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 .
Claims 1-10, 12-17 and 19-20 are pending in the application. No newly added claims presented. Claims 11 and 18 have been canceled.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10, 12-17 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Publication US2016/0242561A1 hereinafter referred to as Riley. Riley discloses a bed 101, 102 fig.1 & 501, 502 fig.5A, comprising: an adjustable base 102, 502 including movable sections; and a mattress 101, 501 on the adjustable base including air bladders 101a-b 501a-c, wherein each air bladder of the air bladders is associated with a movable section of the movable sections of the adjustable base (see fig.5B) [0029 “It will be appreciated that in other exemplary airbed environments, the air mattress may include a different number of chambers, as well as multiple zones, where each zone or chamber is connected to the manifold 104b through a separate tube (for example, in a 4-zone or 6-zone system, there may be separate air mattress chambers corresponding to a head region, torso region, and foot region for each side of the air mattress).”] and a processor 104c fig.2 that controls pressurization of each air bladder as a function of a position of the corresponding movable section of the adjustable base [0039 “For example, a user may hit a button or otherwise input a command on a user remote corresponding to a pre-programmed “flat” setting or a user-programmed flat setting where the airbed is flat, which may cause the adjustable base 502 to be adjusted to the flat setting shown in FIG. 5A (and at the same time the airbed control system adjusts the pressure within the air mattress chambers 501a, 501b and 501c to achieve target pressures for each of those chambers corresponding to the flat setting). Likewise, a user may hit a button or otherwise input a command on a user remote corresponding to a pre-programmed “recline” setting or a user-programmed setting where the airbed is reclined, which may cause the adjustable base 502 to be adjusted to the reclined setting shown in FIG. 5B (and at the same time the airbed control system adjusts the pressure within the air mattress chambers 501a, 501b and 501c to achieve target pressures for each of those chambers corresponding to the reclined setting).”] so as to substantially maintain a predetermined pressure of each air bladder throughout movement of the corresponding movable section [0024 “For example, certain ranges of articulation may have certain preferred pressure levels associated therewith, and once the direct drive input causes the articulation to cross over into a certain range, the target pressure level that the airbed control system aims to achieve for the air mattress chamber is changed to the preferred pressure level associated with that articulation. In another example, some other types of control laws may be followed during the direct drive input to dictate what the target pressure is during the direct drive input (such as maintaining pressure for a particular range of articulations).” 0034 “While the articulation is ongoing, the airbed control system may perform pressure adjustments to maintain the original pressure level with the air chamber(s) of the air mattress at stage 302a, or may follow some other control logic with regard to what pressure adjustments should be made at stage 302b (such as targeting a first pressure level while the articulation is in a first range and then targeting a different pressure level once the articulation moves past the first range, or targeting a pressure corresponding to the current articulation level where the target pressure keeps changing while the articulation level is changing).”].
As per claim 2 wherein the movable sections of the adjustable base include a body section and at least one leg section (see fig.2 and 5B).
As per claim 3 wherein the air bladders of the mattress include a body air bladder 501a fig.5B and at least one leg air bladder 501c fig.5B.
As per claim 4 wherein the at least one leg section of the adjustable base includes an upper leg section and a lower leg section that move relative to each other (see fig.2 & 5B).
As per claim 5 wherein the air bladders of the mattress include a body air bladder 501a, an upper leg air bladder 501b fig.5B, and a lower leg air bladder 501c.
As per claim 6 wherein the processor controls an amount of air within each air bladder to substantially maintain the predetermined pressure of each air bladder upon movement of the corresponding movable section of the adjustable base [0024 & 0034] (see fig.6a-6C).
As per claim 7 wherein the processor adjusts an amount of air within at least one air bladder of the air bladders of the mattress to place the air bladders of the mattress in preprogrammed pressurized states ([0039] and fig.6C) corresponding to positions of the movable sections of the adjustable base (see fig.6C).
As per claim 8 further comprising: a pressurization system 104a fig.2.
As per claim 9 wherein the processor automatically controls operation of the pressurization system (see fig.6A-6C).
