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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments, see applicant’s remark, filed on 07/01/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) [1-3, 5 and 7] 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 the newly found prior art Harrison (US. 2017/0084131).
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) [1-3, 5 and 7] is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McRae (US.2023/0089197) in view of Harrison (2017/0084131).
Reclaim [1] McRae discloses a method (see fig. 3) comprising: causing, by a doorbell system comprising at least a camera and a chime (see 16, 26, 22 fig. 1 ), a connection for communication to be established between the camera and at least one user device (see step 106 fig. 3 and ¶0039, At block 106, the chime listener 12 transmits an activation signal to the imaging device 16—either directly or via the base station 14—in order to activate the imaging device 16 and begin recording video and/or audio of the area of interest); receiving, while the connection for communication is established between the camera and the at least one user device (see steps 102 to 106 fig. 3), a first indication to cause the chime to output a first audio notification (see ¶0032, At block 102, the doorbell 26 is activated by a person,); and causing, based on determining that the connection is established between the camera and the at least one user device (see steps 108-110 fig. 3 and ¶¶[0035- 0037], The user may also use the user device 18 to interact with a person within the area of interest of the space 24 via the imaging device 16),
McRae, doesn’t seem to exactly discloses prevention of outputting the first audio notification by the chime.
Nonetheless in the same filed of endeavor Harisson discloses a doorbell system as McRae (see Harrison fig. 3). Harrison further discloses prevention of outputting the first audio notification by the chime (see ¶¶ [0013-0014], Modifying the notification sound emitted by the doorbell chime may comprise blocking the notification sound).
Hence it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have been motivated to modify McRae before the effective filling date of the claimed invention by the teachings of Harrison since this would allow to prevent unwanted alerting sound and thereby enhancing usability (see [¶0011]).
Reclaim [2] McRae, as modified further discloses wherein the at least one user device comprises an application associated with the doorbell system (see f McRae ig. 3 all steps), and wherein causing the connection for communication to be established between the camera and the at least one user device comprises causing the connection to be established between the camera and the application (see McRae ¶0037, During the interview applicant's representative discussed applicant's invention the proposed amendment. Examiner discussed the claimed invention the proposed amendment. Examine further indicated that the proposed amendment can potentially overcome the current rejection. And agreed to consider the amendment and update his search. In the course of the interview no further agreement has been reached ).
Reclaim [3] McRae as modified further discloses, wherein the doorbell system further comprises a button (see McRae ¶0022, doorbell 26 includes an actuator, typically a button), and wherein the first indication to cause the chime to output the first audio notification comprises an indication that the button has been pressed (see McRae 26, 22 fig. 1, step 102 fig. 3 and ¶0022, doorbell 26 includes an actuator, typically a button, that generates a signal when pressed or otherwise activated).
Reclaim [5] McRae as modified further discloses, further comprising sending, based on receiving the first indication to cause the chime to output the first audio notification (see McRae ¶0022, doorbell 26 includes an actuator, typically a button, that generates a signal when pressed or otherwise activated. That signal is transmitted via wires or wirelessly to the chime 20, which generates an audio and possibly a visible signal or notification in response to receipt of the signal), a notification of the first indication to the at least one user device (see McRae step 102, fig. 3 and ¶0022, doorbell 26 includes an actuator, typically a button, that generates a signal when pressed or otherwise activated. That signal is transmitted via wires or wirelessly to the chime 20, which generates an audio and possibly a visible signal or notification in response to receipt of the signal).
Reclaim [7] McRae as modified further discloses, wherein the camera is configured to exchange at least one of live audio data or live video data with the at least one user device via the connection (see McRae ¶.0037, At block 112, a user interfaces with the user device 18 to access media captured by the imaging device 16 either in real time or after the recording).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims [8-20] are allowed. The reason for allowance has been provided in the previous office action.
Claims [4 and 6] are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED A BERHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5094. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00Am-5:00pm (MAX- Flex).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Twyler Haskins can be reached at 571-272-7406. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMED A BERHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639
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