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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 04/14/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-18 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome the objections and rejections previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed 01/14/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-18 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. The claim amendments changed the scope of the claimed invention, while the amendment does incorporate portions of previously presented claim 12, it is seen to change the scope of the claimed invention since “a plurality of hooks and recesses” encompasses any two or more hooks and recesses while the previously presented claim 12 required 3 hooks and 3 recesses. See new grounds for rejection below.
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 1-15 & 17-18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 20180132789) herein referred to as Chen in view of Gumiero et al. (US 20200221968) herein referred to as Gumiero.
Regarding Claim 1, Chen discloses a biological-information acquisition device (Figure 1) comprising: a biometric sensor unit (Figure 1, 101) that includes a biometric sensor configured to detect biological information (Paragraph [0039]; wherein sensor is operable for sensing biological information of a user) and a living-body wearable part that configures the biometric sensor to contact a living body (Figure 1, 103); and a main body (Figure 1, 102) that includes: an information processor configured to process the biological information (Figure 12, 1291), a battery configured to supply power to the information processing section (Paragraph [0073]; wherein the battery is compact size, and a battery will supply power to the entire device), a plurality of main-body-side external terminals that are electrically connected to the biometric sensor unit and that are arranged in a row in or on a bottom surface of the main body (Figure 14a, 1196), and a charger that charges the battery (Paragraph [0073]; wherein a charger can charge battery), wherein the biometric sensor unit is configured to be separated from the main body for replacement (Figure 13), wherein the main body is detachably attached to the biometric sensor unit so that the main body does not contact the living body when the biometric sensor unit is worn on the living body (Figure 13). However, Chen does not explicitly disclose a plurality of charging external terminals that are arranged in a row in or on a bottom surface of the main body and parallel to the plurality of main-body-side external terminals and a plurality of hooks on an outer surface of the main body in a protruding manner and includes a plurality of recesses configured to receive the plurality of hooks, respectively, when the biometric sensor unit is attached to the main body.
Gumiero discloses a biological-information acquisition device (Figure 1, 5) comprising a main body (Figure 1, 7) that includes a plurality of charging external terminals that are arranged in a row in or on a bottom surface of the main body and parallel to the plurality of main-body-side external terminals (Figure 5, 22 & 28) and a plurality of hooks on an outer surface of the main body in a protruding manner (Figure 5, 25 & 26) and a sensor unit (Figure 6, 8) which includes a plurality of recesses configured to receive the plurality of hooks, respectively, when the biometric sensor unit is attached to the main body (Figure 6, 36; Figure 7, 37). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device taught by Chen to include charging terminals and hooks and recesses as taught by Gumiero. The motivation being to recharge the battery and slidably connect and couple the main body to the sensor unit (Gumiero, Paragraph [0031]-[0032]) and use the hooks and recesses to connect both elements together (Gumiero, Paragraph [0034])
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Regarding claim 2, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 1. Chen also discloses wherein the biometric sensor unit is disposed in such a manner as to be exposed in a first direction in which a living body wearing the biometric sensor unit is located when viewed from the main body (Figure 7, 101; wherein the first direction is annotated below), and wherein the main body is disposed in such a manner as not to be exposed in the first direction (Figure 7; wherein since 103 is longer then the main body 102, when looking at a side profile it will not be exposed).
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Regarding claim 3, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 2. Chen also discloses wherein the biometric sensor unit includes a protruding portion exposed and protruding in the first direction (Figure 9a, 101).
Regarding claim 4, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 2. Chen also discloses wherein the biometric sensor unit comprises a measuring surface that is exposed in the first direction and that is perpendicular to the first direction (See annotated Figure 5a below; wherein figure 5a is an example of sensor 101).
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Regarding claim 5, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 2. Chen also discloses wherein the main body is disposed in such a manner as to be exposed in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction (See annotated Figure 7 below).
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Regarding claim 6, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 1. Chen also discloses wherein the information processor includes: a storage unit configured to store identification information (Paragraph [0057]; wherein the wireless communication unit stores an identification information (ID) of the user and transmits the health information with the user's ID to the electronic device without additional action of inputting user information), and a wireless communication unit configured to transmit a processing result (Paragraph [0057]; wherein the wireless communication unit stores an identification information (ID) of the user and transmits the health information with the user's ID to the electronic device without additional action of inputting user information).
