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
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/4/2025 has been entered.
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, 4, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over William Spencer Worley III (US 2016/0353725), hereinafter ‘Worley’ in view of Alexander G. Langer et al. (US 7461805), hereinafter ‘Langer’, further in view of Joaquim da Rosa (US 20140358483), hereinafter ‘da Rosa’, in further view of Long et al. (CN 202798998), hereinafter ‘Long’.
With regards to Claim 1, Worley discloses:
A fish strike notification device (detecting fishing related events and providing notifications to a user regarding those events [0015]; device 705, Fig.7), comprising:
a detection signal acquisition unit configured to acquire a detection signal that is output from a sensor to be disposed out of the water on a reel of a fishing rod configured to detect vibration generated by a fish strike, the sensor configured to detect vibration generated by a fish strike (detecting the movements of the fishing rod with sensors located on the fishing rod, those movements can be converted into a signal indicative of the particular event [0015]; a supporting device 307 may be a reel that is included on the fishing rod 300 [0043]; The sensor data obtained from the sensors on the rod are processed to generate the signal 400 which represents the motion of the rod over a period of time [0056]; generating … motion data from the sensors 104(2) [0041] and Fig.5; When a fishing related event, such as a fish on the line event occurs, it results in a fishing rod flexing or bending in particular directions [0015]; Fig. 3);
and a vibration instructor configured to output a vibration instruction signal to cause the vibration generator to generate the vibrations based on the detection signal acquired by the detection signal acquisition unit (the processor 105 may generate a notification that is presented to a user of the fishing rod 100 [0026]; a physical notification in the form of vibrations that are generated by the client device 705 [0065]; Figs.7, 9), a vibration generator attachable to a user and configured to generate vibrations, the vibration generator, vibration instructor and the detection signal acquisition unit being disposed within the body portion (the processor 105 may generate a notification that is presented to a user of the fishing rod 100 [0026]; a client device (not shown in FIG. 1) that is separate from the fishing rod 100 [0027]; The client device may be any type of client device, such as, but not limited to, a tablet, laptop, notebook, netbook, … wearable computing device … The communication between the fishing rod and the client device may be wired and/or wireless [0041]; a physical notification in the form of vibrations that are generated by the client device 705 [0065], i.e. vibration generator, emphasis added; the event notification may be sent to a client device that may present a visual, audible, and/or haptic output to notify the user of the detected, fishing related event, i.e. vibration instructor/signal acquisition unit, emphasis added [0074]) and a mounting fixture configured to attach the body portion to a prescribed part of the user (implied, as user-wearable device is used, emphasis added).
Worley also discloses embodiments using only one sensor to detect the vibration generated by the fish strike (The event patterns and/or event filters utilize a combination of amplitude and/or frequency changes over a period of time to determine whether the signal generated for one or more of the sensors corresponds with the event represented by the event filter and/or event pattern [0023]; one or more sensors 104 [0029]; one or more of the sensors on a fishing rod may provide data in three dimensions (e.g., x, y, z) and that information may be processed to generate a three dimensional signal indicative of a motion of the fishing rod in three dimensions [0061]; if the rod is moving at the base, as detected by a sensor located near the butt end of the flexible rod [0073]).
However, Worley also does not specifically disclose the first and second connecting portions, the second connecting portion is detachable from the first connecting portion and is not part of the reel or permanently connected to the first connecting portion; the sensor, the vibration generator, the vibration instructor, and the detection signal acquisition unit being detachable from the first connecting portion, and the sensor being disposed in the second connecting portion.
Langer discloses the second connecting portion that is detachable from the first connecting portion and is not part of the reel or permanently connected to the first connecting portion (The reel connector 130 may be provided as a jack or plug type connector which may be of the coaxial type for example. A cable 132 has on a first end thereof a cable connector 134 (i.e. “the second connecting portion”, added by examiner) selected to mate with the reel connector 130 (i.e. “the first connecting portion”, added by examiner). A second end of the cable is coupled to an input port of an amplifier module 136,Col.14, Lines 62-67).
