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 responds to Applicant’s Arguments/Remarks filed 01/01/2011. Claims 1 have been amended. Claims 1 have been cancelled. Claims 1 have been withdrawn. Claims 1 have been newly added. Claims 1 are now pending in this Application.
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 therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-7, 9-12, 18, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
Claims 1 and 18 appear to be directed to an abstract idea without reciting additional limitations that tie it to a practical application or without reciting additional limitations that amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. One can mentally generate graph with nodes for spaces in a building as well as assets that are contained within those spaces. Then one can also mentally associate and classify senor readings and generate relationships between spaces, assets and sensors. The additional limitations are receiving data. These additional limitations are mere data gathering which are insignificant extra solution activities under step 2A prong II and well understood routine and conventional under step 2B (For Berkhiemer See MPEP 2106.05(d)(II) Versata.)
Step 2A, Prong One: Mathematical Concepts
Independent claims 1, and 20 are directed to manage blockchain data index and verifying query processing result.
collecting, by a system for managing a blockchain data index and verifying a query, block data in a predetermined range from a blockchain network.
[0127] The processor 1010 may execute the instructions stored in the memory 1030 or the storage device 1040 to collect block data in a predetermined range from a blockchain network 40, index the block data to generate an index; generate an index DB, which is a data structure for verifying integrity of the index, based on the index, and transmit the index DB to the blockchain network 40.
indexing, by the system, the block data to generate an index.
[0072] The index manager 120 requests block data in a predetermined range from the blockchain network 40. Specifically, the index manager 120 extracts and retrieves all blocks from a starting block to a last block corresponding to the predetermined range from a data blockchain 41 (which may be referred to as a data channel) through the blockchain network 40. Then, the index manager 120 transmits the extracted block data to the indexer 130, and the indexer 130 indexes the block data to generate an index.
transmitting, by the system, the index to the blockchain network to request verification.
[0096] The blockchain network 40 stores the verified index DB in the verification blockchain 42.
generating, by the system, an index database (DB), which is a data structure for verifying integrity of the index, based on the index.
[0045] FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts for describing a method of generating an index database (DB) and performing verification according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Step 2A Prong Two and Step 2B
Use of processors to collect, verify, index, generate and transmit would constitute use of a generic computer used as tool to implement the abstract idea discussed above.
The step of receiving data associated with a building constitutes an insignificant extra-solution activity in the form of mere data gather, see MPEP 2106.05(g)
i. Performing clinical tests on individuals to obtain input for an equation, In re Grams, 888 F.2d 835, 839-40; 12 USPQ2d 1824, 1827-28 (Fed. Cir. 1989);
Looking at the limitations as an ordered combination adds nothing that is not already present when looking at the elements taken individually. There is no indication that the combination of elements improves the functioning of a computer or improves any other technology. Their collective functions merely provide conventional computer implementation.
Claims 2-7, 9-12, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S. C. 101 because as they depend from independent claims 1 and 11. The dependent claims do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application and do not add significantly more than the judicial exception. The claim as a whole merely performs mental process and organizing human activity on a computer which does not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-7, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (U.S. Pub No. 2020/0168306 A1), and in view of Luo et al (U.S. Pub No. 2023/0252025 A1).
As per claim 1, Chen discloses a method of managing a blockchain data index and verifying a query processing result, the method comprising:
collecting, by a system for managing a blockchain data index and verifying a query, block data in a predetermined range from a blockchain network (par [0008, 0028, 0040]);
indexing, by the system, the block data to generate an index (par [0020]);
transmitting, by the system, the index to the blockchain network to request verification (par [0050] the authorization message is transferred to the serving system).
Chen discloses creating index. Chen does not explicitly disclose generating, by the system, an index database (DB), which is a data structure for verifying integrity of the index, based on the index; and the index DB to the blockchain network.
However, Luo discloses generating, by the system, an index database (DB), which is a data structure for verifying integrity of the index, based on the index, the index DB to the blockchain network (par [0023, 0074]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Luo into the teachings of Chen in order to provide efficiency of writing a transaction into the SQL database (par [0005]).
As per claim 2, Chen discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: verifying, by the blockchain network, the index by comparing the index with the validation DB (Par [0057, 0067, 0105,0112]).
Chen does not explicitly disclose generating, by the blockchain network, a validation DB for verifying the index DB based on the index DB.
However, Luo discloses generating, by the blockchain network, a validation DB for verifying the index DB based on the index DB (par [0023, 0074]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Luo into the teachings of Chen in order to provide efficiency of writing a transaction into the SQL database (par [0005]).
