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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending, of which claims 1, 11, and 18 are independent claims.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55 for India Application No. 202211061535 filed on October 28, 2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/16/2024, 04/10/2024, and 05/28/2024 have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
The following claims are objected to for lack of antecedent support or for redundancies. The Examiner recommends the following changes:
Claim 1, line 4, replace “the energy” with “energy”.
Claim 1, line 4, replace “of the appliances” with “appliance”.
Claim 1, line 6, replace “smart socket” with “one of the one or more smart sockets”.
Claim 1, line 8, insert “a” before “baseline”.
Claim 1, line 8, replace “of the appliances” with “appliance”.
Claim 1, line 10, replace “smart socket” with “one of the one or more smart sockets”.
Claim 1, line 12, insert “the” before “baseline”.
Claim 1, line 13, replace “the baseline” with “a baseline”.
Claim 1, line 16, replace “a power” with “the power”.
Claim 1, line 17, insert “one or more” before “smart sockets”.
Claim 1, line 18, replace “their” with “the”.
Claim 1, line 19, replace “appliance” with “one or more appliances”.
Claim 3, line 2, replace “receptacle switch” with “of the one or more receptacle switches”.
Claim 3, line 3, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 3, line 4, insert “the” before “power”.
Claim 3, line 6, replace “the corresponding receptible switch” with “a corresponding receptacle switch”.
Claim 3, line 8, replace “a user” with “the user”.
Claim 3, line 8, insert “corresponding” before “socket receptacle”.
Claim 3, line 8, insert “one or more” before “smart”.
Claim 3, line 8 replace “smart socket” with “smart sockets”.
Claim 3, line 9, replace “pressing the” with “pressing a”.
Claim 4, line 2, insert “the” before “one or more”.
Claim 4, line 3, insert “the” before “one or more”.
Claim 5, line 4, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 5, line 6, replace “the corresponding receptible switch” with “a corresponding receptacle switch”.
Claim 5, line 8, replace “a user” with “the user”.
Claim 5, line 8, insert “corresponding” before “socket”.
Claim 5, line 11, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 6, line 3, insert “one or more” before “socket”.
Claim 6, line 3, delete “of the smart sockets”.
Claim 6, line 4, replace “appliance” with “appliances”.
Claim 6, line 4, delete “according to the set schedule”.
Claim 7, line 3, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 7, line 6, replace “the corresponding receptacle switch” with “each of the one or more receptacle switches”.
Claim 7, line 8, replace “a user” with “the user”.
Claim 7, line 8, insert “corresponding” before “socket”.
Claim 7, line 8, delete “of the smart socket”.
Claim 7, line 10, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 8, line 2, replace “turn” with “turning”.
Claim 9, line 3, insert “the” before “baseline”.
Claim 9, line 7, replace “the appliance with the” with “an appliance with a”.
Claim 10, line 3, insert “the” before “one or more”.
Claim 10, line 11, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 10, line 14, insert “the” before “one or more”.
Claim 10, line 16, replace “the corresponding receptible switch” with “each of the one or more receptacle switches”.
Claim 10, line 18, replace “a meter” with “the meter”.
Claim 10, line 18, insert “the” before “energy”.
Claim 10, line 24, insert “the” before “energy”.
Claim 10, line 27, insert “the” before “energy”.
Claim 11, line 4, replace “the energy” with “energy”.
Claim 11, line 4, replace “of the appliances” with “appliance”.
Claim 11, line 6, replace “smart socket” with “one of the one or more smart sockets”.
Claim 11, line 8, inset “a” before “baseline”.
Claim 11, line 8, replace “of the appliances” with “appliance”.
Claim 11, line 10, replace “smart socket” with “one of the one or more smart sockets”.
Claim 11, line 12, insert “the” before “baseline”.
Claim 11, line 13, insert “one or more” before “appliances”.
Claim 11, line 16, insert “the” before “baseline”.
Claim 11, line 17, insert “one or more” before “appliances”.
Claim 11, lines 18-19, replace “a power” with “the power”.
Claim 11, line 19, replace “the appliance” with “each of the one or more appliances”.
Claim 11, lines 19-20, replace “the appliance” with “each of the one or more appliances”.
Claim 11, line 23, replace “appliance” with “one or more appliances”.
Claim 12, line 2, insert “the” before “one or more”.
Claim 13, line 3, replace “appliance” with “one or more appliances”.
Claim 15, line 2, insert “the” before “one or more”.
Claim 15, line 2, delete “of the”.
Claim 15, line 4, replace “appliance” with “appliances”.
Claim 16, line 2, replace “of the one or more” with “of the one or more receptacle switches”.
Claim 16, line 3, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 16, line 4, insert “the” before “power”.
Claim 16, line 4, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 16, line 6, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 16, line 8, replace “a user” with “the user”.
Claim 16, line 8, insert “corresponding” before “socket receptacle”.
Claim 16, line 10, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 17, line 2, replace “receptacle switch” with “of the one or more receptacle switches”.
Claim 17, line 4, insert “the” before “power”.
Claim 17, line 6, replace “the corresponding receptible” with “a corresponding receptacle”.
Claim 17, line 8, replace “a user” with “the user”.
Claim 17, line 10, replace “the corresponding” with “a corresponding”.
Claim 18, line 4, replace “the energy” with “energy”.
Claim 18, line 4, replace “of the appliances” with “appliance”.
Claim 18, line 6, replace “smart socket” with “one of the one or more smart sockets”.
Claim 18, line 8, insert “one or more” before “appliances”.
Claim 18, line 9, insert “one or more” before “socket receptacles”.
Claim 18, line 9, insert “one or more” before “smart sockets”.
Claim 19, line 4, insert “one or more” before “appliances”.
Claim 19, line 20, insert “one or more” before “socket receptacles”.
Claim 20, line 2, insert “one or more” before “appliances”.
Claim 20, line 3, insert “one or more” before “smart sockets”.
Claim 20, line 4, replace “appliance” with “appliances”.
