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 .
This Office Action is responsive to the Reply to Office Action filed March 9, 2026. The Examiner acknowledges the amendments to claims 31, 39, and 46, and the cancellation of claim 42. Claims 31-41 and 43-46 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed March 9, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 31-37, 39-44, and 46 under 35 USC 103 over Bradley in view of Yuyama and further in view of Meganathan have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the claim amendments and Applicant's arguments that nothing in Yuyama suggests a proximity sensor that triggers the drive mechanism to open the sensor cavity to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a field of view selected for privacy, and that the dynamic privacy zones in Meganathan do not read on the claimed invention and are not applicable to Bradley and Yuyama. As such new prior art has been found to address the amended claim limitations and the aforementioned arguments. See 35 USC 103 rejections below.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 31-37, 39-41, 43-44 and 46 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication 20190086890 --as previously cited--, hereinafter referenced as "Bradley" in view of US Patent Application Publication 20070132879 --as previously cited--, hereinafter referenced as "Yuyama", and in further view of US Patent Application Publication 20190063140, hereinafter referenced as “Trundle”.
With respect to claim 31, Bradley teaches a mirror cabinet 101, 120 (see Bradley, figs. 11A-11B & 14A-14B) comprising:
a mirror frame (i.e., a support housing for the mirror) (see Bradley, par 0133, figs. 14A & 14B) configured to support a mirror substrate that provides a reflection of one or more users in proximity of the mirror cabinet (see Bradley, par 0126 & 0133, figs. 11A-11B, 14A & 14B);
a sensor cavity 102, 121 (see Bradley, figs. 11A, 14A & 14B par 0127-0130) coupled to the mirror frame and configured to support a sensor for detecting a health condition of the one or more users in proximity to the mirror cabinet (i.e., the sensor is an image collection device that collects images of a user for determining properties such as skin qualities, inflammation, hormone imbalance, or other abnormalities) (see Bradley, par 0127, 0133-0134, figs. 11A, 14A & 14B);
a controller 123 (i.e., a control module) configured to analyze data received from the sensor to determine the health condition (i.e., the control module analyzes sensor data to determine a condition of a user such as a temperature, a heart rate, a height, a weight, a drowsiness, a complexion, a malnutrition or other conditions, such as muscle conditions) (see Bradley, par 0094, 0098, 0100-0101, 0127, 0133-0136);
and a proximity sensor 147 that detects a presence of an object within a predetermined distance range and is used in coordination with sensor 102 (see Bradley, par 0127-0128, 0146, 0148, fig. 16).
Bradley fails to teach a drive mechanism configured to open the sensor cavity to reveal the sensor in the sensor cavity and further Bradley fails to teach the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to open the sensor cavity to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a field of view selected for privacy.
Yuyama teaches an image capturing apparatus that comprises a lens cover controller 264 and a motor controller 267, wherein during recording (i.e., taking pictures) a CPU 26 causes the lens cover controller 264 to open a lens cover and causes the motor controller 267 to protrude an image capturing lens unit 2 forward from a camera body 1 (see Yuyama, figs. 1A & 2, par 0023 & 0048).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Bradley to include a drive mechanism configured to open the sensor cavity to reveal the sensor in the sensor cavity because that permits the sensor to operatively be covered or revealed based upon environmental conditions (i.e., the brightness of the environment) or activation of the power source of the device (see Yuyama, par 0036, 0038, 0046-0048).
Bradley as modified by Yuyama fails to teach the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to open the sensor cavity to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a field of view selected for privacy.
Trundle teaches garage door authentication and automation wherein when a vehicle is within a field of view of at least one or more cameras, the camera captures video data of the vehicle based upon data from proximity sensors 220 (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, figs. 1, 2 & 5). The proximity sensors 220 are configured to detect changes in the electromagnetic field of the sensors to sense when a vehicle is in close proximity to the sensors, and when the proximity sensors 220 detect the vehicle, the sensors communicate to a monitoring control unit 112 to permit the one or more cameras to capture the video data (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, 0061, figs. 1, 2 & 5). Furthermore, the one or more cameras may be configured to pan or tilt to change its/their field of view, thus the field of view is configurable (see Trundle, par 0053).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Bradley as modified by Yuyama such that the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to open the sensor cavity to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a field of view selected for privacy because that would improve the system of Bradley as modified by Yuyama by automating sensors to operate based upon data from proximity sensors (i.e., automating sensors to operate when a user or subject is present in the field of view) (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, 0061, figs. 1, 2 & 5).
