Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. Claims 1-2 are pending in this office action. This action is responsive to Applicant’s application filed 03/06/2025.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a Continuation of 18183666, filed 03/14/2023, now U.S. Patent # 12271451 is acknowledged.
Since the Continuation application relied on part of the priority document (Continuation), the claim of priority will be considered on a claim-by-claim basis. The priority date of the instant application is at least 03/06/2025 (the filing date), but depending upon the specific material claimed, could be as early as 03/14/2023.
Claim rejections
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 language use a word "tracking" and in claim 2, claim language all the language similar to claim 1, except change all the word “tracking” to the word “monitoring”, but in the in original instant Specification/Drawing/Claims does not define two words and the difference between them.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
5. Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Bugir et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2007/0050409 A1, hereinafter “Bugir”) in view of Ford (US Patent Publication No. 2017/0046807 A1, hereinafter “ford”) and Borthakur et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2006/0041593 A1, hereinafter “Borthakur”).
As to Claim 1, Bugir teaches the claimed limitations:
“A computer-implemented content container tracking method, the method comprising:” as systems, program products and methods of content management such as tracing content genealogy in the media industry (paragraph0008).
“receiving, by a communication service executed on one or more processors, a content container tracking message from a content container support application” as embodiments of the present invention can support integrating applications across the digital supply chain with the common thread of metadata linking business functions with operational mandates, enabling business agility for enhanced productivity in the rapidly changing media landscape, while simultaneously lowering total cost of ownership and creating new revenue opportunities (paragraph 0008). A system to manage content and distribution of media through tracking and tracing of genealogy of content media. For example, a system to manage content and distribution of media includes a communication network for transmitting media files and at least one computer accessible to the communication network to define a content management server (paragraphs 0009-0010). Each content management developer computer can have a processor, memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to receive media files, a display in communication with the processor to display metadata, and a user interface in communication with the processor, to provide each of a corresponding plurality of content management developers with online access over the communication network to the media files and associated metadata records to thereby edit metadata rules and rights (paragraphs 0011-0012).
“receiving, by a content container tracking service, the event associated with the content container tracking message” as the content management program product can include instructions to perform the operations of receiving a metadata record for a media file responsive to user input to thereby associate metadata to the media file, receiving a request from a user to modify the metadata record for the media file, determining an identity of the user to thereby determine if the user has pre-established permissions, modifying the metadata record for the media file responsive to user input and responsive to determining the user has pre-established permissions, and providing current auditing of changes to the metadata. Advantageously, auditing of changes to the metadata can include tracking modified metadata fields with a date and time stamp and tracking deletions of portions of the metadata (paragraphs 0013-0014).
“identifying at least one trackable attribute from the content container tracking message” as the content can include an edit decision list which can include data for providing, combining, and manipulating the essence such as EDL type, original content identifications, plays since last record, cut number, released for air, user bit location, comments, and is actual lists. The content can also include script line which provide the individual instructions for edit decision lists and which can include, sequence number, measure type-in measure x-value, in measure y-value, in measure z-value, context, segment number, actions, and in container instructions, and can relate to effects and media container. The media container, e.g., file, tape, or stream, and can include attributes. The media container is associated with a library location (current and home) which provides a placeholder thereof and which is associated with a library, i.e., room or server typically having one or more elaborate locations. The library can include library name and library usage rules attributes. The library location can include library location identification and barcode RFT values attributes and can provide a parent location for the media. The media container is associated with a container type and can have a borrower status which can include, for example, a checkout date, a due date, and comments, which can be associated with a domain (paragraph 0044).
“creating or enhancing an existing rule for publication of a message associated with each track event related to the at least one trackable attribute” as this example is easily traced or trackable for a single piece of content that is being repurposed. There is additional complexity, when new content is made from other content, multiple pieces of content, edited together to form a documentary or another short piece, or a promotion. Embodiments of systems, program products, and methods of the present invention can allow content metadata to be combined to create new metadata, preserve core metadata, and respect the rights of the owners of the individual component pieces of content. Systems, program products, and methods further address these issues by creating and determining content genealogy. These embodiments provide a combination of metadata DNA in such a way as to ensure that the child version, or the resultant content has all of the attributes of the parent components. To accomplish this, the relationship between two or more pieces of logical content can be tracked, showing metadata lineage--its genealogy, such as content predecessor, content successor, and inherited rights/rules using metadata (paragraph 0040). The library can include library name and library usage rules attributes. The library location can include library location identification and barcode RFT values attributes and can provide a parent location for the media. The media container is associated with a container type and can have a borrower status which can include a checkout date, a due date, and comments, which can be associated with a domain (paragraph 0044).
