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
This office action is in response to the application filed on 08/29/2025. Claim(s) 1-20 is/are pending and are examined.
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 .
Priority
The instant application claims priority to the Provisional, No. 63/579,715 filed August 30, 2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/29/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 is currently dependent on itself instead of claim 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 1-7 are rejected under 112(b) for being indefinite. Claim 1 recites “evaluating, using data” which permits more than one interpretation. It is unclear if Applicant intended for the “detection data” or “verification data” or “status data” or all three are meant be evaluated. Thus, Examiner is unable to ascertain the scope of the claim, and a rejection under 112(b) is proper.
The dependent claims included in the statement of rejection but not specifically addressed in the body of the rejection have inherited the deficiencies of their parent claim and have not resolved the deficiencies. Therefore, they are rejected based on the same rationale as applied to their parent claims above.
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, 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) 1-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson (US 12,330,587 B2), hereinafter Johnson in view of Pirwani (US 2025/0272406 A1), hereinafter Pirwani.
Regarding Claim(s) 1 Johnson teaches:
An operator authentication system for a machine, comprising: (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 10-15 teaches, a method to authenticate operators of motor vehicles)
one or more operator verification devices configured to be installed in the operator compartment of the machine, the one or more operator verification devices comprising a biometric capture device, a code reader, or a keypad; and (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 20-25 teaches, the method performs biometric identification to verify that the driver's license matches the operator.)
receiving operator verification data from the one or more operator verification devices; (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 15-25 teaches, the method determines, based on the authenticating and vehicle identifying information pertaining to the motor vehicle, whether the operator is approved to operate the motor vehicle.)
verifying that the operator is licensed to operate the machine; (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 15-25 teaches, the method determines, based on the authenticating and vehicle identifying information pertaining to the motor vehicle, whether the operator is approved to operate the motor vehicle.)
enabling operation of the machine by the operator; (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 20-45 teaches, the method prevents the motor vehicle from starting, responsive to the operator not being approved to operate the motor vehicle, and allows the motor vehicle to start, responsive to the operator being approved to operate the motor vehicle.)
Johnson does not appear to explicitly teach but in related art:
a plurality of occupancy detection devices configured to be installed in an operator compartment of the machine, the plurality of occupancy detection devices comprising a pressure sensor and a motion detector; (Pirwani ¶ 115 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability for a transport to validate an individual based on a weight and grip pressure applied to the steering wheel of the transport. Pirwani ¶ 99 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to utilize sensors to record audio, video, motion, etc.)
a plurality of status devices configured to be installed in the machine, the plurality of status devices comprising a sound level meter, a GPS receiver, a hazardous gas sensor, a thermometer, a barometer, a fuel level sensor, and an external camera; (Pirwani ¶ 110 teaches, vehicle sensors: a camera, a LIDAR sensor, (i.e., external camera) an ultrasonic sensor, an automobile engine sensor, a radar sensor, a laser altimeter, a manifold absolute pressure sensor, an infrared detector, a motion detector, a thermostat, (i.e. thermometer) a sound detector, (i.e. sound level meter) a carbon monoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, (i.e., hazardous gas sensor) an oxygen sensor, (i.e., use barometers to work) a mass airflow sensor, an engine coolant temperature sensor, a throttle position sensor, a crankshaft position sensor, a valve timer, an air-fuel ratio meter, a blind spot meter, a curb feeler, a defect detector, a Hall effect sensor, a parking sensor, a radar gun, a speedometer, a speed sensor, a tire-pressure monitoring sensor, a torque sensor, a transmission fluid temperature sensor, a turbine speed sensor (TSS), a variable reluctance sensor, a vehicle speed sensor (VSS), a water sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a GPS sensor, a mapping functionality, (i.e., GPS) and any other type of automotive sensor. (i.e., automobiles have a fuel gauge))
a computer-readable medium having executable code stored thereon, the executable code comprising a set of instructions that causes a processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving occupancy detection data from the plurality of occupancy detection devices; (Pirwani ¶ 115 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability for a transport to validate an individual based on a weight and grip pressure applied to the steering wheel of the transport. Pirwani ¶ 99 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to utilize sensors to record audio, video, motion, etc.)
