Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/828,426

DETERMINING A USER'S CURRENT EXERCISE CAPABILITY

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Sep 09, 2024
Priority
Apr 16, 2021 — continuation of 12/109,454
Examiner
BODENDORF, ANDREW
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Fitbod Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
28%
Grant Probability
At Risk
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 9m
Est. Remaining
69%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants only 28% of cases
28%
Career Allowance Rate
30 granted / 106 resolved
-31.7% vs TC avg
Strong +40% interview lift
Without
With
+40.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 7m
Avg Prosecution
23 currently pending
Career history
134
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
14.3%
-25.7% vs TC avg
§103
62.7%
+22.7% vs TC avg
§102
8.6%
-31.4% vs TC avg
§112
13.4%
-26.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 106 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
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 . Status of Claims This action is in response to Application as filed on September 9, 2024. Claims 1-20 are pending. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on February 11, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR § 1.97. Accordingly, the IDS has been considered by the examiner. Double Patenting The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b). The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp. Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of US Patent No. 12,109,454. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the inventions are directed to substantially similar subject matter. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is anticipated by the referenced US Patent, as follows: the difference between independent claim 1 of instant application, 18/448075. and Claim 1 of US Patent No. 12,109,454 are highlighted in the following table. Claim 1 of 18/828,426 Claim 1 of 12,109,454 A method for determining a current capability of a user, the method comprising: A method for determining a current capability of a user, the method comprising: accessing an exercise history for a user, the exercise history comprising an exercise performed by the user and a capability of the user each time the user performed the exercise, accessing an exercise history for a user, the exercise history-comprising an exercise performed by the user and performance statistics of the user for the exercise, the performance statistics further comprising a capability of the user each time the user performed the exercise; training, by a processor, a machine-learned model using the accessed exercise history for the user, the machine-learned model configured to produce a target weight to recommend to the user for the exercise based on performance statistics of the user; wherein the exercise history is organized into time periods; partitioning, by the processor, the exercise history into a plurality of time periods; computing, by the processor, an aggregate capability of the user for the exercise during each time period based on the capability of the user each time they performed the exercise during the time period; for each time period, computing, by the processor, an aggregate capability of the user for the exercise based on the capabilities of the user in performing the exercise during the time period; determining, by the processor, a moving average of the user’s capability for the exercise, wherein determining the moving average of the user’s capability comprises: determining, by the processor, a moving average of the user's capability for the exercise based on the aggregate capabilities, wherein determining the moving average of the user's capability comprises: determining the moving average of the user’s capability based on by weighting the aggregate capability of each time period based on the recency of the time period; and assigning each aggregate capability a weight based on a recency of the time period corresponding to the aggregate capability; determining the moving average of the user's capability based on each weighted aggregate capability; and discounting the moving average of the user’s capability where a threshold amount of time has passed since the user last performed the exercise; discounting the moving average of the user's capability where a threshold amount of time has passes since the user last performed the exercise; determining a current capability of the user for the exercise based on the moving average of the user’s capability; determining a current capability of the user for the exercise based on the moving average of the user's capability; applying, by the processor, the machine-learning model to the current capability of the user for the exercise to determine a current target weight to recommend to the user for the exercise; and applying, by the processor the machine-learning model to performance statistics of the user to determine a current target weight to recommend to the user for the exercise, wherein the performance statistics comprise at least the current capability of the user for the exercise modifying, by the processor in real-time, a graphical user interface displayed by a client device of the user to display the current target weight in response to an input from the user requesting the target weight. modifying, by the processor in real-time, a graphical user interface displayed by a client device of the user to display the current target weight in response to an input from the user requesting the target weight. Furthermore, independent claims 9 and 17 of the instant application, and claims 9 and 17 of the referenced US Patent include substantially the same limitations as those shown for the method in the table above except that they are directed to the statutory classes of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a system that implement the above method. Dependent claims 2-8, 10-16, and 18-20 of the instant application are identical to the claimed subject matter of claims 2-8, 10-16, and 18-20 of the referenced US Patent. Claim Objections Claims 1, 9, and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites “determining the moving average of the user’s capability based on by weighting the aggregate capability of each time period based on the recency of the time period.” The same language “based on by” also appears in claims 9 and 17. It is believed this should read --determining the moving average of the user’s capability by weighting the aggregate capability of each time period based on the recency of the time period--. 