Detailed Action
This is a Final Office action in response to communications received on 8/19/2026. Claims 1-3 and 7-8 were amended. Claims 4-5 and 11-12 were canceled. Claims 1-3 and 6-10 are pending and are examined.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments, filed 8/19/2026, cancelling claims 4-5 and 11-12 are sufficient to overcome the rejection to the aforementioned claim(s). Accordingly, the rejection of claim(s) 4-5 and 11-12 under 112, second paragraph, as filed in (5) and (6) of the Non-Final Office action filed 5/19/2026 is withdrawn.
Applicant’s amendments, filed 8/19/2026, to claim 7 is insufficient to overcome the rejection to the aforementioned claim(s). Accordingly, the rejection of claim(s) 7 under 112, second paragraph, as filed in (7) of the Non-Final Office action filed 5/19/2026 is sustained.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 of the claims under Buer and Hueber have been considered, and are found unpersuasive.
Applicant argues on page(s) 8-9 of the Remarks, filed 8/19/2026, the cited prior art fail to teach or suggest “a host controller circuit”, nor a “wireless interface controller circuit” because “As best understood, Buer discloses a host device 135, a connectivity device chip 110, and an eSE 100 that are connected via a wired interface 112. Buer's host device 135 does not appear to process both a host driver and a first transmission module, and Buer does not disclose or suggest having the host driver and first transmission module communicating with each other using a wired connection” and because “As best understood, Buer's NFC controller 115 does not include a boot loader circuit built to request a transfer of a stack of controller firmware stored in the eSE 100 into a memory of the NFC controller 115 to be processed by the NFC controller 115 to enable the NFC contactless interface”. However, Examiner respectfully disagrees. Buer teaches in [0029], regarding figure 1, that “it may be preferable, in cases where non-NFC security applications are supported, to utilize a physical host connection. The possible host device interfaces 112 that are supported to effectuate such a physical host device connection may include, but are not limited to the following: a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) interface”. Therefore the connections between host interfaces are contemplated to be physical and the host device interface satisfies the limitation of a first transmission module. Additional, Buer, in [0061] teaches “Hard macro SPS 305 firmware in the ROM may support security IC embedded software”. Additionally, in [0059], “coupling and decoupling elements/components of the hard macro SPS 305 and the PPS 220, e.g., when loading non-secure and/or uncertified data onto a memory unit, transferring data therebetween”. Therefore transfer of data between the hard macro SPS and other memory units is contemplated.
Consequently, the rejection of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 103 is sustained.
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.
Claim 7 is 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 7, the claim recites “A chipset for the device that processes the wireless interface communication type application”. Claim 1, from which claim 7 depends, also recites the underlined device and application. This makes it further unclear whether they are separate or distinct. As the device is recited before “the device according to claim 1” the term lacks antecedent basis.
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 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.
Claims 1-3 and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buer (US 20180268132 A1), in view of Hueber (US 20190005284 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Buer teaches the limitations of claim 1 substantially as follows:
A device for processing a wireless interface communication type application, the device comprising: (Buer; [0004]: Near Field Communication (NFC) is one technology being implemented in mobile devices for many present and anticipated applications. NFC can be accomplished by touching or placing two NFC enabled devices in close proximity to each other)
a host controller circuit configured to process device applications, that use the wireless interface communication type application and configured to process a host driver that communicates wired based on a first interface protocol; and (Buer; [0022]: FIG. 1 illustrates an example connection diagram representative of an eSE operating in conjunction with a connectivity device/chip 110 and a host device, where the host device may be, e.g., a mobile handset, and the connectivity device/chip may provide multi-band connectivity for the host device)
wherein: the host controller circuit is configured to process a first transmission module that communicates wired with the host driver based on the first interface protocol and communicates wired with the controller driver based on a second interface protocol; and (Buer; [0026]: The connectivity device/chip 110 may include the aforementioned NFC controller 115 to which the eSE 100 connects via the SWP/DWP interface 106. In turn, the NFC controller 115 may be connected to a radio 125 and an antenna 130 to effectuate NFC (or other radio communication connectivity). Additional elements in the connectivity device/chip 110 may include other connectivity controllers, such as connectivity controller 120 which may provide Bluetooth® connectivity, WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi™) connectivity, etc. The NFC controller 115, the connectivity controller 120, and the radio 125 may communicate via one or more communications interfaces that may be, e.g., wired or wireless, and the interconnections therebetween may form, e.g., parallel or serial interfaces to carry such communications)
the device comprises a secure element circuit configured to store secure application or key information, wherein the secure element circuit comprises a direct hardware connection to the wireless interface controller circuit and (Buer; [0036]-[0038]: the eSE 100 may be divided into two portions or sub-systems, i.e., a hard macro SPS and a PPS; The PPS 220 may contain an OTP block (not shown) capable of storing 1 kbits of information. This OTP block may be used for authentication keys, and test debug information for Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability (RMA) analyses)
