Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 19/054,557

REBALANCING ENGINE FOR USE IN REBALANCING FILES IN A DISTRIBUTED STORAGE SYSTEMS

Final Rejection §101§103
Filed
Feb 14, 2025
Priority
Aug 19, 2022 — provisional 63/399,598 +1 more
Examiner
TO, BAOQUOC N
Art Unit
2154
Tech Center
2100 — Computer Architecture & Software
Assignee
Netapp Inc.
OA Round
2 (Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
1y 2m
Est. Remaining
98%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allowance Rate
860 granted / 956 resolved
+35.0% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+8.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
35 currently pending
Career history
993
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
11.1%
-28.9% vs TC avg
§103
47.0%
+7.0% vs TC avg
§102
22.6%
-17.4% vs TC avg
§112
6.6%
-33.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 956 resolved cases

Office Action

§101 §103
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 . 1. In response to the Office Action dated on 11/05/2026, applicant(s) amend the application as follow: Claims amended: none Claims canceled: none Claims newly added: none Claims pending: 1-20 Response to Arguments 2. Applicant's arguments filed 03/05/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues “because the Office Action fails to identify specific overlapping claim limitations, analyze the differences between claims…” Examiner respectfully disagree with the above argument. The difference in the claim language is in 941 including a querying step to identify the records for moving while the instant application using a scanner to identify the files for moving. Applicant(s) argues “… The Federal Circuit has repeatedly held that software-implemented invention may constitute statutory process…” Examiner disagreed with the above argument. As discloses “the 35 U.S.C 101 read follow: whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefore, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title”, claims 1-7 and 15-20 are fallen within these categories. Applicant also argues ‘assuming the, arguendo, the Office action properly reached step 2A…” Examiner respectfully disagrees with the above argument. The monitoring and determining steps are the mental processes. The communicate…, trigger… and cause movement… are generalization concepts. The additional elements are not amount to insignificantly more. Applicant argues “the Office Action asserts, in substance, that Suit and Cannata together “rebalancing engine” and associated with functions…” Examiner respectfully disagrees with the above argument. Suit discloses the migration to from one location to another location. The method also further migrating using time interval as to triggering the transferring event (is triggering process). The characteristics for rebalancing engine to migrate are not defined and broad. Any determining for moving the files one container to another container can also be viewed as characteristics (as container characteristics). The query is being done parsing to identify the attribute and move the file to remote location. Applicant(s) argues “a person of ordinary skill in the art of distributed storage system would no reason to consult Kang….” Examiner respectfully disagree with the above argument. The kang may be in different field of endeavor, however, the combination of Kang, Suit and Cannata would expect the same results (KSR). Information Disclosure Statement 3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted 03/05/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. 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. 4. Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12/229,084. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because both application directs to the same subject matter such monitoring the local data storage container to identify the container-characteristics, communicate to the remote rebalancing engine to determine where the appropriated destination for the files to be moved. The differences are, the instant application includes triggering a rebalancing scanner in the local data container to query a candidate first database for files to be transferred or to scan a file system of the local data container to identify files to be transferred to the at least one selected destination data container and to store result of the rebalancing scanner is a candidate file database. The 084 include generate a query to identify the one or more files from the local data container to be moved to the selected destination data container, receive a response to the query indicating the one or more files to be moved from the local data container and store the results of the query indicating the one or more files to be moved in candidate database. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art to modify 084 to arrive the same invention was claimed. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows: Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefore, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title. 5. Claims 1-7 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) 1-7 does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because claim the rebalancing engine in claim 1 directed to the software which is not a process (method), system or article of manufacture as required. Claims 15-20 are directed to a distributed file system which is a software system the container is subset directory not a physical container such as disk. Therefore, the file system is a software system. