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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 04 March 2024 and 12 August 2025, 24 February 2026 and 25 February 2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains numerical references to terms in lines 3 and 4. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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.
Claim 5 and claims ultimately dependent thereon (i.e., claims 6-9) 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.
In particular, the terms “abnormal vibration state” and “abnormal rotation state” in claim 5 are vague and indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-4, 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication No. 20200084584 (Yamaguchi) in view of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. JPH11205442 (Suzuki).
Regarding claim 1, US Patent Application Publication No. 20200084584 (Yamaguchi) discloses: “an information processing device comprising: “a communication unit ([0028]: “FIG. 2 shows an internal structure of the mobile device 100”) configured to perform communication using the identification information (FIG. 2: 100; [0030]: “The receiver 101 is connected to a reception antenna 101a, and is configured to receive a radio wave”; [0031]: “The transmitter 102 is connected to a transmission antenna 102a, and is configured to transmit a radio wave”); a measurement unit configured to read out and measure an elapsed time following the read-out elapsed time (FIG. 4; [0046]: “in a case where it is determined in S102 that the grace time is not being measured (NO in S102), a timer (not shown) is actuated to start measuring the grace time (S103). In another case where it is determined that the grace time is being measured (YES in S102), the operation controller 104 determines whether the grace time has elapsed without starting measurement again (S104)”); and a communication control unit (FIG. 4; [0045]: “the mobile device 100 is switched into the communication disabled state”; “the mobile device 100 will not be switched into the communication disabled state”) configured to permit communication by the communication unit in a case in which the elapsed time measured by the measurement unit falls within a predetermined allowed time (FIG. 4: S102, S103; [0046]: “a timer (not shown) is actuated to start measuring the grace time (S103). In another case where it is determined that the grace time is being measured (YES in S102)”), and limit use of communication by the communication unit in a case in which the elapsed time exceeds the allowed time” (FIG. 4: S104, S105; [0047]: “In a case where the grace time has elapsed (YES in S104), the mobile device 100 is set into the communication disabled state (S105)”).
However, Yamaguchi does not clearly disclose the remaining limitations of the claim. To that end, Suzuki discloses: a storage unit (FIG. 1: 12) configured to store an elapsed time for each piece of identification information for identifying a communication contract (FIG. 1: 12; [0022]: “a storage unit 12 which stores an internal ID code as an identification code unique to the main unit 1 and has memory for storing various other data necessary for calls”); from the storage unit, the elapsed time corresponding to the identification information used for communication by the communication unit when a power source of the information processing device is turned ON” ([0008]: “a time restriction element can be registered and set as the usage restriction, and communication is carried out by the control means within the range of such usage restriction, so that it becomes possible to set a time restriction element and use it according to various setting conditions, such as registering an ID code with an expiration date as the ID code of the main body”; “registering the period of use from the time of first use, or registering the total time during which communication is possible”; [0027]: “the control circuit 8 reads the time information from the clock IC 14 and verifies whether the expiration date indicated in the additional information on the usage restriction of the ID code”). It is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to combine Yamaguchi with the invention of Suzuki in order to provide for a usage/time-restriction (e.g., power on) for device communication (e.g., see Suzuki @ [0008], [0022], [0027]).
With respect to claim 2, Suzuki discloses: “the identification information is a phone number of a communication contract” ([0032]: “the telephone number that provides the time signal”).
Regarding claim 3, Yamaguchi discloses: “the communication control unit prohibits communication by the communication unit in a case in which the elapsed time exceeds the allowed time” (FIG. 4: S104-S105; [0047]: “[0047]: “In a case where the grace time has elapsed (YES in S104), the mobile device 100 is set into the communication disabled state (S105)”).
With respect to claim 4, Yamaguchi discloses: “a determination unit configured to determine a traveling state of a vehicle (FIG. 2: 103), wherein the measurement unit resets an elapsed time that is being measured and the elapsed time stored in the storage unit corresponding to the identification information used for communication by the communication unit (FIG. 4: S102, S103; [0046]: “a timer (not shown) is actuated to start measuring the grace time (S103). In another case where it is determined that the grace time is being measured (YES in S102)”) in a case in which the vehicle is traveling as a result of determination by the determination unit” (FIG. 2: 103; [0033]: “The vibration detector 103 detects whether there is vibration of the mobile device 100 and outputs a detection result to the operation controller 104. Examples of the vibration detector 103 include various sensors such as a vibration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an acceleration sensor”).
