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
The numbering of claims is not in accordance with 37 CFR 1.126 which requires the original numbering of the claims to be preserved throughout the prosecution. When claims are canceled, the remaining claims must not be renumbered. When new claims are presented, they must be numbered consecutively beginning with the number next following the highest numbered claims previously presented (whether entered or not).
Claim 22 is missing from the claims presented 09/27/2024.
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.
Claims 15-21 and 23-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20140030955 A1 to Smetanin et al.
Re claim 15, Smetanin teaches a modular toy system
The abstract describes Smetanin as an invention that relates to a toy having a body to which moving parts are coupled. See also Fig. 1 No. 1. Fig. 12 illustrates an embodiment wherein two such toys, both comprising feedback sensing of positions of their limbs as will be described in further detail below, perform cooperative robotic effects.
comprising: a first and second electronic toy module, the first and second electronic toy modules each including: a function device operable to perform a user-perceptible function;
[0053], [0195] and claim 30 of Smetanin describes that the invention can comprise one, two or more toy devices, wherein at least one of the toy devices comprises at least one effecting means coupled thereto capable of producing effects perceivable by a user and comprising at least one processor that creates output for at least one output device.
[0146] describes a robotic doll embodiment wherein “determination of position of the moving parts can be used for realization of feedback during control of the robot's manipulators i.e. for determination of position thereof for adjustment of the controlling effect on electro-mechanic component which performs movements.”
[0147] contemplates scenarios wherein a user rearranging the limbs of a toy causes the toy to dance, fight, or appear friendly to another compatible toy.
[0172]-[0177] describes that when a plurality of toys are used in proximity, one toy can detect not only the location of its own limbs but also the location of other toys’ limbs, which can additionally effect user perceptible sequences such as battles, pursuits, ramming, attacking, and dodging attacks.
Fig. 12 illustrates two toys each comprising a plurality of components (modules) such as coil-containing limbs operating to perform cooperative and user-perceptible robotic movements. The disclosure describes that in this scene, “One of the dinosaurs attempts to bite the other dinosaur's tail. The attacking dinosaur determines a position of its opponent's tail and head, and adjusts its movements based on the determined position of its attacker. For example, the attacked robot can, based on the determination of its attacker's positions, attempt to dodge the attack and counteract.”
and a control circuit for controlling the function device;
[0062]-[0064] describe Figs. 9-11 which illustrate digital processing components for processing position signals from coils located in movable toy body parts. See additionally [0037] , [0048], describing control for creation of sound and/or other effects perceivable by the user, [0053], [0066], [0085], “”the information is processed in the digital computing means” which “performs the control of induction measurement, transmits the required digital data” and is used to create effects perceived by the user.
wherein: the first electronic toy module further includes a sensor system configured for contactless detection of a position of the second electronic toy module relative to the first electronic toy module via sensing a magnetic field of the second electronic toy module,
[0066], in the toy device of FIG. 1, in the body 1 and moving parts 2, 3 there are inductance coils 6, 7, 8. Coils 6 are receiving coils and coils 7, 8 are emitting coils. … The electronic module 9 located in the body 1 contains a means for measurement of mutual induction between receiving coils 6 and emitting coils 7, 8, and a computing means for determination of mutual position of inductance coils 7, 8 relative to coils 6 based on mutual induction values received from the said measurement means. These data are used for determination of position of the moving parts 2, 3, relative to the body 1.
[0071]-[0072] describes that position and orientation data of movable parts of the toy with respect to the body are able to be determined in five degrees of freedom.
and the control circuit of the first electronic toy module is configured to control operation of the function device of the first electronic toy module based on the detected position of the second electronic toy module.
[0063] describes that Fig. 10 depicts a “system of digital processing components for processing the signal in order to determine positions of a plurality of emitting coils based on measurements of induced currents in a plurality of receiving coils, according to aspects of the present invention;”
[0066], electronic module 9 communicates determined positions of moving body parts with external device 5 which creates effects perceivable by the user.
Fig. 12 illustrates a scenario described in the disclosure as: “One of the dinosaurs attempts to bite the other dinosaur's tail. The attacking dinosaur determines a position of its opponent's tail and head, and adjusts its movements based on the determined position of its attacker. For example, the attacked robot can, based on the determination of its attacker's positions, attempt to dodge the attack and counteract.”
[0146], “The disclosed method of determination of position of the moving parts can be used for realization of feedback during control … i.e. for determination of position thereof for adjustment of the controlling effect on electro-mechanic component which performs movements.”
Re claims 16-17, 19, 23-24, 29-30 [0071]-[0072] describes that position and orientation data of movable parts of the toy with respect to the body are able to be determined in five degrees of freedom – three coordinate values and two rotational values. [0035] contemplates including at least one moving part comprising two non-coaxial coils enabling 6-DOF position determination.
Re claims 18, 21, 27, 32, [0146] states that “The disclosed method of determination of position of the moving parts can be used for realization of feedback during control of the robot's manipulators i.e. for determination of position thereof for adjustment of the controlling effect on electro-mechanic component which performs movements.”
And [0175] contemplates a scenario wherein positions of certain limbs are sensed and controlled based on the detected positions of other limbs: “The attacking dinosaur determines a position of its opponent's tail and head, and adjusts its movements based on the determined position of its attacker.”
Re claims 20, 31, refer to Fig. 1 wherein the toy configured to sense positions of limbs in 5 DOF is illustrated as sensing whether certain limbs are connected to the body.
Re claim 25, refer to the rejection of claim 15 wherein the system of claim 15 comprises the modules of claim 25.
Re claim 26, [0074] [0172], [0178], [0182] discloses that travel of moving parts (based on determined distances between coil centers) can be measured in addition to position.
Re claim 28, positions and orientations of toy limbs (modules) are determined based on magnetic fields sensed as emitted by some coils and received by others, see [0053], [0085], [0178]-[0180]
Re claim 33, this claim recites duplicates of function devices and control circuits. Beyond this being an obvious duplication of parts (refer to the discussion of In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960), in MPEP 2144.04, [0195] of Smetanin describes an optional embodiment comprising a plurality of devices 110 each comprising at least one processor and at least one component operable to output user perceptible effects. See a two-toy embodiment in Fig. 12.
Re claim 34, [0066] describes that electronic module 9 communicates determined positions of moving body parts with external device 5 which creates effects perceivable by the user.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN J HYLINSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-1995. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10-530.
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/STEVEN J HYLINSKI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715