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
The application of Masayoshi Yamaura for Passage Control Apparatus, System, Control Method of Passage Control Apparatus, And Storage Medium filed 4/24/25 has been examined. Claims 1-9 are pending.
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 8 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 8, the claim recites the limitation “whether or not the first user and a second user”. The examiner is unable to determine what characteristic of the first and second user is referred to.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Czenomysa et al US Patent Application Publication 20240071161
Regarding claim 1, Czenomysa et al. teaches a passage control apparatus, comprising:
at least one memory storing a set of instructions (paragraph 026-027); and
at least one processor (203) configured to execute the set of instructions to:
a detection means that detects detect a plurality of users attempting to enter an
interior of the passage control apparatus by using image data acquired by capturing an
image of the plurality of users attempting to enter the interior (paragraph 030,036-037);
an authentication control means that perform control related to authentication for each of the detected plurality of users (paragraph 032-035);
a determination means that determines determine, based on respective
authentication results of the plurality of users, whether or not the plurality of users who
have entered the interior are permitted to pass through the passage control apparatus (paragraph 032);
and a control means that denies deny passage of the plurality of users who have
entered the interior, in a case where it is determined that at least one or more of the
plurality of users who have entered the interior are not permitted to pass through the
passage control apparatus (paragraph 032).
Regarding claim 2, Czenomysa teaches the at least one processor is further configured to execute the set of instructions to determine whether or not the plurality of users who have entered the interior are permitted to pass through the passage control apparatus, based on a number of users who have entered the interior and a number of users determined as authentication success (paragraph 033).
Regarding claim 9, Czenomysa et al. teaches a control method of a passage control apparatus, the control method comprising:
detecting a plurality of users attempting to enter an interior of the passage control
apparatus by using image data acquired by capturing an image of the plurality of users
attempting to enter the interior (paragraph 030,036-037);
performing control related to authentication for each of the detected plurality of
users (paragraph 032-035);
determining, based on respective authentication results of the plurality of users,
whether or not the plurality of users who have entered the interior are permitted to pass
through the passage control apparatus and denying passage of the plurality of users who have entered the interior, in a case where it is determined that at least one or more of the plurality of users who have entered the interior are not permitted to pass through the passage control apparatus (paragraph 032).
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.
Claim(s) 3-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Czenomysa et al US Patent Application Publication 20240071161 in view of Boic US Patent Application Publication 20220157078.
Regarding claim 3, Czenomysa teaches at least one processor is further configured to execute the set of instructions to detect the plurality of users attempting to enter the interior (paragraph 033) but is silent on teaching the at least one processor is further configured to execute the set of instructions to detect the plurality of users attempting to enter the interior, based on indexes indicating a size of a face region, the face region being included in the image data, of each of the plurality of users attempting to enter the interior. Boic in an analogous art teaches detecting users based on indexes indicating a size of a face region, the face region being included in the image data (paragraph 032).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Czenomysa as disclosed by Boic because such modification represents the substitution of one mean of identification for another and producing the predictable result of identifying individuals attempting to enter the passage way.
Regarding claim 4, Czenomysa teaches the plurality of users
attempting to enter the interior arrive at an entrance at substantially same timing, and
arrive at a gate installed in the passage control apparatus at substantially same timing (paragraph 014,044).
Regarding claims 5-6, Czenomysa is silent on teaching the at least one processor is further configured to execute the set of instructions to transmit the authentication control means transmits to a server apparatus, the server apparatus performing a biometric authentication, an authentication request including authentication information of each of the plurality of users attempting to enter the interior. Boic in an analogous art teaches. Boic in an analogous art teaches transmit the authentication control means transmits to a server apparatus, the server apparatus performing a biometric authentication, an authentication request including authentication information of each of the plurality of users (paragraph 025-26).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Czenomysa as disclosed by Boic because transmitting the identification information to the server for authentication represents an improvement over the system of Boic by having a more centralized database for improve security and the use of biometric represent the substitution of one mean of identification for another and producing the predictable result of identifying individuals attempting to enter the passage way.
Regarding claim 7, Czenomysa teaches a system, comprising:
a passage control apparatus,
wherein the passage control apparatus, comprising:
at least one memory storing a set of instructions (paragraph 026-027); and
at least one processor (203) configured to execute the set of instructions to:
a detection means that detects detect a plurality of users attempting to enter an
interior of the passage control apparatus by using image data acquired by capturing an
image of the plurality of users attempting to enter the interior (paragraph -34-037);
an authentication control means that performs perform control related to
authentication for each of the detected plurality of users (paragraph 032-035);
a determination means that determines determine, based on respective
authentication results of the plurality of users, whether or not the plurality of users who
have entered the interior are permitted to pass through the passage control apparatus (paragraph 032);
and a control means that denies deny passage of the plurality of users who have
entered the interior, in a case where it is determined that at least one or more of the
plurality of users who have entered the interior are not permitted to pass through the
passage control apparatus (paragraph 032). Czenomysa is silent on teaching a server apparatus performing an authentication processing. Boic in an analogous art teaches transmit the authentication control means transmits to a server apparatus, the server apparatus performing a biometric authentication, an authentication request including authentication information of each of the plurality of users (paragraph 025-26).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Czenomysa as disclosed by Boic because transmitting the identification information to the server for authentication represents an improvement over the system of Boic by having a more centralized database for improve security and the use of biometric represent the substitution of one mean of identification for another and producing the predictable result of identifying individuals attempting to enter the passage way.
Conclusion
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/VERNAL U BROWN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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