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 following is a non-final office action in response to the RCE filed 5/28/2026. Amendments received on 5/28/2026 have been entered. As per applicant claims 4 and 6-8 have been canceled. Accordingly claims 1-3, 5 and 9-17 are pending.
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 1-3, 5 and 9-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (CN 110060442, presented in the IDS) in view of Hadzik et al. (US Pub 2019/0392658) and further in view of Calisi et al. (US Pub 2021/0179385).
As of claims 1 and 15-17, Li discloses a method for controlling people flow within a control area using one or more UWB detection devices associated with the control area, comprising the steps of:
executing ultra-wideband transmissions with an authentication device using one or more ultra-wideband transceiver(s) of the UWB detection device(s) (via based on the UWB positioning technology, extracting the UWB tag position information of the station personnel in real time; see paragraph [0033];
determining, by the UWB detection device(s), a location of the authentication device relative to one or more checkpoint(s) (C1-n, C1.1-Cm.n) within the control area by processing signal properties of the one or more ultra-wideband transmissions (as stated above, UWB positioning technology is utilized to determine a location of the UWB tagin real time; see paragraph [0033]);
identifying the authentication device (via obtaining and recording the ID information; see paragraph [0029]);
determining access rights data associated with the authentication device (via determining area authority linked to the ID information; see paragraph [0032]);
generating flow control data based on the access rights data and based on the location of the authentication device (via obtaining the path to the destination and providing guidance; see abstract);
Li further discloses determining a destination area associated with the authentication device; determining a transit path from the location of the authentication device to the destination area; wherein flow control data comprises data indicative of the transit path (via path planning module obtaining the path to the reach the destination and providing voice indication; see paragraph [0034]-[0035]).
However, Li does not disclose generating a presence list of authentication device(s) already present within the control area and/or within particular section(s) of the control area; determining one or more attribute(s) associated with authentication device; categorizing the presence list in accordance with the one or more attribute(s)
Hadzik discloses an access control system comprising the steps of generating a presence list of authentication device(s) already present within the control area and/or within particular section(s) of the control area (via maintaining a count of the occupants/users 112 of a room; see paragraphs [0051] and [0057]), determining one or more attribute(s) associated with authentication device (via determining attribute associated with the user (see paragraphs [0010]-[0012] and [0043]), further note that claim language does not define “attribute” so any information associated with the authentication device is interpreted as attribute associated with the authentication device), categorizing the presence list in accordance with the one or more attribute(s) and generate flow control data in accordance with presence list and one or more attributes of the authentication device (via allowing or denying access based on the presence list (via determining attributes of different users and context to determine access control, such as one user 112 can enter the resource 126 only when another designated user 112 is available to provide access, via determining number of users inside room (see paragraph [0059]), allow access if supervisor is in the room or not in the room (see paragraph [0039])).
From the teaching of Hadzik it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the system of Li to include the function of determining occupancy capacity before allowing access based on access rules of a facility (see paragraph [0050]).
Li discloses using a path planning module to determine optimum path from entrance to destination. However, combination of Li and Hadzik does not explicitly disclose the using occupancy data to optimize the transit path. Calisi discloses the function of utilizing occupancy data of an area to determine optimum path to the destination (see paragraph [0060]).
From the teaching of Calisi, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the combination of Li and Hadzik to include the function of determining occupancy capacity before allowing access based on access rules of a facility (see paragraph [0050]).
As of claim 2, Li discloses generating an at least partially human-interpretable representation of at least a part of the flow control data; and outputting the at least partially human-interpretable representation to the user of the authentication device (via providing voice indication of the path direction; see abstract).
As of claim 3, combination of Li and Hadzik does not explicitly disclose transmitting at least a part the flow control data to the authentication device to be output by the authentication device. The Examiner took official notice that it is well known in the art that a visitor to a facility is provided, on the visitor’s personal device, a critical path/map/direction along which the visitor must travel to his/her destination within the facility (see Schoenfelder et al. US Pub 2022/0254212; paragraph [0132] and Brady et al. (US 10,573,106; fig. 1F). Since applicant did not traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice the well-known in the art statement is taken to be admitted prior art (MPEP 2144.03).