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to abstract idea without significantly more. Step 1 (See MPEP 2106) Claims 1-20 are directed to a method, a system and a tangible non-transitory computer readable medium which belongs to a statutory class. Step 2A, Prong One: Claims recite the limitation "monitoring one or more container-level characteristic associated with files stored in a local data container and communicate with one or more remote rebalancing engines remote rebalancing engines in one or more corresponding remote data container to determining one or more selected destination file or the segments from the local data container can be moved in response to at least one of the one or more container characteristics exceeding a corresponding pre-selected threshold” are the processes under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation by Mental Process, but for the recitation of generic computer components. Nothing in the claim element precludes the steps from practically being performed in the human mind. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation by mental process, but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the "Mental Processes" grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea. Step 2A, Prong Two: Claims recite instructions which can be performed by a user using a generic computer processor. “Trigger a rebalancing scanner in the local data container to query a candidate file database for files to be transferred or to scan a file system of the local data container to identify files to be transferred to the at least one selected destination data container and to store results of the rebalancing scanner in a candidate file database and cause movement of one or more files as indicated by the candidate file database to the selected destination data container” is process of retrieving data to be moved to another location. “Cause movement of one or more files as indicated by the candidate file database to the selected destination data container” is the concept of moving date from one location to another. The limitation is thus insignificant extra-solution activity. Limitations that the courts have found not to be enough to qualify as "significantly more" when recited in a claim with a judicial exception include: i. Adding the words "apply it" (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, e.g., a limitation indicating that a particular function such as creating and maintaining electronic records is performed by a computer, as discussed in Alice Corp., 134 S. Ct. at 2360, 110 USPQ2d at 1984 (see MPEP § 2106.05(f)). 2106.05(g)--Insignificant Extra-Solution Activity. At Step 2B: The conclusions for the mere implementation using a computer are carried over and does not provide significantly more. Looking at the claim as a whole does not change this conclusion and the claim is ineligible. As to claims 2, 9 and 20, the limitation "determining whether the container-level parameters exceed one or more predetermined thresholds comprises determining if a current size of a file system of the first container is greater than an optimal usage size of the file system of the first container by determining whether an excess size of the file system of the first container is greater that the optimal usage size of the file system of the first container is greater than a threshold" which is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, cover performance of the limitation by Mental Process, but for the recitation of generic computer components. Nothing in the claim element precludes the steps from practically being performed in the human mind. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation by mental process, but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the "Mental Processes" grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea. As to claims 3 and 10, the limitation "triggering the rebalancing scanner further comprises causing the rebalancing scanner to change from an inactive state to an active state prior to querying the candidate file database or scanning the file system" is an additional element which is insignificant to amount significantly more. Claims 4, 11 and 18, the limitation "transmitting the query to a rebalancing scanner in the local container, wherein the rebalancing scanner inserts entries for candidate files into a candidate file database based on analysis of metadata corresponding to the files of the local container" is additional element which is insignificant to amount significantly more. As to claims 5, 12 and 17, the limitation "selecting one or more files to transfer from a set of candidate files based at least on capacity available on the second container and on a determination of storage capacity to be gained in the first container in response to movement of a selected file" is an additional element which is insignificant to amount significantly more. As to claims 6, 13 and 19, the limitation "the rebalancing engine of the local container shares container-level file system information with at least one rebalancing engine of a remote container on a periodic schedule" is defined only what rebalancing engine is and insignificant to amount significantly more. As to claims 7, 1 and 16, the limitation "the rebalancing engine determines one or more of: an Optimal Usage Size, which refers to a preselected usage level corresponding to a storage capacity of a container; a Current Usage Size, which refers to current storage capacity utilized by a container; a Maximum Usage Size, which refers to a storage capacity value that is greater than the Optimal Usage Size and is used to trigger rebalancing operations; and a Balancing Threshold, which refers to a threshold value that can be utilized to terminate rebalancing operations" is defined what rebalancing engine to determine is and insignificant to amount significantly more. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 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. