Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/928,549

CONTROL METHOD FOR A CONVEYOR, CORRESPONDING CONTROL SYSTEM, CONTROL NODE, AND CONTROL END

Non-Final OA §102§112
Filed
Oct 28, 2024
Examiner
JORGENSEN, ABBY A
Art Unit
3651
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Otis Elevator Company
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
72%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 6m
To Grant
89%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 72% — above average
72%
Career Allow Rate
95 granted / 132 resolved
+20.0% vs TC avg
Strong +17% interview lift
Without
With
+17.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
38 currently pending
Career history
170
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
40.4%
+0.4% vs TC avg
§102
36.3%
-3.7% vs TC avg
§112
22.3%
-17.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 132 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §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 . 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 9 and 18 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. Claims 9 and 18 are unclear in the way they are written whether they are independent claims or dependent claims. If they are intended to be independent claims, they should include all the limitations of the claims they are referring to, without reference of another claim. If they are dependent, they should include the same preamble as the independent claim from which they depend. Claims 9 and 18 combine two statutory classes, i.e. method and apparatus, in one claim. The combination of different statutory classes in one claim is improper, 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)(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. (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)(1) as being anticipated by Li (Chinese Patent Application CN 114408717A). Regarding Claim 1, Li teaches "A control method for a conveyor device,(Page 1, lines 14-15: ""The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent control, and in particular, to an escalator control method, device, computer equipment, storage medium and computer program product."") in which the method is executed by a control system comprising a control terminal and one or more control nodes, and the one or more control nodes are communicatively connected with the control terminal, (Page 4, lines 215-233: ""The escalator control method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the application environment shown in FIG. 1 . The fixed monitoring device 102, the movable monitoring device 104, and the escalator controller 106 can all communicate with the terminal 108 through the network. The movable monitoring device can also be integrated on the terminal 108 as a movable intelligent monitoring device. The terminal can remotely receive the image of the monitoring object, and perform remote state analysis, processing and management on the monitoring object. Specifically, the terminal 108 obtains the first image of the monitoring object collected by the fixed monitoring device 102, and the monitoring object includes passengers on the escalator or objects on the escalator or components of the escalator; the first image is input into the preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and the initial image is obtained. State recognition result; when the initial target state recognition result is abnormal, locate the position of the monitoring object, and issue a movement command to the movable monitoring device 104 according to the position of the monitoring object, and the movement command is used to control the movable monitoring device 104 to move to the monitoring object Obtain the second image collected by the movable monitoring device 104; input the second image into the preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and obtain a valid state recognition result; according to the valid state recognition result, push the control instruction to the escalator controller 106 , and then the escalator controller controls the escalator according to the control instruction. The terminal 108 can be, but is not limited to, various personal computers, notebook computers, smart phones, tablet computers, and IoT devices, and the IoT devices can be smart speakers, smart TVs, smart air conditioners, and smart vehicle-mounted devices.")the method comprising: controlling, by the control node that receives an operation signal, a movable device associated with said control node to reach a conveyor device to be controlled, in response to the operation signal sent by the control terminal;(Page 7, lines 364-369: ""For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit."") and determining, by said control node, whether to control the conveyor device to be controlled according to an indication of the operation signal, based on sensed data from a sensing device regarding condition of objects on the conveyor device to be controlled.(Page 9, lines 489-500: ""In an optional embodiment, the monitoring object is the passenger on the escalator or the object on the escalator; the valid state recognition result is the abnormal recognition result of the passenger or the object, and the push module 412 is further configured to push the stop instruction to The escalator controller; or, according to the recognition result of the crowded state of passengers, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or, according to the recognition result of the passenger's head, hands, and torso exceeding the escalator handrail area, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or , according to the identification result of the escalator being stuck in the escalator, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or, according to the recognition result of the passenger's retrograde state, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or, according to the identification results of special objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs, Push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or, according to the recognition result of the passenger's inconvenience state, push the voice reminder information to the escalator controller."). Regarding Claim 2, Li teaches the control method according to claim 1, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein determining, by the control node, whether to control the conveyor device to be controlled according to the indication of the operation signal based on the sensed data from the sensing device, comprises: determining whether there are objects on the conveyor device to be controlled; and controlling the conveyor device to be controlled according to the indication of the operation signal if there is no object on the conveyor device to be controlled.