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 .
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 time-wise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue 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 rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference 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. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claim 1 of instant Application US 18/895,098 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory anticipatory type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-9 of US patent US12132820. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims both in the present application and the US patent discloses a method providing association of Network Identifier and Blockchain address
The table below shows the comparison of claim of the instant application with that of the US patent US12132820.
Claim No.
Limitations of Instant Application US18/895098.
Limitations of the US patent US12132820.
Claim No.
1
1. A method of associating a blockchain address with a network identifier, the method comprising: receiving, over a computer network and by a network identifier infrastructure operator, a request for a registration status of the network identifier; retrieving, by the network identifier infrastructure operator, an association of the network identifier with the blockchain address; obtaining a signed association of the network identifier with the blockchain address, wherein the signed association is signed by a private key of a key pair of the network identifier infrastructure operator; and providing, over the computer network and by the network identifier infrastructure operator, the signed association of the network identifier with the blockchain address.
1. A method of associating a blockchain address with a network identifier, the method comprising: receiving, over a computer network and by a network identifier infrastructure operator, a request for a registration status of the network identifier; retrieving, by the network identifier infrastructure operator and in response to the receiving the request, an association of the network identifier with the blockchain address; signing, using a private key associated with the network identifier infrastructure operator and in response to the retrieving the association, a unique identifier to prevent replay attacks and the association of the network identifier with the blockchain address, wherein a signed association is determined based at least in part on the signing the association of the network identifier with the blockchain address; and providing, in response to the signing and by the network identifier infrastructure operator, the signed association of the network identifier with the blockchain address over the computer network.
1
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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 of this title, 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.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over Kaizer (WO 2020005753 A1-original in English is attached) in view of O’Grady (US20210304191 A1)
Regarding claim1, Kaizer teaches a method of associating a blockchain address with a network identifier, the method comprising:
retrieving, by the network identifier infrastructure operator, an association of the network identifier with the blockchain address; obtaining a signed association of the network identifier with the blockchain address, wherein the signed association is signed by a private key of a key pair of the network identifier infrastructure operator; and providing, over the computer network and by the network identifier infrastructure operator, the signed association of the network identifier with the blockchain address. [0008] According to various embodiments, a domain name system (DNS) registry facilitated method of assigning a DNS domain name (network identifier) registered to a registrant as a blockchain user address in a blockchain network is disclosed. The method includes: obtaining, by the DNS registry for the domain name, a cryptographic asymmetric proof key pair comprising a public key and a private key; providing, by the DNS registry, the public key and a computer executable registry signature verification program for addition to a block in a blockchain of the blockchain network, wherein the registry signature verification program is configured to use the public key to validate signatures made using the private key; receiving, by the DNS registry, a request for a proof of registrar of record for the domain name from a registrar of record for the domain name, wherein the request comprises the domain name; confirming, by the DNS registry, that the registrar (network identifier infrastructure operator as specified in specification in paragraph 0009 of this instant application) is a registrar of record for the domain name; providing, by the DNS registry, a proof of registration message, wherein the proof of registration message comprises a signature by the private key and confirms that the registrar is a registrar of record for the domain name; whereby the registry signature verification program validates the signature using the public key, and whereby the blockchain network receives and stores in the blockchain an association between the domain name and an existing blockchain user address for the registrant. Please also see paragraphs 0009-0010. 0012 & 0014 & 0028-0029]
Although, Kaizer teaches association of network identity/identifier and blockchain address and also by a network identifier infrastructure operator as illustrated above, he does not teach, however, O’Grday teaches receiving, over a computer network, a request for a registration status of the network identifier; [0139] Additionally, the external application can optionally send a request in the standard format to retrieve a status of the identified network. In an example, the request can include a network identifier associated with the identified network (e.g., based on the list of supported networks discussed above). The data API receives this request and can return the network status of the identified network (e.g., from an internal database, a platform database, or other database). The network status can include information related to a current block identifier, current block timestamp, genesis block identifier, oldest block identifiers, sync status (e.g., current index, target index, stage, synced, and the like), peers (e.g., peer identifiers), and the like.]
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings of Kaizer with the disclosure of O’Grady. The motivation or suggestion would have been to implement a system that will provide efficient techniques and improved integration of components in a computing system, and validation of such integrations. (para 0002 0004 & 0018-0021, O’Grady)
Examiner’s Note: The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure are followings:
1. Ravinathan (US11587071) teaches a method for acceptance of blockchain payment at a traditional point of sale device direct to a merchant includes: receiving an authorization request for a fiat payment transaction including a transaction account number, transaction amount, and merchant identifier; identifying blockchain payment acceptance for a transaction account associated with the transaction account number; transmitting an address request to an exchange server including the merchant identifier; receiving a destination address associated with the merchant identifier for a blockchain network from the exchange server; transmitting a new blockchain transaction to a blockchain node in the blockchain network including the destination address and a cryptocurrency amount based on the transaction amount; and transmitting an authorization response for the fiat payment transaction to a payment network for routing to a point of sale device, the authorization response including an indication that clearance and settlement of the fiat payment transaction is not required.
