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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are: a transceiver or a means for transmitting and receiving data. For the system to analyze the sensor data on another device, it must first receive that data, and a transmission is required to cause information to appear on the user device.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (US 2024/0107284).
Regarding Claim 1, Liu teaches a system for connecting users to accident services, comprising: memory; (Par. [0018] “The computing device includes: a memory configured to store one or more computer programs”), and one or more processors configured at least to: (Par. [0018] “and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the one or more computer programs for the computing device to perform the disclosed method”), generate sensor information based at least on one or more outputs of one or more sensors of a user device, the sensor information including accelerometer information; (Fig. 1, Par. [0049] “The sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 is configured to obtain a first detection signal of the sensor of the user terminal in response to the user terminal being determined to be inside the vehicle. For example, the sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 obtains the first detection signal of a gyro sensor and/or an acceleration sensor of the user terminal”), in response to generating the sensor information, determine that the user device was involved in a collision based at least on the sensor information; (Fig. 1, Par. [0050] “The event identifier generation unit 126 is configured to determine whether the first detection signal satisfies a pre-determined condition (the pre-determined condition is associated with a change characteristic of the detection signal indicating a pre-determined vehicle in an impact process), and to generate the event identifier indicating the occurrence of the collision event in response to the first detection signal being determined to satisfy the pre-determined condition”), determine geographical location information of the user device; (Fig. 1 Par. [0051] “The location information acquisition unit 128 is configured to obtain the location information of at least one of the user terminal or the vehicle”), in response to determining that the user device was involved in the collision and in response to determining geographical location information of the user device, cause at least contact information for one or more service providers to be presented on the user device based at least in part on the geographical location information of the user device (Fig. 1, Par. [0052] “The customer service device transmission unit 130 is configured to transmit the event identifier and the location information to the customer service device 140, such that in response to receiving the event identifier, the customer service device 140 initiates the call to the user terminal 120 to confirm the user terminal 120 is connected” and Par. [0083] “At 304, if the customer service device 140 determines that the called user terminal is connected, a response message of the user terminal is generated”).
Regarding Claim 2, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 1, further teaching wherein the one or more sensors include one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscope sensors, or a combination thereof (Fig. 1, Par. [0049] “For example, the sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 obtains the first detection signal of a gyro sensor and/or an acceleration sensor of the user terminal”).
Regarding Claim 3, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 1, further teaching wherein the user device is a mobile phone (Fig. 1 [0043] “For example, the user terminal 120 may include, but is not limited to, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, and a wearable device, etc.”).
Regarding Claim 4, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 1, further teaching wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine that no user input was received within a predetermined amount of time after causing at least the contact information for the one or more service providers to be presented on the user device; (Par. [0085] “If the called user terminal is not connected, at 308, the customer service device 140 determines whether the response message from the user terminal has not been received within a pre-determined time interval”), and in response to determining that no user input was received within the predetermined amount of time, cause the contact information for the one or more service providers to not be presented on the user device (Par. [0083] “At 304, if the customer service device 140 determines that the called user terminal is connected, a response message of the user terminal is generated” and Par. [0086] “If the customer service device 140 determines that no response message is received from the user terminal within the pre-determined time interval, or the positive response regarding the occurrence of the event is received from the user, at 310, the rescue signal is generated”).
Regarding Claim 5, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 1, further teaching wherein determining that the user device was involved in the collision comprises: determining one or more acceleration values based on the sensor information; (Par. [0060] “The acceleration sensor is configured to detect an acceleration of the moving user terminal 120”), determining that at least one acceleration value of the one or more acceleration values meets an acceleration threshold; (Par. [0092] “At 404, the user terminal 120 generates an acceleration curve of the vehicle based on the acceleration detection signal. The acceleration of the vehicle reflects a state change at each moment when the vehicle is traveling (or colliding)” and Par. [0095] “For example, if the similarity between the acceleration curve of the user terminal 120 and the pre-determined curve belongs to the pre-determined threshold range, the user terminal 120 may determine that the first detection signal matches the pre-determined curve, and then determine the first time corresponding to the acceleration peak value of the acceleration curve of the user terminal 120”), and in response to determining that the at least one acceleration value of the one or more acceleration values meets the acceleration threshold, determining that the user device was involved in the collision (Par. [0098] “At 414, if the user terminal 120 confirms that the first time is associated with the corresponding time of the peak segment of the acceleration curve of the vehicle, an event identifier is generated indicating the occurrence of the collision event”).
