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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 06/04/2026 has been entered.
Claim Status
Claims 1, 3, 9, 14, and 20 have been amended. Claims 4 was canceled. Claims 1-3 AND 5-20 remain pending and are ready for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
The dependency of claim 8 is improper as it depends from cancelled claim 4. The Examiner recommends that the dependency of claim 5 be changed to claim 1.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helt et al. (US20150093984A1 -hereinafter Helt) in view of Grabinger et al. (US20110264273A1 -hereinafter Grabinger) in view of Gibson (US5722483A -hereinafter Gibson).
Regarding Claim 1, Helt teaches:
A method of activating auxiliary airflow for a structure to supplement a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system (see Abstract; Helt: “A ventilation system for a building in some cases includes a main HVAC blower for moving temperature-conditioned air through the building plus a smaller ventilation blower for providing fresh air.”), the method comprising:
determining one or more user preferences for environmental conditions in a structure (see [0040]; Helt: “Ventilation setting 24 and its corresponding setup signal 28 reflect a specified number of bedrooms and a specified amount of floor space of building 10. The term, “specified” refers to a quantity (e.g., one bedroom, two bedrooms, three bedrooms, 1,000 square-feet, 2,000 square-feet, etc.) as determined by the discretion of one or more individuals (e.g., building owner, tenant, HVAC equipment installer, engineer, inspector, etc.).”),
…determine one or more air circulation systems to be activated separate from the HVAC system, (see [0042]; Helt: “ventilation system 52 can be a standalone system in a building that does not include any type of HVAC system 50.”)
wherein the one or more air circulation systems each comprise …a configurable intake/exhaust assembly comprising a blower configurable to operate, based on the ventilation decision (see [0051]; Helt: “Based on setup signal 28, controller 26 provides a command signal 76 that directs drive unit 62 to deliver appropriate electrical power 66 for blower 16 to provide the desired target ventilation flow rate.”), in a selected one of an intake mode in which air is drawn from the exterior space into the interior space and an exhaust mode in which air is moved from the interior space to the exterior space, and (see [0045]; Helt: “Although ventilation blower 16 could be installed to discharge air 18 into or out of building 10, in this example, blower 16 draws outdoor air through a first opening 70 and discharges the air into building 10 via a second opening 72.”)
However, Helt does not explicitly teach:
wherein: the one or more user preferences comprise one or more environmental set points for an interior space of the structure, and the environmental conditions comprise two or more of temperature, humidity, and/or air quality;
determining one or more interior environmental parameters measured for the interior space, the one or more environmental parameters comprising two or more of interior temperature, interior humidity, and/or interior air quality;
determining two or more exterior environmental parameters measured for an exterior space outside the structure, the two or more exterior environmental parameters comprising exterior temperature, exterior humidity, and/or exterior air quality;
determining, by a multi-parameter environmental decision engine, a ventilation decision based on a combination of a plurality of: the user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters, wherein the multi-parameter environmental decision engine evaluates the plurality of the one or more user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and the one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters to determine one or more air circulation systems…
wherein the one or more air circulation systems each comprise a first housing interior to the structure, a second housing exterior to the structure, a channel connecting the first and second housings, the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure, and
wherein each air circulation system is configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of the air circulation system, including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration;
Grabinger from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches
wherein: the one or more user preferences comprise one or more environmental set points for an interior space of the structure, (see [0031]; Grabinger: “The optional user interface 216 may be any suitable interface that is configured to display and/or solicit information as well as permit a user to enter data and/or other settings, as desired.”) and the environmental conditions comprise two or more of temperature, humidity, and/or air quality; (see [0035]; Grabinger: “The remote monitoring device 318 may be further configured to allow a user to input various parameters such as CO2 threshold setpoints, temperature setpoints, percent of ventilation at high/low fan speeds, minimum and maximum calibration ventilation flow rates at one or more calibration damper positions—sometimes at various fan speeds, etc., to be provided to the DCV/economizer controller 302.”)
determining one or more interior environmental parameters measured for the interior space, the one or more environmental parameters comprising two or more of interior temperature, interior humidity, and/or interior air quality; (see [0027]; Grabinger: “Temperature sensor(s) may be provided to sense the indoor, outdoor temperatures and/or mixed air temperatures. Likewise, humidity sensor may be provided to sense the humidity of the indoor, outdoor and/or mixed air.”)
determining two or more exterior environmental parameters measured for an exterior space outside the structure, the two or more exterior environmental parameters comprising exterior temperature, exterior humidity, and/or exterior air quality; (see [0027]; Grabinger: “Temperature sensor(s) may be provided to sense the indoor, outdoor temperatures and/or mixed air temperatures. Likewise, humidity sensor may be provided to sense the humidity of the indoor, outdoor and/or mixed air.”)