Langer also discloses a sensor configured to detect vibration generated by a fish strike (it here to say that such reels include detectors which detect signals fed from an underwater sensor through the fishing/transmission line to the fishing reel, Col.11, Lines 2-5; the sensor 260 can be mounted anywhere along the fishing rod 252, because all parts of the rod vibrate in response to line movement, even if imperceptibly to the angler's eye and his touch. For example, the sensor could be mounted on any surface of the fishing rod 252, in the rod handle, or in the reel, Col.18, lines 23-28) and a body portion that includes a vibration generator, the vibration/sound generator attachable to a user and configured to generate vibration/sound based on the detection signal acquired by the detection signal acquisition unit (The output circuit 94 may be provided as a visual display, a headset or any other device which may provide a sensory indication to an angler in the boat, Col.13, Lines 25-27; Alternatively, the output device may be provided as a video display, or a vibration device, Col.15, Lines 11-13; The output circuit may include 190, for example, a set of headphones as described in conjunction with FIGS. 6 and 8 above, Fig.16, Lines 47-50; The output circuit 263 can include a signal processor and amplifier, as is known in the art, that provides an output signal to a visual, an audio, or a tactile signaling device. Exemplary signaling devices include an acoustic speaker, an audio system 266 including headphones, a video display, and a vibration amplifier, such as a vibrating wrist patch, finger vibrator, or rod handle vibrator, Col.18, Lines 59-65; Fig.13).
Da Rosa discloses a sensor being disposed on the second connecting portion (a sensor (not shown) provided with or attachable to the fishing reel [0044], i.e. being disposed in the second connecting portion, emphasis added) and also discloses the vibration generator, the vibration instructor and the detection signal acquisition unit being disposed within the body portion (the automatic fishing data collection and processing system is configured to automatically collect data inputs 10 and 20 at a wired or wireless user receiver or hand-held communication element 25, such as a cellular telephone, programmable cellular telephone, computer, receiver associated with a retransmitter, smartphone, or personal digital assistant (PDA) [0031]; FIG. 1 is a view of an automatic fishing data collection and processing system for monitoring and automatically capturing equipment use data (EUD) [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Worley in view of Langer and Da Rosa to use a sensor on a reel of a fishing rod, the sensor configured to detect vibration generated by a fish strike, as convenient and known in the art flexible arrangement of the sensor (the sensor could be mounted … in the reel, Langer, Col.18, lines 23-28) with a first and a second connecting portions (“mating plugs”, “plug type”, Fig. 8, 130, 134, Langer) to provide a flexible reel-mounted electrical communication arrangement to carry the detection signal to a body/user with the sensor disposed on the second connecting portion as known in the art (da Rosa) for easy replacement/repair of the senor.
Worley additionally discloses the fish strike notification device according to claim 1, further comprising a first connecting portion configured to be disposed on the fishing rod and a second connecting portion configured to be disposed on the detection signal acquisition unit, the first and second connecting portions being capable of being connected to each other so as to be capable of enabling the vibration of the detection target detected by the sensor to be acquired by the detection signal acquisition unit by wire (the flexible sensor 104(1) may be positioned a distance away from the flexible tip and a displacement wire 103 may extend from the first sensor 104(1) to the tip 106 of the flexible rod 102. The wire 103 may be used to detect motion at the tip 106 of the flexible rod 102 [0019]; The processor 105 may communicate with the sensors 104 via a wired and/or wireless connection [0028]; a wired connection between the processor and/or power source located toward a butt 120 end of the fishing rod 100 and one or more sensors 104 [0029]; The communication between the fishing rod and the client device may be wired and/or wireless [0041]; a reel that is included on the fishing rod 300 [0043]; By detecting the movements of the fishing rod with sensors located on the fishing rod, those movements can be converted into a signal indicative of the particular event [0015]; Fig.1).
However, Worley also does not specifically disclose the first and second connecting portions being magnets so as to be capable of being connected to each other by a magnetic force and enabling the vibration of the detection target detected by the sensor to be acquired by the detection signal acquisition unit by wire, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion being configured such that the connection therebetween is capable of being released by application of an external force that equals or exceeds a certain magnitude of magnetic force, such that the second connecting portion is detachable from the first connecting portion mounted on a reel and is not part of the reel or permanently connected to the first connecting portion.
