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 Office Action is in response to the application filed on December 12, 2024. Claims 1 has been cancelled. Claims 2-21 have been newly added. Thus, claims 2-21 are pending. Claim 2 is independent.
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.
(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 2, 4-10, 12 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated CN118753135A by Li.
Claims 2, 4-10, 12 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li.
With respect to independent claim 2, Li discloses a base attachable to a vehicle seat (see page 2: a child safety seat with intelligent control, and specifically discloses that the child safety seat system includes a seat body part and a base part, wherein a rotation mechanism is arranged on the base); and
a car seat housing rotatably coupled to the base (see page 2: the seat body has relative rotation relative to the base),
wherein the car seat housing is configured to rotate toward a car door without detachment from the base, to facilitate placing a child into and removing a child from the car seat housing (see page 2: when the door is opened, the seat body automatically rotates toward the door opened on the child safety seat side, which is convenient for placing the child.).
With respect to dependent claim 4, Li discloses wherein the car seat housing is configured to rotate 360 degrees on the base (see page 2: a drive system through a rotating drive mechanism set on the base and a driven gear installed on the turntable assembly, and uses a driving gear motor to drive the driving gear, and the driving gear drives the driven gear to drive the seat body to achieve 360° rotation ).
With respect to dependent claim 5, Li discloses wherein the rotation is motorized (see page 2: a drive system through a rotating drive mechanism set on the base and a driven gear installed on the turntable assembly, and uses a driving gear motor to drive the driving gear).
With respect to dependent claim 6, Li discloses wherein the motorized rotation is controlled by an external device (see page 3: the operation of the seat body rotation function is realized by a control button on an operating module installed on the seat body. the operating module can be made into a button form, a touch screen form, or an independent remote control form, so that the rotation function can be controlled away from the child safety seat.).
With respect to dependent claim 7, Li discloses wherein the external device is a mobile phone (see page 3: the control of the child safety seat control module can also be controlled by a mobile phone APP.).
With respect to dependent claim 8, Li discloses wherein the car seat housing is configured to automatically rotate upon the detection of an adjacent car door being opened (see page 3: controls the seat body to automatically turn to the opened door).
With respect to dependent claim 9, Li discloses a locking mechanism to lock the car seat housing in a rotated position (see page 3: When the child's body part interferes with the car seat during the rotation process, the driving gear motor is blocked and the backrest body stops rotating, which will not cause harm to the child, so as to ensure the safety of the child.).
With respect to dependent claim 10, Li discloses wherein the rotation is performed by a manual maneuver (see : when it is detected that there is a child on the seat body, the rotating mechanism is controlled to cut off the power, and the seat body is rotated by manual adjustment.).
With respect to dependent claim 12, Li discloses a power source for powering the rotation (see page 2: The motor needs three-stage transmission to transmit power to the gear ring that drives the seat body to rotate.); and
a communication module for receiving commands for rotation (see page 3: the control of the child safety seat control module can also be controlled by a mobile phone APP. The instructions of the mobile phone APP are transmitted to the Bluetooth signal receiver of the control module via Bluetooth signals, and the control module then performs corresponding operations.).
With respect to dependent claim 14, Li discloses a communication module and a plurality of sensors placed within the car seat housing, the plurality of sensors configured to monitor a condition of a child placed therein (see page 2: Another concept of the invention is that a second sensing device is provided on the seat body, and the second sensing device is used to sense the empty seat status of the seat body. When the seat body is detected to be empty, the seat body can automatically turn.).
With respect to dependent claim 15, Li discloses wherein the communication module is configured to establish a bi-directional wireless connection with an external mobile device or an automobile's navigation system (see page 4: The operating module 3 transmits the command to the control module 14 through wireless control, and the control module 14 then transmits the command to the driving gear motor 12. The operating module 3 can be in the form of a button or a touch screen. At the same time, the control module 14 can also be controlled by a mobile phone APP and an independent remote control.).
With respect to dependent claim 16, Li discloses wherein the condition of the child includes at least one of a child's presence, a seat belt buckling status, a child's temperature, or a child's metrics (see page 2: Another concept of the invention is that a second sensing device is provided on the seat body, and the second sensing device is used to sense the empty seat status of the seat body. When the seat body is detected to be empty, the seat body can automatically turn.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 3 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of U.S. Patent No. 7,073,859 to Wilson.
With respect to dependent claim 3, Li discloses the seat body rotates 360 degrees. Li does not explicitly disclose the car seat housing is configured to be rotated to at least a 90-degree angle from a forward-facing position.
Wilson discloses a turntable 22 to which the seat body 10 is attached, allows the seat body 10 to be rotated 90 degrees to face the car door to facilitate positioning the child in the seat or to make it easier to grasp and maneuver the separable child carrier with the child in it. FIG. 3 illustrates the seat body 10 rotated in the 90 degree position for entrance into or exit from the vehicle. (See col. 3, lines 40-46).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the rotatable child seat of Li to include 90 degree rotation toward a door of Wilson in order to make it easier to load and unload a child ensuring a door facing rotation that locks.
