby minimizing human intervention and optimizing system throughput but does not recite specific steps of how the invention allocates workloads to minimize human intervention and optimize system throughput. The claim does not recite any details that addresses any other of the needs described above or recites an improvement in a technology or a function of a computer. Therefore the recited mental processes are not integrated into a practical application. Taking the claims as a whole, the input/data gathering steps and the output steps are each recited broadly and amount to receiving and sending data across a network per specification paragraphs 0046 and 0057 and figures 1 and 3, which is routine and conventional activity per the list of such activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. The storing step is also routine and conventional activity per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. The computer processor and software modules are still generic components of a computer. Therefore the claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited mental processes.
Independent claim 11 recites authenticating the agent module with the Control Center server; wherein the agent module is configured to execute tasks assigned by the Control Center server; and wherein the tasks comprise executing extraction and enrichment services using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification. Authenticating an agent module invo9lves evaluating and is a mental process, and executing tasks, extraction and enrichment services are each recited broadly and are mental processes accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. The claim recites additional elements of broadcasting a presence announcement of the agent module to the Control Center server, and output step and insignificant extra-solution activity; after authentication, registering the agent module as a trusted resource and storing a resource-status record for the agent module, which is a storing step and insignificant extra-solution activity; and sending configuration information from the Control Center server to the agent module, the configuration information including workload-instruction parameters usable by a scheduler that allocates workloads based on the resource-status record, which is an output step and insignificant extra-solution activity. Examiner notes the discussion above about problems described in specification paragraphs 0005-0007 and 0009, and also notes how the limitation reciting dynamically allocating workloads based on resource availability and processing capability thereby minimizing human intervention and optimizing system throughput but does not recite specific steps of how the invention allocates workloads to minimize human intervention and optimize system throughput. Claim 11 also does not recite any details that addresses any other of the needs described above or recites an improvement in a technology or a function of a computer. Therefore the claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited mental processes. Taking the claims as a whole, broadcasting a presence announcement of the agent module to the Control Center server and sending configuration information to the agent module are recited broadly and amount to sending data across a network per specification paragraphs 0046 and 0057 and figures 1 and 3, which is routine and conventional activity per the list of such activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Registering the agent module and storing a resource status record are storing steps which are routine and conventional activities per the list of such activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. These steps also appear to be conventional steps to follow for recognizing and adding a client to a server. Therefore the claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited mental processes.
Independent claim 13 recites selecting, by the Control Center module scheduler, one or more work units based on a resource-status record for the agent module; and executing the extraction or the enrichment service on retrieved data using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification; wherein the scheduler dynamically allocates workloads based on current resource availability and processing capability. Selecting work units is recited broadly and involves evaluation and is a mental process executing an extraction or enrichment service is recited broadly and is a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper, and allocating workloads involves evaluating and is a mental process. This claim recites additional elements of receiving, at the Control Center server, a request for work units from the agent module, which is a data gathering step and insignificant extra-solution activity; sending the selected work units to the agent module, which is an output step and insignificant extra-solution activity; and downloading an extraction service or an enrichment service to complete the work unit at the agent module, which is also a data gathering step and insignificant extra-solution activity. Examiner notes the discussion above about problems described in specification paragraphs 0005-0007 and 0009, and also notes how the limitation reciting dynamically allocating workloads based on resource availability and processing capability thereby minimizing human intervention and optimizing system throughput but does not recite specific steps of how the invention allocates workloads to minimize human intervention and optimize system throughput. Claim 11 also does not recite any details that addresses any other of the needs described above or recites an improvement in a technology or a function of a computer. Therefore the claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited mental processes. Taking the claims as a whole, receiving a request for work units, sending selected work units to an agent module, and downloading an extraction or an enrichment service are each recited broadly and amount to sending or receiving data across a network per specification paragraphs 0046 and 0057 and figures 1 and 3, which are routine and conventional activities per the list of such activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. These steps also appear to be conventional steps to follow for completing work or executing a task by a client agent. Therefore the claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited mental processes.