wherein the wireless interface controller circuit comprises a boot loader circuit configured to request a transfer of a stack of controller firmware stored in the secure element circuit into a memory of the wireless interface controller circuit to be processed by the wireless interface controller circuit to enable the wireless interface communication type contactless interface. (Buer; [0061]: Hard macro SPS 305 firmware in the ROM may support security IC embedded software. Such low-level firmware may include three primary modules: the secure boot loader (i.e., FW.SPS_Boot for initializing the security IC embedded software and transferring control thereto after completion of the boot process); the cryptographic library (i.e., FW.SPS_Crypto for providing control and access to hard macro SPS 305 cryptographic accelerator hardware blocks and additional cryptographic functionality, as described above); and a secure flash memory driver (FW.SPS_Flash for providing secure read/write/erase capabilities for either the local flash memory, e.g., local flash memory 105 or host device flash memory, e.g., UICC 160, interfaced through the isolation bridge 350))
Buer does not teach the limitations of claim 1 as follows:
a wireless interface controller circuit configured to process a wireless interface for the wireless interface communication type application and configured to process a controller driver that communicates wired with the host controller circuit;
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hueber discloses the limitations of claim 1 as follows:
a wireless interface controller circuit configured to process a wireless interface for the wireless interface communication type application and configured to process a controller driver that communicates wired with the host controller circuit; (Hueber; [0046]: In an embodiment, the interface system includes an interface memory, an interface controller, an NFC controller interface configured to exchange data between the interface system and an NFC controller, and a secure element interface configured to exchange data between the interface system and a secure element)
Hueber is combinable with Buer because all are from the same field of endeavor of near field communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Buer to incorporate an interface system that exchanges information between the interface system and NFC controller as in Hueber for the predictable result of facilitating communication between components.
Regarding claim 2, Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 1.
Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 2 as follows:
The device according to claim 1, wherein the boot loader circuit is configured to request the transfer of the stack of controller firmware immediately after power-on during a boot routine or at any time during normal processing to ensure integrity of the controller firmware processed. (Buer; [0061]: Hard macro SPS 305 firmware in the ROM may support security IC embedded software. Such low-level firmware may include three primary modules: the secure boot loader (i.e., FW.SPS_Boot for initializing the security IC embedded software and transferring control thereto after completion of the boot process); the cryptographic library (i.e., FW.SPS_Crypto for providing control and access to hard macro SPS 305 cryptographic accelerator hardware blocks and additional cryptographic functionality, as described above); and a secure flash memory driver (FW.SPS_Flash for providing secure read/write/erase capabilities for either the local flash memory, e.g., local flash memory 105 or host device flash memory, e.g., UICC 160, interfaced through the isolation bridge 350))
Regarding claim 3, Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 1.
Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 3 as follows:
The device according to claim 1, wherein the boot loader circuit is configured to process an integrity verification of the controller firmware stored in the memory of the wireless interface controller circuit and processed by the wireless interface controller circuit with the controller firmware stored in the secure element circuit. (Buer; [0061]: certification of the hard macro SPS 305 may include RSA signature generation and verification)
Regarding claim 7, Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 1.
Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 7 as follows:
A chipset for the device that processes the wireless interface communication type application, wherein the chipset comprises the device according to claim 1. (Buer; [0026]: The connectivity device/chip 110 may include the aforementioned NFC controller 115 to which the eSE 100 connects via the SWP/DWP interface)
Regarding claim 8, Buer teaches the limitations of claim 8 substantially as follows:
A method to process a wireless interface communication type application with a device that comprises: (Buer; [0004]: Near Field Communication (NFC) is one technology being implemented in mobile devices for many present and anticipated applications. NFC can be accomplished by touching or placing two NFC enabled devices in close proximity to each other)
a host controller circuit that processes device applications, that use the wireless interface communication type application, and that processes a host driver that communicates wired based on a first interface protocol; (Buer; [0022]: FIG. 1 illustrates an example connection diagram representative of an eSE operating in conjunction with a connectivity device/chip 110 and a host device, where the host device may be, e.g., a mobile handset, and the connectivity device/chip may provide multi-band connectivity for the host device)
a secure element circuit in direct hardware connection to the wireless interface controller circuit to store secure application or key information, (Buer; [0036]-[0038]: the eSE 100 may be divided into two portions or sub-systems, i.e., a hard macro SPS and a PPS; The PPS 220 may contain an OTP block (not shown) capable of storing 1 kbits of information. This OTP block may be used for authentication keys, and test debug information for Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability (RMA) analyses)
wherein the following operations are processed: process a first transmission module with the host controller circuit to communicate wired with the host driver based on the first interface protocol and that communicates wired with the controller driver based on a second interface protocol; (Buer; [0026]: The connectivity device/chip 110 may include the aforementioned NFC controller 115 to which the eSE 100 connects via the SWP/DWP interface 106. In turn, the NFC controller 115 may be connected to a radio 125 and an antenna 130 to effectuate NFC (or other radio communication connectivity). Additional elements in the connectivity device/chip 110 may include other connectivity controllers, such as connectivity controller 120 which may provide Bluetooth® connectivity, WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi™) connectivity, etc. The NFC controller 115, the connectivity controller 120, and the radio 125 may communicate via one or more communications interfaces that may be, e.g., wired or wireless, and the interconnections therebetween may form, e.g., parallel or serial interfaces to carry such communications)