Regarding Claim 6, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 1, further teaching wherein the one or more service providers include a towing service provider or a medical service provider (Par. [0033] “especially when the user or the passenger cannot actively call for the rescue agency or the customer service system due to injury or other reasons” and Par. [0087] “At 312, the customer service device 140 transmits the rescue signal. The customer service device 140 can automatically transmit the rescue signal to the computing device of the rescue agency”).
Regarding Claim 7, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 1, further teaching wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: send geographical location information of the user device to at least one computing device of the one or more service providers (Par. [0044] “In some embodiments, the user terminal 120 may initiate an active call to the customer service device 140 while transmitting the event identifier and the location information to the customer service device 140”).
Regarding Claim 8, Liu teaches a method for connecting users to accident services, comprising: generating sensor information based at least on one or more outputs of one or more sensors of a user device, the sensor information including accelerometer information; (Fig. 1, Par. [0049] “The sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 is configured to obtain a first detection signal of the sensor of the user terminal in response to the user terminal being determined to be inside the vehicle. For example, the sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 obtains the first detection signal of a gyro sensor and/or an acceleration sensor of the user terminal”), in response to generating the sensor information, determining that the user device was involved in a collision based at least on the sensor information; (Fig. 1, Par. [0050] “The event identifier generation unit 126 is configured to determine whether the first detection signal satisfies a pre-determined condition (the pre-determined condition is associated with a change characteristic of the detection signal indicating a pre-determined vehicle in an impact process), and to generate the event identifier indicating the occurrence of the collision event in response to the first detection signal being determined to satisfy the pre-determined condition”), determining geographical location information of the user device; (Fig. 1 Par. [0051] “The location information acquisition unit 128 is configured to obtain the location information of at least one of the user terminal or the vehicle”), in response to determining that the user device was involved in the collision and in response to determining geographical location information of the user device, causing at least contact information for one or more service providers to be presented on the user device based at least in part on the geographical location information of the user device (Fig. 1, Par. [0052] “The customer service device transmission unit 130 is configured to transmit the event identifier and the location information to the customer service device 140, such that in response to receiving the event identifier, the customer service device 140 initiates the call to the user terminal 120 to confirm the user terminal 120 is connected” and Par. [0083] “At 304, if the customer service device 140 determines that the called user terminal is connected, a response message of the user terminal is generated”).
Regarding Claim 9, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 8, further teaching wherein the one or more sensors include one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscope sensors, or a combination thereof (Fig. 1, Par. [0049] “For example, the sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 obtains the first detection signal of a gyro sensor and/or an acceleration sensor of the user terminal”).
Regarding Claim 10, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 8, further teaching wherein the user device is a mobile phone (Fig. 1 [0043] “For example, the user terminal 120 may include, but is not limited to, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, and a wearable device, etc.”).
Regarding Claim 11, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 8, further teaching determining that no user input was received within a predetermined amount of time after causing at least the contact information for the one or more service providers to be presented on the user device; (Par. [0085] “If the called user terminal is not connected, at 308, the customer service device 140 determines whether the response message from the user terminal has not been received within a pre-determined time interval”), and in response to determining that no user input was received within the predetermined amount of time, cause the contact information for the one or more service providers to not be presented on the user device (Par. [0083] “At 304, if the customer service device 140 determines that the called user terminal is connected, a response message of the user terminal is generated” and Par. [0086] “If the customer service device 140 determines that no response message is received from the user terminal within the pre-determined time interval, or the positive response regarding the occurrence of the event is received from the user, at 310, the rescue signal is generated”).
