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 office action is response to the application 19/042,452 filed on 01/31/2025. Claims 1-20 are pending in this communication. Claim 4 has been canceled.
Allowable subject matter
Claims 1-20 are allowable if the applicant overcomes the double patenting rejection.
Double Patenting
The non-statutory obviousness type double patenting (ODP) 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 non-statutory obviousness-type 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); 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 or provisional rejection based on a non-statutory 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).
The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form 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 http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
The following table shows anticipated respective claims of the instant application against the claims of US Patent No. US 12,153,697.
Table 1
Instant Application
Patent US 12,153,697
1. A web services system, comprising:
a processing device; and a memory device, the processing device configurable to cause:
processing a request from a user of the web services system for just in time (JIT) access to a web services resource received via an interface, the request specifying a role of the
user, a justification for the user to access the web services resource, and duration for the user to access the web services resource;
determining that access to the web services resource by the user is authorized according
to a policy defining scope of access to web services resources based, at least in part, on the role of the user;
granting, to the user, JIT access to the web services resource for the duration responsive
to determining that access is authorized according to the policy, wherein granting, to the user, JIT access to the web services resource includes creating a role binding for the user; and revoking access by the user to the web services resource in response to the duration is elapsing, wherein revoking access includes deleting the role binding.
1. A system, comprising:
a processing device; and a memory device, the processing device configurable to cause:
processing a policy configuration of just in time (JIT) access received via an interface, the policy configuration specifying a role and duration;
determining if access to a cluster by a user is authorized according to the policy configuration based, at least in part, on a role of the user;
granting, to the user, JIT access to the cluster for the duration responsive to determining that access is authorized according to the policy configuration, wherein granting, to the user, JIT access to the cluster includes
creating a role binding for the user; and
revoking access by the user to the cluster if the duration is expired; wherein revoking access includes deleting the role binding.
Independent claims 1, 8 & 15 are rejected in view of US 12,153,697 and further in view of JAIN; Shashank Mohan et al. (US 2020/0319907 A1).
JAIN discloses “revoking access by the user to the web services resource e in response to the duration is elapsing, wherein revoking access includes deleting the role binding.” {[0023], “The attach resource API might include, for example, a resource name, an application identifier, and a cloud resource access type (e.g. associated with access types such as create, delete, bind, role-based access types, etc.)”}.
It is well settled that broadening the scope of claims would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the narrower issued claims. In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982) and In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Therefore claim 1 of US Patent US 12,153,697 anticipate claims 1, 8 & 15 of the instant application.
Claims 1-20 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 7 & 13 of the Patent US 12,153,697 in view of prior art JAIN. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other over Patent US 12,153,697 in view of JAIN.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of claims 1, 7 & 13 of the US 12,153,697 to include JAIN’s inventions to obtain predictable results. The motivation is - advantage of Just-In-Time (JIT) access is a reduced attack surface by eliminating "standing privileges." By enforcing the Principle of Least Privilege, access is granted only when authorized and automatically revoked via role-binding deletion. This prevents "privilege creep," secures compromised credentials, and simplifies auditing through time-limited, automated access trails.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUAZI FAROOQUI whose telephone number is (571) 270-1034 or Quazi.farooqui@USPTO.GOV. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, EST. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bill Korzuch can be reached on (571) 272-7589 or William.Korzuch@USPTO.GOV. The fax phone number for Examiner Farooqui assigned is 571-270-2034.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-flee). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/QUAZI FAROOQUI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2491
Prosecution Insights