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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 23, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicant's argument on page 13 pertaining to “However, these are merely different states, modes, settings, and parameters related to the air conditioning unit, but not different detections stages of a trial operation process. Therefore, Ito does not disclose or suggest that "the plurality of detection stages includ[es]: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection," as recited in amended claim 18.”. The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
As mentioned in this Office Action (OA), the Examiner does not rely on Ito, the Examiner relies on Johnston. Johnston discloses, and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage (Fig. 1, ¶ 11) in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 17), a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 19), a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state (Fig. 1, ¶ 19), and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 22) before the end of detection.
In response to Applicant's argument on page 13 and 14 pertaining to “The Office also asserted that Grohman teaches "in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determining a trial operation result ... of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data ... according to the trial operation result" (Office Action at 3), and that Hisaoka teaches "receiving a periodic query instruction from the cloud server ... ; and uploading the local data of the air conditioning unit according to the periodic query instruction" (id. at 11 ). Without acquiescing to the Office's assertions, Applicants respectfully submit that Grohman and Hisaoka, whether taken alone or in combination, also fail to disclose or suggest the above-quoted elements of claim 18, and thus do not cure the deficiencies of Ito.”. The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
As mentioned above, the Examiner does not rely on Grohman and Hisaoka, the Examiner relies on Johnston.
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) 18 – 29, 31 – 34, 36 – 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ITO et al. (US 2020/0304575 A1) (herein after Ito) in view of Johnston et al. (US 2010/0186430 A1) (herein after Johnston), and further in view of Grohman (US 8,452,906 B2) (herein after Grohman).
Regarding Claim 18, Ito discloses, 18. (Currently Amended) A remote debugging method (Fig. 2, ¶ 33 – 36 air conditioning data communication method; operation data, a breakdown, an abnormal operation) comprising: determining a plurality of detection stages (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 operation state, operation mode, other data as appropriate) in a trial operation process (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 acquires air conditioning data from the air conditioners 300) of an air conditioning unit (Fig. 2, air conditioners 300), each of the plurality of detection stages being provided with a corresponding data acquisition rule (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 data to be transmitted with priority), —; acquiring key point data (Fig. 1, ¶ 36 sensor outputs of each air conditioner 300) of each of the plurality of detection stages according to a data acquisition rule corresponding to the detection stage; —.
Ito fails to disclose, — and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; — and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determining a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result.
In analogous art, Johnston discloses, — and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage (Fig. 1, ¶ 11 software for monitoring the air conditioner, HVAC climate control module or other processing units) in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 system begins by checking to determine, if a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is present, or whether a flag has been set previously by the system), a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 19 permit completion of the test cycle), a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state (Fig. 1, ¶ 19 Whether the vehicle speed is sufficiently stable), and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 22 a low charge event has been detected) before the end of detection; —
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito by combining the method performed by the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito with a method comprising: plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; disclosed by Johnston for the benefit of accurately determining malfunctions in an air conditioning system using conventional sensors [Johnston: ¶ 9].
Ito and Johnston fail to disclose, — and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determining a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result.
In analogous art, Grohman discloses, — and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determining a trial operation result (Fig. 1. Col. 5. Ln. 17 alarm messages or one or more diagnostic messages) of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data (Fig. 2. Col. 6. Ln. 9 gateway (UI/G) 250 provides a means by which a remote operator or remote equipment may) according to the trial operation result.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito in view of Johnston by combining the method performed by the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito in view of Johnston with a method comprising: in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determining a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result; disclosed by Grohman for the benefit of simplifying maintenance an air conditioning unit by making it unnecessary to modify a device status when the device is replaced [Grohman: Col. 37, Ln. 48: This method advantageously simplifies maintenance of the system 100 by rendering it unnecessary to modify the device status in many cases when a system device is replaced].
Regarding Claim 19, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 18, which this claim depends on.
Ito and Johnston fail to disclose, 19. (Currently Amended) The method according to claim 18, wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages; and determining the plurality of detection stages in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit includes: acquiring a plurality of operation flag bits in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, each of the plurality of operation flag bits indicating that the air conditioning unit enters one of the plurality of detection stages corresponding to the each of the plurality of operation flag bits; and determining the plurality of detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits.