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. 5. Claim(s) 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suit (Patent No. US 9,813,353 B1) in view of Cannata et al. (Pub. No. US 2023/0169017 A1). As to claim 1, Suit discloses a rebalancing engine in a local data container of a distributed file system having a plurality of data containers, each data container having its own rebalancing engine interconnected to communicate with rebalancing engines in other data containers, the rebalancing engine to facilitate movement of files or file segments within the distributed file system, the rebalancing engine in the local data container to: monitor one or more container-level characteristics associated with files stored in a local data container (the content parser 240 identifies volumes with directory attributes and parses for the "last modified" field to to assemble the list of candidate files to be migrated to cloud storage) (col. 7, lines 27-29); communicate with one or more remote rebalancing engines in one or more corresponding remote data containers to determine one or more selected destination data containers to which files or file segments from the local data container can be moved in response to at least one of the one or more container-level characteristics exceeding a corresponding pre-selected threshold (the storage content migration server (SCMS) 109 may be responsible for accepting invitations or request for file migration and identifying file locations, and the...) (col. 8, lines 41-55); trigger a rebalancing scanner in the local data container to query a candidate file database for files to be transferred (the content parser 240 identifies volumes with directory attributes and parses for the "last modified" fields to assemble a list of candidate files to be migrated to cloud storage) (col. 7, lines 27-29) or to scan a file system of the local data container to identify files to be transferred to the at least one selected destination data container and to store results of the rebalancing scanner in a candidate file database (the list gathered by the parser engine is then added to the database) (col. 7, lines 29-31); and cause movement of one or more files as indicated by the candidate file database to the selected destination data container (the method may also include identifying a change in a data file inventory and generating a file list of potential candidate files for the data migration to the cloud server and storing the file list in the database periodically) (col. 10, lines 26-30). Suit does not mention about rebalancing engine in both remote or local; however, the rebalancing engine is a software to manage the storage contain to migrate when certain conditions are met such file has not been modified or container capacity is reach. On the other hand, Cannata discloses rebalancing engine in both remote or local (rebalancing engine) (a computing system 110 may act as both host and client to itself, to "remotely" access its own local peripherals. Such an implementation may simplify resource rebalancing amount computing device and remote computing system.. " (paragraph 0044). This suggests the rebalancing engine in both remote or local. Therefore, would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify teaching of Suit to include rebalancing engine in both remote or local as disclosed by Cannata in order provide rebalancing between containers. As to claim 4, Suit discloses the rebalancing engine of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the query to a rebalancing scanner in the local container, wherein the rebalancing scanner inserts entries for candidate files into a candidate file database based on analysis of metadata corresponding to the files of the local container (data files may be migrated periodically and can be updated according to audit procedure of updated list of files that are acceptable for migration) (col. 11, lines 3-6). As to claim 6, Suit discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the rebalancing engine of the local container shares container-level file system information with at least one rebalancing engine of a remote container on a periodic schedule (interval) (col. 11, lines 3-6). Claim 8 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 1, Suit discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause a rebalancing engine of a local data container in a distributed file system having a plurality of data containers. Claim 11 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 4. Claim 13 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 6 As to claim 15, Suit discloses distributed file system comprising: a plurality of containers each having at least a rebalancing engine to facilitate movement of files within the distributed file system (the content parser 240 identifies volumes with directory attributes and parses for the "last modified" field to assemble the list of candidate files to be migrated to cloud storage) (col. 7, lines 27-29), a rebalancing scanner (the content parser 240 identifies volumes with directory attributes and parses for the "last modified" fields to assemble a list of candidate files to be migrated to cloud storage) (col. 7, lines 27-29), and a candidate file database, each of the plurality of containers to store one or more files and each of the plurality of containers having corresponding container-level parameters for characteristics of files stored on the container(the content parser 240 identifies volumes with directory attributes and parses for the "last modified" field to assemble the list of candidate files to be migrated to cloud storage) (col. 7, lines 27-29); wherein a rebalancing first engine in a first container monitors one or more container- level characteristics associated with files stored in a local data