DETAILED ACTION
1. This office action is a response to communication submitted on 01/04/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
3. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5-6 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 5 and 15 recites “wherein the arrival chime code is indicative of a disability of the user”, however, it is unclear and vague since these claims appear to be in contradiction with independent claim 1, which requires that the arrival chime code is indicative of an arrival chime. For this reason, the optional feature is not clear.
Claims 6 and 16 recite “wherein each of the plurality of the arrival chimes has a sound characteristic that is different from each other of the plurality of the arrival chimes”, however, it is unclear and vague since these claims requires that each of the plurality of arrival chimes has a sound characteristic that is different from each other of the plurality of arrival chimes (see the first optional feature). This feature is considered to be implied by independent claims 1 and 11, wherein the first request includes an arrival chime code indicative of an arrival chime, selected from a plurality of the arrival chimes. Either claims 6 and 16 do not further limit the scope of claims 1 and 11, or claims 6 and 16 imply that the plurality of arrival chimes introduced in claims 1 and 15 can all be identical (in which case the claimed invention does not solve the problem identified in the description). For this reason the subject-matter of claims 6 and 16, first option, is not clear.
For purposes of office action, these limitations will be interpreted as either the controller or the user can select or assign a ring tone from at least various type of tones.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. Claims 1-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Blackaby et al. (US 20080264730 A1).
In regards to claim 1 and its corresponding method claim 11, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses an elevator system (20) and method of operating said elevator system comprising:
an elevator car (32a-32c) having a door opening (see doors @ Fig. 1);
a controller (i.e. 30, 34) configured to control the elevator car (32a-32c); and
a car call implement (i.e. 26) configured transmit a first request to the controller (30, 34) to instruct the elevator car (32a-32c) to travel to a landing to pickup a user (i.e. step 62, the system receives a signal indicating the individual and their intended destination),
wherein the first request includes an arrival chime code indicative of an arrival chime, selected from a plurality of the arrival chimes, audibly played by a speaker (i.e. sound generators 42) proximate to the car door opening when the elevator car arrives at the lobby (see pars. 23-25, 34; i.e. sound generators 42 in one example are located within the elevator cars 32…. the controller 30 to determine the content of an audible tone or signal provided at the appropriate elevator car 32. In one example, customized tones are recognizable by individuals so that they can be confident that a particular elevator car will carry them to their intended destination. In one example, the audible indication includes a first tone corresponding to the individual's identification and a second tone corresponding to the intended destination. Using a combination of such tones allows an individual to confidently enter an elevator car feeling assured that they will be carried to their intended destination. In one example, the audible tone includes voice synthesis to guide an individual to the appropriate car).
In regards to claims 2 and 12, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses wherein the arrival chime is selected by one of the user, the car call implement or the controller (par. 24).
In regards to claims 3 and 13, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses wherein the car call implement is a call panel or a smartphone or a smartwatch (par. 19.
In regards to claims 4 and 14, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses wherein the arrival chime code that is within the first request is generated in response to user input received by the car call implement, wherein the user input is indicative of a user condition or a user preference (pars. 24-26, 30).
In regards to claims 5 and 15, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses, wherein the arrival chime code is indicative of a disability of the user (pars. 24-26, 30-31, i.e. arrangements for assisting individuals having particularized needs when obtaining elevator service).
In regards to claims 6 and 16, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses wherein each of the plurality of the arrival chimes has a sound characteristic that is different from each other of the plurality of the arrival chimes (pars. 24-26, 30-31).
In regards to claims 7 and 17, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses wherein the car call implement selects the arrival chime code upon receiving the first request from the user (pars. 24-26, 30-31).
In regards to claim 8 and 18, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses wherein the controller selects the arrival chime code upon receiving the first request from the car call implement (pars. 24-26, 30-31).
In regards to claims 9 and 19, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses wherein the car call implement receives, from the user, input indicative of a selection of the arrival chime code when generating the first request (pars. 24-26, 30-31).
In regards to claims 10 and 20, Blackaby shows (Figs. 1-2) and discloses including a speaker near the car door opening (implicit as sound generators 42, par. 23), wherein the car call implement is configured to play the sample arrival chime proximate to when the arrival chime is selected and when the elevator car arrives at the landing from the speaker near the car door opening (par. 10, i.e. , a first audible tone is provided when the assigned elevator car arrives and becomes situated for receiving the individual. The same tone or another tone may be provided responsive to the wirelessly transmitted signal while the elevator car is so situated. This arrangement facilitates, for example, guiding an individual to a car during crowded lobby conditions when a tone that is generated upon arrival of the car may not have been heard in a manner sufficient to guide an individual to the appropriate car).
Related Prior Arts
7. The following related prior arts made of record are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure to further show the general state of the art and may be applied alone or in combination for rejection of the claims.
JEON et al. (KR 20190055563 A) discloses a calling device which provides calls for an elevator car and an arrival forecast of the car by outputting acoustic signals of which output patterns are set differently together with visual information, thereby enabling blind people as well as the general public to conveniently use the elevator car. The calling device for an elevator car comprises: an up call button (120) and a down call button (122), which call the elevator car; and an acoustic signal controller (110) for performing a control operation when operating the up call button (120) or the down call button (122) and performing the control operation so as to provide an arrival forecast of the elevator car in response to the button operation by outputting a differentiated acoustic signal. When the up call button (120) is operated by the acoustic signal controller (110), the acoustic signal is output once. When the down call button (122) is operated, the acoustic signal is output twice.
Kurose (US 11518647 B2) discloses an elevator landing guidance device including: a hall operation panel (2) provided on each of floors, which is configured to output a guide sound (A) for informing a position of the hall operation panel (2) and accept input of landing call registration; and a guide sound generator (3), which is provided to a landing of each of the floors for each of elevator machines, and which is configured to output a guide sound (B) for informing a position of the landing. When the landing call registration is input to the hall operation panel (2), the guide sound (B) is output from the guide sound generator (3) installed so as to correspond to one of the elevator machines, which is assigned to the landing call registration.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JORGE L CARRASQUILLO whose telephone number is (571)270-7879. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday (9am to 5pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached on (571) 272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JORGE L CARRASQUILLO/Primary Examiner Engineer, Art Unit 2837
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