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 .
Response to Amendment
This is a reply to the request for Continued Examination (RCE) filed on 06/17/2026, in which Claim(s) 1-20 are presented for examination. Claim(s) 1-20 are amended. No claim(s) are cancelled or newly added.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/17/2026 has been entered.
Response to Argument
Double Patenting Rejection:
Applicant’s remarks regarding double patenting rejection have been acknowledged. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other as both applications teach establishing shared trust with an agent user for a current communication. Therefore, the double patenting rejection is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 102 and 35 U.S.C. § 103:
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection of claim(s) 1-20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of 35 U.S.C. §103 regarding claim(s) 1-20 have been withdrawn in view of the amendment to claim.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1-20 are non-provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over:
Claims 1-20 of Patent 12,683,794 (Application 18/482,687).
Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-20 are anticipated by claims 1-20 of Patent 12,683,794.
Instant Application 18/482,692
Patent US 12,683,794 B2
Claim 1. A method for a user to verify authenticity of a first communication channel, the method comprising:
receiving, by communications hardware of a recipient device, a voice communication with a primary device via the first communication channel, wherein the primary device is distinct from the recipient device;
generating, by authentication circuitry of the recipient device, a candidate authentication sequence code message, wherein the candidate authentication sequence code message comprises at least one of (a) a value for a candidate authentication sequence code received via the first communication channel and (b) user input confirming or denying provision of a candidate authentication sequence code received from the primary device;
providing, by the communications hardware of the recipient device, the candidate authentication sequence code message to a system device via a second communication channel, wherein the system device is distinct from the recipient device and the primary device; and
in response to providing the candidate authentication sequence code message to the system device, receiving, by the communications hardware of the recipient device and via the second communication channel, a shared trust decision message, wherein a) the shared trust decision message provides a visual indication of a verification status of the first communication channel, (b) the verification status is determined based on the candidate authentication sequence code message provided to the system device, and (c) in an instance in which the verification status corresponds to a verified status, the shared trust decision message causes presentation of a new interaction element within at least one of a mobile application and an internal account environment.
Claim 1. A method for establishing shared trust with an agent device used by an agent user for a current communication, the method comprising:
providing, by communications hardware of a client device and via a mobile application of the client device, a logon request for a client user account associated with a client user of the client device to a system device;
in an instance in which the logon request was successfully authenticated, determining, by authentication circuitry of the client device and using the mobile application, an authentication sequence code; causing, by the communications hardware of the client device, the authentication sequence code to be provided to the agent device used by the agent user; and
receiving, by the communications hardware of the client device, a shared trust decision message from the system device, wherein (a) the shared trust decision message is indicative of a verification status for the current communication and (b) the verification status is determined based on a candidate authentication sequence code received by the system device from the agent device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHENG-FENG HUANG whose telephone number is (571)272-6186. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9 am - 5 pm.
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/CHENG-FENG HUANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2497
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