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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the European abstract. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 –
Claims 1-6, 9, 10, 13-15, 17-19, 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kinoshita [US 2021/0375118]
Claim 1. (Original) A computer-implemented method for monitoring a wash station (the hygiene management system 1 includes a PC controller device 100, see Figs. 1, 2, para [0017, 0018]), comprising: obtaining sensor data from one or more sensors proximate the wash station (the control device 100 communicates to receive data information from the video imaging device 200 and input device 300 such as camera, IR sensor, laser sensor, proximity sensor and microphone input device 300, see Figs. 1-3, para [0023-0026, 0044]);
identifying, based on the sensor data, a sequence of actions performed by a user at the
wash station (the control device 100 identify/recognize a person biometric or voice and predetermined procedures 1 to 9 performed by a subject hand-washing action, see Figs. 1-3, 5, para [0026, 0029, 0033-0043]);
comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target
sequence of actions (the control device 100 comparing to determine whether the subject has started hand-washing (YES/No in ACT 12) and ACT 14 to indicate that whether the subject is not finished hand-wash, and ACT 19 to indicate whether the subject using soap as in procedure 2 above, and ACT 21 to indicate whether the subject’s hand action can be properly recognized, see Figs. 3-5, and ACT 23 and ACT 24 to indicate whether the subject has not completed and executed all of the procedures 3 to 8 above, and ACT 25 to indicate whether the subject has not executed the procedure 9 above, para [0033-0044, 0046, 0053, 0058-0060]);
determining whether the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station
satisfies similarity criteria for matching the target sequence of actions (the ACT 26 and ACT 29 to indicate whether the subject has executed or completed all of the sequences or procedures 3 to 9 above, see Fig. 5, para [0061, 0066]; and
in response to determining that the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station does not satisfy the similarity criteria, generating an alert for presentation on a display device (the procedure screens 808 displayed on the colored display device 400 to indicate that the subject has performed the sequence or procedure 9 without completing at least one of the sequences/procedures 3 to 8 or that the subject did not complete the sequences/procedures 3 to 8 above and the ACT 38 to notify that the subject has not completed the sequences/procedures, see Fig. 11, para [0082, 0083, 0087, 0091]).
Claim 2. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein: the sensor data comprises video data; and identifying, based on the sensor data, the sequence of actions performed by a user at the wash station comprises: identifying a part of a human body in the video data (the imaging device 200 captured video data, see Fig. 1, para [0024]);
generating, for the part of the human body, a skeletal poise model; and using the skeletal poise model to track movements of the part of the human body in the video data, wherein the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station includes a sequence of movements of the part of the human body. (As cited in respect to claim 1 above, and the skeletal poise model read upon the captured images of the subject human or person including his/her hands on the washbasin S and his/her face to be recognized and for authentication, see Figs. 3, 5-11, para [0017, 0024, 0044, 0047, 0055]).
Claim 3. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein: identifying, based on the sensor data, the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station comprises determining, for each action of the sequence of actions, a duration of the action, and
comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target
sequence of actions comprises comparing the duration of each action of the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a duration of each action of the target sequence of actions (in ACT 14, the control device 100 and processor 101 determines whether or not the predetermined procedures 1 to 9 of the hand-washing action are not finished event if a predetermined time period has elapsed from the start of a timer, see Fig. 5-7, 10, 11, para [0046, 0051, 0053, 0058, 0072, 0082]).
Claim 4. (Original) The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station does not satisfy similarity criteria for matching the target sequence of actions comprises determining that a duration of at least one action of the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station is less than a duration of a corresponding action of the target sequence of actions (the control device 100 and processor 103 determines that the subject has not or without completing at least one of the procedures (3) to (8) within a predetermined time period, see Figs. 7, 11, para [0058, 0082]).
Claim 5. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein: identifying, based on the sensor data, the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station comprises determining, based on the sensor data, an ordering of the sequence of actions performed (the required hand-washing action in order of procedures from 1 to 9, see Fig. 5, para [0090]), and
comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target
sequence of actions comprises comparing the ordering of the sequence of actions to an ordering of the target sequence of actions. (As cited in respect to claim 1 above, see Figs. 5-11).
