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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 18/118523, filed on 03 September 2025
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 07 March 2023, 22 January 2024, and 03 September 2025 have been received and considered by the Examiner.
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.
Claims 1 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamauchi et al. (JP 2003093458 A, hereinafter “Yamauchi”) in view of Hyun et al. (KR 20180115244 A, hereinafter “Hyun”).
Regarding Claim 1, Yamauchi discloses: A method for controlling a massage module of a massage device [Paragraph 0002, There is a chair-type massage machine (10) in which a person sits and receives a massage from the nape of the neck to the shoulders, back, and waist. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the massage machine (10) has a backrest (13) of a chair (11) on which the person sits], comprising the steps of:
determining at least one of a
standby position at which a massage module is on standby in a main frame of a massage device [Paragraph 0016, When the massage unit (30) is stored in the storage position, the massage fingers (40) (40) do not get in the way of the person being treated, so the massage unit (30) can be used as a normal chair], [The massage operation is performed based on the height of the body part detected by the position detection means],
based on at least one of whether a massage mode of the massage device has ended and preference standby information on the massage module [Paragraph 0015, After the massage is finished, the massage unit (30) is moved to the storage position stored in the memory of the microcomputer (101). The storage operation may be performed immediately after the massage operation is finished, or may be performed when the massagee inputs a storage operation from the remote control (102). When storing the massage unit (30), it is desirable to maximize the spacing between the massage fingers (40) (40) or move the massage fingers (40) (40) toward the backrest (13) so that the massage fingers (40) (40) are as unobtrusive as possible];
and controlling operation of the massage module based on at least one of the standby position [Paragraph 0012, The position of the user's body detected by the position detection means (70) is sent to the control means (100). The control means (100) is installed in an appropriate location on the massage machine (10) and performs all control of the massage machine (10). The control means (100) can be configured mainly with a microcomputer (101) as shown in Figure 1], [Paragraph 0013, The microcomputer (101) is provided with a memory for storing the height of the body part detected by the position detection means (70), and calculates the storage position as a position that is a predetermined distance above or below the height of the detected body part. The calculated storage position is stored in the memory],
wherein the main frame [Figure 3, massage chair 11] supports the body of the user [Paragraph 0019, As shown in Figure 2, the massage chair (11) has a seat (12) on which the person to be treated sits, a backrest (13) extending upward from the rear end of the seat (12), and armrests (14) extending upward on both sides of the seat (12). The seat (12), backrest (13), and armrests (14) are formed by connecting metal pipes, frames, plates, etc., and are covered on the periphery with a padding cloth or cushion. The backrest (13) is supported by the seat (12) so as to be able to swing, and can be tilted by a reclining mechanism (90)] and the massage module provides a massage to at least a part of the body while moving along the main frame [Paragraph 0014, The massage operation is performed based on the height of the body part detected by the position detection means. The massage may be a rolling massage in which the massage unit (30) moves back and forth along the top and bottom of the backrest (13), a kneading or tapping massage in which the treatment fingers (40) move up and down, back and forth, and left and right, a massage in which the rolling massage is combined with the kneading or tapping massage, or a massage in which these are combined.].