With respect to claim 32, Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 31. Bradley further teaches the sensor is a camera and the controller performs an image processing algorithm on images collected by the camera in order to determine the health condition of the one or more users (i.e., sensor data is collected by a camera/image collection device and image processing techniques are used to determine properties/characteristics of a user) (see Bradley, par 0094, 0127, 0129).
With respect to claim 33, Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 31. Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle further teaches the drive mechanism lowers or raises the sensor cavity with respect to the mirror frame (i.e., the motor controller 267 causes the image capturing lens unit to move forward from the camera sensor body when the CPU operatively controls the image capturing lens unit during recording) (see Yuyama, par 0023, 0044, 0048).
With respect to claim 34, Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 31. Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle further teaches the drive mechanism retracts a lens cover for the sensor (i.e., a lens cover controller operatively opens or closes a lens cover for a camera) (see Yuyama, figs. 1A & 2, par 0023, 0036, 0038 & 0046-0048).
With respect to claim 35, Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 31. Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle further teaches the drive mechanism lowers a sensor cavity cover (i.e., a lens cover controller operatively opens or closes a lens cover for a camera) (see Yuyama, figs. 1A & 2, par 0023, 0036, 0038 & 0046-0048).
With respect to claim 36, Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 31. Bradley further teaches the mirror cabinet further comprises a display 105 (i.e., a user interface display) configured to display the health condition (i.e., the user interface is configured to receive instructions from the user and display data to the user such as muscle conditions the user may have) (see Bradley, par 0127, 0131, fig. 11A-11B).
With respect to claim 37, Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 36. Bradley further teaches the display also provides a state of a timer for the user (i.e., the user interface display includes a temporal component) (see Bradley, par 0132, figs. 11A-11B, 12).
With respect to claim 39, Bradley teaches a mirror cabinet 101, 120 (see Bradley, figs. 11A-11B & 14A-14B comprising:
a mirror frame (i.e., a support housing for the mirror) (see Bradley, par 0133, figs. 14A & 14B) configured to support a mirror substrate that provides a reflection of one or more users in proximity of the mirror cabinet (see Bradley, par 0126 & 0133, figs. 11A-11B, 14A & 14B);
a sensor cavity 102, 121 (see Bradley, figs. 11A, 14A & 14B, par 0127-0130) coupled to the mirror frame and configured to support a sensor for detecting a health condition including blood pressure of the one or more users in proximity to the mirror cabinet (i.e., the sensor is an image collection device that collects images of a user for determining properties such as skin qualities, inflammation, hormone imbalance, or other abnormalities, wherein sensor data further includes temperature, stress, blood pressure, or wakefulness) (see Bradley, par 0111, 0127, 0133-0134, figs. 11A, 14A & 14B);
a controller 123 (i.e., a control module) configured to analyze data received from the sensor to determine the blood pressure of the one or more users (i.e., the control module analyzes sensor data to determine a condition of a user such as a temperature, a heart rate, a height, a weight, a drowsiness, a complexion, a malnutrition or other conditions, such as muscle conditions) (see Bradley, par 0094, 0098, 0100-0101, 0127, 0133-0136);
and a proximity sensor 147 that detects a presence of an object within a predetermined distance range and is used in coordination with sensor 102 (see Bradley, par 0127-0128, 0146, 0148, fig. 16).
Bradley fails to teach a drive mechanism configured to reveal the sensor and further Bradley fails to teach the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a configurable angle for a field of view selected for privacy.
