DETAILED ACTION
1. This action is responsive to communication filed on 29 April 2026, with acknowledgement of an original application filed on 19 November 2024.
2. Claims 1-5 are currently pending. Claim 1 is in independent forms.
Drawings
3. The drawings filed on 11/19/2024 are accepted.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant's arguments filed on 29 April 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
I) In response to applicant's arguments on page 6, Applicant argued that Elumalai does not disclose " the second smart device being capable of opening the password message through the application software thereof and sharing the received password message, thereby achieving an object of opening the smart lock" as recited in claim 1.
The examiner respectfully disagrees with the argument. The applicant argued that Elumalai does not disclose the second smart device being capable of opening the password message through the application software thereof and sharing the received password message, thereby achieving an object of opening the smart lock. Contrary to the applicant assertion, as stated in the office action the Elumalai reference discloses providing security to remote or wireless devices, such as Internet of things (IoT) devices. In an implementation, for example, a customer (e.g., client) of a wireless communication network may, using a mobile device, remotely lock an IoT device while concomitantly assigning an ad hoc password to the device that can be subsequently used to unlock the device. Furthermore, the Elumalai reference discloses System 200 provides an environment for a remote device, such as IoT device 102, to be locked or otherwise secured as a result of commands being transmitted by mobile device 104. Cellular communication network(s) 202 (e.g., “network”) may be implemented by a cellular services provider. Cellular communication network 202 may be the same as or similar to wireless communication network 108, illustrated in FIG. 1. Mobile device 104 may communicate with one or more other electronic devices (second smart device) or systems via network 202. As described below, mobile device 104 may include an IoT locking module 204 to enable a user of the mobile device to lock IoT device 102 and set a password for later unlocking the IoT device (see Elumalai par. 0024-0029).
II) In response to applicant's arguments on page 8, Applicant argued that claims 2-5 depend upon Claim 1. Since Claim 1 is patentable compared with the disclosures of the cited references, the Claims 2-5 thus are also patentable as well.
Examiner refer applicant to the response above in item I.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claims 1 and 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Love et al. US Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0228532 (hereinafter Love) in view of Elumalai US Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0060462 (hereinafter Elumalai).
Regarding claim 1, Love discloses an IoT device password sharing system comprising:
“a cloud server” (see Love Fig. 1, cloud server 106, par. 0024, the access control system 100 may utilize connectivity to a cloud server 106 that distributes caveated cryptographic bearer tokens (e.g., macaroons) to the owner device 104 and/or guest devices 108 for use with a specified lock device 102);
“at least one first smart device equipped with an application software and connected to the cloud server” (see Love par. 0026, the illustrative owner device 104 (first smart device) includes an application 112 that enables the lock owner to register an account with the cloud server 106 or cloud service associated therewith. The application 112 further provides a user interface by which the owner may enter user input associated with registering a particular lock device 102 to the owner);
“at least one second smart device equipped with an application software and connected to the cloud server” (see Love par. 0027, the guest device 108 (second smart device) similarly includes an application 114 that enables a particular guest to register an account with the cloud server/service, request and/or receive an invitation from the owner to access/control a particular lock device 102, request and/or receive caveated cryptographic bearer tokens (e.g., macaroons) for access/control of particular lock devices 102, and interact with the lock devices 102); and
“at least one smart lock connected to the cloud server” (see Love par. 0024, the access control system 100 may utilize connectivity to a cloud server 106 that distributes caveated cryptographic bearer tokens (e.g., macaroons) to the owner device 104 and/or guest devices 108 for use with a specified lock device 102); and
“connected to the cloud server through the application software of the first smart device, thereby setting a password message for the smart lock remotely, and transmitting the password message to the second smart device through the cloud server, and (see pars. 0026-0028, owner device 104 includes an application 112 that enables the lock owner to register an account with the cloud server 106 or cloud service associated therewith. it should be appreciated that the owner's secure login (e.g., username and password) to the cloud server/service constitutes a separate security domain from the security domain associated with the flexible tokens described herein. The application 112 further provides a user interface by which the owner may enter user input associated with registering a particular lock device 102 to the owner. The application 112 further provides a user interface by which the owner may enter user input associated with registering a particular lock device 102 to the owner. The guest device 108 similarly includes an application 114 that enables a particular guest to register an account with the cloud server/service, request and/or receive an invitation from the owner to access/control a particular lock device 102); but Love does not explicitly discloses the second smart device being capable of opening the password message through the application software thereof and sharing the received password message, thereby achieving an object of opening the smart lock.
