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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is responsive to the amendment filed on 05/19/2025.
Claims 1-7 are pending with claims 1 and 4 been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 1-7 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite has been considered and are persuasive and therefore rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kohvakka (US20200348652A1) in view of Debates et al. (hereinafter Debates) (EP 3 226 129 A1).
As to claim 1, Kohvakka discloses a network device (100) for use in a communications network (180) , comprising: (Fig. 1, par. 0014, automation apparatus 100 comprises a passive electronic tag 110 and a processor 102 connected (by a wired connection, implemented by a wiring or another type of transmission media such as a conductive track, for example) to the passive electronic tag 110.)
at least one wireless communication device (passive electronic tag 110) for transmitting data and/or for storing received data by energy received from a transmitting device (par. 0014-0016), wherein:
- the wireless communication device (passive electronic tag 110) comprises an ID memory that is either connected to or is included in the wireless communication device, the ID memory (138) being operable by the received energy (par. 0016);
- the ID memory (138) stores at least one UAID (unified address identification) (136) in a non-volatile, readable and (over)writable manner; (par. 0027-0028; passive electronic tag 110); and
- at least one non-volatile, readable and (over)writable operating memory (138) that stores operating data (configuration) of the network device, wherein the operating data (configuration) is at least partially necessary for the operation of the network device, (194). (0026-0035, the passive electronic tag 110 is configured to harvest 202 wirelessly the energy 190, receive 206 wirelessly the configuration data 194, and store 208 the configuration data 194, 120 (to the non-volatile memory 138)).
Kohvakka fails to explicitly teach or suggest wherein the wireless communication device is configured to read out and (over) write the UAID stored in the ID memory.
In the same filed of endeavor Debates teaches or suggests wherein the wireless communication device is configured to read out and (over) write the UAID stored in the ID memory (Fig. 4-5, Par. (0043-0056); determining from the update enable flag stored in the
memory of the RFID tag that a device software update to the device software is available, Obtain the wireless network connection information stored in the memory of the RFID tag effective to configure a wireless radio system of the device for communication via the wireless network, Power-down the device with the device software update available from the device memory when the device is subsequently powered on).
It would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teaching of Debates into Kohvakka for over writing or updating software/configuration data stored in ID memory. Motivation would have been obvious to have an updated version of software and/or configuration of the wireless communication device.
As to claim 2, Kohvakka discloses the network device according to claim 1,
Kohvakka further discloses wherein the communications network is a communications network for an automation process. (par0026-0028, After the automation apparatus 100 is powered on, the configuration data 120 is read from the passive electronic tag 110…. The reader apparatus 160 may check the validity of the serial number 136 by communicating via the communication interface 174 with the networked service 182. The reader apparatus 160 may also request the configuration data 194 from the networked service 182 based on the valid serial number 136.).
As to claim 3, Kohvakka discloses the network device according to claim 1,
Kohvakka further discloses wherein the energy received from the transmitting device is received by induction. (par0014-0016, The passive electronic tag 110 is configured to harvest 202 wirelessly energy 190 from the reader apparatus 160…. the passive electronic tag 110 is configured to operate using one or more of the following: near-field communication (NFC) technology 116, radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology 118….. The chip 112 is configured to receive energy (for data processing, data transfer and memory operations) from a magnetic induction between the antenna 114 and the reader apparatus 160, receive data from the reader apparatus 160, write the data to the non-volatile memory 138, read data from the non-volatile memory 138, and transmit data to the reader apparatus 160).
As to claim 4, Kohvakka discloses the network device according to claim 1.
Kohvakka further discloses wherein the operating data is be readably and (over)writably stored in the operating memory by the energy received from the transmitting device. (par0014-0016, 0026-0035, The passive electronic tag 110 is configured to harvest 202 wirelessly energy 190 from the reader apparatus 160…. the passive electronic tag 110 is configured to operate using one or more of the following: near-field communication (NFC) technology 116, radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology 118….. The chip 112 is configured to receive energy (for data processing, data transfer and memory operations) from a magnetic induction between the antenna 114 and the reader apparatus 160, receive data from the reader apparatus 160, write the data to the non-volatile memory 138, read data from the non-volatile memory 138, and transmit data to the reader apparatus 160…. the passive electronic tag 110 is configured to harvest 202 wirelessly the energy 190, receive 206 wirelessly the configuration data 194, and store 208 the configuration data 194, 120 (to the non-volatile memory 138)).
As to claim 5, Kohvakka discloses the network device according to claim 1,
Kohvakka further discloses wherein the ID memory (138) and the operating memory are a single memory element. (par0014-00216, As shown in FIG. 1, the passive electronic tag 110 may comprise a chip (or an integrated circuit) 112 and an antenna 114. The non-volatile memory 138 (such as a flash memory) may be implemented within [single memory element] the chip 112 (RFID)or coupled with the chip 112. The chip 112 is configured to receive energy (for data processing, data transfer and memory operations) from a magnetic induction between the antenna 114 and the reader apparatus 160, receive data from the reader apparatus 160, write the data to the non-volatile memory 138, read data from the non-volatile memory 138, and transmit data to the reader apparatus 160).
As to claim 6. Kohvakka discloses the network device according to claim 1,
Kohvakka further discloses further comprising at least one electronic switching element; the at least one electronic switching element configured to switch the connection to the ID memory (138) of the wireless communication device, by either: - contactless received energy; - a line-connected, higher-level component of the communication network; and/or - a service device. (par0014-0016, 0026-0035, The passive electronic tag 110 is configured to harvest 202 wirelessly energy 190 from the reader apparatus 160…. The chip 112 is configured to receive energy (for data processing, data transfer and memory operations) from a magnetic induction between the antenna 114 and the reader apparatus 160, receive data from the reader apparatus 160, write the data to the non-volatile memory 138, read data from the non-volatile memory 138, and transmit data to the reader apparatus 160…. After the automation apparatus 100 is powered on, the configuration data 120 is read from the passive electronic tag 110…. The reader apparatus 160 may check the validity of the serial number 136 by communicating via the communication interface 174 with the networked service 182. The reader apparatus 160 may also request the configuration data 194 from the networked service 182 based on the valid serial number 136.).)).
As to claim 7, Kohvakka discloses the network device according to claim 6,
Kohvakka further discloses wherein the contactless received energy is received by induction. (par0014-0016, The passive electronic tag 110 is configured to harvest 202 wirelessly energy 190 from the reader apparatus 160…. the passive electronic tag 110 is configured to operate using one or more of the following: near-field communication (NFC) technology 116, radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology 118….. The chip 112 is configured to receive energy (for data processing, data transfer and memory operations) from a magnetic induction between the antenna 114 and the reader apparatus 160, receive data from the reader apparatus 160, write the data to the non-volatile memory 138, read data from the non-volatile memory 138, and transmit data to the reader apparatus 160).
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.
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/UMAR CHEEMA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2458