Yuyama teaches an image capturing apparatus that comprises a lens cover controller 264 and a motor controller 267, wherein during recording (i.e., taking pictures) a CPU 26 causes the lens cover controller 264 to open a lens cover and causes the motor controller 267 to protrude an image capturing lens unit 2 forward from a camera body 1 (see Yuyama, figs. 1A & 2, par 0023 & 0048).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Bradley to include a drive mechanism configured to reveal the sensor because that permits the sensor to operatively be covered or revealed based upon environmental conditions (i.e., the brightness of the environment) or activation of the power source of the device (see Yuyama, par 0036, 0038, 0046-0048).
Bradley as modified by Yuyama fails to teach the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a configurable angle for a field of view selected for privacy.
Trundle teaches garage door authentication and automation wherein when a vehicle is within a field of view of at least one or more cameras, the camera captures video data of the vehicle based upon data from proximity sensors 220 (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, figs. 1, 2 & 5). The proximity sensors 220 are configured to detect changes in the electromagnetic field of the sensors to sense when a vehicle is in close proximity to the sensors, and when the proximity sensors 220 detect the vehicle, the sensors communicate to a monitoring control unit 112 to permit the one or more cameras to capture the video data (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, 0061, figs. 1, 2 & 5). Furthermore, the one or more cameras may be configured to pan or tilt to change its/their field of view, thus the field of view is configurable (see Trundle, par 0053).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Bradley as modified by Yuyama such that the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a configurable angle for a field of view selected for privacy because that would improve the system of Bradley as modified by Yuyama by automating sensors to operate in a desired field of view based upon data from proximity sensors (i.e., automating sensors to operate when a user or subject is present in the field of view) (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, 0061, figs. 1, 2 & 5).
With respect to claim 40, Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 39. Bradley further teaches the sensor is a camera and the controller performs an image processing algorithm on images collected by the camera in order to determine the health condition of the one or more users (i.e., sensor data is collected by a camera/image collection device and image processing techniques are used to determine properties/characteristics of a user) (see Bradley, par 0094, 0127, 0129).
With respect to claim 41, Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 39. Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle further teaches the drive mechanism lowers or raises the sensor cavity with respect to the mirror frame (i.e., the motor controller 267 causes the image capturing lens unit to move forward from the camera sensor body when the CPU operatively controls the image capturing lens unit during recording) (see Yuyama, par 0023, 0044, 0048).
With respect to claim 43, Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 39. Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle further teaches the drive mechanism lowers a sensor cavity cover (i.e., a lens cover controller operatively opens or closes a lens cover for a camera) (see Yuyama, figs. 1A & 2, par 0023, 0036, 0038 & 0046-0048).
With respect to claim 44, Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 39. Bradley further teaches the mirror cabinet further comprises a display 105 (i.e., a user interface display) configured to display the health condition (i.e., the user interface is configured to receive instructions from the user and display data to the user such as muscle conditions the user may have) (see Bradley, par 0127, 0131, fig. 11A-11B).
With respect to claim 46, Bradley teaches a mirror cabinet 101, 120 (see Bradley, figs. 11A-11B & 14A-14B) comprising:
a mirror frame (i.e., a support housing for the mirror) (see Bradley, par 0133, figs. 14A & 14B) configured to support a mirror substrate (see Bradley, par 0126 & 0133, figs. 11A-11B, 14A & 14B);
a sensor cavity 102, 121 (see Bradley, figs. 11A, 14A & 14B par 0127-0130) coupled to the mirror frame and configured to support a sensor for detecting a health condition (i.e., the sensor is an image collection device that collects images of a user for determining properties such as skin qualities, inflammation, hormone imbalance, or other abnormalities) (see Bradley, par 0127, 0133-0134, figs. 11A, 14A & 14B);
a controller 123 (i.e., a control module) configured to analyze data received from the sensor to determine the health condition (i.e., the control module analyzes sensor data to determine a condition of a user such as a temperature, a heart rate, a height, a weight, a drowsiness, a complexion, a malnutrition or other conditions, such as muscle conditions) (see Bradley, par 0094, 0098, 0100-0101, 0127, 0133-0136);
a display 105 (i.e., a user interface display) configured to display the health condition (i.e., the user interface is configured to receive instructions from the user and display data to the user such as muscle conditions the user may have) (see Bradley, par 0127, 0131, fig. 11A-11B);
and a proximity sensor 147 that detects a presence of an object within a predetermined distance range and is used in coordination with sensor 102 (see Bradley, par 0127-0128, 0146, 0148, fig. 16).
