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 .
This communication is responsive to amendments/remarks filed on 9/4/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brown et al. (US 2021/0232015) (“Brown”).
With respect to claim 1, Brown discloses an electrochromic (EC) device (EC windows) comprising: an electrical channel for providing electrical communication with at least one other EC device (figures 3B, 3E, 3G, 4, 6 discloses electrical communication with a plurality of EC windows); a battery configured to supply electrical power to the EC device and the at least one other EC device via the electrical channel (paragraphs 0133, 0178, figures 3B and 6 discloses that the EC window comprises a battery that powers the EC window and other EC windows); and a controller configured to control whether the battery supplies electrical power to the other EC device (abstract, figure 2E, paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses that each EC window comprises a window controller to control the power received and the battery to supply power to other EC windows).
With respect to claim 2, Brown discloses the EC device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of electrical power supplied from the battery to at least one of the EC device or the other EC device. Paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses controlling the battery to supply power to the EC window.
With respect to claim 3, Brown discloses the EC device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control whether electrical power is supplied from the battery to at least one of the EC device or the other EC device. Paragraph 0178 discloses directly power the other EC windows or via the battery.
With respect to claims 4, 10, Brown discloses the EC device of one of the claims, wherein the controller is configured to control the battery to supply electrical power to the at least one of the EC device or the other EC device based on at least one of a power demand of the EC device, a power demand of the other EC device, an available amount of power sourced from the battery of the EC device, or an available amount of power sourced from a battery of the other EC device. Paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses when power demand is not met by the battery wireless power or photovoltaic power is used to augment a battery supply.
With respect to claims 5, 11, Brown discloses the EC device of one of the claims, further comprising an external electrical channel in communication with an external power source, wherein the controller is configured to control the external electrical channel to supply electrical power from the external power source to at least one of the EC device or the other EC device to maintain an opacity of at least one of the EC device or the other EC. Figures 3, 6 discloses an external power supply to power the EC window or the other EC windows.
With respect to claims 6, 12, Brown discloses the EC device of one of the claims, wherein the external power source comprises at least one of a solar power source, a wireless power source, or a wired power source. Paragraphs 0177, 0183 discloses that the power source can be wireless power, solar power and figure 6 discloses a wired power source.
With respect to claims 7, 13, Brown discloses the EC device of one of the claims, further comprising an external electrical channel in communication with an external power source, wherein the controller is configured to control the battery to supply electrical power to the other EC device when controlling the external electrical channel to supply electrical power from the external power source to the EC device. Paragraphs 0199-0200 discloses controlling the batteries of the EC windows based on the power from an external source.
With respect to claims 8, 14, Brown discloses the EC device of one of the claims, further comprising one or more sensors configured to detect an amount of light received by at least one of the EC device or the other EC device, wherein the controller is configured to control the battery to supply at least one of electrical power to the EC device or electrical power through the electrical channel for the other EC device based at least one of an opacity of the EC device or an opacity of the other EC device and based on at least one of an amount of light received, via the one or more sensors, received by at least one of the EC device or the other EC device. Paragraphs 0022, 0119, 0158 discloses sensors for detecting visibility of the window and a controller to control the power/battery to implement the desired change.
With respect to claim 9, Brown discloses a system of electrochromic (EC) devices, comprising: a plurality of EC devices comprising a first EC device and a second EC device (figures 3B, 3E, 3G, 4, 6 discloses electrical communication with a plurality of EC windows), the first EC device comprising: an electrical channel for providing electrical communication with at least the second EC device of the plurality of EC devices and at least one other EC device of the plurality of EC devices in a daisy chain configuration (figure 3B, 3F and 6 discloses that the plurality of EC windows are couple to each other in a daisy chain configuration); a battery configured to supply electrical power to the plurality of EC devices, wherein the battery is configured to supply electrical power to at least the second EC device of the plurality of EC devices via the electrical channel (paragraphs 0133, 0178, figures 3B and 6 discloses that the EC window comprises a battery that powers the EC window and other EC windows); and a controller configured to control whether the battery to supplies electrical power to the plurality of EC devices (abstract, figure 2E, paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses that each EC window comprises a window controller to control the power received and the battery to supply power to other EC windows).
