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 . The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions. 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 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Interview
On, 17 November 2025, Examiner proposed amending to include claims 3 and 5 into the independent claims. No agreement was reached. See Attached Interview Summary for more details.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication 20150033024 to MASHIMA et al. (“MASHIMA”).
As to claim 1, MASHIMA disclose(s) a data transmission path checking system comprising:
an authentication unit configured to be able to transmit signature authenticity information indicating authenticity of signature information; (MASHIMA; Fig. 7, 704 receiving digital signature that may be associated with the originating entity; [0080])
a data transmission unit configured to add signature information of the data transmission unit and signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the data transmission unit acquired from the authentication unit to transmission target data and output obtained data; (MASHIMA; Fig. 7, 708, 710 sign and communicate the data; [0083])
one or more data relay units configured to cumulatively add signature information of the data relay unit and signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the data relay unit acquired from the authentication unit to the data received from the data transmission unit and output obtained data; (MASHIMA; Fig. 7, 712 first and second signatures transmitted together; [0083]; see also fig. 5)
and a data receiving unit configured to verify, between the data receiving unit and the authentication unit, the signature authenticity information cumulatively added by the one or more data relay units and checking a transmission path of the transmission target data based on the signature information cumulatively added by the one or more data relay units. (MASHIMA; Fig. 6 608 verification; [0074]; see also [0043][0044])
As to claim 2, MASHIMA disclose(s) the data transmission path checking system according to claim 1, wherein the signature information is an electronic signature created using a private key, and the signature authenticity information is an electronic certificate that certifies authenticity of a public key corresponding to the private key. . (MASHIMA; using public private key to sign [0027];[0036])
As to claim 3, MASHIMA disclose(s) the data transmission path checking system according to claim 1, disclose wherein the signature information is signature specifying information that specifies an electronic signature created using a private key and whose amount of data is less than that of the specified electronic signature, (MASHIMA; digital certificate, or hash value associated with entity linked to public key; [0027];[0046])
the signature authenticity information is certificate specifying information that specifies an electronic certificate certifying authenticity of a public key corresponding to the private key and whose amount of data is less than that of the specified electronic signature, the data transmission unit and the one or more data relay units each generate the electronic signature and signature specifying information corresponding to the electronic signature and transmit the electronic signature and the signature specifying information to the authentication unit, (MASHIMA; digital certificate, or hash value associated with entity linked to public key; [0027];[0046])
the authentication unit holds the plurality of electronic signatures and the plurality of pieces of signature specifying information that have been received and transmits the pieces of certificate specifying information that correspond to the respective electronic signatures to the data transmission unit and the one or more data relay units, and the data receiving unit transmits, to the authentication unit, the plurality of pieces of signature specifying information and the plurality of pieces of certificate specifying information that have been cumulatively added and acquires a plurality of electronic signatures and a plurality of electronic certificates that correspond to the plurality of pieces of signature specifying information and the plurality of pieces of certificate specifying information that have been transmitted. (MASHIMA; digital certificate, or hash value associated with entity linked to public key; [0027];[0046][0048]; See also claim 3)
As to claim 4, MASHIMA disclose(s) the data transmission path checking system according to claim 2,
wherein some or all of the one or more data relay units adds, in a case where data to which the signature information and the signature authenticity information are added included in the received data is processed,
the signature information of the data relay unit and the signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the data relay unit to data in which the data before processing to which the signature information and the signature authenticity information are added is integrated with data after processing, and outputs obtained data. (MASHIMA; hash value of data; [0026];[0027])
As to claim 6, MASHIMA disclose(s) a data transmission path checking method comprising:
storing, in an authentication unit configured to be able to transmit signature authenticity information indicating authenticity of signature information, the signature authenticity information;
adding signature information of a data transmission unit and signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the data transmission unit acquired from the authentication unit to transmission target data and outputting obtained data;
receiving, by one or more data relay units, data from the data transmission unit, cumulatively adding, by the one or more data relay units, signature information of the data relay unit and signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the data relay unit acquired from the authentication unit, and outputting obtained data;
and verifying the signature authenticity information cumulatively added by the one or more data relay units with the authentication unit and checking a transmission path of the transmission target data based on the signature information cumulatively added by the one or more data relay units.
See similar rejection to claim 1.
As to claim 7, MASHIMA disclose(s) a data relay system comprising:
a data acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a data transmission unit configured to add signature information of the data transmission unit and signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the data transmission unit received from an authentication unit configured to be able to transmit signature authenticity information indicating authenticity of signature information to transmission target data and output obtained data, output data;
an information addition unit configured to cumulatively add signature information of the information addition unit and signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the information addition unit acquired from the authentication unit to the data received by the data acquisition unit;
and a data output unit configured to output data to which the signature information and the signature authenticity information are added by the information addition unit, wherein a data receiving unit verifies, between the data receiving unit and the authentication unit, the cumulatively added signature authenticity information and checks a transmission path of the transmission target data based on the cumulatively added signature information.
See similar rejection to claim 1.
As to claim 8, MASHIMA A data receiving apparatus comprising:
a data acquisition unit configured to receive data from one or more data relay units, the one or more data relay units cumulatively adding signature information of the data relay unit and signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the data relay unit acquired from an authentication unit to data received from a data transmission unit and outputting obtained data, the data transmission unit adding, to transmission target data, signature information of the data transmission unit and signature authenticity information that corresponds to the signature information of the data transmission unit received from authentication unit configured to be able to transmit signature authenticity information indicating authenticity of signature information and outputting obtained data;
an authenticity verification unit configured to verify the signature authenticity information cumulatively added to the data received by the data acquisition unit with the authentication unit;
and a transmission path checking unit configured to check a transmission path of the transmission target data based on the signature information cumulatively added.
See similar rejection to claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRYAN LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-5606. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
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/BRYAN Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2445