Langer discloses a wire with a first and a second connection portions so as to be capable of enabling the vibration of the detection target detected by the sensor to be acquired by the detection signal acquisition unit by wire (a hardwired transmission path 102 coupled between the sensor device 100 and the headphone speakers 106, Col.13, Lines 35-36).
Long discloses the first and second connecting portions being magnets so as to be capable of being connected to each other by a magnetic force, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion being configured such that the connection therebetween is capable of being released by application of an external force that equals or exceeds a certain magnitude of magnetic force (the movable connecting mechanism 9 uses magnetic connection mode, comprising a first connection part 10, the second connection part 11, the first connection part 10 and the first module 7 on the structure and electric are connected; the second connection part 11 are connected on the structure and electric and the second module 8, the first connection part 10 includes a first magnetic element 14 and is provided with at least one first electrical contact 12, the second connection part 11 comprises a second magnetic element 15 and at least one second electrical contact 13. the first electrical contact 12, second electrical contact 13 are paired, according to need can be set to I, 2, 3, convenient for transmitting signal and power supply. the first magnetic element 14 and second magnetic element 15 made of ferromagnetic material or an electromagnet or permanent magnet, two magnetic are attracted and make appear in pairs of first electrical contact 12 and second electrical contact 13 in electrical conduction state [0020]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Worley in view of Ikuta, Langer, in further view of Long to provide detachable magnetic coupling between a first connecting portion and second connecting portions while the connection therebetween is capable of being released by application of an external force that equals or exceeds a certain magnitude of magnetic force as an inherent feature of separating magnets from ferromagnetic materials, as known in the art (the first magnetic element 14 and second magnetic element 15 magnetically attract each other, so that the first electrical contact 12, second electrical contact 13 in electrical conduction state, Long [0009]). Such magnetic connection allows quick and reliable connection/disconnection of first and second connecting portions carrying an electrical signal (after the two are combined into a whole through quickly magnetic connection mode used so as to spectacle frame lens part and a control part of different communication protocols can be freely combined and used interchangeably … and magnetic connection manner is safe, convenient and fast, Long [0014]).
With regards to Claim 4, Worley additionally discloses generating vibrations corresponding to a fish strike (the sensors 104 may be any type of motion detection sensors capable of monitoring a motion of the sensor in at least three degrees (e.g., x, y, z), such as an accelerometer [0019]; When a fishing related event, such as a fish on the line event occurs, it results in a fishing rod flexing or bending in particular directions. With the implementations described herein, movements of a fishing rod caused by fishing related events are detected [0015]; determine a signal(s) representative of a motion of the fishing rod [0050]).
With regards to Claim 7, Worley does not specifically wherein the sensor is the only sensor configured to detect the vibration generated by the fish strike.
Langer discloses a sensor configured to detect the vibration generated by the fish strike as discussed in Claim 1.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Worley in view of Langer, LA Rosa, in further view of Long to use a single (“the only”) sensor configured to detect the vibration generated by the fish strike as a sufficient data source indicating vibration activity of the detection target such as a fish strike.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Worley in view of Langer, La Rosa, and Long, and further in view of Paul Alexander Bruell (US 2010/0275500), hereinafter ‘Bruell’.
Worley in view of Langer, LA Rosa, and Long discloses the claimed invention including a vibration generator that generates vibrations so as to correspond to a fish strike as discussed above.
Worley also discloses a reel [0043] and that the (fishing, added) event includes a user reeling in a fish that has been “on the line” [0083].
However, Worley does not specifically disclose the vibration generator is configured to generate the vibrations so as to correspond to a fish strike transmitted to the reel.
Bruell discloses that the vibration generator is configured to generate the vibrations so as to correspond to a fish strike transmitted to the fishing rod with the attached reel (An elongated vibration generating device with a self-contained vibration generating mechanism having its own power source including a battery driven motor, and eccentric weight and means to vary the vibration that can be easily attached to an ordinary fishing rod having a reel and line mounted thereon to cause the fishing rod shaft to vibrate, Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Worley in view of Langer, La Rosa, in further view of Long, in further view of Bruell that the vibration generator is configured to generate the vibrations so as to correspond to a fish strike transmitted to the reel because (1) the reel is mechanically attached to the fishing rod and will experience corresponding vibrations when the rod shaft (Bruell) vibrates, and/or (2) a process of reeling a caught fish (Worley) generates movements of a fish line and corresponding transmitted vibrations to the reel.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Worley in view of Langer, La Rosa, in further view of Long, and further in view of LEE JOON NO (KR 20060071007), hereinafter ‘Lee’.
