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 .
Claims 1-14 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by VERNON et al. GB 2486012 (hereinafter “VERNON”).
As to claim 1, VERNON teaches a method of providing a safety system (abstract “fall protection system”), comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first rope or lanyard to which a first attached safety hook is attached (page 9 “housing 1 from one end of which projects a first connector 2 in the form of an eye for connecting the device to a safety harness. A second connector 4 for connecting the device to a safety line, such as a lanyard” and FIG. 9-10); (b) retrofitting a first load detection sensor to the first safety hook without altering the structural integrity of the first safety hook by mounting the first load detection sensor on or shrink wrapped on the first safety hook (page 9-10 and FIG. 1-10 “modified version of the first embodiment shown in Figure 2”); (c) detecting a load by the first load detection sensor (page 9-10 “connectors 2 and 4 and can be measured by a load cell within the device. If the load cell detects a tension”); (d) generating a load status signal by the first load detection sensor in response to the detecting of the load (page 9-12 “load cell 30 is of the type which includes a strain gauge that can be used to measure the compression on the load cell 30. Typically, such a gauge will have a serpentine track of a conductor applied to a substrate which flexes as a compressive load is applied to the cell, in such a way as to alter the electrical resistance of the track”); and (e) via a transmitter arranged to receive the load status signal from the first load detection sensor, receiving the load status signal from the first load detection sensor and transmitting the load status signal therefrom (page 9-13 “user of the device falls, the resultant tension in the safety line will be transmitted to the safety harness though the connectors 2 and 4 and can be measured by a load cell within the device. If the load cell detects a tension over a given threshold, then it activates an audible alarm using a loud speaker 6 and a visual alarm using flashing light emitting diodes 8 distributed around the sides of the housing 1. The device of is Figure 1 also includes an antenna 10 from which an RF alarm signal can be transmitted to be received by a remote receiver unit such as the unit shown in Figure 8. In the modified version of the first embodiment shown in Figure 2” and FIG. 1-10).
As to claim 2, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a first time, if the load status signal is greater than 0 N; and if no load is detected at the first time, generating a signal that the first safety hook is not hooked (page 9-11 and FIG. 1-10).
As to claim 3, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a second time, if the load status signal is less than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the second time that is less than 5 N, generating a signal that the first safety hook is hooked (page 12-13 and FIG. 10).
As to claim 4, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a third time, if the load status is greater than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the third time that is greater than 5 N, generating a signal indicating that a user associated with the first safety hook has fallen (page 12-13 and FIG. 10).
As to claim 5, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a second time, if the load status signal is less than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the second time that is less than 5 N, generating a signal that the first safety hook is hooked (page 10-13 and FIG. 9-10).
As to claim 6, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a third time, if the load status is greater than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the third time that is greater than 5 N, generating a signal indicating that a user associated with the first safety hook has fallen (page 9-13 and FIG. 9-10).
As to claim 7, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: (f) providing a second rope or lanyard to which a second attached safety hook is attached; (g) retrofitting a second load detection sensor to the second safety hook without altering the structural integrity of the second safety hook by mounting the second load detection sensor on or shrink wrapped on the second safety hook; (h) detecting a load by the second load detection sensor; (i) generating a load status signal by the second load detection sensor in response to the detecting of the load; and (j) via a transmitter arranged to receive the load status signal from the second load detection sensor, receiving the load status signal from the second load detection sensor and transmitting the load status signal therefrom (page 9-13 and Fig. 1-10).
As to claim 8, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a first time, if the load status signal is greater than 0 N; and if no load is detected at the first time, generating a signal that the second safety hook is not hooked (page 9-11 and FIG. 1-10).
As to claim 9, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a second time, if the load status signal is less than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the second time that is less than 5 N, generating a signal that the second safety hook is hooked (page 12-13 and FIG.9-10).
As to claim 10, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a third time, if the load status is greater than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the third time that is greater than 5 N, generating a signal indicating that a user associated with the second safety hook has fallen (page 12-13 and FIG. 10).
As to claim 11, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a second time, if the load status signal is less than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the second time that is less than 5 N, generating a signal that the second safety hook is hooked (page 10-13 and FIG. 9-10).
