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
This office action is in response to remarks and amendment filed by applicant on 10/31/2025.
Claims 1-14 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) are considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The Drawings filed on 10/31/2025 are accepted.
Remarks
The drawings filed on 10/31/2025 are accepted.
Rejections to claim 7 and 14 under 35 USC 112(b), are withdrawn as necessitated by applicant’s amendment.
In response to applicant’s argument that Dixon-Collin does not disclose the amended limitation, examiner respectably disagrees. Additional citation has been provided from Dixon to teach the amended limitation, details see office action set forth below.
The following references are relied upon for the art rejection set forth below.
Dixon et al. US 20150081335 A1 published 2015-03-19
Collins et al. US 20170035370 A1 published 2017-02-09
Tran et al. US 20070276270 A1 published 2007-11-29
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 of this title, when 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 1-4, 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dixon in view of Collins.
As to claim 1, Dixon discloses a system comprising:
a plurality of beds including a first bed and a second bed;[Dixon [0049] a hospital bed for use with a locating and tracking system may be provided and may include a patient support structure that may be configured to support a patient. [0144] Table 1 disclosed multiple Room ID and Bed ID associations.]
a plurality of bedside devices including a first bedside device, the first bedside device being provided around the first bed, [[0086] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a graphical user interface (GUI) of a bed having a touch screen display that displays a room number and a change button, the bed being coupled to one or more remote computer devices via a network and the bed transmitting the room number and a bed ID to the one or more remote computer devices via the network]
wherein the first bedside device is configured to display both a first information for a user of the first bed and a first button indicating transferring, and [[0087] FIG. 5, showing a keypad that appears on the GUI after selection of the change button, the keypad being usable by a caregiver to enter a new room number corresponding to a new location of the bed; [0113] other types of data may also be associated with the bed and/or room in the database, such as a patient ID, bed status data, data from other types of medical equipment (e.g., IV pumps, therapy equipment, vital signs equipment, and so forth), and data from other medical systems (e.g., electronic medical records (EMR) system]
when a caregiver of the user
the setting changed status indicating the first bed is not allocated in any location while the first bed is being transferred from a first allocated location to a second allocated location. [Dixon Fig. 6 and [0127] discloses caregiver enter new room number to transfer patient to. Further Fig. 16-18 and [0164] discloses when bed is unplugged from ac power outlet (i.e. during movement), bed 20 indicates no location … by ceasing to display the room name or number on a graphical display screen of bed 20 or by turning off indicator 164 of module 150; and in the backend table, either remove location ID or replace with the string "no location.]
Dixon does not disclose “receiving input from user”, or explicitly disclose patient moving from On the other hand, Collin in the same field of endeavor, discloses a healthcare facility bed monitoring system. In particular, Collin discloses a system sends alert to nurse when “receiving an input from the user”, see [0075] “If a call to a caregiver is initiated by selection of one of buttons 192, then the appropriate commands are sent by server 114 to the other portions of network 110 to make the call. For example, when the caregiver is carrying a badge 146, then server 114 communicates with server 134 in connection with making the call” (note: badge serves a credential as login); [0142] “Care Alert configuration will result in an alarm being detected by system 112 when the bed's scale system detects that a patient is about to exit the bed or has exited the bed.” (note: transfer is interpreted as moving from one bed to another and leaving current bed, based on instant spec disclosure of “patient departure”.) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify Dixon to include the teachings of Collin, because badge credential will ensure proper caregiver execute the required function.
As to claim 2, Dixon-Collins discloses the system according to the claim 1, wherein the first bedside device is configured to display the first information of the user when the first bedside device receives an input indicating the user transfers from the first bed to the second bed. [Dixon [0165] FIG. 19, bed 20 is configured to transmit the patient's MRN and bed ID data wirelessly for used by one or more remote computer devices (e.g., servers 26a, 26b) to associate the patient to the bed 20. In some embodiments, heart rate monitor 224 also sends heart rate data to bed 20 for display on a graphical display screen of bed 20 or for wireless transmission to remote computer devices such as servers 26a, 26b and/or to one or more computer devices of an EMR system.]