As of claim 5, Hadzik discloses updating the presence list based on detecting, using one or more of the UWB detection device(s), entry and/or exit of authentication device(s) into/ out of the control area and/or particular section(s) of the control area (via disclosing that one policy might provide that a requesting user 112 is allowed access only if the occupancy of the resource 126 is less than or equal to a predetermined capacity limit, such as 20 occupants, hence counting and updating the presence list of occupants in the room; see paragraph [0050]-[0051] and [0057])
As of claim 9, Li discloses using a path planning module to determine optimum path from entrance to destination. Li does not explicitly disclose that occupancy data comprises an indication of the occupancy level of one or more of a plurality of transport means within the control area, optimizing the transit path based on the occupancy data and the destination area comprises determining a target transport means; and the flow control data comprises an indication of the target transport means plurality of transport means. Calisi discloses the function of utilizing occupancy data to optimize elevator call (transport means) (see Calisi et al. (US Pub 2021/0179385; paragraph [0060]).
As of claim 10, Li discloses determining access restrictions associated with the UWB detection device, wherein the transit path is generated such as not to violate the access restriction(s) (via using the path planning module to calculate transit path from starting point to destination and providing warning if the person deviates from the path towards an unauthorized area; see paragraphs [0034]-[0034]). (Brady (US 10,573,106 further discloses the steps of generating transit path such as not to violate the access restriction; see col. 4, lines 16-45. Note: Brady is not used to reject the claims but merely to support Examiner’s assertion).
As of claim 11, Li discloses that the access restriction(s) comprises: an indication of restricted section(s) of the control area, wherein the transit path is determined such as to avoid restricted section(s); and/or an indication of restricted user interaction(s), wherein the transit path is determined such as not to intersect the transit path(s) associated with any of the authentication device(s) identified by the restricted user interaction(s) and/or such that the transit path does not comprise section(s) of the control area where any of the authentication device(s) identified by the restricted user interaction(s) is/are located (via using the path planning module to calculate transit path from starting point to destination and providing warning if the person deviates from the path towards an unauthorized area; see paragraphs [0034]-[0034]). (Brady (US 10,573,106 further discloses the steps of generating transit path such as not to violate the access restriction; see col. 4, lines 16-45. Note: Brady is not used to reject the claims but merely to support Examiner’s assertion).
As of claim 12, Li discloses repeatedly determining, by the UWB detection device(s), the location of the authentication device relative to one or more checkpoint(s) (C1-n, C1.1-Cm.n) within the control area by processing signal properties of the one or more ultra-wideband transmissions; and enforcing people flow within the control area (via real-time obtaining the UWB tag position information, synchronously calculating arrival path of the destination coordinate for updating, and timely reminding by wearable voice reminder; see paragraph [0034]).
As of claim 13, Li discloses enforcing people flow within the control area comprises comparing the location of the authentication device with the flow control data and generating an alert signal indicative of a deviation of the location of the authentication device from the flow control data (via providing a voice indication of path direction to the station through the wearable voice prompter, comprising a route reminding and reminding the dangerous area. path reminding when the station does not have the region authority UWB tag position information corresponding to the sent voice warning prompt; see paragraph [0034]).
As of claim 14, Li discloses enforcing people flow within the control area comprises generating control signals to restrict movement of a user of the authentication device between sections of the control area according to the flow control data, comprising: control signals for the control of one or more barriers arranged within the control area; and/or control signals for the control of transport means within the control area (via controlling an electromagnetic lock; see paragraph [0035]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bingesser et al. (US Pub 2024/0129886) could be used to reject the claims as well (even though it is not being used at present time). Bingesser states generating a present list, determine attributes (distance of devices 2 from device 1), categorizing in accordance with one or more attribute (distance d1, d2, d3, d4, d5 associated with the device identification information of each UWB mobile communication device 2) and generating flow control ((see paragraphs [0052]-[0056]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NABIL H SYED whose telephone number is (571)270-3028. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-5:00 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta W Goins can be reached at (571) 272-2957. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NABIL H SYED/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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