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 .
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.
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.
Claims 1, 3–6, 8 and 10–17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matlin et al., US 2015/0306533 A1 in view of Combs et al., US 2017/0087500 A1 in view of He et al., US 2006/0075729 A1 and in further view of Gourley, US 2011/0187323 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Maltin teaches an air purifying system. See Maltin [0007]. The system comprises at least one air purifier. Id.
The air purifier comprises an air purifier mechanism received in a housing. See Matlin [0008]. The housing provides an air flow path between an air inlet configured to receive ambient air and an air outlet configured to deliver purified air. Id.
The air purifier mechanism includes an air purifying system (reading on the “air purifying sub-system”), a fan and a drive mechanism. See Maltin [0008]. The air purifying system is disposed in the airflow path between the inlet and the outlet and is configured to remove contaminants present in the ambient air passing through the housing. Id. The drive mechanism is configured to drive the fan to move air through the airflow path between the air inlet and the air outlet. Id.
The air purifier also comprises a controller comprising one or more processors. with the controller configured to control the drive mechanism based on receiving an air quality parameter or based on receiving an input. See Matlin [0008], [0044]. The controller is configured to control the drive mechanism based on receiving an air quality parameter or based on receiving an input. Id. at [0008].
The air purifier is configured to operate in a plurality of modes of operation. See Matlin [0008]. The plurality of modes of operation include a high performance mode, a quiet mode and a power-off mode. Id. at [0040]–[0041].
The air purifier further comprises a user interface that is operatively connected to the controller. See Matlin [0046].
The air purifier also comprises sensing device, which includes a dust sensing device configured to measure an air quality parameter in an area proximate the user interface for transmission of data representing the air quality from the dust sensor to the controller. See Matlin [0008], [0037].
The user interface includes a display for displaying data of the air purifier. See Matlin [0046]. This includes data representing the air quality parameter measured by the dust sensor, because the controller can notify the user about the air quality by graphical representation, visual (percentage, number or a changing color), audio signal or any other communications channels. Id. at [0082]. The user interface also includes a user input control for the user to change one or more functional parameters, including the plurality of modes of operation of the air purifier. Id. at [0040], [0046].
The controller is configured to change the mode of operation from one of the modes of operation to a second one of the modes of operation based on the data representing the air quality parameter received via the communication from the dust sensor, because the fan speed is automatically adjusted in response to the air quality information. See Matlin [0083].
The controller is also configured to change the mode of operation from the first one of the modes to the second one of the modes based on input data from the user input control received from the user interface, because the different modes of operation may be invoked manually by the user via the user interface. See Matlin [0040].
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Maltin differs from claim 1 because it is silent as to the user interface being a portable user interface device for positioning at a remote location from the air purifier and wirelessly communicated to the controller of the air purifier, with the user interface comprising the dust sensor.
But Combs teaches an air purifier comprising a user interface that can either be located on the casing of the air purifier or can be implemented an app on a mobile phone. See Combs [0050]. The mobile phone wirelessly communicates with a controller of the air purifier. Id. at [0058]. The mobile phone also comprises a particulate matter sensor. Id. at [0054] (external sensors include particulate matter sensors), [0058] (external sensor incorporated within mobile phone). The particulate matter sensor is configured to measure an air quality parameter of the ambient air in the area proximate to the mobile phone, and the mobile phone is able to wirelessly communicate this information to the controller to adjust the fan speed of the air purifier. Id. at [0052]–[0053]. The mobile phone has a display that can display data while allowing a user to input control for the user to change functional parameters. Id. at [0050].
The external particulate matter sensor of Combs is beneficial because it can measure the air quality of the air that is around the user, with this information being used to adjust the configuration of the air purifier to optimize the effect for the user. Id. at [0058].
It would have been obvious to use the mobile phone of Combs as the user interface and dust sensing device of Maltin, so that the particulate matter levels around the user can be used to control the air purifier of Maltin, to optimize the effect on the user.
With this modification, the mobile phone reads on the claimed “portable user interface device.” The mobile phone is the primary user interface of the air purifier in Maltin and the only user interface of the air purifier, as claimed, because Combs teaches that the user interface of the air purifier can either be attached to the casing of the air purifier or implemented as an app on a mobile phone. See Combs [0050].
Maltin in view of Combs differs from claim 1 because it is silent as to the mobile phone being configured to be removably attached to the air purifier, with the air purifier including a dock station that is disposed on a front portion of the air purifier, and where the dock station is configured to enable the mobile phone to be removably attached to the front portion of the air purifier.