determining, by a multi-parameter environmental decision engine, a ventilation decision based on a combination of a plurality of: the user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters, (see [0028]; Grabinger: “Control module 212 may be configured to control and/or set one or more HVAC functions, such as, for example, HVAC schedules, temperature setpoints, humidity setpoints, trend logs, timers, fan speeds, damper positions, environment sensing, and/or other HVAC functions or programs, as desired.” See [0042]: “In some embodiments, the controller 302 may automatically calibrate the DCV/economizer system 130 from time to time. When so provided, the DCV/economizer system 130 may continually optimize itself for changing environmental and/or equipment conditions”)
wherein the multi-parameter environmental decision engine evaluates the plurality of the one or more user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and the one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters to determine one or more air circulation systems… (see [0025]; Grabinger: “A controller, such as controller 142, may be provided to control the HVAC system 102. Controller 142 may be any suitable controller. Controller 142 may be a controller for the entire HVAC system 102, or any appropriate subset or subsets of the HVAC system 102 such as the DCV/Economizer 130. Physically, it may be a stand-alone unit or units, or it may be integrated with hardware, such as with DCV/Economizer 130. Controller 142 may be configured to receive information from any suitable source, such as the inside 138, return 140, mixed 144, and/or outside 136 sensors, and it may be configured to issue commands to any appropriate component of the HVAC system 102, such as dampers 120, 122, 124, fan 119, HVAC unit 106, etc.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Helt to include Grabinger’s features of the one or more user preferences comprise one or more environmental set points for an interior space of the structure, and the environmental conditions comprise two or more of temperature, humidity, and/or air quality; determining one or more interior environmental parameters measured for the interior space, the one or more environmental parameters comprising two or more of interior temperature, interior humidity, and/or interior air quality; determining two or more exterior environmental parameters measured for an exterior space outside the structure, the two or more exterior environmental parameters comprising exterior temperature, exterior humidity, and/or exterior air quality; determining, by a multi-parameter environmental decision engine, a ventilation decision based on a combination of a plurality of: the user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters, wherein the multi-parameter environmental decision engine evaluates the plurality of the one or more user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and the one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters to determine one or more air circulation systems. Doing so would help provide the demand control ventilation function and help decrease energy usage of the HVAC system. (Grabinger, [0003])
However, it does not explicitly teach:
wherein the one or more air circulation systems each comprise a first housing interior to the structure, a second housing exterior to the structure, a channel connecting the first and second housings, the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure, and
wherein each air circulation system is configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of the air circulation system, including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration;
Gibson from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches:
wherein the one or more air circulation systems each (see column 5, lines 3-4; Gibson: “The air exchange device 11 is shown with greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4.”) comprise a first housing interior to the structure (see column 6, lines 4; Gibson: “The interior plenum 23”), a second housing exterior to the structure (see column 5, lines 4; Gibson: “the exterior plenum 26”), a channel connecting the first and second housings (see column 5, lines 23-26; Gibson: “The exterior plenum 26 is connected to the interior plenum 23 by an elongated tubular construction including an outer tube 40 and a tube 41 of smaller diameter located within the outer tube.”), the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure, and (see column 9, lines 18-24; Gibson: “The incoming fresh air in the tube 41 passes through the interior plenum 23 and flows through the inlet air supply duct 55 to enter the return air side of the furnace/air conditioning unit 56. From that unit, the inflowing fresh air is distributed to the various rooms of the structure 10, through the conventional duct work associated with the HVAC system of the structure.”) [That is, the tube 40/41 reads on channel and different with the duct work of HVAC]
wherein each air circulation system is configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of the air circulation system (see column 6, lines 7-9; Gibson: “The interior plenum 23, as with the exterior plenum 26 in the preferred embodiment, is made of rigid Class I ductboard, insulated and covered on the outside with an aluminized vapor jacket, cut to shape and sealed to prevent air leakage into or out of the interior space 52.”), including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration; (see column 3, lines 4-7; Gibson: “The present air exchange system further includes a fresh air inlet preferably located on an exterior wall or another part of the enclosed space, where the inlet is accessible to ambient air outside the enclosed space.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Helt and Grabinger to include Gibson’s features of the one or more air circulation systems each comprise a first housing interior to the structure, a second housing exterior to the structure, a channel connecting the first and second housings, the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure, and each air circulation system is configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of the air circulation system, including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration. Doing so would maintain a healthy interior environment and decrease the cost of heating and cooling such residences. (Gibson, column 1, lines 15 and 63)
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helt in view of Grabinger in view of Gibson in view of Springer et al. (US20070227721A1 -hereinafter Springer).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Helt, Grabinger, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 1 above; however, it does not explicitly teach: the method further comprising: determining that one or more interior environmental parameters trigger a determination of the ventilation decision based on a comparison of the one or more interior environmental parameters with the one or more environmental set points for the interior space.