Claim 20, line 4, delete “according to the set schedule”.
Appropriate correction is respectfully requested. The Office has presented a significant number of claim objections. The Office respectfully recommends that the claims be further reviewed in detail to ensure proper antecedent support and clarity.
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.
Claims 1-3, 6, 10, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Frader-Thompson et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2009/0195349 A1) (“Frader-Thompson”).
Regarding independent claim 1, Frader-Thompson teaches:
A method for reducing energy consumption of one or more appliances, wherein each of the one or more appliances is plugged into a socket receptacle of one or more socket receptacles of a corresponding one of one or more smart sockets, and wherein each of the one or more smart sockets include a meter for measuring the energy delivered to each of the appliances of the one or more appliances that are plugged into the one or more socket receptacles of the corresponding smart socket, the method comprising: Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0048] (“According to various aspects of the invention, the node may also contain appliance or device determining sensors. These sensors may be based upon radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, other electronic signatures or identifications emanating from the device or appliance, a power signature or profile of the appliance or device, or a manual or automatic pairing process between the appliance or device and the node.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0053] (“FIG. 9 illustrates an inline outlet node with an embedded logging and control circuit according to various embodiments of the present invention. The plug-in node 910 may consist primarily of an internal monitoring and control unit and an on/off button 912. The node may plug into a standard outlet 920 and provides a receptacle to receive a plug of a device or appliance 930.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0126] (“According to various embodiments of the present invention, individual nodes and groups of nodes may switch power on and off, or to varying levels, to minimize or reduce the power consumption of attached appliances and devices, exercise parental controls, enhance safety, or meet other goals of the user, while continuing to provide the ordinary service and convenience to which the user is accustomed... Power savings may be achieved by switching off appliances and devices when they are not in use. Embodiments of the invention contemplate switching off both “active” loads like lights and air conditioners and “inactive” loads like electronic devices that “leak” current when off or in standby mode.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0149] (“In embodiments of the invention, the system may detect when an appliance or device is not in use, or in reduced use, and automatically switch off power, or reduce power, to that device or appliance. Other aspects may contemplate determining ideal use or lack thereof by monitoring related device use, such as the other appliances in the same room or group, or other user power-usage habits.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0161] (“To accommodate unpredictable use of appliances, devices, or groups, embodiments of the invention may also automatically switch off, or reduce, power to an appliance, device, or group that has been in standby mode for a certain length of time.”) [One of the sensors reading a power signature or profile of the appliance reads on “a meter for measuring the energy delivered to each of the appliances of the one or more appliances”.]
over a baseline time period, Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0149] (“Referring to FIG. 19 a, some embodiments may accomplish this by first recording power consumption data and user override events at step 1900. The system may then determine if there are any discernible patterns in power consumption over time on the targeted node at step 1910.”) a supervisor repeatedly receiving from each of the one or more smart sockets a measure of baseline energy over time that is delivered to each of the appliances of the one or more appliances that are plugged into the one or more socket receptacles of the corresponding smart socket; Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0039] (“According to various aspects, the predefined conditions may have been stored internally before installation or written to internal storage, after installation, by either a controller or other application connected to the network. Predefined conditions may include the node sensing a power surge or spike, a new appliance or device being plugged in, an appliance or device entering standby mode, or an indication that the appliance or other power consuming or providing device has been moved. In the case of an electrical outlet, switch, power strip, or other power provisioning device, with multiple separate circuits, each may be treated as an individually addressable node on the network, can be controlled individually, can be mapped and identified individually, and can detect whether an individual appliance or device is plugged in, switched on or off, in an active or standby mode, or any other state information, such as a reduced power mode.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0042] (“In the various embodiments of the invention, nodes may be configured to communicate stored or real-time power data and internal switching states at regular or irregular intervals, when certain optional conditions are met, or when polled. Polling may be performed by the controller or repeater, a computer connected to the network, a mobile device, a remote control, a computer or server connected to the network through a wide-area network such as the Internet, or any other nodes or network connected device. Regular intervals may be on the order of less than a second, or one or more seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. Irregular intervals may be random or change over time; for example, when a node is reset by a user or system command, … senses activity in a connected appliance or device,…”) [The controller or other application connected to the network read on “a supervisor”. At regular time intervals, for each node or appliance connected to a socket, detecting whether an individual appliance or device is plugged in, switched on or off, in an active or standby mode, or any other state information, such as a reduced power mode reads on “repeatedly receiving from each of the one or more smart sockets a measure of baseline energy over time that is delivered to each of the appliances of the one or more appliances that are plugged into the one or more socket receptacles”.]
determining which of the one or more appliances have a power on mode and a power standby mode based at least in part on the measure of baseline energy delivered to each of the appliances during the baseline time period, Frader-Thompson: Paragraphs [0039] and [0042] [As described above.] Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0149] (“The system may then determine if there are any discernible patterns in power consumption over time on the targeted node at step 1910. Here, the system may attempt to identify “modes,” where instantaneous or time-averaged power consumption is predictable. At step 1920, the system then separates modes into “standby/passive” and “active” states. Some aspects of the invention may provide for the separation of multiple active states at this step. At step 1930, the system determines if the standby mode occurs at predictable time periods. In some aspects, these periods could be times of the day, certain days of the week, or other spans of time.”) [The standby/passive state reads on “a power standby mode”.] wherein the power standby mode consumes less power than the power on mode; and Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0123] (“Some constituent elements of an energy signature or power consumption profile may include the amount of power consumed upon startup of the device or appliance, amount of power consumed upon normal or prolonged operation of the device or appliance, resistance of the device or appliance at both startup and during prolonged or normal usage, amount of power or resistance measured from the device or appliance during standby or other reduced power or usage modes, the times of day at which the appliance or device is typically used (e.g., a television or DVD player may be used more frequently in the afternoons or evenings, whereas a coffee maker or espresso machine is more typically used in the mornings), the frequency at which a device or appliance is used, and what other devices are typically used in conjunction with or at the same time as the device or appliance.”)
during subsequent operation, the supervisor identifying when each of the one or more appliances that are identified as having a power standby mode is in its power standby mode, and in response, turning off the socket receptacles of the smart sockets that corresponds to the one or more appliances identified as being in their power standby mode a predetermined time after the corresponding appliance was identified by the supervisor as being in its power standby mode. Frader-Thompson: Paragraphs [0039] and [0042] [As described above.] Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0161] (“To accommodate unpredictable use of appliances, devices, or groups, embodiments of the invention may also automatically switch off, or reduce, power to an appliance, device, or group that has been in standby mode for a certain length of time. In this case, the node(s) may remain switched off until commanded to switch on (by the controller, based on automatic behavior or user command, or by a user through the temporary override button(s) on the node) or may periodically switch on to check the state of the connected appliance or device. In the latter case, the system may switch the power on and wait long enough to ensure that the appliance or device has reached a steady state.”)
