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
Claims 1-5, 7-20 are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 9/8/26, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In that remarks, applicant argues in substance:
That: Applicant argues that Ahn does not disclose the limitation relating to “mapping rule setting page” and determining a target identifier corresponding to a sub-code, because Ahn merely uses a key-shift distance and does not map a password digit to a visual identifier such as a color or shape.
In response to applicant’s argument. Claim 1 does not require the “target identifier” to be a color or shape, pattern, or other visual identifier. Ahn discloses that a genuine password, e.g., “*123”, is transformed according to a preset key-shift rule into a corresponding security password, e.g., “8265” ([0030][0031]). Thus, each sub-code of the preset password corresponds to a different security-password key determined according to the preset transformation rule. Furthermore, the color or shape feature is rejected in claim 12 with combination of Ahn and US Patent Publication Number 201/0124654.
Ahn further discloses setting/configuring the password input relationship and displaying an input window having key positions arranged according to the defined transformation ([0044]-[0045], [0061]-[0063]). Accordingly, Ahn reasonable teaches the claimed mapping rule setting page and, in response to the setting operation, determining a target identifier corresponding to at least one sub-code. Applicant’s reliance on Specification’s examples of colors and shapes is not considered as limitations of claim 1. The rejection is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-11, 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ahn et al. US Patent Publication Number 2013/0047237, hereinafter Ahn.
Referring to claim 1, Ahn discloses an unlocking method (abstract, [0001]), comprising:
acquiring a target identifier (every digit of security password) corresponding to at least one sub-code (one digit) in a preset password (genuine password)([0008], receive a genuine password from a user terminal based on an initial setting.; [0029], the genuine password of a user is formed of four digits "*123") ;
displaying the target identifier (every digit of the security password) according to an input position of the sub-code (abstract, a password input module for receiving keys of a security password which are position-changed by applying the same shift distance to the key positions of the actual password in the input window displayed on a screen), wherein the input position of the sub-code dynamically changes according to a preset transformation rule ([0007][0008], shift value to change the positions of the password corresponds to the preset transformation rule);
acquiring a first password, the first password being input according to the target identifier ([0007][0008][0029][0030][0075], first password “8265”is acquired by the target identifier); and
performing unlocking (authentication) according to the preset password (genuine password), the preset transformation rule (the shift value) and the first password (the acquired security password)(abstract, [0008], if matched, the authentication is succeeded, and if not matched, the authentication is not succeeded);
wherein the method further comprises:
displaying a password setting page ([0044], displaying password setting screen);
acquiring a plurality of sub-codes input in the password setting page to obtain the preset password ([0045], password digits are entered by user);
displaying a mapping rule setting page ([0061], generates an input window on which are mixed and arranged the key buttons differently depending on every input instance in accordance with the size, shape and key buttons of the defined input window. The user device 3 displays the received input window on the screen, and receives the security password from the user);
in response to a setting operation on the mapping rule setting page, determining the target identifier corresponding to least one sub-code in the preset password ([0061], every digit of security password corresponding to the genuine password is entered); and
generating and displaying an unlocking password according to a preset transformation rule, the preset password and the target identifier ([0061]-[0063], display and authenticate the password authentication).
Referring to claim 2, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 1, wherein performing unlocking according to the preset password, the preset transformation rule and the first password comprises:
converting the preset password according to the preset transformation rule to obtain a second password ([0071], the shift value with respect to the genuine is determined to be the second password);
matching the first password with the second password to obtain a first matching result ([0071], When a security password is received, the password authentication module 34 compares whether to determine whether or not two shift values match with respect to the genuine password and the security password based on the map configuration of the stored password input window); and
performing unlocking according to the first matching result ([0071][0075], if matched, it is judged as the success of the authentication).
Referring to claim 3, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 1, wherein performing unlocking according to the preset password (genuine password), the preset transformation rule (shift value) and the first password (security password) comprises: parsing the first password (security password) according to the preset transformation rule (shift value) to obtain a target password ([0071], authentication using security password and shift value will allow the system to obtain the genuine password); matching the target password with the preset password to obtain a second matching result; and performing unlocking according to the second matching result ([0071][0075], authentication is performed by matching with the genuine password).
Referring to claim 4, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 3, wherein after parsing the first password according to the preset transformation rule to obtain the target password, the method further comprises: converting the target password on the basis of a preset password conversion rule to obtain a new target password ([0071][0075], security password is transformed with the shift value to compare with the genuine password for authentication).
Referring to claim 5, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the target identifier according to the input position of the sub-code comprises: determining the input position of the sub-code on an unlocking page on the basis of the preset transformation rule; and displaying the target identifier at the input position of the sub-code ([0065], security password word inputs are displayed).
Referring to claim 7, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 1, wherein generating and displaying the locking password according to the preset transformation rule, the preset password and the target identifier comprises:
converting the preset password according to a preset transformation rule to obtain the unlocking password ([0062][0071], using genuine password and shift value for authentication);
determining a target sub-code corresponding to the target identifier in the unlocking password ([0061]-[0062], [0071], passwords are determined for authentication); and
displaying the unlocking password, and displaying the target identifier according to the target sub-code ([0061]-[0063], display and authenticate the password authentication).
Referring to claim 8, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
displaying a password conversion rule setting page ([0060][0061], input with arranged key buttons are displayed for password input);
acquiring a password conversion rule set in the setting page ([0061][0062]; inputs are received with conversion rule) and
converting the preset password on the basis of the password conversion rule to obtain a new preset password ([0063], The password authentication module judges whether the genuine password and the security password of the user match with respect to the key button arrangements of the input window transmitted to the user device by calculating the shift values between two consecutive key buttons and transmits a result of the password authentication to the user device).
Referring to claim 11, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 1, wherein the preset password comprises number, letter, symbol, and pattern ([0029][0048], input could be combined of characters, numbers, images, special keys, emoticon to form the claimed number, letter, symbol, and pattern).
Referring to claim 13, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 5, wherein determining the input position of the sub-code on an unlocking page on the basis of the preset transformation rule comprises: a plurality of sub-codes in the preset password are arranged on the basis of the preset transformation rule; a first sub-code corresponding to the target identifier is determined from among the plurality of arranged sub-codes; and an input position of the first sub-code on an unlocking page is determined according to an arrangement position of the first sub-code in the plurality of arranged sub-codes (abstract, [0061][0063], the input digits are entered with shift values that changes input positions to scramble initial genuine password for security authentication ).
Referring to claims 9, 10, 14-20 the claims encompass the same scope of the invention as that of the claims 1-8. Therefore, claims 9, 10, 14-20 are rejected on the same ground as the claims 1-8.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn in view of Senac, US Patent Publication Number 201/0124654, hereinafter Senac.
Referring to claim 12, Ahn discloses the unlocking method according to claim 1, wherein the target identifier comprises color, shape, pattern, and texture.
Senac discloses a security interface where the entry key for the passcode includes the use of color, shape, pattern, and texture ([0034], figure 1, color, shape pattern and texture).
It would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the passcode representation using color, shape, pattern, and texture as suggested by Senac into Ahn because both Ahn and Senac discloses password entry from the user and Senac further suggests the passcode entry representation could be color, shape, pattern, and texture ([0034], figure 1, color, shape pattern and texture).
A person with ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make the modification to Ahn to enhancing the complexity of password entry as suggested by Senac to increase network security by introducing more than just the traditional key entries with numbers, symbols and characters.
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 extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIANGCHE A WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3992. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00am to 6:30pm.
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Liang-che Alex Wang
September 21, 2026
/LIANG CHE A WANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2447
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