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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the communication filed on 3/19/2025.
Claims 1-18 are examined.
Claims 1-6, 8-13 and 17-18 are rejected.
Claims 7, 14-16 are objected.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 14-16 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.
Examiner notes that ‘Reason for Allowance’ will be described upon selection of claims.
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 1-6, 8-13 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable by U.S Publication 2021/0392499 to Kirkeby et al. (hereinafter known as "Kirkeby”) and U.S Publication 2022/0086147 to Chen et al. (hereinafter known as “Chen”).
As per claim 1 Kirkeby teaches, a method, comprising:
at a device, by a system process of the device, that is in communication with a first sensor:
receiving, from an application of the device, a request for sensor data from the first sensor (Kirkeby Fig 1 para 32 teaches where access sensor 22 is configured as a physical switch, wherein electrical communication between the memory 24 and the antenna 26 is selectively connected and disconnected by the at least one access sensor 22);
in response to receiving the request for sensor data from the first sensor, sending, to a first process different from the system process, a request for an orientation of a portion of the device (Kirkeby Fig 1 para 38 teaches where access sensor 22 is configured for automatically switching to the enabled state (FIG. 14) upon determining that the current orientation of the data device 20 falls within a pre-defined range of orientation parameters);
after sending the request for an orientation of the portion of the device, receiving, from the first process, an indication of a respective orientation of the portion of the device (Kirkeby Fig 1 para 38 and 67 teaches where access sensor 22 determines that the current orientation of the data device 20 falls within a pre-defined range of orientation parameters );
and in response to receiving the indication of the respective orientation of the portion of the device:
in accordance with a determination that the respective orientation is a first orientation, enabling, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor (Kirkeby Fig 1 para 38 and 67 teaches where current orientation of the data device 20 falls within a pre-defined range of orientation parameters—thereby allowing the wireless data to be accessed by the reader 106); and
in accordance with a determination that the respective orientation is a second orientation different from the first orientation, disabling, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor (Kirkeby Fig 1 para 38, 43-44 teaches switching to the disabled state (FIG. 13) upon determining that the current orientation of the data device 20 falls outside of a pre-defined range of orientation parameters—thereby preventing the wireless data from being accessed by the reader 106).
Although Kirkeby teaches sensor data being able and disable based on secure parameters such as orientation and parameter threshold data, Chen further teaches secure fingerprint sensor data based on sensor readings on device (Chen abstract Fig 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Kirkeby-Chen before him or her, to combine Kirkeby’s sensor data being able and disable based on secure parameters such as orientation and parameter threshold data (Kirkeby Fig 1) with Chen’s teaching of secure fingerprint sensor data based on sensor readings on device (Chen Fig 1). The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been to enhance secure sensor data in device(s) (Chen para 1).
As per claim 2 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor includes a camera (Kirkeby para 34 teaches light sensors 30 include — photovoltaic sensors, light dependent sensors (“LDR”), infrared (“IR”) sensors, proximity light sensors, photo diode sensors, photoconductive sensors, phototransistors photographic and camera sensors).
As per claim 3 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor includes a microphone (Kirkeby para 39 – teaches sound and/or vibration sensors such as acoustic sensors 44 or microphone sensors).
As per claim 4 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the application is a user application (Kirkeby para 107-108 teaches logical blocks, modules, methods, and algorithm processes and sequences and user type applications – low end / high end).
As per claim 5 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the system process is executing on a first processor, and wherein the first process is executing on a second processor different from the first processor (Kirkeby para 107-108 teaches distributed processors (multiple) which covers claimed limitation).
As per claim 6 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, further comprising:
in response to receiving the indication of the respective orientation of the portion of the device:
in accordance with the determination that the respective orientation is the first orientation, causing a light, of the device, to be turned on (Kirkeby para 34-36 teaches FIG. 6 upon detecting the presence of light—thereby allowing the wireless data to be accessed by the reader 106—and automatically switching to the disabled state (FIG. 5) upon detecting an absence of light—thereby preventing the wireless data from being accessed by the reader 106); and
in accordance with the determination that the respective orientation is the second orientation, forgoing causing the light, of the device, to be turned on (Kirkeby para 34-36 teaches automatically switching to the enabled state (FIG. 6 light on) upon determining that a pre-defined minimum amount of light (such as 250 lux, for example)).
As per claim 8 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein enabling, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor includes sending, to the application of the device, sensor data from the first sensor (Kirkeby para 32-33 teaches access sensor 22 allows or prevents transmission of the wireless data from the memory 24 where access sensor 22 is configured for automatically switching between an enabled state—wherein the wireless data is capable of being accessed, transmitted, written, and/or rewritten by the reader 106).
As per claim 9 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein disabling, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor includes sending, to the application of the device, an error message (Kirkeby para 102 teaches error reading message from numerical or measurement errors).
As per claim 10 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein disabling, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor includes sending, to the application of the device, predefined data (Kirkeby para 34-36 teaches access sensor 22 is configured for automatically switching to the enabled state (FIG. 6) upon determining that a pre-defined minimum amount of light (such as 250 lux, for example) further there are other pre-defined parameters for other sensors para 35-36).
As per claim 11 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, further comprising:
while disabling, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor, receiving, from the first process, an indication of the first orientation of the portion of the device (Kirkeby para 35-36 teaches temperature exceeds a specified limit on either end of a range, the data device 20 would then activate and transmit personal data identifying the user and the fact that the user is in a health endangering situation based on temperature sensor 36, orientation sensor 42, and locational sensor 40 would identify a crisis where access to the personal data); and
in response to receiving the indication of the first orientation of the portion of the device, enabling, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor (Kirkeby para 36-38 teaches where access sensor 22 is configured for automatically switching to the enabled state (FIG. 10) thereby allowing the wireless data to be accessed by the reader 106).
As per claim 12 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, further comprising:
while enabling, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor, receiving, from the first process, an indication of the second orientation of the portion of the device (Kirkeby para 35-36 teaches temperature exceeds a specified limit on either end of a range, the data device 20 would then activate and transmit personal data identifying the user and the fact that the user is in a health endangering situation based on temperature sensor 36, orientation sensor 42, and locational sensor 40 would identify a crisis where access to the personal data); and
in response to receiving the indication of the second orientation of the portion of the device, continuing to enable, the application of the device, to receive sensor data from the first sensor (Kirkeby para 36-38 teaches where access sensor 22 is configured for automatically switching to the enabled state (FIG. 10) thereby allowing the wireless data to be accessed by the reader 106).
As per claim 13 combination of Kirkeby – Chen teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the respective orientation of the portion of the device uses sensor data from a set of one or more sensors not including the first sensor (Kirkeby para 33-34 teaches access sensor 22 is configured for automatically switching to the enabled state (FIG. 6) and other pre-defined parameters for other sensors para 35-36).
Claim 17,
Claim 17 is rejected in accordance with claim 1.
Claim 18,
Claim 18 is rejected in accordance with claim 1.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kirkeby et al US Publication 20210392499
Chen et al US Publication 20220086147
Bercovitz et al US Publication 20250165636
Su et al US Publication 20240291727
Orot et al US Publication 20240176876
Smilansky et al US Publication 20240155341
Wu et al US Publication 20220398336
Bower et al US Patent 12248619
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VIRAL S LAKHIA whose telephone number is (571)270-3363. The examiner can normally be reached on 8 am - 6 pm.
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/VIRAL S LAKHIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2431
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