DETAILED ACTION
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Tobita (US 2013/0311132).
As to claim 8, Tobita teaches an information processing device (26) comprising: an obtaining section (18) configured to obtain sensed data obtained by at least one sensor (16) mounted on a wig (Fig. 1); an advice generating section (28a-d) configured to generate, with reference to the sensed data obtained by the obtaining section, advice information indicating an advice for a user ([0036]); and a display section (22) configured to display the advice information generated by the advice generating section ([0049-51]).
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) 1-3, 7, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tobita (US 2013/0311132) in view of Chattopadhyay et al. (US 2017/0164887).
As to claims 1 and 11, Tobita teaches a wig and its corresponding method of use (12) comprising: at least one sensor (16) mounted on a wig (Fig. 1). While it teaches a wearable computing device (10) with memory ([0061]), it does not necessarily state that this memory is used to store sensed data.
Chattopadhyay teaches sensors worn on the scalp of a user ([0081]) and a processor with a storage section in which sensed data obtained by the at least one sensor is stored ([0082]). It would have been obvious, if not necessarily inherent, to utilize the memory of Tobita to store measured data so that it can be saved if transmission of the data is not received such that no data loss occurs.
As to claim 2, the examiner gives official notice that both the use of a power source section to supply power to the at least one sensor and/or the storage section; and a timer section configured to obtain a time at which the at least one sensor carries out sensing is well known, both to enable powering up the device as well as to time-stamp any measured data for useful analysis.
As to claim 3, Tobita teaches the at least one sensor is at least one of a biological information sensor and an environmental information sensor, the biological information sensor includes at least one of a temperature measurement sensor, a humidity measurement sensor, a pH measurement sensor, a skin moisture content measurement sensor, a sebum measurement sensor, a static electricity measurement sensor, an odor sensor, and a bloodflow volume sensor, and the environmental information sensor includes at least one of a position information obtaining sensor and a photosensor ([0058]).
As to claim 7, Tobita teaches a first communication section (20), which, in combination with Chattopadhyay would result in being configured to transmit at least part of the sensed data stored in the storage section.
Claim(s) 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tobita (US 2013/0311132) in view of Chattopadhyay et al. (US 2017/0164887), and further in view of D’Ambrosio et al. (US 2017/0056240).
As to claims 4-5, the above combination fails to teach a control section configured to generate a control signal for improving a wearing environment of the wig in accordance with the sensed data obtained by the at least one sensor, and further at least one cooling element connected to an output section configured to output the control signal, at least one of the at least one sensor being a temperature measurement sensor, sensed data obtained by the temperature measurement sensor being temperature information, the control section being further configured to generate, in a case where the temperature information exceeds a preset threshold, a control signal for actuating the cooling element.
D’Ambrosio teaches a device for locally cooling the scalp of a user (claim 22) by generating a control signal (claim 21) for cooling the head in accordance to obtained temperature data exceeding a threshold (claim 12). It would have been obvious to modify the above combination with D’Ambrosio to incorporate the cooling element into the wig to cool down the head when scalp temperature becomes dangerously high.
As to claim 6, Tobita teaches at least one image capturing element (34) connected to an output section configured to output the control signal ([0046]), at least one of the at least one sensor being a photosensor ([0047] – optical sensor). Tobita doesn’t explicitly utilize the sensed data from the photosensor to actuate the image capturing element. However, Tobita states that the photosensor is utilized to include information of a position of the wig relative to a reference position on the user’s head. Accordingly, this information would necessarily utilize the light quantity information being outside of a specific range, or threshold, to determine that the wig is not at a proper location. The image capturing element is taught to be able to obtain image information from the surrounding of the wig. It would have been obvious, if not necessarily inherent, for one of ordinary skill in the art to recognize that the misplacement of the wig could then be utilized to actuate the image capturing element to determine how “offset” the current positioning of the wig is relative to its ideal position, and as such, would have been obvious to modify its teachings to utilize the sensed data to generate a control signal for actuating the image capturing element.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tobita (US 2013/0311132) in view of FU et al. (US 2020/0222001).
As to claim 9, Tobita teaches at least one of the at least one sensor is a temperature measurement sensor, sensed data obtained by the temperature measurement sensor is temperature information ([0058]). It does not teach the advice generating section is further configured to generate, in a case where the temperature information is below a preset reference value, advice information that promotes caring for poor blood circulation.
However, Fu teaches the use of a threshold information for temperature to determine such things as diabetic foot ulcers, which is indicative of poor blood circulation ([0035]). It would have been obvious to modify Tobita with FU to utilize temperature information to provide information to the user about a potential for poor blood circulation so that corrective action can be taken.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tobita (US 2013/0311132) in view of Akyuz (US 2005/0186164).
As to claim 10, Tobita fails to teach that the at least one of the at least one sensor is a pH measurement sensor, sensed data obtained by the pH measurement sensor is alkaline inclination information, and the advice generating section is further configured to generate, in a case where the alkaline inclination information indicates an alkaline inclination exceeding a preset reference value, advice information that promotes reconsideration of a shampoo.
Akyuz teaches that pH values can be reflective of poorly performing shampoos which may decrease hair quality ([0002]). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to modify Tobita with Akyuz to utilize pH measurements to determine whether the user is using a low quality shampoo and provide advice to switch.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTIAN JANG whose telephone number is (571)270-3820. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (7-3:30 EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Chen can be reached at 571-272-3672. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CHRISTIAN JANG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3791
/CHRISTIAN JANG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791 12/5/25