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 Objections
Claims 4-9 are objected to because of the following informalities: the claim reads "wherein further the at least one processor:", for examination purposes, examiner interpreted as "wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:". Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-3, 6, 8-12, 14-15, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kalu et al. (US-9349120-B2) hereinafter Kalu, in view of Bao (US-8684922B2) and further in view of Voung et al. (US-20070192419-A1) hereinafter Voung.
Regarding Claim 1, Kalu discloses a communication device comprising: at least one output device, including a display; a communication system; a memory having stored thereon a group-based do-not-disturb (GBDnD) module; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the display, the communication system, and the memory, the at least one processor (Kalu, par.28; Wireless device 102 may include one or more microprocessors 140 which control the overall operation of wireless device 102. Communication functions, including at least data and voice communications, may be performed through communication subsystem(s) 112. Microprocessor(s) 140 may also interact with additional device subsystems, such as modem 128, primary display executing program code of the GBDnD module (Kalu, par. 18; the present application provides a communication system configured to silence notifications for incoming electronic messages, the system comprising a data processor, media readable by the data processor and a communications subsystem: the communication subsystem adapted for receiving the incoming electronic messages; and the media readable by the data processor comprising coded program instructions adapted to cause the processor to: determine that a new incoming electronic message is associated with a message thread; determine that the message thread has been flagged as silenced) and configuring the communication device to: determine an adverse health status of a first individual within an established association of two or more individuals, each having a communication identifier (ID) and identified as included within the established association; determine, in part based on the adverse health status of the first individual, a setting for a group-based do-not-disturb (GBDnD) mode to activate on the communication device (Kalu par. 19; identifying the new incoming message as associated with one or more message threads; determining that a message thread associated with the new incoming message has been flagged as silenced); determine, in part based on the adverse health status of the first individual, a setting for a group-based do-not-disturb (GBDnD) mode to activate on the communication device (Kalu, par. 48; Notification module 310 may comprise one or more notification settings which may indicate how and when notifications should be activated); activating the GBDnD mode based on the setting; and in response to activating the GBDnD mode: transmit, via the communication system, to one or more second communication devices of each other individual within the established association, an indication of the activation of the GBDnD mode on the communication device and notification of the adverse health status; and silence one or more notifications of the communication device in response to activation of the GBDnD mode (Kalu, par. 82; Menu 1002 includes an option 1004 for silencing the current message thread)..
Kalu does not explicitly disclose a method to determine an adverse health status of an individual within the thread, However, Bao discloses a method to monitor the health of a user using a wearable device and sharing that information with other users or healthcare providers (Bao, par. 231;The electronic circuitry housed in the watch case 1380 detects adverse conditions such as falls or seizures).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method for silencing thread messages of groups were the user belongs to with Bao’s method of monitoring and sharing health data with healthcare providers and other users to enhance response to adverse health changes in real time and mute trivial notifications to the primary user.
The combination of Kalu and Bao does not explicitly teach a method to provide an indication of the activation of the GBDnD mode to other individuals with an established association to the primary user. However, Voung discloses a method for sending automatic out of office email responses by restricting the responses to individuals associated to the primary user (Voung par. 13; The email system is configured to implement a method for restricting an automatic out-of-office email response to a configured zone, wherein the method includes steps as follows. At least one domain name is specified for receiving the automatic out-of-office email response. The recipient email client application receives an email from the sender email client application. It is verified whether the email originates from one of the at least one domain name. When the verification is successful, the automatic out-of-office email response is sent to the sender email client application).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method for silencing thread messages of groups were the user belongs to with Bao’s method to monitor the health of a user using a wearable device and Voung’s method of sending automatic notifications to rapidly inform other individuals of the users condition enhancing the response time to an emergency while muting trivial communication to the user in a sick state or in distress. In addition to notifying other people in the thread of when they can expect a response back in the event, they do not require a rapid response from the primary user.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the communication device of claim 1, wherein to determine the adverse health status of the first individual, the at least one processor: obtains biometric data from one or more biometric data collection devices (Bao, par. 51; the sensors 40 for monitoring vital signs are enclosed in a wrist-watch sized case supported on a wrist band); determines if the biometric data has a value outside of a predetermined range that is indicative of an adverse health status; and in response to determining that the biometric data has a value outside of the predetermined range, sets the health status of the first individual to the adverse health status (Bao, par. 56; The server 20 feeds the data to a statistical analyzer such as a neural network which has been trained to flag potentially dangerous conditions … the patient's glucose level should be within a well-established range, and any value outside of this range is flagged by the statistical analyzer as a dangerous condition).