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
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.
Claim(s) 1, 7-10, and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dowty (US 2021/0147085).
Regarding claim 1, Dowty discloses a system for monitoring at least one storage provision in a seating area in an aircraft (figure 4), the system comprising:
at least one sensor 130 for sensing at least one object 124 positioned in an interior space 120 of the at least one storage provision (figures 1 and 4);
at least one indicator 150, 154, 156, 158, associated with the at least one storage provision; and
a controller 110 communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the at least one indicator, and at least one phase of flight controller (claim 1, paragraphs 37-38), the controller including processing circuitry configured to:
activate the at least one sensor 130 (step 306, figure 3);
receive object information 124 from the at least one sensor (step 308);
receive phase of flight information from the phase of flight controller (step 304); and
when the object information pertains to at least one sensed object in the at least
one storage provision, and the phase of flight information pertains to landing
or deboarding of the aircraft, activate the at least one indicator (p. 32, p. 35, p. 37, p. 38).
Regarding claim 10, Dowty discloses a method for monitoring at least one storage provision in an aircraft (figure 4), the method comprising the steps of:
providing a system 100 comprising:
at least one sensor 130 for sensing at least one object 124 positioned in an interior space 120of the at least one storage provision (figure 1 and figure 4);
at least one indicator 150, 154, 156, 158, associated with the at least one storage provision; and
a controller 110 communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the at least
one indicator, and at least one phase of flight controller of the aircraft (claim 1, p. 37, p. 38), the controller including processing circuitry;
activating, by the controller, the at least one sensor 130 (step 306, figure 3);
receiving, by the controller, object information 124 from the at least one sensor (step 308);
receiving, by the controller, phase of flight information from the phase of flight
controller of the aircraft (step 304); and
when the object information pertains to at least one sensed object in the at least
one storage provision, and the phase of flight information pertains to landing or
deboarding of the aircraft, activating, by the controller, the at least one indicator (p. 32, p. 35, p. 37, p. 38).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Dowty discloses wherein the controller 110 is further configured to activate the at least one sensor when the phase of flight information received by the controller pertains to the landing or the deboarding of the aircraft (p. 32, p. 35, p. 37).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Dowty discloses a master control switch 112 communicatively coupled to the controller for activating the at least one sensor and the at least one indicator on demand (p. 35-38).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Dowty discloses wherein the seating area is a private area in the aircraft (figures 5, 2A, 2B); the at least one storage provision includes at least one of a compartment, a shelf, a drawer, a pocket, and a closet (figure 5); and the at least one indicator 150, 154, 158, 156, is positioned proximal to at least one of the at least one storage provision and an entrance of the private seating area (figure 5, p. 56).
Regarding claim 19, Dowty discloses a system for monitoring storage provisions in an aircraft, the system comprising:
at least one sensor 130 positionable with respect to at least one storage provision 120 in the aircraft, the at least one sensor configured to detect at least one object 124 positioned in the at least one storage provision (figures 1 and 4);
at least one indicator 150, 154, 156, 158, positionable with respect to the at least one storage provision; and
a controller 110 communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and to the at least one indicator (claim 1, p. 37, p. 38), the controller including processing circuitry configured to:
activate the at least one sensor 130 (step 306, figure 3);
receive information from the at least one sensor pertaining to at least one
detected object (step 308);
receive information pertaining to at least one condition of the aircraft (step 304); and
activate the at least one indicator when the at least one object is detected and the at least one condition of the conveyance is met (p. 32, p. 35, p. 37, p. 38).
Regarding claim 20, Dowty discloses a master control switch 112 configured to activate the at least one indicator on demand (p. 37-p. 38).
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.
Claim(s) 2, 3, 6, 11, 12, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dowty in view of Hoang (US 12,466,579).
Regarding claims 2, 3, 6, 11, 12, and 15, Dowty discloses all the claimed subject matter as set forth above in the rejection of claim 1, and further discloses determining a fastened state of a seat belt of the passenger seat (p. 33, p. 48); communicating with the controller to provide deboarding phase of flight information when the fastened state of the seat belt is determined to be unfastened after having been fastened in preparation for landing (p. 33) (claims 2 and 11); activating a fasten seat belt sign in preparation for landing (p. 33, p. 48); communicating with the controller to provide deboarding phase of flight information when the fasten seat belt sign is deactivated after having been activated in preparation for landing (p. 33, p. 48) (claims 3 and 12); determining a fastened state of a seat belt of the passenger seat (p. 33, p. 48); and communicating with the controller to provide landing phase of flight information when the seat belt is determined to be fastened, and aircraft altitude is less than a predefined altitude as indicated on a monitor positioned in the seating area (p. 33) (claims 6 and 15), but does not disclose determining a sitting position of a passenger seat positioned in the seating area. Hoang teaches the use of determining a sitting position of a passenger seat positioned in a seating area (column 7, lines 6-17, abstract). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include determining a sitting position of a passenger seat positioned in the seating area to the system of Dowty as taught by Hoang for the purpose of effectively preparing for landing.
Claim(s) 4, 5, 13, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dowty in view of Cote (US 2022/0340268).
Regarding claims 4, 5, 13, and 14, Dowty discloses all the claimed subject matter as set forth above in the rejection of claim 1, but does not disclose the phase of flight controller being configured to communicate with the controller when landing gear of the aircraft is deployed to provide landing phase of flight information to the controller (claims 4 and 13); the phase of flight controller being configured to communicate with the controller when a crew announcement is made pertaining to landing to provide landing phase of flight information to the controller (claims 5 and 14). Cote teaches the use of a phase of flight controller being configured to communicate with a controller when landing gear of an aircraft is deployed (paragraphs 54 and 93); the phase of flight controller being configured to communicate with the controller when a crew announcement is made pertaining to landing (p. 94). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the phase of flight controller being configured to communicate with the controller when landing gear of the aircraft is deployed and the phase of flight controller being configured to communicate with the controller when a crew announcement is made pertaining to landing to the system of Dowty as taught by Cote for the purpose of effectively providing landing phase of flight information.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Garling and Gledich disclose aircraft passenger activity monitoring systems.
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/ANH V LA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685
ANH V. LA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2685
Al
April 2, 2026
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