Springer from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: determining that one or more interior environmental parameters trigger a determination of the ventilation decision based on a comparison with of the one or more interior environmental parameters with the one or more environmental set points for the interior space. (see [0036]; Springer: “The method may include ventilating with outside air S7000 if ventilating and cooling with outside air if a current outside temperature Tout is lower than a current inside temperature Tin by a set amount Tdelta S6000, and if the current indoor air temperature Tin is greater than a calculated ventilation cooling low limit temperature Tvent S7100. If Tin is greater than Tvent, ventilation cooling is operated S7200 and includes opening an outside air damper 140 where ventilation cooling operation is commenced or confirming that the outside air damper 140 is in an “open” position where ventilation cooling is being operated.” See [0042]: “The user may also set the temperature set amount setting Tdelta; ventilation cooling with outside air is enabled when the outside temperature Tout is lower than the indoor temperature Tin by the amount of Tdelta.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Helt, Grabinger, and Gibson to include Springer’s features of determining that one or more interior environmental parameters trigger a determination of the ventilation decision based on a comparison of the one or more interior environmental parameters with the one or more environmental set points for the interior space. Doing so would minimize the costs of electricity consumption and to reduce electricity demands during periods of peak electricity usage. (Springer, [0009])
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Helt, Grabinger, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 1 above; however, it does not explicitly teach: the method further comprising: activating the first air circulation system and/or the second air circulation system when one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters are within the predetermined range of the one or more interior environmental parameters during a future time period.
Springer from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: the method further comprising: activating the first air circulation system and/or the second air circulation system when one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters are within the predetermined range of the one or more interior environmental parameters during a future time period. (see [0053]; Springer: “a method of nighttime pre-cooling of a building comprising determining the optimum schedule for the operation of a vapor compression cooling system during a future period defined by a nighttime period followed by a daytime period. The optimum schedule is selected to maintain the indoor temperature of the building within the range of the comfort zone, i.e., within a range defined by Tmin and Tmax.” See [0055]: “The controller 100 may further comprise in an alternate embodiment a communications link used to obtain weather information, including weather predictions, from weather services for control and display purposes. This weather information can be utilized in predicting indoor and outdoor temperatures Tin and Tout for a future period of time.” See [0007]: “Pre-cooling can be accomplished by ventilating the space either with cool outdoor air, or with air that is cooled by vapor compression processes.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt, Grabinger, Gibson, and Springer a set forth for Claim 2 equally applies to Claim 3.
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helt in view of Grabinger in view of Gibson in view of Barnes (US20220268475A1 -hereinafter Barnes).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Helt, Grabinger, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 1 above; however, it does not explicitly teach: wherein the ventilation decision is determined based on an application of one or more of the one or more user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters to a machine learning model for predicting potential environmental conditions associated with the structure.
Barnes from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches wherein the ventilation decision is determined based on an application of one or more of the one or more user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters to a machine learning model for predicting potential environmental conditions associated with the structure. (see [0020]; Barnes: “In some embodiments, one or more remote servers analyze the sensor data, historical data, and other environmental data (e.g., predicted weather data) in a dataset, and use one or more machine learning algorithms to model the air quality within the facility… As the sensors continue to provide additional data (through periodic sensing), machine learning techniques may be applied to progressively generate modified, improved models and algorithms for decision making.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of the combination of Helt, Grabinger, and Gibson to include Barnes’s features of wherein the ventilation decision is determined based on an application of one or more of the one or more user preferences, the one or more interior environmental parameters, the one or more exterior environmental parameters, and one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters to a machine learning model for predicting potential environmental conditions associated with the structure. Doing so would maintain and improve air quality in a sustainable, energy-efficient way, reduce wasted energy and labor resources. (Barnes, [0024])
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Helt, Grabinger, Gibson, and Barnes teaches all the limitations of claim 5 above, Barnes further teaches wherein the machine learning model utilizes one or more of supervised learning algorithms, time series forecasting algorithms, clustering algorithms, nearest neighbor search algorithms, collaborative filtering techniques, reinforcement learning algorithms, or advanced learning algorithms. (see [0070]; Barnes: “Supervised learning module 440 uses one or more learning algorithms to generate an air quality prediction model 445 for sensor. While the illustrated module is labelled as a supervised learning mechanism, any appropriate machine learning system can be used by the environment modeling logic 175 in different embodiments, such as supervised learning systems (e.g., regression trees, random forests), unsupervised learning systems (e.g., k-means clustering), support vector machines, kernel method, and Bayesian networks (probabilistic directed acyclic graphic model).”)
The same motivation to combine Helt, Grabinger, Gibson, and Barnes a set forth for Claim 5 equally applies to Claim 6.
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helt in view of Grabinger in view of Gibson in view of Springer in view of Barnes.
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Helt, Grabinger, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 4 above, Springer further teaches the method further comprising:
transmitting… one or more measured exterior environmental parameters for the exterior space during the future time period, wherein the one or more measured exterior environmental parameters are stored in the history of environmental parameters. (see [0048]; Springer: “a method is provided for predicting next-day weather conditions using statistically derived equations and a recent history of temperature conditions and trends, and the application of these predictions to determine how much pre-cooling to apply. This method is developed using a statistical evaluation of weather patterns and the response of a building to those weather patterns to establish certain key forecasting parameters, and to define equations which, when combined with these key forecasting parameters, can reasonably predict outdoor and indoor temperature extremes at least one day in advance to allow for the selection of optimal indoor temperature limits as well as the timings, durations, and ventilation rates of pre-cooling periods.” See [0029]: “An exemplary method of the present invention may also comprise measuring and storing outdoor and indoor temperature trends for previous days S2000.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt, Grabinger, Gibson, and Springer a set forth for Claim 2 equally applies to Claim 7.
