DETAILED ACTION
INFORMATION CONCERNING RESPONSES
Response to Amendment
This Office Action is in response to applicant’s communication filed on August 4, 2025, in response to PTO Office Action mailed on May 8, 2025. The Applicant’s remarks and amendments to the claims and/or the specification were considered with the results that follow.
In response to the last Office Action, claim 6 has been amended. As a result, claims 1-15 are now pending in this application.
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Response to Arguments
Due to Applicant’s amendments for claims 6-10 filed on August 4, 2025, the rejection based on 35 USC 101 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed on August 4, 2025, in response to PTO Office Action mailed on May 8, 2025, have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
Applicant argued that the prior arts of record, in particular Tamura (Publication Number US 2012/0069787 A1), do not disclose “the processor is configured to transfer a first control authority of a first external peripheral device from the control-side electronic device to the user-side electronic device.” A further review of the prior arts of record discloses the interaction between electronic devices ED3 and ED1 where ED3 performs an activation process of the electronic device ED1 [Paragraphs 0052 and 0056, 0058] before ED1 executing the activation process [Paragraph 0060].
Examiner notes that claims are given the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification (See In re Morris, 127 F.3d 1048, 44 USPQ2d 1023 (Fed. Cir. 1997). See MPEP § 2111 – § 2116.01 for case law pertinent to claim analysis), but also it is noted that although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). The claim limitation of “transfer a first control authority of a first external peripheral device” from one electronic device to another could be broadly interpreted as including setting which device is active at any given time, of which Tamura discloses (see the above passages concerning the activation process with ED1 and ED3), and not just limited to an interpretation where the control of a peripheral (controlled) device is transferred from one controlling device to another controlling device.
REJECTIONS BASED ON PRIOR ART
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)(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.
Claims 1-2, 4-9, and 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tamura (Publication Number US 2012/0069787 A1).
As per claim 1, Tamura discloses “A relay device, comprising: a wired connection circuit, suitable for wired connecting to a user-side electronic device (wired LAN to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2; Paragraph 0036; FIG. 2).” Tamura discloses “a wireless communication circuit, suitable for wirelessly connecting to a control-side electronic device (where the station 30 has a bridge function that connects a wired LAN and a wireless LAN; FIG. 1; Paragraph 0027).” Tamura discloses “and a processor, coupled to the wired connection circuit and the wireless communication circuit (CPU 40; FIG. 2), wherein when the wireless communication circuit and the control-side electronic device are wirelessly connected (wireless LAN I/F 90 connected to the wired LAN I/F 80 through the CPU 40; FIG. 2), and the wired connection circuit and the user-side electronic device are wired connected (see the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 to the wired LAN I/F/ 80; FIG. 2), the processor is configured to transfer a first control authority of a first external peripheral device from the control-side electronic device to the user-side electronic device (as it pertains to transferring packets to the devices ED1 and ED2. [Paragraph 0036]. See also the activation process as executed between ED1 and ED3; Paragraphs 0052 and 0056, 0058).”
As per claim 2, Tamura discloses “The relay device of claim 1 (as disclosed by Tamura above), wherein the wired connection circuit further comprises: a control-side preferential connection port (through the wireless LAN I/F 90 [FIG. 2]. See also the use of MAC addresses; Paragraphs 0011-0012).” Tamura discloses “and a user-side preferential connection port, suitable for connecting the first external peripheral device (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).” Tamura discloses “wherein when the user-side preferential connection port is connected to the first external peripheral device, the processor is further configured to transfer the first control authority of the first external peripheral device from the control-side electronic device to the user-side electronic device (Paragraph 0032).”
As per claim 4, Tamura discloses “The relay device of claim 2 (as disclosed by Tamura above), wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the first external peripheral device is connected to the user-side preferential connection port or the control-side preferential connection port (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).”
As per claim 5, Tamura discloses “The relay device of claim 1 (as disclosed by Tamura above), wherein the processor is further configured to reserve a second control authority of a second external peripheral device to the control-side electronic device when the relay device and the control-side electronic device wirelessly connected, and the relay device and the user-side electronic device wired connected, and the second external peripheral device is connected to a control-side preferential connection port of the relay device (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).”
As per claim 6, Tamura discloses “A control method, executed by a relay device, the control method comprising: determining whether a condition is satisfied, wherein the condition comprises the relay device and a control-side electronic device wirelessly connected, and the relay device and a user-side electronic device wired connected (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).” Tamura discloses “and transferring a first control authority of a first external peripheral device from the control-side electronic device to the user-side electronic device when the condition is satisfied (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2 [Paragraph 0032]. See also the activation process as executed between ED1 and ED3; Paragraphs 0052 and 0056, 0058).”
As per claim 7, Tamura discloses “The control method of claim 6 (as disclosed by Tamura above), wherein the control-side electronic device is wired connected to the first external peripheral device through a hub (See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).”
As per claim 8, Tamura discloses “The control method of claim 6 (as disclosed by Tamura above), wherein the condition further comprises the first external peripheral device being connected to a user-side preferential connection port of the relay device (see the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 to the wired LAN I/F/ 80; FIG. 2).”
As per claim 9, Tamura discloses “The control method of claim 8 (as disclosed by Tamura above), further comprising: determining that the first external peripheral device is connected to the user-side preferential connection port or a control-side preferential connection port (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).”