(Page 7, lines 364-369: "For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 3, Li teaches the control method according to claim 2, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the method further comprises: continuously determining whether there are objects on the conveyor device to be controlled within a preset duration based on the sensed data from the sensing device, if it is determined that there are objects on the conveyor device to be controlled; generating and sending a feedback signal indicating that the conveyor device to be controlled is not controlled according to the indication of the operation signal, if there are always objects on the conveyor device within the preset duration; or controlling the conveyor device to be controlled according to the indication of the operation signal, when a condition of no object on the conveyor device occurs within the preset duration.(Pages 6-7, lines 350-369: "Specifically, when the terminal 108 detects that the monitoring object is a passenger on the escalator, it determines the state type of the passenger or object, and then accurately determines the abnormal state of the passenger according to the recognition model. When it is recognized that the passenger falls, it generates a stop instruction and pushes it to the escalator control When it is recognized that the passengers on the escalator are crowded, that is, the number of passengers on the escalator exceeds the preset number of passengers, a deceleration command is generated and sent to the escalator controller, and a voice reminder message not to be crowded can also be pushed to the escalator controller. ; When it is recognized that the passenger's head, hands, and torso are beyond the escalator handrail area, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; when it is detected that there are items left on the escalator, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; When it is detected that the passenger is running backwards Push the speed control command to the escalator controller when it is detected; push the speed control command to the escalator controller according to the recognition results of special objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs; when it is recognized that the passenger is inconvenient, push the voice guidance information to the escalator controller. For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 4, Li teaches the control method according to claim 1, as seen above. Li further teaches the method further comprising: controlling a voice device to output voice to prompt the objects to leave or not enter the conveyor device to be controlled.(Pages 6-7, lines 350-369: "Specifically, when the terminal 108 detects that the monitoring object is a passenger on the escalator, it determines the state type of the passenger or object, and then accurately determines the abnormal state of the passenger according to the recognition model. When it is recognized that the passenger falls, it generates a stop instruction and pushes it to the escalator control When it is recognized that the passengers on the escalator are crowded, that is, the number of passengers on the escalator exceeds the preset number of passengers, a deceleration command is generated and sent to the escalator controller, and a voice reminder message not to be crowded can also be pushed to the escalator controller. ; When it is recognized that the passenger's head, hands, and torso are beyond the escalator handrail area, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; when it is detected that there are items left on the escalator, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; When it is detected that the passenger is running backwards Push the speed control command to the escalator controller when it is detected; push the speed control command to the escalator controller according to the recognition results of special objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs; when it is recognized that the passenger is inconvenient, push the voice guidance information to the escalator controller. For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 5, Li teaches the control method according to claim 1, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the method further comprises: sending, by the control terminal, an operation signal to a control node managing the conveyor device to be controlled and associated with a movable device which is located on a floor of a building where the lower landing of said conveyor device is located, if the conveyor device to be controlled is an up-going conveyor device; and sending, by the control terminal, an operation signal to a control node managing the conveyor device to be controlled and associated with a movable device which is located on a floor of a building where the upper landing of said conveyor device is located, if the conveyor device to be controlled is a down-going conveyor device.