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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/03/2024, 10/04/2024, 04/07/2025, 07/24/2025, 11/12/2025, 01/05/2026 was filed before the mailing of this action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: “Biometric Authentication for Transactions in Controlled Access Environments”. This is merely a suggestion and applicant may construct a different title so long as the title is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 16, and 17 recite the limitation “in a case a number of persons of whom the first biometrics information is registered in the first database is equal to or greater than a specified number, generating a second database in which second biometrics information satisfying a predetermined condition is registered…” There does not appear to be support for this limitation in the specification. The closest portion of the specification found related to this limitation is [0230] which discloses “…considering the amount of data stored in the central DB 11, it is possible to omit the temporary database. For example, if the number (data amount) of guest reservations stored in the central DB 11 is not large, the guest DB 13 can be omitted. In this case, the edge terminal may refer to the watch list distributed based on the information in the central DB 11. The edge terminal may directly transmit and receive data to and from the central DB 11.” This portion does not support generating a second database in a case a number of persons of whom the first biometrics information is registered in the first database is equal to or greater than a specified number. If applicant believes support for the limitation is present in the specification, applicant should clearly indicate where in the specification support is found and examiner will reconsider.
Dependent claims 2-15 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, due to their dependency on rejected claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e. an abstract idea) without significantly more.
Claims 1-15 recite an apparatus (i.e. machine), claim 16 recites a method (i.e. process), and claim 17 recites a non-transitory storage medium (i.e. machine or article of manufacture). Therefore claims 1-17 fall within one of the four statutory categories of invention.
Independent claims 1, 16, and 17 recite the limitations of: a [first database] in which first biometrics information permitted to enter a management area is registered; a [memory] configured to store instructions; and at least one [processor] configured to execute the instructions to perform: in a case a number of persons of whom the first biometrics information is registered in the [first database] is equal to or greater than a specified number, generating a [second database] in which second biometrics information satisfying a predetermined condition is registered, the second biometrics information extracted from the first biometrics information registered in the [first database]; making a watch list of persons who has entered the management area by using the [second database] in which the second biometric information of persons who are permitted to enter the management area is registered; executing second biometrics authentication for a visitor making a transaction in the management area by referring to visitor registration information registered in the watch list. The invention and claims are drawn towards improving user convenience in allowing access to certain areas using biometric authentication, and the claims recite limitations that correspond to certain methods of organizing human activity (managing personal behavior or interactions) as evidenced by the claim limitations detailing biometrics information [for] permitting entry into a management area being registered, second biometrics information satisfying a predetermined condition being registered, making a watch list of persons who has entered the management area by using the [second database] in which the second biometric information of persons who are permitted to enter the management area is registered, and executing second biometrics authentication for a visitor making a transaction in the management area by referring to visitor registration information registered in the watch list. The claims also correspond to mental processes (observation, evaluation, judgment, and opinion) since the same limitations mentioned above describes the evaluation and observation of data (e.g., biometrics data, visitor registration information) and making a judgment/decision based on the observed and evaluated data. The claims recite an abstract idea.
Note: the features or elements in brackets in the above Step 2A Prong One section are inserted for reading clarity, but are analyzed as “additional elements” under Step 2A Prong Two and Step 2B below.
The judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application simply because the claims recite the additional elements of: an information processing apparatus comprising a first database, a memory, and a processor, a second database, and a non-transitory storage medium (claim 17). The additional elements are computer components recited at a high-level of generality performing the above-mentioned limitations. The combination of the additional elements are no more than mere instructions to apply the judicial exception using a generic computer. Accordingly, in combination, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claims are directed to an abstract idea.
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements amount to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer cannot provide an inventive concept. Thus, when viewed as an ordered combination, nothing in the claims add significantly more (i.e. an inventive concept) to the abstract idea. The claims are not patent eligible.
Dependent claim 5 recites the limitation of acquiring the visitor registration information from the [second database] based on position information in the management area acquired from a [portable terminal] carried by the person. The claim recites limitations that are further directed to the abstract idea analyzed above. The claim also recites the additional elements of the second database, and a portable terminal. The additional elements amount to “apply it” or merely using a computer as a tool to implement the abstract idea. Accordingly, in combination, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Further, when viewed as an ordered combination, nothing in the claim adds significantly more (i.e. an inventive concept) to the abstract idea. The claim is not patent eligible.
