DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
1. 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.
2. Claims 1, 9, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al. (previously cited in Office Action 3/19/2025) in view of Black et al. (US 2015/0229985).
Regarding claim 1, Zhao et al. discloses a system (see Fig. 1) for configuration of a wireless network device, the system comprising:
a wireless radio processing unit (block 108) having a first memory (block 120) and configured to be powered using energy harvesting (through energy conversion block 122 as disclosed in section 0044); and
a radio frequency circuit (block 113) having a second memory (block 118);
the wireless radio processing unit has a first configuration data (as disclosed in section 0037) pre-programmed in the first memory (block 120), wherein
the radio frequency circuit is configured to be powered using energy harvesting (as disclosed in section 0044), and to receive a second configuration data (as disclosed in section 0028) pertaining to the wireless network device in the second memory from an external computing device (through RFID communication interface), the second configuration data (see section 0082 and 0085) consisting of only configuration data (updated/new device configuration data) that differs from the first configuration data in the first memory (see in particular section 0085, updated configuration data);
wherein the wireless network device further comprises a battery (see section 0044) connected to the radio frequency circuit and the wireless radio processing unit, wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to turn on during configuration phase (boot sequence) of the wireless radio processing unit (see section 0030); and wherein the radio frequency circuit is further configured to turn off after configuration of the wireless radio processing unit is complete (as disclosed in section 0055);
wherein the wireless radio processing unit is configured to receive the second configuration data (from RFID communication interface as disclosed in section 0082) and reconfigure (as disclosed in sections 0082 and 0085) the first configuration data with the second configuration data (updated/new device configuration data) for configuration of the wireless radio processing unit.
Zhao et al. does not specifically disclose the wireless network device further comprises a battery connected to the radio frequency circuit and the wireless radio processing unit via a switch, wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to turn on the switch during configuration phase of the wireless radio processing unit; and wherein the radio frequency circuit is further configured to turn off the switch after configuration of the wireless radio processing unit is complete. However, Black et al. discloses a battery connected to a wireless network device (controlling device 100) via a switch (as disclosed in section 0027), wherein the switch is configured to turn on (activation of the switch as disclosed in section 0027) during configuration phase of the wireless network device and turn off (deactivation of the switch) after configuration of the wireless network device. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the wireless network device of Zhao et al. with the battery/switch as taught by Black et al. since the switch enables the network device to remain off, thus reducing power requirements for the device.
Regarding claims 9 and 17 the claimed method/computer program product includes features corresponding to the above rejection of claim 1, which is applicable hereto., wherein Zhao et al. discloses the system/method implemented as a computer program product comprised of a non-transitory computer readable medium (see section 0038).
3. Claims 3-5 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al. (previously cited in Office Action 3/19/2025) in view of Black et al. (US 2015/0229985), and in further view of Hou et al. (previously cited in Office Action 3/19/2025).
Regarding claims 3, 10, and 11, Zhao et al. discloses the wireless radio processing unit is configured to be powered using energy harvesting (by energy conversion as disclosed in section 0044) or from an external power source (such as a battery as disclosed in section 0044), and to receive the second configuration data from the second memory (as disclosed in section 0046) of the radio frequency circuit. However, Zhao et al. and Black et al. do not specifically disclose the second configuration data is sent to the first memory for configuration of the wireless radio processing unit.
However, Hou et al. also discloses configuration of a wireless RF network device (see Abstract, see also Fig. 2) including first and second memories (System memory 214 and RF memory 206) both including configuration data (as disclosed in sections 0039 and 004), wherein configuration data from the second memory (RF memory 206) is sent to the first memory (System memory 214) for configuration of the wireless radio processing unit (as disclosed in section 0042). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the configuration system/method of Zhao et al. and Black et al. with the transfer of configuration data as disclosed by Hou et al. since Hou et al. discloses the transfer of configuration data enables a device to be configured without powering on the device, thus reducing power requirements of the device (see section 0170).
Regarding claims 4, 5, 12, and 13, Zhao et al. and Black et al do not specifically disclose the second configuration data is encrypted, and wherein the second configuration data is decrypted in the second memory of the radio frequency circuit prior to communication to the first memory of the wireless radio processing unit. Zhao et al. and Black et al. also do not disclose the second configuration data is decrypted in the first memory after being received from the second memory.
However, Hou et al. further discloses a second configuration from the second (RF memory 206) data is encrypted (see sections 0069-0070), and wherein the second configuration data is decrypted (see sections 0070 and 0104) at a network configurer (Fig. 2, block 210) prior to communication to the first memory of the wireless radio processing unit. Hou et al. also discloses the second configuration data is decrypted after being received from the second memory the network configurer (see section 0070). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the first and second memories of Zhao et al. and Black et al. with the network configurer as taught by Hou et al. in order to encrypt/decrypt configuration data since Hou et al. discloses encryption prevents other computing devices from accessing secure configuration data (see section 0091).
Conclusion
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CURTIS B ODOM whose telephone number is (571)272-3046. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hannah S Wang can be reached at (571)-272-9018. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CURTIS B ODOM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631 January 12, 2026
Prosecution Insights