Grohman further discloses, 19. (Currently Amended) The method according to claim 18, wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit (Fig. 2. Col. 20. Ln. 14 Diagnostic messages, Device Designator bits) is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages; and determining the plurality of detection stages in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit includes: acquiring a plurality of operation flag bits (Fig. 2. Col. 20. Ln. 14 Diagnostic messages, Device Designator bits) in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, each of the plurality of operation flag bits (Fig. 4. Col. 7. Ln. 42 bits in the messages may vary depending on the context of the message) indicating that the air conditioning unit enters one of the plurality of detection stages corresponding to the each of the plurality of operation flag bits; and determining the plurality of detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits (Fig. 4. Col. 7. Ln. 42 bits in the messages may vary depending on the context of the message).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman by combining the method performed by the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman with a method, wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages; and determining the plurality of detection stages in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit includes: acquiring a plurality of operation flag bits in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, each of the plurality of operation flag bits indicating that the air conditioning unit enters one of the plurality of detection stages corresponding to the each of the plurality of operation flag bits; and determining the plurality of detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits; disclosed by Grohman for the benefit of simplifying maintenance an air conditioning unit by making it unnecessary to modify a device status when the device is replaced [Grohman: Col. 37, Ln. 48: This method advantageously simplifies maintenance of the system 100 by rendering it unnecessary to modify the device status in many cases when a system device is replaced].
Regarding Claim 20, Ito in view in view of Johnston of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 18, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 20. The method according to claim 18, wherein uploading the data according to the trial operation result includes: in accordance with a determination that the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit ends normally (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 data reliably falling within the normal range) according to the trial operation result, uploading (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 data within the abnormal range is transmitted), in response to acquisition of the key point data satisfying the corresponding data acquisition rule (Fig. 2, ¶ a priority data determination unit 113 determines data associated with malfunctions more flexibly), a trial operation completion flag (Fig. 2, ¶ 67 each of the operation state, the operation mode, has 1 byte), a trial operation diagnosis result (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 operation data), and the key point data (Fig. 1, ¶ 36 sensor outputs of each air conditioner 300).
Regarding Claim 21, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 20, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 21. The method according to claim 20, wherein uploading the data according to the trial operation result further includes: uploading the trial operation completion flag (Fig. 2, ¶ 67 each of the operation state, the operation mode, has 1 byte), the trial operation diagnosis result (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 operation data), and an incomplete key point data acquisition identifier (Fig. 2, ¶ 103 high-priority data) in response to the acquisition of the key point data not satisfying the corresponding data acquisition rule (Fig. 2, ¶ 103 high-priority data when any of these items from the air conditioning data deviates from the normal range).
Regarding Claim 22, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 18, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 22. The method according to claim 18, wherein uploading the data according to the trial operation result includes: in accordance with a determination that the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit ends abnormally (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 abnormal data) according to the trial operation result, uploading (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 data within the abnormal range is transmitted), in response to a determination that the air conditioning unit has a failure (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 malfunctions of the air conditioner 300), a failure code (Fig. 2, ¶ 67 each of the operation state, the operation mode, has 1 byte), a trial operation unfinished identification (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 operation data), and key point data of one cycle (Fig. 1, ¶ 36 sensor outputs of each air conditioner 300) before the failure occurs.
Regarding Claim 23, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 22, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 23. The method according to claim 22, wherein uploading the data according to the trial operation result further includes: uploading the trial operation unfinished identification (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 operation data) in response to a determination that the air conditioning unit has no failure (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 data reliably falling within the normal range).
Regarding Claim 24, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 18, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 24. (Previously Presented) The method according to claim 18, wherein the data acquisition rule corresponding to one detection stage of the plurality of detection stages is associated with an operation state (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 operation state) of the air conditioning unit in the one detection stage.
