The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This Office action is in response to communications filed on 10/17/2024.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 12, the limitations recite “A first network node device, comprising: with the first network node device being operationally coupled to a second network node […] and wherein the first network node device includes a processor and a memory […].”
It’s unclear how the preamble connects with the body of the claim as the claim is clearly not a series of components that make up the first network node device, but the preamble suggests that the body of the claim should list a series of components that make up the first network node device.
Regarding claims 13-19, the limitations invoke, by reference, all of the limitations of claim 12. Therefore, claims 13-19 are rejected for the same reasons as set forth in the rejection of claim 12, above.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 10, 12-16, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sutton et al. (US 20100025460 A1, hereinafter Sutton) in view of Coppinger (US 20100115624 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Sutton discloses a method, comprising:
by a first network node device that is operationally coupled to a second network node device over a network and operationally coupled to a device over a one-to-one connection (Fig. 1, an interface 106 (first network node) coupled to a user device 102 (second network node) over a network 104, and connected to a system 108 over a connection not involving other parties - see also Fig. 4),
with the device being operable to receive and perform commands that include a restricted command related to a secured function of the device (¶[0060], "the mobile banking interface 106 receives an instruction from the user device"; ¶[0061], "the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction. If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508"; ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention")
that requires a network node device to be authorized to send that command to the device through the first network node device (¶[0061], "At step 506, the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction. If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508 […] if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508 where an authentication request is sent to the user device. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, authentication is performed by the security layer 314 of mobile banking interface 106. At step 510, the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication was successful. If authentication was unsuccessful, the method proceeds to step 518 where processing ends. If authentication was successful, the method continues to step 512"; ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction"; Sutton, ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention"),
sending, by the first network node device, to the device over the one-to-one connection, a first indication that includes the restricted command received from the second network node device responsive to authorizing the second network node device to send the restricted command to the device through the first network node device (¶[0061], "If authentication was successful, the method continues to step 512"; ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction"; Fig. 4, only financial information system 108 is connected to the mobile banking interface through the connector)
based on a network node device identifier associated with the second network node device (¶[0061], "If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508 […] if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508 where an authentication request is sent to the user device. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, authentication is performed by the security layer 314 of mobile banking interface 106. At step 510, the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication was successful. If authentication was unsuccessful, the method proceeds to step 518 where processing ends. If authentication was successful, the method continues to step 512" - note, authentication is defined as "Verifying the identity of a user, process, or device, often as a prerequisite to allowing access to resources in an information system", see definition of authentication from NIST Information Technology Laboratory, 2021).
Sutton does not disclose that the device is a Point of Sale (POS) device; and that the authorizing is based on a set of authorized network node device identifiers that corresponds to those network node devices that are authorized to send the restricted command to the POS device through the first network node device.
Coppinger discloses that the device is a Point of Sale (POS) device (¶[0037], "The data control system performs the process shown in FIG. 3 upon receipt by the wireless router 110 of a data packet from any source on the system LAN 100 or from the external network 160"; ¶[0038], "the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the destination IP address contained therein corresponds to a wireless point of sale device 125 on the wireless point of sale LAN 120, a wired point of sale device 145 on the wired point of sale LAN 140, a wireless non-point of sale device 135 on the wireless non-point of sale LAN 130, or a wired non-point of sale device 155 on the wired non-point of sale LAN 150"); and
that the authorizing is based on a set of authorized network node device identifiers that corresponds to those network node devices that are authorized to send the restricted command to the POS device through the first network node device (¶[0069], "the data control system determines in step 840 whether the data from the external network 160 is from an authorized source. For example, the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the source internet protocol (IP) address contained therein corresponds to the IP address of the payment host 170 or secure host 180. If the data was not from an authorized source, the wireless router 110 blocks the data from being sent to the point of sale device in step 820"; ¶[0070], if "the data is destined and received via a secure connection from an authorized source, the data control system allows the data from the external network 160 to be sent to the point of sale device").
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Sutton in view of Coppinger so that the device is a Point of Sale (POS) device; and that the authorizing is based on a set of authorized network node device identifiers that corresponds to those network node devices that are authorized to send the restricted command to the POS device through the first network node device.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it is "desirable to provide a means for securing data on a local area network with point of sale devices as well as non-point of sale devices. It is also desirable to provide a means for securing data when such a local area network has both wired and wireless devices" (Coppinger, ¶[0005]).
