N O N - F I N A L A C T I O N
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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. Examiner notes that the current title “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IOT DEVICE THERMAL DISSIPATION” is a good starting point but recommends adding analogous language to “VIDEO CAMERA” into the current title. For example, Examiner recommends the following amended new title:
“APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IOT VIDEO CAMERA THERMAL DISSIPATION”
Election / Restriction – Election without Traverse
Applicant’s reply filed on 2/23/26, elected Species I embodiment (heat sink fins), which is without traverse, and amended out Species II embodiment (heat sink pins) limitations from claims 1-22 per claim amendment also filed on 2/23/26.
Closest Prior Art
The prior art (cited on PTO-892) is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Among these, the following references are considered to be the closest, collectively disclosing the state of the art concerned with a digital camera configured with heat generating components (such as one/more light sources, power source, controller, wired/wireless communication unit), and structural components for dissipating heat away from the heat generating components.
HOLLAND (US 20130300290) – applied to 35 USC 103 rejection, see entire reference.
CHIEN (US 20180332204) – applied to 35 USC 103 rejection, see Abstract, Fig. 17 in view of Figures 7B, 11A, 12E, 12F-I, and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485], discloses a software APP that allows a user to remotely/wirelessly input control commands to adjust floodlight camera’s capturing functions and LED lighting functions.
SEO (US 20230199359) – applied to 35 USC 103 rejection, see Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077], which discloses a camera with more than one flash unit may be an electronic device (101, 102, 104) and further configured as an intelligent device such as an internet-of-things (IoT) device.
KUMAGAI (US 20240155217) – applied to 35 USC 103 rejection, see Abstract, Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], discloses a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15.
KIM (US 20180267390) – see Abstract, Fig. 1-2, and para [0030], discloses electronic device comprising a camera module which may also include Internet of Things (IoT) device (e.g., a light bulb, streetlamp).
NOTE: Examiner welcomes INTERVIEW(s) to discuss the instant application’s claimed invention as it corresponds to the specification embodiments, as well as, discussing the similarities/differences taught/not taught by prior art. In the interest of compact prosecution, Applicant’s arguments/amendments should not only address the cited closest art applied/relied on in the 35 USC 102/103 rejection (below), but also address the other cited closest art not applied/relied on.
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 of this title, 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 1-3 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HOLLAND (US 20130300290) in view of CHIEN (US 20180332204) in view of SEO (US 20230199359) -- hereafter, termed as shown “underlined”.
As per INDEPENDENT CLAIM 1, HOLLAND teaches an apparatus, comprising:
a support structure, a video camera coupled to the support structure, the video camera comprising circuitry to capture video images, one or more light sources coupled to the support structure, the one or more light sources to selectively provide illumination during capturing of the video images, wherein a thermal spacing is provided between each light source and the video camera, the thermal spacing to dissipate heat generated by the one or more light sources, and one or more heatsinks, each heatsink coupled to a corresponding light source of the one or more light sources and configured to dissipate heat generated by the corresponding light source (See the apparatus structure in Figures 1-6, computer controller in Fig. 13, mobile phone controller in Fig. 14 and method of capturing images and controlling brightness in Fig. 10-12).
Regarding the limitation: “selectively provide illumination”, this feature appears to be implied by HOLLAND’s teachings in Fig. 10-14, however, to more robustly/further show this feature was known in the art, Examiner evidences related prior art CHIEN - see Fig. 17 in view of Figures 7B, 11A, 12E, 12F-I, and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485], discloses a software APP that allows a user to remotely/wirelessly input control commands to adjust floodlight camera’s capturing functions and LED lighting functions.
Thus, when considering the collective knowledge bestowed by each applied prior art, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to COMBINE the teachings of CHIEN into suitable modification with the teachings of HOLLAND to produce Applicant’s claimed invention with the structural arrangement / functional configuration stated in said underlined limitation for the MOTIVATED REASON of enhancing the user experience and remote control capabilities in the analogous art of a digital camera with light sources.
