DETAILED ACTION
This communication responsive to the Application No. 18/862,997 filed on 06/30/2026. Claims 17-35 are pending and are directed towards UPDATING DIGITAL CERTIFICATES OF AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM WITH A MOBILE TERMINAL
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 Arguments
Applicants’ arguments have been fully considered but are not persuasive. Applicant’s arguments rest substantially on limitations that do not appear in claim 17, and limitations from the written description are not imported into the claims. Claim 17 recites a certificate used for authenticating a communication established within or with the elevator system. The claim does not recite that the certificate is stored in an elevator component or that it authenticates the elevator system to some other party. Applicant’s statement that the elevator system itself comprises digital certificates saved in its devices or components, is not required by the claim. Secondly, to enable the mobile terminal to check, states a capability or intended result of the connecting step. For this, Zhang discloses the check. Third, “automatically updating a digital certificate” has no counterpart step in the body of claim 17 and therefore does not limit the claim. In any event, Zhang and Mandava resolves all these issues described below.
Zhang’s mobile terminal performs a certificate check. Applicant’s arguments each address only offline verification module 122 in the wireless beacon (Zhang, para [0012], [0061], [0074]- [0075]) and are entirely silent to a second, independent checking operation that Zhang locates in the personal mobile terminal itself. A reference must be evaluated for all that it teaches. Zhang, para [0072] states that elevator service request unit 240, which Zhang, para [0068] places in personal mobile terminal 200, is further configured to check whether the authorized digital certificate is present and to detect whether a digital certificate in the personal mobile terminal is an authorized digital certificate, before the elevator service request command is generated. Further, where an authorized certificate is found, unit 240 can generate the request command, where none is found or the detected certificate is unauthorized, unit 240 cannot generate the command and the passenger cannot complete the elevator service request. The same appears in method form in Zhang, para [0085] in S430 and is summarized at Zhang, para [0027] and [0037].
Applicant’s assertion that Zhang’s mobile terminal does not itself check or verify the certificate in any manner is therefore directly contradicted by Zhang in para [0027], [0037], [0072] and [0085]. Applicant’s citations to Zhang, para [0069] and [0088] establish only that the mobile terminal also transmits the certificate, they do not negate the checking operation recited three paragraphs earlier at para [0072]. Zhang teaches checking at both ends, a terminal side check preceding request generation, and a beacon side verification following transmission.
Regarding applicant’s argument on the terminal side check being a time validity check. Zhang, para [0066] clarifies as to what makes a certificate “authorized”, the authorized digital certificate has a corresponding authorization period, which Zhang equates to the validity period or life period of the certificate, and Zhang states that on expiry the certificate turns into an unauthorized digital certificate which cannot be successfully verified, See Zhang, para [0026], [0036]. A certificate is “authorized” only while within its authorization period i.e., its time validity, para [0066]. Zhang’s mobile terminal detects whether a certificate it holds is authorized or unauthorized in para [0072], [0085]. Therefore, Zhang’s mobile terminal determines whether the time validity of a certificate governing elevator communication has lapsed.
Regarding applicant’s argument that Zhang does not disclose the renewal purpose. Applicant argues that Zhang is access control authentication and not certificate maintenance and updating. Examiner disagrees. Zhang, para [0071] provides that where the authorization period expires, digital certificate acquisition unit 220 reacquires an authorized digital certificate having a new authorization period, so that the elevator service request function of the personal mobile terminal can be continued (See Zhang, para [0026], [0036]). Zhang, para [0089] provides that if the certificate turns invalid, step S410 is performed again to update or reacquire the certificate, and Zhang, para [0096] says the same as to step S510. Zhang, para [0073] states that the mobile terminal acquires or updates the certificate online from management device 300. That is a certificate maintenance and renewal loop: lapse of validity, obtain a replacement certificate bearing a fresh validity period, resume authenticated elevator communication. Applicant’s characterization of this as “an entirely different technical operation serving an entirely different objective” cannot be reconciled with those paragraphs.
