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 .
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.
Claims 1-9 and 13-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Blackford (US2020206550).
1: A fall limiting device, comprising: a fall arrest mechanism (Fig. 1, 11, [0025]: “self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) 11A-11N”) configured to control a lifeline extending therefrom, said control comprising one or more of: paying out the lifeline ([0103]: “extension or retraction length of lifeline”), retracting the lifeline ([0103]: “extension or retraction length of lifeline”), and brake events indicating a fall arrest condition ([0103]: “the rotational speed of disc 132 which may be associated with the velocity by which lifeline 128 is extending or retracting, the rotational acceleration of disc 132 which may be associated with the acceleration of which lifeline 128 is extending or retracting (e.g., such as in the fall of worker 10), and the like”); a sensor system configured to monitor one or more aspects of said control of the lifeline ([0004]: “SRLs may be configured to incorporate one or more electronic sensors for capturing data that is indicative of operation of the SRL”) and to record data on a non-transitory computer-readable medium ([0146]: “computer-readable media generally may correspond to (1) tangible computer-readable storage media which is non-transitory”); and a data output system configured to provide access to the recorded data ([0004]: “ SRLs may be configured to transmit the usage data to a management system”).
2: The device of claim 1, wherein the recorded data comprises a length of the lifeline that has been paid out of the fall arrest mechanism over a period of time ((0075]: “For example, extension sensor 106 may measure extension and/or retraction of lifeline and apply the extension and/or retraction to a time scale (e.g., divide by time)”).
3: The device of claim 1, wherein maintenance or retirement decisions regarding the fall limiting device are made based on the recorded data ([0085]: “For example, output unit 118 may be configured to generate an output that indicates a status of SRL 11 (e.g. that SRL 11 is operating correctly or needs to be inspected, repaired, or replaced)”).
4: The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is configured to monitor rotation of a gear or a drum around which the lifeline is wound ([0075]: “in some examples extension sensor 106 may also include one or more magnetic sensors configured to measure changes in a magnetic field produced as a result of the drum rotating relative to housing 96”).
5: The device of claim 4, wherein the sensor system comprises a rotary encoder that outputs a signal based on a change of position of the gear or drum with which the rotary encoder is interfaced ([0075]: “Extension sensor 106 may include one or more of a rotary encoder, an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, or another sensor for determining position and/or rotation”).
6: The device of claim 4, wherein the sensor system comprises a magnetometer that detects relative variances of the gear, drum, a wire coil, or magnets associated with the gear or drum during movement of the gear or drum ([0101]: “During operation, magnetic sensor 136 measures the magnetic field generated by magnet 138”).
7. The device of claim 4, further comprising a counter that is configured to be incremented mechanically based on rotation of the gear or drum or electronically incremented based on optical or electrical monitoring of rotation of the gear or drum ([0113]: “In some examples, the regions of ferromagnetic material 134 may be disposed about the perimeter in a repeating pattern with each castellation (e.g., region of ferromagnetic material 134) sufficiently separated from a neighboring castellation by a non-ferromagnetic region 135 such that magnetic sensor 136 is able to detect and distinguish as each region of ferromagnetic material 134 and each non-ferromagnetic region 135 as the respective regions are brought in close proximity to magnet 138 as disc 132 rotates about shaft 126”).
8: The device of claim 1, wherein the data output system is a wireless data output system that transmits recorded data while the fall limiting device is being used ([0027]: “In other examples, SRLs 120 or hubs 14 may send usage data to PPEMS 6. For example, PPEMS 6 may receive the usage data from SRLs 120 or hubs 14 in real time as the usage data is generated. In other examples, PPEMS 6 may receive stored usage data”).
9: The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor system further outputs an identifier associated with the sensor system ([0065]: “Other credentials may include device identifiers or device profiles that are allowed to access PPEMS 6”, see also, [0073]: “For example, the operating system may facilitate the communication of data from electronic sensors (e.g., extension sensor 106 such as a magnetic sensor, tension sensor 108, accelerometer 110, location sensor 112, altimeter 114, and/or environmental sensors 116) to communication unit 104”).
13: The device of claim 1, further comprising a maintenance indicator configured to display an indication of whether the fall limiting device is in a maintenance-needed state based on the recorded data ([0089]: “Output unit 118 may interpret the received alert data and generate an output (e.g., an audible, visual, or tactile output) to notify a worker using SRL 11 of the alert condition (e.g., that the likelihood of a safety event is relatively high, that the environment is dangerous, that SRL 11 is malfunctioning, that one or more components of SRL 11 need to be repaired or replaced, or the like)”).
14: The device of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to prevent use of the fall limiting device based on the recorded data ([0089]: “In some instances, output unit 118 (or processors 100) may additionally or alternatively interpret alert data to modify operation or enforce rules of SRL 11 in order to bring operation of SRL 11 into compliance with desired/less risky behavior. For example, output unit 118 (or processors 100) may actuate a brake on lifeline 92 in order to prevent lifeline 92 from extending from housing 96”).
15. The device of claim 14, wherein the locking mechanism prevents use of the fall limiting device when maintenance is required or when the fall limiting device should be retired ([0095]: “PPEMS 6 may also lock out SRL 11 such that SRL 11 will not operate after SRL 11 has experienced an impact or is in need of service”).
