Appeal No. 2003-1942 Page 7
Application No. 09/260,796
generated number and encrypting the randomly generated number using the access
formula and the public key for each of the at least one group granted access to the
information set," (Reply Br. at 8), the appellant argues, "[t]he Examiner points to no
teaching or suggestion, in either Carter or Feistel, of such an encryption." (Id.)
In addressing the point of contention, the Board conducts a two-step analysis.
First, we construe the claim at issue to determine its scope. Second, we determine
whether the construed claim would have been obvious.
1. Claim Construction
Claim 3 recites in pertinent part the following limitations: "encrypting an
information set to produce a data set, the encryption based on a randomly generated
number; determining an access formula expressing logical combination of the at least
one group for which access to the information set will be granted, solution of the access
formula by at least one solution group indicating that a consumer client belonging to the
at least one solution group may access the encrypted information set; asymmetrically
encrypting the randomly generated number using the determined access formula and
the public key for each of the at least one group granted access to the information set. .
. ." Accordingly, the limitations require using a randomly generated number to encrypt
information, determining an access formula expressing logical combination of at least
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