Regarding Claim 25, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 18, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the air conditioning unit includes a plurality of outdoor units (Fig. 1, air conditioners 300) and a networking module (Fig. 1, long-distance communication unit 132) corresponding to each of the plurality of outdoor units; the method further comprising: determining a type of each of the plurality of outdoor units (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300), wherein the type being a primary outdoor unit (Fig. 2, first air conditioner 300) or a secondary outdoor unit (Fig. 2, second air conditioner 300); and determining a data uploading mechanism (Fig. 2, ¶ 43 schedule for transmitting the air conditioning data, adjusts the transmission schedule as appropriate) according to the types of the outdoor units, so as to: upload global data (Fig. 2, ¶ 44 transmits the air conditioning data) of the air conditioning unit via a networking module (Fig. 2, long-distance communication unit 132) corresponding to the primary outdoor unit, and/or upload local data (Fig. 2, ¶ 55 a packet for requesting each air conditioner 300 to transmit the air conditioning data) of the air conditioning unit via a networking module (Fig. 2, short-distance communication unit 131) corresponding to the secondary outdoor unit.
Regarding Claim 26, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 25, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 26. The method according to claim 25, wherein determining the type of the outdoor unit includes: acquiring parameter information (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300; ¶ 40 other data as appropriate) of the outdoor unit; and determining the type of the outdoor unit (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300) according to the parameter information of the outdoor unit.
Regarding Claim 27, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 26, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 27. The method according to claim 26, wherein: the parameter information of the outdoor unit includes an address code (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300; ¶ 40 other data as appropriate) of the outdoor unit; and determining the type of the outdoor unit according to the parameter information of the outdoor unit includes: determining the type of the outdoor unit (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300) according to the address code of the outdoor unit.
Regarding Claim 28, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 25, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 28. The method according to claim 25, wherein: the global data of the air conditioning unit includes an operation parameter (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 power consumption, and the communication state, other data as appropriate) and an identity of each indoor unit of the air conditioning unit (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300), an operation parameter (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 power consumption, and the communication state, other data as appropriate) and an identity (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300) of each of the plurality of outdoor units, and an identity of each networking module (Fig. 1, long-distance communication unit 132; “long-distance communication unit 132 inherently have ip addresses and MAC addresses as known in the art”); and the local data of the air conditioning unit includes an identity (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300) of the secondary outdoor unit and an identity (Fig. 2, ¶ 47 the identifiers (IDs) of the air conditioners 300; ¶ 40 other data as appropriate) of a networking module (Fig. 1, long-distance communication unit 132; “long-distance communication unit 132 inherently have ip addresses and MAC addresses as known in the art”) corresponding to the secondary outdoor unit.
Regarding Claim 29, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 25, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 29. The method according to claim 25, wherein a cycle for uploading the global data (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 only the data to be transmitted with priority) is less than or equal to a cycle for uploading the local data (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 only the data to be transmitted with priority determined is transmitted to the server 200).
Regarding Claim 31, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 25, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 31. The method according to claim 25, further comprising, prior to determining the type of the outdoor unit: establishing a communication connection between each of the plurality of outdoor units (Fig. 2, ¶ 52 short-distance communication unit 131 for communicating with a first air conditioner 300, and the short-distance communication unit 131 for communicating with a second air conditioner 300) and the corresponding networking module (Fig. 2, ¶ 98 transmits the air conditioning data through the long-distance communication unit 132).
Regarding Claim 32, Ito discloses, 32. (Currently Amended) An air conditioning unit (Fig. 2, air conditioners 300) comprising: a memory storing a program (Fig. 2, ¶ 46 storage unit 120 stores programs executable by the control unit 110); and a processor (Fig. 2, storage unit 120) configured to execute the program to: determine a plurality of detection stages (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 operation state, operation mode, other data as appropriate) in a trial operation process (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 acquires air conditioning data from the air conditioners 300) of the air conditioning unit, each of the plurality of detection stages being provided with a corresponding data acquisition rule (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 data to be transmitted with priority), and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; acquire key point data of each of the plurality of detection stages according to a data acquisition rule corresponding to the detection stage (Fig. 1, ¶ 36 sensor outputs of each air conditioner 300); and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determine a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result.
Ito fails to disclose, — and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; —
In analogous art, Johnston discloses, — and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage (Fig. 1, ¶ 11 software for monitoring the air conditioner, HVAC climate control module or other processing units) in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 system begins by checking to determine, if a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is present, or whether a flag has been set previously by the system), a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 19 permit completion of the test cycle), a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state (Fig. 1, ¶ 19 Whether the vehicle speed is sufficiently stable), and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 22 a low charge event has been detected) before the end of detection; —
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito by combining the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito with an air conditioning unit, with plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; disclosed by Johnston for the benefit of accurately determining malfunctions in an air conditioning system using conventional sensors [Johnston: ¶ 9].
