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
The application of Paul Studerus for Method, System and Computer Program Product For Securing A Passageway filed 9/13/24 has been examined. Claims 1-16 are pending.
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.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 USC § 101 because the broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim drawn to a computer readable medium typically covers forms of non-transitory tangible media and transitory propagating signal per ser in view of the ordinary and customary meaning of computer readable media, particularly when the specification is silent (see MPEP 2111.01). When the broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim covers signal per se, the claim must be rejected under 35 U.S.C § 101 as covering non-statutory subject matter. See In re Nuijten, 500 F.3d 1346, 1356-57 (Fed. Cir. 2007).
Claim(s) 1-13 and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pirch et al. US Patent Application Publication 20200314651 in view of Eickhoff et al. US Patent Application Publication 20220044505.
.
Regarding claim 1, Pirch teaches a method for securing a passageway using a detection system comprising one or more UWB detection device(s) associated with the passageway, a proximity area, an intent area and a virtual tap area being associated with the passageway, the method comprising the steps:
executing ultra-wideband transmissions with an UWB-enabled
authentication device using one or more ultra-wideband transceiver(s) of the UWB detection device(s) to determine successive positions of the UWB- enabled authentication device by processing signal properties of the one or more ultra-wideband transmissions (paragraph 020-021, 026);
analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the proximity area (paragraph 026);
performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the intent area if an intent of passage is determined based on analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device (paragraph 026-027);
performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the virtual tap area, if no intent of passage could be determined based on analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device (an open area of an office with multiple secured doorways may result in waiting until the key device is at a particular doorway before the release occurs as a high enough probability of intent is not able to be determined because of the multiple secured doorways, paragraph 059). Pirch is silent on teaching enabling informing a user associated with the UWB-enabled authentication device that the intent of passage has been detected by the detection system. Eickhoff et al. in an analogous art teaches enabling informing a user associated with the UWB-enabled authentication device that the intent of passage has been detected by the detection system (paragraph 064).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Pirch as disclosed by Eickhoff et al. because such modification represents an improvement over the system of Pirch by providing additional means for aiding the user to identify the door to be accessed and further providing for a more user friendly system.
Regarding claim 2, Pirch teaches detecting an intent of passage through the passageway comprises comparing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device with a set of behavioral pattern(s) indicative of an intent of passage (paragraph 0117).
Regarding claim 3, Pirch teaches detecting an intent of passage through the passageway comprises detecting a reduction of the distance between the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device and the passageway (paragraph 0106-0108).
Regarding claim 4, Pirch teaches determining the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device further relative to a no-intent area (the no-intent area represents the area before the intent is determined, paragraph 037. 0106);
performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication
device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the no-intent area regardless of an intent of passage having been determined (credential is communicated to the reader, paragraph 028, 037).
Regarding claim 5, Pirch teaches the no-intent area and the intent area are arranged on opposite sides of the passageway (the non-intent area 120 is opposite to the intent area 125, fig. 1. Paragraph 028).
Regarding claim 6-10, Pirch is silent on teaching enabling informing a user associated with the UWB-enabled authentication device that the intent of passage has been detected by the detection system. Eickhoff et al. in an analogous art teaches enabling informing a user associated with the UWB-enabled authentication device that the intent of passage has been detected by the detection system (paragraph 064). The second, third, and fourth indication represents indication associated to each door to be access. Eickhoff et al. teaches generating data for controlling indicator device(s) to provide a visual, an audible indication (paragraph 064). The user is further authorized be entry is allowed (paragraph 065), therefore the user indication is not generated when the user is not authorized to access the passageway.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Pirch as disclosed by Eickhoff et al. because such modification represents an improvement over the system of Pirch by providing additional means for aiding the user to identify the door to be accessed and further providing for a more user friendly system.
Regarding claim 11, Pirch teaches performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device comprises:
authenticating a user associated with the UWB-enabled authentication
device by exchanging authentication data using the ultra-wideband
transmission(s) between the UWB-enabled authentication device and the ultra-wideband transceiver(s) of the UWB detection device(s) (paragraph 017,028,032);
determining whether the user is authorized passage through the passageway
if the user is authorized, granting passage through the passageway (028,032,039);
and if the user is not authorized, denying passage through the passageway (paragraph 042).
