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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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.
Claims 1, 4-8, 11-15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yan (US 20110234399 A1).
Consider claims 1, 8, and 15, Yan discloses a method, comprising:
detecting, by a first computing device, comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media including instructions and one or more processors coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media (Fig, 10), of a plurality of computing devices associated with a tracking system server, a tracking signal from a tracking device flagged as being lost, wherein the first computing device is associated with a subset of the plurality of computing devices associated with the tracking system server, and wherein the subset of the plurality of computing devices is associated with a group of users that are authorized to track the tracking device (If, however, the local sensor detector 307 determines that the out-of-range determination is valid, the sensor profile module 309, depending on user and system preferences, can change the profile of the local sensor 103 from a default private state to either the a public, detectable, or similar profile so that other UEs 101 that might be within range of the local sensor 103's radio range can detect or locate the sensor on behalf of the paired UE 101. The control logic 301 can then interact with the location communication module 311 to receive any location information associated with the local sensor 103 is transmitted by the other UEs 101 detecting the local sensor 103. In one embodiment, the other UEs 101 may report any detection or location information to the local sensor management platform 109, which can then report the location to the paired UE 101, paragraph 43; By way of example, this pairing process may be mediated by a local sensor manager (e.g., one or more of the local sensor managers 107a-107n, also collectively known as local sensor manager 107) resident within the respective UEs 101, by a local sensor management platform 109 of the communication network 105 (e.g., a server or other network component), or a combination thereof. Pairing, for instance, ensures that only authorized devices (e.g., a paired device such as the UE 101a) can detect, view, or otherwise access the corresponding local sensor 103, paragraph 24 );
determining, by the first computing device, and based on the tracking signal, a current location of the tracking device (the other UEs 101 may report any detection or location information to the local sensor management platform 109, which can then report the location to the paired UE 101, paragraph 43); and
sending, by the first computing device, a notification to a user device associated with the tracking device, wherein the notification comprises an identification of the tracking device and the determined current location of the tracking device (the other UEs 101 may report any detection or location information to the local sensor management platform 109, which can then report the location to the paired UE 101. The local sensor management platform 109 can, for instance, identified the paired UE 101 by consulting pairing information stored in the device/sensor pairing database 111, paragraph 43; the local sensor manager 107 and/or the local sensor management platform 109 may dynamically associate the static identification code with a paired UE 101 during the device to local sensor pairing process, paragraph 24).
Consider claims 4, 11 and 18, and as applied to claims 1, 8 and 15 respectively above, Yan discloses wherein determining the current location of the tracking device comprises determining, by the first computing device, the current location of the tracking device based on a proximity of the tracking device to the first computing device (the location information comprises the location of the detecting UE 101 when it detected the local sensor 103. This location information can be presented as GPS coordinates and/or a Cell-ID of the detecting UE 101, paragraph 52).
Consider claims 5, 12 and 19, and as applied to claims 1, 8 and 15 respectively above, Yan discloses providing, by the first computing device, and to the tracking system server, the identification of the tracking device and the determined current location of the tracking device (the other UEs 101 may report any detection or location information to the local sensor management platform 109, which can then report the location to the paired UE 101. The local sensor management platform 109 can, for instance, identified the paired UE 101 by consulting pairing information stored in the device/sensor pairing database 111, paragraph 43; the local sensor manager 107 and/or the local sensor management platform 109 may dynamically associate the static identification code with a paired UE 101 during the device to local sensor pairing process, paragraph 24).
Consider claims 6, 13 and 20, and as applied to claims 1, 8 and 15 respectively above, Yan discloses wherein determining the current location of the tracking device comprises determining, by the first computing device, the current location of the tracking device based on a location or a time at which the first computing device first detected the tracking signal (so that other UEs 101 that might be within range of the local sensor 103's radio range can detect or locate the sensor on behalf of the paired UE 101. The control logic 301 can then interact with the location communication module 311 to receive any location information associated with the local sensor 103 is transmitted by the other UEs 101 detecting the local sensor 103, paragraph 43).
Consider claim 7 and 14, and as applied to claims 1 and 8 respectively above, Yan discloses wherein sending the notification to the user device associated with the tracking device comprises automatically sending, by the first computing device, an electronic notification to the user device without receiving a corresponding user input that instructs the first computing device to send the notification (the other UEs 101 may report any detection or location information to the local sensor management platform 109, which can then report the location to the paired UE 101. The local sensor management platform 109 can, for instance, identified the paired UE 101 by consulting pairing information stored in the device/sensor pairing database 111, paragraph 43; the local sensor manager 107 and/or the local sensor management platform 109 may dynamically associate the static identification code with a paired UE 101 during the device to local sensor pairing process, paragraph 24; Depending on the visibility policy in place (e.g., public vs. detectable), the other UEs 101 may not be aware that they are providing this location information to the local sensor manager 107 at that particular moment, paragraph 56).
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan in view of Buller et al (US 20100164715 A1, hereinafter Buller).
Consider claims 2, 9 and 16, and as applied to claims 1, 8 and 15 respectively, Yan does not expressly disclose wherein the group of users that are authorized to track the tracking device corresponds to a group of users having one or more of a personal relationship to a user of the user device or a familial relationship to the user of the user device.
In the same field of endeavor, Buller discloses wherein the group of users that are authorized to track the tracking device corresponds to a group of users having one or more of a personal relationship to a user of the user device or a familial relationship to the user of the user device (Any number of mobile stations may be included in a "buddy" network, so that items may be tracked over a wide network by a number of network members through their mobile stations. In this regard, the network 200 may include any number of mobile stations, patches and base stations. In exemplary embodiments, a network member may select certain items to be monitored by only specific other members within the network 200 by compiling a list of "friends" within the network 200, and assigning those "friends" to the specific items, paragraph 108).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Buller with the teachings of Yan in order to allow a network member to select which items may be monitored by other members.
Consider claims 3,10 and 17, and as applied to claims 1, 8 and 15 respectively, Yan does not expressly disclose wherein the group of users that are authorized to track the tracking device corresponds to a group of users that are authorized by a user of the user device to track the tracking device.
In the same field of endeavor, Buller discloses wherein the group of users that are authorized to track the tracking device corresponds to a group of users that are authorized by a user of the user device to track the tracking device (Any number of mobile stations may be included in a "buddy" network, so that items may be tracked over a wide network by a number of network members through their mobile stations. In this regard, the network 200 may include any number of mobile stations, patches and base stations. In exemplary embodiments, a network member may select certain items to be monitored by only specific other members within the network 200 by compiling a list of "friends" within the network 200, and assigning those "friends" to the specific items, paragraph 108).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Buller with the teachings of Yan in order to allow a network member to select which items may be monitored by other members.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GERMAN VIANA DI PRISCO whose telephone number is (571)270-1781. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8:30-5:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, RAFAEL PEREZ-GUTIERREZ can be reached at (571) 272-7915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GERMAN VIANA DI PRISCO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
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