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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 07/24/2026 as been entered. Claims 1 and 11-12 have been amended. Claim 2 is cancelled. Claims 13-16 are new. Claims 1, 3-16 remain pending in this application. Claim 12 is withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on Long in view of Euliano for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. A new grounds of rejection is made referencing Long in view of Ales (newly cited reference) and further in view of Euliano (claim 1) and Long in view of Les (claim 11).
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) 1, 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long et al. (Pub. No.: US 2007/0142797 A1) in view of Ales, III et al. (Pub. No.: US 2007/0049881 A1), hereinafter Ales, and further in view of Euliano et al. (Pub. No.: US 2014/0200538 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Long discloses (fig. 6) a sensor for detecting presence of a liquid (abstract), comprising:
A first electrode (first conductive element 100) and a second electrode (fourth conductive element 160) (fig. 6, ¶ 0073);
Wherein the first electrode and the second electrode each have a thread-like or band-like structure (¶ 0048), and are arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction (fig. 6), and
At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a first portion having a first surface area at a first position in the longitudinal direction, and comprises a second portion having a second surface area larger than the first surface area at a second position in the longitudinal direction different from the first position (see first portion of second electrode in the front region 22 and second portion of second electrode in the back region 24, fig. 6),
Wherein the first electrode and the second electrode generate power between the electrodes in response to the liquid being present between the electrodes, the sensor is configured to detect the liquid being present between the electrodes by the generation of power between the electrodes (the open circuit becomes closed when liquid is present between conductive leads ¶ 0025).
Further, Long discloses the second portion having a second surface area larger than the first surface area, as discussed above. Thus, the feature of the liquid being present at the second position by second generated power generated by the second portion being larger than first generated power generated by the first portion is inherent to the first and second electrode of Long due to the larger surface area at the second position which allows for more contact with a liquid and therefore, greater power generation.
Long fails to disclose that the sensor is configured to detect liquid being present between the electrodes by comparing the generation of power between electrodes with a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is larger than a maximum value of an amount of generated power of the first portion and smaller than a maximum value of an amount generated of the second portion.
Ales teaches (fig. 2) a sensor for detecting presence of a liquid (abstract) and thus in the same field of endeavor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect liquid being present between electrodes by comparing a generation of power between the electrodes with a threshold value (¶ 0011), wherein the threshold is a value between an upper check value and a lower check value in order to determine whether the indication of an insult is a false-positive (¶ 0011).
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 sensor of Long such that the generation of power between electrodes with a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is larger than a maximum value of an amount of generated power of the first portion and smaller than a maximum value of an amount generated of the second portion, as taught by Ales, in order to determine whether the indication of an insult is a false-positive (Ales ¶ 0011).
Long in view of Ales fails to disclose wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are made of different materials.
Euliano teaches (fig. 2) a sensor (wetness sensor 10a) for detecting presence of a liquid (¶ 0054) and thus in the same field of endeavor, comprising a first electrode and a second electrode (conductive leads 26, 28), wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are made of different materials (¶ 0062) configured to provide different reduction/oxidation potentials (¶ 0062).
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 first and second electrode of Long in view of Ales such that they are made of different materials, as taught by Euliano, as such arrangement can provide electrodes having different reduction/oxidation potentials (Euliano ¶ 0062) which is suitable for detecting the presence of liquid (Euliano abstract).
Regarding claim 3, Long discloses (fig. 5) an output part (transmitter 112) which outputs a detection signal indication detection of the liquid (¶ 0056), wherein the output part is connected to the first and the second electrode (¶ 0056).
Regarding claim 4, Long discloses wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are provided so as to be in contact with an absorbent (absorbent structure 44) of a worn article (absorbent article 20) having the absorbent which receives excrement (¶ 0050), and the first position is located in front of the second position in the case of a wearer wears the worn article (fig. 6).
Claim(s) 5-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long in view of Ales and further in view of Euliano, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lai et al. (Pub. No.: US 2019/0038478 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Long in view of Ales and further in view of Euliano fails to disclose wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is sewn on a fabric.