Regarding claim 2, Frader-Thompson teaches all the claimed features of claim 1, from which claim 2 depends. Frader-Thompson further teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is programmable. Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0158] (“According to some aspects, scheduling may be based on statistical likelihood--for example, switching the device off during the time interval defined by a number of standard deviations of observations where the device was in the standby mode.”)
Regarding claim 3, Frader-Thompson teaches all the claimed features of claim 1, from which claim 3 depends. Frader-Thompson further teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more smart sockets includes one or more receptacle switches, where each receptacle switch, when in a closed position, allows power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and when in an open position, does not allow power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“Receptacles, individually or together, may contain a switch or other sensor to detect when an appliance or device is plugged in, when the device or appliance is drawing power, or when the device or appliance has entered a standby or other mode. The node may be configured to automatically switch off power in the absence of anything plugged in, through collaboration with a corresponding control node.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0044] (“Switches may be any of the types of switches described above, or further herein, such as a circuit to enable or disable the flow of power.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0144] (“In various embodiments of the invention, switching nodes may be equipped with one or more buttons or other interface elements in order to temporarily cause the entire node or part of the node to toggle or adjust state—in other words, to switch off immediately, or to behave like a normal outlet, or wall switch, or to adjust the flow of power through that outlet [Switch enable reads on “allows power to be delivered” and switch off or disable the flow of power reads on “an open position, does not allow power to be delivered”.]
one or more receptacle switch buttons, wherein each of the one or more receptacle switch buttons, when manually pressed by a user causes the corresponding receptible switch to alternately switch between the open position and the closed position, Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“FIG. 15 illustrates a pass-through node with an embedded logging and communications circuit according to various embodiments of the present invention. The pass-through node 1510 may consist primarily of an internal monitoring and communication unit 1512 and an optional on/off button. The node may be positioned between a power plug 1520 and a standard electrical outlet 1530… These corresponding nodes may communicate information with each other, or with a controller or other device on the network, in order to control the attached appliance or device. In some of these embodiments, an optional button may act in concert with any corresponding nodes to allow a user to conduct a temporary override of the node, overriding the energy network system as more fully described below. In various embodiments of the invention, the pass-through node may be powered separately via batteries or through the connection with the standard outlet and appliance or device's completed circuit. Other embodiments of the invention may provide a button for each of the receptacles available for devices or appliances, if multiple pass-through receptacles are present. In other embodiments, the button may be replaced with a switch, dimmer, or other mechanism for controlling the attached appliance or device.”)
the method further comprising: allowing a user to manually turn on the socket receptacle of the smart socket that corresponds to an appliance that was turned off by the supervisor by manually pressing the corresponding receptacle switch button. Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0046] (“Button 706 may allow a user to conduct a temporary override of the node, overriding the energy network system as more fully described below.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0161] (“In this case, the node(s) may remain switched off until commanded to switch on (by the controller, based on automatic behavior or user command, or by a user through the temporary override button(s) on the node) or may periodically switch on to check the state of the connected appliance or device.”)
Regarding claim 6, Frader-Thompson teaches all the claimed features of claim 1, from which claim 6 depends. Frader-Thompson further teaches:
The method of claim 1, further comprising: setting a schedule for each of one or more of the appliances; and the supervisor turning the socket receptacles of the smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliance with a set schedule on and off according to the set schedule. Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0127] (“Nodes may switch power on and off, or to varying levels, in response to commands from the controller. The controller may consult a schedule defined by the user, any predefined or previously configured settings (such as those described above, including automated setup), and may further adjust to or adapt to changing conditions sensed by the system. These conditions may include inputs from other nodes and sensors, such as buttons and switches, occupancy sensors, electrical activity on other nodes, or any other sensors disclosed herein.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0140] (“A schedule profile may define the switching, or other power regulating, behavior for individual appliances and devices and groups thereof.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0147] (“In various embodiments, data gathered by the system may also be used by the controller, or other connected device, to improve the switching control schedule or settings without requiring direct input from the user.”)