Claim 3 recites wherein the Control Center module is further configured for licence & product management, source management, agent management, and extraction service management, and said management activities are recited broadly and are mental processes accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claim 4 recites wherein the extraction service manages connections including one or more enterprise content management system connections and third-party connections, and managing connections is recited broadly and are mental processes accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claim 5 recites wherein the external connections include cloud infrastructure, a data store, a file system, an in-place database and a content management system (CMS), and managing connections is recited broadly and are mental processes accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claim 6 recites wherein the external integration and export module includes OpenSearch user interface dashboards and ODBC connections, and the module including dashboards and connections are recited broadly and are mental processes accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claim 7 recites wherein each agent module is configured to announce availability to the Control Center server by transmitting a presence announcement to the Control Center module, and transmitting a presence announcement is recited broadly and amounts to sending data across a network per specification paragraphs 0046 and 0057 and figures 1 and 3, which is a routine and conventional activity per the list of such activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II.
Claim 8 recites wherein for load balancing, an agent module transmits an overload indication to the Control Center module to redistribute work to at least on other authenticated agent module, and an agent module transmitting an indication to the Control Center module recited broadly and amounts to sending data across a network per specification paragraph 0057, which is routine and conventional activity per the list of such activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Claim 9 recites wherein the Control Center module coordinates and distributes work to authenticated agent modules including the software to perform the work, and coordinating and distributing work is recited broadly and is a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claim 10 recites tools to execute on a host file share or virtual machine (VM) to minimize human intervention and reduce impact to system or network performance for end users, and tools to execute are recited broadly and are mental processes accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claim 12 recites the step of administering trust and claims for the agent module with the Control Center server, and administering trusts and claims is recited broadly and is a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claim 14 recites wherein the work units are assigned based on the number of parallel processes the agent module is configured to perform or process, and assigning work units is recited broadly and is a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Claim 15 recites wherein the work units include instructions to execute a toolkit or an extraction service, and executing a toolkit is recited broadly and is a mental process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper.
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103
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, 5, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vanleeuwen et al (US 20210191956), hereafter Vanleeuwen in view of Blakey et al (US 20220345371), hereafter Blakey and further in view of Newton (US 20250227144) and Prabhakaran et al (US 20190208009), hereafter Prabhakaran.
With respect to claim 1, Vanleeuwen teaches:
a Control Center server comprising a Control Center module configured for distributed computing service administration and management (paragraphs 0005, 0017 content web server comprising modules for communicating, managing using SOAP protocol to distribute computing services and management), the Control Center module further
configured to:
receive, validate, and authenticate agent module registration requests from remote client nodes (paragraph 0019 server communications with client node modules include authentication requests for said client nodes);
a plurality of agent modules deployed on distinct client nodes ((paragraph 0015 client modules (Agents per specification 0010))), each agent module configured to:
receive workload instructions from the Control Center module (paragraph 0020 receive download instructions for data transfer);
request and receive metadata from at least one content server (paragraph 0017 request and receive (fetch) metadata from a Content Web Server);
execute extraction and enrichment services on retrieved data using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification (paragraph 0005 extract (fetch) files from server for indexing (Add Full Text) related to appropriate metadata, paragraph 0018 hashing the indexed data (Add Hash)); and
return processed data to a target destination (paragraph 0023 extracting metadata from a content server, archiving it as a zipfile (processed data) on a content management system, or archived data is sent to a remote client node);
a discovery and search enrichment module configured for managing connections (paragraph 0024 managing connections between modules);
a data analytics and search module configured for searches (paragraph 0019 content server search feature);
an external connections module configured for managing external connections (paragraph 0024 managing external connections between modules); and
an external integration and export module configured for managing external integration services (paragraph 0026 control server managing client modules, connections between server and clients, external connections);
Vanleeuwen does not teach:
[the Control Center module further configured to] manage service discovery, workload allocation, and resource coordination across a networked plurality of client nodes;
[the Control Center module further configured to] receive broadcast presence announcements from authenticated agent modules;
[the Control Center module further configured to] maintain, for each authenticated agent module, a periodically updated resource-status record including at least available processing capability and current resource availability; and
wherein the Control Center module further comprises a scheduler, the scheduler configured to dynamically allocate workloads to the agent modules by selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records to minimize human intervention and optimizing system throughput.