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the communication device of claim 1, wherein to determine the adverse health status of the first individual, the at least one processor: obtains a health status indication of the first individual from a corresponding communication device associated with another individual within the established association; and in response to obtaining a health status indication indicative of an adverse health status (Bao, par. 319; the system shows patient status to doctor ( 3016 ) and presents recommendations to doctor on preventive steps, such as check-ups and basic blood tests ( 3018 ). Automatically, the system schedules in person consultation for patient and doctor ( 3020 ). Captured progress data can be viewed by the physicians and patients using a web based system. The physician can review all interactions between the system and the patient. The physician is able to see their progress reports, interactive e mail which includes daily menus and notes between the service and the patient. The physician will be able to check on the patient's progress at any time of day or night. The system improves the Doctor-Patient relationship and influences compliance), sets the health status of the first individual to the adverse health status (Voung, par. 23; The email client/server may then verify that the original mail originates from one of the domain names listed in the Zone configuration, and send an automatic email response only if the verification is successful). Although not explicitly stated by Bao, it would have been reasonable for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Voung to send automatic email notifications to create a custom response with the real time health condition of the user (bao) to specific users in a silenced message thread (Kalu).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the communication device of claim 2, wherein further the at least one processor: obtains subsequent biometric data from one or more biometric data collection devices (Bao, par. 51; the sensors 40 for monitoring vital signs are enclosed in a wrist-watch sized case supported on a wrist band); determines if a value of the subsequent biometric data is outside of a predetermined range; and in response to determining that the value of the subsequent biometric data is within the predetermined range (Bao, par. 24; A sudden change of activity (or inactivity) can indicate a problem. The remote healthcare provider may receive alerts over the Internet or urgent notifications over the phone in case of such sudden accident indicating changes … The remote healthcare provider will have access to the health and well-being status of their patients without being intrusive, having to call or visit to get such information interrogatively. Additionally, remote healthcare provider can receive a report on the health of the monitored subjects that will help them evaluate these individuals better during the short routine checkup visits. For example, the system can perform patient behavior analysis such as eating/drinking/smoke habits and medication compliance, among others, sets the health status of the individual to a healthy status and disables the GBDnD mode (Kalu, par. 63; At 506 , a user can silence a message thread or reactivate a message thread that had previously been silenced with respect to a device the user is using) Examiner notes, the combination teaches that the silencing of threads can be dependent of the health condition of the user to either mute or unmute the threats if the user is well or unwell.
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the communication device of claim 1, wherein further the at least one processor: in response to determining the adverse health status of the individual, for each contact of a group of contacts, provides an adverse status indication for the individual to a corresponding communication device associated with the contact (Bao, par. 218, fig. 5; The system can also determine vital parameter including patient heart rate ( 1006 ). The system determines if patient needs assistance based on in-door position, fall detection and vital parameter ( 1008 ). If a fall is suspected, the system confirms the fall by communicating with the patient prior to calling a third party such as the patient's physician, nurse, family member, 911, 511, 411, or a paid call center to get assistance for the patient ( 1010 ). If confirmed or if the patient is non-responsive, the system contacts the third party and sends voice over mesh network to appliance on the patient to allow one or more third parties to talk with the patient ( 1012 ). If needed, the system calls and/or conferences emergency personnel into the call ( 1014 )).
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Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the communication device of claim 1, wherein further the at least one processor: in response to receiving an incoming adverse health status associated with another individual within the associated individuals: marks a contact of the other individual with a GBDnD tag (Kalu, par. 18; determine that a new incoming electronic message is associated with a message thread; determine that the message thread has been flagged as silenced; and override a currently-enabled notification setting to prevent a receipt notification pertaining to new incoming electronic messages associated with the message thread from being activated.); and surfaces the GBDnD tag to alert the first individual of the GBDnD in response to detecting selection of the contact for communicating with the first individual (Bao, par. 503; the system may uses external or internal sensors, or may enquire from the user to provide user health information. If the system determines that the blood glucose (BG) level is low then the system may execute the one or more rules and send a message displaying “your BG is very low” and recommend “eat a simple sugar snack of 15 g and input the health/feeling information after 15 minutes” … the system can be configured to automatically book appointments with the physician and alerts the user to go and meet the physician at the scheduled time), Examiner notes, it would have been reasonable for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to further implement the teachings of Bao to set up custom rules for overriding the GBDnD rules in an emergency to enable caretakers or doctors to reach the user or enable communication with other people associated with the user as observed in par. 218, where a non-response or confirmed emergency triggers a call to emergency personnel or other authorized third party.