determining that the machine is occupied by an operator; (Pirwani ¶ 115 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability for a transport to validate an individual based on a weight and grip pressure applied to the steering wheel of the transport. Pirwani ¶ 99 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to utilize sensors to record audio, video, motion, etc.)
receiving, from the plurality of status devices, status data from the machine; and (Pirwani ¶ 36 teaches, the vehicle status condition data, received in the form of communication messages, such as wireless data network communications and/or wired communication messages, may be processed to identify vehicle/transport status conditions and provide feedback as to the condition and/or changes of a transport)
evaluating, using data, the status of the operator, the status of the machine, or a combination thereof. (Pirwani ¶ 36 teaches, the vehicle status condition data, received in the form of communication messages, such as wireless data network communications and/or wired communication messages, may be processed to identify vehicle/transport status conditions and provide feedback as to the condition and/or changes of a transport. Pirwani ¶ 117 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to assign a status to each occupant in a transport and validating a gesture from an occupant based on the occupant's status)
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill the art, prior to the applicant's earliest effective filing date, to combine the teachings of Johnson with Pirwani, to modify the method vehicle identification and secure operation of Johnson with the various sensors and status information of Pirwani. The motivation to do so, Pirwani ¶ 100, to improve the performance of future vehicles, provide services to the vehicle owners, etc.
Regarding Claim(s) 2 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The system of claim 2, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein determining that the machine is occupied by an operator comprises comparing data from the pressure sensor to a threshold. (Pirwani ¶ 154 teaches, sensor thresholds stored in the smart contract can be used as the basis for whether a detected service is necessary and when and where the service should be performed.)
The motive given in Claim 1 is equally applicable to the above claim.
Regarding Claim(s) 3 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The system of claim 1, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein verifying that the operator is licensed to operate the machine comprises comparing the operator verification data to a database of verified data. (Johnson Col. 5 Ln. 50-55 teaches, Remote server 106 represents databases or services with which the VISOP 130 can communicate to authenticate or verify information pertaining to the operator or the motor vehicle.)
Regarding Claim(s) 4 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The system of claim 1, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein the operator verification data comprises a personal identification number. (Johnson Col. 6 Ln. 5-10 teaches, the operator information 112 can include a password, a personal identification number (PIN))
Regarding Claim(s) 5 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The system of claim 1, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein the operator verification data comprises biometric data. (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 20-25 teaches, the method performs biometric identification to verify that the driver's license matches the operator.)
Regarding Claim(s) 6 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The system of claim 1, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein the operator verification data comprises a quick response (QR) code, a machine readable zone code, a barcode, or any combination thereof. (Johnson Col. 20 Ln. 45-50 teaches, Such reading can include RFID for reading electronically, or optical to scan a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode encoded on the driver's license.)
Regarding Claim(s) 7 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The system of claim 1, (Johnson in view of Pirwani) wherein the plurality of status devices comprises a wind speed sensor, a fuel level sensor, a camera, a hazardous gas sensor, a sound level sensor, a thermometer, a barometer, or any combination thereof. (Pirwani ¶ 110 teaches, vehicle sensors: a camera, a LIDAR sensor, (i.e., external camera) an ultrasonic sensor, an automobile engine sensor, a radar sensor, a laser altimeter, a manifold absolute pressure sensor, an infrared detector, a motion detector, a thermostat, (i.e. thermometer) a sound detector, (i.e. sound level meter) a carbon monoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, (i.e., hazardous gas sensor) an oxygen sensor, (i.e., use barometers to work) a mass airflow sensor, an engine coolant temperature sensor, a throttle position sensor, a crankshaft position sensor, a valve timer, an air-fuel ratio meter, a blind spot meter, a curb feeler, a defect detector, a Hall effect sensor, a parking sensor, a radar gun, a speedometer, a speed sensor, a tire-pressure monitoring sensor, a torque sensor, a transmission fluid temperature sensor, a turbine speed sensor (TSS), a variable reluctance sensor, a vehicle speed sensor (VSS), a water sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a GPS sensor, a mapping functionality, (i.e., GPS) and any other type of automotive sensor. (i.e., automobiles have a fuel gauge))
The motive given in Claim 1 is equally applicable to the above claim.
