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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species A, claims 1-3, 6-9, 13 and 18 in the reply filed on 4/10/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 4-5, 10-12 and 14-16 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 4/10/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 18 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because the claim(s) is/are directed to a signal per se, mere information in the form of data, given that it is not claimed as a non-transitory medium/product. Claim should be amended to state that computer program product is non-transitory.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-9, 13 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by RAHILLY et al. (US 20200410446 A1)
Re claim 1. RAHILLY discloses (abstract) an access control device 130 attachable to a transport container [0007], the access control device comprising:
an electronic circuit (FIG.1A) comprising a processing unit 134, a memory 136 configured to store access conditions, a wireless communications module 140 configured for short-range communication, and an electronic communications interface 166, wherein the access control device is configured to:
receive, using the wireless communications module, from an electronic key device (FIG.14 – mobile phone [0296] – request for unlocking smart lock), an authorization query [0519];
verify, using key authorization rights included in the access conditions, the authorization query to determine whether the electronic key device is authorized; [0186, 0296]
determine one or more of the following current parameters:
a current geolocation of the access control device, a measured environmental parameter of an internal or external environment of the transport container, or current status information of the transport container; [0072, 0076, 0077, 0177]
verify whether the one or more current parameters satisfy the access conditions, the access conditions including one or more of: a geolocation condition, an environmental condition, or a container status condition; [0081, 0181]
generate an access authorization signal upon affirmative verification of the authorization query and the one or more current parameters; and [0081] (by way of solid and/or blinking green LEDs)
transmit, via the electronic communications interface, the access authorization signal to an actuator for enabling physical access to contents of the transport container. [0081-0083]
2. [0076] the access control device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications module is configured for short-range wireless communication using one or more of: Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, or UWB.
3. (FIG.4) the access control device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to:
generate an alarm signal upon negative verification of the authorization query [0081], the alarm signal including an identifier of the access control device and an address of a cloud-based server; [0102, 0152]
transmit, using the wireless communications module, the alarm signal to the electronic key device, for forwarding to the cloud-based server using the address. [0089, 0101]
6. [0077] the access control device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the current geolocation using location information received, via the electronic communications interface, from a local positioning system.
7. [0077] the access control device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the current geolocation using location information received, via the wireless communications module, from the electronic key device.
8. (FIG.1A-1E) the access control device according to claim 1, wherein the access control device further comprises a housing, the electronic circuit being arranged inside the housing, wherein the access control device is attached to the transport container by a mounting apparatus attached to the housing and configured to permit the housing to be mechanically attached to a transport container.
9. (FIG.1A) the access control device according to claim 1, wherein the access control device comprises the actuator and a locking mechanism and the actuator is configured to unlock the locking mechanism.
13. As applied for claim 1, a method for authorizing physical access to contents of a transport container, the physical access enabled by an access control device attachable to a transport container, the access control device comprising an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit comprising a processing unit, a memory configured to store access conditions, a wireless communications module configured for short-range communication, and an electronic communications interface, wherein the method comprises: receiving, in the access control device using the wireless communications module, from an electronic key device, an authorization query; verifying, in the access control device using key authorization rights included in the access conditions, the authorization query to determine whether the electronic key device is authorized; determining, in the access control device, one or more of the following current parameters: a current geolocation of the access control device, a measured environmental parameter of an internal or external environment of the transport container, or current status information of the transport container; verifying, in access control device, whether the one or more current parameters satisfy the access conditions, the access conditions including one or more of: a geolocation condition, an environmental condition, and a container status condition; generating, in access control device, an access authorization signal upon affirmative verification of the authorization query and the one or more current parameters; and transmitting, via the electronic communications interface, the access authorization signal to an actuator for enabling physical access to contents of the transport container.
18. As applied for claim 1, a computer program product comprising computer program code which, when executed by a processing unit of an access control device causes the access control device to: receive, by the access control device, from an electronic key device, an authorization query, wherein the access control device is configured for short-range communication; verify, using key authorization rights included in access conditions stored in a memory of the access control device, the authorization query to determine whether the electronic key device is authorized; determine at least one of the following current parameters: a current geolocation of the access control device, a measured environmental parameter of an internal or external environment of a transport container, or current status information of the transport container; verify whether the at least one current parameters satisfy the access conditions, the access conditions including at least one of. a geolocation condition, an environmental condition, or a container status condition; generate an access authorization signal upon affirmative verification of the authorization query and the at least one current parameters; and transmit, by the access control device, the access authorization signal to an actuator for enabling physical access to contents of the transport container.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS E GARCIA whose telephone number is (571)270-1354. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9-6pm F 9-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Zimmerman can be reached at (571) 272-3059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CARLOS E. GARCIA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2686
/Carlos Garcia/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686 5/27/2026
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