However, it does not explicitly teach transmitting to a remote location,
Barnes from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches transmitting to a remote location, (see [0019]-[0020]); Barnes: “The gateway device may store the sensor data in a database, either local or remote to the gateway.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt, Grabinger, Gibson, Springer, and Barnes a set forth for Claim 5 equally applies to Claim 7.
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Helt, Grabinger, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 1 above; however, it does not explicitly teach wherein the air quality comprises values for carbon monoxide, lead, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.
Barnes from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches wherein the air quality comprises values for carbon monoxide, lead, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. (see [0051]; Barnes: “These conditions may variously include, for instance, temperature, air density, air pressure, a level of contaminants (for example, targeted measurements of carbon monoxide, ozone, particulate matter (dust), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, welding fumes, oxygen, other toxic or non-toxic air pollutants) or any other appropriate condition.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt, Grabinger, Gibson, and Barnes a set forth for Claim 5 equally applies to Claim 8.
Claim(s) 9-11, 13-14, and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helt in view of Bassa et al. (US20200240668A1 -hereinafter Bassa) in view of Axelsson (US20220340460A1 -hereinafter Axelsson) in view of Gibson.
Regarding Claim 9, Helt teaches method of optimizing environmental systems, the method comprising:
receiving a request for a ventilation decision for a structure, (see [0040]; Helt: “Ventilation setting 24 and its corresponding setup signal 28 reflect a specified number of bedrooms and a specified amount of floor space of building 10. The term, “specified” refers to a quantity (e.g., one bedroom, two bedrooms, three bedrooms, 1,000 square-feet, 2,000 square-feet, etc.) as determined by the discretion of one or more individuals (e.g., building owner, tenant, HVAC equipment installer, engineer, inspector, etc.).”)
wherein the ventilation decision controls the activation of one or more of a first air circulation system and a second air circulation system (see [0042]; Helt: “ventilation system 52 can be a standalone system in a building that does not include any type of HVAC system 50.”),
and a configurable intake/exhaust assembly comprising a blower configurable to operate, based on the ventilation decision (see [0051]; Helt: “Based on setup signal 28, controller 26 provides a command signal 76 that directs drive unit 62 to deliver appropriate electrical power 66 for blower 16 to provide the desired target ventilation flow rate.”), in a selected one of an intake mode in which air is drawn from an exterior space into the interior space and an exhaust mode in which air is moved from the interior space to the exterior space, (see [0045]; Helt: “Although ventilation blower 16 could be installed to discharge air 18 into or out of building 10, in this example, blower 16 draws outdoor air through a first opening 70 and discharges the air into building 10 via a second opening 72.”)
However, Helt does not explicitly teach:
wherein:
the request comprises two or more user preferences including environmental set points for environmental conditions in an interior space of the structure, two or more interior environmental parameters measured within the interior space, and two or more exterior environmental parameters measured within an exterior space outside the interior space, and
the environmental conditions comprise two or more of temperature, humidity, and/or air quality;
retrieving a history of environmental parameters for a geographical area associated with the structure;
determining one or more forecasted exterior parameters adjacent to the structure, wherein the one or more forecasted exterior parameters comprises at least one of forecasted exterior temperature, forecasted exterior humidity, or forecasted exterior air quality;
applying, to a multi-parameter environmental decision engine that implements a machine learning model of the structure, the one or more forecasted exterior parameters and the two or more user preferences including environmental set points for environmental conditions in an interior space of the structure, two or more interior environmental parameters measured within the interior space, and two or more exterior environmental parameters measured within an exterior space outside the interior space;
determining a ventilation decision from an output of the multi-parameter environmental decision engine implementing the machine learning model of the structure,
wherein the first air circulation system is configured to be installed at a first location in the structure, the second air circulation system is configured to be installed at a second location in the structure, and each of the first and second air circulation systems comprises a first housing interior to the structure, a second housing exterior to the structure, a channel connecting the first and second housings, the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure, …and wherein the first and second air circulation systems are configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of that air circulation system, including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration;
Bassa from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches:
wherein:
the request comprises two or more user preferences including environmental set points for environmental conditions in an interior space of the structure (see [0073]; Bassa: “user defined (i.e., selectable) ventilation criteria provided herein, can comprise: a first ventilation-associated parameter (VAP1), related to the inside of the multi-storied structure; a second ventilation-associated parameter (VAP2), related to the outside of the multi-storied structure; and a third ventilation-associated parameter (VAP3), related to temporal ventilation history, wherein the library further comprises a plurality of master process objects linked to the first, second, and third ventilation-associated parameters.”), two or more interior environmental parameters measured within the interior space (see [0150]; Bassa: “Input from sensors monitoring levels of contaminants at specified locations, which may be either inside the multi-storied enclosed structure and/or at the vicinity of it and/or at remote locations;”), and two or more exterior environmental parameters measured within an exterior space outside the interior space, and (see [0151]; Bassa: “Input from sensors monitoring different measures of the weather;”)
the environmental conditions comprise two or more of temperature, humidity, and/or air quality; (see [0031]; Bassa: “Accordingly, the prerequisites can further comprise the maximum outdoor airflow allowed as a function of outdoor temperature and humidity.”)