Regarding claim 2, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 1, above, further comprising: receiving, by the first network node device, from the second network node device over the network, a second indication that includes a command associated with the POS device (Sutton, ¶[0060], "the mobile banking interface 106 receives an instruction from the user device" - that the device is a POS device is a result of the combination with Coppinger);
wherein the authorizing step is responsive to determining that the command corresponds to the restricted command (Sutton, ¶[0061], "At step 506, the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction"); and
determining to send the restricted command to the POS device responsive to the authorizing step (Sutton, ¶[0061], "If authentication was successful, the method continues to step 512"; ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction").
Regarding claim 3, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 1, above, wherein the restricted command is stored in non-volatile memory of the first network node device (Sutton, ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention"; ¶[0073], "instruction security levels can be defined and associated with instructions in a similar manner to the aforementioned instruction security levels" - storage device for defining and associating inherent, the type of memory used is a design choice. However, see also ¶[0094], "Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored in main memory 1408 and/or secondary memory 1410. Computer programs may also be received via communications interface 1424. Such computer programs, when executed, enable computer system 1400 to implement the present invention as discussed herein").
Regarding claim 4, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 1, above, further comprising: receiving, by the first network node device, from the second network node device over the network, a second indication that includes a command associated with the POS device (Sutton, ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention" - suggesting multiple instructions may be received; ¶[0060], "the mobile banking interface 106 receives an instruction from the user device" - that the device is a POS device is a result of the combination with Coppinger);
determining to send the command to the POS device responsive to determining that the command does not correspond to the restricted command (Sutton, ¶[0061], "the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction. If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508"); and
sending, by the first network node device, to the POS device over the one-to-one connection, a third indication that includes the command (Sutton, ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction").
Regarding claim 5, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 1, above, wherein the authorizing step includes: determining that the network node device identifier associated with the second network node device corresponds to one of the set of authorized network node device identifiers (Coppinger, ¶[0069], "the data control system determines in step 840 whether the data from the external network 160 is from an authorized source. For example, the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the source internet protocol (IP) address contained therein corresponds to the IP address of the payment host 170 or secure host 180. If the data was not from an authorized source, the wireless router 110 blocks the data from being sent to the point of sale device in step 820"; ¶[0070], if "the data is destined and received via a secure connection from an authorized source, the data control system allows the data from the external network 160 to be sent to the point of sale device").
Regarding claim 6, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 5, above, further comprising: receiving, by the first network node device, from the second network node device over the network, a second indication that includes a command associated with the POS device (Sutton, ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention" - suggesting multiple instructions may be received; ¶[0060], "the mobile banking interface 106 receives an instruction from the user device" - that the device is a POS device is a result of the combination with Coppinger) and
the network node device identifier associated with the second network node device (Coppinger, ¶[0069], "the data control system determines in step 840 whether the data from the external network 160 is from an authorized source. For example, the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the source internet protocol (IP) address contained therein corresponds to the IP address of the payment host 170 or secure host 180. If the data was not from an authorized source, the wireless router 110 blocks the data from being sent to the point of sale device in step 820"); and
wherein the authorizing step is responsive to determining that the command corresponds to the restricted command (Sutton, ¶[0061], "the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction. If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508"; ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction").
Regarding claim 7, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 1, above, wherein the set of authorized network node device identifiers is stored in non-volatile memory of the first network node device (Coppinger, ¶[0069], "the data control system determines in step 840 whether the data from the external network 160 is from an authorized source. For example, the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the source internet protocol (IP) address contained therein corresponds to the IP address of the payment host 170 or secure host 180. If the data was not from an authorized source, the wireless router 110 blocks the data from being sent to the point of sale device in step 820" - storing the IP to perform the comparison inherent and computers, and the type of memory (volatile/non-volatile) is a design choice).
Regarding claim 10, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 1, above, further comprising: receiving, by the first network node device, from the POS device over the one-to-one connection, an indication that the restricted command was performed by the POS device (Sutton, ¶[0062], "at step 514 the mobile banking interface 106 receives a response from the financial system 108 as a result of processing the function"); and
forwarding, by the first network node device, to the second network node device, an indication that the restricted command was performed by the POS device.