Regarding underlined limitation (with emphasis in bold): “internet-of-things (loT) video camera”, the prior art combination is silent to using IOT devices such as a IOT video camera. However, the bolded feature of said underlined limitation was known in the related art for a digital camera. For example, prior art SEO, as noted in “Closest Prior Art” section, see Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077], which discloses a camera with more than one flash unit may be an electronic device (101, 102, 104) and further configured as an intelligent device such as an internet-of-things (IoT) device.
Thus, when considering the collective knowledge bestowed by each applied prior art, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to COMBINE the teachings of SEO into suitable modification with the teachings of HOLLAND in view of CHIEN to produce Applicant’s claimed invention with the structural arrangement / functional configuration stated in said underlined limitation for the MOTIVATED REASON of enhancing the user experience and remote control capabilities in the analogous art of a digital camera with light sources.
As per CLAIM 2, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO teaches the apparatus of claim 1 wherein each heatsink comprises a plurality of thermally- conductive elements to increase external surface area (See HOLLAND’s Fig. 1-6).
As per CLAIM 3, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO teaches the apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plurality of thermally-conductive elements comprises a plurality of fins (See HOLLAND’s Fig. 1-6).
As per CLAIM 13, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO teaches the apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: one or more structural interconnects coupled between the loT video camera and each loT light source and/or between the loT video camera and each heatsink to provide added stability for each loT light source and/or heatsink, respectively (See HOLLAND’s Fig. 1-6, wherein using IOT devices in electronic devices is obvious over the teachings of SEO, Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077], which discloses a camera with more than one flash unit may be an electronic device (101, 102, 104) and further configured as an intelligent device such as an internet-of-things (IoT) device).
Claims 4-10, 14-20, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HOLLAND (US 20130300290) in view of CHIEN (US 20180332204) in view of SEO (US 20230199359) in view of KUMAGAI (US 20240155217) -- hereafter, termed as shown “underlined”.
As per CLAIM 4, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO teaches the apparatus of claim 1. Regarding the limitation: “a bridge unit to provide power to the loT video camera and the one or more light sources”, this additional feature would have been obvious over the additional teachings of related prior art KUMAGAI, see Abstract, Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], discloses a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15.
Thus, when considering the collective knowledge bestowed by each applied prior art, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to COMBINE the teachings of KUMAGAI into suitable modification with the teachings of HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO to produce Applicant’s claimed invention with the structural arrangement / functional configuration stated in said underlined limitation for the MOTIVATED REASON of managing power/data in the analogous art of a digital camera configured with light sources.
As per CLAIM 5, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 4 wherein the bridge unit further comprises a controller to selectively power the one or more light sources based on a schedule and/or one or more automatic triggering events (This feature is considered obvious over the teachings of HOLLAND’s Fig. 10-14 in view of CHIEN’s Fig. 17 and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485] in view of KUMAGAI’s Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], disclosing a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15, which may be applied to for IOT devices as taught by SEO’s Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077]).
As per CLAIM 6, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 5 wherein the bridge unit further comprises a network interface to couple the loT video camera and/or the one or more light sources to an loT service, wherein the controller is to selectively power the one or more light sources based additionally on control commands received from the loT service (This feature is considered obvious over the teachings of HOLLAND’s Fig. 10-14 in view of CHIEN’s Fig. 17 and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485] in view of KUMAGAI’s Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], disclosing a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15, which may be applied to for IOT devices as taught by SEO’s Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077]).
As per CLAIM 7, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 6 wherein the bridge unit comprises a serial communication interface to communicatively couple the bridge unit with the loT video camera, the bridge unit to communicate messages between the loT video camera and the loT service over the serial communication interface (This feature is considered obvious over the teachings of HOLLAND’s Fig. 10-14 in view of CHIEN’s Fig. 17 and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485] in view of KUMAGAI’s Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], disclosing a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15, which may be applied to for IOT devices as taught by SEO’s Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077]).
