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 .
DETAILED ACTION
1. This action is in response the RCE and remarks filed on 02 January 2026.
Claims 1, 3, 5 - 9, 11 and 13 -17 are presently pending.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
2. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/02/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
3. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3, 5 - 9, 11 and 13 -17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5-9, 11 and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Burckart et al., U. S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0055551 A1 in view of Kudelski, U. S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0141294 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Burckart discloses a method for message transmission between a first device and a second device (see Burckart, fig. 1; message transmission between mobile wireless devices is disclosed), the method comprising: storing, by a third device, a first message received from the first device through a short-range wireless connection, the first message being intended for the second device (see Burckart, ¶ [0008] and [0019]; messages from first device intended for the second device is stored); and after a positive determination that a connection to internet is established, forwarding the first message from the third device towards a dedicated server through the internet (see Burckart, ¶ [0008] and [0019]; upon determining internet connectivity, the stored message is forwarded to the second device).
Although Burkart discloses the invention substantially as claimed, it does not explicitly disclose sending the first message from the dedicated server to a fourth device which is capable of being associated through a short-range wireless connection with the second device: and forwarding the first message from the fourth device to the second device when a short-range wireless connection is established between the fourth device and the second device.
Kudelski teaches delay tolerant system comprising sending the first message from the dedicated server to a fourth device which is capable of being associated through a short-range wireless connection with the second device: and forwarding the first message from the fourth device to the second device when a short-range wireless connection is established between the fourth device and the second device (see Kudelski, ¶ [0035], [0037] and [0040]). It would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Kudelski with that of Burkart in order to efficiently forward messages between devices that lack direct communication among them.
Regarding claim 3, Burckart-Kudelski teaches wherein the method further comprises the following, performed by the first device before the third device receives the first message: detecting at least one device able to forward the first message to the second device and selecting said the third device among the detected at least one device (see Burckart, ¶ [0016] and [0018] and Kudelski, ¶ [0037]).
Regarding claim 5, Burckart-Kudelski teaches wherein a first identification information related to the second device is inserted by the first device in the first message, the first identification information being used when forwarding the first message to the second device (see Burckart, ¶ [0007]).
Regarding claim 7, Burckart-Kudelski teaches further comprising: storing a second message received from the second device through the internet, said the second message being intended for the first device and after a positive determination that a short-range wireless connection can be established with the first device, forwarding the second message to said the first device through the short-range wireless connection (see Burckart, ¶ [0015]).
Regarding claim 8, Burckart-Kudelski teaches wherein a second identification information related to the first device is inserted by the second device in the second message, the second identification information being used by the second device when sending the second message through the internet and/or when forwarding the second message to the first device through a short-range wireless connection (see Burckart, ¶ [0019]-[0020]).
Regarding claim 13, Burckart discloses a device for forwarding messages between devices (see Burckart, fig. 1; item 100), the forwarding device comprising: a module for receiving a first message from a first device through a short- range wireless connection, the first message being intended for a second device (see Burckart, ¶ [0008] and [0015]; module for receiving message intended for second device is disclosed); a module for storing the received first message (see Burckart, ¶ [0016] and [0019]; a memory for storing received messages is provided); and a module for, after a positive determination that said the forwarding device has established a connection to internet, forwarding the first message towards a dedicated server through the internet (see Burkart, ¶ [0018]-[0019]; after determining connectivity, the stored messages are forwarded to the second device).
Although Burckart discloses the invention substantially as claimed, it does not explicitly disclose wherein the dedicated server is configured to send the first message to a fourth device that is capable of being associated through a short-range wireless connection with the second device; and wherein the fourth device is configured to forward the first message to the second device when a short-range wireless connection is established between the fourth device and the second device.
Kudelski teaches delay tolerant system comprising wherein the dedicated server is configured to send the first message to a fourth device that is capable of being associated through a short-range wireless connection with the second device; and wherein the fourth device is configured to forward the first message to the second device when a short-range wireless connection is established between the fourth device and the second device (see Kudelski, ¶ [0035], [0037] and [0040]). It would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Kudelski with that of Burkart in order to efficiently forward messages between devices that lack direct communication among them.
Regarding claim 14, Burckart-Kudelski teaches the device further comprising: a module for receiving a second message from the second device through the internet, the second message being intended for the first device a module for storing the second message; and a module for, after a positive determination that the forwarding device can connect with the first device through a short-range wireless connection, forwarding the second message to said the first device through said the short-range wireless connection (see Burckart, ¶ [0008], [0016] and [0018]-[0019]).
Regarding claim 15, Burckart discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for message transmission between a first device and a second device, comprising: storing, by the third device, a first message received from the first device through a short-range wireless connection, the first message being intended for the second device (see Burckart, ¶ [0008] and [0019]; messages from first device intended for the second device is stored); after a positive determination that a connection to internet is established, forwarding the first message from the third device towards a dedicated server through the internet (see Burckart, ¶ [0008] and [0019]; upon determining internet connectivity, the stored message is forwarded to the second device).
Although Burckart discloses the invention substantially as claimed, it does not explicitly disclose sending the first message from the dedicated server to a fourth device which is capable of being associated through a short-range wireless connection with the second device; and forwarding the first message from the fourth device to the second device when a short-range wireless connection is established between the fourth device and the second device.
Kudelski teaches delay tolerant system comprising sending the first message from the dedicated server to a fourth device which is capable of being associated through a short-range wireless connection with the second device and forwarding the first message from the fourth device to the second device when a short-range wireless connection is established between the fourth device and the second device (see Kudelski, ¶ [0035], [0037] and [0040]). It would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Kudelski with that of Burkart in order to efficiently forward messages between devices that lack direct communication among them.
5. Claim(s) 6,9, 11 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Burckart in view of Kudelski and further in view of Plant, U. S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0047007 A1.
Regarding claim 6, although Burckart-Kudelski discloses further comprising, after the forwarding the first message towards said the second device through the internet (see Burckart, ¶ [0019]), it does not explicitly disclose deleting said the first message.
Plant teaches deleting said the first message (see Plant, ¶ [0019]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Plant with that of Burckart-Kudelski in order to free space for storing and queuing future messages.
Regarding claim 9, Burckart-Kudelski-Pant teaches further comprising deleting the first message stored in a third device after having forwarded said the first message towards the second device through the internet and/or deleting the second message stored in a fourth device after having forwarded said the second message to the first device (see Burckart, ¶ [0021]-[0022] and Plant, ¶ [0019]).
Regarding claim 11, although Burckart-Kudelski discloses the invention substantially as claimed, it does not explicitly disclose wherein the first message is encrypted.
Plant teaches wherein the first message is encrypted (see Plant, ¶ [0072]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Plant with that of Burckart-Kudelski in order ensure privacy, security and confidentiality during transmission.
Regarding claim 16, Burckart-Kudelski-Pant teaches wherein the deleting the first message is automatically triggered upon the transmission, by the third device, of the first message towards the second device (see Plant, ¶ [0019])
Regarding claim 17, Burckart-Kudelski-Pant teaches wherein the deleting the first message is automatically triggered upon reception, by the third device, of a receipt acknowledge message, sent by one of the second device, dedicated server or fourth device upon receiving the first message (see Burckart, ¶ [0015] and Plant, ¶ [0019]).
Prior Art of Record
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Please refer to form PTO-892 (Notice of Reference Cited) for a list of relevant prior art.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMED IBRAHIM whose telephone number is (571)270-1132. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:30AM to 6:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Follansbee can be reached on 571-272-3964. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mohamed Ibrahim/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2444