“transmitting an event status message to an originator of the content container tracking message” as a system can include a communication network for transmitting media files, a content management server having a processor and memory coupled to the processor, a database accessible to the processor of the content management server and including media files associated with metadata records, a plurality of content management developer computers to provide content management developers with online access over the communication network to the media files and associated metadata records to thereby edit the metadata records, a plurality of user computers accessible to the communication network to provide the users with access to the media files over the communication network to thereby view and edit at least portions of respective metadata records. The system also includes content management program product stored in the memory of the content management server to manage content and distribution of media (abstract). A system to manage content and distribution of media through, tracking and tracing of genealogy of content media. For example, a system to manage content and distribution of media includes a communication network for transmitting media files and at least one computer accessible to the communication network to define a content management server (paragraph 0010).
Bugir does not explicitly teach the claimed limitation “placing an event corresponding to the content container tracking message into a message queue; delivering the event from the message queue to at least one relevant service”.
Ford teaches a buyer may ask a question to the sellers. Through the question and answer management facility the question may be presented to the sellers, where one seller addresses the question, and after an exchange, the question is resolved. The question and answer management facility may track the exchange, archive the exchange, remove the question from further discussion, remove the question from a pending question queue as provided to buyers and or sellers (paragraphs 0151). In embodiments, a fair share queuing facility may be provided, for the execution of processes described herein, exchanges, sharing, collaboration. Once the first 5 tasks are processed and the bulk message is picked up from the queue may the processor take another 5 tasks and put them back in a queue and add a bulk message of 19990 tasks at the end of the queue. In this instance, if Client 2 comes in with a task, it will have to wait no more than the time to complete 5 tasks. If Client 2 comes in with 20000 tasks, tasks of Client 1 and Client 2 may be interspersed. This solution may work with multiple processors on the queue as well. Processing of bulk messages may be used to reorder execution of tasks so every time bulk messages get processed the system may specify a rule as to how to determine what next n tasks should be converted into messages to be processed (paragraphs 0177-0178).
Bugir does not explicitly teach the claimed limitation “determining whether one or more tracking conditions associated with the content container tracking message are satisfied; creating, when the one or more tracking conditions are satisfied, at least one rule for publication of a check-in message event“.
Borthakur teaches the system further includes a query system configured to evaluate queries formulated in a query language, where a given query is associated with the publish-subscribe channel, and where the record is published to the publish-subscribe channel in response to determining that the file system content access event satisfies the given query (paragraph 0008). In some embodiments, specific events may be selected for publication to a given channel dependent on whether the events satisfy a query that specifies particular criteria for selection. That is, events may be filtered prior to publication to a specific channel dependent upon various criteria (paragraph 0073). Next, query engine may examine one or more event records to determine whether the events satisfy the query, query engine may examine metadata records (e.g., monitor) stored in named streams to determine whether a file named in an event record is of the specified document type and size. Query engine may further indicate to publish-subscribe system whether the query has been satisfied. If a given event satisfies a query associated with a given channel, a record of the event may be published to given channel. Numerous implementations of query engine configured for parsing and evaluating queries are possible and contemplated (paragraph 0078). In some instances, query evaluation performance may be improved by creating one or more indexes of file system content and using these indexes to assist in query evaluation. In the illustrated embodiment, index/commit engine 630 may be configured to generate and maintain these indexes, and to provide index information to query engine during the evaluation of queries (paragraphs 0079-0080).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Bugir, Ford, and Borthakur before him/her, to modify Bugir provide a secure site for placing documents and messages to be transmitted over a secure virtual network and allows authorized users to read or edit messages according to their level of authorization as taught by Ford (paragraph 0039). Or provide various types of mass storage devices configured to store data as taught by Borthakur (paragraph 0004).
As to Claim 2, Bugir teaches the claimed limitations:
“A computer-implemented content container monitoring method, the method comprising:” as systems, program products and methods of content management such as tracing content genealogy in the media industry (paragraph0008).
