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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: In the opening paragraph, the priority information should be set forth.
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 20-39 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 claim 20, line 12, it is unclear whether the device includes an air cell or not, as it is not positively recited.
In claim 20, line 16, it is unclear which of ‘the length and the angle’ are being referred to, as there is prior recitation to length and angle of the one unit and of the other unit.
In claim 22, line 3, it is unclear which ‘the leg massage unit’ is being referred to.
In claim 24, line 2, ‘the body massage unit’ lacks antecedence.
In claim 24, lines 2-3, it is unclear which ‘the leg massage unit’ is being referred to.
In claim 28, it is unclear whether all instances of ‘the other leg massage unit’ should instead be ‘the one leg massage unit’.
In claim 30, ‘the body massage unit’ lacks antecedence.
In claim 31, line 2, it is unclear which ‘the air cells’ are being referred to.
In claim 34, line 2, it is unclear which ‘the angle’ is being referred to.
In claim 35, line 3, it is unclear which ‘the length and the angle’ is being referred to.
In claim 37, line 4, it is unclear which ‘the leg massage unit’ is being referred to.
In claim 38, line 3, it is unclear which ‘the length and the angle’ is being referred to.
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 20-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chul et al (KR 102134994 -cited by applicant).
Re claim 20: Chul discloses a massage device massaging a body of a user and controlled by a controller, comprising:
a plurality of leg massage units that massage legs of the user, wherein one leg massage unit of the plurality of leg massage units is controlled in at least one of a length and a angle by the controller, and the other leg massage unit of the plurality of leg massage units is controlled in at least one of a length and a angle differently from the one leg massage unit by the controller (figures 2-5, 0067, 0081, 0084; see the first leg unit 310 and the second leg unit 320 that are independently driven at different angles and lengths), and
an operation of controlling, by the controller, the plurality of leg massage units differently includes at least one of following operations: fixing at least one of the length and the angle of the one leg massage unit and adjusting at least one of the length and the angle of the other massage unit; when the massage device includes an air cell that massages or fixes the body of the user, controlling the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit in conjunction with the air cell; or controlling the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit in an opposite manner to each other in at least one of the length and the angle (figures 2-5, 0067, 0081, 0084, 0092; see the first leg unit 310 and the second leg unit 320 that are independently driven at different angles and lengths, which includes one unit being fixed while the other is adjusted and wherein the units are controlled in conjunction with air cells).
Re claim 21: The device, further comprising: a leg connection frame, wherein the one leg massage unit is rotatably connected to the leg connection frame, and the other leg massage unit is connected to the leg connection frame separately from the one leg massage unit and is individually rotatably provided with the one leg massage unit (figures 2-5, 9, , 0052, 0067, 0081, 0084; see the first leg unit 310 and the second leg unit 320 that are independently driven at different angles and lengths, wherein one unit rotates relative to a connection frame 1000, 1110).
Re claim 22: The device includes a center support bracket that is provided on the leg connection frame and supports inner sides of the one leg massage unit and the leg massage unit; and a side support bracket that is provided on the leg connection frame and supports outer sides of the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit (figures 2-5, 9, 0052-0054; see the frame and supporting brackets).
Re claims 23-25: The device includes one leg massage unit includes a first center bushing that is coupled to the center support bracket and a first side bushing that is coupled to the side support bracket, and the other leg massage unit includes a second center bushing that is coupled to the center support bracket and a second side bushing that is coupled to the side support brackets, and a shaft that is coupled to one side of the body massage unit and connected to the leg massage unit, wherein the shaft includes: a first shaft that is coupled to the one leg massage unit; and a second shaft that is coupled to the other leg massage unit, wherein the first center bushing is coupled to one side of the first shaft, and the first side bushing is coupled to the other side of the first shaft, and the second center bushing is coupled to one side of the second shaft, and the second side bushing is coupled to the other side of the second shaft (figures 2-5, 9, 0052-0054; see the frame with shafts and supporting brackets that includes bushings and gears coupled to the brackets).
Re claim 26: The center support bracket includes: a center fixing member that is connected to the leg connection frame and provided with a center bushing receiving groove; and a center rotation member that is rotatably provided on the center fixing member and provided with a center bushing fixing groove at a portion corresponding to the center bushing receiving groove, and the side support bracket includes: a side fixing member that is connected to the leg connection frame and provided with a side bushing receiving groove; and a side rotation member that is rotatably provided on the side fixing member and provided with a side bushing fixing groove at a portion corresponding to the side bushing receiving groove (figures 2-5, 9, 0010, 0011, 0052-0054; see the frame with shafts and supporting brackets that includes bushings and gears coupled to the brackets, and see the first and second upper modules that provide for fixing members).
Re claim 27: The device includes a first center support rib for preventing separation from the center support bracket is provided to protrude outward in a radial direction on an outer peripheral surface of the first center bushing, a first side support rib for preventing separation from the side support bracket is provided to protrude outward in a radial direction on an outer peripheral surface of the first side bushing, a second center support rib for preventing the separation from the center support bracket is provided to protrude outward in a radial direction on an outer peripheral surface of the second center bushing, and a second side support rib for preventing the separation from the side support bracket is provided to protrude outward in a radial direction on an outer peripheral surface of the second side bushing (figures 2-5, 9, 0052-0054; see the frame with shafts and supporting brackets that includes side support ribs to prevent separation).