Yamauchi does not explicitly disclose a standby intensity, but would be capable of adjusting the intensity of the massage module as needed using the control means
Hyun more explicitly discloses: A method for controlling a massage module of a massage device [Paragraph 0001, Method for operating a sleep mode in a massage chair and a massage chair capable of using the same method], comprising the steps of: determining at least one of a
standby position at which a massage module is on standby in a main frame of a massage device [Paragraph 0102, after the first preset time has elapsed after the start of the massage movement, at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is changed to the preset “pre-sleep massage angle” (S300)],
and a standby intensity, which is an intensity at which the massage module presses body of a user at the standby position [Paragraph 0029, In addition, after the step (e), it is preferable to further include a step (f) in which at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle until a signal is input to the operation unit (500), and the plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure],
based on at least one of whether a massage mode of the massage device has ended and preference standby information on the massage module [Paragraph 0097, The sleep mode according to the present invention is not a mode that assumes that the user will fall asleep immediately after sitting on the massage chair, but rather a mode that assumes that the user will fall asleep naturally after receiving a massage for a certain period of time according to the user's general usage pattern];
and controlling operation of the massage module based on at least one of the standby position and the standby intensity [Paragraph 0092, The user can select various modes through the operation unit (500) and apply the signal to the control unit (not shown), and accordingly, the operation unit (500) transmits a signal corresponding to the mode to the control unit (not shown) to operate an actuator (not shown) and the like to operate the backrest unit (100), the leg fixing unit (300), and the foot fixing unit (310) to change the first angle (α) and the second angle (β), or control the operation of the massage ball assembly (105) and various airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419)]
Hyun discloses the benefits of this method for maintaining user comfort after a massage [Paragraphs 0019-20, in cases where a user falls asleep during a massage, we aim to provide a method by which the massage movement can be completed naturally without disturbing the user's sleep. In addition, we aim to provide a method that allows the user to sleep in the massage chair as much as desired by maintaining the user's sleeping state not only during the massage but also after the massage is finished]. Furthermore, both references disclose similar massage chair structures with similar functionality. Thus, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Hyun with Yamauchi’s control means.
Regarding Claim 15, Yamauchi discloses: A massage device [Paragraph 0002, There is a chair-type massage machine (10) in which a person sits and receives a massage from the nape of the neck to the shoulders, back, and waist. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the massage machine (10) has a backrest (13) of a chair (11) on which the person sits], comprising:
a main frame [Figure 3, massage chair 11] for supporting body of a user [Paragraph 0019, As shown in Figure 2, the massage chair (11) has a seat (12) on which the person to be treated sits, a backrest (13) extending upward from the rear end of the seat (12), and armrests (14) extending upward on both sides of the seat (12). The seat (12), backrest (13), and armrests (14) are formed by connecting metal pipes, frames, plates, etc., and are covered on the periphery with a padding cloth or cushion. The backrest (13) is supported by the seat (12) so as to be able to swing, and can be tilted by a reclining mechanism (90)];
a massage module [Figure 3, massage unit 30] for providing a massage to at least a part of the body while moving along the main frame [Paragraph 0022, As shown in Figure 3, the massage unit (30) comprises a chassis (32) on which rollers (31) (31) (31) (31) that fit into grooves in the guide rail (18) are pivotally supported, one pair at the top and one at the bottom, and a pair of treatment fingers (40) (40), a kneading means (50) and a tapping means (60) for actuating the treatment fingers (40) (40)];
and a control unit for controlling the massage module [Paragraph 0018, As shown in FIG. 1, the control means (100) is mainly composed of a microcomputer (101), which includes an input circuit (103) from an operation remote controller (102), drive circuits (104), (105), (106), (107) for the motors (21), (51), (61), (91) that drive the massage unit (30) and the reclining mechanism (90), a motor detection circuit (108) that detects the rotation of the motors (21), (51), (61), (91), a position detection means (70) for detecting the shoulder position of the person to be treated is connected], wherein the control unit determines at least one of
a standby position [Paragraph 0016, When the massage unit (30) is stored in the storage position, the massage fingers (40) (40) do not get in the way of the person being treated, so the massage unit (30) can be used as a normal chair], [The massage operation is performed based on the height of the body part detected by the position detection means], at which the massage module is on standby in the main frame of the massage device, based on whether a massage mode of the massage device has ended [Paragraph 0015, After the massage is finished, the massage unit (30) is moved to the storage position stored in the memory of the microcomputer (101). The storage operation may be performed immediately after the massage operation is finished, or may be performed when the massagee inputs a storage operation from the remote control (102). When storing the massage unit (30), it is desirable to maximize the spacing between the massage fingers (40) (40) or move the massage fingers (40) (40) toward the backrest (13) so that the massage fingers (40) (40) are as unobtrusive as possible],
and the control unit controls operation of the massage module based on the standby position [Paragraph 0012, The position of the user's body detected by the position detection means (70) is sent to the control means (100). The control means (100) is installed in an appropriate location on the massage machine (10) and performs all control of the massage machine (10). The control means (100) can be configured mainly with a microcomputer (101) as shown in Figure 1], [Paragraph 0013, The microcomputer (101) is provided with a memory for storing the height of the body part detected by the position detection means (70), and calculates the storage position as a position that is a predetermined distance above or below the height of the detected body part. The calculated storage position is stored in the memory].
