DETAILED ACTION
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 timewise 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 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); 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 nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-13, 18, and 19 of U.S. Patent No. 12,149,646 B2 (hereafter referred to as “the patent”). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the method claims are anticipated by the method claims of the patent. The independent “computer equipment” and “computer program product” claims are anticipated by the “computer equipment” and “computer program product” claims of the patent. The dependent “computer equipment” claims correspond to dependent method claims of the patent and therefore obvious variants as a “computer-implemented method” requires appropriate “computer equipment.”
Instant Application
The Patent
Claim 1
Claims 1, 2, and 5 (where 5 depends on 2 which depends on 1 and therefore 5 contains all the subject matter of 1 and 2)
A computer-implemented method for granting permission to a requestor to join a first network, wherein the first network comprises a set of bridging nodes and a set of devices controllable by one or more of the set of bridging nodes, and wherein each bridging node is also a respective node of a blockchain network; the method being performing by a registration authority and comprising:
A computer-implemented method for granting permission to a requestor to join a first network, wherein the first network comprises a set of bridging nodes and a set of devices controllable by one or more of the set of bridging nodes, and wherein each bridging node is also a respective node of a blockchain network; the method being performing by a registration authority and comprising: (Claim 1)
generating a first blockchain transaction, wherein the first blockchain transaction comprises an input comprising a signature linked to a first public key of the registration authority, a first output comprising a first certificate, and a second output locked to a second public key of the registration authority; wherein the first certificate comprises an identifier assigned to the requestor;
generating a first blockchain transaction, wherein the first blockchain transaction comprises an input comprising a signature linked to a first public key of the registration authority, and a first output comprising a first certificate, wherein the first certificate comprises an identifier assigned to the requestor, wherein the first certificate comprises a network address of the requestor; (Claim 1)
wherein the first transaction comprises a second output locked to a second public key of the registration authority (Claim 2)
transmitting the first blockchain transaction to the blockchain network for inclusion in the blockchain;
transmitting the first blockchain transaction to the blockchain network for inclusion in the blockchain; (Claim 1)
generating a second blockchain transaction, wherein the second blockchain transaction comprises an input that references the second output of the first transaction and comprises a signature linked to the second public key of the registration authority; and
generating a second blockchain transaction, wherein the second blockchain transaction comprises an input that references the second output of the first transaction and comprises a signature linked to the second public key of the registration authority; and (Claim 5)
transmitting the second blockchain transaction to the blockchain network for inclusion in the blockchain.
transmitting the second blockchain transaction to the blockchain network for inclusion in the blockchain. (Claim 5)
As to claim 2, the claim is anticipated by claim 3 of the patent.
As to claim 3, the claim is anticipated by claim 4 of the patent.
As to claim 4, the claim is anticipated by claim 6 of the patent.
As to claim 5, the claim is anticipated by claim 7 of the patent.
As to claim 6, the claim is anticipated by claim 8 of the patent.
As to claim 7, the claim is anticipated by claim 9 of the patent.
As to claim 8, the claim is anticipated by claim 10 of the patent.
As to claim 9, the claim is anticipated by claim 11 of the patent.
As to claim 10, the claim is anticipated by claim 12 of the patent.
As to claim 11, the claim is anticipated by claim 13 of the patent.
As to claim 12, the claim corresponds to claims 18, 2, and 5 according to a mapping similar to that given for claim 1 above.
As to claim 13, the claim corresponds to claim 3 of the patent.
As to claim 14, the claim corresponds to claim 4 of the patent.
As to claim 15, the claim corresponds to claim 6 of the patent.
As to claim 16, the claim corresponds to claim 7 of the patent.
As to claim 17, the claim corresponds to claim 8 of the patent.
As to claim 18, the claim corresponds to claim 9 of the patent.
As to claim 19, the claim corresponds to claim 10 of the patent.
As to claim 20, the claim corresponds to claims 19, 2, and 5 according to a mapping similar to that given for claim 1 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would be allowable if rewritten or if a terminal disclaimer is filed to overcome the double patenting rejections set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to teach or reasonably suggest the invention as claimed. This is not a statement that any one limitation in a vacuum is allowable subject matter, but rather that the combination of the claim limitations as a whole are not obvious over the prior art.
Furthermore, the subject matter of the independent claims includes subject matter indicated as allowable in corresponding claims in the parent application, which is now U.S. Patent No. 12,149,646 B2. The prosecution history of that patent makes the reasons for indicating allowable subject matter in the instant application clear.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art cited in the 892 in the parent application, which is now U.S. Patent No. 12,149,646 B2, is cited herewith and their relevance is clear from the prosecution history of the patent.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brian Whipple whose telephone number is (571)270-1244. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays-Fridays from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM ET and Saturdays from 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joon Hwang can be reached at (571)272-4036. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Brian Whipple/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2447
1/23/26