Dependent 2-4 and 6-15 recite additional limitations that are further directed to the abstract idea analyzed in the rejected claims above. The claims also recite additional elements that have been analyzed in the rejected claims above. Thus, claims 2-4 and 6-15 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101. The claims are not patent eligible.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-9, 11, 12, and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito (2017/0070501) in view of Taira (2016/0189162) further in view of Ishibashi (2007/0046426).
Claim 1: Saito discloses: An information processing apparatus comprising:
a first database in which first biometrics information permitted to enter a management area is registered; a memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform: (Saito ¶0031 disclosing a feature data memory which stores biological data (hereinafter, called feature data for authentication) based on at least one of biological data used in the first authentication process, the first authentication process using biological data read from a medium M that a passer passing through a first position P1 holds, and biological data acquired from a first image G1 that is obtained by imaging the passer passing through the first position P1 by a first imaging portion; ¶0098 the program to be executed in the first authenticating device and the second authenticating device of the present embodiment may be configured such that the program is stored on a computer connected to a network such as Internet, and is provided by being downloaded through the network)
Saito in view of Taira discloses:
in a case a number of persons of whom the first biometrics information is registered in the first database is equal to or greater than a specified number, generating a second database in which second biometrics information satisfying a predetermined condition is registered, the second biometrics information extracted from the first biometrics information registered in the first database;
Saito discloses a second database in which second biometrics information satisfying a predetermined condition is registered, the second biometrics information extracted from the first biometrics information registered in the first database: (Saito ¶0031 processing, when the authentication of the passer by the first authentication processing has succeeded (predetermined condition), a second authenticating device which executes a second authentication processing to authenticate a passer, using biological data (an example of fourth biological data) acquired from a second image G2 that is obtained by imaging a passer passing through a second position P2 that is at the more downstream side than the first position P1 in the moving direction of the passer by a second imaging portion 21, and the feature data for authentication stored in the feature data memory; ¶0111 discloses a second authenticating device 42 is installed at the boarding gate BG, and performs acquisition and so on of biological data from an image obtained by imaging by the camera 121 which is provided so that a person passing through the relevant boarding gate BG can be imaged; he second authenticating device 42 executes an authentication processing of the person passing through the boarding gate BG, using the acquired biological data and the biological data stored in the first memory; ¶0115 when the second authentication processing has succeeded, the third authenticating device stores the discrimination data (from a passport, etc. see ¶0114) and the biological data used in the second authentication processing in in the second memory 46, in association with each other). Saito does not explicitly disclose in a case a number of persons of whom the first biometrics information is registered in the first database is equal to or greater than a specified number, generating a second database. Taira suggests or disclose this limitation/concept: (Taira ¶0056 if the amount of registered face information Rf of the membership DB 101a is large, the face authentication module 232 can execute the face authentication process by a high-precision algorithm which requires a long processing time; ¶0057 when executing face authentication by using the features of the face, the membership DB 101a and visiting customer DB 102a may store features of the face as the face information Rf of the member and the face information Cf of the visiting customer; ¶0063 the number of face information pieces of visiting customers, which the visiting customer DB 102a stores, is less than the number of face information pieces of members, which the membership DB 101a stores). Since each individual element and its function are shown in the prior art, albeit shown in separate references, the difference between the claimed subject matter and the prior art rests not on any individual element or function but in the very combination itself- that is in the substitution of the visitor database of Taira for the second database of Saito.