Zhang’s certificate is a certificate of the elevator system as claimed. On the claim language in claim 17, it only requires that the certificate authenticate a communication established within or with the elevator system, and Zhang’s certificate is transmitted over the short-range link between mobile terminal 200 and wireless beacon 120/130 to authenticate that communication and the command it carries (Zhang, para [0062], [0069]). Applicant’s claim definition reads directly onto Zhang. On the reference, Zhang’s certificate is not a foreign credential merely presented to the elevator system (Zhang, para [0062]) states that the authorized digital certificate is treated as a valid certificate by an administrator of elevator system 10, that its content may correspond to content stored on an RF card for entering an elevator, and that the certificate is defined and generated in digital certificate management device 300 of authentication system 20. Zhang, para [0016] recites that the authentication system further comprises the digital certificate management device and Zhang, para [0017] recites an elevator system comprising that authentication system. Under Zhang claims 12 and 13, the elevator system comprises the device that defines, generates and issues the certificate. The certificate is issued by, managed by, and belongs to the elevator system’s certificate infrastructure. Further, the check occurs while the terminal is connected to the elevator system. Zhang discloses short range communication unit 210 sensing the beacon’s broadcast signal and establishing wireless communication with beacon 120/130, S540. Zhang also discloses generation of the request command on the sensed signal strength meeting a threshold and place the certificate check immediately before that generation. The check is thus triggered by and occurs in the context of the mobile terminal’s connection to the elevator system, exactly as recited in claim 17.
Regarding Mandava disclosing a conditional trigger keyed to a predefined time limit, applicant argues that claim 17 generates the signal when specific criteria are met whereas Mandava simply communicates an expiration time. Mandava discloses otherwise. Mandava, para [0006] recites initiating the renewal in response to determining that the expiration time is within a threshold of a current time. Mandava, para [0031] gives examples of the expiration date being 48 hours away or one week away. Mandava, para [0048] states that instrumentation code 335 compares the expiration date to a current date and initiates renewal where the remaining time is less than a threshold amount. Mandava, para [0066] in block 508 gives a 24-hour threshold. Mandava, para [0073] in block 610 has the monitoring system initiate renewal where the expiration time is less than a threshold amount of time from the current time. Mandava discloses the threshold condition in claims 7 and 12. A threshold amount of time from the current time is a predefined time limit, and action taken only when expiry falls within that threshold is a determination that the certificate is expired or will expire by a predefined time limit. Hence, applicants asserted distinction is not persuasive.
Furthermore, Mandava discloses that the monitoring computer system or instrumentation code sends a notification to a user of the certificate alerting the user of the upcoming expiration time, that one or more specific individuals may be alerted and that a second individual is alerted if the first does not respond within a particular amount of time (See Mandava, para [0005] and claims 2, 13 and 15). A notification an individual must read and respond to is necessarily human-perceptible and issued only on satisfaction of the threshold condition. This necessarily conveys the result of the check.
Mandava discloses a connecting device checking the host’s certificate. Even accept arguendo Applicants’ narrow reading of “digital certificate of the elevator system”, Mandava discloses that architecture. Mandava para [0021] states that a server may send a digital certificate back to a client to authenticate the server to the client, the illustration being an online shopping server authenticating itself to a shopper’s computer. Mandava, para [0033] states that server computer system 101 sends a different digital certificate to client computer system 110. Mandava, para [0034] states that in Fig 1B arrangement, instrumentation program code 137, resident on the client, intercepts a message sent by server computer system 101, detects the server’s certificate in that message, determines its expiration date and renews it (See Mandava, claims 8, 10, 12 and 13). This is the direction of the information flow. Applicant asserts is absent from the art: the connecting device checking the host system’s certificate and initiating renewal on a threshold bases. Mandava further discloses the mobile form factor in para [0045] where it states that computer system 300, which para [0044] says may correspond to the client, server or proxy, may be a smartphone, tablet or laptop and in para [0075] states that computer system 700 may correspond to a mobile device such as a tablet, smart phone, laptop or wearable.