retrieving a history of environmental parameters for a geographical area associated with the structure; (see [0009]; Bassa: “using historical data of outdoor air pollution measurements, ventilation history, models of gas dynamics, e.g., diffusion and rate of decomposition, heuristics and/or machine learning methods, and/or statistical methods.”)
determining one or more forecasted exterior parameters adjacent to the structure (see [0067]; Bassa: “In certain embodiments, forecasting of future pollution levels and trends will be implemented in the systems and libraries disclosed. At each point in time, the system will perform forecasting of future internal and external pollution levels, whether it will increase or decrease and to what level.”), wherein the one or more forecasted exterior parameters comprises at least one of forecasted exterior temperature, forecasted exterior humidity, or forecasted exterior air quality; (see [0068]; Bassa: “These may include measured or forecasted outdoor temperature and relative humidity.”)
applying, to a multi-parameter environmental decision engine that implements a machine learning model of the structure, the one or more forecasted exterior parameters and the two or more user preferences including environmental set points for environmental conditions in an interior space of the structure, two or more interior environmental parameters measured within the interior space, and two or more exterior environmental parameters measured within an exterior space outside the interior space; (see [0042]; Bassa: “generating one or more variants of machine learning models to model performance of the one or more predictive forecast models by training the one or more variants of the machine learning models on the historical dataset; receiving a current dataset comprising a second set of forecast pollutants' values derived from the one or more predictive forecast models and a second set of actual pollutants' values derived from the one or more measurements of the pollutants; correlating the current dataset with the historical dataset to adaptively obtain a filtered historical dataset; selecting the one or more variants of the machine learning models trained on the historical dataset and evaluating them on the filtered historical dataset to assign weights to each of the one or more variants of the machine learning models and their outputs; and deriving a statistical model in the form of an optimal combination function to determine at least one combined forecast pollutants' value by combining weights assigned to each of the one or more variants of the machine learning models trained based on the evaluating of the one or more variants of the machine learning models on the filtered historical dataset and the outputs of the each of the one or more variants of machine learning models trained on the historical dataset”)
determining a ventilation decision from an output of the multi-parameter environmental decision engine implementing the machine learning model of the structure, (see [0116]; Bassa: “Other examples are machine learning model using a deep neural network in order to make one of the above predictions; and/or prediction model incorporating physical or chemical models, such as those described herein, predicting the future trend of the concentration levels of one or more contaminants based on their past and current levels, past, current and planned states of the HVAC system and other inputs required by those models.” See [0119]: “the method comprising: responsive to a ventilation prompt, selecting a set of operations configured to achieve a predetermined optimization objective; associating the selected set of operations to create a set of process commands within the ventilation request and forming a ventilation command, wherein the set of master process objects in the library are linked to the ventilation command without copying the master process objects into the ventilation command; and executing the ventilation command.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Helt to include Bassa’s features of the request comprises two or more user preferences including environmental set points for environmental conditions in an interior space of the structure, two or more interior environmental parameters measured within the interior space, and two or more exterior environmental parameters measured within an exterior space outside the interior space, and the environmental conditions comprise two or more of temperature, humidity, and/or air quality; retrieving a history of environmental parameters for a geographical area associated with the structure; determining one or more forecasted exterior parameters adjacent to the structure, wherein the one or more forecasted exterior parameters comprises at least one of forecasted exterior temperature, forecasted exterior humidity, or forecasted exterior air quality; applying, to a multi-parameter environmental decision engine that implements a machine learning model of the structure, the one or more forecasted exterior parameters and the two or more user preferences including environmental set points for environmental conditions in an interior space of the structure, two or more interior environmental parameters measured within the interior space, and two or more exterior environmental parameters measured within an exterior space outside the interior space; determining a ventilation decision from an output of the multi-parameter environmental decision engine implementing the machine learning model of the structure. Doing so would integrate and optimize different and sometimes conflicting requirements in real time: Maintenance of fresh air supply to the building, reduction of indoor air pollution concentrations and energy conservation. (Bassa, [0009])
However, it does not explicitly teach:
wherein the first air circulation system is configured to be installed at a first location in the structure, the second air circulation system is configured to be installed at a second location in the structure, and each of the first and second air circulation systems comprises a first housing interior to the structure, a second housing exterior to the structure, a channel connecting the first and second housings, the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure, …and wherein the first and second air circulation systems are configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of that air circulation system, including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration; and
transmitting the ventilation decision to one or more of the first air circulation system, and the second air circulation system, the ventilation decision causing the blower of the first air circulation system to operate in a selected one of the intake mode and the exhaust mode and causing the blower of the second air circulation system to operate in the exhaust mode when the first air circulation system is operated in the intake mode and in the intake mode when the first air circulation system is operated in the exhaust mode.
