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 § 102
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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 10-11 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Duncan (2011/0046702).
Duncan discloses a sauna 100 comprising a controller circuit 170 configured to control the sauna; a plurality of heaters 124, 128, 132, 136, 140, 144 and 150; one or more temperature sensors 125, 129, 133, 137, 141, 145 and 151; and a plurality of electronic circuits (connections to power supply and various circuitry, paragraph [0023]), wherein: a first initiation signal is received in the controller circuit (at step 304 or 306 when a user select a program); in response to the first initiation signal, the controller circuit 164 configures the sauna in a warm up mode (pre-warm mode, paragraph [0024]); the controller circuit configures the plurality of heaters to increase a temperature inside the sauna; and the temperature detectors, after a first time period, detect a first predefined temperature inside the sauna; in response to detecting the first predefined temperature, the controller circuit configures the plurality of heaters to maintain the first temperature; after a second time period, the controller circuit receives a second initiation signal; in response to receiving the second initiation signal, increasing the temperature inside the sauna above the first predefined temperature and not to exceed a second temperature greater than the first predefined temperature (when the body gets into the sauna, at which point the sauna senses the body and brings the heaters up to a high temperature, paragraph [0024]).
Regarding claim 1, Duncan discloses a method of controlling a sauna comprising: receiving, in a controller circuit 170 (Fig. 2) configured to control the sauna 100, a first initiation signal (at step 304 or 306 when a user select a program, Fig.3); in response to the first initiation signal, configuring the sauna in a warm up mode (pre-warm mode, paragraph [0024]); increasing a temperature inside the sauna; detecting a first predefined temperature inside the sauna; in response to detecting the first predefined temperature, maintaining the first predefined temperature; receiving, in the controller circuit, a second initiation signal (when the sauna detects a body when the body enters the sauna); and in response to receiving the second initiation signal, increasing the temperature inside the sauna (brings the heaters to a higher temperature paragraph [0024]) and maintaining the temperature inside the sauna at or below a second predefined temperature.
Regarding claim 10, the second initiation signal is received from a user in the controller circuit (when a sensor senses a user entering the sauna, paragraph [0024]).
Regarding claim 11, the second initiation signal is received through an input device 122 ( subject sensor) coupled to the controller circuit.
Regarding claim 17, storing, for a particular sauna, temperature data over a plurality of cycles of a time period occurring after the first initiation signal and before detecting the first predefined temperature inside the sauna; determining, based on the stored temperature data, a warm up time for a particular sauna (a number of different preset programs or customized programs for specific needs and effects as required, paragraphs [0041], [0042]…[0126]).
Regarding claim 18, the first predefined temperature is between 90 degrees Fahrenheit and 120 degrees Fahrenheit (preset temperature of between 80F and 120F, paragraph [0024]) and wherein the second predefined temperature is above 120 degrees Fahrenheit ( the system can stay in a lower pre-warm mode until a body gets into the sauna, at which point the sauna senses the body and brings the heaters up to a higher temperature to facilitate the desired effect, [0024]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9, 13-16 and 20 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUYEN D LE whose telephone number is (571)272-4890. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/HUYEN D LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754