Applicants’ argument regarding analogous art. Applicants’ argument that Mandava “has nothing to do with elevators” is not a basis for withdrawal. Art is analogous if it is in the same field of endeavor or reasonably pertinent to the particular problem with which the inventor was concerned. Applicant’s stated problem is the lapse of digital certificates used to authenticate communications and the need to renew them before service is disrupted. Mandava, para [0033] identifies exactly that problem, an expired certificate can no longer be used for authentication, obtaining a replacement may take minutes, hours or days, and the owner is locked out of the associated content or service in the interim. Mandava, para [0024] states the solution and its benefit i.e., certificates expiring soon can be renewed before they expire, avoiding the delay that follows an attempt to use an already- expired certificate. Nor need Mandava’s architecture be bodily incorporated into an elevator, the test is what the combined teachings would have suggested to one of ordinary skill. No monitoring server need be installed in a machine room, only the threshold-triggered pre-expiry alert of Mandava, para [0066] and [0031]- [0032] need be applied to the certificates Zhang already acknowledges will lapse.
Applicants’ argument regarding motivation to combine. Applicant states that in Mandava, para [0005], standing alone, does not disclose elevators. That is an imprecision in the articulation of the motivation, not an absence of rational, and it is cured as follows. The motivation arises from Zhang itself: Zhang in para [0066] teaches that its certificates carry a finite validity period and that expiry renders them unauthorized and unverifiable. Zhang, para [0066] and [0095] S550 teach the resulting consequence, that the request is not authenticated and a failure result is returned and Zhang, para [0071], [0089] and [0096] teach that a fresh certificate must be obtained for elevator service to continue. A person of ordinary skill implementing Zhang is therefore confronted with the problem of certificates lapsing and interrupting elevator service. Zhang’s mechanism is reactive, para [0071] acts once the period has expired and para [0089] and [0096] act once the certificate has turned invalid. Zhang thus identifies the need without solving it pre-emptively. Mandava supplies the known solution and its stated benefit, para [0006], [0031], [0048], [0066] and [0073] disclose detecting that expiry falls within a predefined threshold and acting before lapse; para [0032] discloses alerting the responsible user and para [0024] states the benefit, namely avoiding the disruption that follows an attempt to use an expired certificate, precisely the disruption Zhang, para [0066] describes. Applying Mandava’s threshold triggered pre-expiry alert to Zhang’s expiring elevator certificates is the application of a known technique to a known device ready for improvement, yielding a predictable result of pre-emptive rather than reactive renewal.
As to hindsight, on which applicant relies, supports the rejection. The reconstruction draws only on knowledge in the art i.e., Zhang’s own recognition at para [0066], [0071], [0089] and [0096] that its certificates expire and must be renewed and Mandava’s threshold- based pre-expiry notification at para [0006] and [0031]- [0032]. Nothing is taken from Applicant’s disclosure, and Applicant’s contention that “only the applicant’s own disclosure provides the teaching” is untenable in view of these passages. As to the assertion that the references solve entirely different problems, Zhang, para [0066] states the expiry problem and Mandava, para [0003] and [0024] solve it where the primary reference identifies a shortcoming, the motivation to consult art addressing that shortcoming is supplied by the primary reference.
Regarding the element-by-element mapping of claim 17, Zhang, para [0071] describes that when the authorization period expires, acquisition unit 220 does not merely report failure, it reacquires an authorized digital certificate having a new authorization period so that the elevator service request function can be continued. Zhang, para [0089] and [0096] teach the “automatically” character by providing re-acquisition to repeating steps S410 and S510 on invalidity without a fresh manual enrollment. Hence, the paragraphs teach an update triggered by the certificates own expiry and the arguments are not persuasive.
