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 .
This office action is responsive to amendment filed on 05/18/2026.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/18/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Examiner has acknowledged the amended claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 – 20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1 – 5, 8, 11 – 13, and 17 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masaki Aijima (US 2022/0293230; hereinafter Aijima) in view of Suzuki et al (US 2023/0268043; hereinafter Suzuki).
Regarding claim 1, Aijima discloses a treatment application management system configured to perform a process relating to initiation of use of a treatment application that is installed and used in a patient terminal (abstract; Aijima discloses a therapeutic application for treating a patient who is a user of a user terminal), comprising:
the treatment application installed in the patient terminal (paragraphs [0017], [0031], [0055 - 0056]; Aijima discloses that the user who is a patient suffering from depression is prescribed the application for depression treatment as the first application from a physician, and installs the application on the user terminal 120 of the user (S401); and
a management server (element 130) configured to issue a medical institution ID required for the initiation of use of the treatment application (paragraphs [0056 - 0057], [0058 - 0061]; Aijima discloses that the server 130 performs application registration of the user based on the received application registration information (S421). In the application registration, the user ID and the application ID of the first application can be associated and stored in a user-to-application table included in the medical record information stored in the medical record information storage unit 335, and the user ID and the restriction-related information can be associated and stored in a user-to-restriction-related information table), wherein the management server includes the medical institution ID issuing unit configured to issue a medical institution ID for identifying a medical institution that prescribes the treatment application (paragraphs [0095], [0143]; Aijima discloses that the disease ID may be transmitted from the medical professional terminal 140 to the server 130, a table of the unavailable application ID for the disease ID may be stored in the server 130, the application ID of an application whose use for the disease ID is to be restricted may be determined based on the table, and the determined application ID may be stored in a user-to-restriction target table).
Aijima discloses all the limitation, but fails to specifically disclose that the treatment application includes,
a medical institution ID acquisition unit configured to acquire the medical institution ID issued by the medical institution ID issuing unit through decoding of code information in which the medical institution ID is recorded, and
an application setting unit configured to set the medical institution ID acquired by the medical institution ID acquisition unit as information for making the treatment application available for use.
Suzuki, in an analogous art, discloses that the treatment application includes,
a medical institution ID acquisition unit configured to acquire the medical institution ID issued by the medical institution ID issuing unit through decoding of code information in which the medical institution ID is recorded (paragraphs [0164 - 0165], [0168]; Suzuki discloses that the communication unit 510 of the medical worker terminal 500 receives from the distribution server 300 an application ID indicating a therapeutic application and user identification information indicating a user (patient) in need of the therapeutic application (step S1201). The communication unit 510 communicates the received application ID and user identification information to the controller 530.), and
an application setting unit configured to set the medical institution ID acquired by the medical institution ID acquisition unit as information for making the treatment application available for use (paragraph [0006]; Suzuki discloses that the initial information may include an age of the patient, the therapeutic application may make a suggestion for treatment of the disease, and the output unit may output a suggestion based on the age of the patient as information based on the therapeutic application).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Aijima by showing that the treatment application includes, that the treatment application includes, a medical institution ID acquisition unit configured to acquire the medical institution ID issued by the medical institution ID issuing unit through decoding of code information in which the medical institution ID is recorded, and an application setting unit configured to set the medical institution ID acquired by the medical institution ID acquisition unit as information for making the treatment application available for use as evidenced by Suzuki for the purpose of patient to continue treatment in a safe and reliable manner; thereby contribute to health improvement of the user who is a patient.
Regarding claim 2, Aijima and Suzuki disclose the treatment application management system according to claim 1,
wherein the treatment application further includes a log-in information registration request unit configured to make a log-in information registration request, which is executable due to setting of the medical institution ID by the application setting unit, to the management server (Aijima: paragraph [0067]; Aijima discloses that the application may be activated by permission input by a medical professional or the like. For example, if the application is deactivated, a message that “You need physician's permission to use this application. Please consult a physician” is displayed on the display unit 323 of the user terminal 120, in accordance with a determination that the application is usable after diagnosis by the physician, the physician can operate the user terminal 120 and input a passcode or the like to perform permission input, and the user terminal 120 can receive the input and activate the application; Suzuki: paragraph [0060]), and
the management server further includes a log-in information registration unit configured to register log-in information that is used when a patient who uses the treatment application logs in the treatment application in response to the log-in information registration request transmitted from the treatment application (Aijima: paragraph [0067]; Suzuki: paragraph [0060]).
Regarding claim 3, Aijima and Suzuki disclose the treatment application management system according to claim 2,
wherein the management server includes, a first management server including the medical institution ID issuing unit (Suzuki: 600, figure 6; paragraphs [0067 – 0068]), and
a second management server including the log-in information registration unit (Suzuki: 100, figure 2; paragraphs [0067 – 0068]). Same motivation as in claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, Aijima and Suzuki disclose the treatment application management system according to claim 1,
wherein the treatment application further includes a patient information transmitting unit configured to receive an input of patient initial information to be set when initiating a treatment using the treatment application after the medical institution ID is set by the application setting unit, and to transmit the input patient initial information to the management server (Suzuki: paragraphs [0010], [0015 – 0016]; Suzuki discloses that a therapeutic application for treating a patient who is a user of the user terminal and may include a medical record information storage unit configured to record restriction-related information indicating a function of an application to be restricted, wherein the restriction-related information is associated with the user based on information generated in connection with a first therapeutic application, a restriction-related information transmission unit configured to transmit the restriction-related information to the user terminal at a predetermined timing), and
the management server further includes a patient information management unit configured to manage the patient initial information transmitted from the treatment application in a state viewable from a medical institution terminal that is used in the medical institution (Suzuki: paragraphs [0017 - 0018], [0035 – 0037], [0064]).
