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 § 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) 1 and claims bellow are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 EP 3677157 Al in view of D2 US 20110133941.
Regarding claims bellow D1 teaches
Claim 1 A pellet grill (100) comprising: a hopper (110) including a hopper cavity (130) configured to contain pellets; and
a hopper including an interior wall and a pellet fuel storage compartment, the interior wall defining the pellet fuel storage compartment;(fig. 3)
a laser rangefinder (310) including a laser emission aperture (320) configured to emit a laser beam toward the pellets and a laser receiving aperture (330) configured to receive the laser beam after it reflects off the pellets (see paragraphs [0018], [0027]-[0030] and figure 3).
D1 does not teach that the transmission portion of the fuel level sensor is configured to transmit
infrared light toward pellet fuel and the pellet grill further comprises a cover including a first lens, a second
lens, and a divider, the first lens and the second lens located between the fuel level sensor and the pellet fuel,
the divider located between the first lens and the second lens, the divider having a first side and a second side located opposite the first side, wherein infrared light transmitted from the transmission portion toward the pellet
fuel passes through the first lens on the first side of the divider, and wherein infrared light is reflected from the pellet fuel.
However D2 teaches see paragraphs [0030], [0040]-[0042] and figures 9-10: an optical
proximity sensor (10) comprises a light emitter (16) configured to transmit infrared light toward an object (60) and a light detector (12) to receive infrared light reflected from the object (60); and
the optical proximity sensor (10) further comprises a light emitter lens (27) disposed over the light emitter (16) and a light detector lens (29) disposed over the light detector (12), wherein a shield (18 or 25) comprises a first portion (61) partially covering the light emitter lens (27) and a second portion (63) partially covering the light detector lens (29)).
Regarding claim D1 does not teach but D2 teaches
, further comprising a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including a printed circuit board (PCB)(11, 35), the fuel level sensor(12), and the cover(18), [0006]
a sensor(12) mounted to the PCB(11), the fuel level sensor(fig. 7)
a cover(18) including a base, a sidewall(14), a first lens hole (54), a second lens hole (52), and a divider(25), the base mounted to the PCB such that the cover circumscribes and covers the fuel level sensor with the fuel level sensor being located between the PCB and one or more of the first lens hole and the second lens hole of the cover(fig. 9 ), the sidewall extending from the base and supporting the first lens, the second lens, and the divider,(fig. 4)
Although D1 does not explicitly teach that cover is attached to the first and second lenses
This is just a matter of obvious placement arrangement of elements.
And hence It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 with teachings by D2 in order to provide electronics with sensor assembly in single package for level detection.
Rgarding claims 21 22 Although D1 and D2 do not teach 21. (New) The pellet grill of claim 1, wherein the first lens is seated on a first lip of the cover and the second lens is seated on a second lip of the cover, wherein the first lip is formed along and extends from a first portion of the sidewall and a first portion of the first side of the divider, and wherein the second lip is formed along and extends from a second portion of the sidewall and a second portion of the second side of the divider.
22. (New) The pellet grill of claim 21, wherein the first lens and the second lens are planar.
D2 explicitly shows lens holes(53, 54) for lens in cover(18) lens holes comprising extensions formed from the sidewall and a first portion of the first side of the divider but does not teach lips to hold lens
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 with teachings by D2 and to place lip to hold and glue lenses to in order to place lenses on cover instead of the directly on sensors. (just simple obvious rearrangement of parts)
Also D1 or D2 do not teach
22. (New) The pellet grill of claim 21, wherein the first lens and the second lens are planar.
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 with to use planar lenses In order to provide high sharpness , and low chromatic aberration and minimal distortions(as well known in the art).
2. The pellet grill of claim 1, wherein the transmission portion of the fuel level sensor is located on the first side of the divider(25), and the detection portion of the fuel level sensor is located on the second side of the divider. (fig. 4)
3. The pellet grill of claim 2, wherein the cover further includes a first compartment located on the first side of the divider and a second compartment located on the second side of the divider, wherein the transmission portion of the fuel level sensor is aligned with the first compartment and the detection portion of the fuel level sensor is aligned with the second compartment. (fig. 4 and 7)
4. The pellet grill of claim 3, wherein the transmission portion includes an infrared transmitter and the detection portion includes an infrared receiver, wherein the infrared transmitter and the infrared receiver are components of a time-of-flight sensor. [0003]
5. The pellet grill of claim 1, wherein the first lens and the second lens are configured to shield the fuel level sensor from particulate or wear. (implicit lenses protect sensing and transmitting portions from damage.)
6. The pellet grill of claim 1, wherein the divider is configured to reduce crosstalk associated with infrared light transmitted from the transmission portion. (implicit as 25 is optically separating transmission and reception regions)
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 with teachings by D2 in order to provide laser proximity sensor required for D1.
9. The pellet grill of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to determine a fuel level of the pellet fuel based on a time of travel or a quantity associated with infrared light received at the detection portion of the fuel level sensor. (D1 [0027])
10. The pellet grill of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to cause a notification associated with the determined fuel level to be presented locally or remotely relative to the pellet grill. (D1 [0029])
11. The pellet grill of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to evaluate whether the determined fuel level of the pellet fuel is below a fuel level threshold. (D1 [0029])
12. The pellet grill of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured, in response to detecting that the determined fuel level is below the fuel level threshold, to cause a notification associated with the determined fuel level or the fuel level threshold to be presented locally or remotely relative to the pellet grill. (D1 [0029])
13. The pellet grill of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to activate the fuel level sensor in response to detecting an occurrence of an activation triggering event. D1 [0033](pellet grill turning on )
Although D1 in paragraph 33 talks about weight basest fuel level sensor it will be also obvious to trigger light based trigger sensor when grill is turned on in order to notify user about the level of the pellet.
14. The pellet grill of claim 13, wherein detecting the occurrence of the activation triggering event includes determining that a control system of the pellet grill is in an ON state or that the control system has initiated a startup sequence. D1 [0033]
15. The pellet grill of claim 13, wherein detecting the occurrence of the activation triggering event includes determining that a switch of the pellet grill is in an ON state. D1 [0033]
Although D1 does not explicitly say
17. The pellet grill of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the fuel level sensor in response to detecting an occurrence of a deactivation triggering event.
18. The pellet grill of claim 17, wherein detecting the occurrence of the deactivation triggering event includes determining that a control system of the pellet grill is in an OFF state or that the control system has initiated a shutdown sequence.
19. The pellet grill of claim 17, wherein detecting the occurrence of the deactivation triggering event includes determining that a switch of the pellet grill is in an OFF state.
This is just obvious modification to save the power as pellets are not used when grill is of and constant reading of the pellet level in not required.
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 in order to save the power when grill is not used.
Regarding claims 16 and 20 D1 teaches
Communication over wifi or Bluetooth with user providing live updates[0063+0061]
Although D1 does not explicitly say
16. The pellet grill of claim 13, wherein detecting the occurrence of the activation triggering event includes determining that a fuel level sensor activation request has been received via a user interface or a network interface of the pellet grill.
20. The pellet grill of claim 17, wherein detecting the occurrence of the deactivation triggering event includes determining that a fuel level sensor deactivation request has been received via a user interface or a network interface of the pellet grill.
This is just obvious modification in order to control grill device over the remote interface and turning on and off the grill remotely .
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 in order to control grill remotely.
Conclusion
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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/HOVHANNES BAGHDASARYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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