Regarding claims 24, 29 and the dependent claims, applicant argues that claim 24 and 29 solely mutatis mutandis from claim 17 and advances no separate patentability argument for claims 18-23, 25-28 and 30-34. They fall with claim 17. Zhang, para [0017] and claim 13 (an elevator system comprising the authentication system) and Zhang, para [0018] and claim 14 (a system in which the terminal sends to a beacon in the elevator system) further meet the apparatus framing of claims 29 and 24 respectively. Hence the arguments are not persuasive and the rejection is maintained.
Suggested amendments to overcome the prior art: Applicant may amend the claims to recite along the lines or analogous to establishing a local wireless connection between a mobile terminal and a component of the elevator system; reading, by the mobile terminal, over the established connection, a digital certificate stored in said component of the elevator system and determining, by the mobile terminal, a time validity of the read digital certificate by comparing a validity field thereof with a current time. Zhang’s terminal only inspects a certificate already resident in its own storage unit 230, obtained remotely from management device 300. Zhang contains no teaching of a mobile terminal reading a certificate out of an elevator component over the local link. Mandava’s instrumentation code likewise reads certificates out of intercepted messages and not out of counterparty device’s storage.
Additionally, neither of the reference discloses a mobile terminal acting as the delivery vehicle that installs a replacement certificate into an infrastructure device. Zhang, para [0071] has the terminal re-download a certificate for itself and Mandava route the renewal request from the monitoring or instrumented computer to the issue with no connecting mobile device carrying and installing the replacement. This clear distinction can help the applicant by amend the claim to recite along the lines or analogous to responsive to the check result, obtaining, by the mobile terminal, a renewed digital certificate for the component of the elevator system and writing the renewed digital certificate into component of the elevator system over the local connection replacing the expired or expiring digital certificate.
These amendments yield in a claim which the mobile terminal connects locally to an elevator component, reads the components stored certificate, evaluates its remaining validity against a predefined limit, signals the result to a human and installs a replacement certificate into the component. The reading and writing steps are absent in Zhang and Mandava.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 17-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 20190276273 A1), hereinafter referred to as Zhang, in view of Mandava et al. (US 20200127854 A1) hereinafter referred to as Mandava.
As per claim 17, Zhang discloses a method for automatically updating a digital certificate of an elevator system, wherein the digital certificate is used for authenticating a communication established within or with the elevator system, the method comprising steps of:
connect a mobile terminal to the elevator system to enable the mobile terminal to check a time validity of the digital certificate of the elevator system; and (Receiving a sent authorized digital certificate and a sent elevator service request command, wherein the elevator service request command is generated by a personal mobile terminal, and the authorized digital certificate is acquired from a digital certificate management device by the personal mobile terminal; and verifying the authorized digital certificate in an offline mode to implement authentication of the elevator service request command, Zhang, para [0005]. Here, the authorized digital certificate obtained from a digital certificate management device is a standard digital certificate which includes a validity period, the verification step inherently involves checking whether the certificate is valid, which normally includes checking whether it is within its validity interval).
However, Zhang does not explicitly disclose the limitation:
generate a human-perceptible signal indicating a check result when the time validity of the digital certificate is expired or will expire by a predefined time limit
Mandava discloses:
generate a human-perceptible signal indicating a check result when the time validity of the digital certificate is expired or will expire by a predefined time limit (A notification to a user of the digital certificate alerting the user of the expiration time, Mandava, para [0005]. The check result is that the certificate’s validity period is near the end or expired and sending a notification based on the determined expiration time constitutes generating a human-perceptible signal indicating that result).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005]).
As per claim 18, Zhang and Mandava disclose the method according to Claim 17 wherein
Furthermore, Zhang discloses:
the elevator system includes a local network and a device connected with the local network, the device including the digital certificate, and wherein the device is identified in the check result (An authentication method for an elevator service request implemented in an elevator system where an authentication system receives a certificate and service request command from a personal mobile terminal and verifies the certificate, Zhang, para [0005]. The authentication system and relevant elevator controller are devices connected within the elevator system’s internal network. This interpreted as local network and a device connected with the local network inside the elevator system).