Axelsson from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches:
wherein the first air circulation system is configured to be installed at a first location in the structure, the second air circulation system is configured to be installed at a second location in the structure (see [0109]; Axelsson: “The plurality of sub-systems may include at least one of a plurality of ventilation systems. The system may then comprise a plurality of ventilation systems including a first and a second ventilation system”. See Fig. 1 and [0165]: “plurality of ventilation systems (101 h, 101 i) for purifying air.”),
transmitting the ventilation decision to one or more of the first air circulation system, and the second air circulation system, the ventilation decision causing the blower of the first air circulation system to operate in a selected one of the intake mode and the exhaust mode (see [0092]; Axelsson: “To improve the conditions for bacterial growth, the system for purifying air according to example embodiments of the technology disclosed may be provided with nozzles for distributing water vapor close to areas where FOG is likely to be accumulated, e.g. the surface area inside bends, in filters or in heat exchangers, thereby increasing the humidity level and the conditions for bacterial growth in these areas. To control the conditions for bacterial growth, the system for purifying air according to example embodiments of the technology disclosed may also be provided with humidity detectors which are located close to areas where FOG is likely to be accumulated, e.g. inside the ducts/tubes/pipes close to bends, close or inside filter or heat exchangers.”) and causing the blower of the second air circulation system to operate in the exhaust mode when the first air circulation system is operated in the intake mode and in the intake mode when the first air circulation system is operated in the exhaust mode. (see [0090]; Axelsson: “The control system/unit of the system for purifying air and/or the master control unit may then be configured to send control/instruction data, at least partly based on the received sensor data (which in turn is at least partly based on a measured/detected air temperature) for changing a biological treatment process in the same system for purifying air or changing the process for breaking down FOG in another system for purifying air.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of the combination of Helt and Bassa to include Axelsson’s features of the first air circulation system is configured to be installed at a first location in the structure, the second air circulation system is configured to be installed at a second location in the structure, transmitting the ventilation decision to one or more of the first air circulation system, and the second air circulation system, the ventilation decision causing the blower of the first air circulation system to operate in a selected one of the intake mode and the exhaust mode and causing the blower of the second air circulation system to operate in the exhaust mode when the first air circulation system is operated in the intake mode and in the intake mode when the first air circulation system is operated in the exhaust mode. Doing so would achieve a cost-effective, environment-friendly and energy-efficient manner. (Axelsson, [0007])
However, it does not explicitly teach:
and each of the first and second air circulation systems comprises a first housing interior to the structure, a second housing exterior to the structure, a channel connecting the first and second housings, the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure, …and wherein the first and second air circulation systems are configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of that air circulation system, including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration;
Gibson from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches:
and each of the first and second air circulation systems (see column 5, lines 3-4; Gibson: “The air exchange device 11 is shown with greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4.”) comprises a first housing interior to the structure (see column 6, lines 4; Gibson: “The interior plenum 23”), a second housing exterior to the structure (see column 5, lines 4; Gibson: “the exterior plenum 26”), a channel connecting the first and second housings (see column 5, lines 23-26; Gibson: “The exterior plenum 26 is connected to the interior plenum 23 by an elongated tubular construction including an outer tube 40 and a tube 41 of smaller diameter located within the outer tube.”), the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure (see column 9, lines 18-24; Gibson: “The incoming fresh air in the tube 41 passes through the interior plenum 23 and flows through the inlet air supply duct 55 to enter the return air side of the furnace/air conditioning unit 56. From that unit, the inflowing fresh air is distributed to the various rooms of the structure 10, through the conventional duct work associated with the HVAC system of the structure.”) [That is, the tube 40/41 reads on channel and different with the duct work of HVAC], …and wherein the first and second air circulation systems are configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of that air circulation system (see column 6, lines 7-9; Gibson: “The interior plenum 23, as with the exterior plenum 26 in the preferred embodiment, is made of rigid Class I ductboard, insulated and covered on the outside with an aluminized vapor jacket, cut to shape and sealed to prevent air leakage into or out of the interior space 52.”) , including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration; and (see column 3, lines 4-7; Gibson: “The present air exchange system further includes a fresh air inlet preferably located on an exterior wall or another part of the enclosed space, where the inlet is accessible to ambient air outside the enclosed space.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Helt, Bassa, and Axelsson to include Gibson’s features of each of the first and second air circulation systems comprises a first housing interior to the structure, a second housing exterior to the structure, a channel connecting the first and second housings, the channel separate from HVAC ductwork of the structure, and wherein the first and second air circulation systems are configured to provide an air-tight seal in each of a plurality of installation configurations of that air circulation system, including at least a wall-mounted configuration and a window-mounted configuration. Doing so would maintain a healthy interior environment and decrease the cost of heating and cooling such residences. (Gibson, column 1, lines 15 and 63)
Claims 10 contains similar limitations to those in claims 8, are rejected using the same rationale.
Regarding Claim 11, the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 9 above, Bassa further teaches: the method further comprising: training the machine learning model of the structure with a history of measured environmental parameters for the structure. (see [0042]; Bassa: “generating one or more variants of machine learning models to model performance of the one or more predictive forecast models by training the one or more variants of the machine learning models on the historical dataset”. See [0073]: “a third ventilation-associated parameter (VAP3), related to temporal ventilation history,”)
The same motivation to combine Helt and Bassa a set forth for Claim 9 equally applies to Claim 11.
