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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by Tomosugi (US 2021/0390515).
Referring to Claim 1, Tomosugi teaches an information processing system 1 (fig. 1) comprising:
a processor configured to:
in a case in which a booth, whose usage time is reserved by a user and which is capable of being used by the user for the usage time (see paragraph 110 which shows a user reserving a room for a specific start and end time where paragraph 58 shows the reservation time as a scheduled time and paragraph 69 which shows the room as a booth), has not been reserved by another user for a period of time before the usage time (see paragraph 116 which shows the determination of the room being available and implying that another user has not reserved the same room during that usage time and paragraph 138 which shows the room as vacant where a vacant room implies that another user has not reserved the room as shown in the usage status in fig. 10), permit a use of the booth by the user before the usage time reserved by the user (see paragraph 138 which shows the current room status as vacant where the current time is before any future reserved start and end time meaning the current time is before the usage time reserved by the user and paragraph 186 which shows a user logging in at a current time) and validate a setting of wireless communication used by the user in the booth (see fig. 19 which shows the Use Space button which permits the use of the workspace by the user and fig. 12 which shows the validating of the user for the particular communications setting) so that the wireless communication becomes available to the user before the usage time reserved by the user (see paragraph 138 which shows a vacant status as noting availability for wireless communication at the current time which is before the usage time reserved by the user).
Claims 10 and 11 have similar limitations as claim 1.
Referring to Claim 2, Tomosugi also teaches the processor permitting the user of the booth by the user before the usage time reserved by the user without requiring the user to reserve the booth for the period of time before the usage time reserved by the user (see paragraph 138 which shows a vacant status at a current time which is before the reserved time and paragraph 186 which shows a user logging in a current time without using a reservation).
Referring to Claim 3, Tomosugi also teaches the processor transmitting an unlocking instruction to release an electronic lock of the booth so as to permit the user to use the booth before the usage time reserved by the user (see paragraph 138 which shows the process of a user logging out of a workstation and changing the status of the space from reserved to vacant which releases the lock which prevents another user from using that workspace since it is now vacant and the current time status as vacant permits the user to use the booth before the usage time since the current time is before the usage time).
Referring to Claims 4, 5, and 6, Tomosugi also teaches the setting of the wireless communication differing depending on the user (see fig. 7 which shows different users with different communication settings which include the user ID, reservation content, and password as shown in fig. 8A).
Referring to Claims 7, 8, and 9, Tomosugi also teaches the setting of the wireless communication as a setting unique to the user (see fig. 7 which shows different users with different communication settings unique to that particular user which include the user ID, reservation content, and password as shown in fig. 8A).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/16/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant’s amendments do not overcome the cited art. Firstly, even though the user of a QR code initiates a current start and end time of a use of a work space, paragraphs 58 and 110 also show that a start and end time of a use of a work space can also be scheduled in advance, a process which is also well known in the art.
In addition, the citing of paragraph 138 shows a reserving of a vacant space at a current time. A current time is inherently known to be before the scheduled time so a user logging into a vacant space at a current time equates to permitting “a use of the booth by the user before the usage time reserved by the user and validate a setting of wireless communication used by the user in the booth so that the wireless communication becomes available to the user before the usage time reserved by the user”.
The current wording of the claims appear to teach the simple process of logging into a communications hub in a specific workspace at a current time before that specific workspace is to be used at a scheduled time if the workspace is not currently reserved by another user, a process that is well known in the art.
Conclusion
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 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE YUN whose telephone number is (571)272-7860. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley Kim can be reached at 5712727867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EUGENE YUN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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