DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to claims filed on 01/24/2024. Claims 13-20 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II claims 13-20 in the reply filed on 02/19/2026 is acknowledged.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/24/2024 was filed after the filing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement 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 13-15 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. US 20210238920 A1 (Hereinafter “Zhang”), in view of Rivera et al. US 20170112316 A1 (Hereinafter “Rivera”).
Regarding Claim 13, Zhang teaches a drive system (Fig. 1) for use with a window covering system (Fig. 1, 100) including a mechanism (Fig. 1, 14) associated with raising and lowering a window covering (Fig. 1, 12) and a continuous cord loop (Fig. 1, 44) extending below the mechanism for raising and lowering the window covering, the drive system comprising:
a motor (Fig. 3, 20) configured to rotate an output shaft (Fig. 3, 202) of the motor;
a drive assembly (Fig. 3, 142) coupled to the output shaft of the motor and configured for engaging and advancing the continuous cord loop, wherein advancing the continuous cord loop in a first direction raises the window covering and advancing the continuous cord loop in a second direction lowers the window covering;
a controller (Fig. 3, 24) configured to transmit a speed command signal to control the speed of rotation of the output shaft of the motor for advancing the continuous cord loop; and
a sensor (Fig. 3, 32) for generating an actual speed of rotation signal representing a sensed speed of rotation of the output shaft of the motor,
Zhang does not expressly disclose wherein the controller comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control layer that calculates an error representing a difference between the actual speed of rotation and a speed set-point signal representing a desired speed of rotation of the output shaft of the motor, and that applies PID control terms to the error to adjust the speed command signal to the motor.
However, Rivera teaches a controller comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control layer that calculates an error representing a difference between the actual speed of rotation and a speed set-point signal representing a desired speed of rotation of the output shaft of the motor, and that applies PID control terms to the error to adjust the speed command signal to the motor (Rivera [0176]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement a controller comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control layer that calculates an error representing a difference between the actual speed of rotation and a speed set-point signal representing a desired speed of rotation of the output shaft of the motor, and that applies PID control terms to the error to adjust the speed command signal to the motor as taught by Rivera in the controller of Zhang, for the purpose to maintain the window treatment speed.
Regarding Claim 14, Zhang in view of Rivera teaches the drive system of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises a microcontroller (Rivera Fig. 2, 202) including the PID control layer and a motor controller, wherein microcontroller receives the speed set-point signal and the actual speed of rotation signal representing the sensed speed of rotation and outputs the adjusted speed command signal to the motor controller (Rivera [0176]).
Regarding Claim 15, Zhang in view of Rivera teaches the drive system of claim 14, wherein the PID control layer continuously calculates the error from the speed set-point signal and the actual speed of rotation signal received by the microcontroller (Rivera [0176]).
Regarding Claim 17, Zhang in view of Rivera teaches the drive system of claim 13, wherein the motor comprises a DC motor (Zhang Fig. 3, 20), and the sensor for generating the actual speed of rotation signal comprises an encoder that generates output pulses based upon rotation of the output shaft of the DC motor (Zhang [0038]).
Regarding Claim 18, Zhang in view of Rivera teaches the drive system of claim 17, wherein the sensor for generating the actual speed of rotation signal analyzes size of the output pulses generated by the encoder to calculate the sensed speed of rotation of the output shaft of the DC motor (Rivera [0176]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16 and 19-20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Rastergar US 20140008028 A1 teaches a cord 4 has wrapped around pulley 14, and travels on each side of head 15. Blades 8 limit upward movement of the operation compartment 7 by fitting into the holes 5. Rail system 2 is attached to the wall through screws 9.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CORTEZ M COOK whose telephone number is (571)270-7954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30-5pm.
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/CORTEZ M COOK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846
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