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 9 above, Bassa further teaches the method further comprising: determining a future time period for an application of the ventilation decision. (see [0113]; Bassa: “A statistical predictive strategy, using one of the predictive models described herein to calculate and associate an expected future of conditions in the enclosed structure (comprised e.g. indoor levels of the contaminants of interest and energy consumption) with every considered future course of action. Actuating the course of action for which the overall expected future is optimal according to the optimization objective.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt and Bassa a set forth for Claim 9 equally applies to Claim 13.
Regarding Claim 14, the limitations in this claim is taught by the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson as discussed connection with claim 9.
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 14 above, Bassa further teaches wherein the environmental set point comprises one or more factors including temperature, humidity, and air quality. (see [0032]; Bassa: “the prerequisites can further comprise the maximum outdoor airflow allowed as a function of outdoor temperature and humidity.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt and Bassa a set forth for Claim 9 equally applies to Claim 18.
Claims 19 contains similar limitations to those in claims 8, are rejected using the same rationale.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helt in view of Bassa in view of Axelsson in view of Gibson in view of Heintzelman et al. (US20210102723A1 -hereinafter Heintzelman).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 11 above, Bassa further teaches: the method further comprising: training the machine learning model of the structure with additional measured environmental parameters. (see [0030]; Bassa: “In yet another embodiment, additional parameters can be defined in the data library, associated with data such as at least one of pollution levels at locations that are remote to the enclosed structure, occupancy of the building, meteorological, traffic, etc. and possibly updated through additional input channels. These parameters can be used by the optimization strategy uploaded to the processing module of the system.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt and Bassa a set forth for Claim 9 equally applies to Claim 12.
However, it does not explicitly teach: determining the geographical area associated with the structure based on the climate zone for the structure; collecting additional measured environmental parameters from additional HVAC systems within the geographical area;
Heintzelman from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches:
determining the geographical area associated with the structure based on the climate zone for the structure; (see [0054]; Heintzelman: “Controller 18 may use the address, and/or general climate conditions of building 102 to determine the geographic location of controller 18.”)
collecting additional measured environmental parameters from additional HVAC systems within the geographical area; and (see [0086]; Heintzelman: “Each sensor may be able to sense temperature, humidity, motion, occupancy, and/or environmental parameters and to communicate the sensed parameters to HVAC controllers 718, 818, and 918 and/or thermostats 828 and 928.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson to include Heintzelman’s features of determining the geographical area associated with the structure based on the climate zone for the structure; and collecting additional measured environmental parameters from additional HVAC systems within the geographical area. Doing so would improve the indoor air quality and avoid improperly operate HVAC system. (Heintzelman, [0021] and [0032])
Claim(s) 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helt in view of Bassa in view of Axelsson in view of Gibson in view of Zhong et al. (US20150339811A1 -hereinafter Zhong) in view of Wen et al. (US20140216704A1 -hereinafter Wen).
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 14 above; however, it does not explicitly teach wherein: the control system further comprises one or more communication interfaces, the control system utilizes the one or more communication interfaces to communicate with a forecasting system to request an environmental score based on one or more forecasted exterior parameters, and the environmental score represents a likelihood activating heating and cooling system will be required to maintain the environmental set point during a future time period.
Zhong from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: the control system further comprises one or more communication interfaces (see [0034]; Zhong: “The communication interface 114 may enable the electronic device 102 to communicate with one or more other electronic devices.”), the control system utilizes the one or more communication interfaces to communicate with a forecasting system to request an environmental score based on one or more forecasted exterior parameters (see [0041]; Zhong: “The communication interface 114 may be a modality 130 for requesting and/or receiving information regarding the surroundings of the electronic device 102 (and/or of a remote electronic device).” See [0040]: “The haziness detector 124 may perform haziness detection based on multiple modalities 130 to determine a haziness confidence level.”), and the environmental score represents a likelihood activating heating and cooling system will be required… (see [0070]; Zhong: “the electronic device 202 initiates an action, such as activating a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson to include Zhong’s features of the control system further comprises one or more communication interfaces, the control system utilizes the one or more communication interfaces to communicate with a forecasting system to request an environmental score based on the one or more forecasted exterior parameters, and the environmental score represents a likelihood activating heating and cooling system will be required. Doing so would improve the accuracy in order to perform functions faster, more efficiently or with higher quality. (Zhong, [0003] and [0031])
However, it does not explicitly teach …activating heating and cooling system will be required to maintain the environmental set point during a future time period.
Wen from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches …activating heating and cooling system will be required to maintain the environmental set point during a future time period. (see [0042]; Wen: “As an example, controller 114 can calculate the adjustment time interval at step 230 utilizing at least the model for y of step 210 and the predicted future outdoor temperatures of step 220.” See [0048]: “controller 114 can be programmed to adjust the operating temperature of HVAC system 110 between T0 and Tf.” See [0020]: “HVAC system 110 can operate to maintain building 100 at a first operating temperature when building 100 is unoccupied. Conversely, HVAC system 110 can operate to maintain building 100 at a second operating temperature when building 100 is occupied. Controller 114 can adjust HVAC system 110 between the first and second operating temperatures, e.g., in order to conserve energy and/or reduce operating costs of HVAC system 110”.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, Gibson, and Zhong to include Wen’s features of activating heating and cooling system will be required to maintain the environmental set point during a future time period. Doing so would improve operation of the HVAC system with the activation time or the adjustment time interval. (Wen, [0006])
Regarding Claim 16, the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, Gibson, Zhong, and Wen teaches all the limitations of claim 15 above; however, it does not explicitly teach wherein the one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters are predicted based on a history of environmental parameters for a geographical area associated with the structure.
