Also 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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
Claims 1-5, 7-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tuan Anh Pham et al. (US 20190183062), hereinafter ‘Pham’.
With regards to Claim 1, Pham discloses
An apparatus for providing/reporting environmental data (The main functions of micro-controller 401 are: (1) to communicate with a network server via network 311 [0065]; FIG. 5, a perspective diagram of an environment simulating apparatus 500 [0068]), comprising:
an enclosure (smart cabinet 600 [0078]; growing enclosure [0028]) comprising:
a roof; a plurality of walls connected to the roof, wherein the plurality of walls comprises at least: a first wall with a first plurality of openings; a second wall with a second plurality of openings; and a third wall disposed opposite the first wall with a third plurality of openings; and a fourth wall disposed opposite the second wall; where the first plurality of openings is disposed opposite the third plurality of openings to form an air flow path through the interior of the enclosure; and a base connected to the plurality of walls (Figs. 7-10; [0074-0078]);
a processor disposed on the base inside the enclosure [0043, 0058, 0062, 0065];
a communications module disposed on the base inside of the enclosure and in electrical communication with the processor (Fig.7A, [0045, 0064, 0074]);
a sensor module disposed inside the enclosure and in electrical communication with the processor (all sensors 324 [0064]) and comprising:
a temperature sensor; a humidity sensor; and a carbon dioxide sensor (Continuing with FIG. 4, micro-controller 401 is also connected to sensors 324 which include a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) 411, a pH level sensor 412, a TDS sensor 413, water level sensor 414, and other sensors 415 such as humidity sensor, light intensity sensors, CO.sub.2 level sensor, temperature and pressure sensors [0066]);
wherein the processor is configured to organize data received from the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, and the carbon dioxide sensor and transmit the data to the communications module [0064, 0065]; and
where the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, and the carbon dioxide sensor are positioned proximate to the air flow path (Fig.5, Direction of airflow 520, [0071, 0074, 0096]).
Pham also discloses using open-source database for climate recipes [0042].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Pham to use open-source format to communicate/ collaborate with external databases (of a remote server, for example) when transmitting environmental sensor data as known in the art, for example, from Bharathet Mundlapudi et al. (US 20140358845): “compatibility processing module 206 returns the data type converted data point to the open-source data warehouse 204” [0063]).
With regards to Claim 2, Pham further discloses where the roof includes an opening configured to allow light to enter the enclosure, and further comprising: a light sensor positioned proximate to the opening in the roof and in electrical communication with the processor; wherein the processor is configured to organize data from the light sensor in the open-source accessible format (Continuing with FIG. 4, micro-controller 401 is also connected to sensors 324 which include a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) 411) [0066]; Environment simulating apparatus 500 includes a planting enclosure 501, an array of LED lights 502 located at the ceiling of planting enclosure 501 [0068]; Figs. 4 and 5; Array of LED lights 502 are designed to mimic natural light and its influences on plants and trees. Maximum powers of array of LED lights 502 are concentrated on blue and red wavelengths because these wavelengths most favor the photosynthesis activity of plants and trees. The spectrum of array of LED lights 502 is illustrated below [0069].
With regards to Claim 3, Pham further discloses one or more fans disposed in enclosure and adjacent to at least one of the openings in the first wall ([0078-0079], [0074]; Figs. 7-8).
With regards to Claim 4, Pham further discloses at least one filter covering the openings in the first wall and at least one filter covering the openings in the third wall (Top section 700A also contains a pair of suction fans and air filters 751-752 designed to create a clean air flow within smart cabinet 600 [0074]; also [0096]; Figs. 7, 8).
With regards to Claim 5, Pham further discloses a plurality of communications connectors disposed in the second plurality of openings ([0081], Figs. 10-11).
With regards to Claim 7, Pham discloses the claim limitations as discussed above with regards to Claim 1.
In addition, Pham discloses modifying an environmental parameter based on the received data (Figs. 3 and 4; At least two controllers 400 include a micro-controller 401 and a sub-controller 402. The main functions of micro-controller 401 are: (1) to communicate with a network server via network 311, (2) to receive and analyze climate recipes from Database 312, (3) to receive feedback signals from sensors, and (4) to send climate recipe commands to sub-controllers 402. Upon receiving climate recipe commands, sub-controller 402 drives environment actuating system 322. [0065]).
