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 Amendment
In light of the amendment filed 12 February 20226, the rejections under §112 have been withdrawn and the prior art rejection has been modified. This action has been made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 5-6 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krosney et al. (US 2022/0080065; hereinafter “Krosney”) in view of Lee et al. (KR 10-2164887 with reliance upon the English-language machine translation; hereinafter “Lee”) and Naidoo et al. (WO 2016/081959; hereinafter “Naidoo”.
In regard to claims 1 and 5-6, Krosney discloses disinfection robot system (robotic surface cleaning device 100) comprising: a light disinfection unit (two deployable arms 106a,106b with UV light sources) having first UVC lamps (UV light sources emit UV-C radiation; see [0016]) exposed to an outside of the disinfection robot system to perform disinfection through emission of ultraviolet light; an air suction and disinfection unit (support tower 104) having a second UVC lamp (UV LED arrays in sterilizing chamber 116 which produce UV-C radiation; see [0016] and [0036]), an air suction pipe (sterilizing chamber 116) adapted to locate the second UVC lamp therein and configured to prevent the ultraviolet light emitted from the second UVC lamp from being exposed to the outside (through the use of discharge vent 118; [0038]), and a fan (fan/motor component 114) for sucking air to the interior of the air suction pipe; a sensing unit having a human presence sensor (see [0039] and “proximity sensors” in [0042]) configured to detect a human presence and a distance sensor (“ultrasonic distance sensors;” see [0042]); and a control unit (“computer or microprocessor including at least one memory storing firmware and software for controlling movement of the device and operation;” see [0039]) for controlling the light disinfection unit and the air suction and disinfection unit according to the information detected by the sensing unit (“to deactivate the robotic surface cleaning device 100 when the presence of an animate object (e.g., person, animal, etc.) may be detected”; see [0039]). See [0034]-[0042] and Figure 1. Krosney discloses wherein the control unit receives, or a step of receiving, human presence information from the human presence sensor (“the presence of an animate object” such as a person; see [0039]) to stop operation of the light disinfection unit when the human presence is detected (“the computer or microprocessor may be programmed to automatically shut off the UV illumination sources on the arms;” see [0039]) by the human presence sensor.
Krosney is silent in regard to additional air suction and disinfection units. However, the Courts have held that the mere duplication of parts, without any new or unexpected results, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Harza, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) (see MPEP § 2144.04). Krosney recognizes that the sterilizing unit can be designed to sustain a specific volumetric throughput in order to clean the airflow at a desired rate. See [0054] and [0062]. Therefore, it would have been within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have provided duplicate air suction and disinfection units on the device 100 of Krosney for the purpose of increasing the throughput of air which can be sterilized through known means and without creating any new or unexpected results.
Krosney is further silent in regard to a plurality of photocatalyst-coated means disposed inside the air suction pipe to produce hydroxyl groups through the ultraviolet light emitted from the second UVC lamp and to wherein the control unit is configured to maintain operation of the air suction and disinfection units irrespective of the human presence while controlling rotational speeds of fans of the plurality of air suction and disinfection units to adjust an amount of disinfected air in accordance with the human presence information.
Lee discloses an air sterilization unit which uses a UV lamp 20 to irradiate photocatalyst-coated means (a plurality of photocatalyst filters 30) which are made by coating titanium dioxide (photocatalyst 32) onto the surfaces of solid bodies (hollow substrate 31) as recited in claim 6. The irradiation by the UV lamp 20 onto the filters 30 causes hydroxyl groups to form which oxidatively decomposes contaminates, such as bacteria, in the airflow. See page 2-4 of the translation and Figures 1-2b.
