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
In response to an Office action mailed on 12/16/2025 ("12-16-25 OA"), the Applicant substantively amended the independent claims 1 and 19 on 04/14/2026.
After an Applicant-initiated telephonic interview held on 04/22/2026 (see Examiner Interview Summary Record for details), the Applicant substantively amended the independent claim 1 and 19 in a supplemental response on 04/29/2026 ("04-29-26 Supplemental Response").
Currently, claims 1-22 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)
The Applicant submitted two information disclosure statements on 01/28/2026 ("01-28-26 IDS") and 04/30/2026 (“04-30-26 IDS”) after the 12-16-25 OA. Since the Applicant has met the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, the 01-28-26 IDS and 04-30-26 IDS are in compliance and are being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's amendments to the independent claims 1 and 19 have overcome the objection to the Drawings set forth starting on page 3 under line item number 1 of the 12-19-25 OA.
Applicant's amendments to the independent claims 1 and 19 have overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112(a) rejection of claims 1-22 set forth starting on page 4 under line item number 2 of the 12-19-25 OA.
Applicant's amendments to the independent claims 1 and 19 have overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claims 1-22 set forth starting on page 5 under line item number 3 of the 12-19-25 OA.
Applicant’s amendments to the independent claims 1 and 19 have overcome the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection of claims 1-12, 15, 16, 19 and 22 as being anticipated by Conticello set forth starting on page 7 under line item number 4 of the 12-19-25 OA.
Despite the substantive amendments to the independent claim 1, different feature(s) of the previously-cited Qaddoura reads on the independent claims 1 and 19, infra.
Substantive-amendments to the independent claims 1 and 19 required further consideration and updated search. New grounds of rejection are provided below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-12, 15, 16 and 19-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable over Qaddoura (previously-cited Patent No. US 9,235,742 B1 to Qaddoura et al.).
Fig. 2B and 2C of Qaddoura have been provided to support the rejections below:
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Regarding independent claim 1, Qaddoura teaches a workwear unit 200 (col. 9, ln 44-63 - "The system 200 includes a combined computing device 232 and scanning device 240 mounted to a glove 260...worn about a right hand 20 of a user 230. The scanning device 240 includes an optical reader 241..."; col. 9, ln 64 -col. 10, ln 18 - "The optical reader 241 may be pointed to directed, by motion of the hand 20, to place a marking (e.g., codes, text, numbers, symbols, trademarks, shapes, outlines or figures) within a field of view of the optical reader 241.") for at least one of detecting, documenting, analyzing, monitoring or teaching processes, having a portable control system 232, at least one functional module 240 which is connected with the portable control system 232 and which comprises at least one sensor module 241, and having at least a glove 260 configured to be worn on a hand 20 and fastens the functional module 240 to a user's body 230,
wherein the functional module 240 comprises a sensor module 240 (col. 9, ln 44-63 - "The scanning device 240 includes an optical reader 241..."; col. 8, ln 38-50 - "The optical reader 141 may be include any form of image capturing device, such as a camera, scanner or other device for identifying markings such as codes, text, numbers, symbols, trademarks, shapes, outlines or figures of any breadth, width or density, and generating an electrical output corresponding the captured markings. The optical reader 141 may transfer the electrical output to the computing device 132 or another system component via the network 150, where the electrical output may be decoded and interpreted, and subsequently utilized in one or more applications, such as to acknowledge or register an item with which the markings are associated. Additionally, the optical reader 141 may be adapted to capture images about any axis and in any plane.") which has a barcode scanner 241 (see Fig. 2C),
