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 Application number 18/952,133 filed on 11/19/2024 has been considered. Claims 1-18 are pending.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed on 11/26/2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/19/2024 and 4/30/2025 are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claims 1-11, 13 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goldberg et al. (US 2021/0203803 hereinafter Goldberg).
Regarding claim 1, Goldberg discloses a content origin verifying system that comprises a content generating apparatus, which generates a digital content, and a server, which is communicably connected to the content generating apparatus, and that verifies an origin of the digital content (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0090]-[0092]; i.e. smart devices and verification system), wherein
the content generating apparatus comprises
a first digital signature generating unit configured to generate a first digital signature associated with the digital content based on a first private key (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. signing process that generates digital identity signature based on a private key); and
a transmitting unit configured to transmit the digital content and the first digital signature to the server (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. transmitting the signed content to a server),
the server comprises
at least one processor (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0090]-[0092]); and
a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to function as (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0090]-[0092]):
a receiving unit that receives the digital content and the first digital signature that have been transmitted from the transmitting unit (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. receiving the signed content);
a verifying unit that verifies authenticity of the first digital signature received by the receiving unit (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. verifying the digital identity signature); and
a second digital signature generating unit that, in a case of being verified that the first digital signature is true as a result of the verification performed by the verifying unit, generates a second digital signature associated with the digital content received by the receiving unit based on a second private key (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. generating a semantic or segment signature after verifying the digital identity signature), and
the second private key is paired with a public key for which a public key certificate is issued by a certification authority and which is capable of being used to verify authenticity of the second digital signature (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. the signatures are generated based on pair of private and public key provided by a third party identity management service).
Regarding claim 2, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1, wherein the first digital signature generating unit generates the first digital signature based on the first private key and a hash value that has been obtained from the digital content (¶ [0074], [0078]).
Regarding claim 3, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1, wherein the second digital signature generating unit generates the second digital signature based on the second private key and a hash value that has been obtained from the digital content (¶ [0074], [0078]).
Regarding claim 4, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1, wherein the digital content includes a storage area that stores metadata, the first digital signature generating unit stores the first digital signature in the storage area as the metadata, and the second digital signature generating unit stores the second digital signature and the public key certificate in the storage area as the metadata, respectively (¶ [0065], [0068], [0079]).
Regarding claim 5, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1, wherein in a case that the public key paired with the second private key is set to a second public key, the first private key is paired with a first public key that is capable of being used to verify the authenticity of the first digital signature, and the server comprises a storing unit configured to store an identifier capable of identifying the content generating apparatus and the first public key in association with each other (¶ [0069]-[0074]).
Regarding claim 6, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 5, wherein the digital content includes a storage area that stores metadata, the identifier is also stored in the digital content as the metadata, and the verifying unit obtains the identifier from the digital content received by the receiving unit, obtains the first public key from the storing unit based on the identifier, and uses the first public key to verify the authenticity of the first digital signature (¶ [0065], [0068]-[0074]).
Regarding claim 7, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 6, wherein the verifying unit uses the first public key to decrypt the first digital signature to obtain a hash value, and also obtains a hash value from the digital content received by the receiving unit, and verifies the authenticity of the first digital signature based on whether or not the respective hash values match each other (¶ [0074], [0078]).
Regarding claim 8, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 7, wherein in a case that the respective hash values match each other, the verifying unit verifies that the first digital signature is true (¶ [0074], [0078], [0084]).
Regarding claim 9, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1, wherein the verifying unit is capable of verifying the authenticity of the second digital signature (¶ [0078], [0084]-[0087]).
Regarding claim 10, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 9, wherein in a case that the public key paired with the second private key is set to a second public key, the verifying unit uses the second public key to decrypt the second digital signature to obtain a hash value, and also obtains a hash value from the digital content received by the receiving unit, and verifies the authenticity of the second digital signature based on whether or not the respective hash values match each other (¶ [0024], [0078], [0084]-[0087]).
Regarding claim 11, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 10, wherein in a case that the respective hash values match each other, the verifying unit verifies that the second digital signature is true (¶ [0024], [0078]).
Regarding claim 13, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1, wherein the content generating apparatus is a digital camera (¶ [0053]).
Regarding claim 15, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1, wherein the server is configured to be capable of providing an image that is capable of being used to verify the origin of the digital content, or an address of the image (¶ [0053], [0060]).
