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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment filed on 12/23/2025 has been entered. Claims 1, 9, 17 are amended. Claims 1-20 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-15, 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pukari (US 2015/0332527), and further in view of Stephens (WO 2018/005458).
Regarding claims 1, 9, 17, Pukari discloses a method and system comprising:
sending, using a proximity communication antenna, an initial communication to a digital lock (The electronic circuitry of the lock is powered by the short-range transmission 110 of the communication device and a transaction is initiated, Para. 21);
receiving, via the proximity communication antenna, an authentication request from the digital lock (In an authentication procedure the communication device reads an authentication challenge from the electronic circuitry of the lock, Para. 21);
providing, from a battery of the mobile device, wireless power to the digital lock via a wireless power protocol (The electronic circuitry of the lock is powered by the short-range transmission 110 of the communication device, Para. 21); and
sending an authorization to the digital lock to cause the digital lock to open (The communication device 106 computes a response and transmits the response to the electronic circuitry of the lock. Next, the lock performs the authentication. In the authentication, the lock authenticates the response. In an embodiment, the response is authenticated against the challenge. If the authentication succeeds the lock is set to an openable state, Para. 21).
Pukari fails to disclose the wireless power protocol is separate from the proximity communication antenna.
Stephens teaches a mobile device (120) can be configured to transfer wireless power using Qi protocol to power an electronic lock (202, Para. 4, 23), and the mobile device can communicate wirelessly with the electronic lock using a separate proximity communication antenna (via Zigbee; Para. 20, 25).
From the teachings of Stephens, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Pukari to include the wireless power protocol is separate from the proximity communication antenna as taught by Sephens to use two different protocols to improve efficiency of wireless data communications.
Regarding claim 2, 10, 19, Pukari discloses wherein the proximity communication antenna is a near field communication (NFC) antenna (Para. 18, 20).
Regarding claims 3, 4, 12-13, 20, Pukari fails to disclose wireless power protocol is a reverse Qi protocol, and wherein sending the authorization includes sending the authorization using a reverse Qi protocol.
Stephens teaches wireless power can be transferred using Qi protocol, and the Qi protocol can also be used to transmit and receive data (Para. 4, 25; Fig. 3B).
From the teachings of Stephens, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Pukari to include wireless power protocol is a reverse Qi protocol in order to power the lock, and wherein sending the authorization includes sending the authorization using a reverse Qi protocol in order to allow communications between the mobile device and the lock.
Regarding claim 5, 11, Pukari discloses wherein sending the authorization includes sending the authorization using a near field communication (NFC) antenna of the mobile device (Para. 32).
Regarding claim 6, 14, Pukari discloses wherein providing the wireless power includes providing the wireless power to charge a capacitor of the digital lock (Para. 39).
Regarding claim 7, 15, 18, Pukari discloses wherein the digital lock does not include a battery (Para. 14).
Claim(s) 8, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pukari in view of Stephens, and further in view of Chis (US 20180173907 A1).
Regarding claims 8, 16, Pukari and Stephens fail to disclose before sending the authorization to the digital lock, determining, using a processor of the mobile device, whether a user of the mobile device is authorized to open the digital lock based on credentials stored at the mobile device.
Chis teaches mutual authentication between NFC devices before establishing communication between the NFC devices (access to the communication channel 116 (and more specifically the device interface 220 of the reader 105) may be restricted to credentials 112 having a valid mobile access application 152 stored thereon, Para. 28).
From the teachings of Chis, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Pukari and Stephens to include before sending the authorization to the digital lock, determining, using a processor of the mobile device, whether a user of the mobile device is authorized to open the digital lock based on credentials stored at the mobile device in order to ensure the lock is authorized to communicate with the mobile device, thereby improve security.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/23/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments on page 6 regarding amended claims 1, 9 and 17 have been considered, the examiner cited the teachings of Stephens in the rejections above to address the amended claims.
Applicant argues in the first paragraph of page 7 that establishing a communication channel is not the same as determining whether a user is authorized to open a digital lock. The examiner respectfully disagrees. Chis teaches mutual authentication between NFC devices before establishing communication between the NFC devices (access to the communication channel 116 (and more specifically the device interface 220 of the reader 105) may be restricted to credentials 112 having a valid mobile access application 152 stored thereon, Para. 28). The process of mutual authentication of two devices is equivalent to determining whether a user’s mobile device is authorized to open a digital lock. When a device is authenticated by the digital lock, authority to unlock the digital lock can be safely granted to the device by the digital lock. Therefore, Chis cures the deficiencies of the claimed invention.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YONG HANG JIANG whose telephone number is (571)270-3024. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30-6 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta 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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/YONG HANG JIANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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