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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is a Non-Final Office Action rejection on the merits. Claims
1-12 are currently pending and have been addressed below.
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 USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The 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/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 3, 5-8, 11-13, 20-21, 23-26 and 28-32 of U.S. Patent No. 12,174,982 (James Thomas McKendree et al.). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because as analyzed in the attached table below.
Patent. No 12,174,982
Present Application:
18,999,935
Examiner’s Notes
1, 20 and 28. A non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more hardware processors cause operations comprising:
granting, by a blockchain network to a student member of the blockchain network, (a) ownership of a private key to access a set of student data written to a distributed ledger in the blockchain network that is replicated across a plurality of peer nodes associated with different institutional members of the blockchain network, and (b) control to grant institutional members of the blockchain network public keys that pair with the private key;
deploying program code within the blockchain network that is invokable by a mobile application through at least one endpoint to execute operations using the set of student data written to the distributed ledger;
receiving, by the blockchain network from the mobile application through the at least one endpoint, a first request to grant access to update the set of student data written to the distributed ledger, wherein the first request is digitally signed using the private key of the student member of the blockchain network;
responsive to the first request that is digitally signed using the private key of the student member of the blockchain network, granting, by the program code deployed on the blockchain network to a blockchain program associated with at least one institutional member of the blockchain network, a public key that pairs with the private key;
receiving, from the blockchain program associated with the at least one institutional member of the blockchain network, a second request to execute at least one blockchain transaction that updates the set of student data on the distributed ledger in the blockchain network;
responsive to receiving the second request, verifying, by the blockchain network, the public key granted to the blockchain program by the student member of the blockchain network;
responsive to verifying the public key granted to the blockchain program by the student member of the blockchain network, executing, by the blockchain network, the at least one blockchain transaction that updates the set of student data in the distributed ledger in the blockchain network that is replicated across the plurality of peer nodes associated with different institutional members of the blockchain network; and
enforcing, by the blockchain network, a consensus protocol between the plurality of peer nodes that prevents editing the updated set of student data using the private key, wherein enforcing the consensus protocol includes:
denying, by the blockchain network, attempts to modify the updated set of student data using the private key and allowing modifications to the updated set of student data using the public key granted to the blockchain program.
3, 21 and 29. wherein a particular institutional member of the blockchain network is permitted to revoke or remove content from the distributed ledger that was written to the distributed ledger by the particular institutional member; wherein the particular institutional member is prevented from granting access to the content to other institutional members of the blockchain network.
5, 23 and 30. wherein executing the at least one blockchain transaction comprises writing official transcript data to the distributed ledger, wherein the private key allows the user to grant other members of the blockchain network access to the official transcript data, wherein the blockchain network prevents the student from editing the official transcript data using the private key.
6, 24 and 31. wherein executing the at least one blockchain transaction comprises writing data identifying an award, skill set, or other achievement officially recognized by a professional institution to the distributed ledger.
7, 25 and 32. wherein membership in the blockchain network is restricted to members that have been approved by a set of one or more founding members of the blockchain network.
8 and 26. the operations further comprising: receiving a third request to transfer at least one of credits or a transcript from one institutional member of the blockchain network to another institutional member of the blockchain network, and responsive to the third request, executing at least one blockchain transaction that accesses the updated set of student data.
11. accessing the set of student data by the mobile application using the private key for the student member; wherein the mobile application displays a graphical user interface that allows the student member to interact with applications on the blockchain network and initiate different types of transactions on the blockchain network; receiving a third request through the graphical user interface of the mobile application; wherein the third request causes a REST-based endpoint to invoke a blockchain program deployed on one or more nodes in the blockchain network.
12. wherein the invoked blockchain program determines a best match employer, educational institution, or curriculum for the student member based on one or more student attributes identified in the set of student data; wherein the best match is presented through the graphical user interface of the mobile application.
13. further comprising generating a package of student data written to the distributed ledger by different members of the blockchain network.
1, 10 and 19. A non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more hardware processors cause operations comprising:
receiving, by a blockchain network from an application, a first request that is digitally signed using a private key of a student member of the blockchain network, wherein the blockchain network includes a plurality of student members and institutional members, wherein the blockchain network is permissioned to restrict access to a distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger includes a set of student data associated with the student member that is replicated across a plurality of peer nodes;
responsive to the first request that is digitally signed using the private key of the student member of the blockchain network, granting, by program code deployed on the blockchain network to a blockchain program associated with an institutional member of the blockchain network, a public key that pairs with the private key;
receiving, from the blockchain program, a second request update the set of student data on the distributed ledger in the blockchain network;
responsive to receiving the second request, verifying, by the blockchain network, the public key granted to the blockchain program;
responsive to verifying the public key granted to the blockchain program, executing, by the blockchain network, at least one blockchain transaction to generate an updated set of student data in the distributed ledger; and
enforcing, by the blockchain network, a consensus protocol between the plurality of peer nodes that prevents editing the updated set of student data using the private key, wherein enforcing the consensus protocol includes:
denying, by the blockchain network, attempts to modify the updated set of student data using the private key and allowing modifications to the updated set of student data using the public key granted to the blockchain program.
