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 .
Claim status in the amendment received on 7/01/2026:
Claims 1, 7, 11, 14 and 16-20 have been amended.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Response to Amendments
Applicant’s amendments have been considered and in response to the amendments:
The previous 112(b) rejections have been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current rejection.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 11-12 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (US 20230246878 A1) in view of Ferris et al. (Pub. No.: US 20110295727 A1).
As to claim 1, Choi teaches a system comprising: (Figure 6) a first computing resource (Figure 6, Infra for Cloud B 624) of a first cloud service provider (CSP)
(Figure 6, CSP B), the first computing resource housed within a datacenter of a second CSP, the first computing resource comprising (Figure 6, 624 hosted in Cloud Env A provided by CSP A): one or more first processors (implicit from active processing in [0165], infrastructure component 624 that is responsible for enabling link 670 with cloud B 640), and one or more first memory storing first instructions that, upon execution by the one or more first processors, configure the first computing resource to provide a first service to a user ([0164], MEI 622 enables links to be created between cloud A 610 and other clouds, where these links can be used by customers of the other clouds and their associated users to access and make use of services provided by cloud A 610. This is symbolically shown in FIG. 6 as a link 670
created between cloud A 610 and cloud 8 640 Via link 670, a customer of cloud 8 640 can access or use one or more services 614 provided by cloud A 610; service example in [0171], a customer 81 of cloud 8 640 may select to use a service, such as a Database-as-a Service (O8aaS), from the set of services 614 provided by cloud A 610) having a second CSP user account with the second CSP ([0162], techniques are described that enable a link to be created between
two cloud environments that enables a service provided by a first cloud environment provided by a first CSP to be used by a customer (and associated users) of a second different cloud environment provided by a second different CSP, using the customer's account in the second cloud environment), the first service provided via a first private network of the user with the second CSP ([0171], the created database may be provisioned in a virtual network
(e.g., a virtual cloud network or VCN) created for customer 81 in cloud A610);
and a second computing resource of the first CSP (Figure 6, CSPI_B 642; [0160], CSP/ 8 642 provided by CSP 8, and this infrastructure may be used to provide a set of services "Services 8" 644 offered by cloud 8 640), the second computing resource being remote from the datacenter (Figure 6) and communicatively coupled to the first computing resource (Figure 6, 670), the second computing resource comprising: one or more second processors
(implicit from [0160], CSP/ 8 642 provided by CSP 8, and this infrastructure may be used to provide a set of services "Services 8" 644 offered by cloud 8 640), and one or more second memory storing second instructions that, upon execution by the one or more second processors, configure the second computing resource to: provide a second private network
(Figure 1, Customer VCN A 104; Choi encapsulates user environments in VCNs, it is considered that Figure 6, CSPI_B 642 is realized as a VCN) communicatively coupled with the first private network (Figure 1, coupling of 104 by DRG 122 to Remote Cloud Networks 118,
realized as link 670 in Figure 6); associate the first private network and the second private network with a subscription of a first CSP user account of the user with the first CSP, the subscription available via the second CSP ([0170], cloud B 640 provided by CSP B may include an identity management system that assigns or allocates identity credentials to its subscribing customers and associated users, such as customer B 1 646-1 and associated users 648-1 MEI 622 provided by cloud A 610 enables a user 648-1 associated with cloud B customer B 1 646-1 to access a service from services A 614 in cloud A 610 using identity credentials associated with users 648-1 and customer B 1 646-1 in cloud B 640);
collect resource usage information associated with at least one of the first private network or the second private network (paragraph [0212], “Furthermore, the creation of the peering relationships provisions for metrics e.g., database usage metrics to be accessible in the second cloud infrastructure e.g., in a dashboard application that is executed in the subscription of the user in the second cloud infrastructure”).
Choi does not explicitly teach resource usage information contacting service identifier and outputting subscription identifier using a service identifier utilizing a data structure.
However, in the same field of endeavor (cloud computing) Ferris teaches collect resource usage information associated with at least one of the first private network or the second private network, the resource usage information containing a service identifier that uniquely identifies a first service (in fig. 5, “application 3” teaches a service identifier that uniquely identifies a first service); compare the service identifier against a data structure maintaining a set of mapping entries to determine a stored service identifier corresponding to the service identifier and a stored subscription identifier corresponding to the stored service identifier (paragraph [0035], “…The application of the set of usage history search criteria 192 of that type or others to the set of usage history data 184 can be used by the usage monitoring service 170 to generate a usage report 194. The usage report 194 can list all identified end-users running those specified applications within those clouds in the desired time window…”, identified users teaches “subscription identifier”, for example in fig. 5, network user “user 1”); and
output the stored subscription identifier (paragraph [0035], “…The usage report 194 can list all identified end-users running those specified applications within those clouds in the desired time window…”, identified users teaches “subscription identifier”, for example in fig. 5, network user “user 1”).
