Appeal 2007-0954
Application 09/999,074
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Appellants invented an identity system that uses workflows to manage
identity profiles (i.e., information associated with particular entities, such as
users, groups, organizations, etc.) (Specification 10: 31-32). Specifically, a
first workflow can invoke one or more nested subflows. Such a process
reduces administrative costs of creating and maintaining workflows.
Additionally, the technique allows workflows to implement processes
requiring multiple applications.2 Claim 1 is illustrative:
1. In an identity system, a method for using workflows to manage an
identity profile, comprising the steps of:
a computer performing a first workflow, said first workflow performs
a first task on an identity profile; and
starting a second workflow as a subflow of said first workflow, said
second workflow performs a second task.
The Examiner relies on the following prior art references to show
unpatentability:
Berg US 5,999,911 Dec. 7, 1991
Hsu US 5,581,691 Dec. 3, 1996
Flores US 5,734,837 Mar. 31, 1998
Diener US 2002/0013777 A1 Jan. 31, 2002
(filed Mar. 16, 2001)3
Guheen US 6,519,571 B1 Feb. 11, 2003
(filed May 27, 1999)
2 See generally Specification Page 2, line 28 – Page 3, line 25.
3 This published application is based on Provisional Application No.
60/189,988, filed Mar. 17, 2000.
2
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