With respect to claim 10, Yamaguchi discloses: “an information processing method-used for an information processing device (FIG. 4; [0009]: “a flowchart showing a first half of an operation state control processing executed by the mobile device”), the method comprising: measuring an elapsed time following the read-out elapsed time (FIG. 4; [0046]: “in a case where it is determined in S102 that the grace time is not being measured (NO in S102), a timer (not shown) is actuated to start measuring the grace time (S103). In another case where it is determined that the grace time is being measured (YES in S102), the operation controller 104 determines whether the grace time has elapsed without starting measurement again (S104)”); a step of permitting communication by the communication unit in a case in which the measured elapsed time falls within a predetermined allowed time (FIG. 4: S102, S103; [0046]: “a timer (not shown) is actuated to start measuring the grace time (S103). In another case where it is determined that the grace time is being measured (YES in S102)”), and limiting use of communication by the communication unit in a case in which the measured elapsed time exceeds the allowed time” (FIG. 4: S104, S105; [0047]: “In a case where the grace time has elapsed (YES in S104), the mobile device 100 is set into the communication disabled state (S105)”).
In addition, Suzuki discloses: reading out, when a power source of the information processing device is turned ON, an elapsed time corresponding to identification information used for communication by a communication unit ([0008]: “a time restriction element can be registered and set as the usage restriction, and communication is carried out by the control means within the range of such usage restriction, so that it becomes possible to set a time restriction element and use it according to various setting conditions, such as registering an ID code with an expiration date as the ID code of the main body”; “registering the period of use from the time of first use, or registering the total time during which communication is possible”; [0027]: “the control circuit 8 reads the time information from the clock IC 14 and verifies whether the expiration date indicated in the additional information on the usage restriction of the ID code”) configured to perform communication and using the identification information from a storage unit (FIG. 1: 12) configured to store an elapsed time for each piece of the identification information for identifying a communication contract (FIG. 1: 12; [0022]: “a storage unit 12 which stores an internal ID code as an identification code unique to the main unit 1 and has memory for storing various other data necessary for calls”),
Regarding claim 11, Yamaguchi discloses: “an information processing program used for an information processing device to cause the information processing device (FIG. 4; [0009]: “a flowchart showing a first half of an operation state control processing executed by the mobile device”) to perform a non- transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program that causes a computer to execute a process ([0029]: “achieved as a computer program executed by a CPU, can be achieved as an electronic circuit including an LSI, or can be achieved through combination of these”) including: and a procedure of permitting communication by the communication unit in a case in which the measured elapsed time falls within a predetermined allowed time (FIG. 4: S102, S103; [0046]: “a timer (not shown) is actuated to start measuring the grace time (S103). In another case where it is determined that the grace time is being measured (YES in S102)”), and limiting use of communication by the communication unit in a case in which the measured elapsed time exceeds the allowed time” (FIG. 4: S104, S105; [0047]: “In a case where the grace time has elapsed (YES in S104), the mobile device 100 is set into the communication disabled state (S105)”).
In addition, Suzuki discloses: “a procedure of reading out, when a power source of the information processing device is turned ON, an elapsed time corresponding to identification information used for communication by a communication unit ([0008]: “a time restriction element can be registered and set as the usage restriction, and communication is carried out by the control means within the range of such usage restriction, so that it becomes possible to set a time restriction element and use it according to various setting conditions, such as registering an ID code with an expiration date as the ID code of the main body”; “registering the period of use from the time of first use, or registering the total time during which communication is possible”; [0027]: “the control circuit 8 reads the time information from the clock IC 14 and verifies whether the expiration date indicated in the additional information on the usage restriction of the ID code”) configured to perform communication by using the identification information from a storage unit (FIG. 1: 12) configured to store an elapsed time for each piece of the identification information for identifying a communication contract (FIG. 1: 12; [0022]: “a storage unit 12 which stores an internal ID code as an identification code unique to the main unit 1 and has memory for storing various other data necessary for calls”), and measuring an elapsed time following the read-out elapsed time (FIG. 4: S102, S103; [0046]: “a timer (not shown) is actuated to start measuring the grace time (S103). In another case where it is determined that the grace time is being measured (YES in S102)”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MYRON K WYCHE whose telephone number is (571)272-3390. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 am - 3:30 pm.
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/Myron Wyche/ 20 June 2026
Primary Examiner AU2644
Prosecution Insights