Regarding Claim(s) 8 and 17 Johnson teaches:
A method of authenticating an operator of a machine, comprising: (Johnson Fig. 1 Col. 2 Ln. 10-15 teaches, a method to authenticate operators of motor vehicles. Col. 8 Ln.1-26 teaches, Local memory 148 is representative of a wide variety and types and combinations of memory suitable for storing information in an electronic format. Example memory includes but is not limited to random access memory (RAM), hard disk memory, removable medium memory, flash storage memory, and other types of computer-readable media including non-transitory data storage.
)
receiving, from one or more second components of the operator authentication system, operator verification data; (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 20-25 teaches, the method performs biometric identification to verify that the driver's license matches the operator.)
verifying that the operator is licensed to operate the machine; (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 15-25 teaches, the method determines, based on the authenticating and vehicle identifying information pertaining to the motor vehicle, whether the operator is approved to operate the motor vehicle.)
enabling, by the operator authentication system, operation of the machine by the operator; (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 20-45 teaches, the method prevents the motor vehicle from starting, responsive to the operator not being approved to operate the motor vehicle, and allows the motor vehicle to start, responsive to the operator being approved to operate the motor vehicle.)
Johnson does not appear to explicitly teach but in related art:
receiving, from one or more first components of an operator authentication system, occupancy detection data; Pirwani ¶ 115 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability for a transport to validate an individual based on a weight and grip pressure applied to the steering wheel of the transport.)
determining that the machine is occupied by an operator; (Pirwani ¶ 115 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability for a transport to validate an individual based on a weight and grip pressure applied to the steering wheel of the transport.)
receiving, from one or more third components of the operator authentication system operator and machine status data from the machine; and (Pirwani ¶ 36 teaches, the vehicle status condition data, received in the form of communication messages, such as wireless data network communications and/or wired communication messages, may be processed to identify vehicle/transport status conditions and provide feedback as to the condition and/or changes of a transport.)
evaluating, using the operator and machine status data, the status of the operator, the status of the machine, or a combination thereof. (Pirwani ¶ 36 teaches, the vehicle status condition data, received in the form of communication messages, such as wireless data network communications and/or wired communication messages, may be processed to identify vehicle/transport status conditions and provide feedback as to the condition and/or changes of a transport. Pirwani ¶ 117 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to assign a status to each occupant in a transport and validating a gesture from an occupant based on the occupant's status)
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill the art, prior to the applicant's earliest effective filing date, to combine the teachings of Johnson with Pirwani, to modify the method vehicle identification and secure operation of Johnson with the various sensors and status information of Pirwani. The motivation to do so, Pirwani ¶ 100, to improve the performance of future vehicles, provide services to the vehicle owners, etc.
Regarding Claim(s) 9 and 18 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The method of claim 8, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein the occupancy detection data comprises infrared camera data, pressure sensor data, or a combination thereof. (Pirwani ¶ 110 teaches, the sensor set 292A of the transport 276 may include one or more of the following vehicle sensors: a camera, a radar sensor, an infrared detector,)
The motive given in Claim 8 is equally applicable to the above claim.
Regarding Claim(s) 10 and 19 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The method of claim 9, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent limitation above.) wherein determining that the machine is occupied by an operator comprises comparing the pressure sensor data to a threshold. (Pirwani ¶ 115 teaches, the solutions can also be utilized to provide an ability for a transport to validate an individual based on a weight and grip pressure applied to the steering wheel of the transport. Pirwani ¶ 154 teaches, sensor thresholds stored in the smart contract can be used as the basis for whether a detected service is necessary and when and where the service should be performed.)
The motive given in Claim 8 is equally applicable to the above claim.
