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 Status
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LIAO (U.S. Pub. 2021/0043019) in view of ANDRES (U.S. Pub. 2019/0349770).
Regarding claims 1, 9 and 17,
LIAO teaches a system/method/computer readable instructions, characterized by a system for providing physical access to a facility, the system comprising:
a mobile device comprising:
at least one processor([0005]; 602, 702);
a communication interface (601, 603; 701, 703) communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;
a memory device (604, 704) storing executable code, wherein the executable code, when executed, causes the at least one processor to:
transmit, to a mobile device, a request for an identifying feature of a user, the identifying feature corresponding to identifying information for unlocking the mobile device and accessing either a web-based browser or a dedicated application (the “Abstract” teaches, " a server performs: ...generating a biometric feature request for collecting biometric feature from the mobile device"; see [0028]; [0076] teaches, "... the processing server 300 performs step 9 of returning a collection request to the mobile terminal 100.");
receive, from the mobile device, virtual identification information of the user ([0028] teaches, "... where the mobile terminal 100 is configured to receive the collection request, collect biometric feature information corresponding to the mobile terminal 100 based on the collection request, and send the corresponding biometric feature information to the processing server 300...send the identity information corresponding to the user identifier and the device identifier to the processing server 300"; [0076] teaches, "After receiving the collection request, the mobile terminal 100 performs step 10 of responding to the collection request and returning collected corresponding biometric feature information.”),
store the virtual identification information received from the mobile device ([0028] teaches, "...where the reservation database stores the user identifier, the identity information...");
transmit the virtual identification information to a reader device that regulates physical access to the facility when the mobile device and the reader device are in proximity to one another ([0077] teaches, "step 15 of sending the digital key to the smart lock 200.."; [0029] teaches, "The mobile terminal 100 communicates with the smart lock 200 through wireless communication such as NFC or Bluetooth…”);
Liao fails to expressly teach receiving, from the mobile device, virtual identification information wherein the virtual identification information has been provided through either the web-based browser or the dedicated application; requesting, from the reader device, authentication of the virtual identification information to facilitate access to the facility; receiving, from the reader device, confirmation that the virtual identification has been authenticated; and granting physical access to the facility.
ANDRES teaches Liao fails to expressly teach receiving, from the mobile device, virtual identification information wherein the virtual identification information has been provided through either the web-based browser or the dedicated application ([0130] teaches In block 830, the user computing device 110 receives a request for an access card identifier and a virtual access payload. The access manager application 119 on the user computing device 110 receives, via the established wireless communication channel with the access reader computing device 130, the request for an access card identifier and a virtual access payload...The access manager application 119 searches the user 101 account for an access card identifier. [0131] teaches that subsequently, In block 840, the user computing device 110 transmits the access card identifier and a current virtual access payload);
requesting, from the reader device, authentication of the virtual identification information to facilitate access to the facility ([0035] teaches that the NFC controller 135 is capable of sending and receiving data, performing authentication; [0089] teaches, "the account hub computing system 140 transmits a notification to the access reader computing device via the network 120 comprising the key and the associated access card identifier so that the access reader computing device can verify the key when the user computing device 110 transmits the virtual access payload and the access card identifier to the access reader computing device via a wireless communication channel.");
receiving, from the reader device, confirmation that the virtual identification has been authenticated ([0133] teaches, "...the virtual access payload [received by the reader] comprises a passcode generated for the user account hub system account and associated with the access card identifier and verifying [by the reader] the virtual access payload comprises finding a correspondence between the passcode in the virtual access payload and the password associated with the access card identifier." and further teaches, "...the access reader computing device 130 communicates the received virtual access payload and access card identifier via the network 120 to the account hub computing system 140. " Either of the aforementioned actions performed by the reader are interpreted as corresponding to generating, "confirmation that the virtual identification has been authenticated", as recited; [0134] teaches, "The access reader computing device 130 transmits status information to the user computing device 110 for display by the user computing device 110."); and
granting physical access to the facility (see, 290 in fig. 2).
Before the effective filing date of the invention it would have been obvious to modify the system of Liao per the teaching of Andres and allow Liao’s mobile device to receive virtual identification information from a dedicated app of web-based browser for the purpose of making access dependent upon the confirmation that the credential is authentic, thus reducing the occurrence of unauthorized access. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to modify the reader such that it will facilitate authentication and confirmation of authentication prior to the grant of access, for the purpose of placing credential verification at the secured point of entry, better ensuring that authentication has been performed prior to the grant of access.
Regarding claims 2, 10 and 18,
Liao teaches granting physical access to the facility further comprises unlocking an access point associated with the facility ([0030] teaches gaining access to, "...the room for rent, room information of the room for rent..." corresponding to a "Facility").
Regarding claims 3, 11 and 19,
Liao teaches that the identifying feature of the user comprises at least one of biometric authentication credentials (see [0028]), a personal identification number, a password, and a two-step verification protocol comprising accessing a passcode generated by a one-time password algorithm.
Regarding claims 4, 12 and 20,
Andres teaches that the virtual identification information of the user comprises at least one of biometric authentication credentials, a personal identification number, a password, and/or a two-step verification protocol comprising accessing a passcode generated by a one-time password algorithm ([0132] teaches "... the virtual access payload comprises a passcode ...").
Regarding claims 5 and 13,
Andres teaches that the virtual identification information of the user comprises a name ([0052] teaches, "The user 101 selects one or more objects on the user interface 111 to create a user account and registers a username and a password associated with the user account to use to sign in to the user account.").
Regarding claims 6 and 14,
Andres teaches that the transmitting the virtual identification information to the reader device comprises utilizing near-field communication based on the reader device including a first near-field communication device and the mobile device including a second near-field communication device (see [0022]).
Regarding claims 7 and 15,
Andres teaches that the first near-field communication device (115 in fig. 1) and the second near-field communication device (135, fig. 1) are a same type of communication device.
Regarding claims 8 and 16,
Andres teaches that the first near-field communication device and the second near-field communication device are different types of communication devices, and after transmitting the virtual identification information to the reader device, the executable code, when executed, further causes the at least one processor to translate the radio frequency ([0126] teaches, "the user 101 “taps” the NFC-enable user computing device 110 in the RF field of the access reader computing device 130 by moving the user computing device 110 within the predefined proximity of the access reader computing device 130. In an example embodiment, the predefined proximity is based at least in part on the strength of the generated RF field and/or the type of wireless communication used by the devices (including devices 110 and 130)" without restricting the wireless communication devices being the same device types).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIONNE PENDLETON whose telephone number is (571)272-7497. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta Goins can be reached at 571-272-2957. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DIONNE PENDLETON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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