Saito in view of Taira further in view Ishibashi:
making a watch list of persons who has entered the management area by using the second database in which the second biometric information of persons who are permitted to enter the management area is registered;
Saito discloses authenticating persons or passengers who have entered the management area, but does not explicitly disclose making a watch list of persons who has entered the management area by using the second database in which the second biometric information of persons who are permitted to enter the management area is registered. Saito does not explicitly disclose making a watch list of persons who has entered the management area by using the second database in which the second biometric information of persons who are permitted to enter the management area is registered. Ishibashi suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Ishibashi ¶0055 disclosing the data memory storing list data which includes a black list (e.g., wanted list) or a white list (e.g., passengers who need special services) in the admittance system including a facial image of a specific person; ¶0054 discloses the data memory including a database storing facial images of each passenger; ¶0113 disclosing indicating the passenger(s) are admitted or allowed to pass through to a certain area (e.g. boarding area) based on facial imaging). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito in view of Taira to include making a watch list of persons who has entered the management area by using the second database in which the second biometric information of persons who are permitted to enter the management area is registered as taught by Ishibashi. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in view of Taira in order to manage visitors by using biometric information such as facial images of persons (see ¶0003 of Ishibashi).
executing second biometrics authentication for a visitor making a transaction in the management area by referring to visitor registration information registered in the watch list.
Saito discloses executing second biometrics authentication for a visitor making a transaction in the management area: (Saito ¶0036 second authenticating device executes a processing for controlling the passing of a passer (transaction); the second authenticating device executes a processing to permit passing of a passer, by opening an entrance gate provided at the second position P2, or opening a lock of a door provided at the second position P2; ¶0041 the feature data memory (an example of a memory) which stores the feature data for authentication (the feature data acquired from the first image G1 or the feature data read from the medium M) that is an example of the biological data; ¶0042 a second passer authenticating portion which executes the second authentication processing to authenticate a passer, using the feature data acquired by the relevant second facial feature extracting portion and the feature data for authentication stored in the feature data memory). Saito does not explicitly disclose executing second biometrics authentication for a visitor making a transaction in the management area by referring to visitor registration information registered in the watch list. Ishibashi suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Ishibashi ¶0115 The list retrieval processing at the step S3 is processing executed in the boarding procedure, and it is a processing of retrieving a facial image which is similar to (or matches with) a facial image shot by the camera 12 (the first facial image) from facial images registered in the list data 64a. Further, the list retrieval processing at the step S37 is processing executed when approaching the boarding gate (when approaching the gate G), and it is processing of retrieving a facial image which is similar to (or matches with) a facial image shot by the camera 15 (the second facial image) from facial images registered in the list data 64a). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito in view of Taira to include executing second biometrics authentication for a visitor making a transaction in the management area by referring to visitor registration information registered in the watch list as taught by Ishibashi. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in view of Taira in order to manage visitors by using biometric information such as facial images of persons (see ¶0003 of Ishibashi).
Claims 16 and 17: Claims 16 and 17 are directed to a method and non-transitory medium, respectively. Claims 16 and 17 recite limitations that are parallel in nature as those addressed above for claim 1, which is directed towards an apparatus. Claims 16 and 17 are therefore rejected for the same reasons as set forth above for claim 1. Furthermore, claim 17 recites:
(Claim 17): A non-transitory storage medium storing a program executed by an information processing apparatus: (Saito ¶0203 program to be executed in the boarding guide device 40, the first authenticating device 41, the second authenticating device 42, the third authenticating device 43, the fourth authenticating device 44 of the present embodiment, may be configured such that the program is provided with being recoded in a computer readable recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) in a file form of an installable format or an executable format)
Claim 2: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: acquiring the visitor registration information of the person associated with the transaction from the second database. (Saito ¶0036 second authenticating device executes a processing for controlling the passing of a passer (transaction); the second authenticating device executes a processing to permit passing of a passer, by opening an entrance gate provided at the second position P2, or opening a lock of a door provided at the second position P2; ¶0041 the feature data memory (an example of a memory) which stores the feature data for authentication (the feature data acquired from the first image G1 or the feature data read from the medium M) that is an example of the biological data; ¶0042 a second passer authenticating portion which executes the second authentication processing to authenticate a passer, using the feature data acquired by the relevant second facial feature extracting portion and the feature data for authentication stored in the feature data memory)
Claim 3: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: acquiring from the second database the visitor registration information of the person who can use the transaction in a predetermined time zone. (Saito ¶0033 the first authentication processing and the second authentication processing are executed, using the biological data read from a medium M held by a passer passing through the first position P1, and thereby, since it becomes unnecessary to retrieve biological data to be used in the first, second authentication processings from a database which an upper device such as the server 30 has; ¶0032 executes the second authentication processing to authenticate a passer, using the biological data acquired from the second image G2 obtained by imaging a passer passing through the second position P2 by the second imaging portion 21, and the feature data for authentication stored in the feature data memory 31, and thereby performs an identification processing to detect whether or not the passer passing through the second position P2 is the same person as the passer passing through the first position P1)
Claim 6: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: when the second biometrics authentication fails, executing third biometrics authentication of the second biometrics information of the person used in the second biometrics authentication and a plurality of pieces of the visitor registration information registered in the second database.