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung discloses a method comprising: determining, by a processor of a communication device(Kalu, par.28; Wireless device 102 may include one or more microprocessors 140 which control the overall operation of wireless device 102. Communication functions, including at least data and voice communications, an adverse health status of a first individual within an established association of two or more individuals, each individual having a respective communication device with a communication identifier (ID) and identified as included within the established association(Kalu par. 19; identifying the new incoming message as associated with one or more message threads; determining that a message thread associated with the new incoming message has been flagged as silenced); determining, in part based on the adverse health status of the first individual, a setting for a group-based do-not-disturb (GBDnD) mode to activate on the communication device(Kalu, par. 18; the present application provides a communication system configured to silence notifications for incoming electronic messages); activating the GBDnD mode based on the setting (Kalu, par. 48; Notification module 310 may comprise one or more notification settings which may indicate how and when notifications should be activated); and in response to activating the GBDnD mode: transmitting, to one or more second communication devices of each other individual within the established association, an indication of the activation of the GBDnD mode on the communication device and notification of the adverse health status; and silencing one or more notifications of the communication device in response to activation of the GBDnD mode (Kalu, par. 82; Menu 1002 includes an option 1004 for silencing the current message thread).
Kalu does not explicitly disclose a method to determine an adverse health status of an individual within the thread, However, Bao discloses a method to monitor the health of a user using a wearable device and sharing that information with other users or healthcare providers (Bao, par. 231;The electronic circuitry housed in the watch case 1380 detects adverse conditions such as falls or seizures).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method for silencing thread messages of groups were the user belongs to with Bao’s method of monitoring and sharing health data with healthcare providers and other users to enhance response to adverse health changes in real time and mute trivial notifications to the primary user.
The combination of Kalu and Bao does not explicitly teach a method to provide an indication of the activation of the GBDnD mode to other individuals with an established association to the primary user. However, Voung discloses a method for sending automatic out of office email responses by restricting the responses to individuals associated to the primary user (Voung par. 13; The email system is configured to implement a method for restricting an automatic out-of-office email response to a configured zone, wherein the method includes steps as follows. At least one domain name is specified for receiving the automatic out-of-office email response. The recipient email client application receives an email from the sender email client application. It is verified whether the email originates from one of the at least one domain name. When the verification is successful, the automatic out-of-office email response is sent to the sender email client application).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method for silencing thread messages of groups were the user belongs to with Bao’s method to monitor the health of a user using a wearable device and Voung’s method of sending automatic notifications to rapidly inform other individuals of the users condition enhancing the response time to an emergency while muting trivial communication to the user in a sick state or in distress. In addition to notifying other people in the thread of when they can expect a response back in the event, they do not require a rapid response from the primary user.
Regarding Claim 11, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the method of claim 10, further comprising: obtaining biometric data from one or more biometric data collection devices (Bao, par. 51; the sensors 40 for monitoring vital signs are enclosed in a wrist-watch sized case supported on a wrist band); obtaining biometric data from one or more biometric data collection devices; determining if the biometric data has a value outside of a predetermined range that is indicative of an adverse health status; and in response to determining that the biometric data has a value outside of the predetermined range, setting the health status of the individual to the adverse health status (Bao, par. 56; The server 20 feeds the data to a statistical analyzer such as a neural network which has been trained to flag potentially dangerous conditions … the patient's glucose level should be within a well-established range, and any value outside of this range is flagged by the statistical analyzer as a dangerous condition).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the method of claim 11 further comprising, obtaining a health status indication of the first individual from a corresponding communication device associated with another individual within the established association; and (Bao, par. 319; the system shows patient status to doctor ( 3016 ) and presents recommendations to doctor on preventive steps, such as check-ups and basic blood tests ( 3018 ). Automatically, the system schedules in person consultation for patient and doctor ( 3020 ). Captured progress data can be viewed by the physicians and patients using a web based system. The physician can review all interactions between the system and the patient. The physician is able to see their progress reports, interactive e mail which includes daily menus and notes between the service and the patient. The physician will be able to check on the patient's progress at any time of day or night. The system improves the Doctor-Patient relationship and influences compliance), in response to obtaining a health status indication indicative of an adverse health status, setting the health status of the first individual to the adverse health status (Voung, par. 23; The email client/server may then verify that the original mail originates from one of the domain names listed in the Zone configuration, and send an automatic email response only if the verification is successful). Although not explicitly stated by Bao, it would have been reasonable for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Voung to send automatic email notifications to create a custom response with the real time health condition of the user (bao) to specific users in a silenced message thread (Kalu).
