DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 12 and 19 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
In the Final Rejection dated 05/01/2026, the Examiner relied upon Veerasamy (US 2013/0024169) in view of Lu (CN 110554070) and further in view of Wilson (US 4,356,479) to reject the independent Claims.
In the Instant Rejection, the Examiner is relying upon Veerasamy in view of Lu and further in view of Barnes (US 5,318,164) to reject the Claims, and specifically Barnes is being relied upon to teach the newly amended limitation.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/06/2026 is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 12, 14, 16-17, 19 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Veerasamy (US 2013/0024169 A1, Pub Jan 24, 2013) in view of Lu et al. (CN 110554070 A, Pub. Date Dec 10, 2019, herein Lu) and further in view of Barnes et al. (US 5,318,164, Pub Jun 7, 1994, herein Barnes).
Regarding Claim 12, Veerasamy teaches:
A system configured to detect condensing humidity (Dry capacitor array 3202 determines the presence of humidity [0212].; see Fig 32) and/or impurities, comprising:
an electronic device, which comprises a circuit (Figure 32 shows the circuit with connections between components and dry capacitor array 3202 [0211-0212].) having at least one circuit board (Figures 32-35 show example layers comprising a PCB [0211].) which has a plurality of electrical or electronic components installed on its surface (Connections 3204 and 3206 are there for a microprocessor and sigma-delta converter/filter - "electronic components" - to be installed [0212]. Those "electronic components" are installed on the "surface" of the first outer layer of the PCB of Figure 32 [0211-0212].) and a free surface portion not occupied by said electronic components (There are no electronic components such as the microprocessor that occupy the portion of the surface where dry capacitor array 3202 is located. That portion where dry capacitor array 3202 is located is the "free surface portion" [0211-0212].);
a humidity sensor configured to measure an instantaneous condensing humidity value on the circuit of the electronic device (Dry capacitor array 3202 - "humidity sensor" - can detect and measure humidity thus providing a humidity level - "humidity value" - to the microprocessor [0212-0218]. The dry capacitor array 3202 is on the PCB shown in Figure 32 and is part of the circuit.); and
an electronic control unit operatively associated with a memory unit (In Figure 42, processor 4230 is the "electronic control unit". Also, in Figure 42, humidity sensing code 4240 are stored as instructions on a computer-readable storage medium - "memory unit" [0253].) on which at least one first humidity threshold value is stored (In Figure 31 when the capacitor C4, which is the dry array capacitor 3202 meant to detect condensation and/or moisture and/or humidity on the interior surface of a window, detects a certain level of moisture - "first humidity threshold", then a defroster can be turned on automatically [0196].), wherein
said humidity sensor comprises two or more conductive tracks configured to form an equivalent capacitive circuit distributed over said free surface portion of said circuit board (As seen in the dry capacitor array in Figure 32 and magnified in Figure 2A, each capacitor is made of at least two conductive tracks [0131]. The dry capacitor array in Figure 2 is in the "free surface portion" as explained above.).
Veerasamy does not teach:
said electronic control unit is configured to issue a pre-alarm or an alarm when said instantaneous condensing humidity value exceeds said first threshold value,
However, Lu teaches:
said electronic control unit is configured to issue a pre-alarm (When output voltage Uo is between threshold U1 and threshold U2, then an alarm in a warning state - "pre-alarm" - is issued [0022].; see Fig 1-3) or an alarm when said instantaneous condensing humidity value exceeds said first threshold value (When output voltage Uo is less than threshold U3 - "first threshold value", then the alarm is in the alarm state - "alarm" [0023].; see Fig 1-3),
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Veerasamy in view of Lu by having said electronic control unit is configured to issue a pre-alarm or an alarm when said instantaneous condensing humidity value exceeds said first threshold value because it allows one to know when condensation is present and when condensation reaches a size wherein the condensation is going to drip as taught by Lu [0028].
Veerasamy and Lu do not teach:
when the electronic control unit issues an alarm signal, the alarm signal is maintained until condensate on the circuit is removed or evaporated and a reset is made.
However, Barnes teaches:
when the electronic control unit issues an alarm signal, the alarm signal is maintained until condensate on the circuit is removed or evaporated and a reset is made (When an integral moisture sensor detects moisture, an alarm is sounded. The alarm is maintained until the tray is cleaned, i.e., moisture is removed from the moisture sensor - "condensate on the circuit is removed or evaporated", and the SET switch is depressed - "a reset is made" [2:5-60]. see also [9:36-48] & [10:3-28]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Veerasamy and Lu in view of Barnes by having when the electronic control unit issues an alarm signal, the alarm signal is maintained until condensate on the circuit is removed or evaporated and a reset is made because it is applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield the predictable result of preventing loop resetting, wherein the alarm repeatedly trips and resets itself.
