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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 8-20 are cancelled from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Inventions II and III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/26/2025.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I drawn to claims 1-7 in the reply filed on 12/26/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1, 3-7, 21, 23-28 and 30-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2017/0228520 A1 to Kidd et al.
As to claim 1, Kidd discloses a method for a robot, comprising:
detecting a person who moves in a direction toward a place around where the robot is located via one or more sensors (Fig. 1A-2 and 10, paragraphs 0025-0029 and 0077, where in step (S110) a user is detected by companion robot (230) via input devices (232));
detecting whether the person is within a predetermined distance from the robot (Fig. 1A-2 and 10, paragraphs 0025-0029 and 0077, where input devices (232) detect the distance of a user to the companion robot (230)); and
in response to the person is within the predetermined distance, displaying a survey question on a display held by or mounted at the robot (Fig. 1A-2, 10 and 11, paragraphs 0044-0054 and 0074-0076, where a question is shown by the output device (234) held by companion robot (230)).
As to claim 3, Kidd discloses the method wherein the person's mood is in a relaxed state (Fig. 1A, paragraphs 0027-0029, where in step (S110) the person’s mood is determined).
As to claim 4, Kidd discloses the method wherein the person is in a good mood (Fig. 1A, paragraphs 0027-0029, where in step (S110) the person’s mood is determined).
As to claim 5, Kidd discloses the method wherein the person looks at a direction toward the robot (Fig. 7, paragraph 0078, where the person looks at the direction towards companion robot (230)).
As to claim 6, Kidd discloses the method wherein a quantity of people in front of the robot and within the predetermined distance is smaller than a preset value (Fig. 8, paragraph 0071, where one person is in front of companion robot at a time (230)).
As to claim 7, Kidd discloses the method wherein the place is around an exit of a business, a building, a venue, or a site (Fig. 2 and 3, paragraphs 0030-0036, where companion robot (230) is located in places relevant to the life of the patient).
As to claim 21, Kidd discloses limitations similar to claim 1.
As to claims 23 and 30, Kidd discloses a limitation similar to claim 3.
As to claims 24 and 31, Kidd discloses a limitation similar to claim 4.
As to claims 25 and 32, Kidd discloses a limitation similar to claim 5.
As to claim 26, Kidd discloses a limitation similar to claim 6.
As to claim 27, Kidd discloses the method according to claim 21, further comprising:
in response to the person being within the predetermined distance, displaying the survey question on the display and generating an audible survey question through a speaker (Fig. 7, 8 and 10, paragraphs 0071-0078, where an audible survey question is generated through a speaker and displayed on the display (234)).
As to claim 28, Kidd discloses a method for a robot at a first location, comprising:
detecting a person who moves in a direction toward the first location via one or more sensors (Fig. 1A-2 and 10, paragraphs 0025-0029 and 0077, where in step (S110) a user is detected by companion robot (230) via input devices (232));
detecting whether the person moves to a second location that is closer to the robot than the first location and within a predetermined distance from the first location (Fig. 1A-2 and 10, paragraphs 0025-0029 and 0077, where input devices (232) detect the distance of a user to the companion robot (230)); and
in response to the person moves to the second location, presenting a survey question to the person (Fig. 1A-2, 10 and 11, paragraphs 0044-0054 and 0074-0076, where a question is shown by the output device (234) held by companion robot (230)).
As to claim 33, Kidd discloses the method, wherein presenting the survey question to the person includes displaying a survey question on a display held by or mounted at the robot and/or generating an audible survey question through a speaker (Fig. 7, 8 and 10, paragraphs 0071-0078, where an audible survey question is generated through a speaker and displayed on the display (234)).
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 2, 22 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2017/0228520 A1 to Kidd et al. in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2022/0331028 A1 to Sternitzke et al.
As to claim 2, Kidd is deficient in disclosing the method wherein the person moves at a pace below a predetermined value.
However, Sternitzke discloses the method wherein the person moves at a pace below a predetermined value (Fig. 59, paragraph 0186, where speed-distance module (4515) determines the speed of the captured person on a path and the time-distance assessment module (4520) asses the speed of the person on a path and/or the time required to cover the distance).
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the robot as taught by Kidd by including determining the pace of a person as taught by Sternitzke. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to prompt a user to reduce their speed in order to reduce the risk of injury (Sternitzke, paragraph 0328).
As to claims 22 and 29, Kidd is deficient in disclosing a limitation similar to claim 2. However, Sternitzke discloses a similar limitation. In addition, the same motivation is used as claim 2.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANEETA YODICHKAS whose telephone number is (571)272-9773. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5.
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ANEETA YODICHKAS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2627
/ANEETA YODICHKAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627