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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore,
The energy supply coupled to the sensor cell
The capacitor, battery, or another type of energy storage
The measuring electronics
The actuator
The thermoelectric generator
The solar cell
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding Claim 6, “ac-cording” should read “according”
Appropriate correction is required.
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 – 13 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 - 13, the claims recite “running shoe”, “floor covering”, “seating furniture”, and “sports equipment”. It is unclear as to at what point/what structure must be present so that a shoe becomes a “running shoe”, a covering becomes a “floor covering”, a piece of furniture becomes “seating furniture”, and a piece of equipment becomes “sports equipment”, thus rendering the claims indefinite”.
Regarding Claim 4, the claim recites “the energy supply is configured to render the provided energy”. It is unclear as to what “rendering” energy is, thus rendering the claim indefinite.
Regarding Claims 8 and 9, the claim recites “at least two or two identical regions”. It is unclear as to what the first “at least two” is referring to, thus rendering the claim indefinite.
Regarding Claim 11, the term “large-area” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “large-area” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is unclear as to what amounts of area can be considered “large”, thus rendering the claim indefinite.
Regarding Claim 13, the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention.
Claims dependent upon a rejected claim are therefore rejected as well.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102/§ 103
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 - 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Greenspan et al. (US 2022/0390298).
Regarding Claim 1, Greenspan discloses a piece of clothing, running shoe, floor covering, seat, seating furniture, sports equipment, ball or prosthesis, in at least Figures 1 – 3, comprising an electrical component (Figures 1 – 3), comprising: a sensor cell (102, 202 and piezoelectric sensor) [0033]; wherein the sensor cell is configured to, firstly, detect a physical quantity [0026, 0027, 0033 – 0035] and output an electrical measurement signal [0043] according to at least one of three differentiable states based on the detected physical quantity (the measurement signal is a resistance proportional to applied pressure and is inherently differentiable according to any selected states) and to, secondly, provide electrical energy when the physical quantity is applied [0033]; an energy supply (lithium ion battery) coupled to the sensor cell to receive the provided electrical energy (charged by the piezoelectric sensor [0033]).
Regarding Claim 2, Greenspan discloses the sensor cell is configured to detect the physical quantity and at the same time provide electrical energy based on the physical quantity [0033].
Regarding Claim 3, Greenspan discloses the sensor cell is configured to detect the physical quantity, independently or subsequently to providing the electrical energy [0033].
Regarding Claim 4, Greenspan discloses the energy supply is configured to render the provided energy or to rectify or smooth or store a voltage of the provided energy [0033].
Regarding Claim 5, Greenspan discloses the energy supply comprises a capacitor, a battery or another type of energy storage [0033].
Regarding Claim 6, Greenspan discloses the electrical component comprises measuring electronics (112) connected to the sensor cell and configured to receive, further process, and/or receive and digitize and/or receive and transmit externally or externally by radio the electrical signal according to the at least three differentiable states [0033]
Regarding Claim 7, Greenspan discloses wherein the physical quantity comprises a force, tensile force, compressive force, transverse force, acceleration, rotation, pressure, velocity and/or vibration [0026].
Regarding Claim 8, Greenspan discloses the sensor cell comprises at least two or two identical regions (102/202 and piezoelectric sensor) [0026, 0033, 0038].
Regarding Claim 9, Greenspan discloses the first of the at least two or at least two identical regions is configured to detect the physical quantity (102/202), wherein the other of the at least two or at least two identical regions is configured to provide the electrical energy (piezoelectric sensor) [0026, 0033, 0038].
Regarding Claim 10, Greenspan discloses the electrical component additionally comprises a housing (204) into which the sensor cell is integrated and/or embedded (Figure 2A).
Regarding Claim 11, Greenspan discloses the sensor cell comprises a large-area energy converter, large-area segmented energy converter, segmented energy converter, a piezoelectric element and/or a PVDF film [0033].
Regarding Claim 12, Greenspan discloses the electrical component comprises an actuator or the sensor cell comprises an actuator, the actuator being configured to exert a force when driven [0036].
Regarding Claim 13, Greenspan discloses he sensor cell comprises a piezo film or flexible film; and/or wherein the sensor cell comprises a thermoelectric generator and/or solar cell, in particular a flexible solar cell [0026, 0027].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER MERCADO whose telephone number is (571)270-7094. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9am - 4pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Laura Martin can be reached at (571) 272-2160. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ALEXANDER A. MERCADO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
/ALEXANDER A MERCADO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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