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 .
Claims 1-23 are pending.
Claims 1-23 are rejected below.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 13, 20, and 22 are objected to because of the following informalities: Appropriate correction is required. Several of the claims use the terms thereby, thereof, and therein, such as claims 1, 13, 20, and 22 that either do not add anything or appear to add the intended use/outcome of the limitations. Examiner does not believe that they are needed and suggests removing them.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-23 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “close”, “intelligent”, “intelligently” “safe”, “promptly” and “quickly” in claim 1 are relative terms which renders the claim indefinite. The terms “close”, “intelligent”, “intelligently” “safe”, “promptly” and “quickly” are not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Examiner notes that “close to zero” happens throughout the claimed invention and not just in claim 1. Some of these terms are also used in the dependent claims and need to be corrected there as well. For example, see claims 12 and 13.
It is also unclear what “level” is being close to zero. Is it the level of air pollution? If that is the case then the method would remove all air pollution?
The last part of claim 1 says a breathable state, it is unclear what this is. Is this 0 air pollution, is this a state in which there is safe detection value, or is the air just breathable which does not need to be either of these?
None of the dependent claims remedy these issues and therefore are rejected for the same reason.
The term “big” in claim 14 is relative terms which renders the claim indefinite. The terms “big” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
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) 1-2, 4-19, and 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davis (U.S. PG Pub. 2023/0014295) in view of Douglas (U.S. 2023/0273576).
As to claim 1, Davis teaches a method for purifying an air pollution in an indoor space to a level close to zero, comprising: and providing an indoor monitoring system in the indoor space, the indoor monitoring system comprising a plurality of gas detection devices[0018 Control determinations by the IAQ controller 110 may be made based on input data received from one or more sensors or control devices to which the IAQ controller 110 is connected including thermostat 140, sensors 175a, 175b, . . . 175x, remote control device 115, or other communicatively coupled components of the system. Sensors 175a, 175b, . . . 175x may include one or more of humidity sensors, temperature sensors, carbon dioxide sensors, motion sensors, volatile organic compound sensors, particulate sensors, radio sensors, etc. In some embodiments, one or more of these sensors may be incorporated as part of the IAQ controller 110 itself.], a central controlling monitor and a plurality of air-exchanging filtration devices (elements 110 and 135)[0016 The IAQ controller 110 is further connected to an air sanitization controller 130 that controls an air sanitization unit 135. The air sanitization unit 135 is located relative to the ductwork 105 such that it sanitizes the air moving through ductwork 105.], wherein the plurality of gas detection devices comprise at least one indoor gas detector and at least one outdoor gas detector for detecting a property and a concentration of the air pollution and outputting outdoor air pollution data and indoor air pollution data[0018], the central controlling monitor receives the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data, performs an intelligent computation to compare thereof and determine an air pollution location in the indoor space, and intelligently and selectively issues a control instruction[0019 IAQ controller 110 coordinates control of the air sanitization unit 135 and the air circulation unit of the HVAC component 120 to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the sanitization of air within the indoor space. For example, based on one or more received inputs, the IAQ controller 110 controls an air flow rate produced by the air circulation unit and controls an operational status of the air sanitization unit 135 to optimize air sanitization.], and the plurality of air-exchanging filtration devices receive the control instruction and perform an enabling and adjusting mechanism for guiding the air pollution to pass through the plurality of air-exchanging filtration devices for being filtered and air-exchanged so as to achieve a safe detection value as detected by the plurality of gas detection devices in the indoor space[0019], and for forming a detection-based cleaning which promptly and quickly purifies the air pollution to a level of zero or close to zero, thereby cleaning the air pollution to a breathable state[0023 Based on the various input values, IAQ controller 110 calculates how long the air sanitization unit 135 and air circulation unit should be operated in sanitization mode to effectively sanitize the indoor air. In an embodiment, a clean air delivery rate (CADR) is calculated based on a flow rate created by the air circulation unit and a sanitizing efficiency of the air sanitization unit 135. The flow rate may be determined by user input, by an air speed (or other flow rate sensor), or other suitable mechanism. The sanitizing efficiency may be particular to a given flow rate and may be determined by user input, by automated lookup based on the determined flow rate, or by another suitable mechanism. In an example embodiment, the flow rate is determined to be 1200 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and the corresponding sanitizing efficiency is determined to be 80% at 1200 CFM. Based on these values, a clear air delivery rate (e.g., the flow rate multiplied by the sanitizing efficiency) of 960 CFM is calculated. How long the air sanitization unit and/or air circulation unit are operated (e.g., the sanitization run-time) is then determined by calculating how long it takes to complete a full air change in the indoor space at the calculated clean air delivery rate. For example, the volume of the indoor space is determined (e.g., by user input or other mechanism) and divided by the clean air delivery rate to determine the sanitization run-time. In alternative embodiments, additional options may be provided to modify the sanitization run-time. For example, a user-selectable option may be presented to increase the number of air changes associated with the sanitization run-time and/or an automated option may increase the number of air changes or sanitization run-time in response to one or more sensor readings (e.g., a sensor reading that shows abnormally poor air quality such as an air quality characteristic that meets or exceeds a threshold associated such a condition)].