Yamauchi does not explicitly disclose a standby intensity, but would be capable of adjusting the intensity of the massage module as needed using the control means
Hyun explicitly discloses: A massage device [Paragraph 0001, Method for operating a sleep mode in a massage chair and a massage chair capable of using the same method], comprising:
a control unit for controlling the massage module [Paragraph 0045, In addition, mode selection, change and operation of the massage chair according to the operation unit (500) described below are performed by transmitting a signal to the control unit (not shown) when a signal is applied to the operation unit (500)], wherein the control unit determines at least one of:
a standby position, at which the massage module is on standby in the main frame of the massage device [Paragraph 0109, That is, as shown in Fig. 5, assuming that the user has reached a certain level of sleep, the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) are made larger], based on whether a massage mode of the massage device has ended [Paragraph 0108, Next, after the first time has elapsed and the second preset time has elapsed, in other words, only the third preset time remains until the massage movement being performed ends. At least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is changed to a preset “sleeping angle” (S400)],
and a standby intensity, which is an intensity at which the massage module presses the body at the standby position [Paragraph 0117, Now, after the third hour has passed and the massage movement has completely ended, the pressure within the multiple airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) is adjusted to the preset “sleeping pressure” (S500)],
and the control unit controls operation of the massage module based on at least one of the standby position and the standby intensity [Paragraph 0092, The user can select various modes through the operation unit (500) and apply the signal to the control unit (not shown), and accordingly, the operation unit (500) transmits a signal corresponding to the mode to the control unit (not shown) to operate an actuator (not shown) and the like to operate the backrest unit (100), the leg fixing unit (300), and the foot fixing unit (310) to change the first angle (α) and the second angle (β), or control the operation of the massage ball assembly (105) and various airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419)]
Hyun discloses the benefits of this operation means for maintaining user comfort after a massage [Paragraphs 0019-20, in cases where a user falls asleep during a massage, we aim to provide a method by which the massage movement can be completed naturally without disturbing the user's sleep. In addition, we aim to provide a method that allows the user to sleep in the massage chair as much as desired by maintaining the user's sleeping state not only during the massage but also after the massage is finished]. Furthermore, both references disclose similar massage chair structures with similar functionality [Paragraph 0038, In addition, the present invention can be universally applied to any massage chair or in conjunction with any massage movement]. Thus, It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Hyun with Yamauchi’s control means.
Claims 2-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamauchi (JP 2003093458 A) in view of Hyun (KR 20180115244 A), further in view of Yunai et al. (JP H10127718 A, hereinafter “Yunai”).
Regarding Claim 2, Yamauchi in view of Hyun discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Hyun further discloses: wherein the determining step [Paragraph 0099, First, a sleep mode signal is applied to the control unit (500) (S100). Accordingly, the operating unit (500) transmits a signal to the control unit (not shown) to perform the following operations] includes the steps of:
determining whether the massage mode has ended [Paragraph 0108, Next, after the first time has elapsed and the second preset time has elapsed, in other words, only the third preset time remains until the massage movement being performed ends];
and determining the standby position and the standby intensity based on the determination result [Paragraph 0108, Next, after the first time has elapsed and the second preset time has elapsed, in other words, only the third preset time remains until the massage movement being performed ends. At least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is changed to a preset “sleeping angle” (S400)], [Paragraph 0117, Now, after the third time has passed and the massage movement has completely ended, the pressure within the multiple airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) is adjusted to the preset “sleeping pressure” (S500)]
wherein the preference standby information includes information on at least one of preference standby position and preference standby intensity for the massage module, which is set by the user to have the massage module on standby [Figure 6, preset sleeping angle (S400), preset sleeping pressure S500]
Yamauchi in view of Hyun discloses control means for user operation of the massage devices, and thus is capable of incorporating preference standby information set by the user.