Claim 6. (Original) The method of claim 5, wherein determining that the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station does not satisfy similarity criteria for matching the target sequence of actions comprises determining that the ordering of the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station is different from the ordering of the target sequence of actions. (As cited in respect to claim 1 above, see Fig. 11, para [0082, 0083, 0087, 0091]).
Claim 9. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein: the target sequence of actions includes introducing one or more objects into the wash station, and comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target sequence of actions comprises comparing an object introduced into the wash station to the one or more objects introduced in the target sequence of actions (as cited in respect to claim 1 above, and in ACT 19, the processor 101 determines whether the subject/person has executed the procedure (2) that an action of applying soap or lather soap object, see abstract, Figs. 5, 6, para [0036, 0037, 0053]).
Claim 10. (Original) The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station does not satisfy similarity criteria for matching the target sequence of actions comprises determining that the object introduced into the wash station does not match the one or more objects introduced in the target sequence of actions (as cited in respect to claims 1 and 8 above, and read upon the processor 101 determines that the subject has executed the procedure 2 to apply soap and the processor 101 also adopts the procedure (3) as the lather soap, which is the mode (the value that occurs most often), as the correct action recognition result (see para [0036, 0037, 0053, 0055]), wherein the lather soap is a foam soap in water of procedure 3 which is different from the apply soap of procedure 2.
Claim 13. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises video images from at least one of a thermal imaging camera or a stereographic camera (the dual or two cameras such as the camera imaging device 200 and input device 300 such as a camera, see Figs. 1, 2, para [0017, 0024, 0026])
Claim 14. (Currently Amended) One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: obtaining sensor data from one or more sensors proximate a wash station; identifying, based on the sensor data, a sequence of actions performed by a user at the wash station; comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target sequence of actions; determining whether the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station satisfies similarity criteria for matching the target sequence of actions; and in response to determining that the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station does not satisfy the similarity criteria, generating an alert for presentation on a display device. (As cited in respect to claim 1 above).
Claim 15. (Original) A medical system, comprising: one or more sensor devices configured to monitor a wash station; a display device; and at least one processor communicatively coupled with the sensor devices and the display device, the at least one processor being configured to perform operations comprising: obtaining sensor data generated by the one or more sensor devices; identifying, based on the sensor data, a sequence of actions performed by a user at the wash station; comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target sequence of actions; determining whether the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station satisfies similarity criteria for matching the target sequence of actions; and
in response to determining that the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station does not satisfy the similarity criteria, generating an alert for presentation on the display device. (As cited in respect to claim 1 above, and including the hand-washing in the hospital, see para [0003]).
Claim 16. (Original) The medical system of claim 15, wherein: the sensor data comprises video data; and identifying, based on the sensor data, the sequence of actions performed by a user at the wash station comprises: identifying a part of a human body in the video data; generating, for the part of the human body, a skeletal poise model; and using the skeletal poise model to track movements of the part of the human body in the video data, wherein the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station includes a sequence of movements of the part of the human body. (As cited in respect to claim 2 above).
Claim 17. (Original) The medical system of claim 15, wherein: identifying, based on the sensor data, the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station comprises determining, for each action of the sequence of actions, a duration of the action, and comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target sequence of actions comprises comparing the duration of each action of the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a duration of each action of the target sequence of actions. (As cited in respect to claim 3 above).
Claim 18. (Canceled)
Claim 19. (Original) The medical system of claim 15, wherein: identifying, based on the sensor data, the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station comprises determining, based on the sensor data, an ordering of the sequence of actions performed, and comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target sequence of actions comprises comparing the ordering of the sequence of actions to an ordering of the target sequence of actions. (As cited in respect to claim 5 above).
Claims 20-22. (Canceled)
Claim 23. (Original) The medical system of claim 15, wherein: the target sequence of actions includes introducing one or more objects into the wash station, and comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target sequence of actions comprises comparing an object introduced into the wash station to the one or more objects introduced in the target sequence of actions. (As cited in respect to claim 9 above).