wherein the portable control system 232 is configured to receive signals from the functional module 240, including at least one barcode (to be read, rendered or displayed by the portable control system 232 and/or the functional module 240.), the signals including barcode information from at least one barcode scanned by the barcode scanner 241 (col. 4, ln 45-64 - “The scanning or reading systems and methods disclosed herein may be worn and used by one or more workers in any number of applications. For example, one or more scanning or reading systems may be worn by workers of a common carrier (e.g., deliverymen or deliverywomen), who may acknowledge their acquisition or receipt of an object, announce a departure for delivery, or confirm a deposit of an item at a given location or address using one or more of the systems or methods disclosed herein. Similarly, one or more scanning or reading systems may be worn by maintenance workers, who may confirm their arrival at a location, their performance of a specific task at the location, or their departure from the location using one or more of the systems or methods disclosed herein.”), and to determine from the signals including the barcode information an activity (e.g., confirming receipt of an object to be delivered or confirming a deposit of the object to be delivered. Or, arriving, performing a specific task or leaving the work site by a maintenance worker as disclosed in col. 4, ln 45-64.) of the user of the workwear unit 200.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Qaddoura teaches the functional module 240 that is connected with the portable control system 232 via a radio signal,
wherein the radio signal is WLAN or Bluetooth (col. 8, 14-22 - “As is shown in FIG. 1B, the worker 130 and/or the computing device 132 may be connected to the scanning device 140 by any means, including a hardwired or physical connection 133 (e.g., a Universal Serial Bus, or “USB,” connection), a short-range wireless connection 135 (e.g., according to Bluetooth® or another protocol) or a standard wireless fidelity (or “WiFi”) connection 137.”).
Regarding claim 4, Qaddoura teaches the portable control system 232 that is configured to acquire information (e.g., receipt of an object to be delivered or confirmed deposit of the object to be delivered. Or, information about the arrival, performance of a specific task or departure from the work site by a maintenance worker as disclosed in col. 4, ln 45-64.) of the sensor module 240 and determine the activity of the user using the acquire information (e.g., confirming receipt of an object to be delivered or confirming a deposit of the object to be delivered. Or, arriving, performing a specific task or leaving the work site by a maintenance worker.).
Regarding claim 5, Qaddoura teaches the portable control system 232 that is configured to at least one of detect or monitor which includes manual activity by the user (e.g., confirming receipt of an object to be delivered or confirming a deposit of the object to be delivered. Or, arriving, performing a specific task or leaving the work site by a maintenance worker.) by the user 230 of the workwear unit.
Regarding claim 6, Qaddoura teaches the portable control system 232 that is configured to determine a spatial position of the user 230 by use of at least one anchor point (e.g., location information of an object or a task performed).
Regarding claim 7, Qaddoura teaches scanning of a particular barcode is an anchor point (e.g., location information of an object or a task performed; col. 4, ln 45-64. (e.g., delivery person acknowledging acquiring or receiving an object by scanning a barcode on the object. Or, maintenance worker confirming their arrival at a location, performance of a task at the location and leaving the location by scanning a barcode at the location.).
Regarding claim 8, Qaddoura teaches the functional module 240 that comprises at least a motion sensor system or an environment sensor system (col. 13, ln 34-53 - “The capturing or analysis of the video imagery may be triggered by any manual or automatic means, including in response to a signal from a motion detector, a light sensor or any other computer-based monitoring system.”).
Regarding claim 9, Qaddoura teaches at least one of the functional module 240 that comprises at least one peripheral device 270 (col. 9, ln 44-63 - “Referring to FIG. 2A, a perspective view of the system 200 is shown. The system 200 includes a combined computing device 232 and scanning device 240 mounted to a glove 260 or other wearable apparatus or article of apparel worn about a right hand 20 of a user 230…Additionally, the scanning device 240 further includes a substantially spherical ball implement 270…the ball implement 270 and the actuator 244 may be coupled, linked or otherwise tethered to the scanning device 240 via a connector (or cord) 274 having a plug 276 or other insert that may be received by or joined to the scanning device 240”).
Qaddoura also teaches the functional module that comprises the glove 260 that has a seat for the sensor module 240 (col. 10, ln 19-42 - “The scanning device 240 may be releasably joined to the glove 260 by any universal means, such as a standard hook-and-loop fastening system (i.e., Velcro), or a stitched frame or other mounting feature, that may be known to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.”).