Yunai more explicitly discloses: determining the standby position and the standby intensity based on the determination result [Paragraph 0007,The "automatic course" selection switch (Sw10) and the "manual course" selection switch (Sw20) are linked to a timer (not shown), which automatically stops the massage after, for example, 15 minutes of massage] and the preference standby information [Paragraph 0003, the operating device (1) is provided with a "storage reservation" switch (Sw05) that can reserve whether the treatment element (3) will be stopped at the end position or stored in the standby position after the massage operation is completed, and the "storage reservation" switch (Sw05) is linked to the control means of the massage machine (2)],
wherein the preference standby information includes information on at least one of preference standby position and preference standby intensity for the massage module, which is set by the user to have the massage module on standby [Paragraph 0004, The "storage reservation" switch (Sw05) allows you to reserve the storage of the treatment head (3) in advance during the massage operation, so that you can store the treatment head (3) in the standby position after the massage operation is completed without having to press the storage switch as in the past. Therefore, even if the user falls asleep during the massage, the treatment heads (3) are stored in the standby position after the timer operation ends, so the position of the treatment heads (3) will not disturb the user's comfortable sleep],
the preference standby position is an area selected by the user from among entire areas of the main frame [Paragraph 0020, FIG. 21 is a flowchart of the storage reservation for the treatment element (3). As mentioned above, the "storage reservation" switch (Sw05) can be operated at any time while the power is on to the operating device (1), regardless of whether the treatment course is automatic or manual […] FIG. 22 is a flowchart of a storage reservation process in which the storage position of the treatment head 3 can be selected arbitrarily from two locations, the upper end and the lower end of the backrest 22],
and the preference standby intensity is an intensity selected by the user from among a plurality of intensities of the massage module [Paragraph 0006, The massage motor (221) can be changed to three speed levels, namely, fast, medium and slow, and therefore the speed of the kneading or tapping massage can be adjusted to three speed levels, namely, fast, medium and slow], [Paragraph 0008, Located below and to the left of the "Manual Course" selection switch (Sw20) are a massage "speed" selection switch (Sw31) used for fine adjustment in manual treatment mode, and a switch (Sw32) for selecting the "width" between the treatment elements (3)(3)].
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the art-recognized teachings of user interfaces and adjustable massage control means disclosed by Yunai with the massage chair and control/operating units disclosed by Yamauchi in view of Hyun.
Regarding Claim 3, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 2. Hyun further discloses: the step of determining the standby position and the standby intensity includes the steps of, when the massage mode of the massage device has ended [Paragraph 0108, Next, after the first time has elapsed and the second preset time has elapsed, in other words, only the third preset time remains until the massage movement being performed ends],
determining the standby position as the preference standby position [Paragraph 0092, The user can select various modes through the operation unit (500) and apply the signal to the control unit (not shown), and accordingly, the operation unit (500) transmits a signal corresponding to the mode to the control unit (not shown) to operate an actuator (not shown) and the like to operate the backrest unit (100), the leg fixing unit (300), and the foot fixing unit (310) to change the first angle (α) and the second angle (β), or control the operation of the massage ball assembly (105) and various airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419)],
and determining the standby intensity as the preference standby intensity [Paragraph 0029, In addition, after the step (e), it is preferable to further include a step (f) in which at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle until a signal is input to the operation unit (500), and the plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure].
Regarding Claim 4, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 3. Hyun further discloses: wherein the controlling step includes the steps of, when the massage mode has ended,
stopping operation of the massage device [Paragraph 0127, For example, if the total massage time is 20 minutes, after 19 minutes, which is the combined time of the first and second times, at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) begins to change to the preset sleeping angle, and after 1 minute, which is the third time, the massage movement ends], [Paragraph 0117, Now, after the third hour has passed and the massage movement has completely ended, the pressure within the multiple airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) is adjusted to the preset “sleeping pressure” (S500)]
controlling operation of the massage module based on the standby position [Paragraph 0109, That is, as shown in Fig. 5, assuming that the user has reached a certain level of sleep, the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) are made larger] and the standby intensity [Paragraph 0118, Here, the "sleeping pressure" is a pressure lower than the pressure that slightly fixes each body part without disturbing the user's sleep, and is equal to or less than the pressure when the fixing air is introduced]
and maintaining the operation of the massage module and the stopped massage device [Paragraph 0121, In other words, until another signal is input to the operating unit (500), at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle, and a plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure].
