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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments regarding the rejection under 35 USC 102 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that:
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Examiner respectfully disagrees. Examiner reminds to the Applicant that during patent examination, the pending claims must be given the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification. Under a broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), words of the claim must be given their plain meaning, unless such meaning is inconsistent with the specification. The plain meaning of a term means the ordinary and customary meaning given to the term by those of ordinary skill in the art at the relevant time. See MPEP 2111.01. Moreover, although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
With these principles in mind, Examiner maintains the position that UCHIDA does disclose or anticipate the invention recited in pending claims 1-17 including the limitation in question. In particular, Examiner asserts that UCHIDA’s teaching related to, at least, the error ratio measurement data (para. 0044: “The error ratio measurement unit 42 is configured to measure the error ratio of a network by checking error ratio measurement data that is included in reception data”) reads on the data about the emergency stopping event. Specifically, after an emergency stopping event of an elevator car (5 in Fig. 1) of an elevator system in response to fulfillment of an emergency stopping criterion is trigged (para. 0028-0029: “The safety switch/sensor 15 is configured to detect a state of the car 5 that is related safety control, and to output the result of the detection as a safety control signal …”) and transmitted to the processing unit (4 in Fig. 1) via the communication link (2 in Fig. 1), information of the emergency stopping event is processed (see Fig. 2 and related text), wherein an error ratio of a network is measured and attached to the reception data (para. 0044) which is then transmitted via a communication link to a processing unit (e.g., 35 in Fig. 2 or 6/7 in Fig. 1; see also para. 0072: “the safety communication unit 35 attaches error detection information to the safety control signal in Step S708, to generate the safety message 71”) external to the elevator control unit (1b). Further, the processing unit (e.g., 6/7 in Fig. 1) generates/receives information related to performance of the emergency stopping event responsive to the transmitted recorded data about the emergency stopping event is generated (para. 0133: under the BRI, “whether or not the error ratio is equal to or more than a low speed running determination value” reads on the claimed “information related to performance of the emergency stopping event …”); based on the generated/received information related to the performance of the emergency stopping event, the processing unit (e.g., 6/7 in Fig. 1) adjusts at least one parameter (e.g., nearest floor stop, speed restriction, normal operation, or recovering the error ratio to a value less than the low speed running determination value, etc.) related to the emergency stopping event (see Fig. 10 and related text; see also para. 0130-0136). As such, UCHIDA teaches: “each of the plurality of communication controllers includes an error ratio measurement instrument configured to measure an error ratio of the network, based on a bit error of data that is received over the network, and in which the control device is configured to execute the operation control by switching the operation state of the elevator in accordance with the error ratio measured by the error ratio measurement instrument that is included in the first communication controller” (Abstract).
The rest of the Applicant’s arguments are reliant upon the issues discussed above, and are deemed to be unpersuasive as well for the reasons provided above. Accordingly, the rejection is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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; or
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
4. Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by UCHIDA et al. (US 20180179021 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 7-8, UCHIDA discloses an elevator control unit (e.g., 1b of Fig. 1; see also Figs. 2 and 3; para. 0045) and a computer program implemented method for practicing the control unit (see Figs. 6-11 and related text), the control unit comprising: at least one processor (51), and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor (para. 0045-0050; see also Fig. 4 and related text), cause the elevator control unit at least to perform:
triggering an emergency stopping event of an elevator car of an elevator system in response to fulfillment of an emergency stopping criterion (para. para. 0028-0029, 0086-0087, 0130-0131); recording data (e.g., the error ratio measurement data, the low speed running determination value, etc.) about the emergency stopping event (para. 0044), transmitting via a communication link (e.g., 1a and/or 1b; see also Figs. 2 and para. 0054-0056) the recorded data about the emergency stopping event to a processing unit (e.g., 4 in Fig. 1) external to the elevator control unit (para. 0037, 0045, 0049, 0088, 0129; see also para. 0072: “the safety communication unit 35 attaches error detection information to the safety control signal in Step S708, to generate the safety message 71”), receiving from the processing unit via the communication link information related to performance of the emergency stopping event (para. 0133: under the BRI, “whether or not the error ratio is equal to or more than a low speed running determination value” reads on the claimed “information related to performance of the emergency stopping event …”) responsive to the transmitted recorded data about the emergency stopping event, and adjusting at least one parameter (e.g., nearest floor stop, speed restriction, normal operation, or recovering the error ratio to a value less than the low speed running determination value, etc.) related to the emergency stopping event based on the received information related to the performance of the emergency stopping event (see Fig. 10 and related text; para. 0130-0136; see also Abstract: “each of the plurality of communication controllers includes an error ratio measurement instrument configured to measure an error ratio of the network, based on a bit error of data that is received over the network, and in which the control device is configured to execute the operation control by switching the operation state of the elevator in accordance with the error ratio measured by the error ratio measurement instrument that is included in the first communication controller”).