Regarding claim 12, Sutton discloses a first network node device (Fig. 1, a mobile banking interface ), comprising:
with the first network node device being operationally coupled to a second network node device over a network and operationally coupled to a device over a one-to-one connection (Fig. 1, an interface 106 (first network node) coupled to a user device 102 (second network node) over a network 104, and connected to a system 108 over a connection not involving other parties - see also Fig. 4),
with the device being operable to receive and perform commands that include a restricted command related to a secured function of the device (¶[0060], "the mobile banking interface 106 receives an instruction from the user device"; ¶[0061], "the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction. If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508"; ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention")
that requires a network node device to be authorized to send that command to the device through the first network node device (¶[0061], "At step 506, the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction. If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508 […] if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508 where an authentication request is sent to the user device. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, authentication is performed by the security layer 314 of mobile banking interface 106. At step 510, the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication was successful. If authentication was unsuccessful, the method proceeds to step 518 where processing ends. If authentication was successful, the method continues to step 512"; ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction"; Sutton, ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention"); and
wherein the first network node device includes a processor and a memory, with the memory containing instructions executable by the processor (Fig. 1, a mobile banking interface 106 - which is a computer system and inherently includes memory and processor to execute instructions from the memory (see also ¶[0095], "computer program products comprising software stored on any computer useable medium. Such software, when executed in one or more data processing device, causes a data processing device(s) to operate as described herein")) whereby the processor is configured to:
send, to the device over the one-to-one connection, a first indication that includes the restricted command received from the second network node device responsive to an authorization of the second network node device to send the restricted command to the device through the first network node device (¶[0061], "If authentication was successful, the method continues to step 512"; ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction"; Fig. 4, only financial information system 108 is connected to the mobile banking interface through the connector)
based on a network node device identifier associated with the second network node device (¶[0061], "If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508 […] if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508 where an authentication request is sent to the user device. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, authentication is performed by the security layer 314 of mobile banking interface 106. At step 510, the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication was successful. If authentication was unsuccessful, the method proceeds to step 518 where processing ends. If authentication was successful, the method continues to step 512" - note, authentication is defined as "Verifying the identity of a user, process, or device, often as a prerequisite to allowing access to resources in an information system", see definition of authentication from NIST Information Technology Laboratory, 2021).
Sutton does not disclose that the device is a Point of Sale (POS) device; and that the authorizing is based on a set of authorized network node device identifiers that corresponds to those network node devices that are authorized to send the restricted command to the POS device through the first network node device.
Coppinger discloses that the device is a Point of Sale (POS) device (¶[0037], "The data control system performs the process shown in FIG. 3 upon receipt by the wireless router 110 of a data packet from any source on the system LAN 100 or from the external network 160"; ¶[0038], "the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the destination IP address contained therein corresponds to a wireless point of sale device 125 on the wireless point of sale LAN 120, a wired point of sale device 145 on the wired point of sale LAN 140, a wireless non-point of sale device 135 on the wireless non-point of sale LAN 130, or a wired non-point of sale device 155 on the wired non-point of sale LAN 150"); and
that the authorizing is based on a set of authorized network node device identifiers that corresponds to those network node devices that are authorized to send the restricted command to the POS device through the first network node device (¶[0069], "the data control system determines in step 840 whether the data from the external network 160 is from an authorized source. For example, the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the source internet protocol (IP) address contained therein corresponds to the IP address of the payment host 170 or secure host 180. If the data was not from an authorized source, the wireless router 110 blocks the data from being sent to the point of sale device in step 820"; ¶[0070], if "the data is destined and received via a secure connection from an authorized source, the data control system allows the data from the external network 160 to be sent to the point of sale device").
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Sutton in view of Coppinger so that the device is a Point of Sale (POS) device; and that the authorizing is based on a set of authorized network node device identifiers that corresponds to those network node devices that are authorized to send the restricted command to the POS device through the first network node device.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it is "desirable to provide a means for securing data on a local area network with point of sale devices as well as non-point of sale devices. It is also desirable to provide a means for securing data when such a local area network has both wired and wireless devices" (Coppinger, ¶[0005]).
Regarding claim 13, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 12, above, wherein the memory includes further instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to: receive, from the second network node device over the network, a second indication that includes a command associated with the POS device (Sutton, ¶[0060], "the mobile banking interface 106 receives an instruction from the user device" - that the device is a POS device is a result of the combination with Coppinger); and
determine that the command corresponds to the restricted command (Sutton, ¶[0061], "At step 506, the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction"); and
determine to send the restricted command to the POS device responsive to the authorization (Sutton, ¶[0061], "If authentication was successful, the method continues to step 512"; ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction").
Regarding claim 14, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 12, above, wherein the memory includes further instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to: receive, from the second network node device over the network, a second indication that includes a command associated with the POS device (Sutton, ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention" - suggesting multiple instructions may be received; ¶[0060], "the mobile banking interface 106 receives an instruction from the user device" - that the device is a POS device is a result of the combination with Coppinger);
determine to send the command to the POS device responsive to determining that the command does not correspond to the restricted command (Sutton, ¶[0061], "the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction. If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508");
send, to the POS device over the one-to-one connection, a third indication that includes the command (Sutton, ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction").
