DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being fully met by Herkel (USPGP 2019210837).
Regarding Claim 16, Herkel discloses an elevator system 2, comprising:
an elevator car 6;
an elevator controller 13, configured to control operation of the elevator car 6; and
a safety controller 17 and a plurality of safety contacts (paras. 0034, 0038, 0039) connected to the safety controller 17, wherein the plurality of safety contacts monitor the elevator system 2,
wherein the safety controller 17 is configured to receive (para. 0034) individual status information from each of the plurality of safety contacts and to prevent movement (paras. 0034-0039) of the elevator car 6 when the individual status information received from one of the plurality of safety contacts indicates an unsafe condition of the elevator system 2;
prevent movement of the elevator car 6 and notify the elevator controller 13 of the prevented movement of the elevator car 6;
wherein, the elevator controller 13 is configured to:
connect to a remote computing device 22;
receive second authentication information from the remote computing device 22; and
in response to the second authentication information satisfying an authentication condition, authenticate the remote computing device 22 (paras. 0039, 0040; a second authentication is implicit with use of a VPN) and
provide the state information of the elevator system to the remote computing device 22 (paras. 0042-0046);
wherein the safety controller 17 is configured to
connect to a remote computing device 22,
to receive first authentication information (para. 0054) from the remote computing device 22, and to
authenticate (paras. 0055-0059) the remote computing device 22 if the first authentication information meets an authentication condition; and
if the remote computing device 22 is authenticated, to permit the remote computing device 22 to override the safety controller 17 to effect movement (paras. 0052, 0061) of the elevator car 6 based on status information of the elevator system 2 received from the elevator controller 13.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herkel (USPGP 2019210837).
Regarding Claims 1,10, Herkel discloses an elevator system 2, comprising:
an elevator car 6;
an elevator controller 13, configured to control operation of the elevator car 6; and
a safety controller 17 and a plurality of safety contacts (paras. 0034, 0038, 0039) connected to the safety controller 17, wherein the plurality of safety contacts monitor the elevator system 2, wherein the safety controller 17 is configured to receive (para. 0034) individual status information from each of the plurality of safety contacts and to prevent movement (paras. 0034-0039) of the elevator car 6 when the individual status information received from one of the plurality of safety contacts indicates an unsafe condition of the elevator system 2;
wherein the safety controller 17 is configured to connect to a remote computing device 22, to receive first authentication information (para. 0054) from the remote computing device 22, and to authenticate (paras. 0055-0059) the remote computing device 22 if the first authentication information meets an authentication condition; and
if the remote computing device 22 is authenticated, to permit the remote computing device 22 to override the safety controller 17 to enable movement (paras. 0052, 0061) of the elevator car 6.
Herkel teaches, and Applicant argues, that the safety controller 17 is included within elevator controller 13, and as such Herkel does not explicitly teach the safety controller 17 is separate from the elevator controller 13.
It has been held that the making separate or rearrangement of parts has been held to not constitute nonobviousness (MPEP 2144.04). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do thusly, as this would be functionally equivalent to Herkel.
Regarding Claims 2,11 Herkel discloses the safety controller 17 is configured to receive an override command ERO from the remote computing device 22 before enabling movement of the elevator car 6 (paras. 0052, 0053)
Regarding Claims 3,12 Herkel discloses the elevator controller 13 is configured to connect to the remote computing device 22, to receive second authentication information from the remote computing device 22, and to authenticate the remote computing device 22 if the second authentication information meets an authentication condition (paras. 0039, 0040; a second authentication is implicit with use of a VPN)
Regarding Claims 4,13 Herkel discloses the elevator controller 13 is configured to receive an action command from the remote computing device 22 and to control operation of the elevator car 6 to carry out an action ERO in response to the action command following authentication (paras. 0052-0061).
Regarding Claim 5, Herkel discloses the elevator controller 13 is configured to receive the individual status information received from the safety contact that has indicated an unsafe condition (para. 0034) and to send the individual status information to the remote computing device 22 following authentication (paras. 0042-0046).
Regarding Claim 6, Herkel discloses a position determination system 25 arranged to provide elevator car position information to the elevator controller 13, wherein the elevator controller 13 is configured to send the elevator car position information to the remote computing device 22 following authentication (paras. 0038, 0039, 0044).
Regarding Claim 7, Herkel discloses a remote computing device 22 on which is stored first authentication information, wherein the remote computing device 22 is located remotely from the elevator system and configured to connect to the elevator system 2 via a communications network (paras. 0054-0056, implicit).
Regarding Claim 8, Herkel discloses second authentication information is stored on the remote computing device 22, the remote computing device 22 being configured to be authenticated by the elevator controller using the second authentication information (paras. 0025, 0039, 0040; second authentication information is implicit for VPN).
Regarding Claim 9, Herkel discloses the remote computing device 22 is configured to asymmetrically encrypt the first authentication information (paras. 0020, 0022).
Regarding Claim 14, Herkel discloses the remote computing device 22 encrypting the first authentication information using a public key and the safety controller 17 decrypting the first authentication information using a private key stored on the safety controller (paras. 0020, 0022).
Regarding Claim 15, Herkel discloses the remote computing device 22 sending the first authentication information to the safety controller over a wireless network (para. 0040).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY DONELS whose telephone number is (571)272-2061. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JEFFREY . DONELS
Examiner
Art Unit 2837
/JEFFREY DONELS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837