But He teaches an air purification device having an anterior surface comprising an electrical plug for providing electrical current to a device connected to the plug. See He [0007], [0045]. The air purification device can have any shape or dimension suitable for purifying air. Id. at [0045]. Providing the electrical plug on the air purification device is beneficial because it allows a user to have access to an electrical receptacle that otherwise would be unavailable due to the air purification device being plugged into a wall outlet. Id. at [0004]. Also, Gourley teaches a charging system for a mobile phone 100 comprising a charger 50 that is plugged into a wall outlet and a mount 200 that operates as a dock to hold the mobile phone 100 when it is charging. See Gourley Fig. 2A, [0019]. The phone 100 is removably attached to the mount 200 because the phone 100 can be placed in the mount 200 (e.g., when it is charging), and removed from the mount 200 (e.g., when it is done charging). Id. The charging system is beneficial because it protects the mobile phone 100 while it is charging. Id. at [0008].
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The air purifier of Maltin can be plugged into an outlet to provide a source of electricity for operation of the air purifier. See Maltin [0084]. Also, the mobile phone of Maltin in view of Combs needs to be recharged periodically because it is a mobile phone. It would have been obvious to modify the air purifier of Maltin to include an electrical outlet on an anterior surface of the air purifier, in view of He, to allow a user to have access to the electrical receptacle that otherwise would be unavailable when the air purifier of Maltin is plugged in. It also would have been obvious to use the charging system of Gourley as the charger of the mobile phone of Maltin in view of Combs, and for this charger to be plugged into the electrical outlet provided on the front portion of the air purifier of Maltin, to protect the mobile phone while it is charging with the electrical outlet on the air purifier of Maltin being an available outlet for the charging system to be plugged into.
With this modification, the charging system of Gourley reads on the claimed “dock station.” The charging system is disposed on the “front portion” of the air purifier of Maltin, as claimed, because the charging system is plugged into the electrical outlet provided on the anterior surface of the air purifier of Maltin. The charging system is configured to enable the mobile phone (the “portable user interface”) to be removably attached to the “front portion” of the air purifier of Maltin, as claimed, because the mobile phone can be attached to the mount 200 of Gourley or removed from the mount 200, as necessary. See Gourley Figs. 2A, 2B, [0019].
Regarding claim 3, Maltin as modified teaches that the portable user interface device includes a rechargeable power supply, because it is a mobile phone. See Combs [0058].
Regarding claim 4, Maltin as modified teaches that the mobile phone and the air purifier are configured such that the battery of the mobile phone is charged by the air purifier when the mobile phone is interconnected to the air purifier, as claimed, because the mobile phone is configured to be charged by the charging system of Gourley plugged into an outlet provided on the anterior surface of the air purifier of Maltin, as explained in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 5, Maltin as modified teaches that the communication between the user interface on the mobile phone and the air purifier is either direct or indirect, because information from the phone is used to control the air purifier. See Combs [0053], [0058].
Regarding claim 6, Maltin as modified teaches that the air purifying system comprises a plurality of air purifiers. See Maltin [0007]. The air purifiers are arranged in a “master-slave” arrangement with one of the purifiers controlling the others, through wireless communication. Id. at [0023]. Therefore, the interface of the “master” air purifier wirelessly communicates to the controller of each of the air purifiers. The interface transmits the air quality parameter to the controller of each of the air purifiers via the wireless communication, because the interface sends information about air quality (including dust levels) to the controller so that the controller can adjust the fan speed. Id. at [0037], [0082].
The user input control is configured for the user to change the one or more functional parameters of each of the air purifiers via the wireless communication, because the “slave” air purifiers may be commanded to operate in the same mode as the “master” triggered by the user. See Maltin [0058].
Regarding claim 8, Maltin as modified teaches that the mobile phone (the “portable user interface device”) and the air purifier are in the same room, and the mobile phone is configured to be in wireless communication with the controller of the air purifier, because Combs teaches that the mobile phone has the particulate sensor incorporated with it so that the air quality around the user can be detected with the air purifier being used to purify this air to optimize the effect on the user. See Combs [0058].
Regarding claims 10–12, Matlin in view of Combs teaches that when the mobile phone (the “portable user interface device”) is positioned at the remote location from the air purifier (i.e., not resting on the flat top surface), the mobile phone is configured to function as an additional remote reference point to provide the air quality parameter of the ambient air in the area proximate the portable user interface to the controller of the air purifier. This is because in Combs, the air quality in the air surrounding the user can be measured by the sensor in the mobile phone (whether or not the phone is resting on a surface), with this information being used to adjust the configuration of the air purifier to optimize the effect for the user. See Combs [0058].
With respect to the claim 11 that the mobile phone (the “portable user interface device”) is mounted on a surface when it functions as the additional remote reference point, with the claim 12 requirement that the surface is a wall, dock or tabletop—it would have been obvious for the mobile phone to be placed on a tabletop within the house where the air purifier is located, because it is conventional for people to set their phones down on the table when they are sitting.
