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 1-15 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 1-15 contain a lot of typo-errors. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. 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 1-15 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.
As per claims 1 and 10, it has been held that the recitation that an element is "capable of" performing a function is not a positive limitation but only requires the ability to so perform. It does not constitute a limitation in any patentable sense. In re Hutchison, 69 USPQ 138, 33 CCPA 879 (1946). MPEP 706.03(c). <The determination that is needed to be made here is whether the element by itself as disclosed in the specification is capable of performing the function without any adaptation or not. If it does then the term "capable of" is given weight>.
Language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed or does not limit a claim to a particular structure does not limit the scope of a claim or claim limitation. (The following are examples of language that may raise a question as to the limiting effect of the language in a claim: (a) statements of intended use or field of use, (b) "adapted to" or "adapted for" clauses, (c) "wherein" clauses, or (d) "whereby" clauses. This list of examples is not intended to be exhaustive.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the upper" in line 2 and “the lower” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the upper" in line 2 and “the lower” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-4, 6-9 and 11-14 should have been rejected for the same reason for their dependency.
Below is the examiner’s proposed amendment for the claims 1-15:
1. (Currently Amended) A smart doorbell communicatively connectable to at least
one remote device via a network, the smart doorbell comprising:
a processor;
a call button configured to output a first signal when the call button is actuated by a user, wherein actuation of the call button comprises a physical press of the call button by the user; and
a temperature sensor positioned with respect to the call button such that when the call button is actuated by [a] the user, the temperature sensor is configured to take temperature measurements on a part of the user's wrist facing the temperature sensor;
wherein in response to the call button being actuated by [a] the user, the processor is configured to:
receive the first signal from the call button;
command the temperature sensor to measure [a] the temperature of [a] the part of the user's wrist;
compare the temperature measured by the temperature sensor to a predefined threshold temperature;
output a second signal according to the comparison between the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and the predefined threshold, the second signal comprising a temperature status indicator based on the comparison; and
transmit the first signal and the second signal to the at least one remote device via the network, wherein the first signal and the second signal are transmitted as distinct data elements such that the at least one remote device is configured to concurrently present a visitor (user) notification based on the first signal and the temperature status indicator based on the second signal.
As per claim 1, Applicant is required to clarify what is the differences between the “user” and the “visitor”
2. (Currently Amended) The smart doorbell of claim 1, wherein the second signal
comprises information of the user's temperature measured by the temperature sensor being higher than the predefined threshold temperature.
4. (Currently Amended) The smart doorbell of claim 1, wherein the call button and
the temperature sensor [are] is separated by a distance of between 5 centimeters and 25 centimeters.
5. (Currently Amended) The smart doorbell of claim 1, wherein in use, the call button
is positioned in [an upper part of the doorbell and the temperature sensor is
positioned in [a lower part of the doorbell.
6. (Currently Amended) The smart doorbell of claim 1, wherein the second signal
comprises information of the user's temperature measured by the temperature
sensor being outside of a predefined range of temperatures.
7. (Currently Amended) The smart doorbell of claim 6, wherein the second signal
comprises information of the user's temperature measured by the temperature sensor being below a predefined lower
9. (Currently Amended) The smart doorbell of claim 8, wherein the doorbell is
configured to grant access to [a] the user based on the transmission received from the remote device.
10. (Currently Amended) A method of operating a smart doorbell communicatively
connectable to at least one remote device via a network, the doorbell comprising:
a processor;
a call button configured to output a first signal when the call button is actuated by
a user, wherein actuation of the call button comprises a physical press of the call button by the user; and
a temperature sensor positioned with respect to the call button such that when the call button is actuated by [a] the user, the temperature sensor is configured to take temperature measurements on a part of the user's wrist facing the temperature sensor; the method comprising
receiving, in response to the call button being actuated by [a] the user, the first signal from the call button;
commanding, in response to receiving the first signal, the temperature sensor to measure a temperature of [a] the part of the user's wrist,
comparing the temperature of the part of the user’s wrist to a predefined threshold temperature,
outputting a second signal according to the comparison between temperature measured by the temperature sensor and the predefined threshold, the second signal comprising a temperature status indicator based on the comparison, and
transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the at least one remote device via the network wherein the first signal and the second signal are transmitted as distinct data elements such that the at least one remote device is configured to concurrently present a user notification based on the first signal and the temperature status indicator based on the second signal.
11. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 10, wherein the second signal comprises information of the user's temperature measured by the temperature sensor being higher than the predefined threshold temperature.
12. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 10, wherein the second signal
comprises information of the user's temperature measured by the temperature sensor being outside of a predefined range of temperatures.
14. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 13, further comprising:
granting, based on the transmission received from the user device, access to [a] the user.
15. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 10, further comprising:
placing the doorbell at a location such that the call button is positioned in an upper part of the doorbell and the temperature sensor is positioned in a lower part of the doorbell.
Conclusion
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/TAI T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685 April 23, 2026
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