DETAILED ACTION
This action is pursuant to the claims filed on 10/20/2022. Claims 1-9 are pending. A first action on the merits of claims 1-9 is as follows.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/22/2022 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 6-8 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.
Claims 6-7 recites the limitation "the first operational amplifier A and the second operational amplifier A’". There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Applicant appears to be attempting to claim antecedent basis to the similar terms originally recited in claim 2, however claims 6 and 7 are not dependent from claim 2, and thus do not incorporate the limitations of claim 2. Claim 8 inherit this deficiency.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu (CN 104622461, translation provided) in view of Liu (U.S. PGPub No. 2015/0119677).
Regarding claims 1 and 3, Hu teaches A weak electrical signal acquisition circuit, comprising two signal acquisition units that comprise two signal receiving electrode sheets (Fig 1, electrodes LL and RA) and two operational amplifiers (Fig 1 U201 and U301), wherein the two operational amplifiers form a differential circuit, the differential circuit further comprising a first feedback resistor R3 (Fig 1, R203), a second feedback resistor R3' (Fig 1 R304), and a negative feedback resistor R4 provided between the first feedback resistor R3 and the second feedback resistor R3' (Fig 1 R303), wherein the negative feedback resistor R4 serves as a negative feedback circuit for filtering differential mode signals received by the signal receiving electrode sheets (See Fig 1, R303 functions as negative feedback circuit for filtering signals received by LL and RA).
Hu fails to explicitly teach the electrodes are electrode sheets; wherein the two signal receiving electrode sheets are active electrode sheets, and are configured to receive common mode signals and the differential mode signals.
In related prior art, Liu teaches a similar device comprising two signal acquisition units that comprise two signal receiving electrode sheets; wherein the two signal receiving electrode sheets are active electrode sheets, and are configured to receive common mode signals and the differential mode signals (Figs 8-9 and [0036]; active electrodes 031 are configured for common mode and differential mode signals; examiner notes electrode is interpreted as a “sheet” given its relatively flat, planar configuration). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electrodes of Hu in view of Liu to incorporate the active electrode sheets to arrive at claims 1 and 3. Doing so would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as the use of active electrodes advantageously reduce interference and improve signal quality relative to passive electrodes as is known in the art.
Regarding claim 2, Hu/Liu further teaches wherein the two signal receiving electrode sheets comprise a first signal receiving electrode sheet and a second signal receiving electrode sheet (Fig 1, first and second signal receiving electrodes LL and RA), the two operational amplifiers comprise a first operational amplifier A and a second operational amplifier A' (Fig U201 and U301), and the two signal acquisition units comprise a first signal acquisition unit and a second signal acquisition unit (Fig 1, first and second signal receiving electrodes LL and RA), wherein the first signal receiving electrode sheet and the first operational amplifier A form the first signal acquisition unit (Fig 1, LL electrode and OpAmp U201), the first signal receiving electrode sheet being connected to a non-inverting input terminal of the first operational amplifier A (Fig 1, LL connected to non-inverting + terminal of U201), and the first feedback resistor R3 being provided between an inverting input terminal and an output terminal of the first operational amplifier A (Fig 1, R203 is between inverting – terminal and output terminal of U201); and the second signal receiving electrode sheet and the second operational amplifier A' form the second signal acquisition unit (Fig 1, RA electrode and OpAmp U301), the second signal receiving electrode sheet being connected to a non-inverting input terminal of the second operational amplifier A' (Fig 1, RA connected to non-inverting + terminal of U301), and the second feedback resistor R3' being provided between an inverting input terminal and an output terminal of the second operational amplifier A' (Fig 1, R304 is between inverting – terminal and output terminal of U301).
Regarding claim 4, Hu/Liu further teaches wherein the negative feedback circuit is formed by using a single resistor (Fig 1, R303 is a single resistor forming the negative feedback circuit) or a network assembly consisting of a plurality of electronic components and having a frequency characteristic; or the negative feedback circuit comprises a network assembly having a frequency characteristic of full pass, low pass, high pass, band pass, or band resistance (Preceding limitations need not be taught by the prior art to read on the claim given the claim being in the alternative form).
Claim(s) 5-7 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN 204483982, translation provided) in view of Hu and Liu.