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. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, regards as the invention. In re claims 1, 9, and 17, the claims recite the limitations “the machine-learning model” at line 20. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. In addition, claims 1, 9, and 17 recite “the target weight.” This term lacks clear antecedent basis. It is unclear if this term refers to the current target weight or a different target weight. In re claims 4 and 12, the claims recite “a threshold amount of time.” This term is unclear. It is unclear whether “a threshold amount of time” recited in claims 4 and 12, is the same as or different than the threshold amount of time recited in claims 1 and 9. Claims 2-8, 10-16, and 18-20 depend from a rejected base claim, and therefore are rejected for at least the reasons provided for the base claim. Prior Art The Examiner notes that after a thorough search on the claims, the claims currently overcome the prior art. The closest prior art found to date are the following: Jang (US 2019/0046107) teaches an exercise feedback system determines muscle stress measurements using physiological data generated by a sensor-equipped athletic garment. A muscle stress measurement represents an accumulated normalized signal from one or more of the sensors corresponding to a given muscle or set of muscles over a period of time. By normalizing the physiological data, the exercise feedback system may determine muscle stress measurements, biofeedback, or other metrics for comparison between different muscle groups of an athlete or different athletes. Lyke (US 2021/0093919) teaches a workout and readiness/recovery history for the population of users is analyzed to create one or more expected profiles. Each expected profile is associated with the heuristics and/or performance metrics for a subset of users having similar physiology and psychology. In one exemplary embodiment, the expected profiles are generated based on artificial intelligence (AI) and/or machine learning to identify similar users and their corresponding heuristics, rules, and/or patterns. The initial expected profiles may be corrected and improved gradually over time as more and better crowd-sourced workout history is collected. Toivonen (US 10,918,908) teaches determining a weekly training load (WTL) that describes an amount of training the user has performed during the past week including today. A training plan is divided into cycles of blocks of training intensities, called meso-cycles (of blocks). A meso-cycle may comprise one/more four-day micro-cycle(s) of training days comprising medium and high intensity training days having a low intensity training day after each medium and high intensity training day. A present phase of the micro- and/or meso-cycle may be detected. Detecting the present phase of meso-cycle enables determination of the current following next workout recommendation (NWR) being at a block of low, moderate/medium or high intensity training. By determining two previous performed phases of the micro-cycle, the present phase of the micro-cycle, relating to the training to be recommended, may be determined based on predetermined successive four-day micro-cycles. However, the prior art does not teach or suggest determining a moving average of the user’s capability for the exercise, wherein determining the moving average of the user’s capability comprises: determining the moving average of the user’s capability based on by weighting the aggregate capability of each time period based on the recency of the time period; and discounting the moving average of the user’s capability where a threshold amount of time has passed since the user last performed the exercise; determining a current capability of the user for the exercise based on the moving average of the user’s capability; applying a machine-learning model to the current capability of the user for the exercise to determine a current target weight to recommend to the user for the exercise in conjunction with the other limitations in the claim. Therefore, no rejection over the prior art is made at this time. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and is listed on the attached Notice of References Cited. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Andrew Bodendorf whose telephone number is (571) 272-6152. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM ET. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xuan Thai can be reached on (571) 272-7147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ANDREW BODENDORF/Examiner, Art Unit 3715 /XUAN M THAI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3715
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 09, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12681994
INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, PROGRAM, AND INFORMATION PROVIDING SYSTEM PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A SMELL OR A TASTE OF AN OBJECT AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE SMELL OR TASTE
4y 3m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12661555
BALANCE DISORDER REHABILITATION ROBOT BASED ON VIRTUAL AND REAL SCENE FUSION
3y 9m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026
Patent 12665068
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING TREATMENT FOR PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS
3y 1m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026
Patent 12636562
Rodeo Training Device
3y 5m to grant Granted May 26, 2026
Patent 12609045
Dynamically Injecting Security Awareness Training Prompts Into Enterprise User Flows
5y 1m to grant Granted Apr 21, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
28%
Grant Probability
69%
With Interview (+40.4%)
3y 7m (~1y 9m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 106 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month