As per CLAIM 8, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 7 wherein the bridge unit is to provide power to the loT video camera over the serial communication interface (This feature is considered obvious over the teachings of HOLLAND’s Fig. 10-14 in view of CHIEN’s Fig. 17 and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485] in view of KUMAGAI’s Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], disclosing a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15, which may be applied to for IOT devices as taught by SEO’s Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077]).
As per CLAIM 9, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 7 wherein the camera is to control the one or more light sources by transmitting commands over the serial communication interface (This feature is considered obvious over the teachings of HOLLAND’s Fig. 10-14 in view of CHIEN’s Fig. 17 and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485] in view of KUMAGAI’s Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], disclosing a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15, which may be applied to for IOT devices as taught by SEO’s Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077]).
As per CLAIM 10, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 4. Regarding the limitation: “wherein the bridge unit is to be associated with a user account on the loT service, and once associated with the user account, the bridge unit to be configurable through an loT app on a mobile device of a corresponding user”, the prior art combination teaches using IOT devices, and thus, this limitation would be either anticipated and/or obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Therefore, Official Notice (MPEP § 2144.03) is taken that both the concepts and advantages of using loT service and loT app is well known and expected in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the bridge unit is to be associated with a user account on the loT service, and once associated with the user account, the bridge unit to be configurable through an loT app on a mobile device of a corresponding user for the MOTIVATED REASON of enhancing the user experience and remote control capabilities in the analogous art of IOT devices.
As per INDEPENDENT CLAIM 14, HOLLAND teaches an apparatus comprising: a support structure, one or more light sources coupled to the support structure, the one or more light sources to selectively provide illumination during capturing of the video images by the video camera, wherein the one or more light sources are positioned to provide thermal spacing between each light source and the video camera when the video camera is coupled to the support structure, the thermal spacing to dissipate heat generated by the one or more light sources, and one or more heatsinks, each heatsink coupled to a corresponding light source of the one or more light sources and configured to dissipate heat generated by the corresponding light source (See the apparatus structure in Figures 1-6, computer controller in Fig. 13, mobile phone controller in Fig. 14 and method of capturing images and controlling brightness in Fig. 10-12).
Regarding the limitation: “selectively provide illumination”, this feature appears to be implied by HOLLAND’s teachings in Fig. 10-14, however, to more robustly/further show this feature was known in the art, Examiner evidences related prior art CHIEN - see Fig. 17 in view of Figures 7B, 11A, 12E, 12F-I, and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485], discloses a software APP that allows a user to remotely/wirelessly input control commands to adjust floodlight camera’s capturing functions and LED lighting functions.
Thus, when considering the collective knowledge bestowed by each applied prior art, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to COMBINE the teachings of CHIEN into suitable modification with the teachings of HOLLAND to produce Applicant’s claimed invention with the structural arrangement / functional configuration stated in said underlined limitation for the MOTIVATED REASON of enhancing the user experience and remote control capabilities in the analogous art of a digital camera with light sources.
Regarding underlined limitation (with emphasis in bold): “internet-of-things (loT) video camera”, the prior art combination is silent to using IOT devices such as a IOT video camera. However, the bolded feature of said underlined limitation was known in the related art for a digital camera. For example, prior art SEO, as noted in “Closest Prior Art” section, see Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077], which discloses a camera with more than one flash unit may be an electronic device (101, 102, 104) and further configured as an intelligent device such as an internet-of-things (IoT) device.
Thus, when considering the collective knowledge bestowed by each applied prior art, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to COMBINE the teachings of SEO into suitable modification with the teachings of HOLLAND in view of CHIEN to produce Applicant’s claimed invention with the structural arrangement / functional configuration stated in said underlined limitation for the MOTIVATED REASON of enhancing the user experience and remote control capabilities in the analogous art of a digital camera with light sources.
