DETAILED ACTION
The following is an initial Office Action upon examination of the above-identified application on the merits. Claims 21-56 have been cancelled per Preliminary Amendment received on 13 June 2023. Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
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 .
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.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged. Applicant has complied with the conditions for receiving the benefit of an earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. 371 and 119(e).
Information Disclosure Statement
The examiner has considered the information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11 December 2023.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: reference number 124 in Figure 1, reference numbers 502 and 514 in figure 5, reference number 10.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “702” has been used to designate both flow rate of water in figure 7 and supply water temperature in [0141].
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “704” has been used to designate both supply water in figure 7 and temperature flow rate of water in [0141].
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-10 and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2020/0304332 A1 (US 11,018,889 B2) to Park et al.
As per claim 1, the Park et al. reference discloses a system for environmental control in a building, the system comprising: a plurality of sensors (see [0186], “sensors or sensor systems”) including operational sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) and data gathering sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”); a plurality of actuators (see [0215], “actuators 424-428”); a rule-based server (see [0221], “one or more computer systems”) coupled to the plurality of sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) and the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”), the rule-based server (“one or more computer systems”) configured to: receive operation signals (see [0233], “sensor data and input signals”) from the operational sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”); and control operation of the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”) according to one or more rules (see [0463], “various relationship event rules”) based on the operation signals (“sensor data and input signals”); and a data-driven server (see [0221], “one or more computer systems”) coupled to the plurality of sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) and the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”), the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) configured to: receive data signals (see [0196], “measurements or other data”) from the data gathering sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) and the operation signals (“sensor data and input signals”) from the operational sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”); apply one or more predictive models (see [0463], “machine learning models”) to the data signals (“measurements or other data”) and the operation signals (“sensor data and input signals”) to predict performance changes (see [0232], “improve and/or optimize building performance”) in the building due to a command (“inputs received at interface 507 and/or BMS interface 509”); and in accordance with a determination that the performance changes (“improve and/or optimize building performance”) meet a predetermined criteria (see [0240], “constraints”), control operations (see [0215], “AHU controller 430”) of the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”) according to the command (“inputs received at interface 507 and/or BMS interface 509”).
As per claim 2, the Park et al. reference discloses the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) and the rule-based server (“one or more computer systems”) are configured to control operation (“AHU controller 430”) of the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”) concurrently (see [0482], “performed concurrently”) during a first time period (see [0442], “one or more events occurring within a predetermined time interval”), and wherein the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) is configured to control operation (“AHU controller 430”) of the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”) exclusively (see [0482], “performed … with partial concurrence”) during a second time period (see [0441], “co-occurrences of discrete events within predetermined intervals overtime”).
As per claim 3, the Park et al. reference discloses the rule-based server (“one or more computer systems”) is configured to cease operating or to cease controlling operation (see [0356], “start or stop equipment”) of the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”) after a predetermined time period (see [0356], “times at which to start or stop equipment”).
As per claim 4, the Park et al. reference discloses the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) is configured to control operation (see [0349], “agent 1126”) of a subset of the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”) for a zone (“first zone”) of the building, multiple zones (“first zone, second zone”) of the building, or the entire building, for a first time period (see [0442], “one or more events occurring within a predetermined time interval”), along with the rule-based server (“one or more computer systems”), and wherein the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) is configured to control operation (“agent 1126”) of the subset of the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”) for the zone (“first zone”) of the building or multiple zones of the building or the entire building exclusively (see [0482], “performed … with partial concurrence”) during a second time period (see [0441], “co-occurrences of discrete events within predetermined intervals overtime”).
As per claim 5, the Park et al. reference discloses the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) is configured to: retrieve data points (“measurements or other data”) in real-time (see [0334], “real-time status synchronization of information, relationships, and/or entities of the building”) or historical trends (see [0421], “history”) from the data signals (“measurements or other data”), the operation signals (“sensor data and input signals”), and/or control signals; use a machine learning model (“machine learning models”) for identifying thermal dynamics (see [0195], “thermal, heat, and temperature sensors”) and CO2 (see [0188], “carbon dioxide sensors”) trends, based on the data points (“measurements or other data”); and apply a multi-objective optimization function (see [0232], “improve and/or optimize building performance”) that optimizes indoor air quality (see [0234], “air quality sensor outputs”), thermal comfort (see [0232], “comfort”), and energy efficiency (“efficiency”) for the building, based on the thermal dynamics (“thermal, heat, and temperature sensors”) and CO2 trends (“carbon dioxide sensors”), to predict the performance changes (“improve and/or optimize building performance”) in the building due to the command (“inputs received at interface 507 and/or BMS interface 509”).
As per claim 6, the Park et al. reference discloses the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) is further configured to: determine if the performance changes (“improve and/or optimize building performance”) meet the predetermined criteria (“constraints”) by (i) simulating issuing the command to control operations of the plurality of actuators using a virtual model of the building and/or (ii) issuing the command (see [0240], “calculated inputs”) to control operations (“demanded load shedding”) of a portion of the building (“more than one building subsystem”).
As pe claim 7, the Park et al. reference discloses the virtual model (see [0293], “virtual representation”) comprises buildings that are of different types and/or have different locations compared to the building (“each object entity (e.g., person, room, building subsystem, device, and the like) in the building”).
As per claim 8, the Park et al. reference discloses further comprising: a building monitoring database (see [0305], “timeseries database 928, eventseries database 929”) and visualization device (see [0267], “applications 630”) configured to monitor and visualize performance (“variety data visualization, monitoring, and/or control activities”) of the building (“building”).
