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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 3/2/2026 has been entered.
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 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.
Claims are 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sannala (US Pat Pub# 2018/0063485) in view of Tsujimoto et al. (US Pat Pub# 2007/0147419) and further in view of Ghods et al. (US Pat Pub# 2022/0107251) and further in view of Dumitras (US Pat Pub# 2019/0385113).
Regarding claims 21 and 34, Sannala teaches a system for comfort or security in a building and premise (Figs. 1-3, Sections 0049, 0051-0055, 0074, and 0079, plurality of sensors to monitor security etc. parameters), the system comprising a hub device 180 (Fig. 2), wherein the hub device is a master for controlling the system (Sections 0049, 0051-0055, and 0074, to monitor security etc. parameters); wherein the hub device is configured to wirelessly communicate using a first wireless communication format (Sections 0063 and 0071, IEEE 802.15.4 etc.); wherein the first wireless communication format includes a non-low-energy protocol (Sections 0063 and 0071, IEEE 802.15.4 etc.); a plurality of first devices 204-6 and 204-7 (Fig. 2) configured to wirelessly communicate with the hub device 180 (Fig. 2), wherein the plurality of first devices are configured to wirelessly communicate using a first communication format (Sections 0063 and 0071, IEEE 802.15.4 etc.); wherein the plurality of first devices comprises the first device being battery powered (Sections 0068 and 0074, battery operated devices); a plurality of second devices 204-8, 204-4, and 204-n (Fig. 2) that are battery powered and configured to wirelessly communicate with respective ones of the plurality of first devices or the hub device (Sections 0068 and 0074, battery operated devices), wherein the plurality of second devices, and respective ones of the plurality of first devices are configured to communicate, wherein the plurality of second devices 204-8/204-4/204-n (Fig. 2) are unable to directly communicate with the hub device 180 (Fig. 2, as shown plurality of secondary devices are directly communicating with other devices instead of the hub device etc.); wherein the hub device and the plurality of second devices are configured to communicate with each other via respective ones of the plurality of first devices (Fig. 2 and Sections 0049, 0051-0055, 0063, 0068, 0071, 0074-0075, and 0079, plurality devices communicating with each other and the hub to monitor different parameters in the house), wherein the plurality of second devices and respective ones of the plurality of first devices are configured to communicate using the second communication format (Sections 0063 and 0071, IEEE 802.15.4, etc.); and the plurality of second devices comprises at least one controllable device (Section 0057, controllable devices i.e. motorized duct vents, smart appliances); the plurality first device configured to receive program instructions from the hub device via the wireless communication format (Section 0057, controlling devices through a wireless connection etc.); and transmit program instruction to the at least one controllable device via the wireless communication format (Section 0057, controlling devices through a wireless connection etc.). Sannala fails to teach converting sensor data from a second format to a first format, a low energy protocol, and a second wireless communication format.
Tsujimoto teaches wherein the plurality of first devices and the hub device are configured to wirelessly communicate using either one of first communication format or a second communication format, the first communication format being different than the second communication format (Figs. 20 and 23-24 and Claim 21, a first and second protocols etc.); wirelessly communicate with respective ones of the plurality of first devices, wherein the plurality of second devices and respective ones of the plurality of first devices are configured to communicate using the second communication format (Figs. 20 and 23-24 and Claim 21, a first and second protocols etc.); a first device configured to receive sensor data from the at least one sensor device via the second communication format (Figs. 20 and 23-24 and Claim 21, receiving sensor information through a first protocol etc.); convert the sensor data from the second communication format to the first communication format (Figs. 20 and 23-24 and Claim 21, converting a first to second protocol of the sensor information etc.); and transmit the sensor data to the hub device via the first communication format (Figs. 20 and 23-24 and Claim 21, transmitting the converted information to second protocol of the sensor information etc.); convert the program instructions from the first communication format to the second communication format (Figs. 20 and 23-24 and Claim 21, converting a first to second protocol of the sensor information etc.); and transmit the program instructions to the at least one device via the first communication format (Figs. 20 and 23-24 and Claim 21, converting a first to second protocol of the sensor information etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time of the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate converting sensor data from a second format to a first format as taught by Tsujimoto into Sannala’s system in order to improve functionality.
Sannala and Tsujimoto fails to teach a second wireless communication format.
