DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Amendment filed on 03/18/2026.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the instant Amendment, filed on 03/18/2026, claims 1-13 have been examined and are pending in this application. Claims 1, 12, and 13 are independent.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/18/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments/Remarks
Applicant’s arguments in the instant Amendment, filed on 03/18/2026, with respect to the prior-art rejections to claims 1-13, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applied prior art continues to teach the claim limitations including the new limitations that are added or modified by the instant amendment.
Applicant’s Remarks: As to independent claim 1, the Applicant refined the scope of several function steps of the claim, by including the limitations, “restrict a user from passing through” and “to pass through,” and submitted that the applied PriorArt does not teach the amended claim limitations as a whole. In providing evidences, the Applicant recites paragraphs 0058-0064 of primary reference Sakauchi, and asserted that Sakauchi’s check-in terminal is an apparatus for issuing a boarding pass before boarding an aircraft, and does not have a function to restrict user from passing through. It is clear that the reference numeral 20 in Figure 1 of the cited reference Sakaguchi is a check-in terminal and does not have a function “restricts a user from passing through,” as recited in claim 1. None of the other cited references disclose or suggest at least the features, “an authentication terminal that restricts a user from passing through wherein the authentication terminal is configured to acquire second biometric information of the user after the user arrives at the authentication terminal to pass through, identify the user arriving at the authentication terminal to pass through by a matching processing using the acquired second biometric information and the stored first biometric information, and allow the user to pass through when the determination result of the identified user indicates that the qualification information is valid,” as recited in claim 1 (Applicant Arguments/Remarks, 03/18/2018, pages 9-111).
The Examiner disagrees with the Applicants. The Examiner respectfully submits that combination of Sekiguchi, Khota, and Hayase continues to teaches all the limitations, including the amended limitations, as addressed in the current rejection. Addressing the Applicant’s analysis of Sakaguchi reference teaches, the Examiner submits that check-in terminal of completing boarding pass to board a flight, with respect to the Applicant’s pointer to Sakauchi’s pragragphs 0058-0064 and a section of figure 1, that incudes the component 20, of Sakauchi, would broadly read on the amended limitation phrase, “pass through” as completing boarding pass to board a flight means passing through the system process. In other words, if boarding pass was not issued based on the user identity and privilege information, the said flight passenger would not be able to board the plane (see paragraphs, 0065, 0067), Thus would not have pass to board the plane. Additionally, word “pass” of the phrase “boarding pass” has literal linguistic meaning, equivalent to a means of restriction of a user passing through.
Given the hypothetical scenario that the Applicant further refines the limitation “restricts a user from passing through,” to “restricts a user from passing through a gate,” inlight of the disclosure paragraph 0020, in giving a clear meaning that there is a physical gate/door is involved, and the access control features is physically integrated in the said “gate/door,” Sakaguchi teaching will still read on the claim limitation, as Sakaguchi also teaches of control mechanism of physical gate/door. Sakaguchi teaches of a various system configurations, suiting various analogous business, and some of the involving a physical gate/door. Please, see the section P3 to P6, that involves physical gate apparatus 40, 50, and 70 configurations, of Fig 1 and related paragraphs of Sakaguchi’s disclosure.
In addition, Sakaguchi also uses the exact phrase “pass though” in the disclosure, describing these above mentioned gate apparatus configurations and system process in paragraphs 0275, 0299. Therefore, broadly interpreted applied PriorArt teaches the claim limitations of claim 1.
Applicant’s Remarks: As to independent claims 12 and 13, the Applicant submitted that the claims cites similar features as to claim 1, and claims are patentable over the interpreted applied PriorArt (Applicant Arguments/Remarks, 03/18/2026, page 11).
The Examiner disagrees with the Applicants. The Examiner respectfully submits that the claims 9 and 16 are rejected at least based on the reference applied to the claims and the rationale and response presented to the argument above for claim 1.
Additionally, as to the dependent claims 2-11, the Applicant submitted that the claims are patentable, at least by the virtue of the dependency [from patentable base claim]) (Applicant Arguments/Remarks, 03/18/2026, page 11).
The Examiner disagrees with the Applicants. The Examiner respectfully submits that the dependent claims 2-12 are rejected at least based on the rationale and response presented to the argument for their respective base claims, and the reference applied to the claims 2-12.
Double Patenting
As to the nonstatutory double patenting rejections to claims 1, 2, 12, and 13, which were provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over application 18/276185, in Non-Final office action, mailed in 09/29/2025, have been hold in abeyance until the instant application considered for allowance. Applicant will not have to take any action at this moment regarding this issue.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the Examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the Examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-6 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakaguchi et al (“Sakaguchi,” US 2020/0118369, published on 04/16/2020), in view of Khota (“Khota,” US 2004/0188520, published on 09/30/2004), and further in view of Hayase et al (“Hayase,” US 2019/0057249, published on 02/21/2019).