Re claims 28, 29: When the controller adjusts at least one of the length and the angle of the other leg massage unit, the controller increases the length of the other leg massage unit and then tilts the other leg massage unit upward or downward to adjust the angle of the other leg massage unit; and when the controller fixes at least one of the length and the angle of the one leg massage unit and adjusts at least one of the length and the angle of the other leg massage unit differently from the one leg massage unit, the controller performs at least one of following operations: adjusting the length of the other leg massage unit while fixing the length of the one leg massage unit; adjusting the angle of the other leg massage unit while fixing the angle of the one leg massage unit; adjusting the angle of the other leg massage unit while fixing the length of the one leg massage unit; or adjusting the length of the other leg massage unit while fixing the angle of the one leg massage unit (figures 2-5, 0067, 0081, 0084, 0092; see the first leg unit 310 and the second leg unit 320 that are independently driven at different angles and lengths, which includes one unit being fixed while the other is adjusted).
Re claims 30, 31: The body massage unit includes a first body air cell that is disposed on one side of the body massage unit to massage one side of the body of the user, and a second body air cell that is disposed on the other side of the body massage unit to massage the other side of the body of the user, wherein, when the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit are controlled in conjunction with the air cells, the controller controls at least one of the length and the angle of the one leg massage unit in conjunction with at least one of the first and second body air cells, and controls at least one of the length and the angle of the other leg massage unit in conjunction with at least one of the first and second body air cells figures 2-5, 0067, 0081, 0084, 0092; see the first leg unit 310 and the second leg unit 320 that are independently driven at different angles and lengths, which includes one unit being fixed while the other is adjusted and wherein the units are controlled in conjunction with air cells).
Re claim 32: The first body air cell includes at least one of: a first back air cell that is disposed in an area corresponding to one side of a back of the user and massages the one side of the back; a first pelvis air cell that is disposed in an area corresponding to one side of a pelvis of the user and massages the one side of the pelvis; a first shoulder air cell that is disposed in an area corresponding to one side of a shoulder of the user and massages the one side of the shoulder; or a first thigh air cell that is disposed in an area corresponding to a thigh of one leg and massages the thigh of the one leg; and the second body air cell includes at least one of: a second back air cell that is disposed in an area corresponding to the other side of the back of the user and massages the other side of the back; a second pelvis air cell that is disposed in an area corresponding to the other side of the pelvis of the user and massages the other side of the pelvis; a second shoulder air cell that is disposed in an area corresponding to the other side of the shoulder of the user and massages the other side of the shoulder; or a second thigh air cell that is disposed in an area corresponding to a thigh of the other leg of the user and massages the thigh of the other leg (figures 2-5, 0040, 0067, 0081, 0084, 0092; see the first leg unit 310 and the second leg unit 320 that are independently driven at different angles and lengths, and see the air cells).
Re claims 33-38: The controller controls the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit in an opposite manner to each other in the length, the controller decreases the length of the other leg massage unit while increasing the length of the one leg massage unit, or increases the length of the other leg massage unit while decreasing the length of the one leg massage unit, wherein, when the controller controls the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit in an opposite manner to each other in the angle, the controller tilts the angle of the other leg massage unit downward while tilting the angle of the one leg massage unit upward, or tilts the angle of the other leg massage unit upward while tilting the angle of the one leg massage unit downward, wherein, when the controller controls the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit in an opposite manner to each other in at least one of the length and the angle, the controller performs at least one of following operations of: decreasing the length of the other leg massage unit and tilting the angle of the other leg massage unit upward while increasing the length of the one leg massage unit and tilting the angle of the one leg massage unit downward, tilting the angle of the one leg massage unit upward while decreasing the length of the one leg massage unit and tilting the angle of the other leg massage unit downward while increasing the length of the other leg massage unit, tilting the angle of the one leg massage unit upward while increasing the length of the one leg massage unit and tilting the angle of the other leg massage unit downward while decreasing the length of the other leg massage unit, or tilting the angle of the one leg massage unit downward while decreasing the length of the one leg massage unit and tilting the angle of the other leg massage unit upward while increasing the length of the other leg massage unit, , wherein the controller adjusts the length of at least one of the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit while tilting the angle of at least one of the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit, wherein the controller decreases the length of the one leg massage unit and tilts the angle of the one leg massage unit upward, relative to the other leg massage unit, or increases the length of the one leg massage unit and tilts the angle of the one leg massage unit downward, relative to the leg massage unit and, wherein, when the controller controls the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit in an opposite manner to each other in at least one of the length and the angle, at least one air cell included in the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit is expanded to fix or massage the legs of the user received in the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit. (figures 2-5, 0067, 0081, 0084; see the first leg unit 310 and the second leg unit 320 that are independently driven at different tilting angles and increasing and decreasing lengths).
Re claim 39: The device further comprising: a leg length measuring sensor that measures the length of the legs of the user, wherein, when the controller adjusts the angle of at least one of the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit, the controller determines an angle adjustment value of the one leg massage unit and the other leg massage unit based on the measured length of the legs of the user [0012; see the sensing module for measuring the length of a seated user provided in the first and second leg units).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL T ROZANSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-1648. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00-4:00.
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/MICHAEL T ROZANSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3797
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