(Page 10, lines 588-593: "In one embodiment, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer program: inputting the second image into a preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and before obtaining a valid state identification result, further comprising: when it is detected that the second image is an occlusion image At the time, the moving direction is determined according to the position of the movable monitoring device, and the movable monitoring device is controlled to move; and the second image collected by the movable monitoring device is returned to be acquired.") Regarding Claim 6, Li teaches the control method according to claim 1, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the method further comprises: determining, by the control node, whether the conveyor device to be controlled according to the indication of the operation signal is up-going or down-going based on the sensed data from the sensing device regarding the operation condition of the conveyor device to be controlled; (Page 10, lines 588-593: "In one embodiment, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer program: inputting the second image into a preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and before obtaining a valid state identification result, further comprising: when it is detected that the second image is an occlusion image At the time, the moving direction is determined according to the position of the movable monitoring device, and the movable monitoring device is controlled to move; and the second image collected by the movable monitoring device is returned to be acquired.")controlling the movable device to reach the lower landing of the conveyor device to be controlled, if it is determined to be up-going; controlling the movable device to reach the upper landing of the conveyor device to be controlled, if it is determined to be down-going.(Pages 5-6, lines 296-309: "Specifically, the second image is input into a recognition model corresponding to the safety state of the passengers on the escalator or the running state of the components of the escalator, and further state recognition is performed to obtain an effective state recognition result. Among them, the state of the passengers on the escalator may include the state of passengers falling, the state of crowded passengers, the inconvenience of the passengers, etc., and the running states of the components of the escalator include abnormalities such as missing and damaged components. The components of the escalator include floor slabs, skirts, steps, railings, handrails, etc. outside the escalator, as well as the main engine, sprockets, fans, etc. inside the escalator. Monitor whether the external and internal components of the escalator are missing and whether they are running normally. Realize the monitoring of escalator equipment. The running status of the passengers or objects on the escalator can be the shape, running track, speed, temperature, sound and other status information of the passengers or objects, and the shape, running track, speed, temperature, sound and other information of the passengers or objects can be collected by the mobile monitoring device , the preset escalator safety monitoring model identifies various types of information, and then more accurately identifies the effective identification state of the monitoring object according to various types of information.", wherein a running status could easily be the direction of travel) Regarding Claim 7, Li teaches the control method according to claim 1, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the movable device is a robot.(Page 7, lines 364-369: "For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 8, Li teaches the control method according to claim 7, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein each of the control nodes is disposed at the robot.(Page 7, lines 364-369: "For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 20, Li teaches the control method according to claim 1, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the conveyor device is an escalator or a moving walk.(Page 1, lines 14-15: "The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent control, and in particular, to an escalator control method, device, computer equipment, storage medium and computer program product.") Regarding Claim 9, Li discloses "A control system for a conveyor device, comprising: a control terminal; one or more control nodes, each of the control nodes being communicatively connected with the control terminal, and each of the control nodes being associated with a movable device, (Page 4, lines 215-233: ""The escalator control method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the application environment shown in FIG. 1 . The fixed monitoring device 102, the movable monitoring device 104, and the escalator controller 106 can all communicate with the terminal 108 through the network. The movable monitoring device can also be integrated on the terminal 108 as a movable intelligent monitoring device. The terminal can remotely receive the image of the monitoring object, and perform remote state analysis, processing and management on the monitoring object. Specifically, the terminal 108 obtains the first image of the monitoring object collected by the fixed monitoring device 102, and the monitoring object includes passengers on the escalator or objects on the escalator or components of the escalator; the first image is input into the preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and the initial image is obtained. State recognition result; when the initial target state recognition result is abnormal, locate the position of the monitoring object, and issue a movement command to the movable monitoring device 104 according to the position of the monitoring object, and the movement command is used to control the movable monitoring device 104 to move to the monitoring object Obtain the second image collected by the movable monitoring device 104; input the second image into the preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and obtain a valid state recognition result; according to the valid state recognition result, push the control instruction to the escalator controller 106 , and then the escalator controller controls the escalator according to the control instruction. The terminal 108 can be, but is not limited to, various personal computers, notebook computers, smart phones, tablet computers, and IoT devices, and the IoT devices can be smart