Ito in view of Johnston fails to disclose, — and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determine a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result.
In analogous art, Grohman discloses, — and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit (Fig. 1, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system 100), determine a trial operation result (Fig. 1. Col. 5. Ln. 17 alarm messages or one or more diagnostic messages) of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data (Fig. 2. Col. 6. Ln. 9 gateway (UI/G) 250 provides a means by which a remote operator or remote equipment may) according to the trial operation result.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito in view of Johnston by combining the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito in view of Johnston with an air conditioning unit, wherein, in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determine a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result; disclosed by Grohman for the benefit of simplifying maintenance an air conditioning unit by making it unnecessary to modify a device status when the device is replaced [Grohman: Col. 37, Ln. 48: This method advantageously simplifies maintenance of the system 100 by rendering it unnecessary to modify the device status in many cases when a system device is replaced].
Regarding Claim 33, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 32, which this claim depends on.
Ito and Johnston fail to disclose, 33. (Currently Amended) The air conditioning unit according to claim 32, wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages; and the processor is further configured to execute the program to: acquire a plurality of operation flag bits in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, each of the plurality of operation flag bits indicating that the air conditioning unit enters one of the plurality of detection stages corresponding to the each of the plurality of operation flag bits; and determine the one or more detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits.
Grohman further discloses, 33. (Currently Amended) The air conditioning unit according to claim 32, wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit (Fig. 2. Col. 20. Ln. 14 Diagnostic messages, Device Designator bits) is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages; and the processor is further configured to execute the program to: acquire a plurality of operation flag bits (Fig. 2. Col. 20. Ln. 14 Diagnostic messages, Device Designator bits) in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, each of the plurality of operation flag bits (Fig. 4. Col. 7. Ln. 42 bits in the messages may vary depending on the context of the message) indicating that the air conditioning unit enters one of the plurality of detection stages corresponding to the each of the plurality of operation flag bits; and determine the one or more detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits (Fig. 4. Col. 7. Ln. 42 bits in the messages may vary depending on the context of the message).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito in view of Grohman by combining the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito in view of Grohman with an air conditioning unit, wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages; and the processor is further configured to execute the program to: acquire a plurality of operation flag bits in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, each of the plurality of operation flag bits indicating that the air conditioning unit enters one of the plurality of detection stages corresponding to the each of the plurality of operation flag bits; and determine the one or more detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits; disclosed by Grohman for the benefit of simplifying maintenance an air conditioning unit by making it unnecessary to modify a device status when the device is replaced [Grohman: Col. 37, Ln. 48: This method advantageously simplifies maintenance of the system 100 by rendering it unnecessary to modify the device status in many cases when a system device is replaced].
Regarding Claim 34, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 32, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 34. The air conditioning unit according to claim 32, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program to: in accordance with a determination that the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit ends normally (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 data reliably falling within the normal range) according to the trial operation result, upload (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 data within the abnormal range is transmitted), in response to acquisition of the key point data satisfying the corresponding data acquisition rule (Fig. 2, ¶ a priority data determination unit 113 determines data associated with malfunctions more flexibly), a trial operation completion flag (Fig. 2, ¶ 67 each of the operation state, the operation mode, has 1 byte), a trial operation diagnosis result (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 operation data), and the key point data (Fig. 1, ¶ 36 sensor outputs of each air conditioner 300).
Regarding Claim 36, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 32, which this claim depends on.
Ito further discloses, 36. The air conditioning unit according to claim 32, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program to: in accordance with a determination that the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit ends abnormally (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 abnormal data) according to the trial operation result, upload (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 data within the abnormal range is transmitted), in response to a determination that the air conditioning unit has a failure (Fig. 2, ¶ 102 malfunctions of the air conditioner 300), a failure code (Fig. 2, ¶ 67 each of the operation state, the operation mode, has 1 byte), a trial operation unfinished identification (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 operation data), and key point data of one cycle (Fig. 1, ¶ 36 sensor outputs of each air conditioner 300) before the failure occurs.