Regarding claim 12, Pirch teaches granting or denying passage through the passageway comprises controlling an access control barrier(s) and/or a door-lock such as to allow, respectively prevent passage through the passageway (paragraph 028,032,039,089).
Regarding claim 13, Pirch teaches disregarding any detected intent of passage through the passageway upon determining two or more UWB-enabled authentication devices within the intent area (paragraph 074) and/or within the proximity area and performing the access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the virtual tap area (paragraph 094).
Regarding claim 15, Pirch teaches a detection system for securing a passageway,
comprising one or more UWB detection device(s), each detection device(s) (reader, paragraph 020-023,053,056);
comprising one or more ultra-wideband transceiver(s) configured for executing ultra-wideband transmissions with an UWB-enabled authentication device (paragraph 052-054), wherein the detection system is configured to carry out the method comprising the steps:
executing ultra-wideband transmissions with an UWB-enabled authentication device using one or more ultra-wideband transceiver(s) of the UWB detection device(s) to determine successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device by processing signal properties of the one or more ultra-wideband transmissions (paragraph 026,053-054);
analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the proximity area (paragraph 026); performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the intent area if an intent of passage is determined based on analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device (paragraph 026-027); performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the virtual tap area, if no intent of passage could be determined based on analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device (virtual tap area is represented by an open area of an office with multiple secured doorways may result in waiting until the key device is at a particular doorway before the release occurs as a high enough probability of intent is not able to be determined because of the multiple secured doorways, paragraph 059). Pirch is silent on teaching generating a first user indication of a virtual tap area associated with the passageway. Eickhoff et al. in an analogous art teaches enabling informing a user associated with the UWB-enabled authentication device that the intent of passage has been detected by the detection system (paragraph 064)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Pirch as disclosed by Eickhoff et al. because such modification represents an improvement over the system of Pirch by providing additional means for aiding the user to identify the door to be accessed and further providing for a more user friendly system.
Regarding claim 16, Pirch teaches a computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processing unit of a detection system, in particular a detection system (1) according to claim 15 (paragraph 0120-021), causes the detection system to carry out the method comprising the steps:
executing ultra-wideband transmissions with an UWB-enabled authentication device using one or more ultra-wideband transceiver(s) of the UWB detection device(s) to determine successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device by processing signal properties of the one or more ultra-wideband transmissions (paragraph 052-054);
analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the intent area if an intent of passage is determined based on analyzing the successive positions of UWB-enabled authentication device (paragraph 026,053-054). performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the intent area if an intent of passage is determined based on analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device (paragraph 026-027); performing an access control process with the UWB-enabled authentication device upon determining the position of the UWB-enabled authentication device within the virtual tap area, if no intent of passage could be determined based on analyzing the successive positions of the UWB-enabled authentication device (virtual tap area is represented by an open area of an office with multiple secured doorways may result in waiting until the key device is at a particular doorway before the release occurs as a high enough probability of intent is not able to be determined because of the multiple secured doorways, paragraph 059). Pirch is silent on teaching generating a first user indication of a virtual tap area associated with the passageway. Eickhoff et al. in an analogous art teaches enabling informing a user associated with the UWB-enabled authentication device that the intent of passage has been detected by the detection system (paragraph 064)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Pirch as disclosed by Eickhoff et al. because such modification represents an improvement over the system of Pirch by providing additional means for aiding the user to identify the door to be accessed and further providing for a more user friendly system.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pirch et al. US Patent Application Publication 20200314651 in view of Eickhoff et al. US Patent Application Publication 20220044505 and further in view of Pajovic et al. US Patent Application Publication 20210152990.
Regarding claim 14, Pirch is silent on teaching the processing of the signal properties comprises processing one or more of: a propagation time, an amplitude variation, or a phase difference of signals of the one or more ultra-wideband transmission(s). Pajovic et al. in an analogous art teaches the processing of the signal properties comprises processing one or more of: a propagation time, an amplitude variation, or a phase difference of signals of the one or more ultra-wideband transmission(s) (paragraph 021).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Pirch in view of Eickhoff as disclosed by Pajovic et al. because such modification represents the substitution of one known method for determining the position credential providing device for another and producing the predictable result of determining the location of the credential providing device.
Conclusion
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/VERNAL U BROWN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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