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 .
This office action is in response to Applicant’s communication filed on 11/25/2025. Claims 5-9 have been examined. Claims 1-4, 10-15 are withdrawn.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant elects Embodiment 2, which includes claims 5-9 without traverse.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
With regards to claim 6, the claim recites “the data”. It is unclear what the data is referring to because claim 5 which claim 6 depends on recites “ receive data from one or more users” and “send commands and data from ….”. Therefore, the examiner is unable to determine the metes and bounds of the claim language.
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.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a1) as being anticipated by Bhatt et al. Publication No. US 2020/0169886 A1 ( Bhatt hereinafter)
Regarding claim 5,
Bhatt teaches a system to manage non-networked devices (Fig.1), the system comprising:
one or more non-networked devices; one or more software systems; one or more mobile users using one or more mobile devices; and an asset management platform, the asset management platform (Fig.2 shows IoT devices ,IoT config App, mobile device and Cloud service ) including circuitry configured to:
receive data from one or more users, one or more systems, and the one or more mobile users using one or more mobile devices; store the data in a repository (¶0025 - FIG. 1A illustrates the flowchart of the proposed method to configure Internet of Things (IoT) device. The initial configuration starts (1000) by opening the mobile application on the smartphone (1001). First, it is verified if the user is new (1002) or if the user already has an account on the application. If the user does not have an account yet, the user creates a new account (1003) and selects the "Configure IoT device" option on the mobile application. It will allow the user to add his device configuration preferences such as Wi-Fi SSID (Service Set Identifier) and PSK (pre-shared key) of the router (1005). The profile information and Wi-Fi SSID and PSK can be stored securely on the cloud service and/or in the secure storage of the smartphone);
connect to the one or more mobile users using one or more mobile devices. connect to the one or more non-networked devices through the one or more mobile devices; (¶ 0025 - If the user already has an account, he can simply log-in using his user id and password. Upon successful log-in, the user profile, the previously configured devices and the configuration preferences are retrieved and displayed to the user (1004). Subsequently, the user selects pre-existing configuration preferences or adds new preferences (1005). Allows the user to scan the Quick Response code (QR code), which is either printed on the device itself or provided separately on a paper (1006) – ¶ 0028 -If the Wi-Fi hotspot configuration is successful, the mobile application displays the instructions, so that the user can turn on the IoT device under configuration (1013). On successful boot of the IoT device, if factory configuration is detected, it tries to connect to Wi-Fi hotspot (1014) using the pre-configured SSID and the WPA2-PSK (same as on QR code) until it finally connects successfully (1015 ));
send commands and data from the repository to the one or more non-networked devices through the one or more mobile devices(¶ 0025 - If the user already has an account, he can simply log-in using his user id and password. Upon successful log-in, the user profile, the previously configured devices and the configuration preferences are retrieved and displayed to the user (1004). Subsequently, the user selects pre-existing configuration preferences or adds new preferences (1005) - If the Wi-Fi hotspot configuration is successful, the mobile application displays the instructions, so that the user can turn on the IoT device under configuration (1013) – ¶ 0028 When the mobile application detects that the IoT device is connected to the hotspot, it sends a random packet key (Kp ), encrypted with the device's public key, Wi-Fi SSID and PSK of the router, where the IoT device has to be finally connected – ¶ 0029 - Once the Io T device receives the encrypted random packet key and the encrypted Wi-Fi SSID and PSK, it decrypts the random packet key using its private key corresponding to its public key on the QR code. Then, using the random packet key, it decrypts the Wi-Fi SSID and PSK of the router);
receive device data from the one or more non-networked devices through the one or more mobile devices; and store the device data in the repository (¶ 0029 – if the Io T device is able to connect with the router successfully, it saves this configuration and connects back to the smartphone hotspot (1020). Once it is connected to the smartphone hotspot, it sends a success message to the mobile application. The application securely saves the IoT device information and its configuration key (Kc) on the cloud and/or locally in the secure area of the smartphone).
Regarding claim 6,
Bhatt further teaches
wherein the data includes at least one of asset data, user data, customer data, and data related to an organization of assets (¶ 0025 - If the user already has an account, he can simply log-in using his user id and password. Upon successful log-in, the user profile, the previously configured devices and the configuration preferences are retrieved and displayed to the user (1004). Subsequently, the user selects pre-existing configuration preferences or adds new preferences (1005) - If the Wi-Fi hotspot configuration is successful, the mobile application displays the instructions, so that the user can turn on the IoT device under configuration (1013) – ¶ 0028 When the mobile application detects that the IoT device is connected to the hotspot, it sends a random packet key (Kp ), encrypted with the device's public key, Wi-Fi SSID and PSK of the router, where the IoT device has to be finally connected – ¶ 0029 - Once the Io T device receives the encrypted random packet key and the encrypted Wi-Fi SSID and PSK, it decrypts the random packet key using its private key corresponding to its public key on the QR code. Then, using the random packet key, it decrypts the Wi-Fi SSID and PSK of the router- See Also Claim 1).
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.
Claims 7,8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhatt in view of Bernardi et al. Publication No. US 2023/0216947 A1 (Bernardi hereinafter)
Regarding claim 7,
Bhatt further teaches wherein the one or more mobile users using the one or more mobile devices function as an Internet of Things (IoT) intermediary (¶ 0025 – ¶ 0028 – the mobile device acts as intermediary between IoT devices and cloud service),
However, Bhatt does not explicitly teach that the intermediary is gateway.
Bernardi teaches
wherein the one or more mobile users using the one or more mobile devices function as an Internet of Things (IoT) intermediary (¶ 0309 - Mobile phones and tablets can act as gateways that allow IoT devices to connect to the cloud. Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices in a phone-as-a-gateway (PaaG) setup enable users to connect to the cloud. Used as a gateway, these phones and tablets can reduce the cost of acquiring external IoT gateways. In many cases, Bluetooth devices use IP protocols to connect to the internet, making it possible to connect virtually any device in your home or office to an IoT network).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Bhatt to include the teachings of Bernardi. The motivation for doing so is to allow the system to reduce the cost of acquiring external IoT gateways. In many cases, Bluetooth devices use IP protocols to connect to the internet, making it possible to connect virtually any device in your home or office to an IoT network (Bernardi – ¶ 0309).
Regarding claim 8,
Bhatt further teaches wherein the asset management platform is a cloud service (Fig.2). However, Bhatt does not explicitly teach that the management platform is server.
Bernardi teaches
management platform is server (¶ 0309 - Mobile phones and tablets can act as gateways that allow IoT devices to connect to the cloud. Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices in a phone-as-a-gateway (PaaG) setup enable users to connect to the cloud. – ¶ 0006 -cloud server).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Bhatt to include the teachings of Bernardi. The motivation for doing so is to allow the system to utilize a server in order to provide centralized data , enhanced security and reliability.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhatt in view of Vokaliga et al. Publication No. US 2022/0129291 A1 (Vokaliga hereinafter)
Regarding claim 9,
Bhatt does not explicitly teach
wherein the repository is remote from the asset management platform.
However, Vokaliga teaches
wherein the repository is remote from the asset management platform (¶ 0031 - the cloud includes external network interfaces 204 that enable the cloud to communicate with external cloud repositories).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Bhatt to include the teachings of Vokaliga. The motivation for doing so is to allow the system to utilize a remote repository in order to provide a backup and disaster recovery in case the local repository failed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chang et al. Publication No. US 2017/0075636 A1 ( Chang hereinafter)
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/YOUNES NAJI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2445