Regarding claim 15, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 12, above, wherein the memory includes further instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to: determine that the network node device identifier associated with the second network node device corresponds to one of the set of authorized network node device identifiers (Coppinger, ¶[0069], "the data control system determines in step 840 whether the data from the external network 160 is from an authorized source. For example, the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the source internet protocol (IP) address contained therein corresponds to the IP address of the payment host 170 or secure host 180. If the data was not from an authorized source, the wireless router 110 blocks the data from being sent to the point of sale device in step 820"; ¶[0070], if "the data is destined and received via a secure connection from an authorized source, the data control system allows the data from the external network 160 to be sent to the point of sale device").
Regarding claim 16, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 15, above, wherein the memory includes further instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to: receive, from the second network node device over the network, a second indication that includes a command associated with the POS device (Sutton, ¶[0072], "Each instruction received from a user device at a service module, such as service modules 306, 308, and 312 of FIG. 3, is associated with a particular authentication level, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention" - suggesting multiple instructions may be received; ¶[0060], "the mobile banking interface 106 receives an instruction from the user device" - that the device is a POS device is a result of the combination with Coppinger) and
the network node device identifier associated with the second network node device (Coppinger, ¶[0069], "the data control system determines in step 840 whether the data from the external network 160 is from an authorized source. For example, the wireless router 110 examines the data packet to determine whether the source internet protocol (IP) address contained therein corresponds to the IP address of the payment host 170 or secure host 180. If the data was not from an authorized source, the wireless router 110 blocks the data from being sent to the point of sale device in step 820"); and
determine that the command corresponds to the restricted command (Sutton, ¶[0061], "the mobile banking interface 106 determines whether authentication is needed in order to process the parsed instruction. If no authentication is needed, the method continues to step 512; otherwise, if authentication is needed, the method then proceeds to step 508"; ¶[0062], "At step 512, the mobile banking interface 106 calls a function corresponding to the parsed instruction from step 504. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the function is called through connector API 318, with the function implementation provided by plug-in 332. As previously disclosed, the function communicates with financial system 108 to perform the requested instruction").
Regarding claim 20, Sutton discloses a system, comprising:
a first network node device (Fig. 1, an interface 106 (first network node));
a second network node device operationally coupled to the first network node device over a network (Fig. 1, the interface 106 coupled to a user device 102 (second network node) over a network 104);
a point of sale (POS) device operationally coupled to the first network node device over a one-to-one connection (Fig. 1, the interface 106 coupled to a user device 102 (second network node) over a network 104, and connected to a system 108 over a connection not involving other parties - see also Fig. 4).
The remaining limitations of claim 20 are similar in scope to those of claim 1. Therefore, claim 20 is rejected for the same reasons as set forth in the rejection of claim 1, above.
Claim(s) 11 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sutton (US 20100025460 A1) in view of Coppinger (US 20100115624 A1), as respectively applied to claims 1 and 12, above, and further in view of Goolkasian et al. (US 20220036336 A1, hereinafter Goolkasian).
Regarding claim 11, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 1.
The combined system of Sutton and Coppinger does not disclose that the POS device includes a printer and a cash drawer and the unsecured function of the POS device is associated with printing a sales receipt and the secured function of the POS device is associated with opening or closing the cash drawer.
Goolkasian discloses that a POS device may include a printer and a cash drawer and an unsecured function of the POS device may be associated with printing a sales receipt (¶[0284], "there could be multiple POS terminal(s) connected to a number of other devices, such as “secondary” terminals, e.g., back-of-the-house systems, printers, line-buster devices, POS readers, and the like, to allow for information from the secondary terminal to be shared between the primary POS terminal(s) and secondary terminal(s), for example via short-range communication technology"; ¶[0338], "the user computing device 2902 can include various other components that are not shown, examples of which include removable storage, a power source, such as a battery and power control unit, a barcode scanner, a printer, a cash drawer, and so forth"; ¶[0171], "an example user interface 1120 that can enable a worker to build an order, print a bill, process payment, or the like (e.g., functionality that may not have been available via the instant application) but is available via the full point-of-sale application. In some examples, the graphical user interfaces in FIGS. 11F and 11G can be presented by the full point-of-sale application (after downloading onto the user computing device 104). In some examples, the graphical user interfaces in FIGS. 11F and 11G can be presented by one or more other instant applications (e.g., if the worker does not download the full point-of-sale application") and
the secured function of the POS device is associated with opening or closing the cash drawer (¶[0153], "FIG. 8C illustrates an example of a user interface element 802 that can be presented by the instant application, which can enable the worker to open a cash drawer (e.g., the task). In at least one example, the user interface element 802 can be presented as a pop-up, overlay, or the like. In at least one example, the instant application can present a user interface instead of the user interface element 802. In some examples, the user interface element 802 can include a selectable element 804 that when selected, causes the cash drawer to be opened. In at least one example, a user interface 806 can be presented to indicate that an action is being performed (i.e., the cash drawer is being opened), as illustrated in FIG. 8D. In some examples, the user interface 806 can be presented automatically (e.g., based on detecting an actuation of the selectable element 804). In other examples, based at least in part on detecting actuation of the selectable element, the instant application can request that the worker input a passcode via a user interface 808, as illustrated in FIG. 8E, which the worker can do via an interaction with the user interface 808, as illustrated in FIG. 8F. Responsive to providing the passcode, the instant application can perform the task (e.g., open the cash drawer), and the user interface 806 can be presented via the user computing device 104, as illustrated in FIG. 8D. That is, the instant application can send an instruction to a merchant computing device or other device associated with a cash drawer to cause the cash drawer to open").