Based on Choi in view of Ferris, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate resource usage information contacting service identifier and outputting subscription identifier using a service identifier utilizing a data structure (taught by Ferris) with accessing different cloud environments (taught by Choi) in order to keep tracking of usage information of cloud resources for billing or other purposes and in order to allow the user to query usage information for information of interest as motived by Ferris (paragraphs [0006] and [0035]).
As to claim 2, Choi teaches wherein the subscription is associated with the first service and included in a set of subscriptions associated with the first user account, the set of subscriptions including a second subscription unavailable via the second CSP and available via the first CSP (paragraph [0183], “…creating a network link between the customer subscription 715 (in the second cloud infrastructure)…”).
As to claim 3, Choi teaches wherein the subscription is associated with the first service and defines usage of the first service (paragraph [0184], “…a functionality relates to maintaining logs, metrics, and other performance parameters related to the resources deployed in the customer tenancy and their respective usages …”).
As to claim 4, Ferris further teaches second computing resource is further configured to: collect resource usage information associated with at least one of the first private network or the second private network (paragraph [0044], “ multiple usage monitoring services can operate and cooperate to maintain usage data on a cross-cloud, cross-vendor, or other basis”); and
generate a utilization metric to transmit to the second CSP using a service identifier of the first service, the subscription, and the resource usage information (fig. 5). The limitations of claim 4 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 1 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 1, applies here as well.
As to claim 11, the limitations of the claim are substantially similar or broader in scope to claim 1. Please refer to claim 1 above.
As to claim 12, Ferris further teaches collecting, by the second computing resource, resource usage information associated with at least one of the first private network or the second private network (paragraph [0044], “ multiple usage monitoring services can operate and cooperate to maintain usage data on a cross-cloud, cross-vendor, or other basis”); and
generating, by the second computing resource, a utilization metric to transmit to a system of the second CSP using a service identifier of the first service, the resource usage information, and the subscription associated with the service identifier and defines usage of the first service (fig. 5). The limitations of claim 12 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 11 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 11, applies here as well.
As to claim 16, the limitations of the claim are substantially similar or broader in scope to claim 1. Please refer to claim 1 above.
As to claim 17, the limitations of the claim are substantially similar to claim 12. Please refer to claim 12 above.
Claim(s) 5-10, 13-15 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (US 20230246878 A1) in view of Ferris et al. (Pub. No.: US 20110295727 A1) in view of Ferris et al. (Pub. No.: US 20110295998 A1, “Ferris 2” hereinafter).
As to claim 5, Choi in view of Ferris does not explicitly teach generating a subscription identifier based on service identifier.
However, in the same field of endeavor (cloud computing) Ferris 2 teaches second computing resource is further configured to: receive, from the first CSP, a service identifier for the first service of the first CSP (paragraph [0033], “…The cross-cloud usage database 150 can record the application and/or other software name or other ID, version, usage times, usage durations, and/or other information related to the user's use of the selected software, once that software has been provisioned by the set of marketplace clouds 146…”); and
generate a subscription identifier indicating the subscription based at least in part on the service identifier (paragraph [0033], “The cross-cloud usage database 150 can record the application and/or other software name or other ID, version, usage times, usage durations, and/or other information related to the user's use of the selected software, once that software has been provisioned by the set of marketplace clouds 146”).
Based on Choi in view of Ferris and further in view of Ferris 2, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate generating a subscription identifier based on service identifier (taught by Ferris 2) with resource usage information contacting service identifier and outputting subscription identifier using a service identifier utilizing a data structure (taught by Ferris) with accessing different cloud environments (taught by Choi) in order to keep tracking of usage information of cloud resources for billing or other purposes and in order to allow the user to query usage information for information of interest as motived by Ferris (paragraphs [0006] and [0035]), and in order to keep tracking of usage information of cloud resources for billing or other purposes as motived by Ferris 2 (paragraph [0006]).
As to claim 6, Ferris 2 further teaches wherein the subscription identifier is associated with at least one of a resource allocation or a resource usage (paragraph [0033], “The cross-cloud usage database 150 can record the application and/or other software name or other ID, version, usage times, usage durations, and/or other information related to the user's use of the selected software, once that software has been provisioned by the set of marketplace clouds 146”). The limitations of claim 6 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 5 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 5, applies here as well.