Regarding claim 2, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the elevator control unit to perform: transmitting, via the communication link, recorded data about at least two consecutive emergency stopping events of the elevator car to the processing unit (para. 0151-0152).
Regarding claim 3, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the information related to the performance of the emergency stopping event comprises an instruction to adjust the at least one parameter related to the emergency stopping event (para. 0130-0136).
Regarding claim 4, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the recorded data about the emergency stopping event comprises at least an elevator system state (e.g., the error ratio measurement data) associated with the emergency stopping event (para. 0044, 0054-0055, 0130-0131).
Regarding claim 5, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the at least one parameter related to the emergency stopping event comprises at least one of: a triggering limit of the emergency stopping event (para. 0130-0131)
Regarding claim 6, UCHIDA discloses: an elevator system comprising the elevator control unit according to claim 1 (para. 0009, 0025, 0032).
Regarding claims 9 and 16-17, UCHIDA discloses a processing unit (Fig. 3) and a computer program implemented method for practicing the control unit (see Figs. 6-11 and related text), the control unit, the processing unit comprising: at least one processor (51), and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor (para. 0045-0050; see also Fig. 4 and related text), cause the processing unit at least to perform: receiving, from an elevator control unit (Fig. 1) via a communication link (e.g., 1a and/or 1b; see also Figs. 2 and para. 0054-0056), recorded data (e.g., the error ratio measurement data 88, the low speed running determination value, etc.) about an emergency stopping event of an elevator car of an elevator system caused in response to fulfillment of an emergency stopping criterion (para. 0037, 0044-0045, 0049, 0072, 0088, 0129); processing the received recorded data about the emergency stopping event, and generating information related to performance of the emergency stopping event based on results of the processing of the received recorded data about the emergency stopping event (para. 0130-0136; see also Abstract).
Regarding claim 10, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the processing unit to perform: receiving, from the elevator control unit via the communication link, recorded data about at least two consecutive emergency stopping events of the elevator car (para. 0151-0152); processing the received recorded data about the at least two consecutive emergency stopping events, and generating the information related to performance of the emergency stopping event based on results of the processing of the received recorded data about the at least two consecutive emergency stopping events (para. 0130-0136, 0153-0158).
Regarding claim 11, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the processing unit to perform: transmitting, via the communication link, the generated information related to the performance of the emergency stopping event to the elevator control unit (para. 0151-0152).
Regarding claim 12, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the generated information related to the performance of the emergency stopping event comprises an instruction to adjust at least one parameter related to the emergency stopping event (para. 0135, 0136).
Regarding claim 13, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the at least one parameter related to the emergency stopping event comprises at least: a triggering limit of the emergency stopping event (para. 0130-0131).
Regarding claim 14, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the processing unit to perform: generating a service request for the elevator system based on the generated information related to the performance of the emergency stopping event (para. 0088).
Regarding claim 15, UCHIDA discloses: wherein the received recorded data about the emergency stopping event comprises at least: an elevator system state associated with the emergency stopping event (para. 0044, 0054-0055, 0130-0131).
Conclusion
5. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Contact Information
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIANCHUN QIN whose telephone number is (571)272-5981. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5:30PM EST M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached on (571)270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIANCHUN QIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837