Regarding Claim 5, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 4. Hyun further discloses: wherein the step of controlling operation of the massage module based on the standby position and the standby intensity [Paragraph 0045, In addition, mode selection, change and operation of the massage chair according to the operation unit (500) described below are performed by transmitting a signal to the control unit (not shown) when a signal is applied to the operation unit (500)] includes the steps of:
moving position of the massage module to the standby position [Paragraph 0121, In other words, until another signal is input to the operating unit (500), at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle, and a plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure];
and adjusting intensity of the massage module to the standby intensity [Paragraph 0117, Now, after the third hour has passed and the massage movement has completely ended, the pressure within the multiple airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) is adjusted to the preset “sleeping pressure” (S500)].
Regarding Claim 6, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 5. Hyun further discloses: wherein the maintaining step includes the steps of:
maintaining the operation of the massage module [Paragraph 0121, In other words, until another signal is input to the operating unit (500), at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle, and a plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure];
controlling angle of the stopped massage device based on whether a preset standby angle and the angle of the stopped massage device are the same [Paragraph 0110, It is more desirable for both the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) to change in order to induce the user to sleep],
Yamauchi also discloses the above limitation: [Paragraphs 0012-13, The position of the user's body detected by the position detection means (70) is sent to the control means (100) […] The microcomputer (101) is provided with a memory for storing the height of the body part detected by the position detection means (70), and calculates the storage position as a position that is a predetermined distance above or below the height of the detected body part. The calculated storage position is stored in the memory]];
and maintaining the operation of the stopped massage device [Paragraph 0127, if the total massage time is 20 minutes, after 19 minutes, which is the combined time of the first and second times, at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) begins to change to the preset sleeping angle, and after 1 minute, which is the third time, the massage movement ends].
Regarding Claim 7, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 6. Hyun further discloses: wherein the step of controlling angle of the stopped massage device includes the steps of:
when the angle of the stopped massage device is different from the standby angle, changing the angle of the stopped massage device [Figures 4-5, Paragraph 0104, It is more desirable for both the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) to change in order to induce the user to sleep];
and when the angle of the stopped massage device is the same as the standby angle, maintaining the angle of the stopped massage device [Paragraph 0123, Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention, step S300 of moving to a massage angle before going to bed may not be performed],
wherein the step of changing the angle of the stopped massage device includes the step of tilting the stopped massage device in at least one direction of a forward direction and a backward direction of the massage device based on the standby angle [Paragraphs 0103-0104, That is, as shown in Fig. 4, at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is made larger to allow the user to relax more and achieve comfortable sleep. It is more desirable for both the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) to change in order to induce the user to sleep].
Regarding Claim 8, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 4. Yunai further discloses: further comprising the step of re-controlling the operation of the massage module and the stopped massage device based on whether a control signal for changing the operation of the massage device is generated [Paragraph 0020, As mentioned above, the "storage reservation" switch (Sw05) can be operated at any time while the power is on to the operating device (1), regardless of whether the treatment course is automatic or manual], after maintaining the operation of the massage module and the stopped massage device [Paragraph 0020, When the timer operation ends or the massage operation by the treatment element (3) is ended by the switch (Sw01) that selects "on/off" of the power, the treatment element (3) is stopped at the end position of the massage operation if it is "ended” based on the reservation data of "storage" or "end" previously selected by the "storage reservation" switch (Sw05)],
wherein the control signal is at least one of an angle change signal for changing the angle of the massage device to a preset initial angle and an end signal for ending the operation of the massage device [Paragraph 0010, The operating control circuit (100) performs encoding processing to send the required signal to the control circuit (200) of the main body control unit (42) according to the type of switch pressed, and decoding processing of the signal sent from the main body control circuit (200)].
