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 .
1. Acknowledgement is made to the response, filed 6/5/2026. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
2. Claims 11, 12, 14, & 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Trani (US 2016/0343187 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Trani discloses a method, comprising:
instructing loading of biometric data for a person from a central database (116 – system controller database) to a local cache in response to information received from the person [0072, 0083, 0106, & 0107];
attempting to biometrically determine an identity of the person using the local cache [0109 & 0113]; and
performing an action based at least on the identity of the person [0106, 0114, 0116, 0118, & 0120].
Regarding claim 12, Trani discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the action comprises determining whether to allow the person access [0106, 0114, 0116, 0118, & 0120].
Regarding claim 14, Trani discloses the method of claim 11, wherein attempting to biometrically determine the identity of the person using the local cache comprises: obtaining a digital representation of at least a portion of a face of the person; and comparing the digital representation of the at least the portion of the face of the person to the local cache [0074, 0082, 0109, & 0130].
Regarding claim 15, Trani discloses the method of claim 11, wherein instructing loading of the biometric data for the person from the central database to the local cache comprises transmitting at least one message to the central database [0072, 0083, 0106, & 0107].
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
3. Claims 1-10, 13, & 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Trani in view of Lochan Dass et al. (US 2019/0333070 A1), hereinafter Lochan Dass.
Regarding claim 1, Trani discloses a system, comprising:
a central database (116 – system controller database) that includes biometric data for a person [0051 & 0071];
a local cache (114 – verification database) [0052 & 0072];
a mobile electronic device that instructs loading of the biometric data for the person from the central database to the local cache in response to information received from the person [0072, 0083, 0106, & 0107]; and
a station that: attempts to biometrically identify the person using the local cache [0109 & 0113].
Regarding claim 16, Trani discloses a computer program product stored in at least one non-transitory storage medium, comprising:
first instructions stored in the at least one non-transitory storage medium executable by at least one processing unit to instruct loading of biometric data for a person from a central database (116 – system controller database) to a local cache in response to information received from the person [0072, 0083, 0106, & 0107]; and
second instructions stored in the at least one non-transitory storage medium executable by the at least one processing unit to determine an identity of the person using the local cache [0109 & 0113].
With respect to claims 1, 11, & 16, the teachings of Trani have been discussed above.
Trani directed to a system for determining user authorization via biometric identifiers (Abstract), teaches utilizing a local cache to verify a user’s identity [0069-0072, 0112, & 0113], but is silent with respect to explicitly disclosing deletes the biometric data for the person from the local cache, as recited in claims 1 & 16.
Lochan Dass, also directed to utilizing biometrics for verifying user identity and accessing personal information (Abstract), teaches, regarding claims 1 & 16, deletes the biometric data for the person from the local cache [0022].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to further employ the security features of Lochan Dass within the system of Trani for at least the benefit of providing for improved convenience, enhanced safety, and even higher security of sensitive personal information [0003 & 0040].
Regarding claim 2, Trani, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the information is associated with a flight [0014, 0021, 0051, & 0120].
Regarding claim 3, Trani, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device: determines an identity of the person using the information; and instructs loading of the biometric data for the person from the central database to the local cache by indicating the identity of the person [0072, 0083, 0106, & 0107].
Regarding claim 4, Trani, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the station determines whether to allow the person access based at least upon an identity of the person [0106, 0114, 0116, 0118, & 0120].
Regarding claim 5, Lochan Dass, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the station deletes the biometric data for the person from the local cache after a period of time [0022].
Regarding claim 6, Trani, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the information indicates whether the person has a ticket or other authorization [0014, 0021, 0051, & 0120].
Regarding claim 7, Trani, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the central database is larger than the local cache [0051 & 0071].
Regarding claim 8, Trani, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the information comprises an identifier associated with the person [0071, 0072, & 0107].
Regarding claim 9, Trani, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the station comprises a security screening station [0014, 0021, 0051, & 0120].
Regarding claim 10, Trani, as modified above, discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the biometric data corresponds to at least a portion of a face of the person [0074, 0082, 0109, & 0130].
Regarding claim 13, Lochan Dass, as modified above, discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising deleting the biometric data for the person from the local cache after an amount of time [0022].
Regarding claim 17, Trani, as modified above, discloses the computer program product of claim 16, further comprising fourth instructions stored in the at least one non-transitory storage medium executable by the at least one processing unit to perform an action based at least on the identity of the person [0106, 0114, 0116, 0118, & 0120].
Regarding claim 18, Trani, as modified above, discloses the computer program product of claim 17, wherein the action comprises determining whether to allow the person access based at least on data stored in association with the identity of the person [0106, 0114, 0116, 0118, & 0120].
Regarding claim 19, Trani, as modified above, discloses the computer program product of claim 18, wherein the data is stored in the local cache [0051 & 0071].
Regarding claim 20, Trani, as modified above, discloses the computer program product of claim 18, wherein the data is associated with a ticket [0014, 0021, 0051, & 0120].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAULTEP SAVUSDIPHOL whose telephone number is (571)270-1301. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F,7-3 EST. If the examiner cannot be reached by telephone, he can be reached through the following email address: paultep.savusdiphol@uspto.gov
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone and email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G. Lee can be reached on (571) 272-2398. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAULTEP SAVUSDIPHOL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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