Regarding claim 5, Wang teaches a seat ring having a weak electrical signal acquisition circuit (Fig 1 seat ring 2 with sensor unit 5 with ECG capability); wherein the seat ring has two mounting holes respectively provided near tops of upper surfaces of left and right portions thereof (Fig 1, sensor unit 5 define mounting holes), with the two signal acquisition units respectively provided in the two mounting holes (Fig 1 sensor unit 5 define signal acquisition units within mounting holes), wherein the two mounting holes have openings respectively covered by the two signal receiving electrode sheets (see Fig 1).
Wang fails to teach wherein the seat ring is fitted with the weak electrical signal acquisition circuit of claim 1 with the first operational amplifier A and the second operational amplifier A' respectively mounted in the two mounting holes.
However, the Hu/Liu teaches the weak electrical signal acquisition circuit of claim 1 as stated above for gathering ECG signals (see rejection of claim 1 above). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the circuitry and the seat ring of Wang in view of Hu and Liu to incorporate weak signal acquisition circuit of claim 1 with at the first operational amplifer and second operational amplifier respectively mounted within the two mounting holes to arrive at claims 5-6. Doing so would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as the use of the negative feedback circuitry as claimed is well-known in the art to yield the predictable result of processing ECG signals and improving signal stability and reducing noise.
Regarding claim 7, in view of the combination of claim 6 as stated above, Wang further teaches wherein the seat ring has two conductor through-holes respectively provided in the left and right portions, the two conductor through-holes having one ends provided respectively at bottoms of the two mounting holes and the other ends each provided at a connection portion between the seat ring and a seat lid (Figs 1-2, main control unit 3 is electrically connected to sensor unit 5, thus defining conductor through-holes from a bottom surface of the mounting holes 5 (i.e., beneath the conductive surfaces of sensor unit 5) to a connection portion of a seat ring 2 and lid 1), wherein the two conductor through-holes have two signal transmission lines respectively provided therein (Fig 6 “pulse information of the ECG sensor measurement of the user is transmitted to the main control unit 3”),
Hu further teaches the two signal transmission lines having one ends respectively connected to output terminals of the first operational amplifier A and the second operational amplifier A' and the other ends each connected to a secondary differential amplifier circuit (Fig 1, electrical circuit defines transmission lines connected to U201 and U301 output terminals at a first end and each connected to a different secondary differential amplifier at a distal, downstream end for further signal processing). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mounting holes and circuit of Wang in view of Hu and Liu to incorporate ECG electrodes provided in the mounting holes with the circuit of Hu having signal transmission lines connected with the operational amplifier at one end and a secondary differential amplifier circuit at the other ends to arrive at claim 7. Doing so would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as the use of the negative feedback circuitry as claimed is well-known in the art to yield the predictable result of processing ECG signals and improving signal stability and reducing noise.
Regarding claim 9, Wang/Hu/Liu teaches A toilet seat having a weak electrical signal acquisition circuit (Fig 2, seat 2 with lid 1, with circuitry from sensor unit 5 to control unit 3), comprising a seat ring having a weak electrical signal acquisition circuit according to claim 5 (see the combination of claim 5 above), wherein the toilet seat further comprises a seat ring adjustment mechanism that is provided under the seat ring and configured to lift a front end of the seat ring by a certain angle (Pg 4 of translation “In the first embodiment of the present utility model, the third position of the cushion body 2 bottom surface are symmetrically provided with 4 fixing unit, by balancing the distribution improves the stability of the cushion body 2. fixing unit can be fixed buckle on the toilet seat”; the fixing unit that couples body 2 with a traditional toilet seat enables said cushion body 2 to be lifted a certain angle in conjunction with the standard lifting of a standard toilet seat).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Hu and Liu as applied to claim 7, and in further view of Burnes (U.S. PGPub No. 2008/0132106)
Regarding claim 8, in view of the combination of claim 7 as stated above,
Wang/Hu/Liu fails to teach wherein each of the two signal transmission lines is in a form of a shielded cable.
In related prior art, Burnes teaches wherein each of the two signal transmission lines is in a form of a shielded cable (Fig 1 and [0033] sheath 140 shields wires from electrical interference). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the signal transmission lines of Wang in view of Hu, Liu, and Burnes to incorporate the signal transmission lines as shielded cables to arrive at claim 8. Doing so would advantageously prevent electrical signal interference from interfering with signal transmission ([0033]).
Conclusion
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/ADAM Z MINCHELLA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3794