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 .
The Requirement for Restriction/Election 10/14/2025 has been withdrawn.
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.
Claims 33-41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as failing to set forth 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.
Claims 33-41 are 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.
Claim 33 recites “An electronic device” with no structural components and only recites steps performed. Apparatus claims should cover what a device is, not what a device does. The claim is vague and indefinite.
Claims 34-41 are rejected as they are dependent upon Claim 33.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-2, 5-6, 9, 33-34, 37-38 and 41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20190246440 A1) in view of Batra et al. (US 20200322788 A1) and Park et al. (US 20200053831 A1).
Regarding claim 1, method of claim 1 is performed by the apparatus of claim 33. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 33.
Regarding claim 2, the modified Bae teaches previous claim. The modified Bae further teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, wherein if the first Bluetooth device is a Bluetooth device with classic Bluetooth, the Bluetooth address of the electronic device is a classic Bluetooth address of the electronic device; or if the first Bluetooth device is a Bluetooth low energy device, the Bluetooth address of the electronic device is an equivalent address of the electronic device (Par. 28).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Bae teaches previous claim. The modified Bae further teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, wherein the scanning and obtaining, by the electronic device, a broadcast meeting the filtering condition, and triggering a connection operation between the electronic device and a second Bluetooth device comprises:
scanning and obtaining, by a Bluetooth chip of the electronic device, the broadcast meeting the filtering condition (Fig. 10 and Par. 99), and reporting, to a controller built-in service of the electronic device, a Bluetooth address of the second Bluetooth device comprised in the broadcast (Fig. 3 and Par. 98, 128); and triggering, by the controller built-in service, the connection operation between the electronic device and the second Bluetooth device (Par. 99).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Bae teaches previous claim. The modified Bae further teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, wherein the connection operation comprises a direct connection (Par. 28) or a dialog box inquiry connection.
Regarding claim 9, the modified Bae teaches previous claim. The modified Bae further teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, after the scanning and obtaining, by the electronic device, a broadcast meeting the filtering condition, and triggering a connection operation between the electronic device and a second Bluetooth device, further comprising:
if the electronic device scans and obtains a broadcast that meets the filtering condition and that is sent by another second Bluetooth device (Fig. 8 and Par. 115-116, third external device (another second Bluetooth device)), triggering a connection operation between the electronic device and the another second Bluetooth device (Fig. 8 and Par. 117), wherein the broadcast sent by the another second Bluetooth device is generated by the another second Bluetooth device after the second Bluetooth device obtains the Bluetooth address of the electronic device and sends the Bluetooth address of the electronic device to the another second Bluetooth device communicatively connected to the second Bluetooth device (Par. 115).
Regarding claim 33, Bae teaches an electronic device (Figs 1-3, electronic device 101/301), wherein the electronic device stores a computer program (Fig. 3), and the computer program is executed by the electronic device (Fig. 3) to perform the following:
a connection (Fig. 10, step 1011) to a first Bluetooth device (Fig. 10, first external device), and
performing scanning with a filtering condition, wherein the filtering condition is that data segment content of a broadcast (Fig. 10, S1013 and Par. 128, scanning/receiving address information (i.e. filtering condition) of a second external device 105 being a group device of the first external device 103)
scanning and obtaining a broadcast meeting the filtering condition (Par. 99, search the second external device 105 through a scan operation), and
triggering a connection operation between the electronic device and a second Bluetooth device (Fig. 10, S1017, Par. 99, connect with the second external device 105), wherein the broadcast is generated by the second Bluetooth device (Par. 99, advertising signal (broadcast)) after the first Bluetooth device (Fig. 10, after the first external/Bluetooth device 103 established connection with the second external/Bluetooth device 105).
However, Bae does not teach “the first Bluetooth device sends the Bluetooth address of the electronic device to the second Bluetooth device that establishes a connection to the first Bluetooth device”.
Batra teaches such well-known feature, such that after the primary device 130 connecting and pairing with the device 110-a, the primary device 130 then sends BD_ADDR of the device 110-a to the secondary device 130 (Fig. 1 and Pars. 58, 60).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Batra into Bae to reduce overhead signaling.
Even though, the modified Bae does not mention about “sending a Bluetooth address of the electronic device to the first Bluetooth device in a process of establishing the connection”. However, it is very well-known in wireless communication that the transmitter/sender device always including its address information in the signal/message for the target/receiver device identifying who is the transmitter/sender as taught here by Park (Line 12 of Par. 105).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Batra into Bae to identify itself to the target device.
Regarding claim 34, apparatus of claim 34 is performed by the method of claim 2. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 2.
Regarding claim 37, apparatus of claim 37 is performed by the method of claim 5. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 5.