16. The device of claim 1, wherein the fall limiting device is configured to wirelessly receive a signal and to limit operation of the fall limiting device based on that signal ([0027]: “In general, each of environments 8 include computing facilities (e.g., a local area network) by which SRLs 11 are able to communicate with PPEMS 6. For example, physical environments 8 may be configured with wireless technology, such as 802.11 wireless networks, 802.15 ZigBee networks, and the like”).
17: The device of claim 16, wherein the fall arrest mechanism is configured to limit a length of lifeline that can be paid out at one time based on the received signal ([0095]: “Additionally or alternatively, according to aspects of this disclosure, usage data from sensors of SRLs 11 may be used to determine alerts and/or actively control operation of SRLs 11. For example, PPEMS 6 may determine that a safety event such as a fall is imminent and active a brake of SRL 11”).
18: A method of operating a fall limiting device, comprising: providing a fall arrest mechanism (Fig. 1, 11, [0025]: “self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) 11A-11N”) configured to control a lifeline extending therefrom, said control comprising one or more of: paying out the lifeline ([0103]: “extension or retraction length of lifeline”), retracting the lifeline, and brake events indicating a fall arrest condition ([0103]: “the rotational speed of disc 132 which may be associated with the velocity by which lifeline 128 is extending or retracting, the rotational acceleration of disc 132 which may be associated with the acceleration of which lifeline 128 is extending or retracting (e.g., such as in the fall of worker 10), and the like”); monitoring one or more aspects of said control of the lifeline using a sensor system ([0004]: “SRLs may be configured to incorporate one or more electronic sensors for capturing data that is indicative of operation of the SRL”); recording data from the sensor system on a non-transitory computer-readable medium ([0146]: “computer-readable media generally may correspond to (1) tangible computer-readable storage media which is non-transitory”); and transmitting the recorded data from the fall limiting device ([0004]: “ SRLs may be configured to transmit the usage data to a management system”).
19. A fall limiting device, comprising: a fall arrest mechanism (Fig. 1, 11, [0025]: “self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) 11A-11N”) configured to control a lifeline extending therefrom, said control comprising one or more of: paying out the lifeline ([0103]: “extension or retraction length of lifeline”), retracting the lifeline, and applying a braking force to the lifeline during a fall arrest condition ([0103]: “the rotational speed of disc 132 which may be associated with the velocity by which lifeline 128 is extending or retracting, the rotational acceleration of disc 132 which may be associated with the acceleration of which lifeline 128 is extending or retracting (e.g., such as in the fall of worker 10), and the like”); a sensor system configured to monitor one or more aspects of said control of the lifeline ([0004]: “SRLs may be configured to incorporate one or more electronic sensors for capturing data that is indicative of operation of the SRL”).
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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blackford (US2020206550) in view of Thompson (US20190374798).
10: Blackford fails to disclose the device of claim 1, further comprising a recharging module and a battery; wherein the recharging module is configured to harvest energy from at least one of the paying out or retracting of the lifeline or via solar power to recharge the battery, wherein the sensor system is powered via the battery. Thompson teaches a recharging module and a battery; wherein the recharging module is configured to harvest energy from at least one of the paying out or retracting of the lifeline or via solar power to recharge the battery, wherein the sensor system is powered via the battery (Thompson, [0156]: “The self-retracting lanyard 112e differs from the self-retracting lanyards 112, 112a, 112b, 112c, 112 in the inclusion of a solar charging system comprising one or more solar panels 188 (e.g. photovoltaic cells) and a charger 190 for charging the battery or other power supply element 156 within the manual control housing 128 using energy generated by the solar panel(s) 188”).
It 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 to have included a recharging module and a battery; wherein the recharging module is configured to harvest energy from at least one of the paying out or retracting of the lifeline or via solar power to recharge the battery, wherein the sensor system is powered via the battery in the device of Blackford according to the teachings of Thompson in order to power the “motion sensor on the manual control housing 128” (Thompson, [0113]).
Claims 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blackford (US2020206550) in view of Lasckiewicz (WO2021010847).
11: Blackford discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the fall arrest mechanism is contained within a protective shell that comprises a case (Blackford, [0002]: “housing 122”).
Blackford fails to explicitly disclose that the case is rollable, although the rounded surfaces of Blackford’s case appear to impart a measure of “rollability” and thereby disclose the case being rollable. Blackford fails to disclose a first contact surface ring encompassing the case, and a second contact surface ring encompassing the case. Lasckiewicz teaches a first contact surface ring (Lasckiewicz, Fig. 1, 6) encompassing the case, and a second contact surface ring encompassing the case (Lasckiewicz, Fig. 1, 7). It 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 to have included a first contact surface ring encompassing the case, and a second contact surface ring encompassing the case of Blackford according to the teachings of Lasckiewicz in order to impart further damage reducing “rollability” to the case in the event of a case tip over, and further, to make it easier to move the device (Lasckiewicz, pg. 2, last line).
12: Blackford in view of Lasckiewicz disclose the device of claim 11, wherein the first and second contact surface rings are positioned so as to enable access to a control associated with the sensor system (Lasckiewicz, Fig. 1, note that Lasckiewicz’ positioning of the first and second contact surface rings enables unimpeded access to the device).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Blackford (US20210308502) discloses improvements to fall protection equipment.
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/BAP/ Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/DANIEL P CAHN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3634