Saito discloses executing multiple (third, etc.) biometrics authentications and indicates that when biometrics fail, the person may not enter the access area, but does not explicitly disclose that when the second biometrics authentication fails, executing third biometrics authentication of the second biometrics information of the person used in the second biometrics authentication and a plurality of pieces of the visitor registration information registered in the second database. Taira suggests or discloses this limitation/concepts: (Taira ¶0086 if the face authentication failed (ACT 107, NO), the processor 121 deems that the visiting customer is not registered as a member, and executes an exceptional process (non-membership process); e.g., if the face authentication failed, the processor 121 generates information for a non-member for the visiting customer (ACT 110). The processor 121 associates the face information Cf of the visiting customer with non-membership information, and stores the associated information as non-membership visiting customer information in the visiting customer DB 102a (ACT 109); ¶0087 the center server 101 may execute the face authentication process between the face information Cf of the visiting customer and the registered face information Rf. In this case, the processor 121 of the store server 102 executes, as a process taking the place of ACT 105 to ACT 108, a process of requesting the center server 101 to execute face authentication, and acquiring a result of the face authentication). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito to include that when the second biometrics authentication fails, executing third biometrics authentication of the second biometrics information of the person used in the second biometrics authentication and a plurality of pieces of the visitor registration information registered in the second database as taught by Taira. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in order to authenticate a user for a purchase (see ¶0022 of Taira).
Claim 7: The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform:
outputting notification information based on the results of the second biometrics authentication and the third biometrics authentication.
Saito discloses returning results of the authentication, but does not explicitly disclose outputting notification information based on the results of the second biometrics authentication and the third biometrics authentication. Taira suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Taira ¶0087 the center server 101 may execute the face authentication process between the face information Cf of the visiting customer and the registered face information Rf. In this case, the processor 121 of the store server 102 executes, as a process taking the place of ACT 105 to ACT 108, a process of requesting the center server 101 to execute face authentication, and acquiring a result of the face authentication). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito to include outputting notification information based on the results of the second biometrics authentication and the third biometrics authentication as taught by Taira. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in order to authenticate a user for a purchase (see ¶0022 of Taira).
Claim 8: The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform:
acquiring the visitor registration information of the person associated with settlement information from the second database; and executing the transaction including settlement process of an article and/or a service based on the settlement information.
Saito discloses a system wherein a passers info is determined once their biometrics is scanned for authentication, but does not explicitly disclose acquiring the visitor registration information of the person associated with settlement information from the second database; and executing the transaction including settlement process of an article and/or a service based on the settlement information. Taira suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Taira ¶0022 second interface acquires information including face information of a person of settlement. The second processor executes face authentication between the face information of the person of settlement included in the information acquired by the second interface and the face information of the visitor which the visitor database stores, and executes a settlement process by using the registered information of the member corresponding to the face information of the visitor which was successfully authenticated with the face information of the person of settlement; ¶0031 user who entered the settlement corner performs a purchasing settlement of commodities by using the settlement terminal; ¶0032 settlement terminal 103 is an apparatus which executes a settlement of an amount of money, such as a purchase price of commodities. The settlement terminal 103 connects to the second camera 105. The second camera 105 photographs the face of the person (person of settlement) who makes a settlement of a price). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito to include acquiring the visitor registration information of the person associated with settlement information from the second database; and executing the transaction including settlement process of an article and/or a service based on the settlement information as taught by Taira. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in order to authenticate a user for a purchase (see ¶0022 of Taira).
