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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/2/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 9/15/2025, 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 Lee et al. U.S. PGPub 2017/0185276.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. U.S. PGPub 2017/0185276 (e.g. hereinafter “Lee”).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Lee discloses an electronic device (e.g. Fig. 1, #100) comprising: a communication module (e.g. network module), including communication circuitry, configured to communicate with at least one of a first external electronic device (e.g. TV) and a second external electronic device (e.g. light fixture), wherein the first external electronic device is capable of performing a first operation (e.g. playing movie on TV) (e.g. Fig. 1, 10A and 10B); a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions and information related to at least one associated device (e.g. light fixture) and at least one associated operation for controlling the at least one associated device with a specified command (e.g. adjusting lighting) in response to a specified operation of the first external electronic device (e.g. playing movie on TV), wherein the at least one associated device includes the second external electronic device and wherein the at least one associated operation includes a second operation to be executed after the specified operation is executed (e.g. increase/decrease lighting to preference) (e.g. ¶67-68, 93, 97, 184 and 195; Fig. 1 and 3); and at least one processor, comprising processing circuitry, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device: receive, from the first external electronic device via the communication module, operation-execution information indicating execution of the first operation (e.g. TV on) by the first external electronic (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98 and 112); identify, from the memory, the second external electronic device that is an associated device corresponding to the first operation of the first external electronic device and a second operation that is an associated operation to be executed after the first operation is executed, in response to receiving the operation-execution information (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98, 112 and 189) and identifying that the first external electronic device satisfies an associated operation execution condition, wherein the first external electronic device is identified as satisfying the associated operation execution condition when the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are located within a specified distance (e.g. ¶154-156, 160 and 524); and transmit a command for executing the second operation to the second external electronic device through the communication module (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98 and 112).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: obtain location information of the first external electronic device through the communication module (e.g. ¶93, 154-156, 160 and 524); and identify that the first external electronic device is within the specified distance based on the location information of the first external electronic device (e.g. ¶93, 154-156, 160 and 524).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: obtain information related to a control method of the first external electronic device through the communication module (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98 and 112); and identify that the associated operation execution condition is satisfied in response to the control method of the first external electronic device being an offline control method (via Bluetooth or wired communication) in person operation of the thermostat) in which the first external electronic device is directly controlled by a user regardless of network connection (e.g. ¶64, 67, 81 and 114).
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 3, wherein a plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: identify that the associated operation execution condition is satisfied in response to the control method of the first external electronic device being an online control method in which the first external electronic device is controlled using a mobile device, and in response to the location of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device being within the specified distance (e.g. ¶65-68, 93, 97, 184 and 195; Fig. 1 and 3).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store space information of the second external electronic device, and wherein a plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: obtain location information of the second external electronic device through the communication module (e.g. ¶93, 154-156, 160 and 524); identify that the second external electronic device is within the specified distance based on the location information of the second external electronic device (e.g. ¶93, 154-156, 160 and 524); and transmit the command for executing the second operation to the second external electronic device in response to the second external electronic device being within the specified distance (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98 and 112).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: transmit information related to the second operation to be executed by the second external electronic device to a mobile device through the communication module (e.g. ¶65-68, 93, 97, 184 and 195; Fig. 1 and 3); and transmit the command to execute the second operation to the second external electronic device in response to receiving from the mobile device a response to the transmitted second operation-related information (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98 and 112).
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: generate the at least one associated device and the at least one associated operation of the first operation of the first external electronic device before identifying that the first operation of the first external electronic device is executed (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98 and 112); and store information related to the at least one associated device and the at least one associated operation in the memory (e.g. ¶67-68, 93, 97, 184 and 195; Fig. 1 and 3).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 7, wherein a plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: identify that the first operation of the first external electronic device is executed (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98, 112 and 189); identify that the second operation of the second external electronic device is executed (e.g. ¶91-93, 95, 97-98, 112 and 189); and store the second operation of the second external electronic device as an associated operation of the first operation of the first external electronic device in response to the first operation of the first external electronic device and the second operation of the second external electronic device satisfying an association condition (e.g. ¶154-156, 160 and 524).
Regarding claims 9 and 19, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 8, wherein the associated condition is based on at least one of location information, type information, activation time, or operation execution time of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device (e.g. ¶93, 154-156, 160 and 524).
Regarding claims 10 and 20, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 9, wherein a plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: generate the association condition by learning at least one of location information, type information, activation time, or operation execution time of the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device (e.g. ¶93, 154-156, 160, 367 and 524).
Conclusion
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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CK
March 28, 2026
/CHARLES R KASENGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116