Regarding claim 7, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 1. Gumiero also discloses wherein the biometric sensor unit includes a sensor-side external terminal that is electrically connected to the main body (Figure 2, 42). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device taught by Chen to include sensor side terminals as taught by Gumiero. The motivation being to be able to couple/decouple elements together (Gumiero, Paragraph [0039])
Regarding claim 8, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 7. Gumiero also discloses wherein the main body is configured to be slidably mounted from a lateral direction to attached the biometric sensor unit (Paragraph [0029]), and the sensor-side external terminal and the plurality of main-body- side external terminals are arranged in or on surfaces that face each other in a direction perpendicular to directions in which the main body is attached to the biometric sensor unit and when the main body slidably engages with the biometric sensor unit (Figure 9, 42 & 22). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device taught by Chen to include the main body being slidably mounted such that the terminals face each other as taught by Gumiero. The motivation being a simple substitution of one known connection, the connection taught by Chen, for another, the connection taught by Gumiero, to obtain predictable results of connecting a main body unit and a sensor unit (MPEP 2143 (B))
Regarding claim 9, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 7. Gumiero also discloses wherein the sensor-side external terminal is disposed in or on a top surface of the biometric sensor unit (Figure 6, 42), wherein the plurality of main-body-side external terminals are disposed in or on a bottom surface of the main body (Figure 5, 22), and wherein the battery is disposed above the plurality of main-body-side external terminals (Figure 15, 120; Paragraph [0057]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device taught by Chen to include the structure as taught by Gumiero. The motivation being to be able to couple/decouple elements together (Gumiero, Paragraph [0039])
Regarding claim 10, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 7. Gumiero also disclose wherein at least one of the sensor-side external terminal and the plurality of main-body-side external terminals includes a biasing member configured to bias the respective terminal in a direction in which a distance between the sensor-side external terminal and the plurality of main-body-side external terminals is reduced (Figure 7, 50; Paragraph [0040]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device taught by Chen to include a biasing member as taught by Gumiero. The motivation being to seal the gap and guarantee water-tightness (Gumiero, Paragraph [0040])
Regarding claim 11, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 1. Chen also discloses wherein the main body is engaged with the biometric sensor unit at three points (See annotated Figure 7 below)
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Regarding claim 12, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 11. Gumiero also discloses wherein the plurality of hooks consist of three hooks on the outer surface of the main body in the protruding manner (Figure 5, 25 & 26; wherein there are two 25 hooks and one 26 hook therefore three hooks), and wherein the biometric sensor unit is elastic (Claim 16) and the plurality of recesses consists of three recesses into which the plurality of hooks of the main body are respectively fitted (Figure 6, 36; Figure 7, 37; wherein there are two 36 recesses and one 37 recess therefore three recesses; Paragraph [0034]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device taught by Chen to include 3 hooks, 3 recesses and an elastic sensor unit. The motivation being to slidably connect both elements together (Gumiero, Paragraph [0034])
Regarding claim 13, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 12. Gumiero also discloses wherein the biometric sensor unit has a recess in which the main body is accommodated (Figure 7; wherein the space under 32b is seen as the recess which main body is accommodated in), and wherein a guide groove that guides a hook of the main body is formed in an inner surface of the recess, which is inclined with respect to a bottom surface thereof (Figure 6, 36; wherein the shape of 36 acts as a guide the hooks). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device taught by Chen to the recess and guide groove as taught by Gumiero. The motivation being to slidably connect both elements together (Gumiero, Paragraph [0034])
Regarding claim 14, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 1. Chen also discloses wherein the living-body wearable part comprises a ring shape or an earphone shape (Figure 7, 103).
Regarding claim 15, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 1. Chen also discloses wherein the living-body wearable part includes a curved portion that is wearable on a finger of the living body and a flat portion that connects respective ends of the curved portion (See annotated Figure 7 below), and wherein the curved portion is provided with a flexible substrate on which the biometric sensor is mounted (See annotated Figure 7 below; Paragraph [0054]; wherein the 103 is flexible).
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Regarding claim 17, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 15. Chen also discloses wherein the flat portion has a dimension larger than a dimension of the curved portion in an axial direction of the curved portion (See annotated Figure 7 below).
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Regarding claim 18, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 15. Chen also discloses wherein the battery is disposed such that a longitudinal direction of the battery is parallel to an axial direction of the curved portion (Figure 7; wherein 102 contains the battery which is not shown, but other components are visible in Figure 14a, such that all the components in 102 is parallel to an axial direction of the curved potion).
Claims 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Chen and Gumiero in further view of Fine et al. (US 20190298186) herein referred to as Fine
Regarding Claim 16, Chen in view of Gumiero disclose the biological information acquisition device of claim 15 wherein the curved portion comprises an elastic material (Chen, Paragraph [0054]; wherein the 103 is flexible). However, Chen in view of Lusted does not explicitly disclose wherein the flat portion includes a reinforcing plate that has a rigidity higher than a rigidity of the curved portion.
Fine discloses a biological information acquisition device (Figure 17A) wherein the flat portion includes a reinforcing plate that has a rigidity higher than a rigidity of the curved portion (Figure 320B; Paragraph [0182]; wherein the plates are rigid therefore, will have a higher rigidity then a flexible portion). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have included a reinforcing plate as taught by Fine. The motivation being restricts a range of motion of the flexible portion (Fine, Paragraph [0182]).
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 ALYSSA M PAPE whose telephone number is (703)756-5947. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joanne Rodden can be reached at 303-297-4276. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ALYSSA M. PAPE
Examiner
Art Unit 3794
/JOANNE M RODDEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3794
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