Regarding claim 38, apparatus of claim 38 is performed by the method of claim 6. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 6.
Regarding claim 41, apparatus of claim 41 is performed by the method of claim 9. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 9.
Claims 3-4 and 35-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20190246440 A1) in view of Batra et al. (US 20200322788 A1) and Park et al. (US 20200053831 A1) and in further view of Young et al. (US 10582444 B1).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Bae teaches previous claim. The modified Bae further teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, wherein the performing, by the electronic device, scanning with a filtering condition comprises:
delivering, by a controller built-in service of the electronic device (Fig. 3, processor and Par. 92), (Fig. 3, Bluetooth communication module 390 and Par. 58); and scanning, by the Bluetooth chip by using the filter, whether each broadcast meets the filtering condition (Par. 99).
The modified Bae does not mention a filter. However, It is obvious that the device has a filter for performing the filtering condition as taught by Young (Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Young into Bae to implement filter policy.
Regarding claim 4, the modified Bae teaches previous claim. The modified Bae further teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, wherein the performing, by the electronic device, scanning with a filtering condition comprises:
delivering, by an application program installed on the electronic device (Fig. 3), (Fig. 3, Bluetooth communication module 390 and Pars. 108-109); and scanning, by the Bluetooth chip by using the filter, whether each broadcast meets the filtering condition (Par. 99).
The modified Bae does not mention a filter. However, It is obvious that the device has a filter for performing the filtering condition as taught by Young (Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Young into Bae to implement filter policy.
Regarding claim 35, apparatus of claim 35 is performed by the method of claim 3. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 3.
Regarding claim 36, apparatus of claim 36 is performed by the method of claim 4. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 4.
Claims 7 and 39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20190246440 A1) in view of Batra et al. (US 20200322788 A1) and Park et al. (US 20200053831 A1) and further in view of Bakshi et al. (US 20080274696 A1).
Regarding claim 7 the modified Bae teaches previous claim. The modified Bae further teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, after the scanning and obtaining, by the electronic device, a broadcast meeting the filtering condition, and triggering a connection operation between the electronic device and a second Bluetooth device, further comprising: determining, by the electronic device, whether the second Bluetooth device performs no operation or fails to be connected within a preset time period; and if a determining result is yes, breaking, by the electronic device, a connection between the electronic device and the second Bluetooth device.
Bakshi teaches such well-known feature (Par. 32).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Bakshi into Bae to conserve battery power.
Regarding claim 39, apparatus of claim 39 is performed by the method of claim 7. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 7.
Claims 8 and 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20190246440 A1) in view of Batra et al. (US 20200322788 A1) and Park et al. (US 20200053831 A1) and further in view of Baik et al. (US 20200178339 A1).
Regarding claim 8, the modified Bae teaches previous claim. The modified Bae further teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, after the scanning and obtaining, by the electronic device, a broadcast meeting the filtering condition, and triggering a connection operation between the electronic device and a second Bluetooth device, further comprising: recording, by the electronic device, a Bluetooth address of the second Bluetooth device (Par. 98); and
However, the modified Bae does not teach after the electronic device disconnects from the second Bluetooth device, if the electronic device scans and obtains the broadcast of the second Bluetooth device, triggering the connection operation between the electronic device and the second Bluetooth device again.
Baik teaches such feature (Fig. 12 and Par. 302, 306-308).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Baik into the modified Bae to reduce latency in device reconnection.
Regarding claim 40, apparatus of claim 40 is performed by the method of claim 8. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 8.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20190246440 A1) in view of Batra et al. (US 20200322788 A1) and Park et al. (US 20200053831 A1) and further in view of Gu et al. (US 20170272270 A1) and Kwon et al. (US 20180352312 A1).
Regarding claim 10, the modified Bae teaches previous claim.
However, the modified Bae does not teach claim 10.
Gu teaches the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 1, after the scanning and obtaining, by the electronic device, a broadcast meeting the filtering condition, and triggering a connection operation between the electronic device and a second Bluetooth device, further comprising: when determining that there is a possibility of accessing the second Bluetooth device by other electronic devices (Fig. 1 and Pars. 41-42, client device/smart phone 110 (electronic device) communicate with the Bluetooth devices 125-140 (other electronic devices) via the hub 120 (electronic device)), sending, by the electronic device, (Fig. 2 and Pars. 59, 62, 94, Bluetooth hub (second Bluetooth device) receives a request from the client device/smart phone (electronic device) for performing operations on the two Bluetooth devices (other electronic devices)), so that the second Bluetooth device sends corresponding broadcasts one by one based on a preset time and a preset sequence (Fig. 10 and Par. 86), and further each of the other electronic devices triggers a connection operation between each of the other electronic devices and the second Bluetooth device (Par. 62).
