DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to continuation filed on July 21st, 2025.
Claims 1~20 are examined.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/02/256, 07/15/26, 05/15/26, 11/28/25, 10/30/25, 08/28/25 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 §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) 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).
Claims 1~20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1~20 of U.S Patent 12,401,634. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the U.S Patent mentioned above fully anticipates claims 1~20 of the instant application. A subset of the claims for comparison is provided below:
Instant Application 19/274,979
U.S Patent 12,401,634
1. A method, comprising: commencing a first phase of a series of phases to transition a plurality of network entities associated with a computing network from utilizing a first certificate bundle to utilizing a second certificate bundle, subsequent to commencing the first phase: receiving, from a first network entity of the plurality of network entities, a first request for certificate bundle distribution; determining that the first network entity is associated with the first phase, of the series of phases; responsive to determining that the first network entity is associated with the first phase and based on the first request having been received subsequent to commencing the first phase, selecting the second certificate bundle for distribution to the first network entity; distributing the second certificate bundle to the first network entity; receiving, from a second network entity of the plurality of network entities, a second request for certificate bundle distribution; determining that the second network entity is not associated with the first phase; responsive to determining that the first network entity is not associated with the first phase, selecting the first certificate bundle for distribution to the first network entity; distributing the first certificate bundle to the second network entity; wherein the method is performed by at least one device including a hardware processor.
23. A method, comprising: detecting a trigger condition to distribute a first certificate bundle comprising a first set of one or more certificate authority certificates; determining, for each particular network entity of a plurality of network entities associated with a computer network, a fault domain associated with the particular network entity, from among a plurality of fault domains associated with the computer network, wherein each particular fault domain, of the plurality of fault domains, represents at least one single point of failure; partitioning the plurality of network entities into a plurality of certificate distribution groups based on a set of one or more partitioning criteria, wherein the set of one or more partitioning criteria comprises the fault domain associated with the particular network entity, and wherein each particular certificate distribution group, of the plurality of certificate distribution groups, comprises a particular subset of network entities, of the plurality of network entities, wherein the particular subset of network entities is associated with a particular single point of failure corresponding to a particular fault domain of the plurality of fault domains; selecting a first certificate distribution group, of the plurality of certificate distribution groups, for distribution of the first certificate bundle, wherein the first certificate distribution group comprises a first subset of network entities that is associated with a first fault domain of the plurality of fault domains; transmitting the first certificate bundle to the first subset of network entities; wherein the method is performed by at least one device including a hardware processor.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the first network entity is associated with a first fault domain representing a first single point of failure of the computing network; determining that the first phase comprises distributing the first certificate bundle to network entities associated with the first fault domain; selecting the second certificate bundle for distribution to the first network entity based on the first network entity being associated with the first fault domain.
4. The media of claim 1, wherein the fault domain of each particular network entity is determined based on metadata associated with each particular network entity, wherein the metadata comprises a fault domain attribute identifying the fault domain corresponding to the particular network entity, wherein for a first network entity of the first subset of network entities, a first metadata element comprises a first fault domain attribute, wherein the first fault domain attribute identifies the first network entity as corresponding to the first fault domain.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first phase corresponds to a first fault domain representing a first single point of failure of the computing network; and wherein the phase attribute comprises fault domain attribute, wherein the fault domain attribute indicates that the first network entity is associated with the first fault domain.
18. The media of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: selecting a second certificate distribution group, of the plurality of certificate distribution groups, for distribution of the first certificate bundle, wherein the second certificate distribution group comprises a second subset of one or more network entities corresponding to a second fault domain of the plurality of fault domains; subsequent to transmitting the first certificate bundle to the first subset of network entities: detecting a second trigger condition to transmit the first certificate bundle to the second subset of one or more network entities, wherein the second trigger condition comprises at least one of: a time interval having elapsed subsequent to transmitting the first certificate bundle to the first subset of network entities, or a release phase for releasing the first certificate bundle to the second subset of one or more network entities having commenced; and responsive to detecting the second trigger condition, transmitting the first certificate bundle to the second subset of one or more network entities.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: wherein the first phase comprises distributing the second certificate bundle to a first distribution group comprising a first set of network entities, including the first network entity, in response to requests for certificate bundle distribution from network entities of the first distribution group; subsequent to distributing the first certificate bundle to the second network entity: commencing a second phase, of the series of phases, comprising distributing the second certificate bundle to a second distribution group comprising the first set of network entities and a second set of network entities, including the second network entity, in response to requests for certificate bundle distribution from network entities of the second distribution group; subsequent to commencing the second phase: receiving, from a third network entity, a third request for certificate bundle distribution; determining that the third network entity is associated with the second distribution group; responsive to determining that the third network entity is associated with the second distribution group, based on the second phase having commenced prior to receiving the third request from the third network entity, selecting the second certificate bundle for distribution to the third network entity; distributing the second certificate bundle to the third network entity.
21. The media of claim 1, wherein partitioning the plurality of network entities into of the plurality of certificate distribution groups comprises: receiving, from a first network entity associated with the computer network, a first request for certificate bundle distribution; determining, based at least in part on a distribution schedule for distributing the first certificate bundle a first release phase for releasing the first certificate bundle for distribution to the first certificate distribution group, wherein the first release phase has commenced prior to having received the first request; wherein selecting the first certificate distribution group comprises: selecting the first certificate bundle for distribution to the first network entity based at least in part on the first release phase having commenced prior to receiving the first request; and wherein transmitting the first certificate bundle to the first subset of network entities comprises: transmitting the first certificate bundle to the first network entity.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1~20 are allowable once a Terminal Disclaimer is filed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HEE SOO KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-3229. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas Taylor can be reached on (571) 272-3889. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HEE SOO KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2443
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