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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Beland et al. (US 7734159).
Beland discloses in reference to claim:
A scent dispensing device 10, comprising: a body 16 with a plurality of vial bays 14; a cover 12 configured to be positioned on the body to hide the plurality of vial bays; and a controller 32 configured to receive a signal to dispense a scent and cause a scent to be dispensed from one or more of a first scent vial 14, a second scent vial 14, and a third scent vial 14 positioned within the plurality of vial bays based on instructions remotely provided from a dispenser management application.
Beland discloses: (34) A plurality of switches 32 are disposed on the housing 12 for controlling the correspondingly positioned fans 28 by turning them on or off and adjusting the speed and/or direction of the fans while on. Multiple fans 28 may be turned on at the same time and the respective speeds thereof adjusted independently so that a user may selectively disperse a single volatile material 18 or multiple volatile materials and also adjust the intensity of the dispersion. A holder 34 is included in the form of a plate 36 or engagement structure 38 for holding additional or refill receptacles. Additionally, the housing 12 includes a power input 40 for receiving power from a standard wall outlet. A communication port 42 is also disposed on the housing 12 for allowing a user to remotely control the device 10. The communication port 42 may be responsive to a wireless signal, for example via wireless internet or a cellular signal, or may include a cable connection to a computer or other remote device.
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2. The scent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the cover 12 is a removable cover. The nature of a housing 12 into which items are mounted is to be removable from the items housed therein.
3. The scent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bays includes a first bay and a second bay, the first bay and the second bay being adjacently situated. See figure 4
4. The scent dispensing device of claim 3, further comprising: a switching mechanism 32 configured to switch between the first bay and the second bay based on the instructions provided from a dispenser management application.
(34) A plurality of switches 32 are disposed on the housing 12 for controlling the correspondingly positioned fans 28 by turning them on or off and adjusting the speed and/or direction of the fans while on. Multiple fans 28 may be turned on at the same time and the respective speeds thereof adjusted independently so that a user may selectively disperse a single volatile material 18 or multiple volatile materials and also adjust the intensity of the dispersion.
5. The scent dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of heating elements 50 disposed in the body in association with the plurality of vial bays, wherein when the controller causes the scent to be dispensed from one or more of the first scent vial, the second scent vial, and the third scent vial positioned within the plurality of vial bays, the controller causes one or more of the plurality of heating elements to heat the one or more of the first scent vial, the second scent vial, and the third scent vial to cause the scent to be dispensed.
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(36) FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B show various embodiments that allow a user to selectively control the dispersion of volatile materials contained in multiple receptacles. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate embodiments where the dispersion is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the surface area of the wick exposed to the airflow. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate embodiments where one or more heating elements are used to adjust dispersion. Each of the embodiments in FIGS. 6A-7B may be adapted for use, either singly or in combination, with the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5B or any other suitable arrangement that allows the contents of receptacles containing volatile material to be placed into one or more controllable airflows.
6. The scent dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising: a wireless interface 42 configured to facilitate a wirelessly communication between the controller and the dispenser management application (computer or other remote device).
A communication port 42 is also disposed on the housing 12 for allowing a user to remotely control the device 10. The communication port 42 may be responsive to a wireless signal, for example via wireless internet or a cellular signal, or may include a cable connection to a computer or other remote device.
7. The scent dispensing device of claim 6, wherein the dispenser management application (computer or other remote device) is configured to receive control data from a client device (scent dispenser 10), the control data representing a request to change a scent setting and wherein the dispenser management application (computer etc…) is configured to provide the control data using the wireless interface 42 to the controller 32 to cause the control data to change the scent setting.
Beland discloses: (34) A plurality of switches 32 are disposed on the housing 12 for controlling the correspondingly positioned fans 28 (and alternatively or additionally the heating elements 50) by turning them on or off and adjusting the speed and/or direction of the fans while on. Multiple fans 28 (and alternatively or additionally the heating elements 50) may be turned on at the same time and the respective speeds thereof adjusted independently so that a user may selectively disperse a single volatile material 18 or multiple volatile materials and also adjust the intensity of the dispersion. A holder 34 is included in the form of a plate 36 or engagement structure 38 for holding additional or refill receptacles. Additionally, the housing 12 includes a power input 40 for receiving power from a standard wall outlet. A communication port 42 is also disposed on the housing 12 for allowing a user to remotely control the device 10. The communication port 42 may be responsive to a wireless signal, for example via wireless internet or a cellular signal, or may include a cable connection to a computer or other remote device.
The above explanation applies mutatis mutandis to claims 8-14.
8. A method comprising: receiving via a computer network a request to dispense one or more scents from a scent dispensing device, the scent dispensing device including a body with a plurality of vial bays including a first scent vial, a second scent vial, and a third scent vial positioned within the plurality of vial bays and a plurality of heating elements where each heating element is associated with a vial bay of the plurality of vial bays; determining which heating elements of the plurality of heating elements are associated with the request to dispense the one or more scents; and causing the scent dispensing device to dispense the one or more scents by sending instructions to the determined heating elements of the plurality of heating elements to heat up one or more of the first scent vial, the second scent vial, and the third scent vial. See above.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the scent dispensing device includes a cover configured to be positioned over the plurality of vial bays. See above.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of vial bays includes a first by and a second bay, the first bay and the second bay being adjacently situated. See above.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein sending instructions to the determined heating elements of the plurality of heating elements further comprises sending instructions to a switching mechanism of the scent dispensing device, the switching mechanism being configured to switch between the first vial bay and the second vial bay based on the instructions. See above.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the request to dispense one or more scents from the scent dispensing device further comprises a request to dispense a first scent from the first scent vial and a request to dispense a second scent from the second scent vial. See above.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first scent is dispensed from the first scent vial and the second scent is dispensed from the second scent vial simultaneously. See above.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first scent is dispensed simultaneously with the second scent by heating multiple heating elements. See above.