With regards to Claim 8, Pham additionally discloses wherein the at least one environmental regulation subsystem comprises one or more of: a damper, a heater, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, a circulation fan, an exhaust fan, and an irrigation source (Now referring to FIG. 5, a perspective diagram of an environment simulating apparatus 500 in accordance to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Environment simulating apparatus 500 includes …a vacuum module 506, blowing fans 507, air exit windows 508, unidirectional air valves 509, air suction fans 510 … [0068]).
With regards to Claim 9, Pham additionally discloses a transmitter, where the computer is in electrical communication with the transmitter (wired communication channels that use differential signals in bi-directional data transmission over a long-distance with minimal signal losses. Wireless communication channels 301 and RS-485 buses 302 are well-known in the art and will not be discussed in details in the present invention. [0064]).
With regards to Claim 10, Pham additionally discloses wherein the roof includes an opening configured to allow light to enter the enclosure (Environment simulating apparatus 500 includes a planting enclosure 501, an array of LED lights 502 located at the ceiling of planting enclosure 501 [0068]), and further comprising: a light sensor positioned proximate to the opening in the roof and in electrical communication with the processor wherein the processor is configured to organize data from the light sensor in the open-source accessible format (Continuing with FIG. 4, micro-controller 401 is also connected to sensors 324 which include a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) 411 [0066], Fig.4).
With regards to Claim 11, Pham additionally discloses the at least one environmental regulation subsystem comprises a light source that can be controlled based on the data from the light sensor ([0070-0071]).
With regards to Claim 12, Pham additionally discloses one or more fans disposed in enclosure and adjacent to at least one of the openings in the first wall ([0074], Figs. 7-8).
With regards to Claim 13, Pham additionally discloses at least one filter covering the openings in the first wall and at least one filter covering the openings in the third wall (Top section 700A also contains a pair of suction fans and air filters 751-752 designed to create a clean air flow within smart cabinet 600. [0074]; Figs. 7-8).
With regards to Claim 14, Pham discloses the claimed limitations as discussed above with regards to Claims 1 and 9.
With regards to Claim 15, Pham further discloses at least one environmental regulatory system based on the open-source accessible data, wherein the at least one environmental regulatory system is one of a damper, a heater, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, a circulation fan, an exhaust fan, and an irrigation source (Fig.5; [0068]).
Claim 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pham in view of Frank O’Keefe (US 20180332776), hereinafter ‘O’Keefe’.
With regards to Claim 6, Pham is silent about further the enclosure is isolated from air in the ambient environment except for the first plurality of openings and the third plurality of openings.
O’Keefe discloses that enclosure is isolated from air in the ambient environment except for the first plurality of openings and the third plurality of openings (As shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D, the spinning wheel is divided into a plurality of (pie) slice-shaped segments 523 which are isolated from one another [0036]; Fig. 5A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Pham in view of O’Keefe to partially isolate air from an ambient environment that the system can identify/regulate CO2 released ([0028], [0038], Fig. 5A, O’Keefe).
Claim 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pham in view of Yara Thomas (US 20210315169), hereinafter ‘Thomas’.
With regards to Claim 16, Pham, while disclosing at least one sensor comprises: the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, and the carbon dioxide sensor as discussed in Claim 14, is silent about calculating a vapor pressure deficit using the open-source accessible data.
Thomas discloses calculating a vapor pressure deficit using the open-source accessible data (The control system may control evapotranspiration by controlling at … vapor pressure deficit [0023]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Pham in view of Thomas to calculate a vapor pressure deficit using the open-source accessible data to control environmental conditions and improve efficiency of space utilization (A controlled vapor-pressure-deficit, among other variables, can maintain nutrient uptake and effectively grow the same volume of crop in a small volume of air with lower energy consumption, Tomas [0088]; improved efficiencies in space utilization, Thomas [0005]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ryssa Lolita Marquez et al. (US 20230393443) discloses using an open source format that may be easily accessed via a plurality of electronic device types and/or across various operating systems [0227].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER SATANOVSKY whose telephone number is (571)270-5819. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9 am-5 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Catherine Rastovski can be reached on (571) 270-0349. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEXANDER SATANOVSKY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2863