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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/12/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ali et al. US 2022/0351627 A1 (hereinafter Ali) in view of "Meet WellBe" from HandsFree Health (hereinafter WellBe).
Regarding claims 1, 11, and 21, Ali teaches a computer-implemented method executed on a computing device (paragraph 0066 teaches a computer implemented method executed on a general purpose processor which is understood by the examiner to be a computing device); a computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations (paragraph 0067 teaches computer readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that performs the method when executed by a processor); and a computing system including a processor (paragraph 0066 teaches a general purpose processor) and memory (paragraph 0066 teaches a programmable read only memory) configured to perform operations (paragraph 0066 teaches computer implemented instructions for executing the method on a general purpose processor) comprising:
monitoring a plurality of drones (Abstract teaches determining flight conflict between two or more UAVs) moving within a controlled space (Abstract teaches controlling UAVs according to a specified geographic regions);
receiving a request from an additional drone seeking permission to move within the controlled space (Figure 9 710 and 910 teach receiving a flight path into a controlled geographic cell and a request to approve the path from another UAV);
plotting an additional navigation path through the controlled space (Figure 9 730 teaches that new navigational instructions is produced) based, at least in part, upon the plurality of drones (Figure 9 730 teaches that the navigation instructions prevent conflict with one or more UAVs) and known obstacles within the controlled space (paragraph 0094 teaches that navigation determination is based on obstructions in the geographic space; obstructions are understood as a type of obstacle to the examiner);
providing the additional navigation path to the additional drone (Figure 9 730 teaches that new navigational instructions are provided to one or more UAVs to avoid conflict; paragraph 0085 more explicitly details rerouting the requesting drone); and
securing the additional navigation path (paragraph 0085 details rerouting the requesting drone) utilizing one or more of data encryption (paragraph 0032 teach all communications between UAVs, which would include communications regarding navigation path, are encrypted) and blockchain technology (paragraph 0044 teach using blockchain entries when updating route information).
Ali does not teach processing a medical assistance request via a voice-based virtual assistant and defining a location for the medical assistance request.
WellBe teaches processing a medical assistance request ("WellBe® Smartwatch" section discloses a patient may use an assistant to request emergency services using voice indicating that the voice request is processed to initiate sending the emergency service) via a voice-based virtual assistant ("The Smart Healthcare Assistant Platform" section discloses the assistant is a voice-activated healthcare virtual assistant) and defining a location for the medical assistance request ("WellBe® Smartwatch" section discloses GPS in the assistant device allows emergency services to easily find the requester's position indicating requester's position is determined with GPS).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Ali to incorporate the teachings of WellBe such that ambulatory services can be called by a person to their location according to the teachings of WellBe wherein the ambulance/emergency vehicle and service can be the drone and method thereof of Ali. This modification would be made with a reasonable expectation of success to provide a safe and intuitive medical alert system such that people in emergency situations can quickly and efficiently receive ambulatory/emergency services at any time.
Regarding claims 2, 12, and 22, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 1, 11, and 21 as described above. Ali further teaches obtaining weather information from a weather resource (paragraph 0073 teaches using weather data from one or more weather data severs).
Regarding claims 3, 13, and 23, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 2, 12, and 22 as described above. Ali further teaches considering the weather information when plotting the additional navigation path through the controlled space (paragraph 0073 teaches using weather data for navigation determination).
Regarding claims 4, 14, and 24, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 1, 11, and 21 as described above. Ali further teaches obtaining restricted airspace information (paragraph 0053 teaches airspace information being obtained from regulatory data servers) and/or air traffic information (paragraph 0073 teaches using air traffic data from air traffic data servers) from an aviation authority (paragraph 0051 teaches air traffic data severs may be from the Federal Aviation Administration; paragraph 0053 teaches regulatory data servers may be from Federal Aviation Administration).
Regarding claims 5, 15, and 25, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 4, 14, and 24 as described above. Ali further teaches considering the restricted airspace information and/or air traffic information when plotting the additional navigation path through the controlled space (paragraph 0073 teaches using air traffic and regulatory data for navigation determination).
Regarding claims 6, 16, and 26, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 1, 11, and 21 as described above. Ali further teaches obtaining charge / range information for the additional drone (paragraph 0070 teaches using UAV attributes like maximum range).
Regarding claims 7, 17, and 27, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 6, 16, and 26 as described above. Ali further teaches (paragraph 0070 teaches using UAV attributes like maximum range in the deconfliction module which is what determines navigational paths)
Regarding claims 8, 18, and 28, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 1, 11, and 21 as described above. Ali further teaches that each of the plurality of drones moving within a controlled space has a defined navigation path, thus defining a plurality of navigation paths (paragraph 0005 teaches flight path data of two or more UAVs i.e., a plurality of navigation paths).
Regarding claims 9, 19, and 29, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 8, 18, and 28 as described above. Ali further teaches securing one or more of the plurality of navigation paths (paragraph 0115 teaches carrying out the alternative proposed flight path for the additional UAV; paragraph 0085 teaches carrying out the proposed flight path for one or more UAVs to avoid conflict with the additional UAV).
Regarding claims 10, 20, and 30, the modified Ali reference teaches all of claims 9, 19, and 29 as described above. Ali further teaches that securing one or more of the plurality of navigation paths includes one or more of:
utilizing data encryption to secure one or more of the plurality of navigation paths (paragraph 0032 teaches all communications between UAVs, which would inherently include communications regarding navigation path, are encrypted); and
utilizing data encryption to secure one or more of the plurality of navigation paths (paragraph 0044 teaches using blockchain entries when updating route information).
Response to Amendment
Claim amendments filed 11/12/2025 have been received and fully considered and overcome the claim objections of record detailed in the Office Action dated 5/15/2025. These/this objections have/has been withdrawn.
Specification amendments filed 11/2/2025 have been received and fully considered and, in further view of remarks filed 11/12/2025, overcome the specification objections of record detailed in the Office Action dated 5/15/2025. These/this objections have/has been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 11-12, filed 11/12/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 11, and 21 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive in light of claim amendments filed 11/12/2025. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Ali as modified by WellBe.
Documents Considered but not Relied Upon
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kumar et al. US 20200082917 A1 discloses a voice based ambulance request system wherein user location is determined to guide ambulance to the user.
Taylor US-10991242-B2 discloses a user can request medical assistance via a voice system using artificial intelligence wherein medical assistance can be routed to their location.
"Life Alert Commercial 2018" on Youtube.com discloses a medical alert device wherein a user can provide a voice recording to a human operator indicating a medical event and GPS is utilized to navigate emergency services to the user.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ashley Tiffany Schoech whose telephone number is (571)272-2937. The examiner can normally be reached 5:00 am - 3:30 pm PT Monday - Thursday.
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/A.T.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/Erin M Piateski/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669