DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s Communication filed on 10/30/2023. In virtue of the communication:
Claims 1-20 are pending in the instant application.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 17/462,120, filed on 08/31/2021.
The references cited in the Information Disclosure Statement(s) (IDS(s)) filed on 10/30/2023, 06/09/2025 and 11/10/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
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 the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1, 7, 8, 11 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The specification does not teach every possible apparatus to achieve the claims as recited, including “searching for the extension module”, “determining whether the extension module or a further extension module has been connected” (as in claim 1), “querying whether the extension module” (as in claim 7), “determining whether the extension module” (as in claim 8), “notifying the extension module of a type of functional device present” (as in claim 11), and “sending factory settings of the functional device to the extension module” (as in claim 14).
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the generic placeholder “extension module”, “base module” and “communication module” are being used. Although the specification teaches theory that some claimed undefined arrangement of physical components could possibly provide the outcome, there is/are no evidence that any taught apparatus has produced these results in a verifiable manner to support the idea that a particular configuration is defined by the output claimed as required for a 112(f) claim.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Clarification is required.
Claims 2-6, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as being dependent on claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ender (U.S. Pub. 2020/0183867 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ender discloses a method (Figs. 1-5) for configuring an extension module (2a-2f, 4, Fig. 1) for function extension of a network assembly (network 3 to mobile control unit 5, Fig. 1), the method comprising:
searching for the extension module (as requests from control unit 5, Fig. 1, par [0056]) connected to a communication bus (data bus 1, Fig. 1) of the network assembly;
determining whether the extension module or a further extension module has been connected to the communication bus (response from communication module 4 to network 3 and control unit 5, Fig. 1, par [0056]); and
if the search reveals that the extension module has been connected to the communication bus, configuring the extension module for the communication bus such that the extension module automatically initializes a network setup (network 3) for a light management system (LMS) (e.g., mobile control unit 5) (Fig. 1 shows a configuration of a network setup for lamp operating devices 2a-2f, Figs. 1 and 3, pars [0049]- [0056]).
Regarding claim 2, Ender discloses the method wherein said searching is performed, at least in part, by a base module (network 3 and control unit 5, Fig. 1) of the network assembly.
Regarding claim 3, Ender discloses the method wherein said searching is performed, at least in part, by a logic unit of the base module (network 3 is a computer network and unit 5 is a mobile control unit, Fig. 1, pars [0051]-[0052]).
Regarding claim 4, Ender discloses the method wherein said determining is performed, at least in part, by a logic unit of a base module of the network assembly (network 3 is a computer network and unit 5 is a mobile control unit, Fig. 1, pars [0051]-[0052]).
Regarding claim 5, Ender discloses the method wherein said configuring of the extension module is performed, at least in part, by a logic unit of a base module of the network assembly (network 3 is a computer network and unit 5 is a mobile control unit, Fig. 1, pars [0051]-[0052]).
Regarding claim 6, Ender discloses the method wherein said configuring occurs automatically (communication module 4 automatically addresses components 2a-2f as a network subscriber by the control unit 5, pars [0056], [0067]).
Regarding claim 7, Ender discloses the method further comprising: querying whether the extension module found is configured as a communication module (In the event of queries, the communication module 4 may determine the network address of the control unit 5 or of the sensor 6 from the data received by the control unit 5 or the sensor 6, and transmit the response to the query to the determined network address, par [0056]).
Regarding claim 8, Ender discloses the method wherein if the querying shows that the extension module found is configured as a communication module, the method further comprises: determining whether the extension module represents a functional device (either 2a as “Lum1”, 2b as “Lum2”, 2c as “LS1” or 2d as “PS1”, which operates as a functional device, par [0062]) present in the network setup by the extension module.
Regarding claim 9, Ender discloses the method further comprising: further configuring the extension module (2a-2f, 4, Fig. 1) to connect the network assembly (3) to the LMS (5) (Fig. 1 shows a configuration of a network setup for lamp operating devices 2a-2f, Figs. 1 and 3, pars [0049]- [0056]).
Regarding claim 10, Ender discloses the method wherein said further configuring of the extension module occurs automatically (communication module automatically addresses components 2a-2f as a network subscriber by the control unit 5, pars [0056], [0067]).
Regarding claim 11, Ender discloses the method further comprising: notifying the extension module (2a-2f) of a type of functional device present (functional device can be either lamp or sensor, par [0062]).
Regarding claim 12, Ender discloses the method further comprising: communicating information about the type of functional device to the LMS via the extension module (communication module 4 communicates between components 2a-2f and network 3/mobile control unit 5, Fig. 1, par [0056]).
Regarding claim 13, Ender discloses the method wherein said communicating occurs automatically (communication module 4 automatically communicates between components 2a-2f and network3/mobile control unit 5, Fig. 1pars [0056], [0067]).
Regarding claim 14, Ender discloses the method further comprising: sending factory settings of the functional device to the extension module (settings as in pars [0065]-[0066]).
Regarding claim 15, Ender discloses the method wherein the factory settings are relevant or necessary to the network setup by the extension module (it is necessary to the network setup for configuration purposes (par [0065]).
Regarding claim 16, Ender discloses the method further comprising: transmitting information about the factory settings to the LMS (as communicating between module 4 and network 3, Fig. 1, par [0065]).
Regarding claim 17, Ender discloses the method wherein said transmitting is performed, at least in part, by the extension module (by communication module 4, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 18, Ender discloses the method wherein said transmitting occurs automatically (communication module 4 automatically communicates between components 2a-2f and network3/mobile control unit 5, Fig. 1pars [0056], [0067]).
Regarding claim 19, Ender discloses the method wherein the extension module (2a-2f, 4) is configured to be connected to the communication bus of the network assembly to provide at least one additional function of an electrical load (e.g., either controlling of 2a as “Lum1” or 2b as “Lum2”, Fig. 3) connected to the network assembly (Figs. 1 and 3).
Regarding claim 20, Ender discloses the method wherein the at least one additional function comprises controlling the electrical load (controlling of 2a as “Lum1” or 2b as “Lum2”, Fig. 3).
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIMMY T VU whose telephone number is (571)272-1832. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Regis Betsch can be reached on 571-270-7101. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are 571-273-8300.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-2800.
/JIMMY T VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844