Hyun also discloses the above limitations [Paragraph 0121, until another signal is input to the operating unit (500), at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle, and a plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure], as does Yamauchi [Paragraph 0015, After the massage is finished, the massage unit (30) is moved to the storage position stored in the memory of the microcomputer (101). The storage operation may be performed immediately after the massage operation is finished, or may be performed when the massagee inputs a storage operation from the remote control (102). When storing the massage unit (30), it is desirable to maximize the spacing between the massage fingers (40) (40) or move the massage fingers (40) (40) toward the backrest (13) so that the massage fingers (40) (40) are as unobtrusive as possible]
Regarding Claim 9, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 8. Hyun further discloses: wherein the re-controlling step [Paragraph 0092, The user can select various modes through the operation unit (500) and apply the signal to the control unit (not shown), and accordingly, the operation unit (500) transmits a signal corresponding to the mode to the control unit (not shown) to operate an actuator (not shown)] includes the steps of:
maintaining the operation of the massage module and the stopped massage device, when the control signal is not generated [Paragraph 0121, In other words, until another signal is input to the operating unit (500), at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle, and a plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure];
and changing the operation of the massage module and the stopped massage device, when the control signal is generated [Paragraph 0022, (a) a step of applying a
sleep mode signal to an operation unit (500); (b) a step of starting a preset massage operation in a massage chair and selectively operating a plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) provided in the massage chair; and (c) a step of changing at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) to a preset sleep angle after a preset time has elapsed since the start of the massage operation of the massage chair].
Regarding Claim 10, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 9. Hyun further discloses: wherein the changing step includes the steps of:
changing position and intensity of the massage module based on preset initial standby information [Paragraph 0109, That is, as shown in Fig. 5, assuming that the user has reached a certain level of sleep, the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) are made larger], [Paragraph 0118, Here, the "sleeping pressure" is a pressure lower than the pressure that slightly fixes each body part without disturbing the user's sleep, and is equal to or less than the pressure when the fixing air is introduced];
changing angle of the stopped massage device based on the initial angle [Paragraph 0022, a step of changing at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) to a preset sleep angle after a preset time has elapsed since the start of the massage operation of the massage chair];
and controlling operation of the changed massage module and the changed massage device based on whether the control signal is the end signal [Paragraph 0045, In addition, mode selection, change and operation of the massage chair according to the operation unit (500) described below are performed by transmitting a signal to the control unit (not shown) when a signal is applied to the operation unit (500)],
wherein the initial standby information includes information on at least one of an initial standby position and an initial standby intensity for the massage module [Figure 6, preset sleeping angle (S400), preset sleeping pressure S500], which is preset to allow the massage module to wait [Paragraph 0121, In other words, until another signal is input to the operating unit (500), at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle, and a plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure],
Yunai further discloses:
the initial standby position is any one preset area among the entire areas [Paragraph 0020, FIG. 21 is a flowchart of the storage reservation for the treatment element (3). As mentioned above, the "storage reservation" switch (Sw05) can be operated at any time while the power is on to the operating device (1), regardless of whether the treatment course is automatic or manual […] FIG. 22 is a flowchart of a storage reservation process in which the storage position of the treatment head 3 can be selected arbitrarily from two locations, the upper end and the lower end of the backrest 22],
and the initial standby intensity is any one preset intensity among the plurality of intensities [Paragraph 0006, The massage motor (221) can be changed to three speed levels, namely, fast, medium and slow, and therefore the speed of the kneading or tapping massage can be adjusted to three speed levels, namely, fast, medium and slow], [Paragraph 0008, Located below and to the left of the "Manual Course" selection switch (Sw20) are a massage "speed" selection switch (Sw31) used for fine adjustment in manual treatment mode, and a switch (Sw32) for selecting the "width" between the treatment elements (3)(3)].
