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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the line quality of figures, numerals and lead lines are faint and lend themselves to poor reproductive quality. Additionally, figures 2, 5, 6, and 9 are not done in solid black lines.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Harwood (EP1213417, cited in the IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Harwood teaches an access control housing for an access control user interface, the housing 30 comprising: a key interface seat (14, 10’) having a key module connector 14 and a key module receiving frame 10’, wherein the key module connector comprises a power connection (14, 15) for providing power to a key module (the plug/socket connection supplies power from the battery/PCB, see paragraph 15), and a data connection (14, 15) for providing key module data to a main controller (input singals from the module will pass to the PCB through the plug/socket, see paragraph 15), wherein the key module receiving frame is adapted to removably receive a key module selected from a group of different key modules (four different activation modules are adapted to be received in the aperture or receiving frame 10’, see Figs. 1-12) .
Regarding claim 2, Harwood teaches the access control where the different key modules have different sizes, and wherein the key module receiving frame is interchangeable so that the key interface seat is adapted to hold key modules of different sizes (the proximity module, the fingerprint scanning module and the keypad module are inherently involve different physical sizes, see Figs. 1-12).
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, 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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harwood in view of Braun (US20130201646)
Regarding claim 3, Gosterisli teaches the access control housing where the different key modules have different sizes (Bluetooth or RFID, these technologies inherently involve modules of different physical sizes). Harwood does explicitly teach the key module receiving frame being resizable. However, Braun teaches an adapter apparatus that comprises a receiving frame 102 that is resizable modules or cards of different sizes (Fig. 5 and paragraph 35). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings of Braun in the device of Harwood to better accommodate different sizes of the key module.
Conclusion
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gosterisli (US20150193998).
Regarding claim 1, Gosterisli teaches an access control housing for an access control user interface, the housing 130 comprising: a key interface seat having a key module connector (110, 210) and a key module receiving frame 120, wherein the key module connector comprises a power connection for providing power to a key module (the encoder units are described as being physically and commutatively linked to the access-control electronics, and must be powered to perform the encoding, data exchange and credentials writing function, see paragraphs 14-15), and a data connection 315 for providing key module data to a main controller (paragraph 21), wherein the key module receiving frame is adapted to removably receive a key module selected from a group of different key modules (the design of the modular allows different modules to be swapped without replacing the housing or electronic, and an optional securing mechanism 160 further confirm removable reception, see Figs. 1-3 and paragraphs 14-16).
Regarding claim 2, Gosterisli teaches the access control housing where the different key modules have different sizes, and wherein the key module receiving frame 120 is interchangeable so that the key interface seat is adapted to hold key modules of different sizes (it supports different encoding technologies such as Bluetooth or RFID, these technologies inherently involves modules of different physical sizes, see paragraphs 14-16).
Regarding claim 3, Gosterisli teaches the access control housing where the different key modules have different sizes (Bluetooth or RFID, these technologies inherently involves modules of different physical sizes), and wherein the key module receiving frame 120 is resizable (resizable is interpreted as capable of accommodating modules of difference sizes via adapters or guides or design) so that the key interface seat is adapted to hold key modules of different sizes (the frame 120 accepts “appropriately diminished” modular encoder units of different types/sizes and includes guide element such as rail/groove and fastening elements, which enable to hold key modules of different sizes, see paragraphs 14-16).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED M SAEED whose telephone number is (571)270-7976. The examiner can normally be reached 10-8pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at 571-272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMED M SAEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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