2, 11 and 20. wherein enforcing the consensus protocol permits the institutional member of the blockchain network to revoke or remove content from the distributed ledger that was written to the distributed ledger using the public key that pairs with the private key and prevents the institutional member from granting access to the content to other institutional members of the blockchain network.
3 and 12. wherein executing the at least one blockchain transaction comprises writing official transcript data to the distributed ledger, wherein the private key allows the student member to grant other members of the blockchain network access to the official transcript data, wherein the blockchain network prevents the student member from editing the official transcript data using the private key.
4 and 13. wherein executing the at least one blockchain transaction comprises writing data identifying an award, skill set, or other achievement officially recognized by a professional institution to the distributed ledger.
5 and 14. wherein institutional membership in the blockchain network is restricted to institutional members that have been approved by a set of one or more founding members of the blockchain network.
6 and 15. the operations further comprising: receiving a third request to transfer at least one of credits or a transcript from one institutional member of the blockchain network to another institutional member of the blockchain network, and responsive to the third request, executing at least one blockchain transaction that accesses the updated set of student data.
7, and 16. accessing the set of student data by a mobile application using the private key for the student member; wherein the mobile application displays a graphical user interface that allows the student member to interact with applications on the blockchain network and initiate different types of transactions on the blockchain network; receiving a third request through the graphical user interface of the mobile application; wherein the third request causes a REST-based endpoint to invoke a blockchain program deployed on one or more nodes in the blockchain network.
8 and 17. wherein the invoked blockchain program determines a best match employer, educational institution, or curriculum for the student member based on one or more student attributes identified in the set of student data; wherein the best match is presented through the graphical user interface of the mobile application.
9 and 18. further comprising generating a package of student data written to the distributed ledger by different members of the blockchain network.
This preamble is the same
This limitation is essentially the same.
This limitation is the same
This limitation is essentially the same
This limitation is essentially the same
This limitation is essentially the same.
This limitation is the same
This limitation is the same.
This limitation is essentially the same.
This limitation is essentially the same.
This limitation is the same
This limitation is essentially the same.
This limitation is the same
This limitation is the same
.
This limitation is the same
This limitation is the same
Prior Art Analysis
This application contains same limitation/subject matter that is Allowable as disclosed in the parent patent No. 12,174,982.
Examiner is unable to find prior art for the following limitation:
“enforcing, by the blockchain network, a consensus protocol between the plurality of peer nodes that prevents editing the updated set of student data using the private key, wherein enforcing the consensus protocol includes: denying, by the blockchain network, attempts to modify the updated set of student data using the private key and allowing modifications to the updated set of student data using the public key granted to the blockchain program;”
Therefore, with the filing of a Terminal Disclaimer, this application will be Allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon:
1) (US 20180026979 A1) – Cox et al., Database Management System Shared Ledger Support - relates to database management system support and more specifically to immutable support for shared ledger entries in the database management system.
2) (US 20200007336 A1) – Wengel, Blockchain Powered Data Consortium for Verifying Smart Resumes and Degree Certificates - relates to providing blockchain/distributed ledger technology verified diplomas to higher education partners achieves a verified proof of degree/certification attainment, and may allow certification of the credentials in a graduate's accompanying resume. The present invention creates a smart resume that not only protects the data privacy of the owner by masking their identity with an alphanumeric key, but also certifies their unique academic and professional credentials via a permission blockchain/distributed ledger technology.
3) (US 20170236123 A1) – Ali et al., Computer-implemented Method for Processing Global Naming System with Blockchains on Computer Network, Involves Updating Binding Data by Processing New-operations in Virtual Blockchain Such That Domain Name Service is Provided Without Server – relate to need for a naming system that simultaneously satisfies the three properties (secure, decentralized, and human-readable) as alternatives to traditional DNS.
4) (US 20200005284 A1) – Madhu Vijayan, Systems And Methods For Implementing Blockchain-Based Content Engagement Platforms Utilizing Media Wallets – relates generally to distributed computing platforms for maintaining immutable ledgers and more specifically to the generation of verifiable non-fungible tokens based upon immutable ledgers using smart contracts and the granting of fine-grained permissions to access data written to immutable ledgers.
5) (US 20220012708 A1) – Sidhu et al., Systems and Methods for Distributed Peer to Peer Analytics - relates to data analytics ecosystems, and more particularly to a data analytics ecosystem including a decentralized peer to peer distributed ledger network.
6) (US 20190340946 A1) – Elmessiry et al., System and Method for Educational Offering staking and Token Architecture – relates to coordinating educational offerings , and more particularly , a system and
method for educational offering staking and token architecture.
7) (WO 2018209222 A1) – Huang et al., Systems and Methods for Crowdsourcing, Analyzing, and/or Matching Personal Data - relates to providing for secure systems and methods for sharing private data and related systems and methods for incentivizing and validating private data sharing.
8) (US Pat. 10778597 B1) - Tan et al., Orchestration Management System and Method for Managing a Resource Pool Across Multiple Computing Clouds - relates to computing devices and , in particular , to an orchestration management system and method for managing resource pools spanning multiple computing clouds.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VINCENT IDIAKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1284. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri from 10:30AM to 7:30PM ET.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, PATRICK MCATEE, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7575. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center for authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
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) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated-interview-request-air-form
/V.I./Examiner, Art Unit 3698
/PATRICK MCATEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3698