As per claim 19, Zhang and Mandava disclose the method according to Claim 17 wherein
Furthermore, Zhang discloses:
the mobile terminal includes the digital certificate and the mobile terminal is identified in the check result (Generated by a personal mobile terminal, and the authorized digital certificate is acquired from a digital certificate management device by the personal mobile terminal. At step S540, a response result of an elevator system to the elevator service request command is returned to the personal mobile terminal., Zhang, Abstract, para [0094]. Thus, the mobile terminal itself stores/holds the authorized digital certificate and sends it along with the elevator service request which is analogous to the mobile terminal includes the digital certificate).
As per claim 20, Zhang and Mandava disclose the method according to Claim 17 wherein
the elevator system includes a local network and a device connected with the local network, wherein the device includes the digital certificate or a different digital certificate and the mobile terminal includes the digital certificate or the different digital certificate, and (The personal mobile terminal acquires and holds an authorized digital certificate from a management device. The elevator’s authentication system uses its own trust certificate for offline verification, Zhang, para [0005]. This corresponds to having both the elevator-side device including digital certificate and the mobile terminal including a digital certificate).
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
wherein the check result identifies the device and/or the mobile terminal when the time validity of the included one of the digital certificate and the different digital certificate is expired or will expire by the predefined time limit (The system determines an expiration time of time digital certificate and when appropriate, sends a notification to a user of the digital certificate alerting the user of the expiration time, Mandava, para [0032], [0065]. Combinedly this discloses that, when the elevator system determines that either its own certificate or the mobile terminal’s certificate is near or past expiration, it can generate a human-perceptible signal/notification that inherently identifies whether the problem is with the elevator-side device or the mobile terminal).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 21, Zhang and Mandava disclose the method according to Claim 17 including
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
request to update the digital certificate when the human-perceptible signal is generated (A renewal process for digital certificate 325 using instrumentation program code 335. In some embodiments, the renewal process may be initiated if the detected expiration date is within a threshold amount of time from a current date, Mandava, para [0066]).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005]).
As per claim 22, Zhang and Mandava disclose the method according to Claim 17 including, when the time validity of the digital certificate is expired or will expire by the predefined time limit, performing steps of:
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
generate a new digital certificate; (Initiating a renewal of the digital certificate, Mandava, para [0005]. This means causing the system to obtain a new certificate instance with a fresh validity period often a new key pair to replace the old one. This renewal process is equivalent to a new digital certificate).
send the new digital certificate with a signature request to a public key infrastructure (PKI) to authenticate the new digital certificate; (Digital certificates may be issued by a trusted third party not directly associated with the client or server computer systems, Mandava, para [0003]. Here, the digital certificates may be issued by a certificate authority (CA))
sign the new digital certificate with a private key at the PKI; (A public encryption key, an indicator of a type of encryption, and an encrypted value indicating a validity of the certificate, Mandava, para [0071]. Here, when a CA issues a digital certificate, it signs the certificate with the CA’s key so that other entities can verify it with the public key)
obtain the signed new digital certificate from the PKI; and (The information is sent using communication application module 220, or a different communication method is used, Mandava, para [0071]. Renewal involves interaction with a CA which then issues the renewed certificate back to the system)
distribute the signed new digital certificate and update the digital certificate with the signed new digital certificate (This extracted information is sent by instrumentation program code 235 to monitoring computer system 130. FIGS. 3A and 3B depict how instrumentation program code interacts with previously installed program code when a computer system receives (FIG. 3A) or sends (FIG. 3B) a digital certificate, Mandava, para [0044], [0071]. Here, the certificates are associated with particular applications or services and the system manages them so those applications continue to use valid certificates).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 23, Zhang and Mandava disclose the method according to claim 22 wherein
Furthermore, Zhang discloses:
the mobile terminal, the elevator system and/or a device of the elevator system receives the signed new digital certificate and verifies the signed new digital certificate with a public key (Personal mobile terminal acquires an authorized digital certificate from a digital certificate management device, Zhang, para [0005]. The elevator-side system interacts with a certificate management device and perform offline authentication based on authorized digital certificate).
