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 .
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-20 have been examined.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-3, 9 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hawkins, III et al (US Patent Application Publication 2021/0060380).
1. Hawkins, III et al disclose an exercise machine configured for a user to perform an exercise motion, the exercise machine comprising:
a first frame (102) configured to be positioned on a floor;
a second frame (200) supported by the first frame, the second frame being manually moveable by the user relative to the first frame into a desired position for the second frame to remain while the user performs the exercise motion (Par. 0073);
a sensor that detects an actual position of the second frame relative to the first frame (Par. 0074: “a first set of adjustment settings that correspond to the first rider's preferences”); and
a display device that displays the actual position detected by the sensor to assist the user in moving the second frame into the desired position (Par. 0073: “the settings of the adjustment mechanisms of the stationary bicycle 100 may be provided on a display associated with the computing device so that the user may manually adjust the stationary bicycle 100 accordingly”).
2. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein the second frame supports a seat (196) upon which the user sits to perform the exercise motion such that the seat is moveable relative to the first frame.
3. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein the second frame slides relative to the first frame (Fig 17).
9. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 1, further comprising a control system having a memory system for storing the actual position of the second frame detected by the sensor as a stored position, wherein the display device is configured to display the stored position to assist the user in moving the second frame into the desired position (Par. 0074).
11. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 9, wherein the display device is configured to display an indication when the actual position detected by the sensor is different than the stored position (Par. 0072: “Any error in displacement between the targeted stationary bicycle 100 dimensions and the achieved dimensions of the stationary bicycle 100 may be provided to a user of the bicycle, in some instances, such as through the display of the computing device”).
12. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 9, wherein the display device is configured to display the stored position and the actual position detected by the sensor at the same time to assist the user in moving the second frame into the stored position as the desired position (Par. 0072: “Any error in displacement between the targeted stationary bicycle 100 dimensions and the achieved dimensions of the stationary bicycle 100 may be provided to a user of the bicycle, in some instances, such as through the display of the computing device”).
13. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, further comprising a third frame (204) supported by the first frame, wherein the third frame is manually moveable by the user relative to the first frame into a desired position for the user to perform the exercise motion, and wherein the third frame is moveable independently from the second frame, further comprising a second sensor that detects an actual position of the third frame relative to the first frame, wherein the display device displays the actual position of the third frame detected by the second sensor to assist the user in moving the third frame into the desired position thereof (as cited above).
14. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 13, wherein the second frame (200) supports handlebars (212) configured to be gripped by the user and the third frame supports a seat (196) configured for the user to sit thereon to perform the exercise motion.
15. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein the exercise motion is performed by the user pedaling (Abstract).
Claims 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Silcock et al (US Patent Application Publication 2020/0238130).
16. Silcock et al disclose a method for controlling an exercise machine, the exercise machine comprising
a first frame (See Examiner's Figure ) configured to be positioned on a floor and
a second frame supported by the first frame (See Examiner's Figure ) and manually moveable by a user relative to the first frame into a desired position for the user to perform an exercise motion (Par. 0031-0032);
the method comprising
detecting with a sensor an actual position of the second frame relative to the first frame 0033-0034); and
displaying with a display device (112) the actual position detected by the sensor to assist the user in moving the second frame into the desired position (Par. 0031-0032, 0036, and 0071-0076).
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17. Silcock et al disclose the method according to claim 16, further comprising retrieving a stored position of the second frame relative to the first frame and displaying the stored position on the display device to assist the user in moving the second frame to the stored position as the desired position (Par. 0031-0032, 0036, and 0071-0076).
18. Silcock et al disclose the method according to claim 16, further comprising retrieving a stored position of the second frame relative to the first frame, comparing the actual position detected by the sensor to the stored position, and indicating when the stored position and the actual position vary by at least a threshold difference (Par. 0031-0032, 0036, 0068-0069, and 0071-0076).
19. Silcock et al disclose the method according to claim 16, further comprising detecting a speed (via 464) at which the exercise motion is performed, comparing the speed to a minimum threshold, and automatically storing the actual position of the second frame as a stored position when the speed of the exercise motion exceeds the minimum threshold (Par. 0068-0069).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 4-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hawkins, III et al in view of Watterson (US Patent 10,500,473).
4-7. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine significantly as claimed including a casing (106; Fig 17), but do not disclose wherein the sensor comprises a stationary circuit board and a magnet that is moveable with the second frame, wherein the circuit board detects a position of the magnet relative thereto, wherein moving the second frame relative to the first frame changes the position of the magnet relative to the circuit board, and wherein the position of the second frame relative to the first frame is detected based on the position of the magnet relative to the circuit board.
Watterson teaches a similar exercise machine having a fixed first frame (408) with a cover that encloses a circuit board (magnetic sensor: 410) within a channel to protect the circuit board therein and a magnet (not shown; Col 4, Lines 53-63) that is moveable with a second frame (404), wherein the circuit board detects a position of the magnet relative thereto, wherein moving the second frame relative to the first frame changes the position of the magnet relative to the circuit board, and wherein the position of the second frame relative to the first frame is detected based on the position of the magnet relative to the circuit board (Col 4, Lines 53-63) such that a user can change the position of the second frame relative to the first frame as needed/desired. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the bicycle device of Hawkins, III et al to include the sensor and magnet system as taught by Watterson to facilitate the proper positioning of the frames relative to one another.
8. Hawkins, III et al disclose the exercise machine according to claim 7, wherein the cover comprises markings for visually indicating the actual position of the second frame relative to the first frame separately from the sensor (Par. 0073: “One or more indicators of the different adjustment settings may be printed on the adjustment mechanisms or the indoor bicycle 100”).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Silcock et al in view of Wu (CN 113750456)
Silcock et al disclose the method significantly as claimed, but do not disclose further comprising receiving height information for the user, determining a recommended position for the second frame relative to the first frame based on the height information, comparing the actual position detected by the sensor to the recommended position, and indicating when the recommended position and the actual position vary by at least a threshold difference.
Wu teaches a similar exercise bike (1) having a seat adjustment mechanism which operates to record the height information of a user, adjust the height of a seat accordingly, and detect the displacement data via a sensor such that the height adjustment of the seat is stopped when the proper displacement is within a desired range such that the seat is placed into the recommended position (Abstract). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the device/method of Silcock et al to include the height adjustment mechanism as taught by Wu to simplify seat height adjustments based on the height of the user.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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 JOSHUA T KENNEDY whose telephone number is (571)272-8297. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7a-4:30p MST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, LoAn Jimenez can be reached at (571) 272-4966. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSHUA T KENNEDY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3784 2/12/2026