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 .
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gregg (US 10,147,296).
Regarding claim 1: Gregg discloses a system for detecting falls comprising obtaining, by a mobile device (120), motion data indicating a motion measured by one or more motion sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope) over a first time period, wherein the one or more motion sensors are worn by a user (wearable device, 130); determining, by the mobile device, that the user has fallen based on the motion data; responsive to determining that the user has fallen, generating, by the mobile device, one or more notifications indicating that the user has fallen (col. 2, lines 23-27; col. 2, line 57-col. 3, line 26; col. 4, lines 4-59; col. 6, line 11-col. 8, line 63).
Regarding claim 2: Gregg discloses presenting a first notification to the user indicating that the user has fallen (col. 8, lines 18-63).
Regarding claim 3: Gregg discloses one of a visual message, an audio message, or a haptic message (col. 8, lines 23-40).
Regarding claim 4: Gregg discloses receiving, by the mobile device, an input from the user in response to the first notification, the input indicating a request for assistance by the user; responsive to receiving the input, transmitting a second notification indicating the request for assistance to a communications device remote from the mobile device (col. 8, lines 40-63).
Regarding claim 5: Gregg discloses the communication device is an emergency response system (col. 9, lines 45-54).
Regarding claim 6: Gregg discloses the second notification indicates a location of the mobile device (co. 8, lines 50-54).
Regarding claim 7: Gregg discloses determining, by the mobile device, an absence of movement by the user during a second time period after the user has fallen (the lie state exceeds the threshold); responsive to determining the absence of movement by the user during the second time period, transmitting a second notification indicating a request for assistance to a communications device remote from the mobile device (col. 8, lines 18-63).
Regarding claim 8: Gregg discloses generating the one or more notifications comprises: determining, by the mobile device, that the user has moved during a second time period after the user has fallen; responsive to determining that the user has moved during the second time period, refraining from transmitting a second notification indicating a request for assistance to a communications device remote from the mobile device (col. 7, lines 19-62).
Regarding claim 9: Gregg discloses the notifications are generated according to a state machine (col. 7, line 18-col. 8, line 63).
Regarding claim 10: Gregg discloses one or more motion sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope (col. 3, lines 1-13).
Regarding claim 11: Gregg discloses the mobile device is smart phone (col. 5, lines 54-67). Thus, it is known that some users usually wear the smart phone on or around their waist or on an armband. Therefore, it is the smart phone is a wearable device.
Regarding claim 12: Gregg discloses the determining that the user has fallen comprises determining that the user experienced an impact based on the motion data (col. 7, line 19-col. 8, line 63).
Regarding claim 13: Gregg discloses wherein determining that the user has fallen comprises determining a behavior of the user during the first time period (col. 7, line 19-col. 8, line 63).
Regarding claim 14: See claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 15: See claim 4 above.
Regarding claim 16: See claim 5 above.
Regarding claim 17: See claim 6 above.
Regarding claim 18: See claim 7 above.
Regarding claim 19: See claim 8 above.
Regarding claim 20: Gregg discloses the wearable electronic device is a smart watch (col. 2, lines 57-64).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-Orellano (US 10,485,452) discloses a fall detection and prevention system for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
-Richardson et al. (US 9,704,369) discloses an autonomous fall monitor using an altimeter with opposed sensing ports.
-Cheng et al. (US 11,380,181) discloses a doppler radar system with machine learning applications for fall prediction and detection.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TOAN NGOC PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-2967. The examiner can normally be reached M - F (7 AM - 3:30 PM).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Quan-Zhen Wang can be reached at (571) 272-3114. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TOAN N PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685 12/22/25