DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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 6, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0191163 to Loefstrand et al.
As concerns claim 6, a method for enabling a client device to manage an automation system, comprising:
identifying an automation hub (0009-hub communicates with service/server) which communicates with a server (Fig. 5-124 service/server; 0063-server) having a server address (0039-create entry in database, service name and corresponding IP address);
storing the server address associated with the automation hub in a connection index (0039-create entry in database, service name and corresponding IP address) that is indexed by an automation system reference (0039; 0040-record in databases; DNS, IP address; BRI-“automation system reference” is a broad term and not defined within the claim, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims);
receiving a request (Fig. 6, 620) to communicate with the server from the client device (Fig. 6, 620); and
sending the server address to the client device (0039-send client assigned IP address) based in part on a lookup by the automation system reference (0039-create entry in database, service name and corresponding IP address) to enable the client device to connect directly to the server (Fig. 5, 506-client to service/server).
As concerns claim 8, the method as in claim 6, wherein the server is located in a public cloud, private cloud or a data center (0088-cloud computing system; 0089-public, private cloud).
As concerns claim 10, the method as in claim 6, wherein the client device is at least one of: a mobile device (0076-mobile computing device), a desktop device or a second server.
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.
Claims 1-4, 14-17, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0191163 to Loefstrand et al. in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2025/0151001 to Lee et al.
Loefstrand et al. ‘163 disclose:
As concerns claim 1, a method for enabling a client device to manage an automation system, comprising:
receiving a server network reference (0009-address of service; 0037; 0039) for a server (Fig. 5-124 service/server; 0063-server) associated with an automation hub (0009-hub communicates with service/server) at a client gateway (0009-gateway), wherein the server maintains automation data for the automation hub and is used to manage the automation hub;
storing the server network reference associated with the server in a data store (0037; 0039-create entry in database, service name and corresponding IP address);
receiving a connection request (Fig. 6, 620) from the client device (Fig. 6, 620) at the client gateway; and
sending the server network reference to the client device (0039-send client assigned IP address) to enable the client device to connect directly to the server (Fig. 5, 506-client to service/server).
As concerns claim 14, a non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions when executed by one or more processors (0078), cause the one or more processors to perform a process including:
receiving a server reference (0009-address of service; 0037; 0039) for a server (Fig. 5-124 service/server; 0063-server) associated with an automation hub (0009-hub communicates with service/server) at a client gateway (0009-gateway), wherein the server maintains automation data for the automation hub and is used to manage the automation hub;
storing a server address associated with the server in a data store (0037; 0039-create entry in database, service name and corresponding IP address);
receiving a connection request (Fig. 6, 620) from a client device (Fig. 6, 620) at the client gateway; and
sending the server address to the client device (0039-send client assigned IP address) to enable the client device to connect directly to the server (Fig. 5, 506-client to service/server).
Loefstrand et al. ‘163 do not disclose:
wherein the server maintains automation data for the automation hub and is used to manage the automation hub.
Lee et al. ‘001 teach:
wherein the server maintains automation data for the automation hub and is used to manage the automation hub (0075-hub device registered with server, register IoT device with server/“automation data”; 0078-sensor data to server through hub; 0075-user account).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the system of Loefstrand et al. ‘163, with a server storing and managing data, as taught by Lee et al. ‘001, in order to provide a user with a user account that can be readily accessed to more easily manage network devices.
Loefstrand et al. ‘163 further disclose:
As concerns claim 2, the method as in claim 1, wherein the server network reference is at least one of: a server URI, server URL, a host name, or a server IP (internet protocol) address (0039-create entry in database, service name and corresponding IP address).
As concerns claim 15, the non-transitory machine readable storage medium as in claim 14, wherein the server address is at least one of: a server URI, server URL, a host name, or a server IP (internet protocol) address (0039-create entry in database, service name and corresponding IP address).
Lee et al. ‘001 further teach:
As concerns claim 3, the method as in claim 1, further comprising receiving data at the client device from the server to display a status (0076-identify status; 0073-report status; 0080-display status, through server; 0081-server store status, provide status information) of automation devices connected to the automation hub.
As concerns claim 16, the non-transitory machine readable storage medium as in claim 14, further comprising receiving data at the client device from the server to display a status (0076-identify status; 0073-report status; 0080-display status, through server; 0081-server store status, provide status information) of automation devices connected to the automation hub.
As concerns claim 4, the method as in claim 1, further comprising sending instructions from the client device to the server to manage automation devices connected to the automation hub (0076-user, electronic device, control IoT device, transmit control command).
As concerns claim 17, the non-transitory machine readable storage medium as in claim 14, further comprising sending instructions from the client device to the server to manage automation devices connected to the automation hub (0076-user, electronic device, control IoT device, transmit control command).
As concerns claim 19, the non-transitory machine readable storage medium as in claim 14, further comprising presenting an automation device status or automation hub status on the client device (0076-identify status; 0073-report status; 0080-display status, through server; 0081-server store status, provide status information).
As concerns claim 20, the non-transitory machine readable storage medium as in claim 14, further comprising sending status information related to an automation device to the server (0081-server store status, provide status information).
Claims 7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0191163 to Loefstrand et al., as applied in claim 6 above, in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2025/0151001 to Lee et al.
Loefstrand et al. ‘163 do not disclose:
As concerns claim 7, the method as in claim 6, further comprising receiving data at the client device from the server to display a status of automation devices connected to the automation hub.
As concerns claim 9, the method as in claim 6, wherein the automation hub sends automation device statuses and information about an automation network to the server.
Lee et al. ‘001 teach:
As concerns claim 7, the method as in claim 6, further comprising receiving data at the client device from the server to display a status (0076-identify status; 0073-report status; 0080-display status, through server; 0081-server store status, provide status information) of automation devices connected to the automation hub.
As concerns claim 9, the method as in claim 6, wherein the automation hub sends automation device statuses and information about an automation network to the server (0081-server store status, provide status information).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the system of Loefstrand et al. ‘163, with a server storing and managing data, as taught by Lee et al. ‘001, in order to provide a user with a user account that can be readily accessed to more easily manage network devices.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 11-13 and 18 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892. USPN 11,627,289 disclose a home security system with a hub and/or server and a gateway.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN B WALSH whose telephone number is (571)272-7063. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-3:30 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, Christopher L Parry can be reached at 571-272-8328. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JOHN B WALSH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2451
Prosecution Insights