Blakey teaches:
[the Control Center module further configured to] manage service discovery, workload allocation, and resource coordination across a networked plurality of client nodes (paragraph 0173 server managing discovery of services and resource coordination via issuing commands among client nodes, using ipconfig information to balance traffic loads (workloads)); and
wherein the Control Center module further comprises a scheduler, the scheduler configured to dynamically allocate workloads to the agent modules to minimize human intervention and optimizing system throughput (paragraphs 0196-0197 schedule jobs, allocate storage for requests, paragraph 0173 server issues ipconfig command for configuration information for load balancing of traffic). It would have been obvious to have combined this function of managing service discovery, resource coordination, and dynamically allocating workloads in Blakey with the techniques for creating an index in a client-server architecture in Vanleeuwen (paragraph 0005) to manage and coordinate the plurality of client nodes receiving data to create an index more efficiently.
The combination of Vanleeuwen and Blakey does not teach:
[the Control Center module further configured to] receive broadcast presence announcements from authenticated agent modules;
[the Control Center module further configured to] maintain, for each authenticated agent module, a periodically updated resource-status record including at least available processing capability and current resource availability; and
wherein the Control Center module further comprises a scheduler, the scheduler configured to dynamically allocate workloads to the agent modules by selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records to minimize human intervention and optimizing system throughput.
Newton teaches receiving broadcast presence announcements from authenticated agent modules (paragraphs 0006-0007, also paragraph 0043 example of a CDN server sending to a plurality of clients information about another client 110a in a geographic proximity for a team game). It would have been obvious to have combined the function of broadcasting client identifying information (module presence) in Newton with the techniques for creating an index in Vanleeuwen and Blakey to keep other nodes within the network informed of status events, thus making the combination more user-friendly.
The combination of Vanleeuwen, Blakey, and Newton does not teach:
[the Control Center module further configured to] maintain, for each authenticated agent module, a periodically updated resource-status record including at least available processing capability and current resource availability; and
wherein the Control Center module further comprises a scheduler, the scheduler configured to dynamically allocate workloads to the agent modules by selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records to minimize human intervention and optimizing system throughput.
Prabhakaran teaches these things:
maintain, for each authenticated agent module, a periodically updated resource-status record including at least available processing capability and current resource availability (paragraph 0022 resource availability (status) updated by resource manager when requested (periodically), resource manager provides identifiers (resource-status record) to resource to perform the workload); and
wherein the Control Center module further comprises a scheduler, the scheduler configured to dynamically allocate workloads to the agent modules by selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records to minimize human intervention and optimizing system throughput (paragraph 0022 resource manager provides identifiers (resource-status record) to determined (selected) resource to perform the workload).
It would have been obvious to have combined the function of a resource-status record for selecting an agent module in Prabhakaran with the techniques for creating an index in Vanleeuwen, Blakey, and Newton to provide more efficient managing of resources, particularly with workload balancing.
With respect to claim 5, all the limitations in claim 1 are addressed by Vanleeuwen, Blakey, Newton, and Prabhakaran above. Vanleeuwen also teaches wherein the external connections include a data store (paragraph 0023 managing connections of synchronization to a data store), a file system (paragraph 0010 exposing a filesystem for a remote content management system), an in-place database (paragraph 0012 database connected to a content server) and a content management system (CMS) (paragraph 0012 content server). Blakey teaches a cloud infrastructure (paragraph 0120 cloud server communicating with a central server to connect with client endpoint devices). It would have been obvious to have combined the cloud server in Blakey with the client-server architecture in Vanleeuwen to provide a remote dimension to the architecture for managing said connections to client devices.
