Office Action 4: Notice of Allowance (2025-04-10)

CLAIMS:
AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS

1\. (Currently amended) A system for providing a connected service, comprising:a portable device and a vehicle terminal, each including a processor, wherein first user information and second user information are is-input into the portable device and the vehicle terminal; and
a server including a processor and configured to:
receive the first user information from one or more of the portable device and the terminal and determine whether the received first user information is recognizable; and
determine whether to store the first user information as a new data set based on the number of times the first user information is received in response to determining that thefirst user information is unrecognizable,
wherein the first user information includes vehicle setting values and attribute information linked to the vehicle setting values,
wherein the attribute information includes vehicle setting functions and key IDs respectively matched to the vehicle setting functions,
wherein the server informs the one or more of the portable device and the vehicle terminal that the new data set is stored when the first user information is stored as the new data set;
wherein the vehicle setting functions include a function of controlling an electronic device in a vehicle within predetermined range;
wherein the vehicle terminal is configured to automatically set the vehicle based on the new data set stored in the server when it is received from the server that the new data set is stored, and allow al\[n\]\] user to use information automatically set on the vehicle without any additional input;
wherein the portable device and the vehicle terminal are further configured to transmit the second user information to the server after being informed that the new data set is stored in the server; and

wherein the second user information includes vehicle setting value linked attribute information that only includes the Key IDs.

2-3. (Canceled)

4\. (Currently amended) The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to determine whether the number of times unrecognizable firstuser information is received exceeds a predetermined number of times in response to determining that the received first user information is unrecognizable.
5\. (Currently amended) The system of claim 4, wherein the server is configured to determine to store the first user information as the new data set in response to determining that the number of times the unrecognizable first user information is received exceeds the predetermined number of times.

6-7. (Canceled)

8\. (Currently amended) The system of claim \-71,wherein the server is configured to recognize the second user information received from the one or more of the portable device and the vehicle terminal based on the information stored in the server.
9\. (Original) The system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle terminal is configured to receive vehicle setting values recognized from the server, and set a vehicle with the received vehicle setting values.

10\. (Currently amended) A method for providing a connected service, comprising:receiving, by a controller including a processor, first user information from one or more of a portable device and a vehicle terminal;

receiving, by a server including a processor, the first user information from the one or more of the portable device and the terminal, and determining whether the received first user information is recognizable; and
determining, by the controller, whether to store the first user information as a new data set based on the number of times the user information is received in response to determining that the user information is unrecognizable,
wherein the first user information includes vehicle setting values and attribute information linked to the vehicle setting values,
wherein the attribute information includes vehicle setting functions and key IDs respectively matched to the vehicle setting functions,
wherein the server informs the one or more of the portable device and the vehicle terminal that the new data set is stored when the first user information is stored as the new data set;
wherein the vehicle setting functions include a function of controlling an electronic device in a vehicle within predetermined range; and
wherein the vehicle terminal is configured to automatically set the vehicle based on the new data set stored in the server when it is received from the server that the new data set is stored, and allow ajn\]\] user to use information automatically set on the vehicle without any additional input;
wherein the portable device and the vehicle terminal are configured to transmit second user information to the server after being informed that the new data set is stored in the server; and
wherein the second user information includes vehicle setting value linked attribute information that only includes the Key IDs.

11-12. (Canceled)

13\. (Currently amended) The method of claim 10, further comprising:determining whether the number of times unrecognizable first user information is received exceeds a predetermined number of times in response to determining that the received first user information is unrecognizable.

14\. (Currently amended) The method of claim 13, further comprising:determining to store the first user information as the new data set in response to determining that the number of times the unrecognizable firstuser information is received exceeds the predetermined number of times.

15-16. (Canceled)

17\. (Currently amended) The method of claim 16, further comprising:recognizing the second user information received from the one or more of the portable device and the vehicle terminal based on the information stored in the server.