Claim 9: The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: acquiring the visitor registration information of the person associated with a predetermined service from the second database; and executing the transaction for providing the service. (Saito ¶0111 second authenticating device 42 is installed at the boarding gate BG, and performs acquisition and so on of biological data from an image obtained by imaging by the camera 121 which is provided so that a person passing through the relevant boarding gate; the second authenticating device 42 executes an authentication processing of the person passing through the boarding gate BG, using the acquired biological data and the biological data stored in the first memory; ¶0112 when the biological data acquired from an image obtained by imaging a person passing through the boarding gate BG coincides with any of the biological data stored in the first memory 45, assuming that the authentication processing of the person passing through the boarding gate BG has succeeded, the second authenticating device 42 opens the boarding gate BG or opens a key of a door instated at the boarding gate BG, to permit passing of the boarding gate BG; note: the first authenticating device 41 stores the imaging condition of the camera 111 in the second memory 46 (an example of a storage device), in association with the discrimination data used in the relevant first authentication processing; a facial image of a person stored in the passport as discrimination data from the passport P held by a passing person, and full name, sex, age of the person are displayed on the left side, in association with each other (¶0109))
Claim 11: The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform:
acquiring the visitor registration information of the person who is permitted to board an aircraft from the second database based on the scheduled departure time and the current time of the aircraft associated with a boarding gate provided in the management area of an airport, and controlling passage of the person at the boarding gate.
Saito discloses acquiring the visitor registration information of the person who is permitted to board an aircraft from the second database associated with a boarding gate provided in the management area of an airport, and controlling passage of the person at the boarding gate: (Saito ¶0111 second authenticating device 42 is installed at the boarding gate BG, and performs acquisition and so on of biological data from an image obtained by imaging by the camera 121 which is provided so that a person passing through the relevant boarding gate; the second authenticating device 42 executes an authentication processing of the person passing through the boarding gate BG, using the acquired biological data and the biological data stored in the first memory; ¶0112 when the biological data acquired from an image obtained by imaging a person passing through the boarding gate BG coincides with any of the biological data stored in the first memory 45, assuming that the authentication processing of the person passing through the boarding gate BG has succeeded, the second authenticating device 42 opens the boarding gate BG or opens a key of a door instated at the boarding gate BG, to permit passing of the boarding gate BG; note: the first authenticating device 41 stores the imaging condition of the camera 111 in the second memory 46 (an example of a storage device), in association with the discrimination data used in the relevant first authentication processing; a facial image of a person stored in the passport as discrimination data from the passport P held by a passing person, and full name, sex, age of the person are displayed on the left side, in association with each other (¶0109)). Sait does not explicitly disclose that the visitor registration information of the person who is permitted to board an aircraft from the second database based on the scheduled departure time and the current time of the aircraft. Ishibashi suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Ishibashi ¶0113 disclosing indicating the passenger(s) are admitted or allowed to pass through to a certain area (e.g. boarding area) based on facial imaging; ¶0246 the control section 31 of the ticketing information managing device 13 may transfer the passenger information organized in accordance with each passenger plane to the in-flight information managing device 130 in each passenger plane at a predetermined time (e.g., a predetermined time ahead of a departure time of each passenger plane). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito in view of Taira to include acquiring the visitor registration information of the person who is permitted to board an aircraft from the second database based on the scheduled departure time and the current time of the aircraft associated with a boarding gate provided in the management area of an airport, and controlling passage of the person at the boarding gate as taught by Ishibashi. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in view of Taira in order to appropriately transfer the passenger
information of a corresponding passenger plane to the in-flight information managing device (see ¶0245 of Ishibashi).
Claim 12: The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform:
acquiring the visitor registration information of the person on board the aircraft from the second database based on the estimated arrival time and the current time of the aircraft at an airport, and controlling passage of the person at a customs gate provided in the management area of the airport.