“receiving, by a communication service executed on one or more processors, a content container monitoring message from a content container support application” as embodiments of the present invention can support integrating applications across the digital supply chain with the common thread of metadata linking business functions with operational mandates, enabling business agility for enhanced productivity in the rapidly changing media landscape, while simultaneously lowering total cost of ownership and creating new revenue opportunities (paragraph 0008). A system to manage content and distribution of media through tracking and tracing of genealogy of content media. For example, a system to manage content and distribution of media includes a communication network for transmitting media files and at least one computer accessible to the communication network to define a content management server (paragraphs 0009-0010). Each content management developer computer can have a processor, memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to receive media files, a display in communication with the processor to display metadata, and a user interface in communication with the processor, to provide each of a corresponding plurality of content management developers with online access over the communication network to the media files and associated metadata records to thereby edit metadata rules and rights (paragraphs 0011-0012).
“receiving, by a content container monitoring service, the event associated with the content container monitoring message” as the content management program product can include instructions to perform the operations of receiving a metadata record for a media file responsive to user input to thereby associate metadata to the media file, receiving a request from a user to modify the metadata record for the media file, determining an identity of the user to thereby determine if the user has pre-established permissions, modifying the metadata record for the media file responsive to user input and responsive to determining the user has pre-established permissions, and providing current auditing of changes to the metadata. Advantageously, auditing of changes to the metadata can include tracking modified metadata fields with a date and time stamp and tracking deletions of portions of the metadata (paragraphs 0013-0014).
“identifying at least one trackable attribute from the content container tracking message” as the content can include an edit decision list which can include data for providing, combining, and manipulating the essence such as EDL type, original content identifications, plays since last record, cut number, released for air, user bit location, comments, and is actual lists. The content can also include script line which provide the individual instructions for edit decision lists and which can include, sequence number, measure type-in measure x-value, in measure y-value, in measure z-value, context, segment number, actions, and in container instructions, and can relate to effects and media container. The media container, e.g., file, tape, or stream, and can include attributes. The media container is associated with a library location (current and home) which provides a placeholder thereof and which is associated with a library, i.e., room or server typically having one or more elaborate locations. The library can include library name and library usage rules attributes. The library location can include library location identification and barcode RFT values attributes and can provide a parent location for the media. The media container is associated with a container type and can have a borrower status which can include, for example, a checkout date, a due date, and comments, which can be associated with a domain (paragraph 0044).
“creating or enhancing an existing rule for publication of a message associated with each track event related to the at least one trackable attribute” as this example is easily traced or trackable for a single piece of content that is being repurposed. There is additional complexity, when new content is made from other content, multiple pieces of content, edited together to form a documentary or another short piece, or a promotion. Embodiments of systems, program products, and methods of the present invention can allow content metadata to be combined to create new metadata, preserve core metadata, and respect the rights of the owners of the individual component pieces of content. Systems, program products, and methods further address these issues by creating and determining content genealogy. These embodiments provide a combination of metadata DNA in such a way as to ensure that the child version, or the resultant content has all of the attributes of the parent components. To accomplish this, the relationship between two or more pieces of logical content can be tracked, showing metadata lineage--its genealogy, such as content predecessor, content successor, and inherited rights/rules using metadata (paragraph 0040). The library can include library name and library usage rules attributes. The library location can include library location identification and barcode RFT values attributes and can provide a parent location for the media. The media container is associated with a container type and can have a borrower status which can include a checkout date, a due date, and comments, which can be associated with a domain (paragraph 0044).
“transmitting an event status message to an originator of the content container tracking message” as a system can include a communication network for transmitting media files, a content management server having a processor and memory coupled to the processor, a database accessible to the processor of the content management server and including media files associated with metadata records, a plurality of content management developer computers to provide content management developers with online access over the communication network to the media files and associated metadata records to thereby edit the metadata records, a plurality of user computers accessible to the communication network to provide the users with access to the media files over the communication network to thereby view and edit at least portions of respective metadata records. The system also includes content management program product stored in the memory of the content management server to manage content and distribution of media (abstract). A system to manage content and distribution of media through, tracking and tracing of genealogy of content media. For example, a system to manage content and distribution of media includes a communication network for transmitting media files and at least one computer accessible to the communication network to define a content management server (paragraph 0010).
Bugir does not explicitly teach the claimed limitation “placing an event corresponding to the content container monitoring message into a message queue; delivering the event from the message queue to at least one relevant service”.