As to claim 12, VERNON teaches further comprising the steps of: determining, at a third time, if the load status is greater than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the third time that is greater than 5 N, generating a signal indicating that a user associated with the second safety hook has fallen (page 10-13 and FIG. 9-10).
As to claim 13, VERNON teaches a method of operating a safety system comprising (a) a first rope or lanyard (page 1 and FIG. 9-10), (b) a first safety hook attached to the first rope or lanyard (page 9 “housing 1 from one end of which projects a first connector 2 in the form of an eye for connecting the device to a safety harness. A second connector 4 for connecting the device to a safety line, such as a lanyard” and FIG. 9-10), (c) a first load detection sensor retrofit on the first safety hook without altering the structural integrity of the first safety hook by being mounted on or shrink wrapped on the first safety hook, wherein the first load detection sensor generates a load status signal (page 9-10 and FIG. 1-10 “modified version of the first embodiment shown in Figure 2”) , and (d) a first transmitter arranged to receive the load status signal from the first load detection sensor and to transmit the load status signal therefrom (page 9-10 “connectors 2 and 4 and can be measured by a load cell within the device. If the load cell detects a tension”); , the method comprising: determining, at a first time, if the load status signal is greater than 0 N; if no load is detected at the first time, generating a signal that first safety hook is not hooked (page 9-11 and FIG. 1-10); determining, at a second time, if the load status signal is less than 5 N; if a load is detected at the second time that is less than 5 N, generating a signal that the first safety is hooked (page 12-13 and FIG. 10); determining, at a third time, if the load status is greater than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the third time that is greater than 5 N, generating a signal indicating that a user associated with the first safety hook has fallen (page 12-13 and FIG. 10).
As to claim 14, VERNON teaches a method of claim 13, further comprising (e) a second rope or lanyard (page 1 and FIG. 9-10), (f) a second safety hook attached to the second rope or lanyard (page 9-10 and FIG. 1-10), (g) a second load detection sensor retrofit on the second safety hook without altering the structural integrity of the second safety hook by being mounted on or shrink wrapped on the second safety hook, wherein the second load detection sensor generates a load status signal (page 10-12 and FIG. 1-10), and (h) a second transmitter arranged to receive the load status signal from the second load detection sensor and to transmit the load status signal therefrom (page 10-13 and FIG. 1-10), the method further comprising: determining, at a first time, if the load status signal is greater than 0 N; if no load is detected at the first time, generating a signal that second safety hook is not hooked (page 9-11 and FIG. 1-10); determining, at a second time, if the load status signal is less than 5 N; if a load is detected at the second time that is less than 5 N, generating a signal that the second safety is hooked (page 12-13 and FIG. 10); determining, at a third time, if the load status is greater than 5 N; and if a load is detected at the third time that is greater than 5 N, generating a signal indicating that a user associated with the second safety hook has fallen (page 11-13 and FIG. 10).
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 to be 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 one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and listed on the attached PTO Form 892 but not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
MORINO et al USPGPUB 2011/0090079 a safety belt includes a connecting member including a rope, an attaching portion connected to a first end of the rope and arranged to be attached to a body belt worn around a body of a worker, a hook connected to a second end of the rope, and a load detection portion arranged to detect whether or not a load is applied to the connecting member and to output a load detection signal. The safety belt also includes a control device that includes a receiver unit arranged to receive the load detection signal, a control unit arranged to determine a status of the worker or a status of the safety belt based on the load detection signal, and a notification unit arranged to provide a notification in accordance with control by the control unit corresponding to the determined status.
HARRIS USPG 8,312,964 teaches a self-rescue system and a method for providing self-rescue to fall-victims suspended in fall-arresting safety harnesses following an accidental fall enables such suspended fall victims to descend to the ground or other place of safety at a controlled, safe velocity, without assistance from anyone else. In addition, the invention can also address applications in many types of elevated locations where a controlled descent is needed in order to escape emergency conditions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIAUL KARIM whose telephone number is (571)270-3279. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8:00-4:00 PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mohammad Ali can be reached on 571 272 4105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZIAUL KARIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119
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