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 .
Procedural Summary
This is responsive to the claims filed 09/13/2023.
Claims 1-8 are pending.
Applicant’s IDS submission is acknowledged and provided herewith.
The Drawings filed on 09/13/2023 are noted.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words. The form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as "means" and "said," should be avoided. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, "The disclosure concerns," "The disclosure defined by this invention," "The disclosure describes," etc.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstracts contains more than 150 words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
AIA Notice
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0056646 A1 to Yoshimoto et al. (hereinafter Yoshimoto).
Regarding Claim 1, and similarly recited Claims 6, 7, and 8, Yoshimoto discloses a contact information obtaining apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry (fig. 1 105, para. [0033] discloses central processing unit) to:
using pressure data that a pressure sensor that measures pressure that a worker is applying to a target object by a hand of the worker measured, direction data that a direction sensor that measures a direction concerning the hand measured, and characteristic data that indicates a characteristic of the hand, deduce an applied-pressure direction that is a direction of the pressure that the hand is applying to the target object and a direction relative to the target object (figs. 1-2, paras. [0032], [0034]-[0035], [0037]-[0039] discloses wearable sensor 102, such as a glove with a pressure sensor, the sensor device reads a pressure signal detected by a pressure sensor in each part of the wearable sensor, and transmits information serving as sensor data to the terminal device via the transmitter. The sensor data includes a pressure value, identification information for identifying the wearable sensor and a pressure sensor),
using the pressure data and the applied-pressure direction that is deduced, calculate an applied-pressure reaction that is a reaction of the target object to the hand applying force to the target object (figs. 1-2, paras. [0032], [0034]-[0035], [0037]-[0039] discloses the sensor device 2 reads a pressure signal detected by a pressure sensor in each part of the wearable sensor 1101, and transmits information serving as sensor data to the terminal device 1 via the transmitter 103 … index finger base pressure sensor 1102 (ch 1), the middle finger central pressure sensor 1106 (ch 5), the ring finger tip pressure sensor 1110 (ch 9), and the like detected pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold 1201 used in pressure evaluation at a time point 1200 indicating a moment when the worker 100 holds a tool. Although pressure values of the other pressure sensors increase at the time point 1200 indicating a moment when the worker 100 holds a tool, the pressure values do not exceed the threshold 1201. Therefore, the signal analyzing unit 105 determines that the sensing object 101 is gripped by an index finger base, a middle finger center, and a ring finger tip as a work content of the worker 100, and outputs the determination result as an analysis result. For example, the signal analyzing unit 105 outputs to the display unit 106 a message indicating that the sensing object 101 is gripped by the index finger base, the middle finger center, and the ring finger tip, pressure values when the sensing object 101 is gripped, and a time point. ), and
determine whether or not the applied-pressure reaction is within a reference range (figs. 1-2, paras. [0032], [0034]-[0035], [0037]-[0039], [0045], [0075] –[0076], [0081] discloses the sensing assistance is provided with concave-convex shaped protrusions within a range of a predetermined position. When the worker takes the tool to which the sensing assistance is attached (indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 11), parts of the wearable sensor provided at positions corresponding to the protrusions in the predetermined position are pressed against the protrusions to detect a position where the worker holds the tool, so that it is easy to determine which tool the worker has taken), wherein
the processing circuitry
deduces the applied-pressure direction using target object data that indicates a three-dimensional shape and rigidity of the target object (figs. 1-2, paras. [0032], [0034]-[0035], [0037]-[0039], [0045], [0075], [0081]), and
calculates the applied-pressure reaction using the target object data (figs. 1-2, paras. [0032], [0034]-[0035], [0037]-[0039], [0045], [0075], [0081] discloses a worker grips a sensing object or touches a surface of the sensing object with a tip of a hand, or presses the sensing object with a part of the hand, so that the wearable sensor provided in the sensor device obtains sensor data. The information is transmitted to each wearable sensor. FIG. 3 shows that the index finger base pressure sensor (ch 1), the middle finger central pressure sensor (ch 5), the ring finger tip pressure sensor (ch 9), and the like detected pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold used in pressure evaluation at a time point indicating a moment when the worker holds a tool. Although pressure values of the other pressure sensors increase at the time point indicating a moment when the worker holds a tool, the pressure values do not exceed the threshold. Therefore, the signal analyzing unit determines that the sensing object is gripped by an index finger base, a middle finger center, and a ring finger tip as a work content of the worker, and outputs the determination result as an analysis result. For example, the signal analyzing unit outputs to the display unit a message indicating that the sensing object is gripped by the index finger base, the middle finger center, and the ring finger tip, pressure values when the sensing object is gripped, and a time point.).
Regarding Claim 2, Yoshimoto discloses the contact information obtaining apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein
the pressure sensor and the direction sensor are attached to a glove that the worker wears (figs. 1-2, wearable sensor, paras. [0032]-[0034] discloses sensor device includes, as hardware, an object (for example, a glove or a shoe provided with a pressure sensor … the wearable sensor may include a sensor such as a sound sensor, a vibration sensor, and a magnetic sensor).
Regarding Claim 3, Yoshimoto discloses the contact information obtaining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the pressure sensor measures pressure that each finger of at least one finger of the hand is applying to the target object (paras. [0037]-[0039]),
the direction sensor measures a direction of each finger of at least one finger of the hand (paras. [0034], [0037]-[0039]), and
the characteristic data includes data that indicates a shape and an elasticity value of each finger of at least one finger of the hand (paras. [0034], [0037]-[0040], [0055], [0084]).
Regarding Claim 4, Yoshimoto discloses the contact information obtaining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the direction sensor consists of an acceleration sensor and an azimuth sensor (para. [0034] discloses wearable sensor may include a magnetic sensor).
Regarding Claim 5, Yoshimoto discloses the contact information obtaining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the applied-pressure reaction is at least one of excitation force on the target object and a response of the target object (para. [0086]).
Conclusion
Claims 1-8 are examined above.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure and is provided in the Notice of References cited.
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/S.N.H/Examiner, Art Unit 3715 /DAVID L LEWIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3715