Davis teaches most of the claimed invention, but fails to teach all of the claimed invention, however, this is an obvious variation and is taught by Douglas as follows:
providing an indoor leaking detection for blocking an outdoor air from entering the indoor space[0167, 0217].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to include the teachings of Douglas into the system and method of Davis. The motivation to combine is that Douglas teaches the BMS controller 366 could alternatively turn on different humidifiers to test the filtration of different particle sizes throughout the spaces. This approach could be used to optimize HVAC performance and control air quality in various indoor environments, including homes, offices, hospitals, and other facilities. It could also be used to detect potential leaks or issues with the HVAC system, identify areas where additional filtration may be needed, and ensure that air is being distributed evenly throughout a space [0140].
As to claim 2, Davis teaches wherein the air pollution is at least one selected from the group consisting of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead, total volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, bacteria, fungi, virus, and a combination thereof[0021].
As to claim 4, Davis teaches wherein the safe detection value comprises the level of zero or close to zero of the indoor air pollution data detected from the air pollution[0021].
Claims 5 and 6 consist of structure which is not necessary to complete the methods steps of the claims. Paragraphs above and especially [0021, 0052] and claim 3 show this.
As to claim 7, Davis teaches wherein the particulate sensor detects information of suspended particulates[0018].
As to claim 8, Davis teaches wherein the gas sensor comprises one selected from the group consisting of a volatile-organic-compound sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a bacteria sensor, a virus sensor, and a combination thereof, for correspondingly detecting information of carbon dioxide or total volatile organic compounds in a gas, information of formaldehyde in a gas, information of bacteria or fungi in a gas, or information of viruses in a gas[0031].
As to claim 9, Douglas teaches wherein the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data are outputted and transmitted through a wireless communication, and the wireless communication is performed by one selected from the group consisting of a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, a radio frequency identification module, a near field communication module, and a combination thereof [0092].
As to claim 10, Douglas teaches wherein the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data are outputted and transmitted through a wireless communication, and the wireless communication is performed by one selected from the group consisting of a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, a radio frequency identification module, a near field communication module, and a combination thereof[0092].
As to claim 11, Davis teaches wherein the central controlling monitor is one of a central controlling box and a portable mobile device (element 110).
As to claim 8, Davis teaches wherein the central controlling monitor is connected to a cloud device through a network, and the cloud device receives the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data collected by the central controlling monitor, performs the intelligent computation for comparing the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data to determine the air pollution location in the indoor space, and intelligently and selectively issues the control instruction[0056].
As to claim 13, Davis teaches wherein the cloud device 33 performs the intelligent computation for comparing the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data received by the central controlling monitor, and if the indoor air pollution data is greater than the outdoor air pollution data, the control instruction is intelligently issued to the central controlling monitor, and the central controlling monitor enables the air-exchanging filtration devices after receiving the control instruction, thereby quickly air exchanging and exhausting the air pollution in the indoor space to an outdoor space and guiding the air pollution to be quickly and circularly filtered and purified to the safe detection value[0017, 0056].
As to claim 14, Davis teaches wherein the cloud device performs the intelligent computation to compare the indoor air pollution data, and the intelligent computation comprises an artificial intelligence (AI) computation and a big data comparison, and wherein the intelligent computation is performed to determine a location with highest indoor air pollution data as the air pollution location in the indoor space, or the intelligent computation is performed to compare the indoor air pollution data detected by at least three of the gas detection devices and determine the air pollution location in the indoor space from at least three detection locations[0021, 0025, 0056].
As to claim 15, Davis teaches wherein after the cloud device determines the air pollution location in the indoor space and intelligently and selectively issues the control instruction to the central controlling monitor, the central controlling monitor outputs the control instruction to the plurality of air-exchanging filtration devices to perform the enabling and adjusting mechanism, and wherein in the enabling and adjusting mechanism, the control instruction is sent to the air-exchanging filtration device near the air pollution location for preferentially enabling thereof to form an air-pollution cleaning path, and the control instruction is further sent to other air-exchanging filtration devices located out of the air pollution location for enabling thereof to generate a gas convection toward the air pollution to speed up a convectional circulation near the air pollution location, so that the air pollution near the air pollution location is filtered and purified by the air-exchanging filtration device near the air pollution location and the air pollution which diffuses to locations other than the air pollution location is filtered and purified by the other air-exchanging filtration devices, thereby achieving the safe detection value as detected by the plurality of gas detection devices in the indoor space, and forming the detection-based cleaning which promptly and quickly purifies the air pollution to a level of zero or close to zero, so as to clean the air pollution to the breathable state[0026].
