DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
3. Claims 1-3 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lloyd (US 20170246329 A1, provided in Applicant’s IDS filed 03/10/2023).
Regarding claim 1, Lloyd teaches a sterilization system (system 10, Fig. 1) comprising: a light source unit configured to emit ultraviolet rays in a radiating form (emitter 20, Fig. 6 and [0060]);
a horizontal angle adjustment unit configured to adjust a horizontal angle of the light source unit by causing rotation of the light source unit in a horizontal direction (“The base 90 is electromechanically controlled and able to rotate freely and rapidly around its vertical axis in either direction”, Fig. 6 and [0097]); and/or a vertical angle adjustment unit configured to adjust a vertical angle of the light source unit by causing rotation of the light source unit in a vertical direction (“The rotating disc 91 is electromechanically controlled and can be rotated freely and rapidly in either direction around its horizontal axis. The base 90 and the disc 91 together constitute a moving head”, Fig. 6 and [0097]); and
a controller (computing device 50, Fig. 5B) configured to, when setting a position or a range automatically irradiated with the ultraviolet rays (“rapidly scan and decontaminate the “safe” areas with one or more of a direction, intensity, and shape controlled beam of germicidal radiation”, [0034]), receive a marker signal transmitted from a marker operated by a user, via a marker sensor (markers are “safe” areas, defined as “areas where, if harmful levels of radiation were to be emitted from the emitter onto those areas, humans will not be harmed or receive a dose of germicidal radiation in excess of allowable radiation limits”, [0058], which includes people wearing/operating eye protection/PPE; where sensor 40 can “detect whether the persons in the environment are equipped with protective equipment such as eye protection or skin protection”, [0060] and Fig. 5B),
control rotation of the horizontal angle adjustment unit and/or the vertical angle adjustment (a direction of radiation has an inherent vertical and horizontal component, where Fig. 6 shows the adjustability of emitter 20) unit to direct an optical axis of the light source unit to the marker (“rapidly scan and decontaminate the “safe” areas with one or more of a direction, intensity, and shape controlled beam of germicidal radiation”, [0034]), in response to a person setting request for setting the position or the range from the user (“The equipment may also include a microphone to allow the person to communicate voice commands that are transmitted wirelessly by a transmitter to the processing circuitry 51. This may include control commands such as “turn off UV”, or “UV low” or “UV high””, [0183], to which via this voice command from a user, “UV low” or “UV high” would activate system 100 to irradiate “safe” areas having positions that the emitter would be aimed/positioned towards).
Lloyd further teaches the positioning of the light source to the “safe” areas including the sensor/marker 40 of Fig. 5B, where “[t]he processing circuitry 51 could collect data regarding the time that each individual was in the germicidal radiation exposure and where they were within the environment”, processing circuitry having memory and processors/computers ([0170] and Fig. 5B); however, Lloyd fails to explicitly state storing a horizontal angle and/or a vertical angle of the light source unit as setting information on the position or the range automatically irradiated with the ultraviolet rays.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the processing circuitry and memory circuitry of Lloyd to have incorporated storing the horizontal angle and/or a vertical angle of the light source unit as setting information on the position automatically irradiated in order to position the light source to said designated area (i.e., “safe” areas) after the position of “safe” areas are stored.
Regarding claim 2, modified Lloyd teaches wherein the marker (sensor 40, Fig. 5B) includes an ultraviolet sensor (sensor 40 is synonymous with a germicidal radiation sensor, [0140]) detecting the ultraviolet rays being emitted with the optical axis of the light source unit directed to the marker (“germicidal radiation sensors 40 can be positioned near the eye and on the inner side of the lens(es) to monitor germicidal radiation getting through the eye protection”, [0140] and Fig. 5B).
Regarding claim 3, modified Lloyd teaches a visible light source configured to emit visible light in parallel to the ultraviolet rays from the light source unit (“an emitter 20 can be combined with a visible light source to create a combined direction controlled beam of germicidal and visible light radiation if desired so that the beam of germicidal radiation and particularly the area at which it is being directed can be clearly seen to persons in the area”, [0078]).
Regarding claim 6, modified Lloyd teaches a controller (computing device 50, Fig. 5B) configured to perform for a light source unit configured to emit ultraviolet rays in a radiating form (emitter 20, Fig. 6), and
a horizontal angle adjustment unit configured to adjust a horizontal angle of the light source unit by causing rotation of the light source unit in a horizontal direction (base 90 horizontally rotatable shown by arrows, Fig. 6), and/or a vertical angle adjustment unit configured to adjust a vertical angle of the light source unit by causing rotation of the light source unit in a vertical direction (rotating disk 91 vertically rotates as shown by arrows, Fig. 6),
when setting a position or a range automatically irradiated with the ultraviolet rays (“rapidly scan and decontaminate the “safe” areas with one or more of a direction, intensity, and shape controlled beam of germicidal radiation”, [0034]), receiving a marker signal transmitted from a marker operated by a user, via a marker sensor (markers are “safe” areas, defined as “areas where, if harmful levels of radiation were to be emitted from the emitter onto those areas, humans will not be harmed or receive a dose of germicidal radiation in excess of allowable radiation limits”, [0058], which includes people wearing/operating eye protection/PPE; where sensor 40 can “detect whether the persons in the environment are equipped with protective equipment such as eye protection or skin protection”, [0060] and Fig. 5B),
controlling of rotation of the horizontal angle adjustment unit and/or the vertical angle adjustment (a direction of radiation has an inherent vertical and horizontal component, where Fig. 6 shows the adjustability of emitter 20) unit to direct an optical axis of the light source unit to the marker (“rapidly scan and decontaminate the “safe” areas with one or more of a direction, intensity, and shape controlled beam of germicidal radiation”, [0034]), in response to a person setting request for setting the position or the range from the user (“The equipment may also include a microphone to allow the person to communicate voice commands that are transmitted wirelessly by a transmitter to the processing circuitry 51. This may include control commands such as “turn off UV”, or “UV low” or “UV high””, [0183], to which via this voice command from a user, “UV low” or “UV high” would activate system 100 to irradiate “safe” areas having positions that the emitter would be aimed/positioned towards).