speakers, smart TVs, smart air conditioners, and smart vehicle-mounted devices.")where the associated movable device manages more than one conveyor device under control of the control node;(Page 9, line 520-523: ""Each module in the above-mentioned escalator control device can be realized in whole or in part by software, hardware and combinations thereof. The above modules can be embedded in or independent of the processor in the computer device in the form of hardware, or stored in the memory in the computer device in the form of software, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to the above modules."", wherein the control device would be able to manage other conveyor devices by moving the software/hardware to other conveyors) a sensing device for sensing objects on the conveyor device and an operation condition of the conveyor device, where the data sensed by the sensing device is obtainable by one of the control nodes; and a voice device that outputs voice under the control of the one or more control nodes;(Page 9, lines 489-500: ""In an optional embodiment, the monitoring object is the passenger on the escalator or the object on the escalator; the valid state recognition result is the abnormal recognition result of the passenger or the object, and the push module 412 is further configured to push the stop instruction to The escalator controller; or, according to the recognition result of the crowded state of passengers, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or, according to the recognition result of the passenger's head, hands, and torso exceeding the escalator handrail area, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or , according to the identification result of the escalator being stuck in the escalator, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or, according to the recognition result of the passenger's retrograde state, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or, according to the identification results of special objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs, Push the speed control command to the escalator controller; or, according to the recognition result of the passenger's inconvenience state, push the voice reminder information to the escalator controller."") wherein, the control system is configured to execute the control method according to claim 1, as seen above.(Pages 6-7, lines 350-369: ""Specifically, when the terminal 108 detects that the monitoring object is a passenger on the escalator, it determines the state type of the passenger or object, and then accurately determines the abnormal state of the passenger according to the recognition model. When it is recognized that the passenger falls, it generates a stop instruction and pushes it to the escalator control When it is recognized that the passengers on the escalator are crowded, that is, the number of passengers on the escalator exceeds the preset number of passengers, a deceleration command is generated and sent to the escalator controller, and a voice reminder message not to be crowded can also be pushed to the escalator controller. ; When it is recognized that the passenger's head, hands, and torso are beyond the escalator handrail area, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; when it is detected that there are items left on the escalator, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; When it is detected that the passenger is running backwards Push the speed control command to the escalator controller when it is detected; push the speed control command to the escalator controller according to the recognition results of special objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs; when it is recognized that the passenger is inconvenient, push the voice guidance information to the escalator controller. For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit."")" Regarding Claim 10, Li teaches the control system according to claim 9, as seen above. Li further discloses wherein the movable device is a robot, and the sensing device and the voice device are respectively implemented by a sensing system and a voice system of the robot.(Page 7, lines 364-369: "For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 11, Li teaches the control system according to claim 9, as seen above. Li further discloses wherein the control node is arranged on the movable device associated with it.(Page 4, lines 215-219: "The escalator control method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the application environment shown in FIG. 1 . The fixed monitoring device 102, the movable monitoring device 104, and the escalator controller 106 can all communicate with the terminal 108 through the network. The movable monitoring device can also be integrated on the terminal 108 as a movable intelligent monitoring device. "). Regarding Claim 12, Li teaches A control node for controlling a conveyor device, comprising: a communication unit configured to receive an operation signal for controlling the conveyor device and to transmit a signal; a control unit configured to determine a conveyor device to be controlled based on the operation signal, control a movable device associated with the control node to reach the conveyor device to be controlled, and determine whether to control the conveyor device to be controlled according to an indication of the operation signal based on sensed data from a sensing device indicating the condition of objects on the conveyor device to be controlled sensed by the sensing device.