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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the abbreviation MIMO should be spelled out. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 1, 11, and 12, the phrase "such as" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 8, recited the claim “wherein the system and the device comprise communication means for communicating with each other,” is unclear to what is the device being communicated with each other ?, whether the device is communicating with another similar device or a mobile phone or a computer or server in the system, which causes the claim indefinite.
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 1-9, 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Oshima et al [US 2020/0322520]
Claim 1. (Currently Amended) A method for detecting location of at least one person a monitored area with a monitoring system (the monitoring a presence location/position of a human, customer or person in an area such as house, facility or store, see abstract, Figs. 134, 165, para [0185, 0679, 0955, 1181, 1401]), wherein:
the monitoring system comprises at least one sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor, measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated
continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor (the processor processes the images captured by a twin-lens camera by using millimeter radar from the light emitter sources 4005b or C13 as the 9-axis sensor such as LIDAR and employing frequency modulation, see Figs. 122, 123, 300, 305A-B, 334B, para [1113, 01802, 1888, 1932, 1935, 1953, 2727]), monitoring presence, location, movement and/or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area and,
the system determines with the at least one sensor arrangement presence, location and/or movement of at the least one person in the monitored area (the processor determines the location position of a customer, human, passenger, operator, person or user that is locating, moving or movement inside the monitored area in an area such as a facility, house, room, store, airplane, bus, ship or train, see abstract, Figs. 76, 165, 166, para [0858, 0876, 0955, 0974, 1016, 1401]).
the system sends information relating to presence, location and/or movement of the at
least one person in the monitored area to a device, such as a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet (the devices which have detected the user transmit to the mobile phone the detection of the user and a relative position of the user to the devices which have detected the user, see Figs. 165-167, para [01401, 1402]),
wherein the device indicates the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area (the system processor detected and tracked presence of a location or position of a customer, human, passenger, operator or person is locating or moving inside the monitored area in a map 2704d, 2715f of a facility, house, room, store, airplane, bus, ship or train, see abstract, Figs. 76, 165, para [0858, 0876, 0955, 0974, 1016, 1401, 1453-1455]).
Claim 2. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the system and/or the device determines. location of the device and the location of the device is
presented in the map or the floor plan of the monitored area with the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area (as cited in respect to claim 1 above, such as the map plan of a monitored house, facility, room, store or train).
Claim 3. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the location of the device is determined by an indoor positioning system and/or acquired with a GPS positioning function of the device (as cited in respect to claim 1 above, and including the GPS position information, see Figs. 13, 280, 284, 297, para [0707, 1730, 1740, 1780]).
Claim 4. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the map of the monitored area comprises an indoor map or floor plan of the monitored area (as cited in respect to claim 1 above, such as the map plane of a monitored house, facility, room, store or train).
Claim 5. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the map of the monitored area comprises position of the at least one radar-based sensor and/or the
sensor arrangement in the map of the monitored area (as cited in respect to claim 1 above, such as the camera using millimeter radar or LIDAR sensor).
Claim 6. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor of the sensor arrangement is disposed on a floor, wall and/or ceiling of the area to be monitored and/or the measuring range of the at least one sensor arrangement and/or all sensor arrangements essentially cover the area to be monitored (as cited in respect to claim 1 above, such as the ceiling and received reflections from the floor or wall, see abstract, Figs. 11, 223, 320, para [0675-0677, 1591, 1848]).
Claim 7. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises multiple radar type sensors, e.g. 2 - 4 radar type sensors, which are arranged to a same structure with each other and/or configured to measure to different directions (read upon the 9-axis sensor radar cameras and plurality of separated light emitting units 2216a to 2216f using millimeter radar such as a LIDAR to obtain accurate camera direction angle, see Figs. 5, 10, 45, 46, 48, para [0665, 0705, 0706, 0793-0797, 0801, 0803]).