With respect to claim 10, all the limitations in claim 1 are addressed by Vanleeuwen, Blakey, Newton, and Prabhakaran above. Vanleeuwen also teaches tools to execute on a host file share or virtual machine (VM) to minimize human intervention and reduce impact to system or network performance for end users (paragraph 0010 files shared on local/shared drive).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vanleeuwen, Blakey, Newton, and Prabhakaran and further in view of Mazzaferri et al (US 20070174429), hereafter Mazzaferri.
With respect to claim 3, all the limitations in claim 1 are addressed by Vanleeuwen, Blakey, Newton, and Prabhakaran above. The combination of Vanleeuwen, Blakey, Newton, and Prabhakaran does not teach wherein the Control Center is further configured for licence & product management, source management, agent management, extraction service management. Mazzaferri teaches this with a server that provides license management and client management with heartbeats back to the server (paragraph 0696 and -0698 figure 18, also paragraph 0141 describing a machine 30 as a server and a machine 10 is a client). It would have been obvious to have combined this functionality of license management on a server in Mazzaferri with the content management techniques in the combination of Vanleeuwen, Blakey, Newton, and Prabhakaran as consolidating services on a server makes the services more efficient.
Claims 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vanleeuwen and Blakey and in further view of Prabhakaran.
With respect to claim 11, Blakey teaches:
broadcasting a presence announcement of the agent module to the Control Center server (paragraph 0171 figure 6 steps 510, 512 agent client is created and server generates a key pair for the client device so client device’s presence is made known to the server);
authenticating the agent module with the Control Center server (paragraph 0171 figure 6 steps 510, 512 agent client is created and server generates a key pair for the client device so client device is authenticated with the server);
after authentication, registering the agent module as a trusted resource(paragraph 0171 figure 6 step 514 agent client interface for agent client device is downloaded to the client so client device recognized as trusted resource); and
sending configuration information from the Control Center server to the agent module, the configuration information including workload-instruction parameters usable by a scheduler (paragraph 0171 figure 6 step 514 agent client interface for agent client device is downloaded to the client from the server, also step 516 server sends docker container to client, which is configuration information per paragraph 0008); and
wherein the agent module is configured to execute tasks assigned by the Control Center server (paragraph 0160 figure 3 instructions for jobs issued to client devices through server, paragraph 0064 instructions to client deice include reading, writing commands for downloaded data packet (extraction service), timestamping the data and encrypting the data packet (Add Hash) (enrichment service)).
Blakey does not teach:
after authentication, registering the agent module as a trusted resource and storing a resource-status record for the agent module;
sending configuration information from the Control Center server to the agent module, the configuration information including workload-instruction parameters usable by a scheduler that allocates workloads based on the resource-status record ; and
wherein the tasks comprise executing extraction and enrichment services using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification.
Vanleeuwen teaches wherein the tasks comprise executing extraction and enrichment services using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification (paragraph 0005 extract (fetch) files from server for indexing (Add Full Text) related to appropriate metadata, paragraph 0018 hashing the indexed data (Add Hash)).
It would have been obvious to have combined the execution and enrichment services in Vanleeuwen with the techniques for adding an agent module in Blakey to provide content management abilities to the agent module, making it more user-friendly.
The combination of Blakey and Venleeuwen does not teach:
after authentication, registering the agent module as a trusted resource and storing a resource-status record for the agent module; and
sending configuration information from the Control Center server to the agent module, the configuration information including workload-instruction parameters usable by a scheduler that allocates workloads based on the resource-status record ;
Prabhakaran teaches these things:
after authentication, registering the agent module as a trusted resource and storing a resource-status record for the agent module (paragraph 0022 resource availability (status) updated by resource manager when requested (periodically), resource manager provides identifiers (resource-status record) to resource to perform the workload); and
sending configuration information from the Control Center server to the agent module, the configuration information including workload-instruction parameters usable by a scheduler that allocates workloads based on the resource-status record (paragraph 0022 resource manager provides identifiers (resource-status record) to determined (selected) resource to perform the workload).