Regarding Claim 37, Ito discloses, 37. (Currently Amended) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (Fig. 2, ¶ 155 computer-readable recording medium) storing a program for that (Fig. 2, ¶ 46 storage unit 120 stores programs executable by the control unit 110), when executed by a processor (Fig. 2, storage unit 120), causes the processor to: determine a plurality of detection stages (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 operation state, operation mode, other data as appropriate) in a trial operation process (Fig. 2, ¶ 40 acquires air conditioning data from the air conditioners 300) of the air conditioning unit, each of the plurality of detection stages being provided with a corresponding data acquisition rule (Fig. 2, ¶ 42 data to be transmitted with priority), and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; acquire key point data (Fig. 1, ¶ 36 sensor outputs of each air conditioner 300) of each of the plurality of detection stages according to a data acquisition rule corresponding to the detection stage; and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determine a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result.
Ito fails to disclose, — and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; — and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determine a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result.
In analogous art, Johnston discloses, — and the plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage (Fig. 1, ¶ 11 software for monitoring the air conditioner, HVAC climate control module or other processing units) in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 system begins by checking to determine, if a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is present, or whether a flag has been set previously by the system), a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 19 permit completion of the test cycle), a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state (Fig. 1, ¶ 19 Whether the vehicle speed is sufficiently stable), and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction (Fig. 1, ¶ 22 a low charge event has been detected) operation before the end of detection; —
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito by combining the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito with an air conditioning unit with a plurality of detection stages including: a preparation detection stage in which the air conditioning unit receives a remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a first detection stage in which the air conditioning unit is in a self-test state before operation, a second detection stage in which start of the air conditioning unit is completed and the air conditioning unit enters a stable operation state, and a third detection stage in which the air conditioning unit performs a refrigerant recovery or a frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; disclosed by Johnston for the benefit of accurately determining malfunctions in an air conditioning system using conventional sensors [Johnston: ¶ 9].
Ito and Johnston fail to disclose, — and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determine a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result.
In analogous art, Grohman discloses, — and in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit (Fig. 1, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system 100), determine a trial operation result (Fig. 1. Col. 5. Ln. 17 alarm messages or one or more diagnostic messages) of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data (Fig. 2. Col. 6. Ln. 9 gateway (UI/G) 250 provides a means by which a remote operator or remote equipment may) according to the trial operation result.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito in view of Johnston by combining the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito in view of Johnston with an air conditioning unit, wherein, in response to ending of the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit, determine a trial operation result of the air conditioning unit, and uploading data according to the trial operation result; disclosed by Grohman for the benefit of simplifying maintenance an air conditioning unit by making it unnecessary to modify a device status when the device is replaced [Grohman: Col. 37, Ln. 48: This method advantageously simplifies maintenance of the system 100 by rendering it unnecessary to modify the device status in many cases when a system device is replaced].
Regarding Claim 38, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 18, which this claim depends on.
Ito and Grohman fail to disclose, 38. (New) The method according to claim 18, wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages, and the corresponding operation flag bit for each of the plurality of detection stages includes one of: a first operation flag bit indicating that the preparation detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit receives the remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a second operation flag bit indicating that the first detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit is in the self-test state before operation, a third operation flag bit indicating that the second detection stage is entered, start of the air conditioning unit is completed, and the air conditioning unit enters the stable operation state, and a fourth operation flag bit indicating that the third detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit performs the refrigerant recovery or the frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; and determining the plurality of detection stages in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit includes: acquiring a plurality of operation flag bits in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit; and determining the plurality of detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits.