15. A scent dispensing device 10, comprising: a body 16 with a first vial bay, a second vial bay, and a third vial bay (see figure 4), the first vial bay including a first scent in a first scent vial, the second vial bay including a second scent in a second scent vial, and the third vial bay including a third scent in a third scent vial; a cover 12 configured to be positioned on the body 16 to hide the first vial bay, the second vial bay, and the third vial bay; and a controller 32 configured to cause one or more of the first scent to be dispensed from the first scent vial, the second scent to be dispensed from the second scent vial, and the third scent to be dispensed from the third scent vial.
16. The scent dispensing device of claim 15, wherein the cover is a removable cover. The nature of a housing 12 into which items are mounted is to be removable from the items housed therein.
17. The scent dispensing device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to mix scents by emitting the one or more of the first cent first scent to be dispensed from the first scent vial, the second scent to be dispensed from the second scent vial, and the third scent to be dispensed from the third scent vial simultaneously.
(34) A plurality of switches 32 are disposed on the housing 12 for controlling the correspondingly positioned fans 28 by turning them on or off and adjusting the speed and/or direction of the fans while on. Multiple fans 28 may be turned on at the same time and the respective speeds thereof adjusted independently so that a user may selectively disperse a single volatile material 18 or multiple volatile materials and also adjust the intensity of the dispersion. Note using multiple fans 28 and/or heaters 50 at the same time will mix the scents from the individual vials 14.
18. The scent dispensing device of claim 15, wherein the controller causes the one or more of the first scent to be dispensed from the first scent vial, the second scent to be dispensed from the second scent vial, and the third scent to be dispensed from the third scent vial based on control data.
Beland discloses: (34) A plurality of switches 32 are disposed on the housing 12 for controlling the correspondingly positioned fans 28 (and alternatively or additionally the heating elements 50) by turning them on or off and adjusting the speed and/or direction of the fans while on. Multiple fans 28 (and alternatively or additionally the heating elements 50) may be turned on at the same time and the respective speeds thereof adjusted independently so that a user may selectively disperse a single volatile material 18 or multiple volatile materials and also adjust the intensity of the dispersion. A holder 34 is included in the form of a plate 36 or engagement structure 38 for holding additional or refill receptacles. Additionally, the housing 12 includes a power input 40 for receiving power from a standard wall outlet. A communication port 42 is also disposed on the housing 12 for allowing a user to remotely control the device 10. The communication port 42 may be responsive to a wireless signal (control data), for example via wireless internet or a cellular signal, or may include a cable connection to a computer or other remote device.
19. The scent dispensing device of claim 18, wherein the control data includes one or more of scent diffusion schedules, scent diffusion intensities, and user preferences. Beland discusses the control of scent diffusion intensities.
20. The scent dispensing device of claim 19, wherein the scent dispensing device includes one or more heating elements 50 that causes the first scent to be dispensed from the first scent vial, the second scent to be dispensed from the second scent vial, and the third scent to be dispensed from the third scent vial based on control data indicating how the controller should cause the heating elements to operate.
(36) FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B show various embodiments that allow a user to selectively control the dispersion of volatile materials contained in multiple receptacles. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate embodiments where the dispersion is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the surface area of the wick exposed to the airflow. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate embodiments where one or more heating elements are used to adjust dispersion. Each of the embodiments in FIGS. 6A-7B may be adapted for use, either singly or in combination, with the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5B or any other suitable arrangement that allows the contents of receptacles containing volatile material to be placed into one or more controllable airflows.
Claim(s) 15-16, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yip et al. (US 6950607).
Yip discloses in reference to claim:
15. A scent dispensing device, comprising: a body 114 with a first vial bay, a second vial bay, and a third vial bay (see figure 18), the first vial bay including a first scent in a first scent vial, the second vial bay including a second scent in a second scent vial, and the third vial bay including a third scent in a third scent vial; a cover 116 configured to be positioned on the body to hide the first vial bay, the second vial bay, and the third vial bay; and a controller 74 configured to cause one or more of the first scent to be dispensed from the first scent vial, the second scent to be dispensed from the second scent vial, and the third scent to be dispensed from the third scent vial.
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16. The scent dispensing device of claim 15, wherein the cover 116 is a removable cover.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the scent dispenser of FIG. 16, with the cover removed.
18. The scent dispensing device of claim 15, wherein the controller causes the one or more of the first scent to be dispensed from the first scent vial, the second scent to be dispensed from the second scent vial, and the third scent to be dispensed from the third scent vial based on control data.
19. The scent dispensing device of claim 18, wherein the control data includes one or more of scent diffusion schedules, scent diffusion intensities, and user preferences.
Yip discloses It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-fragrance scent dispenser that sequentially activates the heaters associated with different fragrance materials during predetermined time periods (read as diffusion schedule or user preferences).
20. The scent dispensing device of claim 19, wherein the scent dispensing device includes one or more heating elements 172 that causes the first scent to be dispensed from the first scent vial, the second scent to be dispensed from the second scent vial, and the third scent to be dispensed from the third scent vial based on control data indicating how the controller should cause the heating elements to operate.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOR S CAMPBELL whose telephone number is (571)272-4776. The examiner can normally be reached M,W-F 6:30-10:30, 12-4.
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, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at 5712705569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THOR S CAMPBELL/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3761
tsc