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 .
Response to Amendment
Xydis (US Patent No. 5,757,267) has been added to address the newly added claim amendments.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-20 are allowed.
Claims 7-11 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ratner (US pub No. 2007/0146122), von Bauer et al. (US Pat. No. 5,428,388), Comerford et al. (US Pub No. 2013/0335222), and Xydis (US Pat No. 5,757,267).
Regarding claim 1, Ratner teaches doorbell system comprising:
a switch assembly electrically coupled to the doorbell and a power supply (See Fig. 5 touch sensing circuit (24) is electrically coupled to the chime generator (26) and power source (14)); and
a chime electrically coupled in parallel with a first switch of the switch assembly (See Fig. 5 Chime generator (26) and touch sensing circuit are connected in parallel to the chime select switch).
Ratner does not explicitly teach the doorbell configured to operate in each of a sleep mode, a standby mode, and an alert mode or a reversible switches.
Von Bauer teaches the doorbell configured to operate in at least one of a sleep mode, a standby mode, and an alert mode wherein the doorbell is configured to exit the sleep mode and enter the standby mode in response to an indication (See Col. 13, lines 10-25 which teaches a standby mode and an operating mode. The standby mode is analogous the sleep mode and the operating mode is analogous to the standby mode.).
One of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed would have been motivated to modify Ratner’s system to include von Bauer’s multiple modes in order to better conserve power and save electricity expense. Therefore, the invention as a whole would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made.
Comerford teaches the doorbell configured to operate in each of a sleep mode, a standby mode, and an alert mode wherein the doorbell is configured to exit the sleep mode and enter the standby mode in response to an indication (See [0037], [0039], [0056], and [0060] which teach multiple modes with different functions and power usage for each of the more than three modes described).
One of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed would have been motivated to modify Ratner’s system to include Comerford’s multiple modes in order to better conserve power and save electricity expense. Therefore, the invention as a whole would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made.
Xydis teaches the use of reversible switches (See Col. 5, lines 46-60).
One of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed would have been motivated to modify Ratner’s system to include Xydis’s reversible switches in order to implement multiple settings. Therefore, the invention as a whole would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made.
Regarding claim 2, Ratner teaches a switch that comprises a single-pole, single- throw switch (See [0052] which teaches a single pole single throw switch. It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the first switch in could also be a single pole single throw switch. A person of ordinary skill in the art could have substituted the single pole switch for another switch and the results of the substitution would have been predictable.).
Regarding claim 3, Ratner teaches when the first switch is in a closed position, the first switch electrically couples the power supply and the doorbell (See Fig. 5 and [0055] which teach that a doorbell touch connects the power source to the chime generator.).
Regarding claim 4, Ratner does not teach the indication is a first indication, and wherein the doorbell is further configured to exit the standby mode and enter the alert mode in response to a second indication.
Von Bauer teaches the indication is a first indication, and wherein the doorbell is further configured to exit the standby mode and enter the alert mode in response to a second indication (See Col. 13, lines 10-25 teaches two indications for exiting a sleep mode, pressing the doorbell and an infrared proximity detector.).
Regarding claim 5, Ratner does not teach a microphone, wherein the first indication comprises a sound received by the microphone.
Von Bauer teaches a microphone, wherein the first indication comprises a sound received by the microphone (See abstract).
Regarding claim 6, Ratner does not teach a button, wherein the second indication comprises a button press.
Von Bauer teaches a button, wherein the second indication comprises a button press (See Col. 13, lines 10-25 and abstract).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS S MCCORMACK whose telephone number is (571)272-0841. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/THOMAS S MCCORMACK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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