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 the Application
Claims 1, 2, 5, 7 and 8 have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on merits. The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 09/23/2024 and 03/10/2026has been acknowledged by the Office.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election without traverse of Group I, Species I (specifically Claims 1, 2, 5, 7 and 8) in the reply filed on 05/27/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 1 and 7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 states (emphasis added): ‘receive operator inputs from a transfer device operator; make decisions about a transfer operation based on inputs received from a transfer device operator and inputs received from the plurality of subsystem controllers;’, however, the second recitation of ‘a transfer device operator’ is suggested to state ‘[[a]] the transfer device operator’ unless there are two separate operators intended or other support can be shown in the specification.
Claim 7 states: ‘the actuators’ however, previous recitation to any form of ‘a/an/a plurality of actuators’ was not stated in Claim 7 or independent Claim 1. Further clarity or proper antecedent basis should be provided to rectify this concern with antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-2 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Rice et al., hereinafter 'Rice' (US 9579243 B2).
In regards to Claim 1, Rice teaches: A transfer device (100 - Fig. 1) comprising: a device body (102 - Fig. 1); a transfer platform supported by the device body (138 - Fig. 2), the transfer platform comprising at least one conveyor belt ([120, 122] - Fig. 16) configured to move an object onto and/or off of the transfer platform (Col 8 Lines 8-22, 'patient'); a plurality of subsystems (130, 132, 134, 134, 136, 136, 519, 519, 521, 523 - Fig. 31), each subsystem configured to implement a function of the transfer device (see annotated Fig. 31.1 from Morbi); a plurality of subsystem controllers (516A, 516B, 512, 514, 518A, 518B, 520, 522, 531A, 531 - Fig. 31, and Col 5 Lines 49-55 and Col 6 Lines 17-40, notably 'The electrical/control system 128 includes but is not limited to the linear actuators (not shown) located in one or more of the vertical lifting columns, the drive motors 130 & 132 in the upper and lower conveyor units 120 & 122, the touch screen display 106, linear actuators 134 coupled to the frame and the conveyor unit assembly 104 for effecting the tilt thereof, actuator motors 136 for the extension and retraction of the wheel base end beams 114, controllers and associated logic for controlling the operation of the various components,'), each subsystem controller configured to control operation of one of the plurality of subsystems (Col 5 Lines 49-58, Col 6 Lines 18-40 and Col 10 Lines 12-28) wherein at least two or more of the plurality of subsystem controllers are located in different regions of the transfer device near to the components of the subsystem controlled by the subsystem controller (Col 5 Lines 48-58, Col 6 lines 29-40; Col 7 lines 9-12; Col 8 lines 15-19), the plurality of subsystem controllers comprising a transfer subsystem controller configured to control at least movement of the transfer platform (Col 6 Lines 24-29: "Each conveyor unit includes separate belts and drive motors. The motors are synced through the controllers of the electrical system to rotate the conveyors at the same linear speed albeit in opposite directions."); and a system processor (502 - Fig. 31) in communication with the plurality of subsystem controllers (Fig. 31), the system processor configured to: monitor and communicate with the plurality of subsystem controllers (Col 10 Lines 12-28); receive operator inputs from a transfer device operator (504, 106; Fig. 31; Col 10 Lines 19-22); make decisions about a transfer operation based on inputs received from a transfer device operator and inputs received from the plurality of subsystem controllers; and send commands to the plurality of subsystem controllers (Col 10 Line 29 - Col 11 Line 12).
In regards to Claim 2, Rice teaches: The transfer device of claim 1, wherein the system processor and the plurality of subsystem controllers are configured to operate together to perform patient transfers automatically without user intervention (Col 7 Lines 54-63).
In regards to Claim 6, Rice teaches: The transfer device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of subsystem controllers comprises a subsystem controller configured to control one or more peripheral subsystems of the transfer device not involved in movement of the transfer platform (512, 130 - Fig. 31).
In regards to Claim 7, Rice teaches: The transfer device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of subsystem controllers comprises a subsystem controller configured to control power delivery to electronic components of the transfer device, including the system processor and the plurality of subsystem controllers, and to the actuators of the transfer device (Col 11 Lines 13-33).
In regards to Claim 8, Rice teaches: The transfer device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of subsystems are configured to implement one or more of (i) transferring an object, (ii) adjusting height and angles of the transfer platform, and/or transporting the transfer device, (iii) controlling peripherals of the transfer device not involved in movement of the transfer platform, (iv) providing device security, and (v) controlling power delivery to electronic components of the distributed control system and to actuators of the transfer device (Col 10 Line 12 - Col 11 Line 12, Fig. 31).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang (US 7484252 B2) teaches: An automatic patient transfer system includes a transporting cart, a supporting frame mounted on the transporting cart in vertically movable manner to adjust a height of the supporting frame, and an endless conveyer platform. The supporting frame includes two spaced apart transverse arms and a supporting bed, having a two-side-accessing ability, slidably mounted between the two transverse arms in a horizontal movable manner, such that the supporting bed is selectively and sidewardly slid with respect to the transporting cart to allow the supporting bed selectively sliding at two opposing sideward directions. The endless conveyer platform is slidably mounted at the supporting bed in loop manner, wherein the conveyer platform is adapted for supporting the patient thereon to selectively load and unload the patient on the supporting bed when the conveyer platform is endlessly rotated at clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADISON MATTHEWS whose telephone number is (571)272-8473. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Justin Mikowski can be reached at (571)-272-8525. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MADISON MATTHEWS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3673
/MADISON MATTHEWS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3673
06/12/2026
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