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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 6/24/25 was not considered as it is a duplicate of the IDS filed 3/12/24.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 8-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 8-15 are rejected since Independent claim 8, claims both an apparatus and a method. Where the single claim which claims both an apparatus and the method steps of using the apparatus is indefinite under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph. Applicant uses placeholder “according to claim 1”. Applicant should rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim 9 is rejected due to the phrase “the at least one speed factor (f1; f2; f3; f4; f5)” since it is unclear if the claim requires 5 speed factor, if the parenthesis options relative speed factors or with respect to something different altogether.
Claim 14 is rejected as claim 14 is an Independent claim, claiming both product and a method. The single claim which claims both a product and the method is indefinite under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph. Applicant uses placeholder “according to claim 8”. Applicant should rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim 15 is rejected as claim 15 is an Independent claim, dependent from both an Independent product claim 14 and an Independent method claim 8. The single claim which claims both a product and the method is indefinite under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph. Applicant uses placeholder “according to claim 14”. Applicant should rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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 for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thai et al. (WO2016070232)
Thai teaches with respect to Independent claim 1, a food processor (par. 0096; par. 00106) configured and adapted to
electronically accessing a recipe (par. 0051) and processing the recipe to perform a food preparation comprising multiple preparation stages (par. 0052; 0102 par. 00110; par. 0056),
performing comparisons between target working times (par. 0057 t1; alternatively par. 00102 duration adjusted; alternatively par. 00108 lines 1-2 completed blending combination) specified in the recipe for performing the preparation stages (par. 0057; par. 00102 replay of recorded sequence; par. 00108 lines 1-2 completed blending combination) and actual working times (par. 0057; time adjusted t2 12seconds; par. 00102 duration adjusted; par. 00108 “bit more”) actually required by a user of the food processor for performing the preparation stages (par. 0057; par. 00102 duration adjusted; par. 00108 “bit more”)
determining at least one speed factor (par. 0057; speed constant; par. 000102 amount inversely proportional to the percentage of sensed speed from recorded speed; par. 00108 last line percentage of the last time) relating to a working speed of the user on the basis of the comparisons made (par. 0057 time added/adjusted t2 12seconds; par. 00102 duration adjusted; par. 00108 “bit more”) and
determining at least one future target working time (par. 0048; edited recorded sequence t1+t2; alternatively par. 00103 save adapted setting; par. 00111’ par. 00112 later replated) for performing at least one future preparation stage on the basis of a predetermined target working time and the at least one determined speed factor (par. 0057 t1+t2; par. 00103 save sequence; par. 00112 save, later replayed)
With respect to Independent claim 8, a method of food preparation using a food processor (par. 0096; par. 00106) configured and adapted to
electronically accessing a recipe (par. 0051) and processing the recipe to perform a food preparation comprising multiple preparation stages (par. 0052; 0102 par. 00110; par. 0056),
performing comparisons between target working times (par. 0057 t1; alternatively par. 00102 duration adjusted; alternatively par. 00108 lines 1-2 completed blending combination) specified in the recipe for performing the preparation stages (par. 0057; par. 00102 replay of recorded sequence; par. 00108 lines 1-2 completed blending combination) and actual working times (par. 0057; time adjusted t2 12seconds; par. 00102 duration adjusted; par. 00108 “bit more”) actually required by a user of the food processor for performing the preparation stages (par. 0057; par. 00102 duration adjusted; par. 00108 “bit more”)
determining at least one speed factor (par. 0057; speed constant; par. 000102 amount inversely proportional to the percentage of sensed speed from recorded speed; par. 00108 last line percentage of the last time) relating to a working speed of the user on the basis of the comparisons made (par. 0057 time added/adjusted t2 12seconds; par. 00102 duration adjusted; par. 00108 “bit more”) and
determining at least one future target working time (par. 0048; edited recorded sequence t1+t2; alternatively par. 00103 save adapted setting; par. 00111’ par. 00112 later replated) for performing at least one future preparation stage on the basis of a predetermined target working time and the at least one determined speed factor (par. 0057 t1+t2; par. 00103 save sequence; par. 00112 save, later replayed)
With respect to claims 2 and 9, on the basis of at least the at least one speed factor or on the basis of the at least one determined future target working time, at least an end time of the food preparation or a remaining time duration until the end time is reached are determined (par. 0057 time added/adjusted t2 12seconds; par. 00102 duration adjusted; par. 00108 “bit more”) and displayed perceptibly for the user (par. 0065; 0066) on the basis of the speed factor or the determined future working time (par. 0065, 0066).
Claims 3 and 10, determine the at least one future target working time during food preparation (par. 0057 time added/adjusted t2 12seconds; par. 00102 duration adjusted; par. 00108 “bit more”) or to display the at least one future target working time perceptibly to the user during food preparation (par. 0065; 0066).
Claim 4, determine the future target working time for performing a future manual preparation stage (par. 0057 t1+t2; par. 00103 save sequence; par. 00112 save, later replayed)
Claims 5 and 11, determine an average speed factor (par. 0059) with respect to an average working speed of the user based on the comparisons (par. 0059), and to determine the at least one future target working time for performing the at least one future preparation stage based on a predetermined target working time and the determined average speed factor (par. 0060; Option 2).
Claim 6 and 12, different specific speed factors (par. 0057; speed constant; par. 000102 amount inversely proportional to the percentage of sensed speed from recorded speed; par. 00108 last line percentage of the last time) with respect to a respective working speed for different preparation stages are determined based on the comparisons, and the at least one future target working time for performing the at least one future preparation stage is determined based on a specific speed factor (par. 0057; speed constant; par. 000102 amount inversely proportional to the percentage of sensed speed from recorded speed; par. 00108 last line percentage of the last time)
Claim 7, a profile memory for storing different user profiles of different users of the food processor, wherein the food processor is configured and adapted such that different speed factors of different users are assigned to the respective user profile and the at least one future target working time is determined on the basis of at least one user-specific speed factor from the user profile used for food preparation (par. 00111; 00112).
Claim 13, wherein different speed factors of different users are assigned to a respective user profile stored in the food processor and the at least one future target working time is determined on the basis of at least one user-specific speed factor from the user profile used for food preparation (par. 00111; 00112).
With respect to claim 14, a computer program product (par. 0036) comprising instructions that, when the computer program product is executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the method according to claim 8 (see above).
With respect to claim 15, a computer readable storage medium having a computer program product stored thereon (par. 0036).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
20200337501, 20190142222 directed to food processor controller.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Steven Leff whose telephone number is (571) 272-6527. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:30 - 5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Erik Kashnikow can be reached at (571) 270-3475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/STEVEN N LEFF/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1792