It would have been obvious to have combined the function of a resource-status record for selecting an agent module in Prabhakaran with the techniques for adding a client module in Blakey and Vanleeuen to provide more efficient managing of resources, particularly with workload balancing.
With respect to claim 13, Blakey teaches:
receiving, at the Control Center server, a request for work units from the agent module (paragraph 0167 client requests instructions from server);
downloading an extraction service or an enrichment service to complete the work unit at the agent module (paragraphs 0167-0168 client completes work assigned by server); and
wherein the scheduler dynamically allocates workloads based on current resource availability and processing capability (paragraphs 0196-0197 schedule jobs, allocate storage for requests, paragraph 0173 server issues ipconfig command for configuration information for load balancing of traffic).
Blakey does not teach:
selecting, by the Control Center module scheduler, one or more work units based on a resource-status record for the agent module and sending the selected work units to the agent module; and
executing the extraction or the enrichment service on retrieved data using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification.
Vanleeuwen teaches executing the extraction or the enrichment service on retrieved data using one or more enrichment tools including Add Hash, Add Full Text, ROT detection, and classification (paragraph 0005 extract (fetch) files from server for indexing (Add Full Text) related to appropriate metadata, paragraph 0018 hashing the indexed data (Add Hash)).
It would have been obvious to have combined the execution and enrichment services in Vanleeuwen with the techniques for adding an agent module in Blakey to provide content management abilities to the agent module, making it more user-friendly.
The combination of Blakey and Venleeuwen does not teach selecting, by the Control Center module scheduler, one or more work units based on a resource-status record for the agent module and sending the selected work units to the agent module. Prabhakaran teaches this in determining resource availability (status) updated by resource manager when requested (periodically), wherein the resource manager provides identifiers (resource-status record) to resource to perform the workload (paragraph 0022). It would have been obvious to have combined the function of a resource-status record for selecting an agent module in Prabhakaran with the techniques for adding a client module in Blakey and Vanleeuen to provide more efficient managing of resources, particularly with workload balancing.
With respect to claim 12, all the limitations in claim 11 are addressed by Blakey, Vanleeuwen, and Prabhakaran above. Blakey also teaches the step of administering trust and claims for the agent module with the Control Center server (server listens for connections to client interfaces, paragraph 0173 commands issued to clients after authentication show trust).
With respect to claim 14, all the limitations in claim 11 are addressed by Blakey, Vanleeuwen, and Prabhakaran above. Blakey also teaches wherein the work units are assigned based on the number of parallel processes the client agent module is configured to perform or process (paragraph 0147 server ussies instructions in parallel when possible, also see paragraphs 0155, 0170).
With respect to clam 15, all the limitations in claim 11 are addressed by Blakey, Vanleeuwen, and Prabhakaran above. Blakey also teaches wherein the work units include instructions to execute a toolkit or an extraction service (paragraph 0160 clients execute jobs, paragraph 0166 example of obtaining application exceptions).