As to claim 1, Sakaguchi teaches a system (Sakaguchi: pars 0007-0008, 0044; Fig 1, an apparatus and method for registering user information, including user’s biometric information, and performing a verification/authentication during a boarding and check-in procedure at an entry/pass gate), comprising:
an authentication terminal (Sakaguchi: pars 0044, 0046; Fig 1, includes an authentication interface terminal, in the form of: a check-in terminal, an automatic baggage deposit machine, a security inspection apparatus, an automated gate apparatus, signage terminals, or a boarding gate apparatus, etc.) that restrict a user from passing through (Sakaguchi: pars 0275, 0299; Fig 1, the section P3 to P6, involving physical gate apparatus 40, 50, and 70 configurations, with an automatic close and open mechanism [i.e., restricting], that the user passes through upon successful validation of user identity and access privilege information);
a server apparatus (Sakaguchi: pars 0044, 0046, 0058; Fig 1, includes a management server for user verification/authentication process); and
a terminal configured to stores [ ] qualification information on a qualification required to pass through from the authentication terminal (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0057-0065, 0067, 0071, 0275, 0299; Fig 1, a user carries and boarding/ticketing/passport information [i.e. qualification information] to use check-in service; mobile terminal displaying a duplicate of an e-ticket, or the like. In an alternative configuration, involving physical gate apparatus 40, 50, and 70, performing a successful verification user identity and privilege is made, for user to pass through [i.e., literal pass through] a physical gate with controlled open-close mechanism),
transmit a user information notification including the first biometric information and the qualification information to the authentication terminal when the terminal is ready to communicate with the authentication terminal (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0057-0064, 0071; Fig 1, at the authentication interface terminal [i.e., authentication terminal] flight ticket, e-ticket of a user is acquired by the authentication interface terminal from the user mobile device, and also receives passport information including passport face information, passport number, a passport issuance country, etc.),
wherein the authentication terminal is configured to transmit the qualification information included in the user information notification to the server apparatus (Sakaguchi: pars 0058-0059, user information transmission unit of the interface terminal [i.e., authentication terminal] transmits user information of the user to the management server).
wherein the server apparatus is configured to determine a validity of the qualification information and transmit a determination result to the authentication terminal (Sakaguchi: pars 0058-0061, the management server performed verification of the user identity using the user information, including boarding/ticketing information [i.e. qualification information], and informed the interface terminal on the result of the verification).
wherein the authentication terminal is configured to store the first biometric information included in the user information notification in association with the determination result received from the server apparatus, and
wherein the authentication terminal configured to acquire second biometric information of the user after the user arrives at the authentication terminal to pass through (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0057-0064, 0275, 0299; Fig 1, at the authentication interface terminal, for example, at the check-in terminal, obtain approached user’s information, including user’s face image [i.e. acquiring second biometric information] and boarding/ticketing/passport information [i.e. qualification information]. In an alternative configuration, an automated gate apparatus 40, 50, and 70, performs a verification of user identity, including face image, and user privilege information is made with the stored information , for user to pass through a physical gate), identify the user arriving at the authentication terminal to pass through by a matching processing (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0057, 0275, 0299; Fig 1, user is identified by a comparison between the biometrics information acquired by the termina, and the registered biometrics information. Performs comparison between the passport face image and the captured face image. The automated gate apparatus 40, 50, and 70, verifies the user identity, including face image, and user privilege information is made by comparing with the stored information, in making decision to let the user pass through the physical gate with controlled open-close mechanism) using the acquired second biometric information and the stored first biometric information, and
allow the user to pass through when the determination result of the identified user indicates that the qualification information is valid (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0057-0064; 0275, 0299; Fig 1, upon a successful verification the user is allowed to pass through the access control gate/facility or process the check-in service. The automated gate apparatus 40, 50, and 70, upon a successful verification user identity, including face image, and user privilege information, let the user pass through the physical gate using the controlled open-close mechanism).
Sakaguchi does not explicitly teach a terminal configured to store first biometric information of the user and qualification information; and wherein the terminal configured to transmit.
However, in an analogous art, Khota teaches a terminal configured to store first biometric information of the user and qualification information (Khota: pars 0016, 0037-0045; Fig 1, a mobile terminal/phone receives an electronic ticket from a ticket issuing center and stores the electronic ticket, the electronic ticket includes the ticket information for [i.e. qualification information] user access authentication and user biological information, or an electronic certificate including the biological information); and wherein the terminal configured to transmit (Khota: pars 0017, 0037-0045; Fig 1, the mobile terminal/phone transmit the ticket information stored in the storage to the authentication terminal, for performing user authentication process).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Khota with the method/system of Sakaguchi to include a mobile terminal/phone, and to include the limitation(s), a terminal configured to store first biometric information of the user and qualification information; and wherein the terminal configured to transmit, where one would have been motivated to store an electronic boarding/ticketing/passport information including with user biometric information on a mobile terminal/phone and transmit them from the mobile terminal/phone to the authentication terminal for an for the benefit of providing a user with a means for using a convenient way to store, maintain, and transmit the information during check in (Khota: pars 0016-0017, 0037-0045; Fig 1).