Regarding claim 10, Frader-Thompson teaches all the claimed features of claim 1, from which claim 10 depends. Frader-Thompson further teaches:
The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more smart sockets comprises: a housing that houses: one or more socket receptacles each for receiving an electrical plug of an appliance; one or more power connections for connecting to a power source; a power input port for receiving input power from the one or more power connections; Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0046] (“FIG. 7 illustrates an electrical outlet node with an integrated logging and control circuit according to various embodiments of the present invention. This node may consist primarily of a monitoring and control unit 702, connected to a printed circuit board 704 and an on/off button 706. The node preferably fits in a standard junction box 710, or alternatively may replace the junction box, and may be connected to the home or office wiring 720. In various embodiments, each receptacle may be individually monitored and/or switched. Button 706 may allow a user to conduct a temporary override of the node, overriding the energy network system as more fully described below. Other embodiments of the invention may provide a button for each of the outlets on a receptacle, such as outlets 708 and 709 in the exemplary FIG. 7. In other embodiments, the button may be replaced with a switch, dimmer, or other mechanism for controlling the node. Receptacles, individually or together, may contain a switch or other sensor to detect when an appliance or device is plugged in (as in 730), when the device or appliance is drawing power, or when the device or appliance has entered a standby or other mode. The receptacle may be configured to automatically switch off power in the absence of anything plugged in.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0073] (“In various embodiments of the invention, the clamp-on current transducer node may be powered separately via batteries or power leads.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“FIG. 15 illustrates a pass-through node with an embedded logging and communications circuit according to various embodiments of the present invention. The pass-through node 1510 may consist primarily of an internal monitoring and communication unit 1512 and an optional on/off button. The node may be positioned between a power plug 1520 and a standard electrical outlet 1530. The pass-through section of the node is very thin to minimize the effective amount of length lost by the plug's blades 1522. In some of the various embodiments, with the pass-through node in place, the appliance or device's power plug inserts normally into a standard receptacle. The node may contain a monitoring and communication circuit that makes contact with one or more pins or blades, and/or a circuit containing one or more windings of a conductor around one or more pins or blades. These circuits enable the pass-through node to measure the voltage and current running to the appliance or device without connecting measurement equipment in series with the power plug. In various embodiments, the pass-through node may have multiple receptacles in which to plug multiple devices or appliances through. In various embodiments, each pass-through receptacle may be individually monitored.”) [As shown in FIGS. 7 and 15, the electrical outlet includes a housing. The power plug connection to the outlet node reads on “a power input port”.]
one or more receptacle switches each operatively coupled between the power input port and a corresponding socket receptacle, each receptacle switch, when in a closed position, allows power to pass from the power input port to the corresponding socket receptacle, and when in an open position, does not allow power to pass from the power input port to the corresponding socket receptacle; Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“Receptacles, individually or together, may contain a switch or other sensor to detect when an appliance or device is plugged in, when the device or appliance is drawing power, or when the device or appliance has entered a standby or other mode. The node may be configured to automatically switch off power in the absence of anything plugged in, through collaboration with a corresponding control node.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0044] (“Switches may be any of the types of switches described above, or further herein, such as a circuit to enable or disable the flow of power.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0144] (“In various embodiments of the invention, switching nodes may be equipped with one or more buttons or other interface elements in order to temporarily cause the entire node or part of the node to toggle or adjust state—in other words, to switch off immediately, or to behave like a normal outlet, or wall switch, or to adjust the flow of power through that outlet.”) [Switch enable reads on “allows power to pass” and switch off or disable the flow of power reads on “an open position, does not allow power to pass”.]
one or more receptacle switch buttons accessible from outside of the housing, wherein each of the one or more receptacle switch buttons, when manually pressed by a user causes the corresponding receptible switch to alternately switch between the open position and the closed position; Frader-Thompson: Paragraphs [0044], [0046] [0077], and [0144] [As described above.]
a meter for capturing a measure of energy delivered to each of the one or more socket receptacles; Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0048] [As described in claim 1.] Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0046] [As described above.]
a wireless communication circuit for wirelessly communicating over a wireless mesh network; Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0098] (“In another embodiment, a plug-in configuration tool may be used. Here, the plug-in tool may be plugged into each node to be configured. In some aspects, the plug-in tool may electronically handshake or otherwise connect with the connected node, and determines the type of node connected and any other node identifying information (such as version number, serial number, other universally or locally unique information, or physical orientation of the node). The plug-in tool may also optionally determine the category of device or appliance connected to the node or any other device or appliance identifying information (such as version number, serial number, or other universally or locally unique information). The plug-in tool may send received configuration information to the controller through any networking technology contained herein. In some embodiments where the plug-in tool has a display, the user can select an option on the display (e.g., select from a list of rooms or zones that the user previously defined with the dashboard) or enter new information (e.g., with a miniature keyboard). In some aspects, the plug-in tool may have been preconfigured (e.g., the user might use the dashboard to configure the tool to identify all nodes located in a certain room, plug the tool into each node in that room, then return to the dashboard to set up the next room/zone).”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0083] (“According to various embodiments of the invention, nodes may communicate with each other, the controller, and other devices listed herein via a low-power wireless, powerline network, or any other network system or technology known to those in the art. The network topology may be star, tree, or mesh. Example wireless network standards include ZigBee and Z-Wave. Messages are transmitted in XML, CSV, or other text or binary format. Some nodes may operate only as endpoints, while others may operate as repeaters.”)
a controller operatively coupled to the one or more receptacle switches, the meter and the wireless communication circuit, the controller configured to: Frader-Thompson: Paragraphs [0083] and [0098] [As described above.]
repeatedly receive from the meter the measure of energy delivered to each of the one or more socket receptacles; Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0033] (“The display unit may contain components such as temperature sensors (thermocouple or thermistors), occupancy sensors, wireless signal detectors, RFID sensors, barcode or magnetic card sensors, biometric sensors, or any other sensor known to one of ordinary skill in the art.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“The node may contain a monitoring and communication circuit that makes contact with one or more pins or blades, and/or a circuit containing one or more windings of a conductor around one or more pins or blades. These circuits enable the pass-through node to measure the voltage and current running to the appliance or device without connecting measurement equipment in series with the power plug. In various embodiments, the pass-through node may have multiple receptacles in which to plug multiple devices or appliances through. In various embodiments, each pass-through receptacle may be individually monitored.”)
repeatedly transmit via the wireless communication circuit the measure of energy delivered to each of the one or more socket receptacles; and receive one or more commands via the wireless communication circuit, including a command that causes the controller to switch one or more of the receptacle switches between the closed position and the open position. Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0043] (“In some aspects of the invention, nodes may communicate power data, switching state, status data, or any other sensor information to controllers, displays, other nodes, or any other device connected to the network, continually, intermittently, or when predefined conditions are met. Predefined conditions for the communication of data may include a user override event, a switch or button activation (on either the node or device connected to the node) by the user, a power surge or spike, an appliance or device being plugged in to an outlet, a light bulb burning out, a certain instantaneous or average power level on an attached appliance or device being reached, a certain quantity of W-hr or kW-hr consumed by an attached appliance or device, or standby or active mode being detected in an attached device. Other types of data and predefined conditions available to the system will be appreciated by those in the art.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0047] (“The node may transmit its location along with any information about the controlled device or appliance and monitoring and control data to the network for use by the system. In other aspects, the nodes may interpret or acquire control signals or commands directed to the location the node is presently connected.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0048] (“The node may transmit the identity of the connected appliance or device, along with any other information previously described, to the network for use by the system. In other aspects, the nodes may interpret or acquire control signals or commands directed to the type of appliance or device connected, or the specific appliance or device connected.”)
