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, see Remarks, filed 8/26/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of the claim(s) under 35 U.S.C. 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Norton et al. U.S. PGPub 2018/0042064.
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 –
(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.
Claim(s) 21-23, 26-32 and 35-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by 3Norton et al. U.S. PGPub 2018/0042064 (hereinafter “Norton”).
Regarding claims 21, 30 and 39, Norton discloses a method for dynamically controlling operation of a first device (e.g. schedule master controller), the method for dynamically controlling operation of a first device, the method comprising: determining a current time of day (via the real time clock) (e.g. ¶26; Fig. 1 and 7B); based on the determined current time of day, controlling which second device (e.g. lighting control device/luminaire) the first device will control upon the first device receiving a primitive user input (e.g. ¶65-67, user inputted schedule), including (i) if the determined current time of day is a first time of day (e.g. 8 a.m.) rather than a second time of day (e.g. 4 p.m.), then causing the first device to control a first second device (e.g. lighting control device/luminaire of zone 1) rather than a second second device (e.g. lighting control device/luminaire of zone 2) upon the first device receiving the primitive input, and (ii) if the determined current time of day is the second time of day (e.g. 4 p.m.) rather than the first time of day (e.g. 8 a.m.), then causing the first device to control the second second device (e.g. lighting control device/luminaire of zone 2) rather than the first second device (e.g. lighting control device/luminaire of zone 1) upon receiving the primitive user input (e.g. ¶32-34, 43, 46, 88, 91 and 107; Fig. 5A, 5C, 7B and 10); and based on the determined current time of day, controlling which of multiple operational states (e.g. multiple levels of light intensity) of a second device the first device will control upon the first device receiving the primitive user input, including (i) if the determined current time of day is the first time of day rather than the second time of day, then causing the first device to control a first operational state (e.g. high intensity) rather than a second operational state (e.g. low intensity) upon the first device receiving the primitive user input (e.g. ¶32-34, 43, 46, 88, 91 and 107; Fig. 5A, 5C, 7B and 10), and (ii) if the determined current time of day is the second time of day rather than the first time of day, then causing the first device to control the second operational state (e.g. low intensity) rather than the first operational state (e.g. high intensity) upon the first device receiving the primitive user input (e.g. ¶32-34, 43, 46, 88, 91 and 107; Fig. 5A, 5C, 7B and 10). Regarding claims 30 and 39, Norton discloses a computing system or non-transitory computer-readable medium dynamically controlling operation of a first device (e.g. Fig. 2A).
Regarding claims 22 and 31, Norton discloses the method of claim 21, wherein receiving the primitive user input comprises a button (e.g. virtual button) of the first device being pressed by a user (e.g. ¶26, 65-67 and 80-84).
Regarding claims 23 and 32, Norton discloses the method of claim 21, wherein receiving the primitive user input (e.g. virtual switch) comprises a switch being toggled by a user (e.g. ¶26, 65-67 and 80-84).
Regarding claims 26 and 35, Norton discloses the method of claim 21, wherein the method is carried out by the first device (e.g. ¶32-34, 43, 46, 88, 91 and 107; Fig. 5A, 5C, 7B and 10).
Regarding claims 27 and 36, Norton discloses the method of claim 26, wherein the method is carried out upon the first device receiving the primitive user input (e.g. ¶32-34, 43, 46, 88, 91 and 107; Fig. 5A, 5C, 7B and 10).
Regarding claims 28, 37 and 40, Norton discloses the method of claim 26, wherein (i) causing the first device to control a first second device rather than a second second device upon the first device receiving the primitive input comprises causing the first device to be set to control the first second device rather than the second second device upon receiving the primitive input (e.g. ¶32-34, 43, 46, 88, 91 and 107; Fig. 5A, 5C, 7B and 10), and (ii) causing the first device to control the second second device rather than the first second device upon receiving the primitive user input comprises causing the first device to be set to control the second second device rather than the first second device upon the first device receiving the primitive input (e.g. ¶32-34, 43, 46, 88, 91 and 107; Fig. 5A, 5C, 7B and 10).
Regarding claims 29 and 38, Norton discloses the method of claim 21, wherein the method is carried out at least in part by a device (e.g. light control device, network controller) other than the first device (e.g. ¶32-34, 43, 46, 88, 91 and 107; Fig. 1, 5A, 5C, 6, 7B, 10 and 11).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES R KASENGE whose telephone number is (571)272-3743. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30am to 4pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CK
May 14, 2026
/CHARLES R KASENGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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