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
Receipt is acknowledged of the Amendment filed on January 22, 2026. Accordingly, claims 1-20 are currently pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot because of new grounds of rejection introduced hereinafter.
Claim Interpretation
A preamble is generally not accorded any patentable weight where it merely recites the purpose of a process or the intended use of a structure, and where the body of the claim does not depend on the preamble for completeness but, instead, the process steps or structural limitations are able to stand alone.
With regard to claims 11-18 and 20, the recitation, “thermostat” as recited in these claims, has not been given patentable weight because the recitations occur in the preamble.
Claim Objections
Claims 17 and 20 is objected to because of the following informalities: each of these claims recites a feature, “the thermostat”, which is not clear if the feature “the thermostat” is a new feature or the same feature as “The thermostat device” as previously claimed and/or recited (emphasis added). It appears there is a lack of antecedent basis in this claim. Appropriate correction is required.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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, 7-9, 11, 12 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiles et al. (US 6,300,598 B1) in view of Chang et al. (CN 112098899 A).
Chiles et al. teaches a monitor for monitoring the electrical condition of the circuitry in a floor warming system comprising:
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With regard to claims 1 and 11, a wire testing device (FIG. 1, monitor 10) comprising: a body (FIG. 1, housing 12) comprising a display screen (FIG. 1, LED 16 or other visual indicator such as display) disposed in the body (FIG. 1, housing 12) comprising: a resistant indicator (connecting condition between monitor wires 22 and 24 and conducting condition of transistor 50), and one or more ground test indicators (FIG. 1, connecting condition between ground monitor wire 30 and either monitor wires 22 or 24) (For more details, please read: Abstract; column 1, lines 5-11; column 1, lines 46-55; column 2, lines 3-32; and from column 2, line 52 to column 4, line 44).
With regard to claim 1, a speaker (FIG. 1, speaker 18) disposed in the body (FIG. 1, housing 12): and wire ports (FIG. 1, alligator clips 26, 28, and 32) disposed in the body (FIG. 1, housing 12) (For more details, please read: Abstract; column 1, lines 5-11; column 1, lines 46-55; column 2, lines 3-32; and from column 2, line 52 to column 4, line 44).
With regard to claim 11, wire connectors (FIG. 1, alligator clips 26, 28, and 32) disposed in the body (FIG. 1, housing 12) (For more details, please read: Abstract; column 1, lines 5-11; column 1, lines 46-55; column 2, lines 3-32; and from column 2, line 52 to column 4, line 44).
Chiles et al. teaches all that is claimed as discussed above including the resistant indicator (connecting condition between monitor wires 22 and 24 and conducting condition of transistor 50), but it does not specifically teach the following feature:
A numerical resistance indicator.
Chang et al. teaches a portable intelligent detector for micro-current multi-core cable test comprising:
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With regard to claims 1 and 11, a numerical resistance indicator (FIG. 18, capacitive screen 3) (Claims 1 and 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the monitor for monitoring the electrical condition of the circuitry in a floor warming system of Chiles et al. to use a numerical resistance indicator as taught by Chang et al. since Chang et al. teaches that such an arrangement is beneficial to display the resistance value and the conduction result as disclosed in paragraph [0002].
With regard to claim 2, Chiles et al. teaches the wire ports (FIG. 1, alligator clips 26, 28, and 32) include a plurality of wire connections (FIG. 1, monitor wires 22, 24, 30 and alligator clips 26, 28, 32).
With regard to claims 3 and 12, Chiles et al. teaches the wire connections (FIG. 1, monitor wires 22, 24, 30 and alligator clips 26, 28, 32) include a wire connection for a personal electronic device (FIG. 2, electronic circuit).
With regard to claims 7 and 16, Chiles et al. teaches a test button (inherently included in the monitoring circuit of FIG. 2): an inherent feature derived from the feature (“an electrical circuit” being “arranged to activate said alarm when either the hot or neutral conductor is electrically connected with the ground conductor” and/or “arranged to effect an abnormal condition of the circuit when either the hot or neutral conductor exhibits a discontinuity”) as recited in claims 6 and 10 of Chiles et al. The “test button” is inherently included in the “electrical circuit” since in order to activate an alarm or to effect an abnormal condition, a test for discontinuity detection is inherently initiated; that is, a test function and or test button (inherently included in the monitoring circuit of FIG. 2) needs to be pressed or activated.
With regard to claims 8 and 17, Chiles et al. teaches the test button (inherently included in the monitoring circuit of FIG. 2) causes the wire testing device (FIG. 1, remote online ground resistance detector) to test electrical resistance in a connected heating element (FIG. 3, resistive heating wires meshwork heating mats 52).
With regard to claims 9 and 18, Chiles et al. teaches the test button (inherently included in the monitoring circuit of FIG. 2) causes the wire testing device (FIG. 1, remote online ground resistance detector) to test an electrical resistance and causes the wire testing device (FIG. 1, remote online ground resistance detector) to identify a pass or fail condition in response to the electrical resistance detected during the test of the electrical resistance (Abstract).