Regarding the limitation: “a bridge unit coupled to or enclosed by the support structure, the bridge unit comprising an interconnect to provide power to an loT video camera and further comprising a network interface to communicatively couple the loT video camera to an loT service, the one or more light sources powered from the bridge unit”, this additional feature would have been obvious over the additional teachings of related prior art KUMAGAI, see Abstract, Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], discloses a network interface and power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15.
Thus, when considering the collective knowledge bestowed by each applied prior art, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to COMBINE the teachings of KUMAGAI into suitable modification with the teachings of HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO to produce Applicant’s claimed invention with the structural arrangement / functional configuration stated in said underlined limitation for the MOTIVATED REASON of managing power/data in the analogous art of a digital camera configured with light sources.
As per CLAIM 15, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 14 wherein each heatsink comprises a plurality of thermally- conductive elements to increase external surface area (See HOLLAND’s Fig. 1-6).
As per CLAIM 16, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 15 wherein the plurality of thermally-conductive elements comprises a plurality of fins (See HOLLAND’s Fig. 1-6).
As per CLAIM 17, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 14 further comprising: a bridge unit to provide power to the loT video camera and the one or more light sources (This feature is considered obvious over the teachings of HOLLAND’s Fig. 10-14 in view of CHIEN’s Fig. 17 and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485] in view of KUMAGAI’s Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], disclosing a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15, which may be applied to for IOT devices as taught by SEO’s Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077]).
As per CLAIM 18, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 17 wherein the network interface is to further to couple the one or more light sources to the loT service (This feature is considered obvious over the teachings of HOLLAND’s Fig. 10-14 in view of CHIEN’s Fig. 17 and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485] in view of KUMAGAI’s Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], disclosing a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15, which may be applied to for IOT devices as taught by SEO’s Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077]).
As per CLAIM 19, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 18 wherein the interconnect comprises a serial communication interface to provide power and serial data communication to the loT video camera (This feature is considered obvious over the teachings of HOLLAND’s Fig. 10-14 in view of CHIEN’s Fig. 17 and para [0092, 0249, 0406, 0467-468, 0485] in view of KUMAGAI’s Fig. 5-7, Fig. 10-12, Fig. 15 and para [0051, 0053, 0057, 0066-67, 0076-77, 0081-82, 0084-87], disclosing a power bridge having a controller 27 for controlling power supplied to camera 11 and light sources 15, which may be applied to for IOT devices as taught by SEO’s Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077]).
As per CLAIM 20, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 14. Regarding the limitation: “wherein the bridge unit is to be associated with a user account on the loT service, and once associated with the user account, the bridge unit to be configurable through an loT app on a mobile device of a corresponding user”, the prior art combination teaches using IOT devices, and thus, this limitation would be either anticipated and/or obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Therefore, Official Notice (MPEP § 2144.03) is taken that both the concepts and advantages of using loT service and loT app is well known and expected in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the bridge unit is to be associated with a user account on the loT service, and once associated with the user account, the bridge unit to be configurable through an loT app on a mobile device of a corresponding user for the MOTIVATED REASON of enhancing the user experience and remote control capabilities in the analogous art of IOT devices.
As per CLAIM 22, HOLLAND in view of CHIEN in view of SEO in view of KUMAGAI teaches the apparatus of claim 14 further comprising: one or more structural interconnects coupled between the loT video camera and each loT light source and/or between the loT video camera and each heatsink to provide added stability for each loT light source and/or heatsink, respectively (See HOLLAND’s Fig. 1-6, wherein using IOT devices in electronic devices is obvious over the teachings of SEO, Fig. 1, and para [0053, 0045, 0077], which discloses a camera with more than one flash unit may be an electronic device (101, 102, 104) and further configured as an intelligent device such as an internet-of-things (IoT) device).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-12 and 21 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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the EXAMINER should be directed to AKSHAY TREHAN whose telephone number is (571) 270-5252. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 10am – 6pm during the weekdays Monday – Friday.
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/AKSHAY TREHAN/
Examiner, Art Unit 2639
/TWYLER L HASKINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2639