As per claim, Luo discloses the method of claim 2, further comprising storing, by the blockchain network, the index DB in a verification blockchain when no abnormality is found as a result of the verifying of the index DB (par [0024-0027]).
As per claim 4, Luo discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the verifying of the index DB includes comparing, by the blockchain network, a data count for individual key values included in the index DB with a data count for individual key values included in the validation DB and verifying the index DB (Par [0011]).
As per claim 5, Chen discloses the method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting, by the blockchain network, a result of the verifying of the index DB and a storage result of the index DB to the system when no abnormality is found as a result of the verifying of the index DB (Par [0051-0052, 0054-0056]).
Chen does not explicitly disclose database. However, Luo discloses database (Par [0013-0014]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Luo into the teachings of Chen in order to provide efficiency of writing a transaction into the SQL database (par [0005]).
As per claim 6, Chen discloses the method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting, by the blockchain network, a result of the verifying of the index DB to the system without storing the index DB in a verification block chain when an abnormality is found as a result of the verifying of the index DB (Par [0051-0052, 0054-0056]).
Chen does not explicitly disclose database. However, Luo discloses database (Par [0013-0014]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Luo into the teachings of Chen in order to provide efficiency of writing a transaction into the SQL database (par [0005]).
As per claim 7, Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the index DB includes information including a range of block numbers corresponding to the predetermined range, a name of an indexer managing the index within the system (Par [0045, 0052]).
Chen does not explicitly disclose a key value included in the index, and a pair of the key value and a data count for the key value.
However, Luo discloses a key value included in the index, and a pair of the key value and a data count for the key value (par [0004]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Luo into the teachings of Chen in order to provide efficiency of writing a transaction into the SQL database (par [0005]).
As per claim 18, Chen discloses a system for managing a blockchain data index and verifying a query processing result, the system comprising:
a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to (par [0026]):
collect block data in a predetermined range from a blockchain network (par [0008, 0028, 0040]);
index the block data to generate an index (Par [0020]);
transmit the index DB to the blockchain network (par [0050] the authorization message is transferred to the serving system).
Chen discloses creating index. Chen does not explicitly disclose generate an index DB which is a data structure for verifying integrity of the index, based on the index.
However, Luo discloses generate an index DB which is a data structure for verifying integrity of the index, based on the index (par [0023, 0074]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Luo into the teachings of Chen in order to provide efficiency of writing a transaction into the SQL database (par [0005]).
Claim(s) 8-11, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (U.S. Pub No. 2020/0168306 A1), and Luo et al (U.S. Pub No. 2023/0252025 A1), and further in view of Sul et al (U.S. Pub No. 2024/0403281 A1).
As per claim 8, Chen discloses the method of claim 3, further comprising:
receiving, by the system, a query command from a user application; transmitting, by the system, the query DB to the blockchain network to request transaction data corresponding to the query command. (Par [0026]).
Chen and Luo do not explicitly disclose parsing, by the system, the query command and generating a search condition based on a parsing result for the query command; generating, by the system, a transaction list corresponding to the search condition and a query DB which is a data structure for verifying the transaction list; and transmitting, by the system, the transaction list and.
However, Sul discloses parsing, by the system, the query command and generating a search condition based on a parsing result for the query command; generating, by the system, a transaction list corresponding to the search condition and a query DB which is a data structure for verifying the transaction list; and transmitting, by the system, the transaction list (Par [0031, 0040, 00099-0103, 0105, 0134]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Sul into the teachings of Chen as modified by Luo in order to improve the system.
As per claim 9, Chen discloses the method of claim 8, further comprising comparing, by the blockchain network, the query DB with the index DB and verifying the query DB (Par [0041]).
As per claim 10, Sul discloses the method of claim 9, further comprising, when it is determined, as a result of the verifying of the query DB by the blockchain network, that there is no abnormality,
receiving, by the system, the transaction data corresponding to the transaction list from the blockchain network (Par [000031, 0040, 00099-0103, 0105, 0134]).
As per claim 11, Sul discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the verifying of the query DB includes comparing, by the blockchain network, a data count for individual key values included in the query DB with a data count for individual key values included in the index DB and verifying the query DB (par [0059, 0080-0081]).
As per claim 19, Chen discloses the system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: upon receiving a query command from a user application, transmit the transaction list and the query DB to the blockchain network to request transaction data corresponding to the query command (Par [0026]).
Chen and Luo do not explicitly disclose parse the query command and generate a search condition based on a parsing result for the query command; generate a transaction list corresponding to the search condition and a query DB which is a data structure for verifying the transaction list.