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the method of claim 11, further comprising: obtaining subsequent biometric data from one or more biometric data collection devices (Bao, par. 51; the sensors 40 for monitoring vital signs are enclosed in a wrist-watch sized case supported on a wrist band); determining if a value of the subsequent biometric data is outside of a predetermined range; and (Bao, par. 24; A sudden change of activity (or inactivity) can indicate a problem. The remote healthcare provider may receive alerts over the Internet or urgent notifications over the phone in case of such sudden accident indicating changes … The remote healthcare provider will have access to the health and well-being status of their patients without being intrusive, having to call or visit to get such information interrogatively. Additionally, remote healthcare provider can receive a report on the health of the monitored subjects that will help them evaluate these individuals better during the short routine checkup visits. For example, the system can perform patient behavior analysis such as eating/drinking/smoke habits and medication compliance, among others, in response to determining that the value of the subsequent biometric data is within the predetermined range, setting the health status of the individual to a healthy status and disabling the GBDnD mode. (Kalu, par. 63; At 506 , a user can silence a message thread or reactivate a message thread that had previously been silenced with respect to a device the user is using) Examiner notes, the combination teaches that the silencing of threads can be dependent of the health condition of the user to either mute or unmute the threats if the user is well or unwell.
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to determining the adverse health status of the individual, for each contact of a group of contacts, providing an adverse status indication for the individual to a corresponding communication device associated with the contact (Bao, par. 218, fig. 5; The system can also determine vital parameter including patient heart rate ( 1006 ). The system determines if patient needs assistance based on in-door position, fall detection and vital parameter ( 1008 ). If a fall is suspected, the system confirms the fall by communicating with the patient prior to calling a third party such as the patient's physician, nurse, family member, 911, 511, 411, or a paid call center to get assistance for the patient ( 1010 ). If confirmed or if the patient is non-responsive, the system contacts the third party and sends voice over mesh network to appliance on the patient to allow one or more third parties to talk with the patient ( 1012 ). If needed, the system calls and/or conferences emergency personnel into the call ( 1014 )).
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the method of claim 10, further comprising: in response to receiving an incoming adverse health status associated with another individual within the associated individuals: marking a contact of the other individual with a GBDnD tag (Kalu, par. 18; determine that a new incoming electronic message is associated with a message thread; determine that the message thread has been flagged as silenced; and override a currently-enabled notification setting to prevent a receipt notification pertaining to new incoming electronic messages associated with the message thread from being activated.); and surfacing the GBDnD tag to alert the first individual of the GBDnD in response to detecting selection of the contact for communicating with the first individual (Bao, par. 503; the system may uses external or internal sensors, or may enquire from the user to provide user health information. If the system determines that the blood glucose (BG) level is low then the system may execute the one or more rules and send a message displaying “your BG is very low” and recommend “eat a simple sugar snack of 15 g and input the health/feeling information after 15 minutes” … the system can be configured to automatically book appointments with the physician and alerts the user to go and meet the physician at the scheduled time), Examiner notes, it would have been reasonable for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to further implement the teachings of Bao to set up custom rules for overriding the GBDnD rules in an emergency to enable caretakers or doctors to reach the user or enable communication with other people associated with the user as observed in par. 218, where a non-response or confirmed emergency triggers a call to emergency personnel or other authorized third party.
Regarding Claim 19, Kalu discloses A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions that when executed by a processor of a communication device comprising a display (Kalu, par.28; Wireless device 102 may include one or more microprocessors 140 which control the overall operation of wireless device 102. Communication functions, including at least data and voice communications, may be performed through communication subsystem(s) 112. Microprocessor(s) 140 may also interact with additional device subsystems, such as modem 128, primary display) configure the communication device to perform functions comprising: determining an adverse health status of a first individual within an established association of two or more individuals, each having a communication identifier (ID) and identified as included within the established association; determining, in part based on the adverse health status of the first individual, a setting for a group-based do-not-disturb (GBDnD) mode to activate on the communication device (Kalu, par. 18; the present application provides a communication system configured to silence notifications for incoming electronic messages); activating the GBDnD mode based on the setting (Kalu, par. 48; Notification module 310 may comprise one or more notification settings which may indicate how and when notifications should be activated); and in response to activating the GBDnD mode: transmitting, to one or more second communication devices of each other individual within the established association, an indication of the activation of the GBDnD mode on the communication device and notification of the adverse health status; and silencing one or more notifications of the communication device in response to activation of the GBDnD mode (Kalu par. 19; identifying the new incoming message as associated with one or more message threads; determining that a message thread associated with the new incoming message has been flagged as silenced)
Kalu does not explicitly disclose a method to determine an adverse health status of an individual within the thread, However, Bao discloses a method to monitor the health of a user using a wearable device and sharing that information with other users or healthcare providers (Bao, par. 231;The electronic circuitry housed in the watch case 1380 detects adverse conditions such as falls or seizures).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method for silencing thread messages of groups were the user belongs to with Bao’s method of monitoring and sharing health data with healthcare providers and other users to enhance response to adverse health changes in real time and mute trivial notifications to the primary user.