As per claim 11, Tamura discloses “A relay device, comprising: a wired connection circuit, suitable for wired connecting to a user-side electronic device and a control-side electronic device (wired LAN to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2; Paragraph 0036; FIG. 2).” Tamura discloses “and a processor, coupled to the wired connection circuit (CPU 40; FIG. 2).” Tamura discloses “wherein the processor is configured to transfer a first control authority of a first external peripheral device from the control-side electronic device to the user-side electronic device when the user-side electronic device and the control-side electronic device are connected to the wired connection circuit at the same time (where the station 30 has a bridge function that connects a wired LAN and a wireless LAN [FIG. 1; Paragraph 0028-0029]. See also the activation process as executed between ED1 and ED3; Paragraphs 0052 and 0056, 0058).”
As per claim 12, Tamura discloses “The relay device of claim 11 (as disclosed by Tamura above), wherein the wired connection circuit further comprises: a control-side preferential connection port (through the wireless LAN I/F 90 [FIG. 2]. See also the use of MAC addresses; Paragraphs 0011-0012).” Tamura discloses “and a user-side preferential connection port, suitable for connecting the first external peripheral device (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).” Tamura discloses “wherein when the user-side preferential connection port is connected to the first external peripheral device, the processor is further configured to transfer the first control authority of the first external peripheral device from the control-side electronic device to the user-side electronic device (Paragraph 0032).”
As per claim 13, Tamura discloses “The relay device of claim 12 (as disclosed by Tamura above), wherein the control-side preferential connection port is suitable for connecting a second external peripheral device, wherein when the second external peripheral device is connected to the control-side preferential connection port, the processor is further configured to reserve a second control authority of the second external peripheral device to the control-side electronic device (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).”
As per claim 14, Tamura discloses “The relay device of claim 12 (as disclosed by Tamura above), wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the first external peripheral device is connected to the user-side preferential connection port or the control-side preferential connection port (the relay unit 41 looks up the address table associating respective IP addresses of the electronic devices ED1 and ED2 with respective MAC addresses, and controls a relay operation of transferring communication packets received from the access point AP through the wireless LAN interface 90 to the electronic devices ED1 and ED2, respectively, through the wired LAN interface 80 [Paragraph 0036]. See also the switch controller 70; FIG. 2; Paragraph 0032).”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 3, 10, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Tamura (Publication Number US 2012/0069787 A1) in view of Hamada (Publication Number US 2016/0381494 A1).
As per claim 3, Tamura discloses “The relay device of claim 2 (as disclosed by Tamura above).” However, Tamura does not explicitly disclose a second device connected through wireless connections as disclosed in the limitations “wherein the control-side preferential connection port is suitable for connecting a second external peripheral device, wherein when the second external peripheral device is connected to the control-side preferential connection port, the processor is further configured to reserve a second control authority of the second external peripheral device to the control-side electronic device.”
Hamada discloses a second device connected through wireless connections as disclosed in the limitations “wherein the control-side preferential connection port is suitable for connecting a second external peripheral device, wherein when the second external peripheral device is connected to the control-side preferential connection port, the processor is further configured to reserve a second control authority of the second external peripheral device to the control-side electronic device (where exists a terminal 20 with a control unit 23 and an information processing apparatus 30 with its own control unit 32 [FIG. 6]. See also [Paragraph 0159] concerning relay and wireless communications).”
Tamura and Hamada are analogous art in that they in the field of relay communications.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to combine the elements of Tamura and Hamada to enable multiple devices to communicate between each other in both directions.
As per claim 10, Tamura discloses “The control method of claim 6 (as disclosed by Tamura above).” However, Tamura does not explicitly disclose a second device connected through wireless connections as disclosed in the limitations “further comprising: reserve a second control authority of a second external peripheral device to the control-side electronic device when the condition is satisfied and the second external peripheral device is connected to a control-side preferential connection port of the relay device.”
Hamada discloses a second device connected through wireless connections as disclosed in the limitations “further comprising: reserve a second control authority of a second external peripheral device to the control-side electronic device when the condition is satisfied and the second external peripheral device is connected to a control-side preferential connection port of the relay device (where exists a terminal 20 with a control unit 23 and an information processing apparatus 30 with its own control unit 32 [FIG. 6]. See also [Paragraph 0159] concerning relay and wireless communications).”
Tamura and Hamada are analogous art in that they in the field of relay communications.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to combine the elements of Tamura and Hamada to enable multiple devices to communicate between each other in both directions.
As per claim 15, Tamura discloses “The relay device of claim 11 (as disclosed by Tamura above).” However, Tamura does not explicitly disclose a second device connected through wireless connections as disclosed in the limitations “wherein the processor is further configured to reserve a second control authority of a second external peripheral device to the control-side electronic device when the user-side electronic device and the control-side electronic device are connected to the wired connection circuit at the same time, and the second external peripheral device is connected to a control-side preferential connection port of the relay device.”
Hamada discloses a second device connected through wireless connections as disclosed in the limitations “wherein the processor is further configured to reserve a second control authority of a second external peripheral device to the control-side electronic device when the user-side electronic device and the control-side electronic device are connected to the wired connection circuit at the same time, and the second external peripheral device is connected to a control-side preferential connection port of the relay device (where exists a terminal 20 with a control unit 23 and an information processing apparatus 30 with its own control unit 32 [FIG. 6]. See also [Paragraph 0159] concerning relay and wireless communications).”
Tamura and Hamada are analogous art in that they in the field of relay communications.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to combine the elements of Tamura and Hamada to enable multiple devices to communicate between each other in both directions.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Conclusions
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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 Henry Yu whose telephone number is (571)272-9779. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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, IDRISS ALROBAYE can be reached at (571) 270-1023. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HENRY W YU/Examiner, Art Unit 2181 November 4, 2025
/IDRISS N ALROBAYE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2181