Note that in Goolkasian a passcode is only required for the opening of the drawer (¶[0153]), but not for the printing. Therefore, opening the drawer is a "secured function" and printing a receipt is an "unsecured function".
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger in view of Goolkasian so that the POS device includes a cash drawer and the secured function of the POS device is associated with opening or closing the cash drawer.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would enable expediting a "checkout flow" (Goolkasian, ¶[0037]) without compromising security.
Regarding claim 19, the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger discloses the invention substantially as applied to claim 12, above.
The combined system of Sutton and Coppinger does not disclose that the POS device includes a printer and a cash drawer and the unsecured function of the POS device is associated with printing a sales receipt and the secured function of the POS device is associated with opening or closing the cash drawer.
Goolkasian discloses that a POS device may include a printer and a cash drawer and an unsecured function of the POS device may be associated with printing a sales receipt (¶[0284], "there could be multiple POS terminal(s) connected to a number of other devices, such as “secondary” terminals, e.g., back-of-the-house systems, printers, line-buster devices, POS readers, and the like, to allow for information from the secondary terminal to be shared between the primary POS terminal(s) and secondary terminal(s), for example via short-range communication technology"; ¶[0338], "the user computing device 2902 can include various other components that are not shown, examples of which include removable storage, a power source, such as a battery and power control unit, a barcode scanner, a printer, a cash drawer, and so forth"; ¶[0171], "an example user interface 1120 that can enable a worker to build an order, print a bill, process payment, or the like (e.g., functionality that may not have been available via the instant application) but is available via the full point-of-sale application. In some examples, the graphical user interfaces in FIGS. 11F and 11G can be presented by the full point-of-sale application (after downloading onto the user computing device 104). In some examples, the graphical user interfaces in FIGS. 11F and 11G can be presented by one or more other instant applications (e.g., if the worker does not download the full point-of-sale application") and
the secured function of the POS device is associated with opening or closing the cash drawer (¶[0153], "FIG. 8C illustrates an example of a user interface element 802 that can be presented by the instant application, which can enable the worker to open a cash drawer (e.g., the task). In at least one example, the user interface element 802 can be presented as a pop-up, overlay, or the like. In at least one example, the instant application can present a user interface instead of the user interface element 802. In some examples, the user interface element 802 can include a selectable element 804 that when selected, causes the cash drawer to be opened. In at least one example, a user interface 806 can be presented to indicate that an action is being performed (i.e., the cash drawer is being opened), as illustrated in FIG. 8D. In some examples, the user interface 806 can be presented automatically (e.g., based on detecting an actuation of the selectable element 804). In other examples, based at least in part on detecting actuation of the selectable element, the instant application can request that the worker input a passcode via a user interface 808, as illustrated in FIG. 8E, which the worker can do via an interaction with the user interface 808, as illustrated in FIG. 8F. Responsive to providing the passcode, the instant application can perform the task (e.g., open the cash drawer), and the user interface 806 can be presented via the user computing device 104, as illustrated in FIG. 8D. That is, the instant application can send an instruction to a merchant computing device or other device associated with a cash drawer to cause the cash drawer to open").
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combined system of Sutton and Coppinger in view of Goolkasian so that the POS device includes a cash drawer and the secured function of the POS device is associated with opening or closing the cash drawer.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would enable expediting a "checkout flow" (Goolkasian, ¶[0037]) without compromising security.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 17-18 would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and by overcoming all 35 USC 112 rejections set forth above.
Conclusion
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/BORIS D GRIJALVA LOBOS/ Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2446