As to claim 3, Dixon-Collins discloses the system according to the claim 1, wherein the first bedside device is configured to display the first information of the user when the first bedside device receives an input indicating the user transfers from the first bed to the second bed after the caregiver of the user logs in in the first bedside device. [Dixon, [[0091] FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing a Confirm Association screen that appears on the GUI after the unit ID and room ID have been selected, a yes button that is selected by the caregiver to confirm the association of the bed to the selected unit and the selected room, the bed transmitting the selected unit ID and the selected room ID, along with a bed ID, to the one or more remote computer devices via the network; and [0165] FIG. 19, bed 20 is configured to transmit the patient's MRN and bed ID data wirelessly for used by one or more remote computer devices (e.g., servers 26a, 26b) to associate the patient to the bed 20. In some embodiments, heart rate monitor 224 also sends heart rate data to bed 20 for display on a graphical display screen of bed 20 or for wireless transmission to remote computer devices such as servers 26a, 26b and/or to one or more computer devices of an EMR system. ]
As to claim 4, the system according to claim 1, wherein the first bedside device is configured to cancel the setting changed status when the first bedside device receives an input indicating completion of the user’s transfer from the first bed to the second bed. [Dixon Fig. 16 and 17 206-208, [0163-0164] As indicated at block 206, if server 26b does not find AC present, then the algorithm 196 loops back to block 204. It will be appreciated that, if algorithm remains in the block 204, 206 loop for a predetermined period of time or for a predetermined number of iterations, the software will exit from the loop and send an alarm message or return to some other portion of algorithm 196 or another algorithm. (note: no location association corresponds to setting change status);
[0163] If server 26b finds AC present at block 206, server 26b proceeds to block 208 and sends a message to bed 20, including the Location or Room ID 194, to indicate that bed 20 has been successfully located. Thereafter, bed 20 indicates a successful bed-to-room location by displaying the location ID (e.g., room name or number) on a graphical display screen of bed 20 or by otherwise indicating a successful bed-to-room location such as by illuminating indicator 164 of module 150 as discussed above in connection with FIG. 15. (note: bed-to-room location reestablish indicate move complete and change status is cancelled)]
Claims 8-11 discloses the method that can be implemented by the system of claims 1-4, with substantially the same limitations, respectively. Therefore the rejections applied to claims 1-4 also apply to claims 8-11
Claim 5-7, 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dixon in view of Collins, in further view of Tran.
As to claim 5, Dixon-Collins discloses the system according to the claim 1, wherein one of the bedside devices is capable of setting a first value of a first item and a second value of the second item, the first item being different from the second item, and [Dixon Fig. 19 bed device, and 27 pillow speaker with GUI [0187] discloses multiple buttons that can control summon, calls, light/shades etc. The buttons correspond to item, the actions taken corresponds to values.]
the system further comprises:
a central device capable of communicating with the plurality of bedside devices, the central device being capable of performing a first operation, [Dixon [0149] device 26b is a server of a nurse call system. (note: central device communicating with pillow speaker, see Fig. 26. And [0185] circuitry 314 of unit 320 sends the bed data to nurse call system 322 along with pillow speaker unit ID data. A computer device of nurse call system 322 and/or one of the other computer devices 324 includes a database that correlates the pillow speaker unit ID data with a patient room 326 in which unit 320, and therefore, bed 20 is located. (note: receiving pillow speaker data corresponds to performing a first operation]
the central device being capable of receiving a first instruction to determine the first value is changed to a third value. [[0169] Data received at nurse call module 244 is communicated to nurse call server 246. (note: receiving data is first instruction, [0170-0173] further discloses communication and wireless components, the reading of data packets through communication circuits corresponds to determining value, for example heart rate value is nill to the transmitted data.]
Dixon-Collins does not disclose “the central device being not capable of receiving a second instruction to determine the second value is changed to a fourth value”.
On the other hand, Tran in the same field of endeavor, discloses the above limitation. Tran Fig. 15A-B, [0171-0174] discloses a fall detection system that connect patient monitor to remote server and transmit patient data via network, depending on the availability of broadband, high resolution video cannot be transmitted, see “[0171] During operation, the module checks whether broadband network is available. If broadband network is available, the module 80 allows high resolution video, among others, to be broadcasted… . [0172] If broadband network is not available, the system relies on the POTS telephone network for transmission of voice and images. In this system, one or more images are compressed for burst transmission, and at the request of the third party or the remote server 200, the telephone's sound system is placed on hold for a brief period to allow transmission of images over the POTS network.” (note: transmitting high resolution video command is second instruction, determining receipt of high resolution image is changing second value to fourth value. )
Both Dixon-Collins and Tran discloses transmit patient data/status from bed-side device to central server, where transmission of patient data is first operation. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the teaching of Dixon-Collins to include the teaching of Trans, because depending this will allow more flexible transmission of data depending on network capacity. See Tran 0174.
As to claim 6, Dixon-Collins-Tran discloses the system according to claim 5, wherein the central device includes a first mode and a second mode, [Tran, operation under POTS without broadband vs. under broadband corresponds to first and second mode) the central device is not capable of receiving the second instruction in the first mode, and the central device is capable of receiving the second instruction in the second mode. [[0172] If broadband network is not available, the system relies on the POTS telephone network for transmission of voice and images … [0171] If broadband network is available, the module 80 allows high resolution video, among others, to be broadcasted. (note: broadcast high resolution video corresponds to second instruction under first mode]
As to claim 7, Dixon-Collins-Tran discloses the system according to claim 6, wherein the central device performs the first operation using the fourth value when the first bedside device received approval of using the fourth value and the central device is in the second mode. [Trans, [0026] people cannot view the patient's video without the patient's consent; and [0171] If broadband network is available, the module 80 allows high resolution video, among others, to be broadcasted directly from the server 20 to the third party or indirectly from the server 20 to the remote server 200 to the third party. (note: broadband transmission corresponds to second mode and receipt of high resolution video corresponds to fourth value)]
Claims 12-14 discloses the method that can be implemented by the system of claims 5-7, with substantially the same limitations respectively. Therefore the rejections applied to claims 5-7 also apply to claims 12-14.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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 MIRANDA HUANG whose telephone number is 571.270.7092. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30am-5:00pm EST.
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/MIRANDA M HUANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2124