Claim 24. (Canceled)
Claims 26-27. (Canceled)
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinoshita [US 2021/0375118] in view of Gordon [US 2008/0199354]
Claim 7. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the target sequence of actions includes washing actions executed on a user's hands and forearms, including one or more of: rinsing the user's hands and forearms with water (the rub, wash and rinse hands, see Fig. 5, para [0038, 0039, 0040, 0043]);
cleaning fingernails with a nail pick (see Fig. 5, para [0041]);
scrubbing the user's hands and forearms with an iodine sponge (the rub and wash with lather soap, see Fig. 5, para [0037, 0038]);
passing the user's hands and forearms through running water in a forward direction (the running water, see para [0039]);
washing the user's hands and forearms in a direction from the fingertips towards the
elbow (the rub and wash backs of hands and between fingers, see para [0038, 0039]). But Kinoshita fails to disclose removing jewelry and drying the user's hands and forearms with a towel.
Gordon et al suggests that clean hands in restaurant settings are similarly critical to prevent the spread of disease. The FDA reports that poor personal hygiene in a food service environment is a critical area that needs immediate attention and makes the following points with respect to personal hygiene: proper, adequate hand-washing, prevention of hand contamination, good hygienic practices, hand-washing facility, convenient/accessible, and hand-washing facility, cleanser/drying device can be an air blower. (See Figs. 1-4, para [0008, 0055]). Preferably, rings, bracelets, wristwatches, and other jewelry are removed to ensure that pathogens under the jewelry are deactivated (see para [0037, 0054]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add or implement the handwash includes removing all jewelry and drying hands of the subject of Gordon et al to the subject handwashing procedures 1 to 9 of Kinoshita for preventing of various bacterial or viral outbreaks causing deaths and to preventing of lost or damaged to the jewelry during handwashing.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinoshita [US 2021/0375118] in view of Carrigan et al [US 2023/0343200]
Claim 8. Kinoshita fails to disclose maintaining the user's elbows bent at or near a right angle; and maintaining the user's hands above the level of the elbows. However,
Kinoshita teaches the nine areas 811 to 819, which correspond to procedures (1) to (9) included in the hand-washing action, respectively. Each of the areas 811 to 819 displays a description and an image of each procedure. As an example, the hand-washing action includes the following procedures (1) to (9): [0035] (1) Wet hands. [0036] (2) Apply soap. [0037] (3) Lather soap. [0038] (4) Rub and wash the backs of hands. [0039] (5) Rub and wash between fingers. [0040] (6) Rub and wash thumbs. [0041] (7) Rub and wash under fingernails. [0042] (8) Rub and wash wrist. [0043] (9) Rinse hands with running water. (See Fig. 5, para [0033-0043]).
Carrigan et al suggests that in some embodiments, detection of the activity of the user of the computer system (e.g., 100, 300, 500, 600, 646, and/or 1300) includes detection of the user washing their hands (e.g., the computer system receives information from the one or more sensors (e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a motion sensor, an inertial measurement unit, and/or a direction sensor) indicating that the user is washing their hands (e.g., detected movement of the computer system is indicative of movement of the user washing their hands), and in response to receiving the information, displays a notification and/or alert that, when selected, allows the computer system to initiate a handwashing operation). Disabling the automatic detection of the user washing their hands based on the sensor measurements from the one or more sensors when the computer system is in the second mode of operation conserves battery power when the user is not likely to request the computer system to monitor and/or track hand washing, thereby increasing battery life of the computer system. (See para [0572]).