Regarding Claim 12, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 8, further teaching determining one or more acceleration values based on the sensor information; (Par. [0060] “The acceleration sensor is configured to detect an acceleration of the moving user terminal 120”), determining that at least one acceleration value of the one or more acceleration values meets an acceleration threshold; (Par. [0092] “At 404, the user terminal 120 generates an acceleration curve of the vehicle based on the acceleration detection signal. The acceleration of the vehicle reflects a state change at each moment when the vehicle is traveling (or colliding)” and Par. [0095] “For example, if the similarity between the acceleration curve of the user terminal 120 and the pre-determined curve belongs to the pre-determined threshold range, the user terminal 120 may determine that the first detection signal matches the pre-determined curve, and then determine the first time corresponding to the acceleration peak value of the acceleration curve of the user terminal 120”), and in response to determining that the at least one acceleration value of the one or more acceleration values meets the acceleration threshold, determining that the user device was involved in the collision (Par. [0098] “At 414, if the user terminal 120 confirms that the first time is associated with the corresponding time of the peak segment of the acceleration curve of the vehicle, an event identifier is generated indicating the occurrence of the collision event”).
Regarding Claim 13, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 8, further teaching wherein the one or more service providers include a towing service provider or a medical service provider (Par. [0033] “especially when the user or the passenger cannot actively call for the rescue agency or the customer service system due to injury or other reasons” and Par. [0087] “At 312, the customer service device 140 transmits the rescue signal. The customer service device 140 can automatically transmit the rescue signal to the computing device of the rescue agency”).
Regarding Claim 14, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 8, further teaching sending geographical location information of the user device to at least one computing device of the one or more service providers (Par. [0044] “In some embodiments, the user terminal 120 may initiate an active call to the customer service device 140 while transmitting the event identifier and the location information to the customer service device 140”).
Regarding Claim 15, Liu teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, (Par. [0018] “The computing device includes: a memory configured to store one or more computer programs”), that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for connecting users to accident services, the method comprising: Par. [0018] “a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the one or more computer programs for the computing device to perform the disclosed method”), generating sensor information based at least on one or more outputs of one or more sensors of a user device, the sensor information including accelerometer information; (Fig. 1, Par. [0049] “The sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 is configured to obtain a first detection signal of the sensor of the user terminal in response to the user terminal being determined to be inside the vehicle. For example, the sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 obtains the first detection signal of a gyro sensor and/or an acceleration sensor of the user terminal”), in response to generating the sensor information, determining that the user device was involved in a collision based at least on the sensor information; (Fig. 1, Par. [0050] “The event identifier generation unit 126 is configured to determine whether the first detection signal satisfies a pre-determined condition (the pre-determined condition is associated with a change characteristic of the detection signal indicating a pre-determined vehicle in an impact process), and to generate the event identifier indicating the occurrence of the collision event in response to the first detection signal being determined to satisfy the pre-determined condition”), determining geographical location information of the user device; (Fig. 1 Par. [0051] “The location information acquisition unit 128 is configured to obtain the location information of at least one of the user terminal or the vehicle”), in response to determining that the user device was involved in the collision and in response to determining geographical location information of the user device, causing at least contact information for one or more service providers to be presented on the user device based at least in part on the geographical location information of the user device (Fig. 1, Par. [0052] “The customer service device transmission unit 130 is configured to transmit the event identifier and the location information to the customer service device 140, such that in response to receiving the event identifier, the customer service device 140 initiates the call to the user terminal 120 to confirm the user terminal 120 is connected” and Par. [0083] “At 304, if the customer service device 140 determines that the called user terminal is connected, a response message of the user terminal is generated”).
