Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2024-08-29)

CLAIMS:
Listing of Claims:

AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMSThis listing of claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application:

1\. (Currently Amended) An assistive device, comprising:a haptic feedback interface that comprises a plurality of haptic elements; and
a haptic feedback controller configured to:
generate a touch-discernible output layout on the haptic feedback interface based on the plurality of haptic elements, wherein the touch- discernible output layout corresponds to a reproduction of a three-dimensional (3D) real-world area within a proximity range of the assistive device;
generate a set of different haptic indicators that are spatially arranged on the haptic feedback interface to discern a set of moving objects of the 3D real- world area within the proximity range, wherein the touch-discernible output layout includes the set of different haptic indicators;
receive a user input via the haptic feedback interface; and
track a movement of a target moving object of the set of moving objects in the 3D real-world area based on the received user input.

2\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback controller is further configured to:determine\[\[ if\]\] the movement of the target moving object from a first proximity range to a second proximity range; and

calibrate at least one sensor based on the second proximity range, wherein the calibration of the at least one sensor is for reception of sensor data.

3\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 1, wherein the user input comprises one of a first \[\[an \]\]amount of pressure applied on the set of different haptic indicators by a user of the assistive device, or a second amount of pressure applied on the set of different haptic indicators by the user,the first amount of pressure is different from the second amount of pressure, and the haptic feedback controller is further configured to:execute a first action based on \[\[a\]\]the first amount of pressure;
and execute a second action based on \[\[a\]\]the second amount of pressure .

4\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 3, wherein the first amount of pressureis greater than a first threshold pressure value, and wherein the second amount of pressure is greater than a second threshold pressure value.

5\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 3, wherein \[\[the \]\]at least one of the first action or the second action corresponds to a prompt to require additional information about the target moving object.

6\. (Original) The assistive device according to claim 5, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of a current location of the target moving object or a distance between the user and the target moving object.
7\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 1, wherein, based on the tracked movement of the target moving object, the haptic feedback controller is further configured to output at least one \[\[an \]\]audio feedbacks by one or more audio output devices in the assistive device, for navigational assistance from a current position of a user of the assistive device towards the target moving object,or one or more haptic mobility signals with the touch-discernible output layout for the navigational assistance from \[\[a\]\]the current position of the user of the assistive device towards the target moving object.SVG {EMBED HERE} 0.1530.177

8\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback controller is further configured to differently control a rate-of- change of movement of each of the set of different haptic indicators on the haptic feedback interface) based on a distance of each of the set of moving objects in the 3D real-world from \[\[the \]\]a user of the assistive device.

9\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 8, further comprising\[\[ a\]\] circuitry configured to determine a spatial scaling factor for each of the set of moving objects in the 3D real-world based on the distance of each of the set of moving objects from the user of the assistive device, wherein the control of the rate-of-change of the movement of each of the set of different haptic indicators is based on the spatial scaling factor determined for a corresponding moving object of the set of moving objects.
10\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback controller is further configured to differently control a size of each of the set of different haptic indicators on the haptic feedback interface based on a distance of each of the set of moving objects present in the 3D real-world from \[\[the SVG {EMBED HERE} 0.160.59

11\. (Currently Amended) The assistive device according to claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback controller is further configured to generate the set of different haptic indicators based on a touch-discernible modality that includes at least one of a differential temperature-based modality, a differential electric pulse-based modality, a differential raised shape pattern-based modality, or a combination of different touch- discernible modalities.

12\. (Currently Amended) An assistive method, comprising:

in an assistive device that comprises a haptic feedback controller) and a haptic feedback interface that includes a plurality of haptic elements:
generating a touch-discernible output layout on the haptic feedback interface based on the plurality of haptic elements, wherein the touch-discernible output layout corresponds to a reproduction of a three-dimensional (3D) real-world area within a proximity range of the assistive device;
generating a set of different haptic indicators that are spatially arranged on the haptic feedback interface to discern a set of moving objects of the 3D real-world area within the proximity range, wherein the touch-discernible output layout includes the set of different haptic indicators;
receiving a user input via the haptic feedback interface; and
tracking a movement of a target moving object of the set of moving objects in the 3D real-world area based on the received user input.