Regarding Claim 11, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 10. Yunai further discloses: wherein the step of changing position and intensity of the massage module includes the steps of:
changing position of the massage module by moving the position of the massage module from the preference standby position to the initial standby position [Paragraph 0020, FIG. 21 is a flowchart of the storage reservation for the treatment element (3). As mentioned above, the "storage reservation" switch (Sw05) can be operated at any time while the power is on to the operating device (1), regardless of whether the treatment course is automatic or manual […] FIG. 22 is a flowchart of a storage reservation process in which the storage position of the treatment head 3 can be selected arbitrarily from two locations, the upper end and the lower end of the backrest 22] ;
and changing intensity of the massage module by adjusting the intensity of the massage module from the preference standby intensity to the initial standby intensity [Paragraph 0006, The massage motor (221) can be changed to three speed levels, namely, fast, medium and slow, and therefore the speed of the kneading or tapping massage can be adjusted to three speed levels, namely, fast, medium and slow], [Paragraph 0008, Located below and to the left of the "Manual Course" selection switch (Sw20) are a massage "speed" selection switch (Sw31) used for fine adjustment in manual treatment mode, and a switch (Sw32) for selecting the "width" between the treatment elements (3)(3)].
Regarding Claim 12, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 10. Hyun further discloses: wherein the step of changing angle of the stopped massage device includes the step of changing angle of the stopped massage device by tilting the stopped massage device in at least one direction of the forward direction and the rearward direction of the massage device based on the initial angle [Figures 4-5], [Paragraph 0022, a step of changing at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) to a preset sleep angle after a preset time has elapsed since the start of the massage operation of the massage chair].
Regarding Claim 13, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 10. Hyun further discloses: wherein the step of controlling operation of the changed massage module and the changed massage device includes the steps of:
maintaining operation of the changed massage module and the changed massage device when the control signal is the angle change signal [Paragraph 0010, The operating control circuit (100) performs encoding processing to send the required signal to the control circuit (200) of the main body control unit (42) according to the type of switch pressed, and decoding processing of the signal sent from the main body control circuit (200)], [Paragraph 0017, In this state, the reclining "down" switch (Sw03) and "up” switch (Sw04) will light up green and become selectable. In this state, when the reclining "rise" switch (Sw04) is pressed, the backrest (22) of the massage machine (2) rises. If the "raise" switch (Sw04) is further pressed and held down, the backrest (22) is raised to the fullest position]
and ending operation of the changed massage device when the control signal is the end signal [Paragraph 0007, FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the controller (1).The operating device (1) is equipped with a variety of selection switches as shown below, allowing the user to select between an automatic course and a manual course, and also to select the body part within the automatic course, and the type of massage within the manual course. At the top of the operating device (1) is a switch (Sw01) for selecting "on/off" of the power supply]
Hyun also discloses the above limitations: [Paragraph 0092, The user can select various modes through the operation unit (500) and apply the signal to the control unit (not shown), and accordingly, the operation unit (500) transmits a signal corresponding to the mode to the control unit (not shown) to operate an actuator (not shown)], [Paragraph 0121, In other words, until another signal is input to the operating unit (500), at least one of the first angle (α) and the second angle (β) is maintained at a preset sleeping angle, and a plurality of airbags (129, 209, 309, 319, 419) are maintained at a preset sleeping pressure];
Regarding Claim 14, Yamauchi in view of Hyun and Yunai discloses all of the limitations of Claim 3. Hyun further discloses: further comprising the step of activating a setting mode for setting the preference standby information so as to set the preference standby information, before the massage mode is performed [Paragraph 0120, However, when a sleep mode such as the present invention is operated, the chair should not return to the initial setting position so as not to disturb the user's sleep. It is preferable to return when a separate signal is input to the operating part (500)].
Yunai also discloses the above limitation: [Paragraph 0004, The "storage reservation" switch (Sw05) allows you to reserve the storage of the treatment head (3) in advance during the massage operation, so that you can store the treatment head (3) in the standby position after the massage operation is completed without having to press the storage switch as in the past. Therefore, even if the user falls asleep during the massage, the treatment heads (3) are stored in the standby position after the timer operation ends, so the position of the treatment heads (3) will not disturb the user's comfortable sleep].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee (US 20190388296 A1) discloses a method for operating a massage chair using machine learning algorithms
Kang et al. (US 20200330322 A1) discloses a massage chair with user interfaces and varying modes of treatment
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/MISHAL ZAHRA HUSSAIN/
Examiner
Art Unit 3785
/BRANDY S LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3785