Regarding Claim 14, Veerasamy teaches:
said two or more conductive tracks have time-varying capacitance and potential difference values that are measurable by said electronic control unit (Whenever the clocking signal ClkWr is applied to capacitor C4 in the Capacitor array, then voltage Vo4 - "potential difference" - is indicative of the capacitance of C4, which is indicative of the amount of moisture between the two conductive tracks [0146].; see Fig 6).
Regarding Claim 16, Veerasamy teaches:
suitable filters and amplification circuits for filtering and/or amplifying the instantaneous condensing humidity value as measured by said humidity sensor (Digital filter 66 - "filters and amplification circuits" - filters the digital output 64 and amplifies signals at a certain frequency while attenuating signals at other frequencies [0152-0153].; see Fig 25-26).
Regarding Claim 17, Veerasamy teaches:
said humidity sensor, said electronic control unit, and said memory unit are incorporated in said circuit board (Capacitor array 3502 - "humidity sensor" - and microcontroller 3204 that includes memory - "electronic control unit" and "memory unit" - are all on the circuit board in Figures 32-35 [0096-0099],[0210-0218]; see Fig 32-35).
Regarding Claim 19, Veerasamy teaches:
A method of detecting condensing humidity (Dry capacitor array 3202 determines the presence of humidity [0212].; see Fig 32) and/or impurities in an electronic device (Figure 32 shows an "electronic device" with a circuit with connections between components and dry capacitor array 3202 [0211-0212].) by indicating that predetermined humidity thresholds incompatible with the electronic circuit of the device have been exceeded (In Figure 31 when the capacitor C4, which is the dry array capacitor 3202 meant to detect condensation and/or moisture and/or humidity on the interior surface of a window, detects a certain level of moisture - "first humidity threshold", then a defroster can be turned on automatically [0196].), wherein
the device comprises a circuit (Figure 32 shows the "circuit" with connections between components and dry capacitor array 3202 [0211-0212].) that has at least one circuit board (Figures 32-35 show example layers comprising a PCB [0211].) on which a plurality of electrical or electronic components are installed on its surface (Connections 3204 and 3206 are there for a microprocessor and sigma-delta converter/filter - "electronic components" - to be installed [0212]. Those "electronic components" are installed on the "surface" of the first outer layer of the PCB of Figure 32 [0211-0212].) and a free surface portion not occupied by said electronic components (There are no electronic components such as the microprocessor that occupy the portion of the surface where dry capacitor array 3202 is located. That portion where dry capacitor array 3202 is located is the "free surface portion" [0211-0212].),
the method comprising the steps of: providing at least one humidity sensor operatively associable with an electronic control unit equipped with a memory unit (In Figure 42, processor 4230 is the "electronic control unit". Also, in Figure 42, humidity sensing code 4240 are stored as instructions on a computer-readable storage medium - "memory unit" [0253].);
predetermining and storing at least one first humidity threshold value in said memory unit (In Figure 31 when the capacitor C4, which is the dry array capacitor 3202 meant to detect condensation and/or moisture and/or humidity on the interior surface of a window, detects a certain level of moisture - "first humidity threshold", then a defroster can be turned on automatically [0196].);
actuating the device and the electronic control unit (The circuitry in Figures 32 & 42 and processor 4230 - "electronic control unit" - are actuated so that capacitance measurements can be taken [0252-0255].);
measuring, by said sensor, the instantaneous condensing humidity value on the electronic circuit of the device (Dry capacitor array 3202 - "sensor" - which is on the "circuit" shown in Figure 32 measures the humidity [0211].); and
wherein said humidity sensor comprises two or more conductive tracks which are arranged over said free surface portion of said circuit board and are configured to operate as an equivalent capacitive circuit (As seen in the dry capacitor array in Figure 32 and magnified in Figure 2A, each capacitor is made of at least two conductive tracks [0131]. The dry capacitor array in Figure 2 is in the "free surface portion" as explained above.).
Veerasamy does not teach:
issuing a pre-alarm or alarm signal by said electronic control unit when said instantaneous condensing humidity value exceeds said first humidity threshold value;
However, Lu teaches:
The Examiner is combining Veerasamy in view of Lu by implementing the method step of Lu on the device of Veerasamy.
issuing a pre-alarm or alarm signal by said electronic control unit when said instantaneous condensing humidity value exceeds said first humidity threshold value (When output voltage Uo - "instantaneous condensing humidity value" - is between threshold U1 - "first humidity threshold value" - and threshold U2, then an alarm in a warning state - "pre-alarm signal" - is issued [0022].; see Fig 1-3);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Veerasamy in view of Lu by having issuing a pre-alarm or alarm signal by said electronic control unit when said instantaneous condensing humidity value exceeds said first humidity threshold value because it allows one to know when condensation is present and when condensation reaches a size wherein the condensation is going to drip as taught by Lu [0028].