However, Sul discloses parse the query command and generate a search condition based on a parsing result for the query command; generate a transaction list corresponding to the search condition and a query DB which is a data structure for verifying the transaction list (Par [0031, 0040, 00099-0103, 0105, 0134]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Sul into the teachings of Chen as modified by Luo in order to improve the system.
As per claim 20, Sul discloses the system of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: allow the blockchain network to verify the query DB based on the query DB and the index DB; and when it is determined, as a result of the verifying of the query DB, that there is no abnormality, receive the transaction data from the blockchain network (Par [0031, 0040, 00099-0103, 0105, 0134]).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (U.S. Pub No. 2020/0168306 A1), and in view of Luo et al (U.S. Pub No. 2023/0252025 A1), and Sul et al (U.S. Pub NO. 2024/0403281), and further in view of LI (U.S. Pub No. 2022/0171776 A1).
As per claim 12, Sul discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the verifying of the query DB includes:
comparing, by the blockchain network, a data count for individual key values included in the query DB with a data count for individual key values included in the index DB (Par [0056]).
when the data counts for the individual key values match each other, extracting the transaction data corresponding to the transaction list from the data blockchain (Par [0059, 0080-0081, 0099, 0101]).
Chen, Luo and Sul do not explicitly disclose determining whether the number of transactions included in the query DB and the number of transactions of the transaction data extracted from the data blockchain match each other and verifying the query DB.
However, Li discloses determining whether the number of transactions included in the query DB and the number of transactions of the transaction data extracted from the data blockchain match each other and verifying the query DB (Par [0076-0079].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Sul into the teachings of Chen as modified by Luo in order to improve a concurrent processing capability of the system (par [0053]).
Claim(s) 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sul et al (U.S. Pub NO. 2024/0403281), and in view of Chen et al (U.S. Pub No. 2020/0168306 A1).
As per claim 13, Sul discloses a method of managing a blockchain data index and verifying a query processing result, the method comprising:
receiving, by a system for managing a blockchain data index and verifying a query processing result, a query command from a user application (Par [0025, 0031, 0073-0074]);
parsing, by the system, the query command and generating a search condition based on a parsing result for the query command (par [0031, 0033, 0042, 0105]);
generating, by the system, a transaction list corresponding to the search condition and a query DB which is a data structure for verifying the transaction list (Par [0099; and
transmitting, by the system, the transaction list and the query DB to a blockchain network to request transaction data corresponding to the query command (Par [0077-0080, 0102-0106]).
Sul discloses query. Sul does not explicitly disclose query command.
However, Chen discloses query command (Par [0026]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Chen into the teachings of Sul in order to provide security and accuracy (Par [0008]).
As per claim 14, Sul discloses the method of claim 13, further comprising comparing, by the blockchain network, the query DB with an index DB that includes information about an index managed by the system and verifying the query DB (par [0041]).
As per claim 15, Sul discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising, when it is determined, as a result of the verifying of the query DB by the blockchain network, that there is no abnormality, receiving, by the system, the transaction data corresponding to the transaction list from the blockchain network (Par [0031, 0040, 00099-0103, 0105, 0134]).
As per claim 16, Sul discloses the method of claim 14, wherein the verifying of the query DB includes comparing, by the blockchain network, a data count for individual key values included in the query DB with a data count for individual key values included in the index DB and verifying the query DB (Par [0056, 0059, 0080-0081, 0099, 0101]).
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sul et al (U.S. Pub NO. 2024/0403281), and in view of Chen et al (U.S. Pub No. 2020/0168306 A1), and further in view of LI (U.S. Pub No. 2022/0171776 A1).
As per claim 17, Sul discloses the method of claim 14, wherein the verifying of the query DB includes:
comparing, by the blockchain network, a data count for individual key values included in the query DB with a data count for individual key values included in the index DB (Par [0055-0056]).
when the data counts for the individual key values match each other, extracting the transaction data corresponding to the transaction list from the data blockchain (Par [0059, 0080-0081, 0099, 0101]).
Sul does not explicitly disclose determining whether the number of transactions included in the query DB and the number of transactions of the transaction data extracted from the data blockchain match each other and verifying the query DB.
However, Li discloses determining whether the number of transactions included in the query DB and the number of transactions of the transaction data extracted from the data blockchain match each other and verifying the query DB (Par [0076-0079].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Li into the teachings of Sul in order to improve the concurrent processing capability of the system (par [0053]).
Conclusion
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July 24, 2026
/THU N NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2154