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 .
Examiner’s Note
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers or figures in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the responses, to
fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, 8, 10-11, 14, 17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Elkhatib et al. (US 2022/0036881).
As to claim 1, Elkhatib teaches a tracking device 400 coupled to an article (Par.0065 a system including the circuit 400, microphone 405, speaker 415, and battery 425 can be affixed to, embedded within, or detachably attached to a portable object), the tracking device comprising: a microphone for receiving a first voice command 305; a processor in communication with the microphone, the processor translating the first voice command (locating phrase) into a first group of text; a memory for storing the first group of text (include a software application 110 that is continuously running on the portable device 100. The software application 110 monitors a transducer 120, such as a microphone, on the portable device 100 to detect a key-phrase spoken by a user. The key-phrase may be, for example, “Where Is My Phone”. In response to sensing the key-phrase, the portable device 100 may alert its location to the user by causing a particular sound, such as a ring tone, to be played on the speakers 130 of the portable device); and one or more projectors (450, 470) for projecting a stimuli 450, wherein the microphone receives a second voice command, wherein the processor translates the second voice command into a second group of text, wherein the processor compares the second group of text to the first group of text, and wherein if the second group of text matches the first group of text the processor activates the one or more projectors 340 to project a stimuli (Pars.39, 62, 17-19).
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As to claim 2, Elkhatib teaches wherein the one or more projectors includes one or more speakers 470 for projecting an audible sound.
As to claim 5, Elkhatib teaches a program button (user interface) for activating the processor to receive the first voice command and store the first group of text into memory and/or for deactivating the stimuli projected by the one or more projectors
[0062] In some examples, the predetermined command phrase and/or the alert signal can be predetermined by hardware and/or firmware without requiring a user interface to the circuit 400. Additionally, or alternatively, the circuit 400 can include a control interface 460 that can provide a means for selecting or otherwise inputting the predetermined command phrase (e.g. singular locating phrase) and/or alert signal. In some embodiments, the control interface 460 can include a one-time programmable memory to store settings such as the location phrase and the alert tone for the circuit 400. In some embodiments, the control interface 460 can include an I2C or other such interface, a microcontroller, and memory. The memory can be programmable with and/or include a selection of command phrases and/or alert signals.
As to claim 8, Elkhatib teaches the tracking device 400 further including a power source 425 for supplying power.
With regard to claims 10-11, 14, 17 and 19-20, the corresponding method and device comprising the steps similar to the steps addressed above are analogous therefore rejected as being anticipated by Elkhatib et al. for the foregoing reasons.
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(s) 3-4 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Elkhatib et al. (US 2022/0036881) as applied above, and further in view of Taylor et al. (US 5,926,090).
As to claims 3-4, Elkhatib doesn’t explicitly teach where the one or more projectors includes one or more light emitters for projecting visible light.
However, Taylor teaches a lost article detector unit including a microprocessor programmed to execute adaptive actuation signal recognition where the desired activation sounds include a sequence of four adjacent spaced-apart hand claps made by the same user. Wherein up on recognition of the desired activation sounds, the microprocessor causes the transducer to provide a locating signal that is visually blinking locating signal comprising light emitting diodes (Pars.13-14, 17//Col.3, lines 1-45).
The combination of the analogous arts would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of applicant’s invention for the purpose of assisting users who may be hearing impaired.
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(s) 6-7, 9, 15-16 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Elkhatib et al. (US 2022/0036881) and in view of Ertan et al. (US 2025/0267427).
As to claims 6, 15, Elkhatib doesn’t explicitly teach where the tracking device further including a GPS chip for providing global positioning coordinates to the processor; and further including a transceiver for transmitting the global positioning coordinates to a remote computer. However, Ertan in similar field teaches a system and method for locating wireless devices and accessories, comprising a finder/tracker device 202 coupled to target article 201 where the finder device is capable of determining position information using GPS and communicating the position information with a remote device locator server 203 (Figs.2, 9, 12; Pars.38-42). The combination of the analogous art would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of applicant’s invention for the purpose of providing the current or last known location of the target article.
As to claims 7, 16 Ertan teaches where the tracking device of claim 1, further including a transceiver for transmitting data from the processor to, and to the processor from, a remote computer, wherein the data includes one or more of location information, alert status information, and text command information (Figs.2, 6-8, 12, 16; Pars.57, 97-101).
As to claims 9, 18 Ertan teaches The tracking device including a transceiver for transmitting power level information about the power source to a remote computer (Pars.52-57, 91-92, 126).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL DEMELASH ABEBE whose telephone number is (571)272-7615. The examiner can normally be reached monday-friday 7-4.
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/DANIEL ABEBE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2657