The combination of Kalu and Bao does not explicitly teach a method to provide an indication of the activation of the GBDnD mode to other individuals with an established association to the primary user. However, Voung discloses a method for sending automatic out of office email responses by restricting the responses to individuals associated to the primary user (Voung par. 13; The email system is configured to implement a method for restricting an automatic out-of-office email response to a configured zone, wherein the method includes steps as follows. At least one domain name is specified for receiving the automatic out-of-office email response. The recipient email client application receives an email from the sender email client application. It is verified whether the email originates from one of the at least one domain name. When the verification is successful, the automatic out-of-office email response is sent to the sender email client application).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method for silencing thread messages of groups were the user belongs to with Bao’s method to monitor the health of a user using a wearable device and Voung’s method of sending automatic notifications to rapidly inform other individuals of the users condition enhancing the response time to an emergency while muting trivial communication to the user in a sick state or in distress. In addition to notifying other people in the thread of when they can expect a response back in the event, they do not require a rapid response from the primary user.
Claim(s) 4-5, 7, 13-14, 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kalu et al. (US-9349120-B2) hereinafter Kalu, in view of Bao (US-8684922B2), in view of Voung et al. (US-20070192419-A1) hereinafter Voung, and further in view of Cheng et al. (US-20190052728-A1) hereinafter Cheng.
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the communication device of claim 1, wherein further the at least one processor: in response to determining the adverse health status of the first individual, for each other individual of the established association: determines a proximity between the communication device and a corresponding communication device associated with each other individual within the established association (Bao, par. 190; The wearable appliance has an indoor positioning system and processes these signals to determine a location (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the monitor and, presumably, the patient. This location could be plotted on a map by the server, and used to locate a patient during an emergency, e.g. to dispatch an ambulance); determines, based on comparing each proximity, which other individual within the established association is a minimum distance away; obtains, from a delivery service account device, an upcoming delivery status for a scheduled delivery and in response to the minimum distance exceeding a predetermined minimum distance threshold (Bao, par. 207; a system for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services from a physician to a patient over a network includes a first plurality of health care practitioners at a plurality of terminals) although not explicitly disclosed by Bao, it is inherent that the delivery system will be based on distance from the user to the nearest terminal within the network or as scheduled by the user or the physician; generates a delivery postponement notice for the scheduled delivery and communicating the delivery postponement notice to the delivery service account device (Bao, par. 207; The relevant segment of the protocol displayed in real time on the display device of the health care practitioner terminal may include an electronic link that establishes communication between the available health care practitioner and a third party and the third party may be one or more of a primary care physician, specialist, hospital, emergency room, ambulance service, clinic or pharmacy).
The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung does not explicitly teach a delivery method which determines a proximity between the associated users and generates a postponement notice a user providing a delivery service, however, Cheng discloses to schedule a multi-service delivery using on demand location (Cheng, par. 15; the transport arrangement system can enable other on-demand location-based services (for example, a food truck service, a delivery service, an entertainment service) to be arranged between individuals and service providers. For example, a user can request an on-demand service, such as a delivery service (e.g., food delivery, messenger service, food truck service, or product shipping) or an entertainment service (e.g., mariachi band, string quartet) using the system, and the system can select a service provider, such as a driver, food provider, band, etc., to provide the on-demand service for the use), notify the user providing a service when their services are requested (Cheng, par. 45; The service request handler 150 may implement one or more types of actions to handle individual entries of the user's service request queue 155. In one implementation, the action(s) of the service request handler 150 is to notify the user at an appropriate time to initiate a transport service request.) and postpone a service request (Cheng, par. 23; the service request scheduler 120 may delay a service request when it retrieves user activity information).
Therefore it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method to mute notification, Bao’s device for tracking user health status, Voung’s method to automatically send email notifications associated with the user when specified by the user with Cheng’s method to arrange on demand delivery services to improve the quality of service to the user and increase profits of the company by reducing time spend to deliver the requested services by minimizing trips which the user may cancel or delay the requested services.