The “request for performing operations on the two Bluetooth devices” as taught by above by Gu is very well-known in the wireless communication art that it is including the addresses of the two Bluetooth devices (other electronic devices) as taught by Kwon (Fig. 11 and Pars. 17, 298).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Gu and Kwon into the modified Bae to control devices remotely.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20190246440 A1) in view of Batra et al. (US 20200322788 A1) and Park et al. (US 20200053831 A1) and further in view of Gu et al. (US 20170272270 A1) and Kwon et al. (US 20180352312 A1) and further in further view of Fornshell et al. (US 20200382950 A1).
Regarding claim 11, the modified Bae teaches previous claims.
However, the modified Bae does not teach the Bluetooth device pairing connection method according to claim 10, wherein the determining that there is a possibility of accessing the second Bluetooth device by other electronic devices comprises: determining that there are the other electronic devices sharing a same account in cloud space or a network disk with the electronic device; or learning of the Bluetooth addresses of the other electronic devices in any communication mode.
Fornshell teaches such feature (Fig. 1 and Pars. 25, 63, 67).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Gu and Kwon into the modified Bae to share pairing information between user accounts.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Knaapplila et al. US 9609464 B2 (24) The BLE devices are capable of filter scanning devices to which scan responses are sent and/or connections are formed. Prior to the invention, the device filtering is implemented by using white listing and/or black listing only. White listing defines which devices are allowed to have connection with and to send response to. Black listing defines devices which are not to be connected with or responded to. Black and white lists are updated by an upper layer application. The process of updating the white/black lists should be done before receiving a packet, which means that address in the received packet cannot be used to update the list.
Desai et al. (US 20110319020 A1) teaches a BLE module (Bluetooth chip) utilizes firmware unit 214 (Fig. 2 and Par. 30) for filtering intended advertiser in the firmware white list 214a (Par. 32) and operable to request establishment of a link layer connection with an intended advertiser (Par. 22).
Lim et al. US 20160174021 A1 [0138] The scan device 400 may generate the scan result based on the scan condition among results of the scan performed for the adjacent short range communication devices in step 510. Further, the scan device 400 may configure a scan filter according to the scan condition. The scan device 400 may generate the scan result based on the scan condition among results of the scan performed for the adjacent short range communication devices. [0139] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device 400 may generate a scan result including short range communication devices corresponding to at least one of service identification information requested by the electronic device 101 and service identification information which the electronic device 101 supports. For example, the scan device 400 filters short range communication devices which do not correspond to the service identification information. [0140] Specifically, the scan device 101 may allow only the short range communication devices which transmit a beacon signal including at least one piece of the service identification information to be included in the scan result. In this case, the scan device 400 may filter the results of the scan performed in step 810 based on at least one of the service identification information supported by the electronic device 101 and the service identification information requested from the electronic device 101 so as to generate the scan result. [0113] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the scan device 400 may generate the scan result which includes short range communication devices corresponding to the short range communication connection information of the electronic device 101. For example, the scan device 400 filters short range communication devices which cannot perform short range communication with the electronic device 101 based on the short range communication connection information of the electronic device 101. Accordingly, the scan device 400 may allow only the short range communication devices, which can perform the short range communication with the electronic device, to be included in the scan result.
Lim et al. US 20170154522 A1 Fig. 10 - [0145] An advertising device or scanning device may perform the device filtering procedure to limit devices for receiving an advertising packet, a scan request or a connection request. [0304] However, in the case that the timer fails to receive a response for the connection request message from the second device 400 till the termination after specific time has passed, the first device 300 determines that an error occurs during the connection procedure and transmits an error message representing that an error occurs to the third device (step, S11040). [0315] In addition, for Not Allowed, in the case that the first device 300 includes the whitelist that represents the list of the devices that are allowed to connect, when the second device 400 is not included in the whitelist. [0373] {circumflex over (2)} In the case that the first device 300 stores the whitelist that represents the list of the devices that are allowed to connect, the first device 300 checks whether the second device 400 is included in the whitelist. [0374] In the case that the second device 400 is included in the whitelist, the first device 300 may establish a connection with the second device 400, and notify it to the third device.
Cheong et al. US 20210051458 A1
[0128] In operation 720, the first device 201 may receive an advertising packet from the third device 203. When device information of the third device 203, included in the advertising packet, is matched with the filter information, in operation 725, the first device 201 may transmit an advertising notification message to the second device 202.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CINDY HUYEN TRANDAI whose telephone number is (571)270-1914. The examiner can normally be reached 8am -4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley L. Kim can be reached at 571-272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Cindy Trandai/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
2/11/2026