Ghods teaches a plurality of first devices configured to wirelessly communicate with a hub device that is a master for controlling the system, wherein the plurality of first devices and the hub device are configured to wirelessly communicate using a first wireless communication format or a second wireless communication format, the first wireless communication format being different than the second wireless communication format (Fig. 1 and Section 0204, sensors communicating with a hub etc. either through a first wireless protocol or a second wireless protocol).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time of the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a second wireless communication format as taught by Ghods into converting sensor data from a second format to a first format as taught by Tsujimoto into Sannala’s system in order to improve communication functionality and options.
Sannala, Tsujimoto, and Ghods fails to teach a low energy protocol.
Dumitras teaches wherein the second wireless communication format includes a low energy protocol (Sections 0040-0041, sensors communicating using Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time of the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a low energy protocol as taught by Dumitras into a second wireless communication format as taught by Ghods into converting sensor data from a second format to a first format as taught by Tsujimoto into Sannala’s system in order to reduce power consumption.
Regarding claims 22 and 35, Sannala further teaches wherein the plurality of first devices comprises a smart thermostat; a portal contact sensor; or a motion sensor (Sections 0052-0055, thermostat, motion, etc. sensors).
Regarding claims 23, 25, and 36, Sannala further teaches wherein the at least one sensor device comprises a carbon-monoxide detector; a motion sensor; a portal contact sensor; an air sensor; or a passive infrared sensor (Sections 0049, 0051-0055, 0074-0075, and 0079, carbon-monoxide detector, motion sensor, etc.).
Regarding claims 24, 25-27, and 37, Sannala further teaches an air vent damper configured to open or close an air vent in response to wirelessly receiving the program instructions (Section 0057, motorized air vents responsive to wireless controls etc.).
Regarding claim 28, the combination including Sannala teaches wherein each of the plurality of first devices is configured to communicate via the first communication format in a first plurality of time slots (Sections 0063 and 0071, IEEE 802.15.4 time slots). Sannala, Ghods, and Tsujimoto fails to specifically teach second plurality time slots.
Dumitras teaches communicate via a second communication standard in a second plurality of time slots, wherein each of the first plurality of time slots is different from each of the second plurality of time slots (Sections 0040-0041, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 timeslots).
Regarding claims 29 and 39, Sannala further teaches wherein the plurality of first devices are battery powered (Sections 0068 and 0074, battery operated devices).
Regarding claim 30, Sannala further teaches wherein the first communication format is compatible with an IEEE 802.15.4 standard (Sections 0063 and 0071, IEEE 802.15.4 etc.).
Regarding claims 31 and 40, Sannala further teaches wherein the second communication format is compatible with a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) standard (Sections 0077, 0100, 0197, 0253, and 0304, BLE).
Regarding claim 32, Dumitras further teaches wherein the BTLE standard is BTLE 5.0 (Sections 0040-0041, BTLE 5.0).
Regarding claim 33 and 38, Sannala further teaches wherein the plurality of second devices comprises at least one sensor device; and the plurality of second devices is configured to wirelessly communicate with the respective ones of the plurality of first devices by wirelessly transmitting, by the at least one sensor device to at least one first device, sensor data; and the plurality of first devices wirelessly is configured to wirelessly communicate with the hub device by wirelessly transmitting, by the at least one first device to the hub device, the sensor data (Fig. 2 and Sections 0049, 0051-0055, 0063, 0068, 0071, 0074-0075, and 0079, sensors to communicate with another device which then communicates with a hub device).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s Remarks
Examiner’s Response
“Sannala expressly teaches that the low-power nodes ‘are incapable of bidirectional communication.’ (Sannala at 0069.) Furthermore, Sannala requires the ‘spokesman nodes’ to ‘have a regular and reliable power source, such as by connecting to wiring (e.g., to 120V line
voltage wires).’ (Sannala at 0068.) Claim 21, however, requires ‘the first device being battery powered’ and the ‘first device configured to wirelessly communicate with the hub using the
second wireless communication format,’ which ‘includes a low energy protocol.’ Sannala does not teach this feature and in fact teaches the opposite, that the ‘spokesman nodes’ are not battery
powered.”
In paragraph 0068 of Sannala states that some devices can be battery powered and some devices cannot be battery powered. The paragraph does not say that all the devices are not battery powered, but can be designed with different types of devices and some are battery powered and some can not be battery powered. Therefore, it is obvious that the first and second devices can be designed to be battery powered as stated in paragraph 0068.
“Like Sannala, Tsujimoto's NAT routers are not battery powered.”
See above response.
“Dumitras is relied upon for the limited purpose of teaching this protocol and does not remedy the deficiencies of Sannala, Tsujimoto, and Ghods.”
See 1st response above.
Conclusion
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/ANDREW WENDELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648 3/6/2026