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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/4/26.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN110840274; English translation annotated) in view of Kunz (4160445).
Zhu teaches with respect to Independent claim 1, a method for cooking comprising:
controlling (pg. 3 par. 12) a cooking appliance (pg. 4 par. 6; electric pressure cooker) to enter a temperature-rising (pg. 5 par. 10; first boiling; pg. 6 par. 3 first time) and skin-breaking stage (pg. 5 par. 06 fracture; pg. 5 par. 10 breaking; combination of temperature change; boil/cool) in response to a cooking start instruction
controlling the cooking appliance to enter a heat preservation (pg. 5 par. 10 last 4 lines, temperature increased again; pg. 6 par. 3 second time) and water absorption stage (pg. 5 par. 10 last line moisture enter seed coat) after the temperature-rising and skin-breaking stage (pg. 5 par. 10 last 4 lines, temperature increased again; pg. 6 par. 3 second time) and
controlling the cooking appliance to enter a cooking stage (pg. 6 par. 9 last line continue boiling; fig. 3 t3, tn, td) in response to a duration of heat preservation (pg. 6 par. 4 second predetermined time) and water absorption reaches a preset duration of heat preservation (pg. 6 par. 4 second predetermined time)
Zhu is silent to cooking is completed in a pressure cooking stage.
Zhu teaches a multi-step method of cooking food in pressure cookers (pg. 4 par. 6; electric pressure cooker) including temperature difference for accelerating water absorption and thus one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to look to the art of cooking foods in a same pressure vessel as taught by Kunz.
More specifically Kunz teaches a control device programmed to complete cooking relative a treatment time (col. 5 lines 17-26) and if desired cooked (col. 1 lines 44-45). Kunz teaches increasing pressure within the pressure vessel, including temperature shock (col. 4 lines 29-32), such that the food uniformly absorbs moisture (col. 6 lines 19-21) and after a treatment time, complete cooking may be achieved by extending the treatment time (col. 6 lines 21-23).
Though Zhu is silent to cooking is completed in a pressure cooking stage. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to control a same pressure cooker as taught by both, to continue cooking until cooking is finished as taught by Kunz (col. 6 lines 21-23) since Zhu teaches after a first and second heating cycle boiling may continue or directly ending the cooking process (pg. 6 par. 9 last line) thus achieving its art recognized purpose of a final food which is completely cooked by extending cooking time as taught by Kunz (col. 6 lines 21-23) if desired (col. 1 lines 44-45).
Though silent to teaching cooking is completed by pressure cooking. Zhu teaches the cooking appliance including pressure cookers (pg. 4 par. 6; electric pressure cooker). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to control the same pressure cooking appliance as taught by both, to enter a pressure cooking stage as taught by Kunz, with respect to the pressure cooker of Zhu, since increased pressure relative atmospheric pressure reduces cooking times thus achieving its art recognized purpose of a final food which is completely cooked by cooking time as taught by Kunz (col. 6 lines 21-23) by a same pressure cooker if desired (col. 1 lines 44-45).
Claim 2, controlling the cooking appliance to enter a cooling-down stage (pg. 5 par. 10; cooling operation) in response to a preset condition being met in the temperature-rising and skin-breaking stage (pg. 6 par. 4 preset time) wherein:
the preset duration is a first preset duration (pg. 6 par. 4 preset time) and
the preset condition includes:
temperature of a cooking chamber of the cooking appliance being equal to or greater than a first temperature which is a highest temperature corresponding to opening of skins of food being cooked (pg. 5 par. 10 boiling point temperature) or
a heating duration of the cooking chamber being equal to or greater than a second preset duration (pg. 6 par. 4).
Claim 3, since quantity and volume of water directly dictate time duration to achieve product temperature. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to teach a second preset duration is a duration required for the cooking chamber to be heated to the first temperature in a case that the cooking chamber is fully loaded for its art recognized purpose of attaining boiling of the water to accelerate fracture as taught by Zhu.
Claim 4, wherein the food being cooked includes beans (pg. 5 par. 7), the first temperature is 95°C to 105°C (pg. 5 par. 10 boiling; pg. 6 par. 9 100C). Since quantity and volume of water directly dictate time duration to achieve product temperature. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed though routine experimentation to teach a second preset duration is 30-60 minutes thus providing a duration required for the cooking chamber to attain boiling of the water to accelerate fracture as taught by Zhu and since quantity and volume of water directly dictate time duration to achieve product temperature.
Zhu teaches beans (pg. 5 par. 7) and Kunz teaches legumes (col. 1 lines 44-45). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to substitute one type of bean, such as in the instant case white kidney beans which comprise a seed coat, with respect to the genus of beans and legumes as taught for its art recognized and intended purpose of Zhu of cooking food comprising skin walls making ingress of water very difficult depending on legume type as taught by Kunz (col. 6 line 13).
