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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dormody et al (US 20230273049), hereafter Dormody in view of Crolley (US 2021/0302167).
Regarding claim 1, Dormody teaches a method comprising: maintaining a virtual boundary for a geographic area associated with a user [see Dormody paragraph 0002-0003, 0006-0008, 0018, 0020, and 0023 calculating altitude to render locational of the mobile device], and comprising a horizontal boundary [horizontal position, 0023] and a vertical boundary [altitude, see 0006-0008, 0018, 0020, and 0023], the horizontal boundary defined by a length and a width of the virtual boundary, the vertical boundary defined by a height of the virtual boundary [see paragraph 0023, horizontal position, e.g. latitude and longitude]; determining, with respect to the horizontal boundary, a location of a portable electronic device associated with the user [see paragraph 0023, 0026 where position data from the position sensor is generally used to determine the specific location of a mobile device];
responsive to a determination that the location of the portable electronic device is within the horizontal boundary, monitoring, based on information received by at least one sensor integrated within the portable electronic device, a barometric pressure surrounding the portable electronic device [see fig. 1-3, paragraph 0023-0026, 0045-0048, mobile device is able to use position sensor 108 to determine specific location which represents mobile devices estimate of the horizontal position; subsequently, 104 collects location data; the movement sensor 110 monitors/detects movement of the mobile device, bounding area/region; the mobile device collects pressure data, location data, and related timestamp data on a continually basis];
determining, based on the barometric pressure, an altitude of the portable electronic device [see fig. 1, 0023, 0025, the barometric pressor sensor 112 generates device pressure which the mobile device determines the altitude of the mobile device 104]; and
responsive to a determination that the altitude of the portable electronic device is within the vertical boundary, initiating one or more functions [see 0036-0038, 0042-0043, upon determining a possible altitude (inside or outside natural or manmade structures/boundaries) for the mobile device based on a specific terrain or building data, the mobile device calculates altitude confidence and perform new calibration calculation using collected pressure and location data]. While Dormody teaches of horizontal and vertical 2D boundary, yet is silent on the virtual boundary extending in three-dimensions. Crolley in the same field of endeavor teaches of facility management based on cumulative device location data. Crolley teaches in the abstract, 0018. and claim1, of a processor determining a current location of a mobile device according to a horizontal reference plane. The processor obtains a corresponding ambient barometric pressure reading at the current location of the mobile device. The processor determines a current three-dimensional (3D) position of the mobile device according to the current location and the corresponding ambient barometric pressure reading. The processor combines the current 3D position of the mobile device with other 3D positions of the mobile device determined at other times to obtain a historical record of positions of the mobile device. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art prior to the effective filing data to combine the 3D dimensions as taught by Crolley into the invention of Dormody in order to accurately obtain pattern of movement of mobile device resulting in confidence atmospheric pressure reading.
Regarding claim 2, Combination of Dormody and Crolley teaches wherein the horizontal boundary is parallel with a tangential plane defined by a surface of the earth (GPS, GNSS, see Dormody 0023); and the vertical boundary is perpendicular to the horizontal boundary (see Crolley, 0048, thus height and horizontal boundary forms a perpendicular angle). Motivation is maintained.
Regarding claim 3, Dormody teaches wherein the monitoring, based on the at least one sensor integrated within the portable electronic device, indirectly monitors the barometric pressure surrounding the portable electronic device [see Dormody fig. 1-4, paragraph 0023-0026, 0045-0048, mobile device is able to use position sensor 108 to determine specific location which represents mobile devices estimate of the horizontal position; subsequently, 104 collects location data; the movement sensor 110 monitors/detects movement of the mobile device, bounding area/region; the mobile device collects pressure data, location data, and related timestamp data on a continually basis];.
