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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claims 15, 20, and 21 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 15, line 16: “wherein the control and command module being configured to” should apparently read either --is configured to--.
In claim 15, line 17: “characteristics” should apparently read --the characteristics--.
In claim 15, line 18: “characteristics” should apparently read --the characteristics--.
In claim 20, line 4: “characteristics” should apparently read --the characteristics--.
In claim 21, line 3-4: “wherein the control and command module being configured to” should apparently read either --module being configured to-- or --wherein the control and command module is configured to--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 15-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 15 recites the limitation “a control and command module connected to: the database additionally comprising information” in lines 10-11. It is not clear if this is intended to mean that the database additionally comprises the information or that the control and command module additionally comprises the information.
Claim 15 also recites the limitation "the interaction devices" in line 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim previously recites “integration devices to interact with the user.” Many of the dependent claims also recites “the interaction devices” and may need to be amended in kind.
Claims 16-21 each recite the limitation “The management system” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. The claims previously recite “A system to manage.”
Claim 22 recites the limitation “the management system” in line 2. Again, there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claims previously recite “A system to manage.”
Claim 22 also recites the limitation "the data relating to the user profile" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claims previously recite “data relating to characteristics of a user profile.”
Claim 22 also recites the limitation "the data relating to characteristics of the flight of the aircraft" in lines 4-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claims previously recite “information relating to characteristics of a flight of the aircraft.”
Claim 22 also recites the limitation "the chair intended to be occupied by the user" in lines 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claims previously recite “a chair intended to be installed in a cabin of the aircraft.”
Claim 22 also recites the limitation "at least one integration device" in line 7. It is not clear if this is related to the previously recited integration devices or if this is intended to be a separate device/devices.
Claims 23-28 each recite the limitation “The management method” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. The claims previously recite “A method for managing.”
Claims 16-28 are rejected by virtue of their dependence upon at least one rejected base claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claims 15-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sato et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0282159 A1; hereinafter known as “Sato”).
Regarding claim 15, Sato discloses a system to manage at least one of sleep and well-being of a passenger of an aircraft, the passenger being a user (Abstract; Figs. 7-8), comprising: a chair intended to be installed in a cabin of the aircraft ([0027]; [0068]; [0087]-[0089]); integration devices to interact with the user and comprising at least one of the following elements: a temperature regulation device integrated into the chair ([0021]; [0023]); a library of contextual messages stored in a database; a user terminal connected to the database and configured to receive data relating to characteristics of a user profile of the user ([0019]; [0067]-[0068]); and a control and command module connected to: the database additionally comprising information relating to characteristics of a flight of the aircraft in which the chair is intended to be installed; the interaction devices; and the user terminal; wherein the control and command module being configured to pilot the interaction devices according to the data relating to characteristics of the user profile and characteristics of the flight of the aircraft ([0087]-[0088]).
Regarding claim 16, Sato discloses that the interaction devices comprise at least one of the following elements: a light device 22b configured to emit a light signal whose wavelength is variable between 400 nm and 700 nm; a sound environment generator 22d; at least one actuator cooperating with the chair so as to modify a position of the chair.
Regarding claims 17-19, Sato discloses the limitations of these claims, as they do not require the system to include the user terminal (claim 15 only requires that the system includes at least one of the recited elements; Sato teaches at least a temperature regulation device and a control and command module).
Regarding claim 20, Sato discloses that the control and command module is configured to determine a value representative of at least one of a nervous tension level and a drowsiness level of the user in accordance with the data relating to characteristics of the user profile ([0080]; [0083]; [0101]); establish a customized program for the user composed of successive tasks to be carried out over a given period, according to information relating to the characteristics of the flight of the aircraft in which the chair is intended to be installed; and pilot the interaction devices according to the value determined and the customized program ([0082]-[0115]).
Regarding claim 21, Sato discloses that the user terminal is configured to receive contextual data of the user, the contextual data relates an environmental context in which the user is located before, during and after the flight; and wherein the control and command module being configured to pilot the interaction devices according to the contextual data of the user ([0071]; [0076]-[0077]).
Regarding claim 22, Sato discloses a method for managing at least one of sleep and well-being of the passenger of the aircraft, the method implementing the management system of claim 15, comprising acquiring the data relating to the user profile and the data relating to characteristics of the flight of the aircraft in which the chair intended to be occupied by the user is installed; and piloting at least one integration device according to the data relating to the user profile and the characteristics of the flight of the aircraft ([0071]-[0074]; [0087]).
Regarding claim 23, Sato discloses that at least one of a nervous tension level and a drowsiness level of the user is determined in accordance with the data relating to characteristics of the user profile of the user emitted by devices to measure at least one of a cardiac activity, a respiratory rate and a physical activity of the user ([0080]; [0083]; [0094]-[0095]; [0101]; [0104]).
Regarding claim 24, Sato discloses that the data relating to the characteristics of the flight of the aircraft comprises data relating to a scheduled take-off time of the aircraft with respect to a time zone of a take-off location, a duration of flight of the aircraft and at a time of a destination location at an end of the flight ([0071]; [0076]-[0077]).
Regarding claim 25, Sato discloses that the piloting said at least one integration device comprises conditioning to keep the user awake or to let the user fall asleep according to the data relating to the user profile and the characteristics of the flight of the aircraft ([0087]).
Regarding claim 26, Sato discloses that in the conditioning to keep the user awake, the control and command module pilots at least one of the following: actuators to conform the chair in a seated position and a light device so that the light source emits a blue light ([0138]; [0143]).
Regarding claim 27, Sato discloses that in the conditioning step to let the user fall asleep, the control and command module pilots at least one of the following: actuators to conform the chair in an elongated position, a light device so that the light source emits a red light ([0125]), a temperature regulation device to increase a temperature of the chair ([0021]; [0023]), and a sound environment generator ([0087]; [0089]).
Regarding claim 28, Sato discloses that in response to a determination that the nervous tension level of the user determined is higher than a predetermined level, the command and control module pilots at least one of the following to implement as a priority a relaxation step: actuators to conform the chair in a relaxation position, a light device so that the light source emits a red light, and a sound environment generator ([0079]; [0095]-[0096]; [0104]; [0107]; e.g., where the index/degree of short-temperedness is higher, step S201 is shortened, thus prioritizing the other steps including the relaxation step S204 of generating sound).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Many of the references cited in the present IDS also teach systems for managing sleep and well-being of airplane passengers that measure physiological and environmental characteristics and provide various sensory stimulation, including light, sound, smell, and seat positioning. Tomiyama et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0140798 A1) teaches an aircraft seat assembly that alleviate stress of passengers, wherein the stress is determined by measuring biological data, and the alleviation is by adjusting an inclination amount of the seat, by providing a massage mechanism, and/or by outputting content to the passenger. Knight (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0155792 A1) teaches an aircraft seat assembly that provides vibrations to induce drowsiness. Hasegawa et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0288862 A1) teaches an illumination system for an aircraft that controls a color temperature of light emitted based upon a target time.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THADDEUS B COX whose telephone number is (571)270-5132. 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, Jason M. Sims can be reached at (571)272-7540. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THADDEUS B COX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791