Sakaguchi or Khota does not explicitly wherein the authentication terminal is configured to store the first biometric information included in the user information notification in association with the determination result received from the server apparatus, and matching processing using the acquired second biometric information and the stored first biometric information.
However, in an analogous art, Hayase teaches wherein the authentication terminal is configured to store the first biometric information included in the user information notification in association with the determination result received from the server apparatus, and matching processing using the acquired second biometric information and the stored first biometric information (Hayase: pars 0101, 0124; Fig 2, a face matching control unit performs matching with the collected user face image and information with the registered face image in association with ID information of an annual pass on ticket presentation information, stored in the local storage unit 304 [local storage]. Where the registered information is transmitted from the storage unit of the data center [i.e., a remote server storage] to the storage unit 304 [local storage], and stored within, a predetermined period before the ticket presentation, and can function in an offline mode/configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Hayase with the method/system of Sakaguchi and Khota to include a mobile terminal/phone, and to include the limitation(s), wherein the authentication terminal is configured to store the first biometric information included in the user information notification in association with the determination result received from the server apparatus, and matching processing using the acquired second biometric information and the stored first biometric information, where one would have been motivated to obtain and store the registered user biometric and qualification information association at the local storage unit so that the verification can be done comparing with the registered information at the authentication unit, without contacting the data center/server or in a offline mode operation, as an option or extended option, for faster and reliable process.
As to claim 2, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 1,
Sakaguchi and Khota further teaches wherein the terminal is further configured to transmit third biometric information of the user and an identity verification document of the user to the server apparatus, wherein the server apparatus is further configured to verify an identity of the user using the third biometric information and fourth biometric information described in the identity verification document and notifies the terminal of a result of the identity verification, and wherein the terminal is further configured to store the third biometric information as the first biometric information to be transmitted to the authentication terminal when the identity verification is successful (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0059, 0061, 0066, 0071 biometric information of a user along with user’s identity information is pre-registered with the management server for obtaining boarding/check-in ticket medium that is accessible on user mobile device. At the authentication interface terminal, for example, at the check-in terminal, obtain approached user’s information, including user’s face image [i.e. biometric information] and boarding/ticketing/passport information [i.e. qualification information], and perform a comparison of the face image with the previously stored registered information of the user for verification. Khota: pars 0016, 0037-0045; Fig 1, a mobile terminal/phone receives and stores the electronic ticket, the electronic ticket includes the ticket information for user access authentication and user biological information, or an electronic certificate including the biological information).
As to claim 3, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 1,
Sakaguchi and Khota further teaches wherein the server apparatus is further configured to sells a ticket to the user and transmits a ticket ID of the sold ticket to the terminal, wherein the terminal apparatus is further configured to transmit the user information notification including the ticket ID as the qualification information to the authentication terminal, wherein the authentication terminal apparatus is further configured to transmit the ticket ID to the server apparatus, and wherein the server apparatus determines a validity of the ticket ID based on information of the sold ticket corresponding to the ticket ID (Khota: pars 0016, 0037-0045; Fig 1, a mobile terminal/phone receives an electronic ticket from a ticket issuing center and stores the electronic ticket, the electronic ticket includes the ticket information for [i.e. qualification information] user access authentication and user biological information, or an electronic certificate including the biological information. Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0057-0064; Fig 1, at the authentication interface terminal, for example, at the check-in terminal, obtain approached user’s information, including user’s face image [i.e. biometric information] and boarding/ticketing/passport information [i.e. qualification information], and perform a comparison of the face image with the previously stored registered information of the user for verification. Sakaguchi: pars0058-0059, user information transmission unit of the interface terminal transmits user information of the user to the management server. The management server performed verification of the user identity using the user information, including boarding/ticketing information, and informed the interface terminal on the result of the verification).
As to claim 4, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 3,
Sakaguchi and Khota further teaches wherein the server apparatus is further configured to generate the ticket ID when the user indicates his or her intention to use the sold ticket, and transmits the generated ticket ID to the terminal (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0059, 0061, 0066, 0071, biometric information of a user along with user’s identity information is pre-registered with the management server for obtaining boarding/check-in ticket medium that is accessible on user mobile device. Khota: pars 0016, 0037-0045; Fig 1, the user uses a mobile terminal/phone to perform a ticket purchase process, and receives electronic ticket that is transmitted from the ticket issuing center, and stores the electronic ticket).