Regarding independent claim 18, Frader-Thompson teaches:
A method for reducing energy consumption of one or more appliances, wherein each of the one or more appliances is plugged into a socket receptacle of one or more socket receptacles of a corresponding one of one or more smart sockets, and wherein each of the one or more smart sockets include a meter for measuring the energy delivered to each of the appliances of the one or more appliances that are plugged into the one or more socket receptacles of the corresponding smart socket, the method comprising: Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0048] (“According to various aspects of the invention, the node may also contain appliance or device determining sensors. These sensors may be based upon radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, other electronic signatures or identifications emanating from the device or appliance, a power signature or profile of the appliance or device, or a manual or automatic pairing process between the appliance or device and the node.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0053] (“FIG. 9 illustrates an inline outlet node with an embedded logging and control circuit according to various embodiments of the present invention. The plug-in node 910 may consist primarily of an internal monitoring and control unit and an on/off button 912. The node may plug into a standard outlet 920 and provides a receptacle to receive a plug of a device or appliance 930.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0126] (“According to various embodiments of the present invention, individual nodes and groups of nodes may switch power on and off, or to varying levels, to minimize or reduce the power consumption of attached appliances and devices, exercise parental controls, enhance safety, or meet other goals of the user, while continuing to provide the ordinary service and convenience to which the user is accustomed... Power savings may be achieved by switching off appliances and devices when they are not in use. Embodiments of the invention contemplate switching off both “active” loads like lights and air conditioners and “inactive” loads like electronic devices that “leak” current when off or in standby mode.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0149] (“In embodiments of the invention, the system may detect when an appliance or device is not in use, or in reduced use, and automatically switch off power, or reduce power, to that device or appliance. Other aspects may contemplate determining ideal use or lack thereof by monitoring related device use, such as the other appliances in the same room or group, or other user power-usage habits.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0161] (“To accommodate unpredictable use of appliances, devices, or groups, embodiments of the invention may also automatically switch off, or reduce, power to an appliance, device, or group that has been in standby mode for a certain length of time.”) [One of the sensors reading a power signature or profile of the appliance reads on “a meter for measuring the energy delivered to each of the appliances of the one or more appliances”.]
identifying when each of the one or more appliances is in a power standby mode by monitoring the energy delivered to each of the appliances; and Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0039] (“According to various aspects, the predefined conditions may have been stored internally before installation or written to internal storage, after installation, by either a controller or other application connected to the network. Predefined conditions may include the node sensing a power surge or spike, a new appliance or device being plugged in, an appliance or device entering standby mode, or an indication that the appliance or other power consuming or providing device has been moved. In the case of an electrical outlet, switch, power strip, or other power provisioning device, with multiple separate circuits, each may be treated as an individually addressable node on the network, can be controlled individually, can be mapped and identified individually, and can detect whether an individual appliance or device is plugged in, switched on or off, in an active or standby mode, or any other state information, such as a reduced power mode.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0042] (“In the various embodiments of the invention, nodes may be configured to communicate stored or real-time power data and internal switching states at regular or irregular intervals, when certain optional conditions are met, or when polled. Polling may be performed by the controller or repeater, a computer connected to the network, a mobile device, a remote control, a computer or server connected to the network through a wide-area network such as the Internet, or any other nodes or network connected device. Regular intervals may be on the order of less than a second, or one or more seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. Irregular intervals may be random or change over time; for example, when a node is reset by a user or system command, … senses activity in a connected appliance or device,…”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0149] (“The system may then determine if there are any discernible patterns in power consumption over time on the targeted node at step 1910. Here, the system may attempt to identify “modes,” where instantaneous or time-averaged power consumption is predictable. At step 1920, the system then separates modes into “standby/passive” and “active” states. Some aspects of the invention may provide for the separation of multiple active states at this step. At step 1930, the system determines if the standby mode occurs at predictable time periods. In some aspects, these periods could be times of the day, certain days of the week, or other spans of time.”) [The standby/passive state reads on “a power standby mode”.]
turning off the socket receptacles of the smart sockets that corresponds to the one or more appliances identified as being in their power standby mode. Frader-Thompson: Paragraphs [0039] and [0042] [As described above.] Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0161] (“To accommodate unpredictable use of appliances, devices, or groups, embodiments of the invention may also automatically switch off, or reduce, power to an appliance, device, or group that has been in standby mode for a certain length of time. In this case, the node(s) may remain switched off until commanded to switch on (by the controller, based on automatic behavior or user command, or by a user through the temporary override button(s) on the node) or may periodically switch on to check the state of the connected appliance or device. In the latter case, the system may switch the power on and wait long enough to ensure that the appliance or device has reached a steady state.”)
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
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.
Claims 4, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frader-Thompson, in view of Jonsson et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2011/0095608 A1) (“Jonsson”).