(Page 4, lines 215-233: ""The escalator control method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the application environment shown in FIG. 1 . The fixed monitoring device 102, the movable monitoring device 104, and the escalator controller 106 can all communicate with the terminal 108 through the network. The movable monitoring device can also be integrated on the terminal 108 as a movable intelligent monitoring device. The terminal can remotely receive the image of the monitoring object, and perform remote state analysis, processing and management on the monitoring object. Specifically, the terminal 108 obtains the first image of the monitoring object collected by the fixed monitoring device 102, and the monitoring object includes passengers on the escalator or objects on the escalator or components of the escalator; the first image is input into the preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and the initial image is obtained. State recognition result; when the initial target state recognition result is abnormal, locate the position of the monitoring object, and issue a movement command to the movable monitoring device 104 according to the position of the monitoring object, and the movement command is used to control the movable monitoring device 104 to move to the monitoring object Obtain the second image collected by the movable monitoring device 104; input the second image into the preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and obtain a valid state recognition result; according to the valid state recognition result, push the control instruction to the escalator controller 106 , and then the escalator controller controls the escalator according to the control instruction. The terminal 108 can be, but is not limited to, various personal computers, notebook computers, smart phones, tablet computers, and IoT devices, and the IoT devices can be smart speakers, smart TVs, smart air conditioners, and smart vehicle-mounted devices."). Regarding Claim 13, Li teaches the control node according to claim 12, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether to control the conveyor device to be controlled according to the indication of the operation signal by: determining whether there are objects on the conveyor device to be controlled based on the sensed data; controlling the conveyor device to be controlled according to the indication of the operation signal, if there is no object on the conveyor device to be controlled.(Page 7, lines 364-369: "For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 14, Li teaches the control node according to claim 13, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to: continuously determine whether there are objects on the conveyor device to be controlled within a preset duration based on the sensed data, if it is determined that there are objects on the conveyor device to be controlled; generate and send a feedback signal indicating that the conveyor device to be controlled is not controlled according to the indication of the operation signal, if there are always objects on the conveyor device within the preset duration; or control the conveyor device to be controlled according to the indication of the operation signal, when a condition of no object on the conveyor device occurs within the preset duration.(Pages 6-7, lines 350-369: "Specifically, when the terminal 108 detects that the monitoring object is a passenger on the escalator, it determines the state type of the passenger or object, and then accurately determines the abnormal state of the passenger according to the recognition model. When it is recognized that the passenger falls, it generates a stop instruction and pushes it to the escalator control When it is recognized that the passengers on the escalator are crowded, that is, the number of passengers on the escalator exceeds the preset number of passengers, a deceleration command is generated and sent to the escalator controller, and a voice reminder message not to be crowded can also be pushed to the escalator controller. ; When it is recognized that the passenger's head, hands, and torso are beyond the escalator handrail area, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; when it is detected that there are items left on the escalator, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; When it is detected that the passenger is running backwards Push the speed control command to the escalator controller when it is detected; push the speed control command to the escalator controller according to the recognition results of special objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs; when it is recognized that the passenger is inconvenient, push the voice guidance information to the escalator controller. For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 15, Li teaches the control node according to claim 12, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to: control a voice device to output voice to prompt the objects to leave or not enter the conveyor device, before determining whether to control the conveyor device to be controlled according to the indication of the operation signal based on the sensed data.(Pages 6-7, lines 350-369: "Specifically, when the terminal 108 detects that the monitoring object is a passenger on the escalator, it determines the state type of the passenger or object, and then accurately determines the abnormal state of the passenger according to the recognition model. When it is recognized that the passenger falls, it generates a stop instruction and pushes it to the escalator control When it is recognized that the passengers on the escalator are crowded, that is, the number of passengers on the escalator exceeds the preset number of passengers, a deceleration command is generated and sent to the escalator controller, and a voice reminder message not to be crowded can also be pushed to the escalator controller. ; When it is recognized that the passenger's head, hands, and torso are beyond the escalator handrail area, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; when it is detected that there are items left on the escalator, push the speed control command to the escalator controller; When it is detected that the passenger is running backwards Push the speed control command to the escalator controller when it is detected; push the speed control command to the escalator controller according to the recognition results of special objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs; when it is recognized that the passenger is inconvenient, push the voice guidance information to the escalator controller. For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 16, Li teaches the control node according to claim 12, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the movable device is a robot.