Johnston further discloses, 38. (New) The method according to claim 18, wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 system begins by checking to determine, if a flag has been set previously by the system) is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages, and the corresponding operation flag bit for each of the plurality of detection stages includes one of: a first operation flag bit (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 checking to determine, if a flag has been set previously by the system) indicating that the preparation detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit receives the remote debugging instruction to start trial operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 11 software for monitoring the air conditioner, HVAC climate control module or other processing units), a second operation flag bit (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 checking to determine, if a flag has been set previously by the system) indicating that the first detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit is in the self-test state before operation (Fig. 1, ¶ 19 permit completion of the test cycle), a third operation flag bit (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 checking to determine, if a flag has been set previously by the system) indicating that the second detection stage is entered, start of the air conditioning unit is completed, and the air conditioning unit enters the stable operation state (Fig. 1, ¶ 19 Whether the vehicle speed is sufficiently stable), and a fourth operation flag bit (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 checking to determine, if a flag has been set previously by the system) indicating that the third detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit performs the refrigerant recovery or the frequency reduction operation(Fig. 1, ¶ 22 a low charge event has been detected) before the end of detection; and determining the plurality of detection stages in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit includes: acquiring a plurality of operation flag bits (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 checking to determine, if a flag has been set previously by the system) in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit; and determining the plurality of detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits (Fig. 1, ¶ 17 determine, if a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is present, or whether a flag has been set previously by the system).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman by combining the method performed by the air conditioning unit disclosed by Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman with a method wherein: a corresponding operation flag bit is provided in each of the plurality of detection stages, and the corresponding operation flag bit for each of the plurality of detection stages includes one of: a first operation flag bit indicating that the preparation detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit receives the remote debugging instruction to start trial operation, a second operation flag bit indicating that the first detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit is in the self-test state before operation, a third operation flag bit indicating that the second detection stage is entered, start of the air conditioning unit is completed, and the air conditioning unit enters the stable operation state, and a fourth operation flag bit indicating that the third detection stage is entered, and the air conditioning unit performs the refrigerant recovery or the frequency reduction operation before the end of detection; and determining the plurality of detection stages in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit includes: acquiring a plurality of operation flag bits in the trial operation process of the air conditioning unit; and determining the plurality of detection stages according to the plurality of operation flag bits; disclosed by Johnston for the benefit of accurately determining malfunctions in an air conditioning system using conventional sensors [Johnston: ¶ 9].
Claim(s) 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ITO et al. (US 2020/0304575 A1) (herein after Ito) in view of Johnston et al. (US 2010/0186430 A1) (herein after Johnston) in view of Grohman (US 8,452,906 B2) (herein after Grohman), and further in view of Hisaoka (US 2010/0319362 A1) (herein after Hisaoka).
Regarding Claim 30, Ito in view of Johnston in view of Grohman disclose the limitations of claim 25, which this claim depends on.
Ito, Johnston and Grohman fail to disclose, 30. The method according to claim 25, wherein uploading the local data of the air conditioning unit via the networking module corresponding to the secondary outdoor unit includes: receiving a periodic query instruction from the cloud server; and uploading the local data of the air conditioning unit according to the periodic query instruction.
In analogous art, Hisaoka discloses, 30. (New) The method according to claim 25, wherein uploading the local data of the air conditioning unit via the networking module corresponding to the secondary outdoor unit includes: receiving a periodic query instruction from the cloud server (Fig. 1, ¶ 95 server 70 sends the device information table to the air conditioners.); and uploading the local data of the air conditioning unit according to the periodic query instruction (Fig. 1, ¶ 95 the air conditioners transmit a signal requesting the device information table to the server 70).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito in view of Grohman by combining the method performed by the data communication device disclosed by Ito in view of Grohman with a method, wherein uploading the local data of the air conditioning unit via the networking module corresponding to the secondary outdoor unit includes: receiving a periodic query instruction from the cloud server; and uploading the local data of the air conditioning unit according to the periodic query instruction; disclosed by Hisaoka for the benefit of shortening the amount of time required to detect the refrigerant in a system [Hisaoka: ¶ 25 In the refrigerant system detection method of the first aspect of the invention, it becomes possible to shorten the amount of time required for refrigerant system detection].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Crawford et al. (US 2010/0241275 A1) teaches, receiving a periodic query instruction from the cloud server (Fig. 3, server 312); and uploading the local data of the air conditioning unit according to the periodic query instruction (Fig. 3, ¶ 30 server 312 configured to manage and/or to provide control signals (e.g., setpoints) to the plurality of devices 16a, 16b).
Ha et al. (US 2006/0123811 A1) teaches, an identity of each indoor unit (Fig. 1, ¶ 40 Each of the indoor units 10, 20, 50 and 60, and 30, 40, 70 and 80 has its own unique identification (ID)) of the air conditioning unit.
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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/JOSEPH O. NYAMOGO/
Examiner
Art Unit 2858
/FARHANA A HOQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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