Saito discloses acquiring information of the passer entering a boarding gate, but does not explicitly disclose acquiring the visitor registration information of the person on board the aircraft from the second database based on the estimated arrival time and the current time of the aircraft at an airport, and controlling passage of the person at a customs gate provided in the management area of the airport. Ishibashi suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Ishibashi 0113 disclosing indicating the passenger(s) are admitted or allowed to pass through to a certain area (e.g. boarding area) based on facial imaging; Fig. 12 and ¶0208 in the admittance management system 3 according to the third embodiment, it is assumed that the inside of a passenger plane is a security area and a person who has got on board the passenger plane is monitored; ¶0209 camera 12 as a first biometric information acquiring section is set in the vicinity of the ticketing device 11. The camera 12 takes a facial image (a first facial image) as biometric information of the person (the passenger) M2 who is taking a boarding procedure. The ticketing device 11 transmits issued boarding ticket information (information including at least a name of a passenger, a flight number of a passenger plane and a seat number) and the first facial image of the passenger M2 taken by the camera 12 as passenger information to the ticketing information managing device; ¶0210 in-flight information managing device 130, each camera 150, the matching device 160 and the terminal device 170 are set in the passenger plane; in-flight information managing device 130 acquires the passenger information from the ticketing information managing device 13. The in-flight information managing device 130 acquires passenger information of each seat in the passenger plane from the ticketing information managing device; ¶0213 camera 150 as a second biometric information acquiring section is set at each seat 140 in the passenger plane). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito in view of Taira to include acquiring the visitor registration information of the person on board the aircraft from the second database based on the estimated arrival time and the current time of the aircraft at an airport, and controlling passage of the person at a customs gate provided in the management area of the airport as taught by Ishibashi. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in view of Taira in order to appropriately transfer the passenger information of a corresponding passenger plane to the in-flight information managing device (see ¶0245 of Ishibashi).
Claim 14: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: deleting the visitor registration information of the person who has left the management area.
Saito discloses erasing the feature data for authentication after a certain time period passes: (Saito ¶0080 the second passer authenticating portion erases the feature data for authentication wherein a prescribed time has passed since it is stored in the feature data memory), but does not explicitly disclose deleting the visitor registration information of the person who has left the management area. Taira suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Taira ¶0070 upon receiving the notification of the confirmation of exiting, a post-process module 281 of the store server 102 deletes the visiting customer information of the present customer from the visiting customer DB). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Saito to include deleting the visitor registration information of the person who has left the management area as taught by Taira since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately; one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Claim 15: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: acquiring the visitor registration information upon a success of the first biometrics authentication. (Saito ¶0031 executes a first authentication processing to authenticate a passer, using biological data (an example of first biological data) read from a medium M that a passer passing through a first position P1 holds, and biological data acquired from a first image G1 that is obtained by imaging the passer passing through the first position P1 by a first imaging portion 11, a server 30 having a feature data memory 31 which stores biological data (hereinafter, called feature data for authentication; ¶0108 boarding guide device is installed at a check-in counter as the first position P1, and reads destination data from an air ticket T (an example of a medium) held by a person to board an airplane or the like, reads discrimination data from a passport P held by the relevant person, and performs acquisition and so on of biological data from an image obtained by imaging by a camera provided so that the relevant person can be imaged; note passport info that makes the relevant passer discriminable includes identification number (ID number), full name, sex, age, belonging, carrier, etc. which is registration data (¶0044))
Claim(s) 4, 5, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito (2017/0070501) in view of Taira (2016/0189162) further in view of Ishibashi (2007/0046426) further in view of Hashim-Waris (2011/0248818).
Claim 4: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform:
acquiring the visitor registration information of the person existing within a predetermined distance from an execution place of the second biometrics authentication from the second database.
Saito in view of Taira discloses acquiring information of the passers when entering a boarding gate or management area and executing second biometrics authentication from a second database, but does not explicitly disclose acquiring the visitor registration information of the person existing within a predetermined distance from an execution place of the second biometrics authentication from the second database. Hashim-Waris suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Hashim-Waris ¶0107 disclosing the traveler assistance station detecting the proximity of a user and prompting the user to enter user data, e.g., providing biometric data, referencing data already stored in the system; see also ¶0084 disclosing a first and second entry access authentication). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito in view of Taira further in view of Ishibashi to include acquiring the visitor registration information of the person existing within a predetermined distance from an execution place of the second biometrics authentication from the second database as taught by Ishibashi. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in view of Taira further in view of Ishibashi in order to address improved management of visitors during a visit to a facility/environment device (see ¶0002 of Hashim-Waris).