request a transfer of a stack of controller firmware stored in the secure element circuit into a memory of the wireless interface controller circuit; and process the transferred and stored controller firmware with the wireless interface controller circuit to enable the wireless interface communication type contactless interface. (Buer; [0061]: Hard macro SPS 305 firmware in the ROM may support security IC embedded software. Such low-level firmware may include three primary modules: the secure boot loader (i.e., FW.SPS_Boot for initializing the security IC embedded software and transferring control thereto after completion of the boot process); the cryptographic library (i.e., FW.SPS_Crypto for providing control and access to hard macro SPS 305 cryptographic accelerator hardware blocks and additional cryptographic functionality, as described above); and a secure flash memory driver (FW.SPS_Flash for providing secure read/write/erase capabilities for either the local flash memory, e.g., local flash memory 105 or host device flash memory, e.g., UICC 160, interfaced through the isolation bridge 350))
Buer does not teach the limitations of claim 8 as follows:
a wireless interface controller circuit that processes a wireless interface for the wireless interface communication type application and that processes a controller driver that communicates wired with the host controller circuit, and
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hueber discloses the limitations of claim 8 as follows:
a wireless interface controller circuit that processes a wireless interface for the wireless interface communication type application and that processes a controller driver that communicates wired with the host controller circuit, and (Hueber; [0046]: In an embodiment, the interface system includes an interface memory, an interface controller, an NFC controller interface configured to exchange data between the interface system and an NFC controller, and a secure element interface configured to exchange data between the interface system and a secure element)
Hueber is combinable with Buer because all are from the same field of endeavor of near field communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Buer to incorporate an interface system that exchanges information between the interface system and NFC controller as in Hueber for the predictable result of facilitating communication between components.
Regarding claim 9, Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 8.
Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 9 as follows:
The method according to claim 8, wherein the following operations are processed: request the transfer of the stack of controller firmware immediately after power-on during a boot routine or at any time during normal processing to ensure integrity of the controller firmware processed. (Buer; [0061]: Hard macro SPS 305 firmware in the ROM may support security IC embedded software. Such low-level firmware may include three primary modules: the secure boot loader (i.e., FW.SPS_Boot for initializing the security IC embedded software and transferring control thereto after completion of the boot process); the cryptographic library (i.e., FW.SPS_Crypto for providing control and access to hard macro SPS 305 cryptographic accelerator hardware blocks and additional cryptographic functionality, as described above); and a secure flash memory driver (FW.SPS_Flash for providing secure read/write/erase capabilities for either the local flash memory, e.g., local flash memory 105 or host device flash memory, e.g., UICC 160, interfaced through the isolation bridge 350))
Regarding claim 10, Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 8.
Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 10 as follows:
The method according to claim 8, wherein the following operations are processed: process an integrity verification of the controller firmware stored in the memory of the wireless interface controller circuit and processed by the wireless interface controller circuit with the controller firmware stored in the secure element circuit. (Buer; [0061]: certification of the hard macro SPS 305 may include RSA signature generation and verification)
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buer (US 20180268132 A1), in view of Hueber (US 20190005284 A1), as applied to independent claims, further in view of Charrat (US 20090206984 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Buer and Hueber teach the limitations of claim 1.
Buer and Hueber do not teach the limitations of claim 6 as follows:
The device according to claim 1, wherein the first interface protocol is an "EMV Contactless Specifications for Payment Systems" based on ISO/IEC 7816 and ISO/IEC 14.443 or another proprietary interface protocol.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Charrat discloses the limitations of claim 6 as follows:
The device according to claim 1, wherein the first interface protocol is an "EMV Contactless Specifications for Payment Systems" based on ISO/IEC 7816 and ISO/IEC 14.443 or another proprietary interface protocol. (Charrat; [0005]: In addition to the three current operating modes (other operating modes may be utilized in the future), an NFC component can implement several contactless communication protocols and is, for example, able to exchange data according to the ISO 14443-A protocol, the ISO 14443-B protocol, the ISO 15693 protocol, or the like)
Charrat is combinable with Buer and Hueber because all are from the same field of endeavor of near field communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified system of Buer and Hueber to incorporate a variety of communications protocols as in Charrat for the predictable result of accommodating common communication or proprietary protocols.
Prior Art Considered But Not Relied Upon
Boehler (US 20140022060 A1) which teaches an NFC controller comprising an emission or reception interface.
Meziache (US 20180279104 A1) which teaches managing information exchange between a contactless element such as NFC controller, and several (at least two) auxiliary elements.
Conclusion
For the above-stated reasons, claims 1-3 and 6-10 are rejected.
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 extension fee 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.
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/BLAKE I NARRAMORE/Examiner, Art Unit 2438