container and, communicate with one or more remote rebalancing engines in one or more corresponding remote data containers to determine one or more selected destination data containers to which files or file segments from the local data container can be moved in response to at least one of the one or more container-level characteristics exceeding a corresponding pre-selected threshold (the content parser 240 identifies volumes with directory attributes and parses for the "last modified" fields to assemble a list of candidate files to be migrated to cloud storage) (col. 7, lines 27-29); wherein a second rebalancing engine in a second container indicates to the first rebalancing engine in the first container whether the second container is available to receive one or more files from the first container (the content parser 240 identifies volumes with directory attributes and parses for the "last modified" fields to assemble a list of candidate files to be migrated to cloud storage) (col. 7, lines 27-29); wherein the first rebalancing engine, responsive to an indication from the second rebalancing engine that the second container is available to receive one or more files from the first container, triggers a rebalancing scanner in the local data container to query a candidate file database for files to be transferred or to scan a file system of the local data container to identify files to be transferred to the at least one selected destination data container and to store results of the rebalancing scanner in a candidate file database (the content parser 240 identifies volumes with directory attributes and parses for the "last modified" fields to assemble a list of candidate files to be migrated to cloud storage) (col. 7, lines 27-29), and causes movement of one or more files as indicated by the candidate file database to the selected destination data container. Claim 18 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 4. Claim 19 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 6. 6. Claim(s) 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16-17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suit (Patent No. US 9,813,353 B1) in view of Cannata et al. (Pub. No. US 2023/0169017 A1) and further in view of Akelbein (Pub. No. US 2006/0136525). As to claim 2, Suit and Cannata disclose the rebalancing engine of claim 1 excepting for wherein determining whether the container-level parameters exceed one or more predetermined thresholds comprises determining if a current size of a file system of the first container is greater than an optimal usage size of the file system of the first container by determining whether an excess size of the file system of the first container is greater that the optimal usage size of the file system of the first container is greater than a threshold. However, Akelbein discloses wherein determining whether the container-level parameters exceed one or more predetermined thresholds comprises determining if a current size of a file system of the first container is greater than an optimal usage size of the file system of the first container by determining whether an excess size of the file system of the first container is greater that the optimal usage size of the file system of the first container is greater than a threshold (policies considering a different set of attributes can also be used to compute a quantitive measurement of the eligible of an individual file. A HSM application migrates data with the highest score in each particular file system when the amount of used capacity of the disk storage exceeded the high threshold...) (paragraph 0009). This suggests the claimed language wherein determining whether the container-level parameters exceed one or more predetermined thresholds comprises determining if a current size of a file system of the first container is greater than an optimal usage size of the file system of the first container by determining whether an excess size of the file system of the first container is greater that the optimal usage size of the file system of the first container is greater than a threshold. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify teaching of both Suit and Cannata to include wherein determining whether the container-level parameters exceed one or more predetermined thresholds comprises determining if a current size of a file system of the first container is greater than an optimal usage size of the file system of the first container by determining whether an excess size of the file system of the first container is greater that the optimal usage size of the file system of the first container is greater than a threshold as disclosed by Akelbein in order to provide data migration service. Claim 9 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 2. Claim 20 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 2. As to claim 5, Suit and Cannata disclose the rebalancing engine of claim 1 excepting for selecting one or more files to transfer from a set of candidate files based at least on capacity available on the second container and on a determination of storage capacity to be gained in the first container in response to movement of a selected file. However, Akelbein discloses selecting one or more files to transfer from a set of candidate files based at least on capacity available on the second container and on a determination of storage capacity to be gained in the first container in response to movement of a selected file (policies considering a different set of attributes can also be used to compute a quantitive measurement of the eligible of an individual file. A HSM application migrates data with the highest score in each particular file system when the amount of used capacity of the disk storage exceeded the high threshold...) (paragraph 0009). This suggested the claim language selecting one or more files to transfer from a set of candidate files based at least on capacity available on the second container and on a determination of storage capacity to be gained in the first container in response to movement of a selected file. The local disk is gaining more space while the tape is losing the space by providing enough space for migrating file is the purpose of data migration to move inactive file more to permanent location. