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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “high” in claims 1-3, 7-9, 11, 14, 19, 20, 24, 26, 28 and 29 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “high” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The cleaning device is rendered indefinite.
Claims 4-6, 10, 12, 13, 15-18, 21-23, 27, 30 and 31 are also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) due to being dependent from independent claims 1 and 19.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 1-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DePascale (US Pub No 2020/0139938 A1).
Re claim 1, DePascale shows a liquid dispensing device (Fig. 3, 300) for a high pressure cleaning device, comprising a liquid inlet (paragraph 0023), which is connectable to a pump outlet (205) of the high pressure cleaning device by way of a pressure conduit (160) for pressurized cleaning liquid, a liquid outlet (outlet of 300) for dispensing the cleaning liquid in the direction (Fig. 1) of an object (100) to be cleaned, an input apparatus (350; paragraph 0026), a display apparatus (350), and a control unit (350; paragraph 0026) for controlling the high pressure cleaning device (300), wherein the control unit comprises a storage member (Fig. 9) in which control parameters can be stored (paragraph 0026), and wherein at least one control parameter can be output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraph 0026), wherein the liquid dispensing device comprises an object detection unit for contactlessly detecting the object to be cleaned (paragraph 0007), wherein object information corresponding to the object (100) to be cleaned is transmittable from the object detection unit to the control unit and is processable by the control unit for providing at least one control parameter adapted to the object to be cleaned (paragraph 0007).
Re claim 2, DePascale discloses object information of a multitude of objects together (abstract & paragraph 0002) with control parameters corresponding thereto (paragraphs 0005, 0006 & 0007) for controlling the high pressure cleaning device are storable in the storage member of the control unit (paragraph 0059), and the object to be cleaned can be associated by the control unit with an object stored in the storage member and, in dependence on the association, at least one control parameter can be output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraph 0034).
Re claim 3, DePascale discloses the at least one control parameter comprises a conveying parameter of the high pressure cleaning device, in particular a predetermined value or predetermined value range for the pressure of the cleaning liquid (paragraphs 0007 & 0063), the volume flow of the cleaning liquid (paragraph 0026 & 0068), and/or the dosing of a cleaning chemical that can be admixed to the cleaning liquid by the high pressure cleaning device.
Re claim 4, DePascale discloses the object detection unit is configured in the form of a camera for capturing an image of the object to be cleaned, wherein image information corresponding to the object to be cleaned is transmittable to the control unit (paragraph 0034).
Re claim 5, DePascale discloses the image information corresponding to the object to be cleaned is comparable with objects stored in the storage member by the control unit using image recognition algorithms (paragraph 0047).
Re claim 6, DePascale shows the object associated with the object to be cleaned by the control unit is displayable on the display apparatus (Fig. 3, 350), in particular in the form of a pictogram, an image, and/or or a label.
Re claim 7, DePascale discloses the association made by the control unit of the object to be cleaned with the object displayed on the display apparatus (350) is confirmable by the user using the input apparatus (paragraph 0022), wherein the at least one control parameter corresponding to the displayed object is outputtable from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device after confirmation (paragraphs 0037 & 0052).
Re claim 8, DePascale discloses the at least one control parameter corresponding to the displayed object is automatically outputtable from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device if user confirmation does not occur within a predetermined display time (paragraph 0062).
Re claim 9, DePascale discloses the association made by the control unit of the object to be cleaned with the object displayed on the display apparatus is rejectable by the user using the input apparatus and the output of the at least one control parameter corresponding to the displayed object to the high pressure cleaning device is blockable (paragraph 0022).
Re claim 10, DePascale discloses after rejecting the association made by the control unit of the object to be cleaned with the object displayed on the display apparatus, a re-detection by the object detection unit of the object to be cleaned is triggerable automatically by the control unit or by the user using the input apparatus (paragraphs 0063 & 0072).
Re claim 11, DePascale discloses the object to be cleaned can be associated with an object stored in the storage member by the user using the input apparatus after rejecting the association made by the control unit, and wherein the at least one control parameter that corresponds to the object with which the user associated the object to be cleaned can be output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraphs 0047, 0063 & 0072).
Re claim 12, DePascale discloses the association made by the user of the object to be cleaned with an object stored in the storage member is storable in the storage member (paragraph 0059).
Re claim 13, DePascale discloses after rejecting the association made by the control unit of the object to be cleaned with the object displayed on the display apparatus, a suggestion list of objects stored in the storage member is displayable on the display apparatus and the object to be cleaned can be associated with an object selected from the suggestion list by the user (paragraph 0064).
Re claim 14, DePascale discloses after rejecting the association made by the control unit of the object to be cleaned with the object displayed on the display apparatus, a new object not previously stored in the storage member together with one or more control parameters corresponding to the new object is specifiable by the user (paragraph 0063) and storable in the storage member (paragraph 0059), wherein the object to be cleaned can be associated with the new object and at least one control parameter corresponding to the new object can be output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device.
Re claim 15, DePascale discloses the association of the object to be cleaned with the new object is storable in the storage member (paragraph 0059).
