DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
Applicant’s submission of an Information Disclosure Statement on 5/30/2025 has been received and considered. Both foreign documents and both NPL documents in the IDS dated 5/30/2025 were originally filed in an IDS dated 11/15/2022 for related application 17/877,072.
Preliminary Amendment
Applicant’s submission of a preliminary amendment on 1/13/2025 has been received. In the amendment, claims 1-20 were canceled and claims 21-40 were added. Claims 21-40 are pending.
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 21-23, 25-28, and 30-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0098201 to Torello in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0376792 to Chen.
Regarding claim 21, Torello discloses a method for egress guidance (e.g., see at least paragraph 204 that states the “light providing capabilities of some of the devices 14 may enable applications such as emergency egress indication in which paths to emergency exits are illuminated on the detection of adverse conditions”), the method comprising:
receiving sensor data associated with an environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 100 that states “devices 14 in a group may responds to changes in the environment detected by one or more sensors of the devices 14 in the group”);
processing the sensor data using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect an event in the environment, wherein the AI is continuously trained using (i) the sensor data and (ii) previously detected events (e.g., see at least paragraph 195 for discussion of using “deep machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the like”; see also paragraph 211 that states “machine learning algorithm may be pre-trained and loaded on one or more devices…or may be dynamically trained based on information provided by one or more administrators of the distributed lighting network 10);
generating, based on the detected event, egress guidance for a user in the environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 204 that states the “light providing capabilities of some of the devices 14 may enable applications such as emergency egress indication in which paths to emergency exits are illuminated on the detection of adverse conditions”); and
returning instructions for presenting the egress guidance by a sensor device (e.g., see at least paragraph 220 that states “directions may be provided to the mobile device 16 (step 3110 such that the mobile device 16 may display them to the user”);
[claim 22] wherein the AI comprises a model that is continuously trained using (i) data that is received from a plurality of sensor devices associated with the user or the environment and (ii) the previously detected events (e.g., see at least paragraph 195 for discussion of using “deep machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the like”; see also paragraph 211 that states “machine learning algorithm may be pre-trained and loaded on one or more devices…or may be dynamically trained based on information provided by one or more administrators of the distributed lighting network 10);
[claim 23] herein the AI comprises a model that was trained using information about the environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 100 that states “devices 14 in a group may responds to changes in the environment detected by one or more sensors of the devices 14 in the group”);
[claim 25] wherein the event comprises a safety event (e.g., see at least paragraph 187 that states that the sensors “may be used to detect fires”; see also paragraph 193 that states the sensors may be used to identify events “shots fired, screaming, shouting, or the like”; see also paragraph 185 that states the system “detect wind speed, earthquakes” and “may be used to provide alerts if a structure becomes dangerously unstable”; wherein fires, shots fired, unstable structures, and earthquakes are safety events);
[claim 26] wherein the sensor data is received from a plurality of sensor devices positioned in the environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 181 that states “providing a number of different sensors on devices 14 that are distributed throughout a space has enumerable benefits”);
[claim 27] wherein the egress guidance is configured to guide the user from their current location to a second location (e.g., see at least paragraph 204 that states the “light providing capabilities of some of the devices 14 may enable applications such as emergency egress indication in which paths to emergency exits are illuminated on the detection of adverse conditions”; wherein the second location is an emergency exit);
[claim 30] wherein the method further comprises returning the instructions for presenting the egress guidance to a mobile device of the user (e.g., see at least paragraph 220 that states “directions may be provided to the mobile device 16 (step 3110 such that the mobile device 16 may display them to the user”);
[claim 31] wherein the user is an emergency response personnel and wherein returning the instructions for presenting the egress guidance comprises presenting instructions for guiding the emergency response personnel to another user in the environment in need of assistance (e.g., see at least paragraph 204 that states the “path indication may similarly be useful for directing emergency responders to a person or condition in a space”); and
[claim 32] wherein the method further comprises updating, based on the AI, the egress guidance as the user moves in real-time in the environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 222 that states “the location of the mobile device 16 is continuously updated, thereby enabling “turn-by-turn” indoor navigation on the mobile device”).
Regarding claim 1, Torello discloses all of recited features as set forth above but is silent regarding the use of guiding the user with augmented reality (AR). Regarding claim 28, Torello is further silent regarding guidance projected on surfaces proximate the user.
In the same field of endeavor, Chen teaches an emergency egress system that guides a user with augmented reality (AR) and projects on surface proximate the user (e.g., see at least Fig. 1 that shows an AR Projector Peripheral 122; see also Fig. 7; see also at least paragraph 5 that states “[A]ugmented Reality (AR) projections are used representing differing subset of an event population to convey the profile-specific escape routes for people to follow”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to modify Torello with AR projections as taught by Chen in order to use a known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way. In this case, using AR projections provides easy to understand (i.e., intuitive) escape path guidance that will increase positive user escape outcomes.
Regarding claims 33-40, the combination of Torello in view of Chen make obvious all of the recited features as set forth above for claims 21-23, 25-28, and 30-32, which are similar in claim scope. Claims 34-38 note different configurations of sensors. Torello notes that sensors may take different forms and the computer system may be remote (e.g., see Torello at paragraph 88 for discussion of various types of sensors, including PIR sensors, light sensors, microphones, speakers, ultrasonic sensors, imaging sensors/cameras, air quality sensors, oxygen sensors, CO2 sensors, smoke detectors, PGS sensors; paragraph 188 discusses indoor and outdoor sensors; paragraph 86 discloses local and remote sensor devices 14/16; see also paragraph 191 where a user device with a GPS may provide location data).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Torello in view of Chen as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0019050 to Watanabe.
Regarding claim 24, Torello in combination with Chen fails to expressly disclose dynamically adjusting the size of the projected AR guidance as the user moves in the environment.
In the same field of endeavor, Watanabe teaches dynamically adjusting the size of the projected AR guidance as the user moves in the environment (e.g., see at least paragraphs 124-126 for changing projections as the user moves; see also Figs. 13 and 14; wherein the size necessarily changes based on the projection location).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to modify Torello with confidence values in AI systems as taught by Boue in order to use a known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way. In this case, using confidence values in AI systems helps train the AI system outcomes to be more accurate.
Claim 29 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Torello in view of Chen as applied to claim 28 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0257908 to Boue.
Regarding claim 29, Torello fails to expressly disclose determining confidence values for events that are detected using the AI, wherein a higher confidence value indicates that the AI accurately detected an event than a lower confidence value.
Reasonably pertinent to the problem faced, Boue teaches determining confidence values for events that are detected using the AI, wherein a higher confidence value indicates that the AI accurately detected an event than a lower confidence value (e.g., see at least paragraph 91 for discussion of confidence values in AI systems).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to modify Torello with changing projection size as taught by Watanabe in order to use a known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way. In this case, changing the projection location/size helps guide the user through the escape route more intuitively.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0167969 to Wedig discusses an evacuation system with sensors that learn (e.g., see at least paragraph 118)
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0276517 to Banaszuk discusses a model-based egress support system (e.g., see Fig. 1)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES S MCCLELLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7167. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kang Hu can be reached at 571-270-1344. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/James S. McClellan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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