Regarding claim 10, Qaddoura teaches at least one of peripheral device 270 that is integrated into the glove 240
Regarding claim 11, Qaddoura teaches the peripheral device 270 that has a contact point 276 via which a connection 274 with the portable control system 232 is permitted (The ball implement 270 and the actuator 244 may be coupled, linked or otherwise tethered to the scanning device 240 via a connector (or cord) 274 having a plug 276 or other insert that may be received by or joined to the scanning device 240.”).
Regarding claim 12, Qaddoura teaches the peripheral device 270 that has an electrical release (a connector or a cord 274).
Regarding claim 15, Qaddoura teaches the seat is a pocket (stitched frame) into which the sensor module can be inserted and from which the sensor module can be withdrawn again, or in that the seat is a guide (Velcro), in which the sensor module 240 can be pushed in and out (col. 10, ln 19-42 - “The scanning device 240 may be releasably joined to the glove 260 by any universal means, such as a standard hook-and-loop fastening system (i.e., Velcro), or a stitched frame or other mounting feature, that may be known to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. By enabling the scanning device 240 to be releasably joined to the glove 260, the systems and methods of the present disclosure permit the scanning device 240 to be utilized by multiple works who may have different sized gloves 260…”).
Regarding claim 16, Qaddoura teaches the sensor module 240 that can be fastened to the glove by means of the seat (stitched frame or Velcro).
Regarding independent claim 19, Qaddoura teaches a method of at least one of detecting, documenting, analyzing, monitoring or teaching processes which comprise a manual operation, the method comprising the steps of:
a) collecting information (e.g., location information of an object or a task performed as disclosed in col. 4, ln 45-64 - “The scanning or reading systems and methods disclosed herein may be worn and used by one or more workers in any number of applications. For example, one or more scanning or reading systems may be worn by workers of a common carrier (e.g., deliverymen or deliverywomen), who may acknowledge their acquisition or receipt of an object, announce a departure for delivery, or confirm a deposit of an item at a given location or address using one or more of the systems or methods disclosed herein. Similarly, one or more scanning or reading systems may be worn by maintenance workers, who may confirm their arrival at a location, their performance of a specific task at the location, or their departure from the location using one or more of the systems or methods disclosed herein.”) of the sensor module 240 of the workwear unit according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1), the collected information (e.g., receipt of an object to be delivered or confirmed deposit of the object to be delivered. Or, information about the arrival, performance of a specific task or departure from the work site by a maintenance worker as disclosed in col. 4, ln 45-64.) comprising the signals including the barcode information from the at least one barcode scanned by the barcode scanner 241, and
b) determining the activity (e.g., confirming receipt of an object to be delivered or confirming a deposit of the object to be delivered. Or, arriving, performing a specific task or leaving the work site by a maintenance worker.) of the user 230 of the workwear unit 200 based on the collection information.
Regarding claim 20, Qaddoura teaches a spatial position of the user 230 is determined by use of at least one anchor point (e.g., location information of an object or a task performed).
Regarding claim 21, Qaddoura teaches scanning of a particular barcode is an anchor point (e.g., location information of an object or a task performed).
Regarding claim 22, Qaddoura teaches the determined activity of the user is stored in a memory of the portable control system along with a working time (e.g., maintenance workers confirming their arrival at a location, performing of a specific task at the location and then departing from the location using one or more of the systems or methods disclosed herein.).
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 13 is rejected to for depending on a rejected base claim 1 and rejected intervening claims 9 and 11, but would be allowable if it is rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim 1 and the intervening claims 9 and 11, or the base claim 1 is amended to include all of the limitations of claim 13 and the intervening claims 9 and 11.
Claims 14, 17 and 18 are allowable for depending on the allowable claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Pub. No. US 2012/0187192 A1 to Lee
Patent No. US 6,098,886 to Swift et al.
Patent No. US 5,212,372 to Quick et al.
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 MICHAEL JUNG whose telephone number is (408) 918-7554. The examiner can normally be reached on 8 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eliseo Ramos-Feliciano, can be reached on (571) 272-7925. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL JUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817 16 June 2026
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