Regarding claim 5, Aijima and Suzuki disclose the treatment application management system according to claim 2,
wherein the treatment application further includes a patient information transmitting unit configured to receive an input of patient initial information to be set when initiating a treatment using the treatment application after the log-in information is registered by the log-in information registration unit, and to transmit the input patient initial information to the management server (Suzuki: paragraphs [0010], [0015 – 0016]), and
the management server further includes a patient information management unit configured to manage the patient initial information transmitted from the treatment application in a state viewable from a medical institution terminal that is used in the medical institution (Suzuki: paragraphs [0017 - 0018], [0035 – 0037], [0064]).
Regarding claim 8, Aijima and Suzuki disclose the treatment application management system according to claim 1,
wherein the management server or a code issuing server that is provided with the medical institution ID from the management server includes a code information generation unit configured to generate code information including the medical institution ID and provides the generated code information to a medical institution terminal that is used in the medical institution (Suzuki: paragraphs [0144 - 0145]), and
the medical institution ID acquisition unit of the patient terminal acquires the medical institution ID obtained by reading and decrypting the code information displayed on a display device of the medical institution terminal by a code reading unit of the patient terminal (Suzuki: paragraphs [0144 - 0145]).
Claims 6, 9, 10, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masaki Aijima (US 2022/0293230; hereinafter Aijima) in view of Suzuki et al (US 2023/0268043; hereinafter Suzuki) in view of KUMANO et al (US 2023/0317245; hereinafter KUMANO).
Regarding claim 6, Aijima and Suzuki disclose all the limitations in claim 4, but fails to specifically disclose that the patient information management unit manages the patient initial information transmitted from the treatment application in a state editable from the medical institution terminal.
Kumano, in an analogous art, discloses that the patient information management unit manages the patient initial information transmitted from the treatment application in a state editable from the medical institution terminal (paragraph [0127]; KUMANO discloses that the homework to be selected by the medical treatment module part 10C is stored in a storage device (database) not shown in FIG. 2, and it is possible to refer the homework linked to each medical treatment module. Such a homework is edited predetermined contents which can be expected to improve the symptoms when being carried out by the patient and patient's independence can be improved).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Aijima and Suzuki by showing that the patient information management unit manages the patient initial information transmitted from the treatment application in a state editable from the medical institution terminal as evidenced by KUMANO for the purpose of treating patients living in depopulated or remote areas where it is difficult to access to medical facilities in a user friendly manner.
Regarding claims 9 - 10, Aijima, Suzuki, and Kumano disclose the treatment application management system according to claim 1, wherein the medical institution ID issuing unit issues a plurality of medical institution IDs corresponding to a plurality of medical institutions regardless of whether or not the medical institutions prescribe the treatment application (KUMANO: paragraph [0062]; KUMANO discloses that Although not shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of patient-side information processing terminals 3 and a plurality of medical facility-side information processing terminals 4 can also be connected to the network 10.). Same motivation as in claim 6.
Claims 7, and 15 – 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masaki Aijima (US 2022/0293230; hereinafter Aijima) in view of Suzuki et al (US 2023/0268043; hereinafter Suzuki), and further in view of David Paul Felsher (US 2010/0241595; hereinafter Felsher).
Regarding claim 7, Aijima and Suzuki disclose all the limitations (as previously rejected), except for the management server or a code issuing server that is provided with the medical institution ID from the management server includes a code information generation unit configured to generate code information that does not include both the log-in information and the patient initial information, and includes the medical institution ID, and the medical institution ID acquisition unit of the patient terminal acquires the medical institution ID obtained by reading and decrypting the code information by a code reading unit of the patient terminal.
Felsher, in an analogous art, discloses that the management server or a code issuing server that is provided with the medical institution ID from the management server includes a code information generation unit configured to generate code information that does not include both the log-in information and the patient initial information, and includes the medical institution ID (paragraphs [0217 – 0218], [0238]), and
the medical institution ID acquisition unit of the patient terminal acquires the medical institution ID obtained by reading and decrypting the code information by a code reading unit of the patient terminal (paragraphs [0218], [0298]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of teachings of Aijima and Suzuki by showing that the management server or a code issuing server that is provided with the medical institution ID from the management server includes a code information generation unit configured to generate code information that does not include both the log-in information and the patient initial information, and includes the medical institution ID, and the medical institution ID acquisition unit of the patient terminal acquires the medical institution ID obtained by reading and decrypting the code information by a code reading unit of the patient terminal as evidenced by Felsher for the purpose of protecting patient’s information in a highly secure and reliable manner.
Claims 11 – 20 incorporate substantively all the limitations of claims 1 – 10 in a system form rather than a program form. The reasons for rejecting claims 1 – 10 apply in claims 11 – 20. Therefore, claims 11 – 20 are rejected for the same reasons.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YVES DALENCOURT whose telephone number is (571)272-3998. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ario Etienne can be reached at 571-272-4001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YVES DALENCOURT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
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