As to claim 16, Davis teaches wherein each of the air-exchanging filtration devices comprises at least one gas guider and at least one filter element, and wherein the air-changing filtration device is a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system having a filter screen with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating greater than 8 [0022, 0043] and Douglas [0166].
As to claim 17, Douglas teaches wherein each of the air-exchanging filtration devices comprises at least one gas guider and at least one filter element, and wherein the air-changing filtration device is a fresh air exchange system, and the filter element is a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter [0184].
As to claim 8, Davis teaches wherein each of the air-exchanging filtration devices comprises at least one gas guider and at least one filter element, and wherein the air-changing filtration device is one selected from the group consisting of a fresh air exchange system, a purifier, an air conditioning device, an exhaust fan, a fan, a range hood, and a combination thereof [0016].
As to claim 19, Davis teaches wherein each of the air-exchanging filtration devices comprises at least one gas guider and at least one filter element, and the central controlling monitor outputs the control instruction through a wireless communication, and wherein the air-exchanging filtration device is cooperated with an intelligent switch, and the intelligent switch enables the at least one gas guider after receiving the control instruction [0037, 0052] (elements 110, 120, 135).
As to claim 21, Davis teaches wherein each of the air-exchanging filtration device comprises at least one gas guider and at least one filter element, and the central controlling monitor outputs the control signal through a wireless communication, and wherein the air-exchanging filtration device comprises one gas detection device disposed therein for enabling/disabling the at least one gas guider and adjusting a gas volume of the at least one gas guider after receiving the control instruction [0023].
As to claim 22, Davis teaches wherein the gas detection device of the air-exchanging filtration device enables the at least one gas guider as the outdoor/indoor air pollution data exceeds the safe detection value, and controls the at least one gas guider to adjust the gas volume thereof based on the outdoor/indoor air pollution data[0023].
As to claim 23, Davis teaches wherein the filter element is a filter screen which cleans the air pollution through physically blocking and absorbing, or the filter element chemically cleans the air pollution through one selected from the group consisting of coating a decomposition layer, combining with a light irradiation element, combining with a decomposition unit, and a combination thereof[0029].
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davis (U.S. PG Pub. 2023/0014295) in view of Douglas (U.S. 2023/0273576) in view of Cho (U.S. PG Pub. 2023/0194119).
Davis in view of Douglas teach most of the claimed invention, but fail to teach all of the claim 3, however, this is an obvious variation as taught by Cho as follows:
As to claim 3, Cho teaches wherein the safe detection value comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a concentration of PM2.5 which is less than 10 pg/m3, a concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is less than 1000 ppm[0071], a concentration of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) which is less than 0.56 ppm, a concentration of formaldehyde (HCHO) which is less than 0.08 ppm, a colony-forming unit of bacteria which is less than 1500 CFU/m3, a colony-forming unit of fungi which is less than 1000 CFU/m3, a concentration of sulfur dioxide which is less than 0.075 ppm, a concentration of nitrogen dioxide which is less than 0.1 ppm, a concentration of carbon monoxide which is less than 9 ppm, a concentration of ozone which is less than 0.06 ppm, and a concentration of lead which is less than 0.15 gg/m3.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to include the teaching of Cho into the system and method of Davis modified by Douglas. The motivation to combine is that Cho teaches above 1000ppm if CO2 a user may find it hard to breath so this would need reduced [0071].
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davis (U.S. PG Pub. 2023/0014295) in view of Douglas (U.S. 2023/0273576) in view of Bentz (U.S. PG Pub. 2021/0287311).
Davis in view of Douglas teach most of the claimed invention, but fail to teach all of the claim 20, however, this is an obvious variation as taught by Bentz as follows:
As to claim 20, Bentz teaches wherein the intelligent switch enables the at least one gas guider after receiving the control instruction through the wireless communication, and wherein a functionality of the wireless communication is detected and judged by the central controlling monitor, and when the wireless communication does not function normally, an alarm is displayed or sent out for notifying the user to manually enable the air-exchanging filtration device, thereby achieving a debug mechanism of preventing a failure of the wireless communication[0146].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to include the teaching of Bentz into the system and method of Davis modified by Douglas. The motivation to combine is that Bentz teaches When a fault is detected, thermostat 600 may alert users by sending a prompt to the users' devices. For example, if a compressor is not functioning correctly and this malfunction is detected, thermostat 600 may send a prompt to device 1502 notifying the user that the compressor is not performing as expected [0146].
Other Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Okeya (U.S. PG Pub. 2022/0316742) teaches a ventilation procedure based on CO2 concentration.
Arakawa (U.S. PG Pub. 2022/0214059) teaches monitoring a variety of gases to determine in filtering is needed.
Carrieri (U.S. PG Pub. 2022/0010996) teaches a cloud based HVAC system for purifying air.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN L LAUGHLIN whose telephone number is (571)270-1042. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mohammad Ali can be reached at 571-272-4105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/NATHAN L LAUGHLIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119