As to claim 5, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 4,
Sakaguchi further teaches wherein the ticket sold to the user is a tour ticket for transportation (Sakaguchi: pars 0061, 0071, 0099, the ticket is flight ticket, boarding pass/information, etc.)
As to claim 6, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 5,
Sakaguchi and Khota further teaches wherein the server apparatus is further configured to determine the validity of the ticket ID based on a type of the tour ticket and a date and time when the user indicated his or her intention to use the ticket (Sakaguchi: pars 0061, 0063, 0099, the boarding pass/information [i.e., the ticket], includes a departure date and time, an arrival date and time of an airplane which the user is scheduled to board).
As to claim 8, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 2,
Sakaguchi further teaches wherein the server apparatus is further configured to store membership information of the user if the user is registered as a member, and determine that the identity verification is successful when a one-to-one matching using the third biometric information and the fourth biometric information is successful and when personal information acquired from the identity verification document and the membership information of the user registered in advance in the server apparatus are matched (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0059, 0061, 0066, 0071, biometric information of a user along with user’s identity information is pre-registered with the management server for obtaining boarding/check-in ticket medium that is accessible on user mobile device. At the authentication interface terminal, for example, at the check-in terminal, obtain approached user’s information, including user’s face image [i.e. biometric information] and boarding/ticketing/passport information, and perform a comparison of the face image with the previously stored registered information of the user for verification).
As to claim 9, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 1,
Sakaguchi further teaches wherein the terminal is further configured to communicate with the authentication terminal through a short-range wireless communication (Sakaguchi: pars 0215, 0223, short-range wireless communication, scheme such as Wi-Fi®, a Bluetooth® communication scheme, a Near Field Communication (NFC) scheme, etc. are used in mobile device communication).
As to claim 10, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 1,
Sakaguchi further teaches wherein the terminal is further configured to communicate with the authentication terminal via Bluetooth (registered trademark) (Sakaguchi: pars 0215, 0223, short-range wireless communication, scheme such as Wi-Fi®, a Bluetooth® communication scheme, a Near Field Communication (NFC) scheme, etc. are used in mobile device communication).
As to claim 11, the combination of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches the system according to claim 1,
Sakaguchi further teaches wherein the biometric information is a face image or a feature value generated from the face image (Sakaguchi: pars 0007, 0059, 0061, 0066, 0071, biometric information, including user’s face image, of a user along with user’s identity information is used for user boarding/check-in verification procedure).
As to claim 12, the claim is directed to an authentication terminal, and the scope of the claim limitations is similar to the scope of system claim 1, and therefore, rejected for the same reason set forth above for claim 1.
As to claim 13, the claim is directed to a control method of an authentication terminal, and the scope of the claim limitations is similar to the scope of system claim 1, and therefore, rejected for the same reason set forth above for claim 1.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakaguchi et al (“Sakaguchi,” US 2020/0118369, published on 04/16/2020), in view of Khota (“Khota,” US 2004/0188520, published on 09/30/2004), and further in view of Hayase et al (“Hayase,” US 2019/0057249, published on 02/21/2019) and Palmer, III (“Palmer,” US 2020/0327310, published on 10/15/2020).
As to claim 7, the combination of Sakaguchi and Khota teaches the system according to claim 2,
Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase teaches of using biometric information for user verification, but Sakaguchi, Khota, or Hayase does not explicitly teaches wherein the server apparatus transmits the third biometric information and the identity verification document to an identity verification server that provides an eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) service and requests the identity verification of the user to the identity verification server.
However, in an analogous art, Palmer teaches wherein the server apparatus transmits the third biometric information and the identity verification document to an identity verification server that provides an eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) service and requests the identity verification of the user to the identity verification server (Palmer: pars 0020, 0040, a third-party account utilizing the identity verification in an embodiment of the system, where system is used as a part of Know-Your-Customer (KYC) for identity verification solutions in the field of ticket/security checkpoint for check-in process).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Palmer with the method/system of Sakaguchi, Khota, and Hayase to include KYC process, and to include the limitation(s), wherein the server apparatus transmits the third biometric information and the identity verification document to an identity verification server that provides an eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) service and requests the identity verification of the user to the identity verification server, where one would have been motivated to use eKYC process for managing highly secure user authentication process, involving biometric information, that in compliance with security requirements for user authentication and identity assurance that is expected/used by the associated authority or service provider (Palmer: pars 0020, 0040).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jahangir Kabir whose telephone number is (571) 270-3355. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:00- 5:00 Mon-Thu.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Luu Pham can be reached on (571) 270-5002. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAHANGIR KABIR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2439
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