18\. (Original) The method of claim 17, further comprising:receiving, by the vehicle terminal, vehicle setting values recognized from the server, and setting a vehicle with the received vehicle setting values.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
EXAMINER’S AMENDMENT
An examiner’s amendment to the record appears below. Should the changes and/or additions be unacceptable to applicant, an amendment may be filed as provided by 37 CFR 1.312. To ensure consideration of such an amendment, it MUST be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee.
Authorization for this examiner’s amendment was verbally given during a phone call with Michael Matoni on April 4th, 2025.
The previously allowed claim set included a Claim 17 that was listed upon canceled Claim 16.  The below Examiner’s Amendment replaces that claim with an amended Claim 17 that changes its dependency from Claim 16 to Claim 10, as shown here:
17. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 10, further comprising:
recognizing the second user information received from the one or more of the portable device and the vehicle terminal based on the information stored in the server.
Conclusion

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS
Status of the Claims
The Office Action addresses and rejects claims 1, 4-5, 7-10, 13-14, and 16-18 Reconsideration is respectfully requested.
Amendments to the Claims
Claims 7 and 16 are canceled without prejudice or disclaimer.
Claims 1, 4-5, 8, 10, 13-14, and 17 are amended as indicated above. Support for these amendments can be found throughout the specification and drawings, for example, at least in original claims 7 and 16 and in FIG. 7 and paragraphs [0053]-[0059] of the published application. No new matter is added.
Claim Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. § 103
The Office Action rejects claims 1, 4-5, 7-10, 13-14, and 16-20 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as allegedly being unpatentable over U.S. 2020/0130609 to Ibitoye ("Ibitoye") in view of U.S. 2022/0417359 to Tokuyama ("Tokuyama"), and U.S. 2011/0215900 to Corradino et al. ("Corradino"), and U.S. 2016/0046300 to Wingfield. ("Wingfield"). Office Action, pp. 5-11.
Applicants respectfully disagree. However, solely in order to advance prosecution, claim 1 is amended to recite, in part,
"a portable device and a vehicle terminal, each including a processor,
wherein first user information and second user information are input into the
portable device and the vehicle terminal;...
wherein the portable device and the vehicle terminal are further configured
to transmit the second user information to the server after being informed that the
new data set is stored in the server; and
wherein the second user information includes vehicle setting value linked
attribute information that only includes the Key IDs."
For example, with reference to FIG. 7 of the instant application, operation S120 transmits user information (e.g., vehicle setting values and attribute information linked with vehicle setting
values and includes a vehicle setting function and a Key ID matching with the vehicle setting function) to a server when the user information is input. In operations Si170-S 190, when the number of times unrecognizable user information received exceeds a predetermined number of times, the server stores the unrecognizable user information as a new data set and transmits this user information to the vehicle terminal and the portable device. Instant Specification, [0053]-[0056].
In operation S220, after the new data set is stored, the user information is received again. The input user information is the vehicle setting value linked with the attribute information, where only a Key ID is included. Instant Specification, [0057].
In operation S 180, the vehicle setting function matching with the Key ID Is already stored in the server. Therefore, in operation S220, even when inputting the vehicle setting value linked with the attribute information in which only the Key ID is included, instead of inputting the same user information of operation S 110, the server is capable of recognizing by linking the vehicle setting value received through operation S230 (the vehicle setting value input in operation S220) with the vehicle setting function. Instant Specification, [0058].
In contrast, Ibitoye merely discusses that an automated bumper protection roll updates a user device on a dashboard based on user input. Corradino merely discusses using a fingerprint scan as an attribute to identify a user when the fingerprint scan received to identify the user matches with a fingerprint scan as a key representing a setting selected by an account owner. Accordingly, Ibitoye and Corradino fail to teach or suggest "wherein the portable device and the vehicle terminal are further configured to transmit the second user information to the server after being informed that the new data set is stored in the server; and wherein the second user information includes vehicle setting value linked attribute information that only includes the Key IDs," as recited in amended claim 1. Tokuyama and Wingfield are relied upon for other claim features and fail to remedy these deficiencies.
For at least these reasons, claims 1 and 10 distingiush over Ibitoye, Tokuyama, Corradino, and Wingfield, alone or in any combination, and represent allowable subject matter. Claims 4-5,
8-10, 13-14, and 17-18 variously depend from claims 1 and 10 and also represent allowable subject matter at least due to their dependency from a patent-eligible claim. Claims 7 and 16 are canceled hereiwth and, therefore, the rejection of these claims is moot.
Conclusion