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 .
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment filed on Augst 7, 2023 is accepted by the Examiner. Claims 1-7 are pending in the application.
IDS
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on August 7, 2023 is being considered by the Examiner.
Drawing
The drawing filed on August 7, 2023 is accepted by the Examiner.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim rejection – 35 U.S.C. §112
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite: due to indefiniteness caused by a lack of antecedent basis. For instance, claim 1 refers to "the changed temperature" before reciting "a changed temperature". More problematically, the claim recites "a temperature sensor provided in each of a plurality of target spaces", but then refers to "the temperature sensor that has detected the changed temperature". This does not specify which temperature sensor is being referred to, so "the temperature sensor" does not have appropriate antecedent basis. The later statement "[when] a changed temperature detected by the temperature sensor approaches the target temperature in the first target space" does not provide clarity on which temperature sensor is being considered.
The indefiniteness might be removed by reciting a step of "associating a particular temperature sensor with the damper provided for the first target space" and then referring to the particular temperature sensor in the "determines" limitation, or something similar. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 1 and 7 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
In reference to claims 1 and 7: Urakawa (U.S. Patent No. 10,767,889, hereon Urakawa) discloses a central air conditioning system (see Urakawa, Abstract and Fig. 2) comprising: a respective temperature sensors corresponding to each units (see Urakawa, Fig. 2, units 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3)) that are provided in each of the plurality of target spaces (see Urakawa, column 1, lines 44-45); a plurality of dampers (see Urakawa, Fig. 2, dampers 5(1), 5(2) and 5(3)); a controller that controls each of the plurality dampers (see Urakawa, column 1, lines 41-44); wherein the controller: sets first target temperature for a first target space (see Urakawa, column 4, lines 33-39, for example, 81.5-degree F for instance) that is one target space among the plurality of target spaces (see Urakawa, column 4, lines 33-44, note: temperature sensors and the dampers are arranged for each corresponding rooms which would be considered the plurality of target spaces); controls, according to the respective the first target temperature, a damper provided for the first target space (see Urakawa, column 4, line 44 to column 5, line 30).
Urakawa or any of the references considered in the prosecution of the instant application do not disclose “an air conditioning system …that determines, after predetermined period of time has elapsed since the control of the damper was started (1) an association between the damper controlled and corresponding temperature sensor that detected the changed temperature is correct when the changed temperature detected by the corresponding first temperature sensor approaches the corresponding first target temperature in the first target space and (2) the association between the damper controlled and the corresponding first temperature sensor that has detected the changed first temperature is incorrect when the corresponding first temperature detected by the corresponding first temperature sensor does not approach the corresponding first target temperature in the first target space; and output the result of the determination”
Claims 2-6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Morita (U.S. Patent No. 9,740,216) discloses air-conditioning control system includes an air-conditioning controller and a server. The air-conditioning controller is connected to an air-conditioning unit and controls the air-conditioning unit. The server is connected to the air-conditioning controller by a communication network. The air-conditioning controller includes a display unit and a control unit.
Sikora et al. (U.S PAP 2016/0116177, hereon Sikora) discloses a system with a controller (210) which is configured to initiate a damper fault test to determine if a damper fault is present and the damper fault test is based on the outdoor air temperature, the discharge air temperature, the commanded damper position and a damper fault temperature threshold.
Saunders et al. (U.S. PAP 2022/0205659) discloses an air conditioning system with a volumetric enclosure having an inlet and an outlet and for coupling to an interior of a building habitable by human occupants; (ii) a fan located within the volumetric enclosure and for drawing air exterior to the building and supplying the air to the interior of the building; (iii) a programmable control apparatus for enabling and disabling the fan in response to a plurality of parameters.
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/ELIAS DESTA/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857