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 Amendment
The indicated allowability of claims 2, 5, 6, 15, 17, and 20 are withdrawn in view of the newly discovered reference(s) to Veillette et al (US Publication 2009/0138777 A1). Rejections based on the newly cited reference(s) follow.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claims 1, 3-10, 12-14, and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Veillette et al (US Publication 2009/0138777 A1
Regarding to claim 1, Veillette discloses a set of devices 102-114 adapted to form a local network 100 (fig. 1 page 3 paragraph 0064), the set comprising at least one first communication device 102 (mesh gate) and multiple second communication devices 104-114 (meters), wherein the first and the second communication devices comprise a communication module 202/232 (fig. 2 page 4 paragraph 0081 and page 5 paragraph 0096) to communicate in the local network via a hopping mechanism (page 6 paragraph 0110), wherein the first communication device additionally comprises a further communication module 234 to communicate with a remote server 118 (page 5 paragraph 0097), wherein each one of the second communication devices comprises a memory 210 adapted to store a hopping distance to the first communication device (page 6 paragraph 0119), and wherein the second communication device is configured to execute actions 402 based on said hopping distance (fig. 4A page 6 paragraphs 0117-0120), wherein the second communication devices comprise a power cutoff detection module 206 (page 6 paragraph 0115), wherein each one of the second communication devices comprises an energy storage module 208 (pages 4-5 paragraph 0084), wherein each second communication device is configured to operate in a power cutoff mode, using energy from the energy storage module, when the power cutoff detection module detects a power cutoff (page 6 paragraph 0114), and wherein the second communication device is configured to execute actions based on said hopping distance in said power cutoff mode (page 6 paragraph 0119).
Regarding to claim 3, Veillette discloses memory is adapted to store, for different hopping distances, corresponding different parameters for said actions (page 6 paragraph 0122).
Regarding to claim 4, Veillette discloses said actions comprise a sequence of: receiving a message 410 from a downstream second communication device 106-114 for transmission to the first communication device; and transmitting the received message upstream (page 7 paragraphs 0127-0128).
Regarding to claim 5, Veillette discloses receiving a further message from a further downstream second communication device 106-114 for transmission to the first communication device and merging said message and said further message into a single merged message, and wherein the step of transmitting the received message upstream is comprised by transmitting said single merged message (page 7 paragraph 0130).
Regarding to claim 6, Veillette discloses the transmitting delay is based on said hopping distance (page 6 paragraph 0119).
Regarding to claim 7, Veillette discloses the different parameters comprise at least a delay time for delaying the step of transmitting (page 7 paragraph 0125).
Regarding to claim 8, Veillette discloses said actions further comprise sending a message indicative for the power cutoff (page 6 paragraph 0120).
Regarding to claim 9, Veillette discloses the sending a message indicative for the power cutoff and the transmitting of the received message is combined, and wherein said actions comprise a sequence of: receiving a message from a downstream second communication device for transmission to the first communication device; and transmitting the received message upstream (page 7 paragraph 0130).
Regarding to claim 10, Veillette discloses said first communication device comprises a further power cutoff detection module 232 (fig. 2B page 7 paragraph 0133) and a further energy storage module 238 (page 5 paragraph 0098).
Regarding to claim 12, Veillette discloses the communication module is a short-range communication module (page 6 paragraph 0111; IEEE 802.15.4).
Regarding to claim 13, Veillette discloses the further communication module is a long-distance communication module (page 5 paragraph 0097; WAN).
Regarding to claims 14 and 19, Veillette discloses a communication device 200 (fig. 2A) comprising a communication module 202 (page 4 paragraph 0081) to communicate in a local network 100 (fig. 1) via a hopping mechanism (page 6 paragraph 0110), the communication device further comprising a memory 210, wherein the memory is adapted to store a hopping distance to a predetermined other communication device in the local (page 6 paragraph 0119), and the communication device is configured to execute actions 402 based on the stored hopping distance (fig. 4A page 6 paragraphs 0117-0120), wherein the communication devices comprise a power cutoff detection module 206 (page 6 paragraph 0115) and energy storage module 208 (pages 4-5 paragraph 0084), wherein the communication device is configured to operate in a power cutoff mode using energy from the energy storage module when the power cutoff detection module detects a power cutoff (page 6 paragraph 0114), and wherein the communication device is configured to execute actions based on said hopping distance in said power cutoff mode (page 6 paragraph 0119).
Regarding to claim 16, Veillette discloses said the operating comprise: receiving a message 410 from a downstream communication device 106-114 for transmission to the first communication device; and transmitting the received message upstream (page 7 paragraphs 0127-0128).
Regarding to claim 17, Veillette discloses the transmitting delay is based on said hopping distance (page 6 paragraph 0119).
Regarding to claim 18, Veillette discloses the transmitting a further comprises grouping one or multiple received messages into a single message to be transmitted upstream (page 7 paragraph 0130).
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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Veillette in view of Hui et al (US Publication 2016/0134161 A1).
Regarding to claim 11, Veillette discloses all the limitations with respect to claim 1, except for the local network is an outdoor luminaire network, and wherein at least one of the first and second communication devices serves as communication device for a corresponding luminaire. However, Hui discloses an outdoor luminaire local network, and wherein at least one of the first and second communication devices serves as communication device for a corresponding luminaire (page 3 paragraph 0035; loT devices such lights). Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to arrange for the outdoor luminaire local network as taught by Hui into Veillette’s system to provide interconnection for smart objects such lighting fixtures.
Conclusion
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/DUC T DUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467