Lai teaches (fig. 16) a sensor for detecting presence of a liquid (¶ 0011) and thus in the same field of endeavor, comprising: a first electrode and a second electrode (conductive lines 82, 84), wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is sewn on a fabric which are suitable for fabricating conductive lines on a piece of cloth (¶ 0126) in order to provide a wearable detector.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode of Long in view of Ales and further in view of Euliano such that it is sewn on a fabric, as taught by Lai, as sewing is suitable for fabricating conductive lines on a piece of cloth (Lai ¶ 0126).
Regarding claim 6, Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai disclose wherein the first portion and the second portion have different sewing structures of the electrodes with respect to the fabric (Long fig. 6) in order to indicate the location of body fluid in addition to its mere presence (Long, ¶ 0077).
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 first portion and second portion of Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai such that they have different sewing structures, as taught by Long, in order to indicate the location of body fluid in addition to its mere presence (Long, ¶ 0077).
Regarding claim 7, Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai disclose wherein the sewing structure of the second portion has a higher density of electrode with respect to the fabric per unit than the sewing structure of the first portion (Long fig. 6) in order to indicate the location of body fluid in addition to its mere presence (Long, ¶ 0077).
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 sewing structure of the second portion of Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai such that it has a higher density of electrode with respect to the fabric per unit than the sewing structure of the first portion, as taught by Long, in order to indicate the location of body fluid in addition to its mere presence (Long, ¶ 0077).
Regarding claim 8, Long discloses wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are in contact with each other via a water absorbent (¶ 0050).
Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai disclose wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is sewn with the water absorbent as the fabric (Long, ¶ 0050).
Regarding the limitation of “the sewing structure of the second has a shorter sewing pitch than the sewing structure of the first portion”, Long discloses the second electrode comprising the first portion and the second portion, as discussed above in claim 1. Further, claim 5 requires at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode to be sewn on a fabric. Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai disclose the first electrode sewn on a fabric, as discussed above in claim 5. Thus, such limitation regarding the second electrode being sewn on a fabric and further limitations with respect to a sewing structure of the second electrode are optional and not required by claim 5 and its dependents, specifically claim 8.
Regarding claim 9, Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai disclose wherein the sewing structure of the second portion has a larger area of electrode appearing on a surface of the fabric in contact with a liquid than the sewing structure of the first portion (Long fig. 6) in order to indicate the location of body fluid in addition to its mere presence (Long, ¶ 0077).
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 sewing structure of the second portion of Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai such that it has a larger area of electrode appearing on a surface of the fabric in contact with a liquid than the sewing structure of the first portion, as taught by Long, in order to indicate the location of body fluid in addition to its mere presence (Long, ¶ 0077).
Regarding claim 10, Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai disclose wherein the sewing structure of the second portion has an overlap with respect to a sewing direction of the electrode (Long fig. 6) in order to indicate the location of body fluid in addition to its mere presence (Long, ¶ 0077).
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 sewing structure of the second portion of Long in view of Ales, Euliano and Lai such that it has an overlap with respect to a sewing direction of the electrode, as taught by Long, in order to indicate the location of body fluid in addition to its mere presence (Long, ¶ 0077).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long in view of Ales.
Regarding claim 11, Long discloses (fig. 5-6) a detection system for detecting presence of a liquid in an object (diaper 20) to be detected (abstract), comprising:
A sensor having a first electrode (first conductive element 100) and a second electrode (fourth conductive element 160) mounted on the object to be detected (fig. 6, ¶ 0073);
A communication device (transmitter 112) connected to the sensor and outputting a sensing result of the sensor by wireless communication (¶ 0056);
A receiver (114) receiving the sensing result (¶ 0056),
Wherein the first electrode and the second electrode each have a thread-like or band-like structure (¶ 0048), and are arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction (fig. 6), and
At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a first portion having a first surface area at a first position in the longitudinal direction, and comprises a second portion having a second surface area larger than the first surface area at a second position in the longitudinal direction different from the first position (see first portion of second electrode in the front region 22 and second portion of second electrode in the back region 24, fig. 6).
The liquid being present between the electrodes is detected by generation of power between the electrodes (the open circuit becomes closed when liquid is present between conductive leads ¶ 0025).