Ford teaches a buyer may ask a question to the sellers. Through the question and answer management facility the question may be presented to the sellers, where one seller addresses the question, and after an exchange, the question is resolved. The question and answer management facility may track the exchange, archive the exchange, remove the question from further discussion, remove the question from a pending question queue as provided to buyers and or sellers (paragraphs 0151). In embodiments, a fair share queuing facility may be provided, for the execution of processes described herein, exchanges, sharing, collaboration. Once the first 5 tasks are processed and the bulk message is picked up from the queue may the processor take another 5 tasks and put them back in a queue and add a bulk message of 19990 tasks at the end of the queue. In this instance, if Client 2 comes in with a task, it will have to wait no more than the time to complete 5 tasks. If Client 2 comes in with 20000 tasks, tasks of Client 1 and Client 2 may be interspersed. This solution may work with multiple processors on the queue as well. Processing of bulk messages may be used to reorder execution of tasks so every time bulk messages get processed the system may specify a rule as to how to determine what next n tasks should be converted into messages to be processed (paragraphs 0177-0178).
Bugir does not explicitly teach the claimed limitation “determining whether one or more monitoring conditions associated with the content container monitoring message are satisfied; creating, when the one or more monitoring conditions are satisfied, one or more rules for publication of status and check-in message events; logging, in accordance with each rule, each check-in message event and each status event message associated with the one or more monitoring conditions; publishing each logged event on a messaging service”.
Borthakur teaches the system further includes a query system configured to evaluate queries formulated in a query language, where a given query is associated with the publish-subscribe channel, and where the record is published to the publish-subscribe channel in response to determining that the file system content access event satisfies the given query (paragraph 0008). A file system operation or event may be detected subsequent to its occurrence, such that detection may occur after the operation or event has already completed. Such detection may be referred to as out of band or asynchronous with respect to the detected operation or event. For example, a user process may periodically check a file to determine its length. The file length may have changed at any time since the last check by user process, but the check may be out of band with respect to the operation that changed the file length. In some instances, it is possible for out of band detection to fail to detect certain events. Referring to the previous example, the file length may have changed several times since the last check by user process, but only the last change may be detected (paragraphs 0036-0037, 0045). In some embodiments, specific events may be selected for publication to a given channel dependent on whether the events satisfy a query that specifies particular criteria for selection. That is, events may be filtered prior to publication to a specific channel dependent upon various criteria (paragraph 0073). Next, query engine may examine one or more event records to determine whether the events satisfy the query, query engine may examine metadata records (e.g., monitor) stored in named streams to determine whether a file named in an event record is of the specified document type and size. Query engine may further indicate to publish-subscribe system whether the query has been satisfied. If a given event satisfies a query associated with a given channel, a record of the event may be published to given channel. Numerous implementations of query engine configured for parsing and evaluating queries are possible and contemplated (paragraph 0078). In some instances, query evaluation performance may be improved by creating one or more indexes of file system content and using these indexes to assist in query evaluation. In the illustrated embodiment, index/commit engine may be configured to generate and maintain these indexes, and to provide index information to query engine during the evaluation of queries (paragraphs 0079-0080). The status of a transaction may not be evident from the activity of a single constituent application; rather, the transaction may be a function of the activity of all relevant applications taken together with information regarding the process defining the transaction. For example, depending on the procedure defined in a given enterprise, processing of a purchase order may involve several steps. The purchase order may first be entered, such as through a dedicated application or email interface. Once entered, the identity and authority of the requestor may be validated, such as by verifying that the requestor is an employee with the appropriate signature authority using a human resources application. Subsequently, financial approval may be obtained, which may include using a financial application to verify that the request falls within the budget of the individual or organization requesting the order (paragraph 0094).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Bugir, Ford, and Borthakur before him/her, to modify Bugir provide a secure site for placing documents and messages to be transmitted over a secure virtual network and allows authorized users to read or edit messages according to their level of authorization as taught by Ford (paragraph 0039). Or provide various types of mass storage devices configured to store data as taught by Borthakur (paragraph 0004).
Examiner’s Note
Examiner has cited particular columns/paragraph and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the Claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention. This will assist in expediting compact prosecution. MPEP 714.02 recites: “Applicant should also specifically point out the support for any amendments made to the disclosure. See MPEP § 2163.06. An amendment which does not comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.121(b), (c), (d), and (h) may be held not fully responsive. See MPEP § 714.” Amendments not pointing to specific support in the disclosure may be deemed as not complying with provisions of 37 C.F.R. 1.131(b), (c), (d), and (h) and therefore held not fully responsive. Generic statements such as “Applicants believe no new matter has been introduced” may be deemed insufficient.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to James Hwa whose telephone number is 571-270-1285, email address is james.hwa@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:00 am – 5:30 pm EST. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ajay Bhatia can be reached on 571-272-3906. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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03/24/2026
/SHYUE JIUNN HWA/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2156