Claim 8. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the system and the device comprise communication means for communicating with each other and wherein the devices comprise software, and a map or a floor plan has been stored in the system and/or the software (as cited in respect to claims 1 and 4 above, wherein the radar camera or LIDAR sensor is wirelessly LAN and wirelessly communicating the transmission devices and to one or more portable devices such as mobile phone, tablet, etc,. and being stored, see Figs. 79-81, 89, 114, 176, para [0679, 0969, 0992, 1076, 1081, 1409]).
Claim 9. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises or is connected to an electronic price label system and the electronic price label system stores locations of products or price labels linked to products and the monitoring system or the electronic price label system collects customer product selection event information for a specific product based on the determined location of persons in the monitored area and the determined purchase and/or location information from the electronic label system (the system processor processing of detected information data in a store including prices of item, food or product in the store related to a customer, person or buyer location position inside the store, see Figs. 14, 78, 136, para [506-508, 0680, 0959-0964, 1207, 1208]).
Claim 12. (Currently Amended) A monitoring system for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area, wherein the monitoring system comprises at least one sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor, measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, configured to monitor presence, location, movement and/or attitude of a person in the monitored area, and the system is configured to determine with the at least one sensor arrangement presence, location and/or movement of at least one person in the monitored area, the system is configured to send information relating to presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area to a device, such as a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet, wherein the device is configured to indicate the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area (as cited in respect to independent claim 1 above).
Claim 13. (Currently Amended) A system according to claim 12, wherein the system is
configured to determine location of the device and the location of the device is presented in the map or the floor plan of the monitored area with the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area as cited in respect to claims 1 and 2 above).
Claim 14. (Currently Amended) A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a
computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to claim 1 (as cited in respect to claim 1 above and including the non-transitory computer-readable and computer programs, see claim 9, para [0627, 1167, 1517]).
Claim 15. (Currently Amended) A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a
computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the comprising the computer to carry out the method according to claim 2 (as cited in respect to claim 2 above and including the non-transitory computer-readable and computer programs, see claim 9, para [0627, 1167, 1517]).
Claim 16. (New) A method according to claim 2, wherein the location of the device is
determined by an indoor positioning system and/or acquired with a GPS positioning function of the device (the GPS position, see Figs. 13, 280, 284, 297, para [0707, 1730, 1740, 1780]).
Claim 17. (New) A method according to claim 2, wherein the map of the monitored area
comprises an indoor map or floor plan of the monitored area (as cited in respect to claims 1 and 2 above).
Claim 18. (New) A method according to claim 3, wherein the map of the monitored area
comprises an indoor map or floor plan of the monitored area (as cited in respect to claims 1 and 2 above).
Claim 19. (New) A method according to claim 2, wherein the map of the monitored area
comprises position of the at least one radar-based sensor and/or the sensor arrangement in the map of the monitored area (as cited in respect to claims 2 and 5 above).
Claim 20. (New) A method according to claim 3, wherein the map of the monitored area
comprises position of the at least one radar-based sensor and/or the sensor arrangement in the map of the monitored area (as cited in respect to claims 2 and 5 above).
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 10, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oshima et al [US 2020/0322520] in view of Hartman et al [US 2011/0066374]
Claim 10. Oshima et al fails to disclose wherein a fire detector, a smoke detector and/or a flame detector is arranged in connection with the at least one radar based-sensor, e.g. in same enclosure and/or structure with the radar based-sensor. However,
Oshima et al teaches that the radar camera or Lidar device includes visible light communication system may include a surrounding illuminance sensing unit which senses that a light of a room is turned off, and may stop visible light transmission, which is triggered by the surrounding illuminance sensing unit sensing that the light of the room is turned off. By sensing that a visible light receiving terminal approaches and moves away and a light of a room is turned off, visible light communication is started only in a state in which visible light communication is possible (see Fig. 134, para [1221]). A situation of indoor use such as an underground city. A reception device 2706a receives a signal transmitted from a lighting 2706b, and estimates the current position of the reception device 2706a. The reception device 2706a also displays the current position on a map to provide directions, or displays nearby shop information. By transmitting disaster information or evacuation information from the lighting 2706b in the event of an emergency, such information can be obtained even in the case of communication congestion, in the case of a failure of a communication base station, or in the case of being situated in a place where it is difficult for a radio wave from a communication base station to penetrate (see Fig. 82, para [0973-0975]).