Claims 5-10, 14, 15 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiles et al. in view of Chang et al. as applied to claims 1-3, 7-9, 11, 12 and 16-18 above, and further in view of Dianhuan (CN 208283538 U).
Chiles et al. in view of Chang et al. teaches all that is claimed as discussed in the above rejection of claims 1-3, 7-9, 11, 12 and 16-18 including the wire testing device (FIG. 1, monitor 10) having the display screen (FIG. 1, LED 16 or other visual indicator such as display), but it does not specifically teach the following features:
A touch responsive screen.
An ambient temperature sensor.
The wire testing device further detects a temperature of an ambient air temperature and a temperature of an in-floor heating system.
Dianhuan teaches a calibrating device of voltage resistance tester comprising:
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With regard to claims 5 and 14, a touch responsive screen (FIG. 1, touch display screen 11).
With regard to claims 6 and 15, an ambient temperature sensor (FIG. 1, temperature sensor 17).
With regard to claims 10 and 19, the wire testing device (FIG. 1, calibrating device of voltage resistance tester) detects a temperature of an ambient air temperature (using temperature sensor 17 to test the voltage-resistant ability under different conditions as to timely inform the worker to process the voltage breakdown).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the monitor for monitoring the electrical condition of the circuitry in a floor warming system of Chiles et al. to use a touch responsive screen and a ambient temperature sensor as taught by Dianhuan since Dianhuan teaches that such an arrangement is beneficial to directly, accurately, quickly and reliably test all kinds of the test object of breakdown voltage, leakage current and other electrical performance index, suitable for various power cord, cable, transformer connecting terminal, etc., as disclosed in paragraph [0002].
With regard to claims 10 and 19, it is obvious to use temperature sensor (FIG. 1, temperature sensor 17) disclosed by Dianhuan to detect a temperature of an in-floor heating system (FIG. 3, resistive heating wires meshwork heating mats 52) disclosed by Chiles et al.
With regard to claim 7, Dianhuan also teaches a test button (FIG. 1, start button and reset button on the wiring control board). This feature is used to support the primary reference Chiles et al. in case if there is any challenge against the feature of a test button as discussed above in the 102 rejection using Chiles et al.
With regard to claim 8, Chiles et al. in view of Dianhuan teaches the test button causes the wire testing device to test electrical resistance in a connected heating element (FIG. 3, resistive heating wires meshwork heating mats 52). This feature is used to support the primary reference Chiles et al. in case if there is any challenge against the feature of a test button as discussed above in the 102 rejection using Chiles et al.
With regard to claim 9, Chiles et al. in view of Dianhuan teaches the test button causes the wire testing device to test an electrical resistance and causes the wire testing device to identify a pass or fail condition in response to the electrical resistance detected during the test of the electrical resistance (Abstract of Chiles et al.). This feature is used to support the primary reference Chiles et al. in case if there is any challenge against the feature of a test button as discussed above in the 102 rejection using Chiles et al.
Claims 4, 13 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiles et al. in view of Chang et al. as applied to claims 1-3, 7-9, 11, 12 and 16-18 above, and further in view of Zeng et al. (CN 217060349 U).
Chiles et al. in view of Chang et al. teaches all that is claimed as discussed in the above rejection of claims 1-3, 7-9, 11, 12 and 16-18 including the wire testing device (FIG. 1, monitor 10) having the display screen (FIG. 1, LED 16 or other visual indicator such as display), but it does not specifically teach the following features:
The wire testing device connects to another device by a wireless information connection.
An internet connection which provides remote access to the thermostat device.
Zeng et al. teaches a remote online ground resistance detector comprising:
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With regard to claims 4 and 13, the wire testing device (FIG. 1, remote online ground resistance detector) connects to another device (service terminal) by a wireless information connection (FIG.1, wireless antenna 13) (For more details, please read: Abstract; paragraphs: [0002]-[0010] and [0015]-[0023]; and claims 1-5).
With regard to claim 20, an internet connection (wireless transmission device) which provides remote access to the thermostat (for people to remotely check the detection result) (For more details, please read: Abstract; paragraphs: [0002]-[0010] and [0015]-[0023]; and claims 1-5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the monitor for monitoring the electrical condition of the circuitry in a floor warming system of Chiles et al. to utilize a wireless information connection and/or an internet connection as taught by Zeng et al. since Zeng et al. teaches that such an arrangement is beneficial to provide a ground resistance detecting device having a wireless information connection for a convenient and fast wireless data transmission to a service terminal as disclosed in the Abstract.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicants’ attention is invited to the followings whose inventions disclose similar devices.
Fleming (US 2006/0192566 A1) teaches a continuity tester.
Hu et al. (CN 213398688 U) teaches a multifunctional tester and test system.
Jiang et al. (CN 218995518 U) teaches a grounding resistance monitor.
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.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOAI-AN D. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2170. The examiner can normally be reached MON-THURS (7:00 AM - 5:00 PM).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, LEE E. RODAK can be reached at 571-270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HOAI-AN D. NGUYEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2858
/HOAI-AN D. NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858