Regarding claim 4, Frader-Thompson teaches all the claimed features of claim 1, from which claim 4 depends. Frader-Thompson does not expressly teach the features of claim 4. However, Jonsson describes a power node provides energy management features. Jonsson teaches:
The method of claim 1, further comprising: the supervisor identifying when one or more of the appliances that are plugged into a socket receptacle of one or more socket receptacles is currently consuming energy that is above a threshold energy level; and the supervisor automatically turning off the socket receptacles of the one or more smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliances that are identified as currently consuming energy that is above the threshold energy level. Jonsson: Paragraph [0038] (“In some embodiments an over current protection system (“OCPS”) 313 is implemented in the processor. The metering system totalizes power consumption for each outlet 206 to produce a meter report. In some embodiments an over current protection system (“OCPS”) 313 is implemented in the processor. The over current protection system compares measured current for each socket 206 and for all sockets against safety limits and disconnects offending appliances in case of excess loads. And, in some embodiments a change detection system (“CDS”) 311 is implemented in the processor. These systems are discussed more fully below.”) Jonsson: Paragraph [0058] (“Outlets can also be turned on and off under program control. For example, under program control an outlet's state may be selected based on one or more of time, a selected load, energy pricing, power consumption during a particular period of time, environmental conditions, or other data available to a processor in signal communication with the power node I/O block 208.”) [The processor detecting the offending appliance connected to a smart socket as an excess load reads on “the supervisor… turning off the socket receptacles of the one or more smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliances that are identified as currently consuming energy that is above the threshold energy level”.]
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Frader-Thompson and Jonsson before them, for each of the one or more smart sockets includes one or more receptacle switches, where each receptacle switch, when in a closed position, allows power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and when in an open position, does not allow power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and one or more receptacle switch buttons, wherein each of the one or more receptacle switch buttons, when manually pressed by a user causes the corresponding receptible switch to alternately switch between the open position and the closed position because the references are in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention and they are focused on regulating energy consumption.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would protect appliances and sockets against exceeding safety limits. Jonsson Paragraph [0038]
Regarding claim 19, Frader-Thompson teaches all the claimed features of claim 18, from which claim 19 depends. Frader-Thompson does not expressly teach the features of claim 19. However, Jonsson describes a power node provides energy management features. Jonsson teaches:
The method of claim 18, further comprising: identifying when each of the one or more of the appliances is currently consuming energy that is above a threshold energy level by monitoring the energy delivered to each of the appliances; and automatically turning off the socket receptacles of the one or more smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliances that are identified as currently consuming energy that is above the threshold energy level. Jonsson: Paragraph [0038] (“In some embodiments an over current protection system (“OCPS”) 313 is implemented in the processor. The metering system totalizes power consumption for each outlet 206 to produce a meter report. In some embodiments an over current protection system (“OCPS”) 313 is implemented in the processor. The over current protection system compares measured current for each socket 206 and for all sockets against safety limits and disconnects offending appliances in case of excess loads. And, in some embodiments a change detection system (“CDS”) 311 is implemented in the processor. These systems are discussed more fully below.”) Jonsson: Paragraph [0058] (“Outlets can also be turned on and off under program control. For example, under program control an outlet's state may be selected based on one or more of time, a selected load, energy pricing, power consumption during a particular period of time, environmental conditions, or other data available to a processor in signal communication with the power node I/O block 208.”) [The processor detecting the offending appliance connected to a smart socket as an excess load reads on “the supervisor… turning off the socket receptacles of the one or more smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliances that are identified as currently consuming energy that is above the threshold energy level”.]
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Frader-Thompson and Jonsson before them, for each of the one or more smart sockets includes one or more receptacle switches, where each receptacle switch, when in a closed position, allows power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and when in an open position, does not allow power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and one or more receptacle switch buttons, wherein each of the one or more receptacle switch buttons, when manually pressed by a user causes the corresponding receptible switch to alternately switch between the open position and the closed position because the references are in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention and they are focused on regulating energy consumption.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would protect appliances and sockets against exceeding safety limits. Jonsson Paragraph [0038]
Regarding claim 20, Frader-Thompson and Jonsson teach all the claimed features of claim 19, from which claim 20 depends. Frader-Thompson further teaches:
The method of claim 19, further comprising: assigning a schedule to each of one or more of the appliances; and turning the socket receptacles of the smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliance with a set schedule on and off according to the set schedule. Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0127] (“Nodes may switch power on and off, or to varying levels, in response to commands from the controller. The controller may consult a schedule defined by the user, any predefined or previously configured settings (such as those described above, including automated setup), and may further adjust to or adapt to changing conditions sensed by the system. These conditions may include inputs from other nodes and sensors, such as buttons and switches, occupancy sensors, electrical activity on other nodes, or any other sensors disclosed herein.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0140] (“A schedule profile may define the switching, or other power regulating, behavior for individual appliances and devices and groups thereof.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0147] (“In various embodiments, data gathered by the system may also be used by the controller, or other connected device, to improve the switching control schedule or settings without requiring direct input from the user.”)
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frader-Thompson, in view of Jonsson, and further in view of Kim et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2018/0006492 A1) (“Kim”).
Regarding claim 5, Frader-Thompson and Jonsson teach all the claimed features of claim 4, from which claim 5 depends. Frader-Thompson and Jonsson do not expressly teach the features of claim 5. However, Eckelkamp describes a smart home system. Eckelkamp teaches:
The method of claim 4, wherein each of the one or more smart sockets includes one or more receptacle switches, where each receptacle switch, when in a closed position, allows power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and when in an open position, does not allow power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“Receptacles, individually or together, may contain a switch or other sensor to detect when an appliance or device is plugged in, when the device or appliance is drawing power, or when the device or appliance has entered a standby or other mode. The node may be configured to automatically switch off power in the absence of anything plugged in, through collaboration with a corresponding control node.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0044] (“Switches may be any of the types of switches described above, or further herein, such as a circuit to enable or disable the flow of power.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0144] (“In various embodiments of the invention, switching nodes may be equipped with one or more buttons or other interface elements in order to temporarily cause the entire node or part of the node to toggle or adjust state—in other words, to switch off immediately, or to behave like a normal outlet, or wall switch, or to adjust the flow of power through that outlet [Switch enable reads on “allows power to be delivered” and switch off or disable the flow of power reads on “an open position, does not allow power to be delivered”.]
one or more receptacle switch buttons, wherein each of the one or more receptacle switch buttons, when manually pressed by a user causes the corresponding receptible switch to alternately switch between the open position and the closed position, the method further comprising:… Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“FIG. 15 illustrates a pass-through node with an embedded logging and communications circuit according to various embodiments of the present invention. The pass-through node 1510 may consist primarily of an internal monitoring and communication unit 1512 and an optional on/off button. The node may be positioned between a power plug 1520 and a standard electrical outlet 1530… These corresponding nodes may communicate information with each other, or with a controller or other device on the network, in order to control the attached appliance or device. In some of these embodiments, an optional button may act in concert with any corresponding nodes to allow a user to conduct a temporary override of the node, overriding the energy network system as more fully described below. In various embodiments of the invention, the pass-through node may be powered separately via batteries or through the connection with the standard outlet and appliance or device's completed circuit. Other embodiments of the invention may provide a button for each of the receptacles available for devices or appliances, if multiple pass-through receptacles are present. In other embodiments, the button may be replaced with a switch, dimmer, or other mechanism for controlling the attached appliance or device.”)