Naidoo discloses an air sterilizer which uses UV lamps (UV light sources 38A,38B) to sterilize air which is sucked into an interior of an air sucking pipe (sterilization volume 22) by a fans 44. The operational speed of the fans 44 is regulated by means of a central controller 52. The controller 52 includes a human presence sensor (sensor 70; [0039]) which provides occupancy data signals. The controller 52 uses the signals to increase or reduce the operating speed of the fans in order to achieve a desired germicidal action under optimal energy consumption circumstances. The controller 52 is also disclosed to control fan speeds for varying operational conditions, such as room occupancy, to lower fan noise levels as desired. Thus, it is held that Naidoo discloses that it is known to adjust, as recited in claim 1, or reduce, as recited in claim 5, the rotational speed of the fans when a human is detected and to increase rotational speeds of the fans when no human presence is detected for such considerations a energy consumption and fan noise levels. See Figures 1-2 and 7 and paragraphs [0022]-[0030], [0036], [0039]-[0040] and [0050]-[0051].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the photocatalyst filters of Lee with the sterilizing chambers of the above modified device of Krosney for the purpose of creating hydroxyl radicals from photocatalysis in order to provide another chemical mechanism for sterilizing the airflow. It would have further been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the control unit of the above combined system to reduce the fan rotational speed when humans are present and increase the fan rotational speed when humans are not present as disclosed by Naidoo for the purpose of effectively managing the energy consumption of the fans and/or the produced noise levels of the fans. The combination of familiar elements is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. __,__, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 – 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, A.).
In regard to claims 10-11, it is held that the above combined system of claim 1 carries out the claimed process during normal operation thereof as claim 1 requires the control unit of performing the steps of both claims 10 and 11. Regarding process or method claims, a prior art device anticipates a claimed process, if the device carries out the process during normal operation (see MPEP § 2112.02).
Claims 2-3 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krosney in view of Lee, Naidoo and Pierson et al. (US 2022/0143249; hereinafter “Pierson”).
In regard to claims 2 and 8, Krosney does not explicitly disclose wherein the control unit controls, or a step of controlling, output intensities of the first UVC lamps and the moving velocities of the first UVC lamps according to distance information detected by the distance sensor to thus control ultraviolet irradiation time.
Pierson discloses an autonomous robotic apparatus for disinfecting interior surfaces with UVC radiation. Pierson teaches that the apparatus can control the intensity and movement of UVC lights (lamps 110A,110B) to administer a disinfection dosage which is needed to disinfect the surface as determined by a distance sensor (Lidar). See [0018]-[0023] and Figure 1.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the control of the robot of Pierson with the above combined and modified apparatus for the purpose of controlling the light disinfection unit in a manner to apply a desired dosage to different surfaces to effectively sterilize surfaces in an interior area.
In regard to claims 3 and 9, Krosney does not explicitly disclose wherein the control unit controls, or a step of controlling, the output intensities of the first UVC lamps so that the output intensities of the first UVC lamps are proportional to the square of a distance between the distance sensor and a disinfection object.
Pierson discloses that the dosage of UVC light is proportional to the inverse squared distance to the point, and further teaches how to autonomously control the robot such that desired disinfection dosages are administered to surfaces while the robot is moving through an area through use of a distance sensor. See [0026] and [0032]-[0051].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the control of the robot of Pierson with the above combined and modified apparatus for the purpose of controlling the light disinfection unit in a manner to apply a desired dosage to different surfaces to effectively sterilize surfaces in an interior area according to physical laws of light irradiation.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krosney in view of Lee, Naidoo and Baek (KR 100952927 with reliance upon the English-language machine translation).
In regard to claim 7, Krosney discloses in the embodiment of Figure 2 wherein the sterilizing chamber 116 can include one or more turbulators 320 for creating turbulence 321 in the airflow. See [0043], [0045] and Figure 2.
However, Krosney does not explicitly disclose a vortex generation structure to generate a vortex.
Baek discloses an air disinfection and cleaning system which includes vortex generation structures (brush 32 or spiral body 33) within an air sterilization chamber which uses UV light and photocatalyst to sterilize air. The vortex generation structures are disclose to increase the residence time of the air to obtain a sufficient sterilization effect. See pages 3-4 of the translation and the Figures on pages 9-12 of the original document.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the vortex generation structures of Baek with the above combined and modified device for the purpose of increasing the residence time of the airflow within the sterilization chamber for increasing the sterilization effect administered to the airflow.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12 February 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the Examiner “improperly reads out the positive limitation of ‘maintaining operation’ recited in claim 1.” The Examiner respectfully disagrees. The Examiner did not “improperly read out” the limitation as alleged by Applicant as the limitation was not recited until the reply to the previous Office action. The limitation was simply not in the previous listing of the claims. Nonetheless, the Examiner has included the Naidoo reference to teach the newly added claim limitation. As the new grounds of rejection presented in this Office action were necessitated by Applicant’s amendment to the claims, this action is made FINAL.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY C CLEVELAND whose telephone number is (571)270-5041. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire Wang can be reached at (571) 270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TIMOTHY C CLEVELAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774