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 .
This office action is in response to applicant’s communication of 7/28/2026. Currently claims 1-5, 9-10, 16-28 are pending and rejected or objected below.
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)(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) 1-5, 9-10, and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by JIANG (EP 4035710 A1).
Jiang discloses a screen control method for a syringe pump (10) that is configured to receive a syringe (60) and has a pump door(112), and a pump body (110), the method comprising: determining, according to a sliding operation performed by a user on the pump door (para [0050]), a screen control instruction corresponding to the sliding operation (see para [0005)]; said sliding indicate sliding of the pump door relative to the pump body; and controlling a display screen mounted in the pump door according to the screen control instruction (again para [0005]).
Concerning claim 2 and 16 and the screen control apparatus and the step of determining the screen control instruction comprises: determining the sliding operation performed by the user on the pump door according to a displacement sensor ( 164166) mounted on the pump door; and determining, according to a predetermined correlation relationship between the sliding operation and the screen control instruction, the screen control instruction corresponding to the sliding operation performed by the user on the pump door (again see para [0050]) .
Concerning claim 3 and 17 and the screen control apparatus and the step of determining the sliding operation comprises: determining a current sliding direction of the pump door according to the displacement sensor mounted on the pump door; and determining, according to a predetermined correlation relationship between the sliding direction and the sliding operation, the sliding operation corresponding to the current sliding direction as the sliding operation performed by a user on the pump door (see para [0053]).
Concerning claim 4 and 18 and the screen control apparatus and the step of determining the screen control instruction comprises: determining a sliding direction and a sliding distance of the sliding operation performed by the user to the pump door; and determining a screen control instruction corresponding to the sliding direction and sliding distance according to the predetermined correlation relationship between the sliding operation and the screen control instruction; said screen control instruction comprising at least one of a power-on instruction, a power-off instruction, a lock screen instruction, an unlock instruction, a menu information display instruction, and an injection instruction (see para [0054]).
Concerning claim 5 and 19 and the screen control apparatus and the pump door has an initial position in which the pump door shields a syringe in the pump body (see figure 6 and 7); and the pump door is configured to make visible the syringe in the pump body when the user performs the sliding operation on the pump door (see figure 5).
Concerning claim 9 and the step of controlling the display screen according to the screen control instructions comprises: determining, according to the screen control instruction and a predetermined correlation relationship between instruction and display information, display information corresponding to the screen control instruction; and displaying the display information corresponding to the screen control instruction on the display screen (see para [0058], [0062]).
Concerning claim 10 and a screen control apparatus for a syringe pump (10), said syringe pump having a pump body (110) and a pump door (112), comprising: an instruction determination module (such as 102/150) configured to determine, according to a sliding operation performed by a user on the pump door (para [0050]), a screen control instruction corresponding to the sliding operation; wherein the sliding operation is configured to indicate sliding of the pump door(see para [0005)]; and a screen control module configured to control a display screen mounted in the pump door according to the screen control instruction (again see para [0053]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20-28 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/28/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s argue that the prior art JIANG fails to teach the claim language of “…determining, according to a sliding operation performed by a user on the pump door, a screen control instruction corresponding to the sliding operation; said sliding operation indicating sliding of the pump door relative to the pump body…”. Applicant’s argue that the prior art Jiang would not teach “a sliding operation performed by the user”. Examiner disagrees.
Examiner is of the position that (even if rotational) the pump door opening or closing would require a “sliding” in the broadest reasonable reading of the term. During examination, claim limitations are to be given their broadest reasonable reading. In re Zletz, 893 F.2d 319, 321, 13 USPQ2d 1320, 1322 (Fed. Cir. 1989); In re Prater, 415 F.2d 1393, 1404-1405, 162 USPQ 541, 550-51 (CCPA 1969). Examiner is of the position that a rotational structure may be considered sliding. Applicant has not provided any “special definition” to the term “sliding”. Further examiner is of the position that as discussed in Jiang para [0054] examiner is of the position that Jiang discloses a user performs a sliding operations (i.e. the manipulation of an open or closed door), the system determines a screen control instruction corresponding to that sliding operation (i.e. when at least one self-inspection operation fails, it is determined that the device state of the syringe pump 10 is abnormal), and the display is controlled according to that screen control instruction (i.e. information for the abnormal device state can be outputted through the display screen 160 or the light assembly 168.)
The elements disclosed in the prior art of record are fully capable of satisfying all structural, functional, spatial, and operational limitations in the amended claims, as currently written, and the rejection is made.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 PHILLIP A GRAY whose telephone number is (571)272-7180. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 EST (FLEX).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Tsai can be reached at (571)270-5246. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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PHILLIP A. GRAY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3783
/PHILLIP A GRAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3783