Regarding Claim 5, The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the communication device of claim 4, wherein further the at least one processor: obtains a product category for the scheduled delivery; compares the product category against a critical product category list; in response to the minimum distance away exceeding a predetermined threshold and the product category not being included in the critical product category list, issues a delivery postponement notice for the scheduled delivery to the delivery service account device (Bao, par. 447; Vendors can access the system through an administrative console. In these verticals, for the business vendors who sign-up with the platform, they have the flexibility and choice to do the following: 1. Input all or some of the business' operating hours and schedule availability, so that users can automatically schedule appointment anytime, anywhere. 2. Opt for ability to decline or reject appointments. 3. Opt for the business not to be displayed on the list of business vendors, while that business' customers can still schedule online appointments automatically through a “book button” that is supplied by the system for display on the business' website); and in response to the minimum distance away not exceeding the predetermined threshold or the product category being included in the critical product category list, communicates an alert to the other individual to inform the other individual of the scheduled delivery while the first individual has the GBDnD mode set on the communication device (Kalu, par. 67; when a new member joins a group site, any messages with a timestamp older than when the group was created locally (i.e. when the member joined the group) may be automatically silenced).
The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung does not explicitly teach a delivery method which categorize a product category list, however, Cheng teaches a method to schedule a multi-service delivery which categorizes the requested services using on demand location (Cheng, par. 15; the transport arrangement system can enable other on-demand location-based services (for example, a food truck service, a delivery service, an entertainment service) to be arranged between individuals and service providers. For example, a user can request an on-demand service, such as a delivery service (e.g., food delivery, messenger service, food truck service, or product shipping) or an entertainment service (e.g., mariachi band, string quartet) using the system, and the system can select a service provider, such as a driver, food provider, band, etc., to provide the on-demand service for the use) and postpone a service request (Cheng, par. 23; the service request scheduler 120 may delay a service request when it retrieves user activity information).
Therefore it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method to mute notification, Bao’s device for tracking user health status, Voung’s method to automatically send email notifications associated with the user when specified by the user with Cheng’s method to arrange on demand delivery services by category to improve the quality of service to the user, decreasing user time spent ordering services and maximizing company profits.
Regarding claim 7, The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the communication device of claim 1, wherein further the at least one processor: in response to determining the adverse health status of the first individual (Bao, par. 25; Regular monitoring of the basic wellness parameters provides significant benefits in helping to capture adverse events sooner, reduce hospital admissions, and improve the effectiveness of medications): issues a caretaker request to a corresponding communication device associated with each of the other associated individuals; and in response to receiving one or more caretaker responses, wherein each caretaker response identifies a contact and one or more available time slots(Bao, par. 452; For the medical offices, the variable inputs that solve for schedule availability or the vendor in this industry aggregates the vendor's staffs own individual schedule and service duration): creates a caretaker schedule based on the one or more caretaker responses(Bao, par 452; The ratio of staff to customer is generally 1:1. Assume a vendor in this industry has 3 staffs who perform services. For timeslot 9-10 am, Staff A has been booked but Staff B and Staff C have not been booked. Then there exists 2 remaining available booking slots for 9 am.); and for each other individual within the associated individuals, communicates the caretaker schedule to a corresponding communication device associated with the other individual (Bao, par. 446; Users can also access the system through a vendor website through a “Book Now” widget. The “Book Now” widget is a button displayed on the vendor's web site for a user creates an appointment using the system).
The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung does not explicitly teach a method to communicate the vendor’s schedules directly to the user’s device via a mobile app, however, Cheng discloses a method for in-app user notification when a service is scheduled (Cheng, par. 29; the service request scheduler 120 may send a confirmation notification 151 (e.g., an in-app notification, a calendar update, etc.) to the user, identifying information from the scheduled event record 102 of the recommended set. In some variations, the confirmation notification 151 may prompt the user to respond and confirm (or discard) that the user intends to use a transport service in connection with an event identified in the scheduled event record 102).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method to mute notification, Bao’s device for tracking user health status, Voung’s method to automatically send email notifications associated with the user when specified by the user with Cheng’s method to arrange on demand delivery services and notify the service providers to improve user experience and minimize missed service deliveries.