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant to modify teaching of Suit and Cannata to include selecting one or more files to transfer from a set of candidate files based at least on capacity available on the second container and on a determination of storage capacity to be gained in the first container in response to movement of a selected file as disclosed by Akelbein in order to provide the data migration process. Claim 12 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 5. Claim 17 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 5. As to claim 7, Suit and Cannata discloses the rebalancing engine of claim 1 excepting for wherein the rebalancing engine determines one or more of: an Optimal Usage Size, which refers to a preselected usage level corresponding to a storage capacity of a container; a Current Usage Size, which refers to current storage capacity utilized by a container; a Maximum Usage Size, which refers to a storage capacity value that is greater than the Optimal Usage Size and is used to trigger rebalancing operations; and a Balancing Threshold, which refers to a threshold value that can be utilized to terminate rebalancing operations. Akelbein discloses wherein the rebalancing engine determines one or more of: an Optimal Usage Size, which refers to a preselected usage level corresponding to a storage capacity of a container; a Current Usage Size, which refers to current storage capacity utilized by a container; a Maximum Usage Size, which refers to a storage capacity value that is greater than the Optimal Usage Size and is used to trigger rebalancing operations (policies considering a different set of attributes can also be used to compute a quantitive measurement of the eligible of an individual file. A HSM application migrates data with the highest score in each particular file system when the amount of used capacity of the disk storage exceeded the high threshold...) (paragraph 0009); and a balancing Threshold, which refers to a threshold value that can be utilized to terminate rebalancing operations. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the Suit and Cannata to include a Maximum Usage Size, which refers to a storage capacity value that is greater than the Optimal Usage Size and is used to trigger rebalancing operations as disclosed by Akelbein in order to provide data migration to save space. Claim 14 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 7. Claim 16 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 7. 7. Claim(s) 3 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suit (Patent No. US 9,813,353 B1) in view of Cannata et al. (Pub. No. US 2023/0169017 A1) and further in view of Kang et al. (Pub. No. US 2005/0064829 A1). As to claim 3, Suit and Cannata disclose the rebalancing engine of claim 1 excepting for wherein triggering the rebalancing scanner further comprises causing the rebalancing scanner to change from an inactive state to an active state prior to querying the candidate file database or scanning the file system. However, Kang discloses wherein triggering the rebalancing scanner further comprises causing the rebalancing scanner to change from an inactive state to an active state prior to querying the candidate file database or scanning the file system (the terminal enters an "active" state prior to its assigned slot, monitors the paging channel for messages, and transitions to an "inactive" state if additional communication is not required...) (paragraph 0006). This suggested the claim language wherein triggering the rebalancing scanner further comprises causing the rebalancing scanner to change from an inactive state to an active state prior to querying the candidate file database or scanning the file system. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing the of the instant application to modify Suit and Cannata to include triggering the rebalancing scanner further comprises causing the rebalancing scanner to change from an inactive state to an active state prior to querying the candidate file database or scanning the file system as disclosed by Kang in order to provide scanning process. Claim 10 is rejected under the same reason as to claim 3. Conclusion 8. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 BAOQUOC N TO whose telephone number is (571)272-4041. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9AM - 6PM. 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, Boris Gorney can be reached at 571-270-5626. 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. BAOQUOC N. TO Examiner Art Unit 2154 /BAOQUOC N TO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2154
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 14, 2025
Application Filed
Nov 05, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §101, §103
Mar 05, 2026
Response Filed
Jun 03, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §101, §103 (current)

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MULTIMODAL SEARCH ON WEARABLE SMART DEVICES
1y 4m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
90%
Grant Probability
98%
With Interview (+8.0%)
2y 7m (~1y 2m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 956 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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