Regarding claim 13, Maltin teaches that the air purifier and phone of Combs (the “portable user interface device”) are configured to be disposed in a targeted zone 102, which reads on the “targeted area.” See Maltin [0021].
comprises a sensing device 108 disposed in or on the housing the air purifier. See Matlin Fig. 2, [0037]. The sensing device 108 reads on the “first sensor.” The sensing device 108 is configured to measure odor components in the targeted zone around the air purifier and to send this information to the controller to operate the air purifier. Id. This reads on “the first sensor is configured to measure a first air quality parameter of the ambient air in an area proximate the at least one air purifier.” Id.
The particulate sensor in the mobile phone of Combs (the “portable user interface device”) reads on the “second sensor” and the particulate matter data measured by this sensor reads on the “second air quality parameter.” See Combs [0058].
When the mobile phone is positioned at a remote location from the air purifier, the particulate sensor in the mobile phone is configured to function as an additional remote reference point to provide the second air quality parameter of the ambient air in the area proximate the mobile phone to the controller. This is because in Combs, the air quality in the air surrounding the user can be measured by the sensor in the mobile phone (whether or not the phone is resting on a surface), with this information being used to adjust the configuration of the air purifier to optimize the effect for the user. See Combs [0058].
Regarding claim 14, Maltin as modified teaches that the mobile phone and the air purifier are configured such that a battery of the mobile phone (the “rechargeable power supply”) is charged by the air purifier when the mobile phone is interconnected to the air purifier, as claimed, because the mobile phone is configured to be charged by the charging system of Gourley plugged into an outlet provided on the anterior surface of the air purifier of Maltin, as explained in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 15, Maltin in view of Combs teaches that the mobile phone (the “portable user interface”) comprises a “second controller comprising one or more processors,” which is the processing circuitry of the mobile phone.
The external particulate matter sensor of Combs is configured to send data representing the air quality parameter to the processing circuity of the mobile phone, because the external sensor is incorporated with the mobile phone. See Combs [0058].
The processing circuitry of the mobile phone is configured to be in wireless communication with the air purifier. See Combs [0058].
When the mobile phone is positioned at a remote location from the air purifier, the processing circuitry is configured to control the drive mechanism in the air purifier based on receiving the air quality parameter from the external particulate matter sensor of the mobile phone, because the information from the external particulate matter sensor is communicated to the processing circuitry of the mobile phone, which communicates this information to the controller of the air purifier to change the fan speed based on the sensor data. See Combs [0052], [0058].
Regarding claims 16 and 17, Gourley teaches that its charging system includes a charger 50 for charging a mobile phone and a mount 200 for holding the phone while it is being charged. See Gourley Figs. 2A–2B, [0019]. The rejection of claim 1 above explains that it would have been obvious for the charging system of Gourley to be plugged into an outlet on an anterior surface of the air purifier of Maltin. It also would have been obvious for the room where the air purifier of Maltin is used in to have an outlet on the wall (remote from the outlet that the air purifier is plugged into) because it is conventional for a room to have multiple outlets. See Gourley Fig. 1, [0018]. It further would have been obvious for this outlet to include a charging system of Gourley to provide an additional charger for a mobile phone.
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The additional charging system of Gourley plugged into the wall outlet (remote from the outlet where the air purifier is plugged into) reads on the claimed “base station that is positioned at a remote location from the at least one air purifier.” The “portable user interface device” (the mobile phone of Combs) is configured to be removably attached to the additional charging system, as claimed (claim 16), because the mount 200 of the charging system is configured to removably receive a mobile phone. See Gourley Figs. 2A–2B, [0019].
Also, when the mobile phone is attached to the mount 200 of the additional charging system, the mobile phone is configured to function as an additional remote reference point to provide the air quality parameter of the ambient air in the area proximate the mobile phone to the controller, as claimed (claim 16), because in Combs, the air quality in the air surrounding the user can be measured by the sensor in the mobile phone, with this information being used to adjust the configuration of the air purifier to optimize the effect for the user. See Combs [0058].
The mobile phone and the addition charging system of Gourley are configured such that a battery of the mobile phone (the “rechargeable power supply of the portable user interface”) is charged by the additional charging system (the “base station”) when the mobile phone is attached to the additional charging system, as claimed (claim 17), because the charging system of Gourley is designed so that a mobile phone is charged by the charger 50 while it sits in the mount 200. See Gourley Figs. 2A–2B, [0019].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the elected claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to T. BENNETT MCKENZIE whose telephone number is (571)270-5327. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 7:30AM-6:00PM.
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T. BENNETT MCKENZIE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1776
/T. BENNETT MCKENZIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776