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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 16-27 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on February 17, 2026.
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) 28-31, 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SMITH et al. (US 2019/0087302).
Smith teaches an aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising a power supply (para. 0007) configured to supply power to a heating element (para. 0007) to heat the aerosol- forming substrate to generate the aerosol; and a controller (para. 0007) configured to monitor a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session, and to use the user interaction parameter to control the temperature of the heating element during the usage session (para. 0076), wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured to monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during operation of the aerosol-generating device (para. 0041), analyze the monitored parameter to identify a user puff (para. 0041, 0083), the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end (para. 0041, 0083), analyze the monitored parameter during the user puff to calculate a puff volume (para. 0041, 0083), the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and control the temperature of the heating element based on the calculated puff volume (para. 0041).
Regarding claim 29, Smith teaches the aerosol-generating device is further configured to monitor a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session, use the user interaction parameter as a parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the usage session, monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the usage session, analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end, analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and use the puff volume as the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heater element (para. 0041, 0083).
Regarding claim 30, Smith teaches an aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising a power supply (para. 0007) configured to a heating element (para. 0007) to heat the aerosol-forming substrate to supply power to generate the aerosol; a controller (para. 0007); and a nontransitory computer-readable medium (para. 0115) containing instructions to carry out a method of monitoring a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session (para. 0041, 083), and using the user interaction parameter as a parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the usage session, wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured to monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during operation of the aerosol-generating device, analyze the monitored parameter to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end, analyze the monitored parameter during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and control the temperature of the heating element based on the calculated puff volume (para. 0041, 083).
Regarding claim 31, Smith teaches an aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising a power supply (para. 0007) configured to supply power to generate the aerosol; a controller (para. 0007); and a nontransitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to carry out a method (para. 0115).
Regarding claim 34. Smith teaches the aerosol- generating device is further configured to analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation to identify a plurality of user puffs performed during the usage session, each of the plurality of user puffs having a puff start and a puff end, the aerosol-generating device being further configured to determine the puff start and the puff end for each of the plurality of user puffs by analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation (para. 0041, 0083).
Claim(s) 28-31, 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by TU (US 2020/0237017).
Tu teaches an aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising a power supply (para. 0033) configured to supply power to a heating element (para. 0033) to heat the aerosol- forming substrate to generate the aerosol; and a controller (para. 0033) configured to monitor a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session, and to use the user interaction parameter to control the temperature of the heating element during the usage session (para. 0017), wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured to monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during operation of the aerosol-generating device (para. 0010), analyze the monitored parameter to identify a user puff (para. 0054), the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end (para. 0054), analyze the monitored parameter during the user puff to calculate a puff volume (para. 0054), the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and control the temperature of the heating element based on the calculated puff volume (para. 0061).
Regarding claim 29, Tu teaches the aerosol-generating device is further configured to monitor a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session, use the user interaction parameter as a parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the usage session, monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the usage session, analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end, analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and use the puff volume as the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heater element (para. 0054).
Regarding claim 30, Tu teaches an aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising a power supply (para. 0033) configured to a heating element (para. 0033) to heat the aerosol-forming substrate to supply power to generate the aerosol; and a controller (para. 0033). Tu teaches that the aerosol generating device comprises a microprocessor (para. 0014) which inherently includes a nontransitory computer-readable medium. Tu teaches monitoring a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session (para. 54), and using the user interaction parameter as a parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the usage session, wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured to monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during operation of the aerosol-generating device, analyze the monitored parameter to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end, analyze the monitored parameter during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and control the temperature of the heating element based on the calculated puff volume (para. 0054, 0061).
Regarding claim 31, Tu teaches an aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising a power supply (para. 0033) configured to supply power to generate the aerosol; a controller (para. 0033); and a microprocessor (para. 0014) which inherently includes a nontransitory computer-readable medium.
Regarding claim 32, Tu teaches the aerosol- generating device is further configured to store a predetermined thermal profile defining a heating element temperature with respect to a value of the monitored user interaction parameter (para. 0055, 0057).
Regarding claim 33, Tu teaches the aerosol- generating device is further configured to control an operating temperature of the heating element during the usage session in accordance with the predetermined thermal profile (para. 0055, 0057).
Regarding claim 34, Tu teaches the aerosol- generating device is further configured to analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation to identify a plurality of user puffs performed during the usage session, each of the plurality of user puffs having a puff start and a puff end, the aerosol-generating device being further configured to determine the puff start and the puff end for each of the plurality of user puffs by analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation (para. 0054).
Regarding claim 35, Tu teaches the aerosol- generating device is further configured to analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation during each of the plurality of identified user puffs to calculate a puff volume for each of the plurality of user puffs, determine a cumulative puff volume of aerosol generated during each of the plurality of identified user puffs, and use the cumulative puff volume as the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heater element (para. 0054).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CYNTHIA SZEWCZYK whose telephone number is (571)270-5130. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm.
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/CYNTHIA SZEWCZYK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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