Claim 5: The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: acquiring the visitor registration information from the second database based on position information in the management area acquired from a portable terminal carried by the person. (Saito ¶0114 third authenticating device 43 is installed at the immigration examination counter IC (an example of a second position), and reads discrimination data (an example of second discrimination data) from a passport P held by a person passing through the immigration examination counter IC; note passport info that makes the relevant passer discriminable includes identification number (ID number), full name, sex, age, belonging, carrier, etc. which is registration data (¶0044))
Claim 10: The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the service is a delivery service of duty-free goods at facilities installed in the management area of an airport, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: acquiring the visitor registration information of the person associated with the delivery service from the second database.
Saito in view of Taira discloses executing the biometrics authentication and acquiring visitor registration information in an airport (Saito) and at a merchant/store (see (Taira ¶0022 second interface acquires information including face information of a person of settlement. The second processor executes face authentication between the face information of the person of settlement included in the information acquired by the second interface and the face information of the visitor which the visitor database stores, and executes a settlement process by using the registered information of the member corresponding to the face information of the visitor which was successfully authenticated with the face information of the person of settlement; ¶0031 user who entered the settlement corner performs a purchasing settlement of commodities by using the settlement terminal; ¶0032 settlement terminal 103 is an apparatus which executes a settlement of an amount of money, such as a purchase price of commodities. The settlement terminal 103 connects to the second camera 105. The second camera 105 photographs the face of the person (person of settlement) who makes a settlement of a price)). The combination does not explicitly disclose that the service is a delivery service of duty-free goods at facilities installed in the management area of an airport, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: acquiring the visitor registration information of the person associated with the delivery service from the second database. Hashim-Waris suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Hashim-Waris ¶0064 a visitor management system provides apparatus-implemented systems and methods for virtual reception and/or visitor management at one or more environment access points; the term "environment" applies to any area defined by limited access (e.g., a building, group of buildings, hospital, campus, airport, amusement park, stadium, military or non-military base, etc.) where a receptionist or other, similar gatekeeper may be used (thus a duty-free delivery facility qualifies)). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Saito in view of Taira further in view of Ishibashi to include that the service is a delivery service of duty-free goods at facilities installed in the management area of an airport, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform: acquiring the visitor registration information of the person associated with the delivery service from the second database as taught by Hashim-Waris. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Saito in view of Taira further in view of Ishibashi in order to address improved management of visitors during a visit to a facility/environment device (see ¶0002 of Hashim-Waris).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito (2017/0070501) in view of Taira (2016/0189162) further in view of Ishibashi (2007/0046426) further in view of Sasaki (20190206171 ).
Claim 13: The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform:
acquiring the visitor registration information of the person who is permitted to enter and leave a restricted area set in the management area from the second database for each time period, and controlling entry and exit in the restricted area.
Saito discloses acquiring passer information when someone enters a restricted area, but does not explicitly disclose acquiring the visitor registration information of the person who is permitted to enter and leave a restricted area set in the management area from the second database for each time period, and controlling entry and exit in the restricted area. Sasaki suggests or discloses this limitation/concept: (Sasaki ¶0064 the entry/exit management method is roughly divided into two processes, i.e., a process of authenticating a user at the time of entry and a process of performing authentication at the time of exit; ¶0028 the system includes a controller for configuring the entry/exit management system to operate in a first operation mode in which the reader reads the personal information of the user to allow the entry gate to permit the entry of the user having the read personal information, and wherein in the first operation mode, after allowing the entry gate to permit the entry of the user, the authentication part authenticates the personal information recorded in the storage and does not allow the exit gate to permit the exit of the user until the personal information recorded in the storage is successfully authenticated). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Saito in view of Taira further in view of Ishibashi to include acquiring the visitor registration information of the person who is permitted to enter and leave a restricted area set in the management area from the second database for each time period, and controlling entry and exit in the restricted area as taught by Sasaki since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately; one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIONE N SIMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-5513. The examiner can normally be reached M-F; 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m..
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DIONE N. SIMPSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3628
/DIONE N. SIMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3628