Responses to Applicant’s Remarks
Regarding Examiner's Claim Construction statement for claim 1, Applicant did not amend this language so Examiner's construction remains. For claim 7, Applicant 's amendments are satisfactory. For claim 11, Applicant's amendments are satisfactory. Regarding objections to claim 6 for antecedent basis of "the services for external integration export module," Applicant's amendments reciting "the external integration and export module" are satisfactory. Examiner notes said amendments also recite "the external integration and export module includes OpenSearch user interface dashboards" and OpenSearch is trademarked and thus the claim is rejected above as indefinite under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) again (see 6/12/25 office action). Regarding objections to claim 7 for "wherein the Agents can announce their availability to the Control Center" being grammatically unclear and unclear antecedent basis of "the agent module, Applicant's amendments reciting "each agent module is configured to announce availability to the Control Center server by transmitting a presence announcement " are satisfactory. Regarding objection to claim 8 for antecedent basis of "the agent module," Applicant's amendment of "an agent module" are satisfactory. Regarding objection to claim 9 for antecedent basis of the agent modules," Applicant's amendment of "agent modules" is satisfactory. Regarding objection to claim 10 for grammatically unclear language, Applicant's amendments of "tools to execute on a host file share or virtual machine (VM) to minimize human intervention and reduce impact to system or network performance" are satisfactory. Regarding objection to claim 11 for "the control center module" and "the agent module" each lacking antecedent basis and "wherein the client Agents are agent is configured to execute" being grammatically unclear, Applicant's amendments reciting "an agent module," removing "the Control Center module" and "wherein the client Agents are agent is configured to execute" are satisfactory. Regarding objections to claim 13 for grammatically unclear language "and sends the work units to client agent" and antecedent basis of "the control center module" and "the agent module," Applicant's amendments removing said unclear language and "the Control Center module" and reciting "an agent module" are satisfactory but "the Control Center module scheduler" and now "the Control Center server" and "the scheduler" lack antecedent basis as shown above. Regarding rejection of claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) for "broadcast authorized agent module presence to all nodes" lacking written description, Applicants amendment reciting "receive broadcast presence announcements from authenticated agent modules;" is satisfactory.
Regarding rejections of claims 1 and 3-15 under 35 U.S.C. 101 for reciting mental processed without significantly more, Applicant's arguments have been considered but are not persuasive. On page 10 of his Remarks Applicant asserts "amended claim 1 recites a Control Center server that maintains a 'resource-status record' for each authenticated agent module (including current resource availability and processing capability) and recites that the scheduler allocates workloads by selecting an agent module based on those resource-status records." Examiner notes maintaining a resource-status record is merely storing the record and allocating workloads by selecting an agent module based on the resource-status records is merely allocating workloads and lacks inventive details showing how the invention implements a technological improvement in minimizing human intervention or optimizing system throughput. Thus Examiner believes the claims still do not recite a practical application per MPEP 2106.04(d). Also on page 10 Applicant asserts the limitations reciting" authentication/registration of agents as trusted resources, maintaining periodically updated
resource-status records, and scheduler selection based on those records for distributing work units executing defined extraction/enrichment tools" recite a technical solution to distributed workload allocation and automation described in the application and are not a mental process. Examiner disagrees as authentication/registration of agents as trusted resources and scheduler selection based on those records for distributing work units executing defined extraction/enrichment tools are broadly recited functions which per their BRIs may be accomplishable in the human mind or with a physical aid such as pen and paper. Examiner also notes MPEP 2106.05(a) states "another consideration when determining whether a claim recites significantly more than a judicial exception is whether the additional element(s) are well-understood, routine, conventional activities previously known to the industry," and maintaining (storing ) periodically updated resource-status records along with the other additional elements of receiving agent module registration requests, receiving broadcast presence announcements, receiving workload instructions, requesting and receiving metadata, and returning processed data to a target destination are, per specification paragraphs 0046 and 0057 and figures 1 and 3 as noted in Examiner's rejection, each routine and conventional activities in a computer per the list of such activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Thus Examiner believes these claims do not recite significantly more than the recited mental processes.
Regarding rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 of claims 11-15 by Blakey and rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 of claims 1, 5, and 10 by Vanleeuwen, Blakey, and Newton and claim 3 by Vanleeuwen, Blakey, Newton, and Mazzaferri, Applicant’s amendments overcome these references’ teachings. Examiner conducted another search of the prior art and fond Prabhakaran, which Examiner believes teaches these claims along with the aforementioned references as shown in the new grounds of rejection set forth above.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRUCE M MOSER whose telephone number is (571)270-1718. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
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/BRUCE M MOSER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2154 6/24/26
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