As to claim 7, Ferris 2 further teaches second computing resource is further configured to: collect resource usage information associated with at least one of the first private network or the second private network (paragraph [0016], “collection of machines, services, or processes”); and
generate, by a second service of the first CSP, a resource usage cost amount based at least in part on the resource usage information and the subscription identifier (paragraph [0023], “the cloud management system 104 of an associated cloud can for example meter the usage and/or duration of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116, to generate subscription and/or billing records for a user that has launched those machines”). The limitations of claim 7 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 5 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 5, applies here as well.
As to claim 8, Ferris 2 further teaches wherein the subscription identifier is generated based at least in part on the service identifier matching a second service identifier included in a first subscription mapping system (paragraph [0035], “…the cross-cloud mapping service 148 can register, track, and compile the usage history of the user's selected software in the cross-cloud usage database 150…”). The limitations of claim 8 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 5 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 5, applies here as well.
As to claim 9, Ferris 2 further teaches second computing resource is further configured to: receive a first indication of the second service identifier from a user device of the first CSP before receiving the service identifier (paragraph [0036], “application”);
receive a second indication of the subscription identifier from the user device before receiving the service identifier from the user device (paragraph [0036], “user id”); and
receive a third indication for the first subscription mapping system to associate the subscription identifier and the second service identifier (paragraph [0036], “stored in the cross-cloud usage database”). The limitations of claim 9 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 5 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 5, applies here as well.
As to claim 10, Ferris 2 further teaches wherein the subscription identifier is generated based at least in part on the service identifier being unique compared to a set of resource identifiers included in a first resource subscription system (paragraph [0020], “The selected sets of resource servers can be identified by unique identifiers”). The limitations of claim 10 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 5 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 5, applies here as well.
As to claim 13, Choi in view of Ferris does not explicitly teach generating a subscription identifier based on service identifier.
However, in the same field of endeavor (cloud computing) Ferris 2 teaches second computing resource is further configured to: receiving, by the second computing resource and from the first CSP, a service identifier for the first service of the first CSP (paragraph [0033], “…The cross-cloud usage database 150 can record the application and/or other software name or other ID, version, usage times, usage durations, and/or other information related to the user's use of the selected software, once that software has been provisioned by the set of marketplace clouds 146…”); and
generating, by the second computing resource, a subscription identifier indicating the subscription based at least in part on the service identifier (paragraph [0033], “The cross-cloud usage database 150 can record the application and/or other software name or other ID, version, usage times, usage durations, and/or other information related to the user's use of the selected software, once that software has been provisioned by the set of marketplace clouds 146”).
Based on Choi in view of Ferris and further in view of Ferris 2, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate generating a subscription identifier based on service identifier (taught by Ferris 2) with resource usage information contacting service identifier and outputting subscription identifier using a service identifier utilizing a data structure (taught by Ferris) with accessing different cloud environments (taught by Choi) in order to keep tracking of usage information of cloud resources for billing or other purposes and in order to allow the user to query usage information for information of interest as motived by Ferris (paragraphs [0006] and [0035]), and in order to keep tracking of usage information of cloud resources for billing or other purposes as motived by Ferris 2 (paragraph [0006]).
As to claim 14, Ferris 2 further teaches second computing resource is further configured to: collecting, by the second computing resource, resource usage information associated with at least one of the first private network or the second private network (paragraph [0016], “collection of machines, services, or processes”); and
generating, by the second computing resource, a resource usage cost amount based at least in part on the resource usage information and the subscription identifier (paragraph [0023], “the cloud management system 104 of an associated cloud can for example meter the usage and/or duration of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116, to generate subscription and/or billing records for a user that has launched those machines”). The limitations of claim 14 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 13 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 13, applies here as well.
As to claim 15, Ferris 2 further teaches wherein the subscription identifier is generated based at least in part on the service identifier matching a second service identifier included in a first subscription mapping system (paragraph [0035], “…the cross-cloud mapping service 148 can register, track, and compile the usage history of the user's selected software in the cross-cloud usage database 150…”). The limitations of claim 15 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 13 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 13, applies here as well.
As to claim 18, the limitations of the claim are substantially similar to claim 13. Please refer to claim 13 above.
As to claim 19, the limitations of the claim are substantially similar or broader in scope to claim 14. Please refer to claim 14 above.
As to claim 20, the limitations of the claim are substantially similar or broader in scope to claim 9. Please refer to claim 9 above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDULKADER M ALRIYASHI whose telephone number is (313)446-6551. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8AM - 5PM Alt, Friday, EST.
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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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/Abdulkader M Alriyashi/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2447 9/26/2026
