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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/10/26 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2 and 4-6 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 12/31/25 has/have been acknowledged and is/are being 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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frykman (U.S. Pub. 2004/0250481) in view of Guern et al. (U.S. Pat. 5,107,845 hereinafter “Guern”) and Franceschetti et al. (U.S. Pub. 2020/0405998 hereinafter “Franceschetti”) and Heeger et al. (U.S. Pub. 2018/0014784 hereinafter “Heeger”).
Regarding claim 1, Frykman discloses a sleep monitoring capsule having a capsule (e.g. Abstract; ¶14) that demarcates a sleep space for one person (e.g. see Fig. 2) for monitoring a sleep state of a user sleeping in the capsule, the sleep monitoring capsule comprising: a monitoring unit (e.g. 25) that is fixed to an inner wall of the capsule (e.g. see Fig. 2), monitors a state of the user sleeping in the capsule (e.g. ¶128), and generates image data (e.g. ¶6). Frykman discloses the claimed invention including the use of cameras used in a sleep capsule except for the system generating image data of at least a head of a person to monitor the sleep state of the user. However, Guern teaches that it is known to use a camera as set forth in Abstract, Column 1 and Figures 1-2 to provide a means for monitoring the respiration of the user to determine the sleep of the user. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the system as taught by Frykman, with video of at least the face of the user as taught by Guern, since such a modification would provide the predictable results of using image data for providing a means for determining the respiration and sleep status of the user to enhance the sleep of the user in the capsule. Frykman in view of Guern discloses the claimed invention except for the determining the exact sleep state, classifying the state and then determine a state that is analyzed for a result that is useful for diagnosing disease. However, Franceschetti teaches that it is known to monitor the sleep state, classify it and perform a correction as set forth in Paragraphs 119, 136-141, 185 and Abstract to provide a means for sensing and providing a corrective action to provide an enhanced sleeping experience from various sleep diseases. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the system as taught by Frykman in view of Guern, with monitoring the sleep state, classifying the state and performing a correction as taught by Franceschetti, since such a modification would provide the predictable results of analyzing the user in the sleep capsule and performing corrections in the capsule to enhance the sleep experience of the user. Frykman in view of Guern and Fransceschetti disclose the claimed invention including sensing respiration and heart rate using bed sensors but fails to explicitly disclose the exact sensors that are used to receive that information. However, Heeger discloses that it is known to sense EEG, EKG and respiration in bed sheet sensors as set forth in Paragraphs 30 and 82 to provide a means for sensing and providing a the current sleep state for further analysis. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the system as taught by Frykman in view of Guern and Franceschetti, with monitoring the sleep state, using EEG, EKG and respiration sensors in the bed as taught by Heeger, since such a modification would provide the predictable results of analyzing the user sleep state using bed sensors in the sleep capsule and performing corrections in the capsule to enhance the sleep experience of the user.
Regarding claim 2, meeting the limitations of claim 1 above, Frykman further discloses wherein the capsule includes: a door (e.g. 32) that is capable of opening and closing an entrance/exit from an inner side of the capsule (e.g. ¶15), and a ventilation unit that ventilates inside of the capsule (e.g. ¶6).
Regarding claim 4, meeting the limitations of claim 1 above, Franceschetti further teaches wherein the controller further includes a classification unit that classifies the state of the user during sleep analyzed by the analysis unit for each disease that is closely related to sleep (e.g. Paragraphs 119, 136-141, 185).
Regarding claim 5, meeting the limitations of claim 1 above, Franceschetti further teaches wherein the monitoring unit includes a plurality of detection units that each detect the state of the user during sleep, and the analysis unit analyzes the state of the user during sleep by mutually complementing a plurality of pieces of sleep information detected by the plurality of detection units (e.g. Paragraphs 119, 136-141, 185).
Regarding claim 6, meeting the limitations of claim 1 above, Franceschetti further teaches wherein the monitoring unit acquires body information relating to a body of the user, the acquisition unit acquires the body information from the monitoring unit, and the analysis unit performs correction based on the body information and analyzes the state of the user during sleep (e.g. Paragraphs 119, 136-141, 185).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REX R HOLMES whose telephone number is (571)272-8827. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:00AM-5:30PM.
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/REX R HOLMES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3796
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