As per claim 24, Zhang and Mandava disclose a mobile terminal
Furthermore, Zhang discloses:
for accessing and/or controlling an elevator system, the elevator system including a digital certificate for authenticating a communication established within or with the elevator system, (Receiving a sent authorized digital certificate and a sent elevator service request command, wherein the elevator service request command is generated by a personal mobile terminal, and the authorized digital certificate is acquired from a digital certificate management device by the personal mobile terminal; and verifying the authorized digital certificate in an offline mode to implement authentication of the elevator service request command, Zhang, para [0005]. Here, the authorized digital certificate obtained from a digital certificate management device is a standard digital certificate which includes a validity period, the verification step inherently involves checking whether the certificate is valid, which normally includes checking whether it is within its validity interval).
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
wherein when the mobile terminal is connected with the elevator system the mobile terminal is adapted to check a time validity of the digital certificate and generate a human-perceptible signal indicating a check result when the time validity of the digital certificate is expired or will expire by a predefined time limit (A notification to a user of the digital certificate alerting the user of the expiration time, Mandava, para [0005]. The check result is that the certificate’s validity period is near the end or expired and sending a notification based on the determined expiration time constitutes generating a human-perceptible signal indicating that result).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 25, Zhang and Mandava disclose the mobile terminal according to Claim 24 wherein
the elevator system includes a local network and a device connected with the local network, the device and the mobile terminal including the digital certificate or a different digital certificate, and (The personal mobile terminal acquires and holds an authorized digital certificate from a management device. The elevator’s authentication system uses its own trust certificate for offline verification, Zhang, para [0005]. This corresponds to having both the elevator-side device including digital certificate and the mobile terminal including a digital certificate).
Furthermore, Mandava disclose:
wherein the mobile terminal is adapted to identify the device and/or the mobile terminal when the digital certificate and/or the different digital certificate is expired or will expire by the predefined time limit (The system determines an expiration time of time digital certificate and when appropriate, sends a notification to a user of the digital certificate alerting the user of the expiration time, Mandava, para [0032], [0065]. Combinedly this discloses that, when the elevator system determines that either its own certificate or the mobile terminal’s certificate is near or past expiration, it can generate a human-perceptible signal/notification that inherently identifies whether the problem is with the elevator-side device or the mobile terminal).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 26, Zhang and Mandava disclose the mobile terminal according to Claim 24 wherein
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
the mobile terminal requests to update the digital certificate when generating the human-perceptible signal (A renewal process for digital certificate 325 using instrumentation program code 335. In some embodiments, the renewal process may be initiated if the detected expiration date is within a threshold amount of time from a current date, Mandava, para [0066]).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 27, Zhang and Mandava disclose the mobile terminal according Claim 24 wherein, when the time validity of the digital certificate is expired or will expire by the predefined time limit, the mobile terminal:
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
generates a new digital certificate; (Initiating a renewal of the digital certificate, Mandava, para [0005]. This means causing the system to obtain a new certificate instance with a fresh validity period often a new key pair to replace the old one. This renewal process is equivalent to a new digital certificate).