Claim 5, wherein: the preset condition is a first preset condition; controlling the cooking appliance to enter the heat preservation and water absorption stage after the temperature-rising and skin-breaking stage includes controlling the cooking appliance to enter the heat preservation and water absorption stage in response to a second preset condition being met in the cooling-down stage; and
the second preset condition includes:
the temperature of the cooking chamber being less than a second temperature which belongs to a temperature set corresponding to the cooking chamber in the heat preservation and water absorption stage (pg. 5 par. 10; cooling vs increase back) or
a cooling duration of the cooking chamber being equal to or greater than a third preset duration (pg. 7 first par. 3 min. relative subsequent cooling steps to first).
Claim 6, wherein the third preset duration is a duration required for the cooking chamber to drop from the first temperature to the second temperature in a case that the cooking chamber (pg. 7 first par. 3 min. relative subsequent cooling steps to first).
Since quantity and volume of water directly dictate time duration to achieve water temperature. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to teach the duration with respect to a case that the cooking chamber is fully loaded for its art recognized purpose of temperature change of the water to accelerate fracture as taught by Zhu.
Claim 7, a low temperature boundary of the temperature set is a third temperature (pg. 7 first par. 5-6 degrees C less, relative subsequent cooling steps to first), a high temperature boundary of the temperature set is a fourth temperature (pg. 7 2nd par. boiling), the second temperature (cooling temperature. Pg. 5 par. 10) is equal to the third temperature (cooling temperature) and is less than the fourth temperature (cool vs boiling).
the method further comprising:
stopping heating of the cooking chamber in response to the temperature of the cooking chamber in the heat preservation and water absorption stage being greater than the fourth temperature (pg. 5 par. 10 cool) and
heating the cooking chamber in response to the temperature of the cooking chamber in the heat preservation and water absorption stage being less than the third temperature (pg. 5 par. 10 temperature increase again).
Claim 8, Zhu teaches the cooking appliance comprising programming to attain the result. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to program controller relative routine experimentation and food type as taught by Kunz (col. 6 lines 12-13), the third temperature is a difference between the second temperature and a controlled temperature, the fourth temperature is a sum of the second temperature and the controlled temperature, and an absolute value of the controlled temperature is less than or equal to 3°C. for its art recognized and intended purpose of Zhu of cooking food comprising skin walls making ingress of water very difficult depending on food type
Claim 9, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to program controller relative routine experimentation and food type as taught by Kunz (col. 6 lines 12-13) the food being cooked includes beans, the second temperature is 60°C, the third temperature is 59°C, the fourth temperature is 61°C, the third preset duration is 30 minutes to 60 minutes, and the first preset duration is 10 minutes to 120 minutes for its art recognized and intended purpose of Zhu of cooking food comprising skin walls making ingress of water very difficult and complete cooking if desired as taught by Kunz.
Claim 10, Kunz teaches the pressure cooking stage includes a pressure increasing stage (col. 6 lines 11-12) and a pressure keeping stage (col. 6 lines 13-14 time)
the preset duration is a first preset duration (pg. 6 par. 3)
controlling the cooking appliance to enter the cooking stage in response to the duration of the heat preservation and water absorption reaches the first preset duration (pg. 6 par. 3),
Though Zhu is silent to cooking is completed in a pressure cooking stage. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to control a same pressure cooker as taught by both, to continue cooking until cooking is finished as taught by Kunz (col. 6 lines 21-23) since Zhu teaches after a first and second heating cycle boiling may continue or directly ending the cooking process (pg. 6 par. 9 last line) thus achieving its art recognized purpose of a final food which is completely cooked by extending cooking time as taught by Kunz (col. 6 lines 21-23) if desired (col. 1 lines 44-45).
Kunz teaches until cooking is finished includes:
Kunz teaches controlling the cooking appliance to enter the pressure keeping stage in response to a preset condition being met in the pressure increasing stage (col. 6 line 11-12; predetermined pressure) and
finishing the cooking (col. 6 lines 21-23) in response to a pressure keeping duration of a cooking chamber of the cooking appliance in the pressure keeping stage reaching a second preset duration (col. 6 lines 13-14) and
the preset condition includes:
pressure of the cooking chamber being equal to or greater than a preset pressure (col. 6 line 12) or
a pressurization duration (col. 6 line 14) of the cooking chamber in the pressure increasing stage equal to a third preset duration (col. 6 line 14).
Though silent to teaching cooking is completed by pressure cooking. Zhu teaches the cooking appliance including pressure cookers (pg. 4 par. 6; electric pressure cooker) and controlling the cooking appliance to enter subsequent stages in response to the duration of the heat preservation and water absorption reaches the first preset duration (fig. 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to control the cooking appliance to enter the pressure increasing stage in response to the duration of the heat preservation and water absorption reaches the first preset duration, with respect to the pressure cooker of Zhu, since increased pressure relative atmospheric pressure reduces cooking times thus achieving its art recognized purpose of a final food which is completely cooked by cooking time as taught by Kunz (col. 6 lines 21-23) by a same pressure cooker if desired (col. 1 lines 44-45).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN102144756, JP2004008225, JP2016154363, 2584150 directed to increasing water absorption of skinned products.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Steven Leff whose telephone number is (571) 272-6527. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:30 - 5:00.
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/STEVEN N LEFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1792