Frader-Thompson and Jonsson do not expressly teach “preventing a user from manually turn on the socket receptacles of the one or more smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliances that are identified as currently consuming energy that is above the threshold energy level and turned off by the supervisor by manually pressing the corresponding receptacle switch button.” However, Kim describes an energy management system. Kim teaches:
…preventing a user from manually turn on the socket receptacles of the one or more smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliances that are identified as currently consuming energy that is above the threshold energy level and turned off by the supervisor by manually pressing the corresponding receptacle switch button. Kim: Paragraph [0034] (“The system is also designed so that, when a request for managing peak power is received from a smart grid, the devices managed during the time are prevented from being manually powered on.”) Kim: Paragraph [0083] (“According to an embodiment of the present invention, there may be provided a means (refer to FIG. 7) that forcedly cuts off power to a power line so that a designated device cannot manually be used where the power the device has been cut off from power supply upon receiving a request for managing peak power from a smart grid to manage peak power.”) Kim: Paragraph [0085] (“…remote control commands sent or received to/from the master device or slave device to be allowed by a Wi-Fi (or Z-wave, or in the future, Li-Fi)-supportive computer, smartphone, and tablet PC, enabling device control and data analysis through a user-friendly bi-lateral interface of PC software and app, instead of existing button-type driving remote controllers which have little or no chance of being upgraded with new functionalities in the future.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Frader-Thompson, Jonsson, and Kim before them, for preventing a user from manually turn on the socket receptacles of the one or more smart sockets that correspond to the one or more appliances that are identified as currently consuming energy that is above the threshold energy level because the references are in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention and they are focused on smart sockets or receptacles.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for an efficient use of energy. Kim Paragraph [0026]
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frader-Thompson, in view of Sami (US Patent Publication No. 2015/0331396 A1) (“Sami”).
Regarding claim 7, Frader-Thompson teaches all the claimed features of claim 6, from which claim 7 depends. Frader-Thompson further teaches:
The method of claim 6, wherein each of the one or more smart sockets includes one or more receptacle switches, where each receptacle switch, when in a closed position, allows power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and when in an open position, does not allow power to be delivered to the corresponding socket receptacle, and Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“Receptacles, individually or together, may contain a switch or other sensor to detect when an appliance or device is plugged in, when the device or appliance is drawing power, or when the device or appliance has entered a standby or other mode. The node may be configured to automatically switch off power in the absence of anything plugged in, through collaboration with a corresponding control node.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0044] (“Switches may be any of the types of switches described above, or further herein, such as a circuit to enable or disable the flow of power.”) Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0144] (“In various embodiments of the invention, switching nodes may be equipped with one or more buttons or other interface elements in order to temporarily cause the entire node or part of the node to toggle or adjust state—in other words, to switch off immediately, or to behave like a normal outlet, or wall switch, or to adjust the flow of power through that outlet [Switch enable reads on “allows power to be delivered” and switch off or disable the flow of power reads on “an open position, does not allow power to be delivered”.]
one or more receptacle switch buttons, wherein each of the one or more receptacle switch buttons, when manually pressed by a user causes the corresponding receptible switch to alternately switch between the open position and the closed position, the method further comprising:… Frader-Thompson: Paragraph [0077] (“FIG. 15 illustrates a pass-through node with an embedded logging and communications circuit according to various embodiments of the present invention. The pass-through node 1510 may consist primarily of an internal monitoring and communication unit 1512 and an optional on/off button. The node may be positioned between a power plug 1520 and a standard electrical outlet 1530… These corresponding nodes may communicate information with each other, or with a controller or other device on the network, in order to control the attached appliance or device. In some of these embodiments, an optional button may act in concert with any corresponding nodes to allow a user to conduct a temporary override of the node, overriding the energy network system as more fully described below. In various embodiments of the invention, the pass-through node may be powered separately via batteries or through the connection with the standard outlet and appliance or device's completed circuit. Other embodiments of the invention may provide a button for each of the receptacles available for devices or appliances, if multiple pass-through receptacles are present. In other embodiments, the button may be replaced with a switch, dimmer, or other mechanism for controlling the attached appliance or device.”)