2. YASUHIRO (JP 2019140592 A- translated copy with original is attached) discloses an electronic device, a communication system, and a program that suppress domain name collision by associating device-specific information with a domain name and registering the information and the name in a DNS server.
An electronic device that can register the domain name, IP address, and identification information in a DNS server includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The processingunit requests acquisition of identification information associated with the domain name of the electronic device when the domain name is registered in the DNS server. When the acquired identification information does not match the identification information of the electronic device, the processing unit changes the domain name, associates the IP address and the identification information with the changed domain name, and registers the IP address and the information in the DNS server.
3. Hari (US20170324738) describes an Internet security mechanism configured to provide security for Internet resources of the Internet using an Internet blockchain. The Internet blockchain may be configured to provide security for Internet resources of the Internet by supporting various types of verification related to Internet resources of the Internet, which may include verification of Internet resource ownership, verification of Internet resource transactions, and so forth. The Internet blockchain may be configured to enable Internet participants (e.g., Internet registries, Domain Name Service (DNS) entities, Autonomous Systems (ASes), or the like) to verify Internet resource ownership of Internet resources (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, AS numbers, IP prefixes, DNS domain names, or the like) by Internet participants, to verify Internet resource transactions (e.g., allocation of IP addresses, allocation of AS numbers, advertisements of IP prefixes, allocation of DNS domain names, or the like) attempted by Internet participants, and so forth.
4. Arora (US20180276663) discloses a method for offline transmission of blockchain details includes: storing, in a computing device, a first private key and a currency amount; receiving a first destination address associated with a blockchain network and a transaction amount; generating a second private key; generating a second destination address associated with the blockchain network using the second private key; generating a blockchain transaction including at least the first destination address, the transaction amount, the second destination address, and a remainder amount based on at least the currency amount and the transaction amount; signing the generated blockchain transaction using the first private key; executing a query to replace the first private key with the second private key, wherein replacement of the first private key includes deletion of the first private key from the computing device; and transmitting the generated blockchain transaction.
5. Wang (CN112765684A-translated copy and original attached) discloses the embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of blockchain, specifically relates to a terminal management method of the blockchain, a device, a device and a storage medium. The method comprises: obtaining the signature field and the public key sent by the terminal of the blockchain, the signature field by the trusted password module in the terminal of the blockchain using the private key in the asymmetric key, the target data signature calculation to obtain the public key is the public key of the asymmetric key; checking the signature field based on the public key; if the signature field verification is passed, sending the admittance credential to the blockchain node terminal, so that the blockchain obtaining the signature result returned by the blockchain node terminal; checking the signature result; if the verification is passed, allowing the access of the terminal of the blockchain By using the method, the invention uses the cryptology mechanism to construct the trust chain, so as to effectively improve the reliability of the computing environment formed by adding the terminal of the blockchain
6. Kulkarni (WO2020150741A1- translation and original is attached)) teaches a digital asset system comprises a user information system, a transaction machine instructions generator to produce machine instructions of a blockchain transaction, a signing module, a blockchain communications system that sends system-signed messages to a blockchain system, and a transaction mediating system that receives user input comprising a transaction data structure representing the blockchain transaction. The transaction mediating system can send machine instructions to other elements of the system in response to user input and machine instructions of the blockchain transaction for execution on a blockchain system. The signature module can generate a system-signed message with a digital signature associated with the digital asset system, (a) machine instructions of a transaction for execution on a blockchain system received from the transaction instructions generator or (b) a user-signed machine instructions of a transaction for execution on a blockchain system received from the transaction mediating system.
7. Liu (CN112671950A-a translated copy with original is attached) teaches a domain name processing method based on blockchain, device, electronic device and storage medium, relating to the technical field of blockchain, which can be used for cloud computing and cloud service. The specific implementation scheme is as follows: obtaining the domain name processing transaction request including the domain name information to be processed; calling the domain name processing contract; executing the domain name processing transaction request according to the domain name data recorded in the blockchain wherein the domain name data at least comprises domain name registration information; the domain name registration information comprises a mapping relationship between the registered domain name and the IP address, and the held party account information of the registered domain name. The invention can improve the domain name processing efficiency.
Special Note: Although few priors are mentioned above, in fact, the prior arts made of record and listed on the PTO-892 and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Conclusion
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/SHER A KHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2497