13\. (Currently Amended) The assistive method according to claim 12, further comprising:determining \[\[if lithe movement of the target moving object from a first proximity range to a second proximity range; and
calibrating at least one sensor based on the second proximity range, wherein the calibration of the at least one sensor is for reception of sensor data.

14\. (Currently Amended) The assistive method according to claim 12, wherein

the user input comprises one of a first \[\[an \]\]amount of pressure applied on the set of different haptic indicators by a user of the assistive device, or a second amount of pressure applied on the set of different haptic indicators by the user,
the first amount of pressure is different from the second amount of pressure,and the method further comprises:executing a first action based on \[\[a \]\]thefirst amount of pressure;
and executing a second action based on \[\[a \]\]thesecond amount of pressure .

15\. (Currently Amended) The assistive method according to claim 14, wherein t the first amount of pressure isgreater than a first threshold pressure value, and wherein the second amount of pressure isgreater than a second threshold pressure value.

16\. (Currently Amended) The assistive method according to claim 14, wherein \[\[the \]\]at least one of the first action or the second action corresponds to a prompt to require additional information about the target moving object.

17\. (Original) The assistive method according to claim 16, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of a current location of the target moving object or a distance between the user and the target moving object.

18\. (Currently Amended) The assistive method according to claim 12, wherein, based on the tracked movement of the target moving object, outputting at least one of:\[\[an \]\]audio feedbacks by one or more audio output devices in the assistive device, for navigational assistance from a current position of a user of the assistive device towards the target moving object,or one or more haptic mobility signals with the touch-discernible output layout for providing thenavigational assistance from \[\[a \]\]thecurrent position of the user of the assistive device towards the target moving object.

19\. (Currently Amended) The assistive method according to claim 12, further comprising differently controlling)a rate-of-change of movement of each of the set of different haptic indicators on the haptic feedback interface) based on a distance of each of the set of moving objects in the 3D real-world from \[\[the \]\]a user of the assistive device.

20\. (Currently Amended) The assistive method according to claim 19, further comprising determining a spatial scaling factor for each of the set of moving objects in the 3D real-world based on the distance of each of the set of moving objects from the user of the assistive device, wherein the controlling of the rate-of-change of themovement of each of the set of different haptic indicators is based on the spatial scaling factor determined for a corresponding moving object of the set of moving objects.

OFFICE ACTION:
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claims 1-20 are allowed.
Claim 1 is allowed since none of the prior art alone or in combination suggests an assistive device, comprising:
a haptic feedback interface that comprises a plurality of haptic elements; and
a haptic feedback controller configured to:
generate a touch-discernible output layout on the haptic feedback interface using based on the plurality of haptic elements, wherein the touch-discernible output layout corresponds to a reproduction of a three-dimensional (3D) real-world area within a proximity range of the assistive device;
generate a set of different haptic indicators that are spatially arranged on the haptic feedback interface to discern a set of moving objects of the 3D real-world area within the proximity range, wherein the touch-discernible output layout includes the set of different haptic indicators;
receive a user input via the haptic feedback interface; and
track a movement of a target moving object of the set of moving objects in the 3D real-world area based on the received user input.
Claim 12 is allowed for similar reasons as claim 1.
Claims 2-11 and 13-20 are allowed for being dependent upon aforementioned independent claims 1 and 12.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS
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ARGUMENTS
Claims 1-5, 7-16, and 18-20 are currently amended for clarity and to overcome minor antecedent issues. No new subject matter has been added. Thus, claims 1-20 are pending herein.
Claims 1, 3-12 and 14-20 were rejected on the ground of non-statutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-18 of U.S. Patent No. 11,797,121 B2. The Applicant respectfully traverses the rejections at least based on the following remarks.
DOUBLE PATENTING REJECTION
Claims 1, 3-12, and 14-20 were rejected on the ground of non-statutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-18 of U.S. Patent No. 11,797,121 B2. In this regard, the Applicant respectfully traverses the above rejections, but is nevertheless submitting herewith a Terminal Disclaimer in compliance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.321 (c), to obviate the double patenting rejection.
CONCLUSION