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the method of claim 10 further comprising: in response to determining the adverse health status of the individual, for each other individual of the established association: determining a proximity between the communication device and a corresponding communication device associated with each other individual within the established association; (Bao, par. 190; The wearable appliance has an indoor positioning system and processes these signals to determine a location (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the monitor and, presumably, the patient. This location could be plotted on a map by the server, and used to locate a patient during an emergency, e.g. to dispatch an ambulance); determining, based on comparing each proximity, which other individual within the established association is a minimum distance away; obtaining, from a delivery service account device, an upcoming delivery status for a scheduled delivery; and (Bao, par. 207; a system for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services from a physician to a patient over a network includes a first plurality of health care practitioners at a plurality of terminals) in response to the minimum distance away exceeding a predetermined minimum distance threshold, generating a delivery postponement notice for the scheduled delivery and communicating the delivery postponement notice to the delivery service account device. (Bao, par. 207; The relevant segment of the protocol displayed in real time on the display device of the health care practitioner terminal may include an electronic link that establishes communication between the available health care practitioner and a third party and the third party may be one or more of a primary care physician, specialist, hospital, emergency room, ambulance service, clinic or pharmacy).
The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung does not explicitly teach a delivery method which determines a proximity between the associated users and generates a postponement notice a user providing a delivery service, however, Cheng discloses to schedule a multi-service delivery using on demand location (Cheng, par. 15; the transport arrangement system can enable other on-demand location-based services (for example, a food truck service, a delivery service, an entertainment service) to be arranged between individuals and service providers. For example, a user can request an on-demand service, such as a delivery service (e.g., food delivery, messenger service, food truck service, or product shipping) or an entertainment service (e.g., mariachi band, string quartet) using the system, and the system can select a service provider, such as a driver, food provider, band, etc., to provide the on-demand service for the use), notify the user providing a service when their services are requested (Cheng, par. 45; The service request handler 150 may implement one or more types of actions to handle individual entries of the user's service request queue 155. In one implementation, the action(s) of the service request handler 150 is to notify the user at an appropriate time to initiate a transport service request.) and postpone a service request (Cheng, par. 23; the service request scheduler 120 may delay a service request when it retrieves user activity information).
Therefore it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method to mute notification, Bao’s device for tracking user health status, Voung’s method to automatically send email notifications associated with the user when specified by the user with Cheng’s method to arrange on demand delivery services to improve the quality of service to the user and increase profits of the company by reducing time spend to deliver the requested services by minimizing trips which the user may cancel or delay the requested services.
Regarding Claim 14, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the method of claim 13 further comprising: obtaining a product category for the scheduled delivery; comparing the product category against a critical product category list; in response to the minimum distance away exceeding a predetermined threshold and the product category not being included in the critical product category list, issuing a delivery postponement notice (Bao, par. 207; a system for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services from a physician to a patient over a network includes a first plurality of health care practitioners at a plurality of terminals) for the scheduled delivery to the delivery service account device (Bao, par. 447; Vendors can access the system through an administrative console. In these verticals, for the business vendors who sign-up with the platform, they have the flexibility and choice to do the following: 1. Input all or some of the business' operating hours and schedule availability, so that users can automatically schedule appointment anytime, anywhere. 2. Opt for ability to decline or reject appointments. 3. Opt for the business not to be displayed on the list of business vendors, while that business' customers can still schedule online appointments automatically through a “book button” that is supplied by the system for display on the business' website); and in response to the minimum distance away not exceeding the predetermined threshold or the product category being included in the critical product category list, communicating an alert to the other individual to inform the other individual of the scheduled delivery while the first individual has the GBDnD mode set on the communication device (Kalu, par. 67; when a new member joins a group site, any messages with a timestamp older than when the group was created locally (i.e. when the member joined the group) may be automatically silenced).
The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung does not explicitly teach a delivery method which categorize a product category list, however, Cheng teaches a method to schedule a multi-service delivery which categorizes the requested services using on demand location (Cheng, par. 15; the transport arrangement system can enable other on-demand location-based services (for example, a food truck service, a delivery service, an entertainment service) to be arranged between individuals and service providers. For example, a user can request an on-demand service, such as a delivery service (e.g., food delivery, messenger service, food truck service, or product shipping) or an entertainment service (e.g., mariachi band, string quartet) using the system, and the system can select a service provider, such as a driver, food provider, band, etc., to provide the on-demand service for the use) and postpone a service request (Cheng, par. 23; the service request scheduler 120 may delay a service request when it retrieves user activity information).
Therefore it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method to mute notification, Bao’s device for tracking user health status, Voung’s method to automatically send email notifications associated with the user when specified by the user with Cheng’s method to arrange on demand delivery services by category to improve the quality of service to the user, decreasing user time spent ordering services and maximizing company profits.
