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 .
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) 1-7, 11-12 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR20190074499A in view of JP2009165291A both cited by applicant. Regarding claims 1 and 14, KR20190074499A discloses, which is almost closest to claims 1 and 14, an induction range comprising a plurality of lighting lines (a top plate of an induction range 200 including a plurality of alarm display units 120); a plurality of light-emitting elements configured to emit light through the plurality of lighting lines (the alarm display unit 120 is formed by an alarm light (e.g., LED) that lights up or flashes to give an alarm, or a speaker or buzzer that outputs an alarm sound or alarm voice message); a container sensor configured to detect a container positioned on an upper surface of the plate (temperature sensors T1, T2, T3, Tn, are installed at points spaced apart from each other at the top, bottom, left, and right of the center of the cooking zone 210 along the circumference of a virtual circle 220 with a radius set so as not to go beyond the cooking zone 210 formed of the top plate of the induction range 200); and a controller configured to: set, based on container information obtained by the container sensor or a command input through the knob, a container area on the plate, control the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light through at least one lighting line, among the plurality of lighting lines, positioned on an outer edge of the container area, and control the knob to display operational information about the container area (the control unit 110 determines whether the detection temperature of any one of the four temperature sensors T1, T2, T3, Tn, is lower than the detection temperature of each of the remaining temperature sensors by a predetermined first reference value or more in order to determine whether the cooking container (300) is out of the cooking zone 210, S120. The alarm display unit 120 receives a position adjustment signal to display the eccentric state of the cooking container 300, receives an overheating alarm signal to display an overheating alarm for food inside the cooking container 300, and receives an unsuitable cooking container signal to warn of the use of an unsuitable cooking container 300’). However, KR20190074499A does not disclose a knob including a display and detachably attached to the knob area of the plate; and a communicating with the knob. JP2009165291A discloses an input/output device (1) which has a display means such as a touch panel or an LCD, and is detachably coupled to an induced heating cooker body (20, par. 0011-par. 0015, Figures 9-10); and a transmission/reception circuit for performing wireless communication with the input/output device (1, par. 0012-par. 0013). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to utilize in KR20190074499A a knob including a display and detachably attached to the knob area of the plate; and a communicating with the knob as taught by JP2009165291A in order to provide to user with suitable to monitor and control cooking the object. Regarding claims 2 and 15, KR20190074499A discloses the alarm display unit (120) receives a position adjustment signal to display the eccentric state of the cooking container (300), receives an overheating alarm signal to display an overheating alarm for food inside the cooking container (300), and receives an unsuitable cooking container signal to display an alarm for the use of an unsuitable cooking container (300’, par. 0034). Regarding claims 3-4, KR20190074499A discloses the alarm display unit (120) receives a position adjustment signal to display the eccentric state of the cooking container (300), receives an overheating alarm signal to display an overheating alarm for food inside the cooking container (300), and receives an unsuitable cooking container signal to display an alarm for use of an unsuitable cooking container (300’, par. 0034). Regarding claim 5, KR20190074499A discloses the control unit (110) determines whether the detection temperature of any one of the four temperature (T1, T2, T3, Tn) is lower than the detection temperature of each of the remaining temperature sensors by a predetermined first reference value or mor in order to determine whether the cooking container (300) is out of the cooking zone (210) (S210), and the alarm display unit (120) receives a position adjustment signal to display the eccentric state of the cooking container (300), receives an overheating alarm signal to display an overheating alarm for food inside the cooking container (300), and receives an unsuitable cooking container signal to display an alarm for the use of an unsuitable cooking container (300’, par. 0037). Regarding claim 6, JP2009165291A discloses the input/output device (1) inputs various data (information), such as data related to the operation instructions of the device main body (20), into the device main body (20), and at the same time, performs output based on data related to the operation status of the device main body (20) or response to input from the device main body (20), and the input/output device (1) is detachable from the device main body (20, par. 0011). Regarding claim 7, JP2009165291A discloses the control unit (110) determines whether the detection temperature of any one of the four temperature sensors (T1 T2, T3, Tn) is lower than the detection temperature of each of the remaining temperature sensors by a predetermined first reference value or more in order to determine whether the cooking container (300) is out of the cooking zone (210) (S210), and the alarm display unit (120) receives a position adjustment signal to display the eccentric state of the cooking container (300), receives an overheating alarm signal to display an overheating alarm for food inside the cooking container (300), and receives an unsuitable cooking container signal to display an alarm for the use of an unsuitable cooking container (300’, par. 0037). Regarding claims 11-12, JP2009165291A discloses the input/output device (1) inputs various data (information), such as data related to the operation instruction of the device main body (20), into the device main body (20), and at the same time, performs output based on data related to the operation status of the device main body (20) or response to input from the device main body (20) and the input/output device (1) is detachable from the device main body (20, par. 0011).
Claim(s) 8-10 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR20190074499A in view of JP2009165291A, and further in view of KR 20200007520 all cited by applicant. Regarding claim 8, KR20190074499A/ JP2009165291A discloses substantially all features of the claimed invention except a knob switch is detachable from a knob area formed on one side of a main body, and rotates when attached to the knob area. KR 20200007520 discloses a knob switch is detachable from a knob area formed on one side of a main body, and rotates when attached to the knob area (see claim 1, Figures 1-3). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to utilize in KR20190074499A/ JP2009165291A a knob switch is detachable from a knob area formed on one side of a main body, and rotates when attached to the knob area as taught by KR 20200007520 in order to control the heat power of the heating coil. Regarding claims 9-10, KR 20200007520 discloses a resonance detection unit configured to output a frequency pulse corresponding to the impedance inflection point that varies depending on the degree of rotation of the knob switch, and a control unit configured to adjust the heating power of the heating coil according to the frequency pulse (see claim 1, Figures 1-3). Regarding claim 13, KR 20200007520 discloses a knob switch is detachable from a knob area formed on one side of a main body, and rotate when attached to the knob area to control the heat power of the heating coil (see claim 1, Figures 1-3).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Delgado Sancho et al (US 2020/0314970) discloses an induction hob device. Kim et al (US 10,412,791) discloses induction heating device and method of controlling the same.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANG T VAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4789. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00-6:00.
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/QUANG T VAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 June 18, 2026
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