(Page 7, lines 364-369: "For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 17, Li teaches the control node according to claim 12, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the control node is arranged on the movable device associated with it, and the sensing device and the voice device are arranged on said movable device.(Page 7, lines 364-369: "For example, when the terminal is integrated with the mobile monitoring device to form an AI control device, and there is a baby stroller, a wheelchair, or a slow-moving person, the AI intelligent recognition module can move to the front of the escalator floor in advance for voice interaction and voice interaction. Remind passengers to take the straight elevator in other positions, or guide passengers to take the escalator by voice, control the escalator to stop or run slowly until the passengers enter, and then slowly accelerate to transport the passengers to the exit.") Regarding Claim 18, Li teaches A control terminal, wherein the control terminal is configured to communicatively connected with one or more control nodes, where each of the control nodes is the control node according to claim 12, as seen above, and further teaches the control terminal comprising: a memory for storing corresponding relationships between control nodes and managed conveyor devices; a controller configured to generate operation signals for controlling the conveyor devices according to control needs; and a communication unit configured to send the operation signals to the control nodes and to receive feedback signals from respective control nodes.(Page 9, line 525-538: "In one embodiment, a computer device is provided, and the computer device may be a terminal, and its internal structure diagram may be as shown in FIG. 5 . The computer equipment includes a processor, memory, a communication interface, a display screen, and an input device connected by a system bus. Among them, the processor of the computer device is used to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the computer device includes a non-volatile storage medium, an internal memory. The nonvolatile storage medium stores an operating system and a computer program. The internal memory provides an environment for the execution of the operating system and computer programs in the non-volatile storage medium. The communication interface of the computer equipment is used for wired or wireless communication with an external terminal, and the wireless communication can be realized by WIFI, mobile cellular network, NFC (Near Field Communication) or other technologies. The computer program implements an escalator control method when executed by the processor. The display screen of the computer equipment may be a liquid crystal display screen or an electronic ink display screen, and the input device of the computer equipment may be a touch layer covered on the display screen, or a button, a trackball or a touchpad set on the shell of the computer equipment , or an external keyboard, trackpad, or mouse.") Regarding Claim 19, Li teaches the control terminal according to claim 18, as seen above. Li further teaches wherein the control terminal is further configured to: send an operation signal to a control node managing the conveyor device to be controlled and associated with a movable device which is located on a floor of a building where the lower landing of said conveyor device is located, if the conveyor device to be controlled is an up-going conveyor device; and send an operation signal to a control node managing the conveyor device to be controlled and associated with a movable device which is located on a floor of a building where the upper landing of said conveyor device is located, if the conveyor device to be controlled is a down-going conveyor device.(Page 10, lines 588-593: "In one embodiment, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer program: inputting the second image into a preset escalator safety monitoring model for identification, and before obtaining a valid state identification result, further comprising: when it is detected that the second image is an occlusion image At the time, the moving direction is determined according to the position of the movable monitoring device, and the movable monitoring device is controlled to move; and the second image collected by the movable monitoring device is returned to be acquired.") Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. United States Patent Application Publication US 2019/0369622 A1 (Kim, Nakyeong): Kim discloses a similar mobile robot for a moving walkway comprising a mobile robot, walkway, and ability to control the robot and walkway based on communication by the robot, as seen in Figure 5. United States Patent Application Publication US 2024/0069555 A1 (Hong, Hyunkl): Hong discloses a similar method of controlling an escalator comprising a robot, a sensor, a driver, a memory and processor, wherein the processor executes the directions to control the robot and escalator, as seen in Figure 3. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABBY ALLURA JORGENSEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7124. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5:30. 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, Gene Crawford can be reached at (571) 272-6911. 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. /ABBY A JORGENSEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3651 /GENE O CRAWFORD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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Prosecution Timeline

Oct 28, 2024
Application Filed
Mar 21, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §112 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
72%
Grant Probability
89%
With Interview (+17.2%)
2y 6m
Median Time to Grant
Low
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