DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to application filed on August 28th, 2024.
Claims 1~20 are examined.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/28/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 1~20 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1~20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,105,840. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the U.S Patent mentioned above substantially teaches claims 1~20 of the instant application. For example, claim 1 of the instant application reciting, “…publishing the HPP database to a DNS security service, such that the DNS security service can resolve a DNS query for the client…”, is similar to the U.S Patent’s claim 1 reciting, “authorizing a distributed resolver to provide DNS services to the client; and publishing the HPP database to the distributed resolver”, and thus not patentably distinct from each other. See the comparison below:
Application: 18/817,965
U.S Patent 12,105,840
1. A method performed at least in part by a policy engine hosted on premises at an enterprise organization, the method comprising: applying a cryptographic hash function to metadata including personally Identifiable Information (PII) associated with a client of the enterprise organization to generate a client hash value; creating a client Hash to Policy Pair (HPP) by mapping the client hash value to a set of DNS policy instructions associated with the client; storing the client HPP in a HPP database; and publishing the HPP database to a DNS security service, such that the DNS security service can resolve a DNS query for the client of the enterprise organization absent knowledge of the PII associated with the client by mapping the client hash value included in the DNS query to the client HPP in the HPP database.
1. A method performed at least in part by a Domain Name System (DNS) security service comprising: receiving metadata including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) associated with a client; applying a cryptographic hash function to the metadata including PII associated with the client to generate a client hash value; creating a client Hash to Policy Pair (HPP) by mapping the client hash value to a set of DNS policy instructions associated with the client; storing the client HPP in a HPP database; authorizing a distributed resolver to provide DNS services to the client; and publishing the HPP database to the distributed resolver.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating the HPP database with an updated client HPP in response to a change in the set of DNS policy instructions associated with the client; and publishing the updated HPP database to the DNS service.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating the HPP database with an updated client HPP in response to a change in the set of DNS policy instructions associated with the client; and publishing the updated HPP database to the distributed resolver.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising publishing the HPP database to a distributed resolver authorized by the DNS security service to provide DNS services to the enterprise organization.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating the HPP database with an updated client HPP in response to a change in the client hash value triggered by a change in the metadata including PII associated with the client; and publishing the updated HPP database to the distributed resolver.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the DNS security service authorizes multiple distributed resolvers to provide DNS services to the enterprise organization and the HPP database is published, using a publish/subscribe messaging model, to the authorized distributed resolvers.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the DNS security service authorizes multiple distributed resolvers to provide DNS services to the client and the HPP database is published, using a publish/subscribe messaging model, to the authorized distributed resolvers.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the distributed DNS resolver is a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata including PII associated with the client is received from an out-of-band Representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API), or received inline within a DNS query with encryption.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the PII associated with the client is maintained according to regulatory security requirements.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributed DNS resolver is a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client hash value is added to an additional records section of a client DNS query.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the DNS security service maintains PII associated with the client according to regulatory security requirements.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: None of the prior arts teach nor render obvious claims 1~20. The claims will be allowed once a Terminal Disclaimer is filed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HEE SOO KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-3229. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas Taylor can be reached on (571) 272-3889. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HEE SOO KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2443