Further, Long discloses the second portion having a second surface area larger than the first surface area, as discussed above. Thus, the feature of the liquid being present at the second position by second generated power generated by the second portion being larger than first generated power generated by the first portion is inherent to the first and second electrode of Long due to the larger surface area at the second position which allows for more contact with a liquid and therefore, greater power generation.
Long fails to disclose wherein the liquid being present between the electrodes is detected by comparing the generation of power between electrodes with a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is larger than a maximum value of an amount of generated power of the first portion and smaller than a maximum value of an amount generated of the second portion.
Ales teaches (fig. 2) a sensor for detecting presence of a liquid (abstract) and thus in the same field of endeavor, wherein the liquid being present between the electrodes is detected by comparing the generation of power between electrodes with a threshold value (¶ 0011), wherein the threshold is a value between an upper check value and a lower check value in order to determine whether the indication of an insult is a false-positive (¶ 0011).
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 sensor of Long such that the generation of power between electrodes with a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is larger than a maximum value of an amount of generated power of the first portion and smaller than a maximum value of an amount generated of the second portion, as taught by Ales, in order to determine whether the indication of an insult is a false-positive (Ales ¶ 0011).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long in view of Ales, as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Douseki et al. (WO2018/079680A1, Pub. No.: US 2020/0046573 A1 referenced herein as the English translation).
Regarding claim 15, Long in view of Ales fail to disclose a management device which receives the sensing result from the receiver, wherein the management device determines that it is time to replace the object to be detected when a reception interval of a radio signal indicating the sensing result is smaller than the threshold value and the radio signal is received more than a predetermined number of times.
Douseki teaches (fig. 1, 11) a detection system (abstract) and thus in the same field of endeavor, comprising a management device which receives the sensing result from the receiver, wherein the management device determines that it is time to replace the object to be detected when a reception interval of a radio signal indicating the sensing result is smaller than the threshold value and the radio signal is received more than a predetermined number of times (¶ 0097, ¶ 0117-¶ 0121), wherein the management device is configured to determine whether or not replacement of the object is necessary (abstract).
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 detection system of Long in view of Ales such that it comprises a management device which receives the sensing result from the receiver, wherein the management device determines that it is time to replace the object to be detected when a reception interval of a radio signal indicating the sensing result is smaller than the threshold value and the radio signal is received more than a predetermined number of times, as taught by Douseki, in order to determine whether or not replacement of the object is necessary (Douseki abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-14 and 16 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 13 and 14, the closest prior art is Navot et al. (US Pat. No.: 5,904,671) which discloses a sensing device comprising: a capacitor configured to store generated power; and an intermittent power conversion circuit connected to the capacitor and configured to supply the stored power to a wireless transmitter to output a radio signal. Navot fails to disclose, teach or suggest the wireless transmitter outputting a radio signal when a charge voltage of the capacitor reaches a set voltage, wherein the liquid being present at the second position is detected by an interval of output of the radio signal being shorter than a threshold interval value, and the threshold interval value is shorter than a reception interval at a maximum power generation amount of the first portion and longer than a reception interval at a maximum power generation amount of the second portion. While Long et al. (Pub. No.: US 2007/0142797 A1) discloses the claimed first portion and second portion, such reception interval at a maximum power generation is not disclosed, suggested or obvious.
Regarding claim 16, the closest prior art is Douseki et al. (WO2018/079680A1) which discloses a management device which receives the sensing result from the receiver, wherein the receiver receives a radio signal output from the communication device at a reception interval that becomes shorter as an amount of power generation between the electrodes increases. Douseki fails to disclose, teach or suggest a threshold value of the reception interval is set to a value shorter than a reception interval at a maximum power generation amount of the first portion and longer than a reception interval at a maximum power generation amount of the second portion. While Long et al. (Pub. No.: US 2007/0142797 A1) discloses the claimed first portion and second portion, such reception interval at a maximum power generation is not disclosed, suggested or obvious.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tuli (Pub. No.; US 2019/0240080 A1) discloses a sensor. Oberg et al. (Pub. No.: US 2022/0054326 A1) discloses a sensor.
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 MEAGAN NGO whose telephone number is (571)270-1586. The examiner can normally be reached M - TH 8:00 - 4:00 PT.
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/MEAGAN NGO/Examiner, Art Unit 3781
/PHILIP R WIEST/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3781
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