Re claim 16, DePascale discloses the control unit is connectable to an external data processing unit, in particular to a server, a computer network, a smartphone, or a tablet computer (paragraphs 0080 & 0081), for updating at least one of i) the storage content of the storage member and ii) a software program (paragraph 0079).
Re claim 17, DePascale show the liquid dispensing device is configured as a spray gun (Fig. 3, 300).
Re claim 18, DePascale show the input apparatus in combination with the displace apparatus forms a touch-sensitive screen (Fig. 3, 350).
Re claim 19, DePascale disclose a method for controlling a high pressure cleaning device (abstract) using a liquid dispensing device (abstract; Fig. 3, 300), wherein the liquid dispensing device comprises a liquid inlet (paragraph 0023), which is connectable to a pump outlet (205) of the high pressure cleaning device by way of a pressure conduit (160) for pressurized cleaning liquid, and wherein the liquid dispensing device comprises a liquid outlet (outlet of 300) for dispensing the cleaning liquid in the direction (Fig. 1) of an object (100) to be cleaned, and wherein the liquid dispensing device comprises an input apparatus (350; paragraph 0026), a display apparatus (350), and a control unit (350; paragraph 0026) for controlling the high pressure cleaning device, wherein the control unit comprises a storage member (Fig. 9) in which control parameters are storable (paragraph 0026), and wherein at least one control parameter can be output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraph 0026), and wherein the liquid dispensing device comprises an object detection unit for contactlessly detecting the object to be cleaned (paragraph 0007), wherein object information corresponding to the object (100) to be cleaned is transmitted from the object detection unit to the control unit and is processed by the control unit for providing at least one control parameter adapted to the object to be cleaned (paragraph 0007), which is output to the high pressure cleaning device (300).
Re claim 20, DePascale discloses object information of a multitude of objects together (abstract & paragraph 0002) with control parameters corresponding thereto (paragraphs 0005, 0006 & 0007) for controlling the high pressure cleaning device are stored in the storage member of the control unit (paragraph 0059), and the object to be cleaned is associated by the control unit with an object stored in the storage member and at least one control parameter corresponding to the associated object is output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraph 0034).
Re claim 21, DePascale discloses the object detection unit is configured in the form of a camera and captures an image of the object to be cleaned and transmits image information corresponding to the object to be cleaned to the control unit (paragraph 0034).
Re claim 22, DePascale discloses the image information provided by the camera is compared by the control unit with the objects stored in the storage member using image recognition algorithms (paragraph 0047).
Re claim 23, DePascale discloses the object associated by the control unit with the object to be cleaned is displayed on the display apparatus (Fig. 3, 350), in particular in the form of at least one of i) a pictogram, ii) a label, and iii) an image (paragraph 0047).
Re claim 24, DePascale discloses the association made by the control unit of the object to be cleaned with the object displayed on the display apparatus (Fig. 3, 350) is either confirmed or rejected by the user (paragraph 0022), wherein in the case of confirmation the at least one control parameter corresponding to the displayed object is output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraphs 0037 & 0052), and wherein in the case of rejection the output of the at least one control parameter corresponding to the displayed object to the high pressure cleaning device is blocked (paragraph 0022).
Re claim 25, DePascale discloses after rejecting the association made by the control unit of the object to be cleaned with the object displayed on the display apparatus, a re-detection by the object detection unit of the object to be cleaned is triggered automatically by the control unit or by the user using the input apparatus (paragraphs 0063 & 0072), and after re-detection a new association of the object to be cleaned with an object stored in the storage member is made by the control unit (paragraphs 0047, 0063 & 0072).
Re claim 26, DePascale discloses the object to be cleaned is associated with an object stored in the storage member by the user after rejecting the association made by the control unit, and wherein the at least one control parameter that corresponds to the object with which the user associated the object to be cleaned is output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraphs 0047, 0063 & 0072).
Re claim 27, DePascale discloses the association made by the user of the object to be cleaned with an object stored in the storage member is stored in the storage member (paragraph 0059).
Re claim 28, DePascale discloses a suggestion list of objects stored in the storage member is displayed to the user on the display apparatus after rejecting the association made by the control unit, and wherein the user selects an object from the suggestion list, wherein the object to be cleaned is then associated with the selected object and control parameters corresponding to the selected object are output to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraphs 0063 & 0064).
Re claim 29, DePascale discloses the user, after rejecting the association made by the control unit, stores a new object, which was not previously stored in the storage member (paragraph 0059), together with one or more control parameters corresponding to the new object in the storage member (paragraph 0063), wherein the object to be cleaned is then associated with the new object and at least one control parameter corresponding to the new object is output from the control unit to the high pressure cleaning device (paragraph 0064).
Re claim 30, DePascale discloses the association of the object to be cleaned with the new object is stored in the storage member (paragraph 0059).
Re claim 31, DePascale discloses the control unit is connected to an external data processing unit for updating at least one of i) the storage content of the storage member and ii) a software program (paragraphs 0079, 0080 & 0081).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Fischer et al. (US Pub No 2017/0232482 A1) shows a high-pressure spray gun with an electronic control and display.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN MICHAEL CERNOCH whose telephone number is (571)270-3540. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri; 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur Hall can be reached at (571)270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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STEVEN MICHAEL CERNOCH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3752
/STEVEN M CERNOCH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752