However, Elumalai discloses the second smart device being capable of opening the password message through the application software thereof and sharing the received password message, thereby achieving an object of opening the smart lock (see Elumalai pars. 0013, 0020, 0027, providing security to remote or wireless devices, such as Internet of things (IoT) devices. In an implementation, for example, a customer (e.g., client) of a wireless communication network may, using a mobile device, remotely lock an IoT device while concomitantly assigning an ad hoc password to the device that can be subsequently used to unlock the device. The customer may choose to take such action if, for example, the IoT device has been lost or stolen. In some examples, the customer may remotely lock the IoT device and assign the password to the device from a mobile device, such as a cellular or smart phone. Communication between device 102 and mobile device 104 may be implemented by a network server 106, which may comprise one or more servers in a wireless communication network 108 or the Internet 110. Device 102 may include a locking module 112, which may be software, hardware, or a combination thereof. Mobile device 104 may include a locking API 114 that provides for a user of mobile device 104 to selectively lock or unlock device 102. DDS 226 may sell, share, or distribute any number of applications that may be downloaded to mobile device 104, such as IoT locking module 204. In another example, DDS 226 may sell, share, or distribute locking module 112 that may be downloaded to IoT device 102).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the teachings of Elumalai into the system of Love to include a user of a mobile device, such as a customer of a wireless communication network, may remotely lock an IoT device while concomitantly assigning an ad hoc password to the IoT device that can be subsequently used to unlock the device (see Elumalai Abstract).
Regarding claim 3, Love in view of Elumalai discloses the IoT device password sharing system as claimed in claim 1,
Love further discloses wherein the first smart device can be either a computer, a smart phone or a tablet computer, and has functions of networking (see Love par. 0037, computing device 200 may be embodied as a reader device, credential device, access control device, server, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, notebook, netbook, Ultrabook™, mobile computing device, cellular phone, smartphone, wearable computing device, personal digital assistant, Internet of Things (IoT) device, control panel, processing system, router, gateway, and/or any other computing, processing, and/or communication device capable of performing the functions described herein).
Regarding claim 4, Love in view of Elumalai discloses the IoT device password sharing system as claimed in claim 1,
Love further discloses wherein the second smart device can be either a computer, a smart phone or a tablet computer, and has functions of networking (see Love par. 0037, computing device 200 may be embodied as a reader device, credential device, access control device, server, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, notebook, netbook, Ultrabook™, mobile computing device, cellular phone, smartphone, wearable computing device, personal digital assistant, Internet of Things (IoT) device, control panel, processing system, router, gateway, and/or any other computing, processing, and/or communication device capable of performing the functions described herein).
Regarding claim 5, Love in view of Elumalai discloses the IoT device password sharing system as claimed in claim 1,
Elumalai further discloses wherein the smart lock comprises a data processing module and a wireless signal transceiver module, and is connected to the cloud server through the wireless signal transceiver module (see Elumalai par. 0055, network 202 may also include one or more wired or wireless transceiver(s) 614. Transceiver(s) 614 can include a network interface card (NIC), a network adapter, a LAN adapter, or a physical, virtual, or logical address to connect to cellular network(s), Wi-Fi network(s), OEM server(s), IoT device 102, and mobile device 104, for example. To increase throughput when exchanging wireless data, transceiver(s) 614 can utilize multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) technology. Transceiver(s) 614 may embody any sort of wireless transceiver device capable of engaging in wireless, radio frequency (RF) communication).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the teachings of Elumalai into the system of Love to include a user of a mobile device, such as a customer of a wireless communication network, may remotely lock an IoT device while concomitantly assigning an ad hoc password to the IoT device that can be subsequently used to unlock the device (see Elumalai Abstract).
7. Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Love et al. US Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0228532 (hereinafter Love) in view of Elumalai US Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0060462 (hereinafter Elumalai) in further view of Drozd et al. US Patent No. 10,057,246 (hereinafter Drozd).
Regarding claim 2, Love in view of Elumalai discloses the IoT device password sharing system as claimed in claim 1,
Love in view of Elumalai does not explicitly discloses wherein the cloud server comprises an authentication module, a configuration module, a sharing module and a storage module.
However, in analogues art, Drozd discloses wherein the cloud server comprises an authentication module, a configuration module, a sharing module and a storage module (see Drozd Fig. 1B, Fig. 4, col. 11, lines 38-41, col. 15, lines 29-36, col. 22, lines 29-34, col. 7, lines 24-33, Authentication module 184 is configured to receive and verify information from a client (e.g., clients 101-102) and to identify the client information in any one or more identity provider components (e.g., identity provider server 170).Referring now to FIG. 4. In one embodiment, AUTH server 180 includes, but is not limited to, user interface 410 communicatively coupled authentication module 184, authorization module 182, configuration module 420, token manager 430, and AUTH server store 186. Configuration module 420 determines whether the requesting user is authorized to perform the requested operations on the object based on AUTH server store 186, multi-tenant components (e.g., clients 101-102) may store their data in shared storage systems (e.g., cloud storage server 160), cloud storage server 160 includes, but is not limited to, storage service module 140 (also referred to as service logic, service engine, or service unit, which may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof), access control list (ACL) module 130, ACL database 150, and one or more storage devices 164 storing data associated with one or more tenants 162-163, where these components are communicatively coupled to each other via interconnect 120, which may be a bus and/or a network).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the teachings of Drozd into the system of Love and Elumalai to include an authentication module configured to identify clients using information including, but not limited to, a user name, a password, a tenant name, and/or a domain name (see Drozd col. 11, lines 47-50).
Conclusion
8. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL AMBAYE whose telephone number is (571)270-7635. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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, Jeffrey Pwu can be reached at (571) 272-6798. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SAMUEL AMBAYE/Examiner, Art Unit 2433
/JEFFREY C PWU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2433
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