Wen further teaches: wherein the one or more forecasted exterior environmental parameters are predicted based on a history of environmental parameters for a geographical area associated with the structure. (see [0034]; Wen: “The predicted future outdoor temperatures can come from any suitable source. For example, the predicted future outdoor temperatures can be based on weather forecast data or historical weather data.” See [0019]: “Buildings having different shapes, configurations, different numbers of rooms, hallways, etc.—both residential and commercial—may be used with the present subject matter.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, Gibson, Zhong, and Wen a set forth for Claim 15 equally applies to Claim 16.
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, Gibson, Zhong, and Wen teaches all the limitations of claim 16 above, Springer further teaches wherein the control system is further configured to:
transmit, via the one or more communication interfaces (see [0069]; Helt: “the systems provided herein may further comprise a user interface which may contain commands for controlling various aspects of the functionality of the system and/or monitoring data and plots about the state of the HVAC system and the multi-storied structure”), one or more measured exterior environmental parameters for the exterior space during the future time period (see [0057]; Bassa: “It is noted, that while various systems are known to compare external pollution levels to measured internal levels, or to a fixed threshold, the system provided herein employ ventilation criteria which are dynamic and adaptive, and which are continuously updated in real time in relation to different available parameters, in a manner which reflects the current (or immediately determined) state of the enclosed structure as well as the preferences of the user, at the current instant and possibly also during a forecasted future.”), wherein the one or more measured exterior environmental parameters are stored in the history of environmental parameters. (see [0181]; Bassa: “Thus, as described above, assuming additionally that library 100 contains measured indoor concentrations of a particular contaminant (e.g., NOx), received through input channel 150 i from indoor sensor 106 (not shown), and also via calculation, which allows estimating the indoor concentration of the contaminant based only on the measured outdoor concentration using outdoor sensor 107 and the ventilation history (not shown, referring to previous time and concentrations of the contaminants as measured by indoor sensor 106).”)
The same motivation to combine Helt and Bassa a set forth for Claim 9 equally applies to Claim 13.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Helt in view of Bassa in view of Axelsson in view of Gibson in view of Springer.
Regarding Claim 20, the combination of Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, and Gibson teaches all the limitations of claim 14 above, Springer further teaches wherein the control system is further configured to:
determine that one or more interior environmental parameters trigger a conditional of the interior space based on a comparison with the environmental set point; (see [0036]; Springer: “The method may include ventilating with outside air S7000 if ventilating and cooling with outside air if a current outside temperature Tout is lower than a current inside temperature Tin by a set amount Tdelta S6000, and if the current indoor air temperature Tin is greater than a calculated ventilation cooling low limit temperature Tvent S7100. If Tin is greater than Tvent, ventilation cooling is operated S7200 and includes opening an outside air damper 140 where ventilation cooling operation is commenced or confirming that the outside air damper 140 is in an “open” position where ventilation cooling is being operated.” See [0042]: “The user may also set the temperature set amount setting Tdelta; ventilation cooling with outside air is enabled when the outside temperature Tout is lower than the indoor temperature Tin by the amount of Tdelta.”)
if the one or more exterior environmental parameters are within a predetermined range of the one or more interior environmental parameters, activate the ventilation system that causes an airflow between the exterior space and the interior space; and (see [0030]; Spriner: “The operational settings may include the minimum indoor ventilation cooling temperature setting Tvent, which is the temperature to which indoor air will be cooled by outside air ventilation.” See [0036]: “In this “open” position, outside air is supplied to the fan 150, as shown in FIG. 1.”)
if the one or more exterior environmental parameters are not within the predetermined range of the one or more interior environmental parameters, activate the heating and cooling system. (see [0036]; Springer: “This method may include cooling with air conditioning pre-cooling S8000 if the current outside temperature Tout is not lower than the current inside temperature Tin by the set amount Tdelta S6000, if a current time of day is within an air conditioner pre-cooling start time setting Tpcl start and an air conditioner pre-cooling stop time setting Tpcl stop, and if the current indoor air temperature Tin is greater than a calculated air conditioner pre-cooling low limit temperature Tpcl S8100. If these conditions are met the air conditioner 130 runs S8600.”)
The same motivation to combine Helt, Bassa, Axelsson, Gibson, and Springer a set forth for Claim 2 equally applies to Claim 20.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim rejection(s) of the independent claim(s) have been fully considered and are persuasive because of the amendments. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Emmons et al. (US20170176030A1) discloses determine if ventilation of a building is desired based, at least in part, on the one or more user-specified air quality thresholds stored in a memory, and one or more of a measure of indoor air quality and a measure of outdoor air quality.
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/V.N.T./ Examiner, Art Unit 2117
/ALICIA M. CHOI/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2117
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