Veerasamy and Lu do not teach:
when the electronic control unit issues the alarm signal, the alarm signal is maintained until condensate on the circuit is removed or evaporated and a reset is made.
However, Barnes teaches:
when the electronic control unit issues the alarm signal, the alarm signal is maintained until condensate on the circuit is removed or evaporated and a reset is made (When an integral moisture sensor detects moisture, an alarm is sounded. The alarm is maintained until the tray is cleaned, i.e., moisture is removed from the moisture sensor - "condensate on the circuit is removed or evaporated", and the SET switch is depressed - "a reset is made" [2:5-60]. see also [9:36-48] & [10:3-28]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Veerasamy and Lu in view of Barnes by having when the electronic control unit issues the alarm signal, the alarm signal is maintained until condensate on the circuit is removed or evaporated and a reset is made because it is applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield the predictable result of preventing loop resetting, wherein the alarm repeatedly trips and resets itself.
Regarding Claim 23, Veerasamy teaches:
said humidity sensor is arranged on said free surface portion of the circuit board (There are no electronic components such as the microprocessor that occupy the portion of the surface where dry capacitor array 3202 - "humidity sensor" - is located. That portion where dry capacitor array 3202 is located is the "free surface portion" [0211-0212].) so as to detect microenvironment humidity at the first signs of aggregation (The exact magnitude of Vo in Figure 6 depends on the size of the water drop [0161]. Since smaller drops can be detected, "microenvironment humidity" is detectable at the "first signs of aggregation.").
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Veerasamy in view of Lu and further in view of Barnes and further in view of Pal et al. (US 2010/0156663 A1, Pub. Date Jun 24, 2010, herein Pal).
Veerasamy, Lu and Barnes do not teach the limitations.
However, Pal teaches:
said electronic control unit and said memory unit are independent from said circuit board and are installed in a casing of said electronic device (Microcontroller 353 - "electronic control unit", which includes memory - "memory unit" - are mounted on PCB 427 and installed in housing 230 - "casing" - and are "independent" from humidity sensor 215, which is a PCB module - "circuit board" [0021-0023],[0026],[0031].; see Fig 3 & 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Veerasamy, Lu and Barnes in view of Pal by having said electronic control unit and said memory unit are independent from said circuit board and are installed in a casing of said electronic device because the housing protects the microprocessing components against exposure to the external environment while the humidity sensor can measure the humidity as taught by Pal [0025].
Claims 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Veerasamy in view of Lu and further in view of Barnes and further in view of Murray (US 2021/0258661 A1, Pub Aug 19, 2021).
Regarding Claim 24, Veerasamy, Lu and Barnes do not teach the limitations.
However, Murray teaches:
said humidity sensor comprises two or more conductive tracks arranged on most of the free surface portion of the circuit board to maximize sensitivity (Capacitive sensing nodes 401 & 402 - "two or more conductive tracks" - of sensor 100 - "humidity sensor" - are used to sense moisture [0031,0033]. In Figures 1-5, probe 400 and circuit board 300 are a unitary component [0034]. As seen in Figure 4, circuit board 300 has the electronic components and probe 400 is free from the electronic components and therefore probe 400 is the "free surface portion." In Figure 3, capacitive sensing nodes 401 & 402 are arranged on most of the "free surface portion" of the "circuit board" 300/400.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Veerasamy, Lu and Barnes in view of Murray by having said humidity sensor comprises two or more conductive tracks arranged on most of the free surface portion of the circuit board to maximize sensitivity because it is applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield the predictable result of allowing moisture detection over a larger portion of the sensing device.
Claim 25 is rejected on the same grounds as Claim 24.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13, 15, 20-22 and 26-27 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.
Regarding Claim 13, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest, singly or in combination a system, comprising:
“said conductive tracks are supplied with AC voltage at a predetermined frequency, which is variable over time or is fixed, and selectively configurable” in combination with the other limitations of the Claim.
Regarding Claim 15, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest, singly or in combination a system, comprising:
“at least one second reference humidity value is greater than said first humidity threshold value and is stored in said memory unit, and said electronic control unit is configured to issue an alarm if the instantaneous condensing humidity value exceeds said second reference humidity value” in combination with the other limitations of the Claim.
Regarding Claim 20, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest, singly or in combination a system, comprising:
“said step of issuing further comprises a step of issuing a pre-alarm when the instantaneous condensing humidity value as measured in said step of measuring exceeds said first humidity threshold value and a step of issuing an alarm when the instantaneous condensing humidity value as measured in said step of measuring exceeds a second humidity threshold value that is greater than said first humidity threshold value” in combination with the other limitations of the Claim.
Claims 21 and 22 are objected to as depending on Claim 20.
Claim 26 is objected to on the same grounds as Claim 13.
Claim 27 is objected to as depending on Claim 26.
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.
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/R.M/Examiner, Art Unit 2858 08/24/2026
/A.A/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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