Worley in view of Langer, La Rosa, in further view of Long, discloses the claimed invention including a vibration generator that generates vibrations so as to correspond to a fish strike as discussed above.
However, Worley does not specifically disclose the vibration generator is configured to generate the vibrations so as to correspond to an amplitude of the vibration generated by the fish strike.
Langer also discloses generating vibrations that correspond to a fish strike signal further transmitted by a pulse or vibration (A sensor 260' is affixed in a similar manner to the downrigger line 270 for sensing when the lead ball 272 strikes the bottom 274. Wire 264 and a wire 264' run from sensors 260 and 260', respectively, to an output circuit that provides an input to a signaling device which enables an angler to monitor activity associated with both the lure 262 and the lead ball 272, Col.19, Lines 40-49).
Lee discloses calculating the vibration intensity according to a vibration amplitude (intensity) of a detection signal and correspondingly adjusting generated vibrations (The control unit 140 may select or calculate the vibration intensity according to the detection signal of the terminal body 110 and define the selected or calculated vibration intensity (S16). The defined vibration intensity becomes a variable controlling the variable feeder 124, and the controlled variable feeder 124 adjusts the vibration intensity of the variable vibration unit 120 by controlling the voltage or current supplied to the vibration motor 122, p.4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Worley in view of Langer, La Rosa, in further view of Long, in further view Lee that vibration generator is configured to generate the vibrations so as to correspond to an amplitude of the vibration generated by the fish strike similarly to generating vibrations according to an amplitude of a detection signal as discussed in Lee (The intensity can be increased relative to the reference intensity, Lee, Abstract).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Worley in view of Ikuta, Langer, in further view of Long, and further in view of Andrew Kostrzewski et al. (US 8879410), hereinafter ‘Kostrzewski’.
Worley in view of Langer, La Rosa, in further view of Long discloses the claimed invention as discussed in Claim 1.
However, Worley does not specifically disclose wherein the sensor is disposed in the second connecting portion.
Kostrzewski discloses a sensor that is disposed in the (second) connecting portion (The vibration sensor, D, is located at connector circuitry 602, Col.15, Lines 49-51).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Worley in view of Langer, La Rosa, in further view of Long, in further view Kostrzewski to place a sensor in the (second) connecting portion to provide an indication that the (mating) connection has occurred (when the click at location 601 occurs, the sensor D will be alerted relatively quickly, Kostrzewski, Col.15, Lines 51-53).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection necessitated by the amendments.
In addition, Applicant's arguments filed 11/4/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues (p.5): None of these references disclose the electrical components being disposed in a detachable manner, as required by claim of this application.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. Langer discloses electrical components disposed in detachable manner (Fig.8, components 130 and 134).
The Applicant argues (p.5): None of the cited art … discloses the detection signal acquisition unit being detachable from the first connecting portion, vibration generator, vibration instructor and the detection signal acquisition unit being disposed within the body portion.
The Examiner disagrees. Langer discloses “the detection signal acquisition unit (sound amplifier 136 and output device 138, Fig. 8) being detachable from the first connecting portion” (reel connector 130, Fig.8).
Worley and Da Rosa disclose that vibration generator, vibration instructor and the detection signal acquisition unit being disposed within the body portion as discussed in the rejection above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ralph E. Blake, “Chapter 2. Basic Vibration Theory”, Cyril M. Harris et al, “Harris' Shock and Vibration Handbook”, Fifth Edition, 2002, https://engfac.cooper.edu/pages/tzavelis/uploads/Vibration%20Theory.pdf discloses motions caused by forced vibration.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER SATANOVSKY whose telephone number is (571)270-5819. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9 am-5 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Catherine Rastovski can be reached on (571) 270-0349. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEXANDER SATANOVSKY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2863