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 .
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-8, & 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2015/0294086 hereinafter Kare.
In regards to Claim 1: An accessory device for a computer, comprising:
a plurality of modules for monitoring and improving a user's work experience at the computer, said modules comprising:
one or more sensors configured to detect data of the user (Kare, Paragraph 102; Figure 1 Item 102);
a speaker for the emission of predetermined sounds (Kare, Paragraph 80; Figure 4 Item 438);
a diffuser of essences, and a tank comprising said essences (Kare, Paragraph 125);
a memory unit, wherein reference data, associated to the user, are stored, and wherein instructions for operating said speaker and diffuser are stored (Kare, Paragraph 43 - 46),
said instructions being stored in association with a plurality of predetermined possible results of a comparison between data detected by said one or more sensors (20) and said reference data (Kare, Paragraph 46);
a processing unit (Kare, Paragraph 43 & 45; Figure 4 Item 421), adapted to:
receive data detected by said one or more sensors, compare them to said reference data, select instructions for operating said speaker and diffuser according to the result of the comparison, and operate said speaker and diffuser according to the selected instructions (Kare, Paragraph 110);
connection devices configured to connect at least one of said plurality of modules to the computer (Kare Paragraph 80 Figure 4 Item 440); and
an external casing, configured to contain said plurality of modules and said connection devices, further comprising support elements for placing the accessory device on a surface (Kare, Paragraph 103).
In regards to Claim 2: wherein said one or more sensors comprise a video camera for detecting images of the user (Kare, Paragraph 41).
In regards to Claim 3: wherein said one or more sensors comprise a microphone for detecting sounds from the user (Kare, Paragraph 79; Figure 1 Item 434).
In regards to Claim 4: wherein said one or more sensors are further configured to detect at least one of the following user's data: body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and position of the user's body (Kare, Paragraph 21; Figure 1 Item 102).
In regards to Claim 5: wherein: said one or more sensors are configured to detect the position of user's body (Kare, Paragraph 120; “audiovisual data can be analyzed to monitor the hospital room environment, e.g., lighting and noise level, and can include tracking capabilities as well, to monitor the patient's location within the room.”);
said memory unit is adapted to store data about correct positions of user's body (Kare, Paragraph 46); and
said processing unit is programmed to compare a detected position of user's body with the correct positions of the user's body (Kare, Claim 1), and
if the detected position is different than the correct positions, said processing unit being further programmed to send a first predetermined control signal to the computer, said first predetermined control signal being configured to make the computer screen display a message which content is an invitation to correct user's position (Kare, Paragraph 122 & 126; “In response to anxiety or other biological data or measured data sensed by the system, the environmental supplement can be altered, such as with video of the patient's home environment transmitted and reproduced on audiovisual displays to provide familiar environmental cues.”).
In regards to Claim 6: wherein: said memory unit is adapted to store data about a therapeutic plan of the user (Kare, Paragraph 128; “The system computer captures the treatment plan, scheduled caregiver visits and programs alerts for the treatment plan events, as well as any additional personal profile data for matching with the Environmental Supplement database.”); and
said processing unit is programmed to send a second predetermined control signal to the computer, said second predetermined control signal being configured to make the computer screen display a message which content is a reminder about said therapeutic plan (Kare, Paragraph 36; “In an embodiment, the Environmental Supplements include a voice-activated and/or voice recognition electronic assistant or web navigator able to search the internet for answers to questions or suggestions for personal habits (e.g., a reminder that it is time to take some medication) can access the subject's personal health records or personal profile (e.g., at the request of the subject or for reminders regarding particular medical regimens), and can also serve to alert a healthcare worker if the subject is not responsive or calls out for help.”).
In regards to Claim 7: The accessory device of claim 1, configured to acquire electric power from the computer by means of said connection devices (Kare, Paragraph 43; Figure 1 Item 115).
In regards to Claim 8: The accessory device of claim 7, wherein said connection devices comprises a USB port (Kare, Paragraph 80 Figure 4 Item 441).
In regards to Claim 12: A computer comprising an accessory device according to any of the preceding claim 1 (Kare, Figure 4; Paragraph 79 & 80).
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) 9, 10, & 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2015/0294086 hereinafter Kare in view of 2018/0289847 hereinafter McCormick.
In regards to Claim 9: Kare teaches all of claim 1, bud does not teach wherein said plurality of modules comprises disinfectant devices, configured to provide disinfectant light beams.
McCormick teaches wherein said plurality of modules comprises disinfectant devices, configured to provide disinfectant light beams (McCormick, Paragraph 42 Figure 1 Item 34).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add the Light module capable of disinfection taught in McCormick to the system taught in Kare, the motivation being to provide a sterile area to prevent illness.
In regards to Claim 10: A modified Kare teaches all of claim 1 & 9, and wherein said disinfectant devices comprise a UV-C LED light disinfectant lamp (McCormick, Paragraph 42; Figure 1 Item 34).
In regards to Claim 11: Kare teaches all of claim 1, but does not teach wherein said support elements comprise a pedestal.
McCormick teaches wherein said support elements comprise a pedestal (McCormick, Paragraph 39; Figure 1 Item 16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add the base taught in McCormick to the system of Kare, the motivation being to elevate the electronic to protect them from spills.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOE R DIETZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1135. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm.
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/N.R.D./ Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3791
/ALEX M VALVIS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3791