As per claim 9, the Park et al. reference discloses the rule-based server (“one or more computer systems”) and the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) are configured on one or more restricted access secure (see [0289], “security service 622”) virtual local area networks (VLANs) (see [0488], “communication networks”) to prevent access (see [0289], “authorization information and/or permission information”) from outside the building (“building”).
As per claim 10, the Park et al. reference discloses the rule-based server (“one or more computer systems”) and the operational sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) are configured to communicate via a first network (see [0488], “communication networks”), wherein the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) and the data gathering sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) are configured to communicate via a second network (“communication networks”) that is separate and distinct from the first network (“communication networks”).
As per claim 12, the Park et al. reference discloses the operational sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) comprise sensors for indoor slab and air temperatures (see [0195], “temperature sensors”), local zone thermostats, CO2 sensors (see [0188], “carbon dioxide sensors”) to evaluate occupancy (see [0234], “occupancy sensor outputs”), and/or one or more local weather station sensors (see [0186], “weather sensors”) for outdoor temperature (see [0354], “outdoor weather information”) and/or rain (see [0190], “rain gauges, rain sensors”).
As per claim 13, the Park et al. reference discloses the plurality of sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) includes at least some sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) that acquire signals at different frequencies and intervals (see [0261], “predefined intervals of the raw timeseries data (e.g., quarter-hourly intervals, hourly intervals, daily intervals, monthly intervals, etc.)”) than other sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”).
As per claim 14, the Park et al. reference discloses the data-driven server (“one or more computer systems”) is configured to monitor (see [0267], “variety data visualization, monitoring, and/or control activities”) the plurality of sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”), control (“variety data visualization, monitoring, and/or control activities”) one or more actuators (“actuators 424-428”) of the plurality of actuators (“actuators 424-428”), store sensor data (see [0305], “timeseries storage interface 916”) from the plurality of sensors (“sensors or sensor systems”) for analysis, command (see [0220], “AHU controller 430”) heating and cooling (“heating or cooling”), and/or connect (see [0247], “communications interface 602”) to one or more external building automation systems (“remote systems and applications 544, 3.sup.rd party services 550, building subsystems 528 or other external systems or devices”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2020/0304332 A1 (US 11,018,889 B2) to Park et al. in view of US 2021/0180820 A1 (US 11,693,804 B2) to Vause et al.
As per claim 11, the Park et al. reference does not expressly disclose the further limitations taught by the Vause et al. reference, namely: the first network (see [0025], “HVAC network 112”) is a Konnex (KNX) network (“KNX protocol”) and the second network (“HVAC network 112”) is a BACnet network (“building automation control network (BACnet) protocol”).
Before the invention was filed, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the variety of building automation systems protocols taught by the Park et al. reference with any suitable networking protocol taught by the Vause et al. reference.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the variety of building automation systems protocols with any suitable networking protocol to ingest sensor data received in any protocol or data format and translate the inbound sensor data into a common data format since different sensors send measurements or other data to building management platform using a variety of different communications protocols or data formats.
Claim(s) 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2020/0304332 A1 (US 11,018,889 B2) to Park et al. in view of JP 5262682 B2 to NISHIDA.
As per claim 19, the Park et al. reference does not expressly disclose the further limitations taught by the NISHIDA reference, namely: further comprising an augmented reality headset (see page 5 lines 17-27, “head-mounted display 100”) configured to show information (“sensing information”) from at least one of the plurality of sensors (“sensor 500”), while a wearer (“user”) of the augmented reality headset (“head-mounted display 100”) visually observes an inside (“image display unit 2”) of the building.
Before the invention was filed, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the one or more human-machine interfaces or client interfaces taught by the Park et al. reference with the head mounted display taught by the NISHIDA reference.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the one or more human-machine interfaces or client interfaces with the head mounted display for controlling, viewing, or otherwise interacting with HVAC system 200, its subsystems, and/or devices.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2020/0304332 A1 (US 11,018,889 B2) to Park et al. in view of JP 5262682 B2 to NISHIDA. as applied to claim 19 above, and further in view of US 20230145066 A1 (US 11995736 B2) to JEONG et al.
As per claim 20, neither the Park et al. nor NISHIDA reference expressly discloses the further limitations taught by the JEONG et al. reference, namely: the augmented reality headset (see [0045], “head-mounted display”) is further configured to allow the wearer (“user”) to issue a hand gesture command (“hand gesture”) for controlling at least one of the plurality of actuators.
Before the invention was filed, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the one or more human-machine interfaces or client interfaces taught by the Park et al. reference with the head mounted display taught by the NISHIDA reference, and further with the gesture recognition system taught by the JEONG et al. reference.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the one or more human-machine interfaces or client interfaces with the head mounted display, and further with the gesture recognition system for controlling, viewing, or otherwise interacting with HVAC system 200, its subsystems, and/or devices.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As per claim 15, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fails to teach the data gathering sensors comprise finer-grained sensors and a more extensive set of sensors than the operational sensors, including both low-height and high-height temperature sensors, configured to detect stratification in various spaces, and low-velocity air-motion sensors configured to detect air movement and buoyancy-effect drafts throughout structure of the building as well as calibrate simulation measurements.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following references are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to building systems and head mounted display:
US 9,274,520 B2 to Ali et al.
CN 109612029 A to ZHAN et al.
CN 102857363 A to TANG et al.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Crystal J Barnes-Bullock whose telephone number is (571)272-3679. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
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/CRYSTAL J BARNES-BULLOCK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2117 18 December 2025