Bradley fails to teach a drive mechanism configured to cover the sensor and further Bradley fails to teach the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a configurable angle for a field of view selected for privacy.
Yuyama teaches an image capturing apparatus that comprises a lens cover controller 264 and a motor controller 267, wherein during recording (i.e., taking pictures) a CPU 26 causes the lens cover controller 264 to open a lens cover (and therefore, when not recording, for example due to the brightness of the environment, CPU 26 causes the lens cover controller 264 to close the lens cover) and causes the motor controller 267 to protrude an image capturing lens unit 2 forward from a camera body 1 (see Yuyama, figs. 1A & 2, par 0021, 0023, 0036, 0038 & 0048).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Bradley to include a drive mechanism configured to cover the sensor because that permits the sensor to operatively be covered or revealed based upon environmental conditions (i.e., the brightness of the environment) or activation of the power source of the device (see Yuyama, par 0036, 0038, 0046-0048).
Bradley as modified by Yuyama fails to teach the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a configurable angle for a field of view selected for privacy.
Trundle teaches garage door authentication and automation wherein when a vehicle is within a field of view of at least one or more cameras, the camera captures video data of the vehicle based upon data from proximity sensors 220 (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, figs. 1, 2 & 5). The proximity sensors 220 are configured to detect changes in the electromagnetic field of the sensors to sense when a vehicle is in close proximity to the sensors, and when the proximity sensors 220 detect the vehicle, the sensors communicate to a monitoring control unit 112 to permit the one or more cameras to capture the video data (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, 0061, figs. 1, 2 & 5). Furthermore, the one or more cameras may be configured to pan or tilt to change its/their field of view, thus the field of view is configurable (see Trundle, par 0053).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Bradley as modified by Yuyama such that the proximity sensor triggers the drive mechanism to reveal the sensor when the one or more users are within a configurable angle for a field of view selected for privacy because that would improve the system of Bradley as modified by Yuyama by automating sensors to operate in a desired field of view based upon data from proximity sensors (i.e., automating sensors to operate when a user or subject is present in the field of view) (see Trundle, par 0024, 0053, 0057, 0061, figs. 1, 2 & 5).
Claim(s) 38 and 45 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle as applied to claims 31 (which claim 36 is dependent upon) and 39 above in paragraph 8.
With respect to claim 38, Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 36.
Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle does not teach that the display of the mirror cabinet provides a message indicating that the sensor is currently collecting data.
However, Bradley does teach that an apparatus for aggregation of data indicative of a water condition at a household appliance comprises a communication interface that sends a reporting message that indicates sensor data is collected by at least one appliance connected to a central server (see Bradley, par 0008-0009, 0287-0288, 0291-0292).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle such that the display of the mirror cabinet provides a message indicating that the sensor is currently collecting data because that would permit the display of the mirror cabinet to indicate to a user sensor identifiers and timestamps associated with the collection of sensor data of the user (see Bradley, par 0291).
With respect to claim 45, Bradley in view of Yuyama and Trundle teaches the mirror cabinet of claim 39.
Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle does not teach that the display of the mirror cabinet provides a message indicating that the sensor is currently collecting data.
However, Bradley does teach that an apparatus for aggregation of data indicative of a water condition at a household appliance comprises a communication interface that sends a reporting message that indicates sensor data is collected by at least one appliance connected to a central server (see Bradley, par 0008-0009, 0287-0288, 0291-0292).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Bradley as modified by Yuyama and Trundle such that the display of the mirror cabinet provides a message indicating that the sensor is currently collecting data because that would permit the display of the mirror cabinet to indicate to a user sensor identifiers and timestamps associated with the collection of sensor data of the user (see Bradley, par 0291).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Destiny J Cruickshank whose telephone number is (571)270-0187. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles Marmor II can be reached at (571) 272-4730. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHARLES A MARMOR II/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3791
/D.J.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3791
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