Lloyd further teaches the positioning of the light source to the “safe” areas including the sensor/marker 40 of Fig. 5B, where “[t]he processing circuitry 51 could collect data regarding the time that each individual was in the germicidal radiation exposure and where they were within the environment”, processing circuitry having memory and processors/computers ([0170] and Fig. 5B); however, Lloyd fails to explicitly state storing a horizontal angle and/or a vertical angle of the light source unit as setting information on the position or the range automatically irradiated with the ultraviolet rays.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the processing circuitry and memory circuitry of Lloyd to have incorporated storing the horizontal angle and/or a vertical angle of the light source unit as setting information on the position automatically irradiated in order to position the light source to said designated area (i.e., “safe” areas) after the position of “safe” areas are stored.
Regarding claim 7, Lloyd teaches a control method (Fig. 16) comprising, by a computer (computing device 50, Fig. 5B and [0165]), executing, for a light source unit configured to emit ultraviolet rays in a radiating form (emitter 20, Fig. 6), and
a horizontal angle adjustment unit configured to adjust a horizontal angle of the light source unit by causing rotation of the light source unit in a horizontal direction (base 90 horizontally rotatable shown by arrows, Fig. 6), and/or a vertical angle adjustment unit configured to adjust a vertical angle of the light source unit by causing rotation of the light source unit in a vertical direction (rotating disk 91 vertically rotates as shown by arrows, Fig. 6),
when setting a position or a range automatically irradiated with the ultraviolet rays (“rapidly scan and decontaminate the “safe” areas with one or more of a direction, intensity, and shape controlled beam of germicidal radiation”, [0034]), receiving a marker signal transmitted from a marker operated by a user, via a marker sensor (markers are “safe” areas, defined as “areas where, if harmful levels of radiation were to be emitted from the emitter onto those areas, humans will not be harmed or receive a dose of germicidal radiation in excess of allowable radiation limits”, [0058], which includes people wearing/operating eye protection/PPE; where sensor 40 can “detect whether the persons in the environment are equipped with protective equipment such as eye protection or skin protection”, [0060] and Fig. 5B),
controlling of rotation of the horizontal angle adjustment unit and/or the vertical angle adjustment (a direction of radiation has an inherent vertical and horizontal component, where Fig. 6 shows the adjustability of emitter 20) unit to direct an optical axis of the light source unit to the marker (“rapidly scan and decontaminate the “safe” areas with one or more of a direction, intensity, and shape controlled beam of germicidal radiation”, [0034]), in response to a person setting request for setting the position or the range from the user (“The equipment may also include a microphone to allow the person to communicate voice commands that are transmitted wirelessly by a transmitter to the processing circuitry 51. This may include control commands such as “turn off UV”, or “UV low” or “UV high””, [0183], to which via this voice command from a user, “UV low” or “UV high” would activate system 100 to irradiate “safe” areas having positions that the emitter would be aimed/positioned towards).
Lloyd further teaches the positioning of the light source to the “safe” areas including the sensor/marker 40 of Fig. 5B, where “[t]he processing circuitry 51 could collect data regarding the time that each individual was in the germicidal radiation exposure and where they were within the environment”, processing circuitry having memory and processors/computers ([0170] and Fig. 5B); however, Lloyd fails to explicitly state storing a horizontal angle and/or a vertical angle of the light source unit as setting information on the position or the range automatically irradiated with the ultraviolet rays.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the processing circuitry and memory circuitry of Lloyd to have incorporated storing the horizontal angle and/or a vertical angle of the light source unit as setting information on the position automatically irradiated in order to position the light source to said designated area (i.e., “safe” areas) after the position of “safe” areas are stored.
4. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lloyd (US 20170246329 A1, provided in Applicant’s IDS filed 03/10/2023) as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Li (US 20140202948 A1).
Regarding claim 4, modified Lloyd teaches a display unit (display 58, Fig. 5B) operatively connected to the processing circuitry (51, Fig. 5B) that outputs information to a person ([0163]) but fails to teach a display unit configured to display a lifetime of the light source unit.
Li teaches a UV disinfection system (liquid purifying apparatus 100, Fig. 1A) having a display unit (140, Fig. 1A) configured to display a lifetime of the light source unit (“The controller 133 may additionally configure the user display 140 to display information such as… UV emitters' remaining working lifetime”, Fig. 1A and [0065]) because “UV LED and UV lamp have characteristics that limit a number of disinfection cycles over their lifetime” ([0062]).
Modified Lloyd and Li are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of UV disinfection systems utilizing displays to display the state of operatively connected components.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display of Lloyd by incorporating a display output such as UV emitter lifetime as taught by Li in order to display the status of the UV emitters (Li, [0062] and [0065]).
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Aham Lee whose telephone number is (703)756-5622. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM EST.
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/Aham Lee/Examiner, Art Unit 1758
/MARIS R KESSEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1758