Regarding claim 16, The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches the method of claim 10, issuing a caretaker request to a corresponding communication device associated with each of the other associated individuals (Bao, par. 25; Regular monitoring of the basic wellness parameters provides significant benefits in helping to capture adverse events sooner, reduce hospital admissions, and improve the effectiveness of medications): and, in response to receiving one or more caretaker responses, wherein each caretaker response identifies a contact and one or more available time slots: (Bao, par. 452; For the medical offices, the variable inputs that solve for schedule availability or the vendor in this industry aggregates the vendor's staffs own individual schedule and service duration): creating a caretaker schedule based on the one or more caretaker responses (Bao, par 452; The ratio of staff to customer is generally 1:1. Assume a vendor in this industry has 3 staffs who perform services. For timeslot 9-10 am, Staff A has been booked but Staff B and Staff C have not been booked. Then there exists 2 remaining available booking slots for 9 am.); and for each other individual within the associated individuals, communicating the caretaker schedule to a corresponding communication device associated with the other individual (Bao, par. 446; Users can also access the system through a vendor website through a “Book Now” widget. The “Book Now” widget is a button displayed on the vendor's web site for a user creates an appointment using the system).
The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung does not explicitly teach a method to communicate the vendor’s schedules directly to the user’s device via a mobile app, however, Cheng discloses a method for in-app user notification when a service is scheduled (Cheng, par. 29; the service request scheduler 120 may send a confirmation notification 151 (e.g., an in-app notification, a calendar update, etc.) to the user, identifying information from the scheduled event record 102 of the recommended set. In some variations, the confirmation notification 151 may prompt the user to respond and confirm (or discard) that the user intends to use a transport service in connection with an event identified in the scheduled event record 102).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method to mute notification, Bao’s device for tracking user health status, Voung’s method to automatically send email notifications associated with the user when specified by the user with Cheng’s method to arrange on demand delivery services and notify the service providers to improve user experience and minimize missed service deliveries.
Regarding Claim 20, the combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung teaches The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising program instructions for: in response to determining the adverse health status of the first individual, for each other individual of the established association and in response to obtaining, from a delivery service account device (Bao, par. 207; a system for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services from a physician to a patient over a network includes a first plurality of health care practitioners at a plurality of terminals), an upcoming delivery status for a scheduled delivery: determining a proximity between the communication device and a corresponding communication device associated with each other individual within the established association (Bao, par. 190; The wearable appliance has an indoor positioning system and processes these signals to determine a location (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the monitor and, presumably, the patient. This location could be plotted on a map by the server, and used to locate a patient during an emergency, e.g. to dispatch an ambulance); and determining, based on comparing each proximity, which other individual within the established association is a minimum distance away; and in response to the minimum distance away exceeding a predetermined minimum distance threshold, generating a delivery postponement notice for the scheduled delivery and communicating the delivery postponement notice to the delivery service account device(Bao, par. 207; The relevant segment of the protocol displayed in real time on the display device of the health care practitioner terminal may include an electronic link that establishes communication between the available health care practitioner and a third party and the third party may be one or more of a primary care physician, specialist, hospital, emergency room, ambulance service, clinic or pharmacy).
The combination of Kalu, Bao and Voung does not explicitly teach a delivery method which determines a proximity between the associated users and generates a postponement notice a user providing a delivery service, however, Cheng discloses to schedule a multi-service delivery using on demand location (Cheng, par. 15; the transport arrangement system can enable other on-demand location-based services (for example, a food truck service, a delivery service, an entertainment service) to be arranged between individuals and service providers. For example, a user can request an on-demand service, such as a delivery service (e.g., food delivery, messenger service, food truck service, or product shipping) or an entertainment service (e.g., mariachi band, string quartet) using the system, and the system can select a service provider, such as a driver, food provider, band, etc., to provide the on-demand service for the use), notify the user providing a service when their services are requested (Cheng, par. 45; The service request handler 150 may implement one or more types of actions to handle individual entries of the user's service request queue 155. In one implementation, the action(s) of the service request handler 150 is to notify the user at an appropriate time to initiate a transport service request.) and postpone a service request (Cheng, par. 23; the service request scheduler 120 may delay a service request when it retrieves user activity information).
Therefore it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kalu’s method to mute notification, Bao’s device for tracking user health status, Voung’s method to automatically send email notifications associated with the user when specified by the user with Cheng’s method to arrange on demand delivery services to improve the quality of service to the user and increase profits of the company by reducing time spend to deliver the requested services by minimizing trips which the user may cancel or delay the requested services.
It is noted that any citations to specific pages, columns, lines or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably
suggested to a person of ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIO R CAMPERO MIRAMONTES whose telephone number is (571)272-5792. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Thursday 0730 - 1730.
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/MRCM/Examiner, Art Unit 2649 /YUWEN PAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2649