sends the new digital certificate with a signature request to a public key infrastructure (PKI) for authenticating the new digital certificate; (Digital certificates may be issued by a trusted third party not directly associated with the client or server computer systems, Mandava, para [0003]. Here, the digital certificates may be issued by a certificate authority (CA))
obtains a signed new digital certificate from the PKI; and (The information is sent using communication application module 220, or a different communication method is used, Mandava, para [0071]. Renewal involves interaction with a CA which then issues the renewed certificate back to the system)
distributes the signed new digital certificate to the elevator system and updates the digital certificate with the signed new digital certificate (This extracted information is sent by instrumentation program code 235 to monitoring computer system 130. FIGS. 3A and 3B depict how instrumentation program code interacts with previously installed program code when a computer system receives (FIG. 3A) or sends (FIG. 3B) a digital certificate, Mandava, para [0044], [0071]. Here, the certificates are associated with particular applications or services and the system manages them so those applications continue to use valid certificates).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 28, Zhang and Mandava disclose the mobile terminal according to Claim 27 wherein
Furthermore, Zhang discloses:
the mobile terminal verifies the signed new digital certificate with a public key saved in the mobile terminal (Personal mobile terminal acquires an authorized digital certificate from a digital certificate management device, Zhang, para [0005]. The elevator-side system interact with a certificate management device and perform offline authentication based on authorized digital certificate).
As per claim 29, Zhang discloses an elevator system including a digital certificate for authenticating a communication established within or with the elevator system, wherein a mobile terminal connected to the elevator system checks a time validity of the digital certificate, and (Receiving a sent authorized digital certificate and a sent elevator service request command, wherein the elevator service request command is generated by a personal mobile terminal, and the authorized digital certificate is acquired from a digital certificate management device by the personal mobile terminal; and verifying the authorized digital certificate in an offline mode to implement authentication of the elevator service request command, Zhang, para [0005]. Here, the authorized digital certificate obtained from a digital certificate management device is a standard digital certificate which includes a validity period, the verification step inherently involves checking whether the certificate is valid, which normally includes checking whether it is within its validity interval).
However, Zhang does not explicitly disclose the limitation:
the elevator system generates a human-perceptible signal indicating a check result when the time validity of the digital certificate is expired or will expire by a predefined time limit
Mandava discloses:
the elevator system generates a human-perceptible signal indicating a check result when the time validity of the digital certificate is expired or will expire by a predefined time limit (A notification to a user of the digital certificate alerting the user of the expiration time, Mandava, para [0005]. The check result is that the certificate’s validity period is near the end or expired and sending a notification based on the determined expiration time constitutes generating a human-perceptible signal indicating that result).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 30, Zhang and Mandava disclose the elevator system according to Claim 29 wherein the elevator system includes a local network and a device connected with the local network, the device and the mobile terminal including the digital certificate or a different digital certificate, and (The personal mobile terminal acquires and holds an authorized digital certificate from a management device. The elevator’s authentication system uses its own trust certificate for offline verification, Zhang, para [0005]. This corresponds to having both the elevator-side device including digital certificate and the mobile terminal including a digital certificate).
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
wherein the mobile terminal is adapted to access and/or control the elevator system (The system determines an expiration time of time digital certificate and when appropriate, sends a notification to a user of the digital certificate alerting the user of the expiration time, Mandava, para [0032], [0065]. Combinedly this discloses that, when the elevator system determines that either its own certificate or the mobile terminal’s certificate is near or past expiration, it can generate a human-perceptible signal/notification that inherently identifies whether the problem is with the elevator-side device or the mobile terminal).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 31, Zhang and Mandava disclose the elevator system according to Claim 29 wherein
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
the elevator system requests to update the digital certificate when generating the human-perceptible signal (A renewal process for digital certificate 325 using instrumentation program code 335. In some embodiments, the renewal process may be initiated if the detected expiration date is within a threshold amount of time from a current date, Mandava, para [0066]).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 32, Zhang and Mandava disclose the elevator system according to Claim 29 including a controller that:
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
generates a new digital certificate and a signature request; (Initiating a renewal of the digital certificate, Mandava, para [0005]. This means causing the system to obtain a new certificate instance with a fresh validity period often a new key pair to replace the old one. This renewal process is equivalent to a new digital certificate).