In some embodiments, an air gesture is a gesture that is detected without the user touching an input element that is part of the device (or independently of an input element that is a part of the device) and is based on detected motion of a portion of the user's body through the air including motion of the user's body relative to an absolute reference (e.g., an angle of the user's arm relative to the ground or a distance of the user's hand relative to the ground), relative to another portion of the user's body (e.g., movement of a hand of the user relative to a shoulder of the user, movement of one hand of the user relative to another hand of the user, and/or movement of a finger of the user relative to another finger or portion of a hand of the user), and/or absolute motion of a portion of the user's body (e.g., a tap gesture that includes movement of a hand in a predetermined pose by a predetermined amount and/or speed, or a shake gesture that includes a predetermined speed or amount of rotation of a portion of the user's body). (see Fig. 1, para [0076]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement the angle of the user’s arm/hand relative to ground or a distance of the user’s hand relative to the ground during handwashing of Carriagan et al to the handwashing actions of Kinoshita for providing a convenient and optimum handwash to a user and to prevent of messing during handwash due to the heigh of the washer bow relative to the high of a person user.
Claims 11, 12, 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinoshita [US 2021/0375118] in view of Chung [US 2018/0251964]
Claim 11. Kinoshita fails to disclose wherein: the target sequence of actions includes washing a part of a user's body using water having a temperature within a designated range of temperatures, and comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target sequence of actions comprises comparing the temperature of water used to wash the part of the user's body to the designated range of temperatures. However,
Kinoshita teaches that processor 101 determines that the subject has started hand-washing by detecting a start of water flow from a faucet F by a flow rate sensor installed in the faucet F or the like. (See Fig. 5, para [0044]).
Chung suggests that the handwashing station 20 positioned within a bathroom along a wall 14 and beneath a mirror 12. The handwashing station 20 provides an area for the user to both wash and dry their hands by incorporating the entire handwashing process into the handwashing station 20 and automatically wets, cleans, and dries the user's hands 18 (as described further herein). As shown in FIG. 3, the handwashing station 20 provides an area for a user to wash (which may include wetting, soaping, and rinsing steps) and dry their hands 18 without leaving the handwashing station 20. Accordingly, the handwashing station 20 reduces the likelihood of water being dripped outside of the handwashing station 20 as the user washes and dries their hands 18. Additionally, the handwashing station 20 ensures that the user washes their hands 18 with soap 36 or a sanitizing liquid 38 (as shown and described further herein) and for a sufficient amount of time. Further, by consolidating washing and drying hands into an all-in-one single unit or device, the handwashing station 20 reduces the amount of required room for washing and drying hands 18 within a bathroom compared to the room required for conventional sinks, soap dispensers, and hand dryers, thereby freeing space within the bathroom (see Figs. 1-3, para [0082]).
The liquid dispensing system 30 may include a water mixer in order to mix hot and cold water 34 to the desired temperature and a thermostat to ensure that the correct temperature of water 34 is being dispensed (see para [0099]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add or implement the handwashing desired temperature of Chung to the handwashing water from the faucet of Kinoshita for controlling water temperature to provide comfortable to a user or subject washing hands to avoid of too cold or too hot water causing damage to their hands and skins, since the water faucet built with hot and cold water controller are well known in the water usage industries and available from the shelves.
Claim 12. (Original) The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station does not satisfy similarity criteria for matching the target sequence of actions comprises determining that the temperature of the water used to wash the part of the user's body is not within the designated range of temperatures. (As discussed between Kinoshita and Chung in respect to claim 11 above and as cited in respect to claim 1 above).
Claim 25. (Original) The medical system of claim 15, wherein: the target sequence of actions includes washing a part of a user's body using water having a temperature within a designated range of temperatures, and comparing the sequence of actions performed by the user at the wash station to a target sequence of actions comprises comparing the temperature of water used to wash the part of the user's body to the designated range of temperatures. (As discussed between Kinoshita and Chung in respect to claim 11 above and as cited in respect to claim 1 above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Cohen et al discloses the display can be implemented using light emitting diodes or a liquid crystal display. In one embodiment, the messages are displayed in the form of backlit indicator icons. These universal icons can be implemented as a display sequence, i.e., each icon remains lit for a predetermined period of time, then the next icon will light up and so on. For example, the icon sequence may have the following steps: Wet hands, Apply Soap, Scrub, Rinse and Dry thoroughly (& apply sanitizer). [US 6,236,317].
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/VAN T TRIEU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685
08/18/2026
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