Frader-Thompson does not expressly teach “allowing a user to manually turn on the socket receptacle of the smart socket that corresponds to a first appliance that was turned off by the supervisor in accordance with the set schedule by manually pressing the corresponding receptacle switch button.” However, Sami describes automating electrical devices. Sami teaches:
…allowing a user to manually turn on the socket receptacle of the smart socket that corresponds to a first appliance that was turned off by the supervisor in accordance with the set schedule by manually pressing the corresponding receptacle switch button. Sami: Paragraph [0032] (“FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 respectively represent an electrical block diagram of the outlet box control unit 14, the wall socket control unit 16…”) Sami: Paragraph [0039] (“In addition to the previously described components of the outlet box control unit 14, the wall plate switch control unit 18 includes a button 80 which is coupled to the microcontroller 50. The button 80 is accessible by a user and is configured to turn on or to turn off a connected electrical device by a user input. The button 80 is surrounded by at least one light that indicates to the user when the wall plate control unit 18 is about to perform an action.”) Sami: Paragraph [0058] (“As can be seen from the user interface screen 200, each of the units 12 is controllable by being configured to be manually scheduled to be manually turned on or off. Selection of the buttons at the user interface screen 200 manually turns on or off the associated appliance 34 through control by the units 12. The application residing in the communication device 20, which is being used by the user, is configured to store the manually controlled operations as well as the times at which units 12 manually controlled operations occur, and therefore the electrical devices 34 are turned on and off. This information is stored in the memory of the communication devices 20 and in the cloud 32. In addition, the same screen 200 including one and off times is used to provide a manually entered time schedule, as opposed to the previously described learned time schedule.”) Sami: Paragraph [0059] (“Because each user has access to the system application and can program the system application to his or hers time schedule, a schedule for one or more of the units 12 may be in conflict. For example, a first user may schedule a light bulb to turn on at 7:00 am and turn off at 8:00 am while a second user may schedule the same light bulb to turn on at 6:45 am and turn off at 7:30 am. The device 12 is configured, in one embodiment, to resolve the schedule conflicts based on a plurality of secondary factors. The designated administrator, for instance, overrides the schedule input by the other user.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Frader-Thompson and Sami before them, for allowing a user to manually turn on the socket receptacle of the smart socket that corresponds to a first appliance that was turned off by the supervisor in accordance with the set schedule by manually pressing the corresponding receptacle switch button because the references are in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow a user to enable control of devices based on a schedule and override schedule settings. Sami Paragraph [0059]
Regarding claim 8, Frader-Thompson and Sami teach all the claimed features of claim 7, from which claim 8 depends. Sami further teaches:
The method of claim 7, the method further comprising: preventing the user from manually turn on the socket receptacle of the smart socket that corresponds to a second appliance that was turned off by the supervisor in accordance with the set schedule by manually pressing the corresponding receptacle switch button. Sami: Paragraph [0032] and [0039] [As described in claim 7.] Sami: Paragraph [0060] (“In other embodiments, manual operation of a controllable input device, such as a toggle, a switch, or user interface at the units 12 generally overrides any previously entered rules for controlling the device. In addition, manual control is achieved in other embodiments, through the user interface 200 of FIG. 8. In other configurations, the predetermined schedule overrides the manual input as previously described. For example, if an administrative user desires to limit the number of hours per day that a specific device is utilized, such as a television or gaming console, the device 12 is programmed to ignore even operation responsive to a manual input designating a desired operation. For example, in other embodiments, the administrator programs a light to be off during a child's nap time and to be unaffected by manual input through a wall or other light switch. In this situation, the programming prevents the light from being turned on by the child who does not wish to take the nap.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Frader-Thompson, Eckelkamp, and Sami before them, for preventing the user from manually turn on the socket receptacle of the smart socket that corresponds to a second appliance that was turned off by the supervisor in accordance with the set schedule by manually pressing the corresponding receptacle switch button because the references are in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would prevent unauthorized users from changing device operation based on a schedule. Sami Paragraphs [0039], [0059], and [0060]
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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.
The subject matter of claims 11-17 is found to be allowable over the prior art of record and would be considered allowable.
While the prior art shows monitoring and controlling the energy consumption and generation of devices in a household using smart sockets (see Frader-Thompson et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2009/0195349 A1); Jonsson et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2011/0095608 A1); Sami (US Patent Publication No. 2015/0331396 A1); Kim et al. (US Patent Publication No. 2018/0006492 A1); Lee (US Patent Publication No. 2012/0201062 A1); CN201860002U to Sai et al.; US Patent Publication No. 2022/0215740 A1 to Eckelkamp et al.), the prior art, individually or combined, does not teach or suggest “establishing a standby energy threshold for each of the one or more appliances that are identified as having a power standby mode based at least in part on the measure of baseline energy delivered to each of the appliances during the baseline time period” as recited in claim 9 and as recited in independent claim 11. It is this concept that defines the present application over the prior art of record. In view of their dependencies to an allowed claim, claims 12-17 are allowed.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN201860002U to Zhou et al. describes an intelligent socket, which includes a socket, and the socket includes: a power jack, a current detection module for detecting the current in the power jack, an electronic switch arranged on the power line of the socket, and a receiving current detection module to send The signal and the control system that controls the electronic switch. The utility model can automatically detect the working current of the power supply line, calculate the threshold level of each line through algorithm calculation, and set the threshold level automatically or manually. Level comparison, to judge whether the electrical appliance on the line is in the standby state, if it is detected that the electrical appliance on the line is in the standby state, the control system will automatically disconnect the power circuit through the electronic switch after a period of time, thereby greatly reducing the electric energy caused by the electrical standby loss, prolong the service life of electrical appliances, and avoid potential safety hazards.
US Patent Publication No. 2022/0215740 A1 to Eckelkamp et al. describes in Paragraph [0058] (“The smart electrical power outlet 34A includes a user interface 126 comprising a user input 128 and a user output 130. In the illustrated embodiment, the user input 128 comprises a button 128A (broadly, “actuator”). For example, the button 28A could be used to activate (e.g., turn on) or deactivate (e.g., turn off) the smart outlet and/or to act as an override to settings of the smart outlet to manually turn the outlet on to supply power to the device connected thereto. The button could be a push button, a toggle, and/or a capacitive touch sensor. When the smart outlet is turned on, a switch 113 of the outlet is closed, to permit electrical power to flow through the plug from the electrical power supply connector 114 to the electrical power output connector 114. The switch 113 could be an electronic switch or a mechanical switch. The user output 130 includes an indicator 130A such as an LED (e.g., illuminated icon on button 128A) to indicate status information to the user. For example, the indicator 130A could indicate whether the smart outlet 34A is on or off. The smart electrical outlet 34A receives power from the electrical receptacle S in which the smart electrical outlet is plugged and thus does not need a battery power source, but such could be provided as a backup without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.”)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALICIA M. CHOI whose telephone number is (571)272-1473. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.
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/ALICIA M. CHOI/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2117