With respect to dependent claim 11, Li does not explicitly teach the manual maneuver includes moving a lever.
Wilson discloses a turntable release 26 that includes a lever 44 pivotably attached by pivot pin 58 to lever support 56 on base bottom 25. Lever 44 is biased in an upward position by spring 54 which sits on spring base 52. (See col. 5, lines 27-30)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the rotatable child seat of Li to include a manual lever of Wilson in order to provide a lock-releasing lever that engage openings to lock the seat to allow manual rotation while securing the child seat.
Claims 13 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li and CN110723037A to Yu.
With respect to dependent claim 13, Li does not explicitly disclose wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery pack.
Yu discloses the battery module (1) is a dry battery or/and a rechargeable battery, and when the rechargeable battery is connected to an external power supply through the USB/TYPE C interface (18), the battery module (1) is automatically switched to the rechargeable battery for power supply. (See page 3).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the rotatable car seat with a power source of Li to control mechanical functions with a rechargeable battery pack of Yu to continuously power the electronics of the seat while the vehicle is powered off.
With respect to dependent claim 17, Li does not explicitly teach wherein the car seat system is configured to send an automated alert to an external device upon the detection of a change in the condition of the child.
Yu discloses the user's mobile phone transmits the child safety seat status information to the built-in memory of the mobile phone for storage; or, the user's mobile phone transmits the child safety seat status information to the mobile phone display screen for display; or, the user's mobile phone transmits the alarm signal to the built-in speaker and vibration unit of the mobile phone. (See page 5).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the rotatable car seat with a power source of Li to control mechanical functions with a communication module for the child seat of Yu to provide automated alerts or notifications when certain conditions change and allow awareness of risk and dangerous environments.
Claims 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li and U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0275202 to Wato.
With respect to dependent claim 18, Li does not explicitly teach wherein the automated alert includes a notification that the car seat housing is in a wet condition or that a specific odor is detected.
Wato discloses that if the human body detection capacity Ch is smaller than the adult/wetness threshold A/W_TH (No at step S55), it determines that the seat 9 is wet and vacant or occupied by a child with a child seat (S58). It performs passive safety system control appropriated for the vacant seat or a child in a child seat and activates the alarm unit 4 (S59). (See paragraph [0090]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the rotatable car seat of Li with a sensor array that includes temperature and humidity sensors of Wato in order to effectively monitor environmental conditions and cause the child seat’s communication module to provide notifications based on a notification logic threshold from the sensors.
Claims 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/0286354 to Bloom.
With respect to dependent 19, Li does not explicitly teach a Global Positioning Sensor (GPS) configured to provide real-time location coordinates of the car seat system to an authorized user via a mobile application.
Bloom discloses The monitoring device includes mobile camera, modem device, global positioning system (GPS) module and plurality of sensors. The mobile camera is configured to capture and transmit live video stream to continuously track and monitor activities of child held in child holding object. The GPS module determines location information of the monitoring device mounted on child holding object by determining GPS coordinates of monitoring device. The plurality of sensors detects change in position of the child seated in child holding object. (See abstract).
With respect to dependent claim 20, Li does not explicitly disclose wherein the car seat system is configured to send a security alert to a mobile device if the GPS coordinates deviate from a pre-planned route stored in the mobile application.
Bloom discloses that when images differ by a certain threshold, motion is detected and an alert is generated and displayed on the monitoring application 114. The motion of the stroller 108 can also be detected by comparing GPS coordinates and an alert can be generated and displayed on the monitoring application 114. (See paragraph [0038]).
With respect to dependent claims 19 and 20 it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the rotatable car seat with integrated electronics and communication capabilities of Li with a monitoring system that includes GPS module for real time awareness of a child’s location of Bloom in order to enhance child security and enabling real-time coordinates to an authorized mobile application and send security alerts.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/0066131 to Gross.
With respect to dependent claim 21, Li does not explicitly teach a fingerprint scanner configured to scan the fingerprint of the child to confirm the child's identity, wherein the confirmed identity is transmitted via the communication module to an external device.
Gross discloses the system may further include an intelligent child seat configured with one or more of: a weight sensor, a temperature sensing device, power source, a communication device for sending a message, a global positioning system GPS device. The intelligent child seat may be configured with a weight sensor, a temperature sensing device, a power source and a communication device for sending a message. The system 100 may further include one or more check-in devices typically located at a daycare facility 104 that may be a computer 110, a tablet 120, a bio-scanning device 130 such as reading a fingerprint, thumbprint or other bio characteristic, perhaps associated with a separate computer, operably connected to the first computer via communicating link 117. (See paragraphs [0008] and [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the rotatable car seat with integrated electronics and communication capabilities of Li with a fingerprint scanner of Gross that integrates child identity confirmation in order to enhance child security.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEMETRA R SMITH-STEWART whose telephone number is (571)270-3965. The examiner can normally be reached 10am - 6pm.
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/DEMETRA R SMITH-STEWART/Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661