Regarding claim 4, Combination of Dormody and Crolley teaches, wherein the geographic area associated with the user comprises a smarthome environment, the smarthome environment comprising a plurality of network-connected devices [see Dormody figs. 1-2, 0021-0022 mobile smart phone in a WIFI and LAN environment]; and the initiating one or more functions comprises triggering an automation functionality sufficient to cause at least one action by at least one network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices [see Crolley, 0127-0128, wireless Bluetooth/WIFI environment; the computer can be operable to communicated with any wireless device, a kiosk, scanner, any piece of equipment or location associated with a wireless detectable tag] The motivation is maintained.
Regarding claim 5, Combination of Dormody and Crolley teaches wherein triggering the automation functionality sufficient to cause at least one action comprises at least of one: activating a light-emitting network-connected device [see Dormody figs. 1-2, 0021-0022 mobile smart phone in a WIFI and LAN environment and further see Crolley, 0127-0128, wireless Bluetooth (any light-emitting network connected device}/WIFI environment; the computer can be operable to communicated with any wireless device, a kiosk, scanner, any piece of equipment or location associated with a wireless detectable tag] ;unlocking a door lock assembly network-connected device; deactivating a video-capturing network-connected device; or adjusting a temperature setting on a thermostat network-connected device. Motivation is maintained.
Regarding claim 6, Dormody further comprising: prior to maintaining the virtual boundary, determining an elevation and a height of the vertical boundary through at least one of: receiving user input indicative of a floor story associated with the geographic area [see Dormody paragraph 0042 and 0048, where server exchanges communiations with various devices, such as the mobile device; data collection includes terrain related data, and which floor associated with the geographic location the device is located at]; or (Alternate language) obtaining an initial barometric pressure surrounding the geographic area during an enrollment process or a calibration sequence.
Regarding claim 7, Dormody is silent on Crolley teachings of wherein: the elevation comprises a midpoint of the vertical boundary; and the height comprises a distance from a first end of the vertical boundary to a second end of the vertical boundary [see Crolley, paragraph 0048, 0053-0054, 0064, 0067, 0069 and 0072 h0 is height above sea level, h1 can be a first elevation or first height, h2 above mean sea level, h3 can be ground reference height, in other words, based on the reference points mention, the vertical boundary can be defined as the midpoint of the pressure readings obtained from the particular mobile device, e.g. height above some reference such as mean sea-level]. Motivation is maintained.
Regarding claim 8, Combination of Dormody and Crolley teaches further comprising: monitoring, responsive to initiating the one or more functions, the barometric pressure surrounding the portable electronic device [see Dormody, fig. 1-3, paragraph 0023-0026, 0045-0048, mobile device is able to use position sensor 108 to determine specific location which represents mobile devices estimate of the horizontal position; subsequently, 104 collects location data; the movement sensor 110 monitors/detects movement of the mobile device, bounding area/region; the mobile device collects pressure data, location data, and related timestamp data on a continually basis]; determining, based on the barometric pressure, an altitude of the portable electronic device [see Dormody fig. 1, 0023, 0025, the barometric pressor sensor 112 generates device pressure which the mobile device determines the altitude of the mobile device 104]; and responsive to a determination that the altitude of the portable electronic device is outside the vertical boundary [see Dormody 0036-0038, 0042-0043, upon determining a possible altitude (inside or outside natural or manmade structures/boundaries) for the mobile device based on a specific terrain or building data, the mobile device calculates altitude confidence and perform new calibration calculation using collected pressure and location data], initiating one or more additional functions, the one or more additional functions comprising at least one of: deactivating a light-emitting network-connected device; locking a door lock assembly network-connected device; activating a video-capturing network-connected device [see Crolley, 0127-0128, wireless Bluetooth (mobile smart phone is a video capturing device0 WIFI environment; the computer can be operable to communicated with any wireless device, a kiosk, scanner, any piece of equipment or location associated with a wireless detectable tag]; or [Alternate language] adjusting a temperature setting on a thermostat network-connected device. The motivation is maintained.
Conclusion
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/CHIRAG G SHAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2477