DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The action is in response to the application filed on 04/24/2024. Claims 1-20 are pending and examined below.
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 and 11, and claims dependent thereof, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 1 and 11, the claims recite the limitations “one or more second sensors that detect vibration data or the predetermined-displacement data, the vibration occurring in or being transmitted to at least one of the measurement target or the one or more first sensors” and “an operation-sensor determination circuit that, on the basis of the predetermined-displacement data and the vibration data”. The claim first recites that the sensor can detect vibration data or displacement data, but then later recites that both types of data is necessarily needed. As such the claim is unclear as one cannot ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention. As such the claim is indefinite.
For the purpose of this examination it is assumed the one or more second sensors necessarily detect vibration data.
Regarding claims 1 and 11, the claims recite the limitations “determines a minimal necessary operation sensor which is to be operated in view of removal or attenuation of noise vibration data superimposed as noise on the predetermined-displacement data”. As written, It is unclear as to a minimal necessary operation sensor is a sensor separate from the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors or a subset of sensors selected from the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors. As such the claim is indefinite.
For the purposes of this examination it is interpreted as a subset of sensors selected from the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 11, and claims dependent thereof, would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Regarding claims 1 and 11, US 20170282828 A1 (cited in the IDS; hereinafter referred to as “Carenza”) teaches A sensor system (abstract) comprising:
one or more first sensors that emit electromagnetic waves to a measurement target, and that receive reflected waves to detect predetermined-displacement data of the measurement target, the reflected waves being obtained through reflection of the electromagnetic waves from the measurement target (abstract; paragraph [0031]);
one or more second sensors that detect vibration data or the predetermined-displacement data, the vibration occurring in or being transmitted to at least one of the measurement target or the one or more first sensors (paragraph [0033]).
JP 2021071326 A (cited in the IDS; hereinafter referred to as “Sugino”) teaches a signal processing unit detects information regarding the state of the object based on the radio wave sensor signal and the vibration sensor signal (abstract).
US 20130261415 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Ashe”) teaches activating and deactivating sensor emitters and detectors based on signal strength (paragraphs [0035]-[0037]).
However, the prior art does not teach or suggest “an operation-sensor determination circuit that, on the basis of the predetermined-displacement data and the vibration data, determines a minimal necessary operation sensor which is to be operated in view of removal or attenuation of noise vibration data superimposed as noise on the predetermined-displacement data; and a sensor-power-supply management circuit that supplies power only to the operation sensor” in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Conclusion
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/ABID A MUSTANSIR/Examiner, Art Unit 3791