With respect to claim 15, Brown discloses an electrochromic (EC) device comprising: a pane (abstract discloses EC panes of window); a solar panel configured to supply electrical power to at least the pane (paragraphs 0021, 0186 discloses that the IGU comprises photovoltaic film to deliver power to EC window); a wired connection providing electrical communication with at least one other EC device (figures 3B, 3E, 3G, 4, 6 discloses electrical communication with a plurality of EC windows); and a controller configured to: control the solar panel to supply electrical power to at least the pane, and control electrical communication of electrical power through the wired connection with the other EC device (abstract, figure 2E, 3, 6, paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses that each EC window comprises a window controller to control the power received from a photovoltaic power supply for the EC window and the other EC windows).
With respect to claim 16, Brown discloses the EC device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control the other EC device to supply electrical power, via the wired connection, from at least one of a battery of the other EC device or a solar panel of the other EC device and to at least the pane. Paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses controlling the battery or the photovoltaic source to supply power to the EC window.
With respect to claim 17, Brown discloses the EC device of claim 15, wherein: the EC further comprises a battery configured to store electrical power and supply electrical power to the pane; and the controller is configured to control the other EC device to supply electrical power, via the wired connection, from at least one of a battery of the other EC device or a solar panel of the other EC device and to at least one of the battery or the pane. Paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses controlling the battery to supply power to the EC window and a window controller to control the power received and the battery to supply power to other EC windows.
With respect to claim 18, Brown discloses the EC device of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to control the battery to supply electrical power to at least one of the pane, the battery, the battery of the other EC device via the wired connection, or a pane of the other EC device via the wired connection. Paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses controlling the battery to supply power to the EC window and a window controller to control the power received and the battery to supply power to other EC windows.
With respect to claim 19, Brown discloses the EC device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of electrical power supplied from the solar panel to the battery based on at least one of an amount of light received by the solar panel or an amount of electrical power received from the other EC device via the wired connection. Paragraphs 0119, 0177 discloses sensor and augmenting power from a photovoltaic power supply.
With respect to claim 20, Brown discloses the EC device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of electrical power supplied from the solar panel to the pane based on at least one of an amount of light received by the solar panel or an amount of electrical power received from the other EC device via the wired connection. Paragraphs 0119, 0177 discloses sensor and augmenting power from a photovoltaic power supply.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/4/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to the argument that Brown does not mention anything about a controller (either the receiver or any other component) of one EC window is configured to control whether the battery supplies electrical power to another EC window. And that instead, Brown states affirmatively that the receiver (e.g., the receiver receiving and converting the wireless power) transfer the energy to other windows. It is respectfully submitted that Browns discloses window controller 220 to control the power to the window; paragraph 0165 discloses that the window controller 220 comprises the wireless power receiver; and paragraphs 0177-0178 discloses that the EC window comprises a window controller to control the power received to either directly power the other EC windows or to power the other EC windows from the battery.
With respect to the argument that in paragraph 0181 Brown discloses that the receiver appears to always supply power to windows and no controller controls whether to supply power to another window. And that Browns describes the receiver as separate and distinct from the controller of the EC device. It is submitted that paragraph 0165 discloses that the window controller 220 comprises the wireless power receiver and paragraphs 0177-0178 disclose controlling power to be provided to the other windows directly or from the batteries, as shown in figures 2E, 3B and 6.
With respect to the argument of claim 15, that Brown’s system does not involve a controller of one EC device controlling electrical communication of electrical power through the wired connection with another EC device. It is submitted that paragraphs 0177-0178 disclose controlling power to be provided to the other windows directly or from the batteries; figures 2E, 3B and 6 disclose that the electrical communication between the EC devices is through wires.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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/CARLOS AMAYA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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