Regarding Claim 16, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 15, further teaching wherein the one or more sensors include one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscope sensors, or a combination thereof (Fig. 1, Par. [0049] “For example, the sensor detection signal acquisition unit 124 obtains the first detection signal of a gyro sensor and/or an acceleration sensor of the user terminal”).
Regarding Claim 17, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 15, further teaching wherein the method further comprises: determining that no user input was received within a predetermined amount of time after causing at least the contact information for the one or more service providers to be presented on the user device; (Par. [0085] “If the called user terminal is not connected, at 308, the customer service device 140 determines whether the response message from the user terminal has not been received within a pre-determined time interval”), and in response to determining that no user input was received within the predetermined amount of time, cause the contact information for the one or more service providers to not be presented on the user device (Par. [0083] “At 304, if the customer service device 140 determines that the called user terminal is connected, a response message of the user terminal is generated” and Par. [0086] “If the customer service device 140 determines that no response message is received from the user terminal within the pre-determined time interval, or the positive response regarding the occurrence of the event is received from the user, at 310, the rescue signal is generated”).
Regarding Claim 18, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 15, further teaching determining one or more acceleration values based on the sensor information; (Par. [0060] “The acceleration sensor is configured to detect an acceleration of the moving user terminal 120”), determining that at least one acceleration value of the one or more acceleration values meets an acceleration threshold; (Par. [0092] “At 404, the user terminal 120 generates an acceleration curve of the vehicle based on the acceleration detection signal. The acceleration of the vehicle reflects a state change at each moment when the vehicle is traveling (or colliding)” and Par. [0095] “For example, if the similarity between the acceleration curve of the user terminal 120 and the pre-determined curve belongs to the pre-determined threshold range, the user terminal 120 may determine that the first detection signal matches the pre-determined curve, and then determine the first time corresponding to the acceleration peak value of the acceleration curve of the user terminal 120”), and in response to determining that the at least one acceleration value of the one or more acceleration values meets the acceleration threshold, determining that the user device was involved in the collision (Par. [0098] “At 414, if the user terminal 120 confirms that the first time is associated with the corresponding time of the peak segment of the acceleration curve of the vehicle, an event identifier is generated indicating the occurrence of the collision event”).
Regarding Claim 19, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 15, further teaching wherein the one or more service providers include a towing service provider or a medical service provider (Par. [0033] “especially when the user or the passenger cannot actively call for the rescue agency or the customer service system due to injury or other reasons” and Par. [0087] “At 312, the customer service device 140 transmits the rescue signal. The customer service device 140 can automatically transmit the rescue signal to the computing device of the rescue agency”).
Regarding Claim 20, Liu teaches the invention of Claim 15, further teaching sending geographical location information of the user device to at least one computing device of the one or more service providers (Par. [0044] “In some embodiments, the user terminal 120 may initiate an active call to the customer service device 140 while transmitting the event identifier and the location information to the customer service device 140”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Cepuran et al. (US 20110287733) discloses “In one example, the eCall provider/PSAP dispatches other providers, such as private ambulance services, towing services, etc” (Par. [0017]). Liu et al. (CN 105578396) “discloses the mobile terminal is used for receiving the emergency rescue information, obtaining service information and the local reference signal strength. and through the near distance communication technology broadcast response information, the response information comprises the service information and the reference signal strength” (Pg. 3) and “the mobile terminal is further used for when receiving the rescue confirmation request. outputting the prompt information to prompt the recipient to confirm whether receiving help, the mobile terminal is further used for, according to the people who trigger the confirmation instruction, or when the confirmation order is not detected over a predetermined time period. returning the confirmation information of receiving rescue to the rescue party mobile terminal” (Pg. 3).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH NGHIA DINH whose telephone number is (571)272-5607. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri. 7:30AM-5PM.
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/J.N.D./Examiner, Art Unit 2641
/MARGARET G WEBB/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2641