Regarding claim 16, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1, wherein the server is configured with at least one computer (¶ [0067]-[0068]).
Regarding claim 17, Goldberg discloses a control method for controlling a content origin verifying system that comprises a content generating apparatus, which generates a digital content, and a server, which is communicably connected to the content generating apparatus, and that verifies an origin of the digital content (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0090]-[0092]),
the control method comprising:
steps executed by the content generating apparatus (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0024], [0090]-[0092]); and
steps executed by the server (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0090]-[0092])), and
wherein the steps executed by the content generating apparatus include
a first digital signature generating step of generating a first digital signature associated with the digital content based on a first private key (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. signing process that generates digital identity signature based on a private key); and
a transmitting step of transmitting the digital content and the first digital signature to the server (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. transmitting the signed content to a server),
the steps executed by the server include
a receiving step of receiving the digital content and the first digital signature that have been transmitted from the transmitting step (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. receiving the signed content);
a verifying step of verifying authenticity of the first digital signature received in the receiving step (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. verifying the digital identity signature); and
a second digital signature generating step of, in a case of being verified that the first digital signature is true as a result of the verification performed in the verifying step, generating a second digital signature associated with the digital content received in the receiving step based on a second private key (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. generating a semantic or segment signature after verifying the digital identity signature), and
the second private key is paired with a public key for which a public key certificate is issued by a certification authority and which is capable of being used to verify authenticity of the second digital signature (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. the signatures are generated based on pair of private and public key provided by a third party identity management service).
Regarding claim 18, Goldberg discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for controlling a content origin verifying system that comprises a content generating apparatus, which generates a digital content, and a server, which is communicably connected to the content generating apparatus, and that verifies an origin of the digital content (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0090]-[0092]),
the control method comprising:
steps executed by the content generating apparatus (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0024], [0090]-[0092]); and
steps executed by the server (FIG. 1-8, ¶ [0024], [0090]-[0092]), and
wherein the steps executed by the content generating apparatus include
a first digital signature generating step of generating a first digital signature associated with the digital content based on a first private key (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. signing process that generates digital identity signature based on a private key); and
a transmitting step of transmitting the digital content and the first digital signature to the server (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. transmitting the signed content to a server),
the steps executed by the server include
a receiving step of receiving the digital content and the first digital signature that have been transmitted from the transmitting step (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. receiving the signed content);
a verifying step of verifying authenticity of the first digital signature received in the receiving step (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. verifying the digital identity signature); and
a second digital signature generating step of, in a case of being verified that the first digital signature is true as a result of the verification performed in the verifying step, generating a second digital signature associated with the digital content received in the receiving step based on a second private key (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. generating a semantic or segment signature after verifying the digital identity signature), and
the second private key is paired with a public key for which a public key certificate is issued by a certification authority and which is capable of being used to verify authenticity of the second digital signature (¶ [0024], [0069]-[0074], [0079], [0085]-[0089]; i.e. the signatures are generated based on pair of private and public key provided by a third party identity management service).
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, 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 12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goldberg et al. (US 2021/0203803 hereinafter Goldberg) in view of Appenzeller et al. (US 2006/0095771 hereinafter Appenzeller).
Regarding claim 12, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1.
Goldberg does not explicitly disclose wherein the content generating apparatus comprises a tamper-resistant storing unit configured to store the first private key.
However, Appenzeller discloses wherein the content generating apparatus comprises a tamper-resistant storing unit configured to store the first private key (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0036]-[0037]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Goldberg and Appenzeller in order to provide improved security device arrangements for public key infrastructure and identity based encryption cryptosystems (Appenzeller, ¶ [0007]-[0013]).
Regarding claim 14, Goldberg discloses the content origin verifying system according to claim 1.
Goldberg does not explicitly disclose wherein the server comprises a tamper-resistant storing unit configured to store the second private key.
However, Appenzeller discloses wherein the server comprises a tamper-resistant storing unit configured to store the second private key (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0036]-[0037]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Goldberg and Appenzeller in order to provide improved security device arrangements for public key infrastructure and identity based encryption cryptosystems (Appenzeller, ¶ [0007]-[0013]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHI D NGUY whose telephone number is (571)270-7311. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5 ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amir Mehrmanesh can be reached at (571)270-3351. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/C.D.N/Examiner, Art Unit 2435
/AMIR MEHRMANESH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2435
Prosecution Insights