Regarding Claim(s) 11 and 20 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The method of claim 8, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein verifying that the operator is licensed to operate the machine comprises comparing the operator verification data to a database of verified data. (Johnson Col. 5 Ln. 50-55 teaches, Remote server 106 represents databases or services with which the VISOP 130 can communicate to authenticate or verify information pertaining to the operator or the motor vehicle.)
Regarding Claim(s) 12 and 21Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The method of claim 8, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein the operator verification data comprises a personal identification number. (Johnson Col. 6 Ln. 5-10 teaches, the operator information 112 can include a password, a personal identification number (PIN))
Regarding Claim(s) 13 and 22 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The method of claim 8, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein the operator verification data comprises biometric data. (Johnson Col. 2 Ln. 20-25 teaches, the method performs biometric identification to verify that the driver's license matches the operator.)
Regarding Claim(s) 14 and 23 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The method of claim 8, (Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches the parent claim above.) wherein the operator verification data comprises a quick response (QR) code, a machine readable zone code, a barcode, or a combination thereof. (Johnson Col. 20 Ln. 45-50 teaches, Such reading can include RFID for reading electronically, or optical to scan a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode encoded on the driver's license.)
Regarding Claim(s) 15 and 24 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The method of claim 8, wherein the status data comprises sound level data, hazardous gas sensor data, temperature data, humidity data, and video images. (Pirwani ¶ 110 teaches, vehicle sensors: a camera, a LIDAR sensor, (i.e., external camera) an ultrasonic sensor, an automobile engine sensor, a radar sensor, a laser altimeter, a manifold absolute pressure sensor, an infrared detector, a motion detector, a thermostat, (i.e. thermometer) a sound detector, (i.e. sound level meter) a carbon monoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, (i.e., hazardous gas sensor) an oxygen sensor, (i.e., use barometers to work and measure humidity as a part of calculations) a mass airflow sensor, an engine coolant temperature sensor, a throttle position sensor, a crankshaft position sensor, a valve timer, an air-fuel ratio meter, a blind spot meter, a curb feeler, a defect detector, a Hall effect sensor, a parking sensor, a radar gun, a speedometer, a speed sensor, a tire-pressure monitoring sensor, a torque sensor, a transmission fluid temperature sensor, a turbine speed sensor (TSS), a variable reluctance sensor, a vehicle speed sensor (VSS), a water sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a GPS sensor, a mapping functionality, (i.e., GPS) and any other type of automotive sensor. (i.e., automobiles have a fuel gauge))
The motive given in Claim 8 is equally applicable to the above claim.
Regarding Claim(s) 16 and 25 Johnson in view of Pirwani teaches:
The method of claim 8, wherein the status data comprises a location of the machine, fuel level data, and wind speed data. (Pirwani ¶ 110 teaches, vehicle sensors: a camera, a LIDAR sensor, (i.e., external camera) an ultrasonic sensor, an automobile engine sensor, a radar sensor, a laser altimeter, a manifold absolute pressure sensor, an infrared detector, a motion detector, a thermostat, (i.e. thermometer) a sound detector, (i.e. sound level meter) a carbon monoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, (i.e., hazardous gas sensor) an oxygen sensor, (i.e., use barometers to work) a mass airflow sensor, (i.e., airflows sensor measures the velocity of air ) an engine coolant temperature sensor, a throttle position sensor, a crankshaft position sensor, a valve timer, an air-fuel ratio meter, a blind spot meter, a curb feeler, a defect detector, a Hall effect sensor, a parking sensor, a radar gun, a speedometer, a speed sensor, a tire-pressure monitoring sensor, a torque sensor, a transmission fluid temperature sensor, a turbine speed sensor (TSS), a variable reluctance sensor, a vehicle speed sensor (VSS), a water sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a GPS sensor, a mapping functionality, (i.e., GPS) and any other type of automotive sensor. (i.e., automobiles have a fuel gauge))
The motive given in Claim 8 is equally applicable to the above claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 12,380,999 B2 - Smart Gate Apparatus With Health Identity Detection
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/J.B.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2408
/LINGLAN EDWARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2408