Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to claims filed on September 24, 2024. Claims 1-20 are pending and presented for examination.
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Allowable Subject Matter
No rejection under 35 USC §§ 102, 103, 112 or 101 has been applied to claims 1-20 with the exception to the double patenting rejection below. Said claims recite the subject matter that formed the basis for allowance of the parent application (now U.S. Patent No. 12,132,608). Accordingly, the same reasons for allowance stated in the parent application are applicable to the present application (see Applicant’s remarks filed on April 26, 2024 for parent application 17/337579).
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
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Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over Claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,132,608. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims in both applications recite similar features. Said claims in both applications are directed to commissioning a target streaming media device onto a communication network, including receiving a message to initiate a commissioning process, using a short-range transmission path with a wireless device, conveying network configuration data according to a predetermined data format, decoding and processing network configuration packets and providing visual indication of commissioning process completion. Additionally, said claims in both applications are simply obvious variation, however, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
Each of the instant application claims (1, 10 and 16) recite features similar to those cited in claims (1, 11 and 16) in the U.S. Patent. Taking said claims in the instant application, as an exemplary, to compare to said claims in the U.S. Patent (see comparison table below). The rest of the instant application claims recite similar features as those cited in the U.S. Patent.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to omit elements when the remaining elements perform as before. A person of ordinary skill could have arrived at the present claims by omitting the details of said U.S. Patent claims. See In re Karlson (CCPA) 136 USPQ 184, decided January 16, 1963 (“Omission of element and its function in combination is obvious expedient if remaining elements perform same function as before”).
An exemplary table to show similarity among the conflicting claims.
Instant Application
U.S. Patent No. 12,132,608
1. A method for commissioning a target streaming media device onto a communication network, the method comprising:
receiving, from a wireless device and by the target streaming media device, a message to initiate a commissioning process with the target streaming media device;
receiving, using a short-range signal transmission path with the wireless device independent of the communication network, one or more network configuration packets from the wireless device, the one or more network configuration packets conveying network configuration data associated with the communication network according to a predetermined data format, the network configuration data including at least a security configuration data for accessing the communication network;
decoding and processing the one or more network configuration packets to recover the network configuration data;
joining, by the target streaming media device, the communication network using the network configuration data;
sending a success-complete message to the wireless device after successfully joining the communication network, via the communication network, to indicate that the target streaming media device has successfully joined the communication network, the sending the success-complete message being effective to direct the wireless device to provide a first visual indication on a graphical user interface of the wireless device that indicates the commissioning process is complete; and
providing a second visual indication on the target streaming media device that indicates the commissioning process is complete.
1. A method for commissioning a target streaming media device onto a communication network, the target streaming media device including a microprocessor, a wireless radio, and commissioning logic, the method comprising:
receiving, by the target streaming media device, a message to initiate a commissioning process with the target streaming media device;
establishing a short-range signal transmission path with a wireless device independently of the communication network;
after receiving the message, receiving one or more network configuration packets from the wireless device via the short-range signal transmission path, the one or more network configuration packets conveying network configuration data associated with the communication network according to a predetermined data format, the network configuration data including at least a security configuration data for accessing the communication network;
executing the commissioning logic on the target streaming media device to decode and process the one or more network configuration packets and recover the network configuration data;
after receiving the network configuration packets, employing via the wireless radio the network configuration data conveyed in the one or more network configuration packets to enable the target streaming media device to join the communication network; and
providing a visual indication that indicates the commissioning process is complete.
10. A target streaming media device, comprising:
a microprocessor;
a wireless radio;
a commissioning logic; and
one or more memories storing programs for execution by the target streaming media device, the programs including instructions capable of:
receiving, from a wireless device, a message to initiate a commissioning process with the target streaming media device;
receiving, using a short-range signal transmission path with the wireless device independent of a communication network, one or more network configuration packets from the wireless device, the one or more network configuration packets conveying network configuration data associated with the communication network according to a predetermined data format, the network configuration data including at least a security configuration data for accessing the communication network;
decoding and processing the one or more network configuration packets to recover the network configuration data;
joining, by the target streaming media device, the communication network using the network configuration data;
sending a success-complete message to the wireless device after successfully joining the communication network, via the communication network, to indicate that the target streaming media device has successfully joined the communication network, the sending the success-complete message being effective to direct the wireless device to provide a first visual indication on a graphical user interface of the wireless device that indicates the commissioning process is complete; and
providing a second visual indication that indicates the commissioning process is complete.
11. A target streaming media device, comprising:
a microprocessor;
a wireless radio;
a commissioning logic; and
one or more memories storing programs for execution by the target streaming media device, the programs including instructions capable of:
receiving a message to initiate a commissioning process with the target streaming media device;
establishing a short-range signal transmission path with a wireless device independently of a communication network;
after receiving the message, receiving one or more network configuration packets from the wireless device via the short-range signal transmission path, wherein the one or more network configuration packets convey network configuration data associated with the communication network according to a predetermined data format, the network configuration data including at least a security configuration data for accessing the communication network;
executing the commissioning logic on the target streaming media device to decode and process the one or more network configuration packets and recover the network configuration data;
after receiving the network configuration packets, employing via the wireless radio the network configuration data conveyed in the one or more network configuration packets to enable the target streaming media device to join the communication network; and
providing a visual indication that indicates the commissioning process is complete.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a target streaming media device for commissioning the target streaming media device onto a communication network, the target streaming media device including a microprocessor, a wireless radio, and commissioning logic, the one or more programs comprising instructions capable of:
receiving, from a wireless device, a message to initiate a commissioning process with the target streaming media device;
receiving, using a short-range signal transmission path with the wireless device independent of the communication network, one or more network configuration packets from the wireless device, the one or more network configuration packets conveying network configuration data associated with the communication network according to a predetermined data format, the network configuration data including at least a security configuration data for accessing the communication network;
decoding and processing the one or more network configuration packets to recover the network configuration data;
joining, by the target streaming media device, the communication network using the network configuration data;
sending a success-complete message to the wireless device after successfully joining the communication network, via the communication network, to indicate that the target streaming media device has successfully joined the communication network, the sending the success-complete message being effective to direct the wireless device to provide a first visual indication on a graphical user interface of the wireless device that indicates the commissioning process is complete; and
providing a second visual indication that indicates the commissioning process is complete.
16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a target streaming media device for commissioning the target streaming media device onto a communication network, the target streaming media device including a microprocessor, a wireless radio, and commissioning logic, the one or more programs comprising instructions capable of:
receiving a message to initiate a commissioning process with the target streaming media device;
establishing a short-range signal transmission path with a wireless device independently of a communication network;
after receiving the message, receiving one or more network configuration packets from the wireless device via the short-range signal transmission path, wherein the one or more network configuration packets convey network configuration data associated with the communication network according to a predetermined data format, the network configuration data including at least a security configuration data for accessing the communication network;
executing the commissioning logic on the target streaming media device to decode and process the one or more network configuration packets and recover the network configuration data;
after receiving the network configuration packets, employing via the wireless radio the network configuration data conveyed in the one or more network configuration packets to enable the target streaming media device to join the communication network; and
providing a visual indication that indicates the commissioning process is complete.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to form PTO-892 (Notice of Reference Cited) for a list of relevant prior art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMED A WASEL whose telephone number is (571) 272-2669. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri (8:00 am – 4:30 pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Glenton Burgess can be reached on (571)272-3949. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOHAMED A. WASEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2454