As per claim 10 Riley discloses a bed 101, 102 fig.1 & 501, 502 fig.5A, comprising: an adjustable base 102, 502 including movable sections; and a mattress 101, 501 on the adjustable base and including air bladders 101a-b 501a-c, each air bladder of the air bladders substantially corresponding to a movable section of the movable sections (see fig.5A & 5B) of the adjustable base, each air bladder of the air bladders being pressurizable independently from every other air bladder of the air bladders [0029 “It will be appreciated that in other exemplary airbed environments, the air mattress may include a different number of chambers, as well as multiple zones, where each zone or chamber is connected to the manifold 104b through a separate tube (for example, in a 4-zone or 6-zone system, there may be separate air mattress chambers corresponding to a head region, torso region, and foot region for each side of the air mattress).”]; and a processor 104c fig.2 that controls pressurization of each air bladder of the air bladders as a function of a position of the corresponding movable section of the adjustable base substantially [0039 “For example, a user may hit a button or otherwise input a command on a user remote corresponding to a pre-programmed “flat” setting or a user-programmed flat setting where the airbed is flat, which may cause the adjustable base 502 to be adjusted to the flat setting shown in FIG. 5A (and at the same time the airbed control system adjusts the pressure within the air mattress chambers 501a, 501b and 501c to achieve target pressures for each of those chambers corresponding to the flat setting). Likewise, a user may hit a button or otherwise input a command on a user remote corresponding to a pre-programmed “recline” setting or a user-programmed setting where the airbed is reclined, which may cause the adjustable base 502 to be adjusted to the reclined setting shown in FIG. 5B (and at the same time the airbed control system adjusts the pressure within the air mattress chambers 501a, 501b and 501c to achieve target pressures for each of those chambers corresponding to the reclined setting).”] so as to substantially maintain a predetermined pressure of each air bladder throughout movement of the corresponding moveable section [0024 & 0034].
As per claim 12 wherein the processor adjusts the pressurization of at least one air bladder of the air bladders of the mattress to place the air bladders of the mattress in preprogrammed pressurized states ([0039] and fig.6C) corresponding to positions of the movable sections of the adjustable base (see fig.6C).
As per claim 13 further comprising: a pressurization system 104a fig.2.
As per claim 14 wherein the processor controls operation of the pressurization system (see fig.6A-6C).
As per claim 15 wherein the processor is programmed to automatically adjust a pressure within at least one air bladder of the air bladders in response to a change in orientation of the mattress (see fig.6A-6C and [0041 “In another example, a user laying on a flat mattress as shown in FIG. 5A may invoke a function via the user remote such as a massage function, and, in response to the invocation of the function, the airbed control system causes the airbed to be articulated to a non-flat setting such as the reclined setting shown in FIG. 5B (with appropriate adjustments to the pressure in the air mattress chambers to maintain the original pressure or to achieve a target pressure corresponding to the massage). The airbed then provides a massage while the airbed is in the non-flat setting, and then once the massage is over, it automatically causes the airbed to be articulated back to the flat setting shown in FIG. 5A (with appropriate adjustments to the pressure in the air mattress chambers to maintain the original pressure or to achieve a target pressure corresponding to the flat setting).”]).
As per claim 16 wherein the processor is programmed to substantially maintain a pressure within each air bladder of the air bladders in response to the change in orientation of the mattress (see fig.6A-6c and [0041]).
As per claim 17 a method (fig.6a-6C) for pressurizing an adjustable bed 101, 102, 501, 502, comprising: moving a position of at least one movable section of an adjustable bed 102, 502 frame 601 fig.6A; and controlling a pressure within at least one air bladder 613 fig.6B, 636 fig.6C of a mattress 101, 501 carried by the adjustable bed frame, wherein the at least one air bladder is associated with a movable section of the at least one movable section of the adjustable bed frame (see fig.5B), and wherein the pressure within the at least one air bladder is controlled as a function of a position of the corresponding movable section of the at least one movable section of the adjustable bed frame so as to substantially maintain a predetermined pressure of the at least one bladder throughout movement of the corresponding movable section [0024 & 0034] (fig.6A-6C).
As per claim 19 wherein controlling the pressure comprises adjusting the pressurization of the at least one air bladder of the air bladders of the mattress to place the at least one air bladder of the mattress in preprogrammed pressurized states corresponding to positions of the movable section of the adjustable base (see fig.6A-6c and [0041]).
As per claim 20 wherein controlling the pressure within the at least one air bladder comprises automatically controlling the pressure within the at least one air bladder (see fig.6A-6c and [0041]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/09/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the prior art of Riley does not discloses “a processor that controls pressurization of each air bladder of the air bladders as a function of a position of the corresponding movable section of the adjustable base so as to substantially maintain a predetermined pressure of each air bladder throughout movement of the corresponding movable section” but rather Riley discloses pressurization of the air bladder based on the current position of the pressure reading associated with the air bladder. However Examiner respectfully disagrees as discussed in [0024] and [0034] of Riley the system can be adjust the pressure in the bladders passed on the position of the movable sections. Additionally the pressure in the bladder can be maintained while the movable sections are articulating.
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 IFEOLU A ADEBOYEJO whose telephone number is (571)270-3072. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 10AM-5PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Troutman can be reached at (571) 270-3654. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/IFEOLU A ADEBOYEJO/Examiner, Art Unit 3673
/Matthew Troutman/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3679