The system processor detected and tracked presence of a location or position of a customer, human, passenger, operator or person is locating or moving inside the monitored area in a map 2704d, 2715f of a facility, house, room, store, airplane, bus, ship or train, see abstract, Figs. 76, 165, para [0858, 0876, 0955, 0974, 1016, 1401, 1453-1455]).
Hartman et al suggests that the safety system 100 comprises a motion sensor 121, a security camera 123 and one or more other sensors 127 to detect a person location position and movement within a particular area such as a home. The sensors 121, 123 and 127 such as a fire detector and/or smoke detector 127 to detect a fire or other emergency. The detected information data is transmitting to the personal device 129 such as wireless phone or PDA for displaying a map of that particular area, see Figs. 1-6, para [0022-0028, 0031, 0034, 0039, 0048-0150]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify and/or adding the fire/smoke detector of Hartman et al to the radar camera or Lidar sensors of Oshima et al for alerting and assisting a human, buyer, customer, person or user being monitoring and tracking to escape from fire/smoke event and/or other emergency situations.
Claim 11. (Currently Amended) A method according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises means for guiding people, such as remotely controlled displays, dynamic signs or light source strips, and the system guides people with the means for guiding people at least in part based on indications of the fire, smoke and/or flame detectors in the monitored area and determined locations of the people, e.g. so that people are guided away from the location of a fire detector that has detected a fire (as the combination between Oshima et al and Hartman et al in respect to claim 10 above, and wherein,
Oshima et al teaches that the receiver 4001b receives signals transmitted from the plurality of transmitters 4001a and processes information included in the signals, thereby providing services to the user. The information included in the signals are information relating to: devices IDs uniquely identifying devices; position information; maps; signs; tourist information; traffic information; regional services; coupons; advertisements; product description; characters; music; video; photos; sounds; menus; broadcasting; emergency guidance; time tables; guides; applications; news; bulletin boards; commands to devices; information identifying individuals; vouchers; credit cards; security; and URLs, for example (see Fig. 118, para [1091]).
Hartman et al suggests that whatever the embodiment, the audio instructions 483 are configured to provide an audible description of an available exit location/point and/or an audible description of the possible egress path/route. Like the instructions 482, the audio instructions 483 indicate one or more of the following: a location of a blocked or impassable exit point; a location of an operational and accessible exit point; directions for proceeding along a possible egress path; indication of a type of detected event; instructions specific to the detected event, and so forth. In this, or an equivalent manner, the person 410 is informed of the detected event 430 and provided with information that allows him or her to determine how best to respond and/or egress. (see Figs. 4, 6, para [0066, 0067, 0077]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify and/or implementing the instruction to provide exit location or point and egress path/route of Hartman et al to the emergency guidance of Oshima et al for quickly and reliable to assist he or she to escape from a fire/smoke event or other emergency to save lives.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hahn et al discloses the tracking data of objects within a facility may be obtained using a plurality of smart floor tiles. Techniques for installation of the smart floor tiles allow for the generation of information about the relative arrangement of the smart floor tiles relative to one another. This relative arrangement is used in conjunction with information about physical dimensions of the smart floor tiles to generate a mapping that associates particular floor tiles with particular physical locations within the facility. [US 10,552,788]
Oshima et al discloses the information communication method is provided for obtaining information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, obtaining identification information of the subject, and sending the identification information to a server. [US 10,666,871]
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/VAN T TRIEU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685
06/12/2026
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