sends the new digital certificate with the signature request to a public key infrastructure (PKI) for authenticating the new digital certificate; (Digital certificates may be issued by a trusted third party not directly associated with the client or server computer systems, Mandava, para [0003]. Here, the digital certificates may be issued by a certificate authority (CA))
obtains a signed new digital certificate from the PKI; and (The information is sent using communication application module 220, or a different communication method is used, Mandava, para [0071]. Renewal involves interaction with a CA which then issues the renewed certificate back to the system)
distributes the signed new digital certificate to the elevator system and/or the mobile terminal to update the digital certificate with the signed new digital certificate (This extracted information is sent by instrumentation program code 235 to monitoring computer system 130. FIGS. 3A and 3B depict how instrumentation program code interacts with previously installed program code when a computer system receives (FIG. 3A) or sends (FIG. 3B) a digital certificate, Mandava, para [0044], [0071]. Here, the certificates are associated with particular applications or services and the system manages them so those applications continue to use valid certificates).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005])
As per claim 33, Zhang and Mandava disclose the elevator system according to Claim 32 wherein
Furthermore, Zhang discloses:
the elevator system verifies the signed new digital certificate with a public key that is saved in the elevator system (Personal mobile terminal acquires an authorized digital certificate from a digital certificate management device, Zhang, para [0005]. The elevator-side system interacts with a certificate management device and perform offline authentication based on authorized digital certificate).
As per claim 34, Zhang and Mandava disclose a computer program comprising computer-readable instructions,
Furthermore, Mandava discloses:
the computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the instructions when executed by a processor cause an elevator system and a mobile terminal to carry out the steps of the method according to Claim 17 (A processing unit may also be configured to execute program instructions from any suitable form of non-transitory computer-readable media to perform specified operations, Mandava, para [0077]).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava in order to ensure safe access of a mobile device to an elevator (See Mandava, para [0005]).
Claims 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 20190276273 A1), hereinafter referred to as Zhang, in view of Mandava et al. (US 20200127854 A1) hereinafter referred to as Mandava in further view of Levy et al. (US 20200084195 A1), hereinafter referred to as Levy
As per claim 35, Zhang and Mandava disclose the method according to Claim 17 further comprising a step of:
However, Zhang in view of Mandava does not explicitly disclose:
generate a different human-perceptible signal indicating the check result when the time validity of the digital certificate lasts until and including the predefined time limit.
Levy discloses:
generate a different human-perceptible signal indicating the check result when the time validity of the digital certificate lasts until and including the predefined time limit (The certificate installation agent of the computing service 102 monitors usage of the digital certificate 106 according to configuration information provided by an administrator of the computing service 102 to determine whether the digital certificate 106 is set to expire. For instance, the certificate installation agent may evaluate the digital certificate 106 provided by the computing service 102 to identify the expiration date of the digital certificate 106 and to determine whether this expiration date is within a pre-defined time range identified in the configuration information. If the expiration date is within this pre-defined time range, the certificate installation agent may refer to the configuration information to determine what operations are to be performed to inform administrators of the computing service 102 of the impending expiration of the digital certificate 106, Levy, para [0021]. Here, two different visual indicators. In Fig 3., the certificate installation agent evaluates digital certificate 304 to determine whether it is set to expire within a time range specified in the configuration information. Where the certificate is within that range, the service transmits data causing the client device to render a negative favicon 312 and where not, client renders the ordinary favicon 310 normally associated with the computing service).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Zhang with Mandava by elevator service request and offline authentication of the elevator service request (Zhang) and tracking digital certificate using instrumentation (Mandava) with detecting digital certificate expiration (Levy). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Zhang and Mandava with Levy in order to give the responsible user advance and unambiguous notice of certificate status and thereby avoid the service interruption followed from certificate expiry (See Levy, para [0021])
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.
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Respectfully Submitted
/RAGHAVENDER NMN CHOLLETI/Examiner, Art Unit 2492
/RUPAL DHARIA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2492
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