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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s amendment has overcome the rejection of record. However, a new ground of rejection is applied to the amended claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cobb et al. (Pub. No. US 2018/0186655) in view of Ophardt et al. (Pub. No. US 2017/0215655).
Regarding claim 1, Cobb et al. disclose a sink system (Figs. 1-12), comprising: a cabinet module (3); a sink module (2) coupled (Fig. 2) to the cabinet module (3), the sink module (2) including at least one sink basin (paragraph 31); at least one faucet (1) fluidly coupled to a water source (4 and 5), and configured to dispense water from the water source (4 and 5) into the at least one sink basin (paragraph 31); a sensor module (10) including at least one sensor (31, paragraphs 48-49) positioned (Fig. 2) on at least one of the cabinet module (3), sink module (2), or at least one faucet (1), wherein the sensor module (10) is configured to sense at least one characteristic of the dispensed water (paragraphs 48-49), and provide an indication to a user about the at least one characteristic (paragraphs 54-55), wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of water quality, temperature, flow rate, and water usage (paragraphs 48-49), but lacks disclosure of an interactive user module operably coupled to the at least one faucet and the sensor module, the interactive user module including an imaging unit configured to display video images based on user selections.
Ophardt et al. teach a sink system (Figs. 1-37) comprising: a cabinet module (68), a sink module (18) coupled (Fig. 12) to the cabinet module (68), a faucet (16), and an interactive user module (12) operable coupled (paragraphs 279-281) to the faucet (16), the interactive user module (12) including an imaging unit (paragraph 282) configured to display video images based on user selections (paragraph 286).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sink system of Cobb et al. with an interactive user module as taught by Ophardt et al., for the advantage of having an electronic display that provides visual cues to assist in touchless operation of the dispenser and display videos that show how to operate the device (paragraph 6).
Regarding claim 2, Cobb et al. disclose the sink system (Figs. 1-12), wherein the sensor module (10) provides a visual, tactic, or audible indication (paragraphs 54-55 and 58) to the user to indicate the relative or actual characteristic measured by the sensor.
Regarding claim 3, Cobb et al. disclose the sink system (Figs. 1-12), wherein the sensor module (10) provides a warning indication (paragraph 55) when a measured characteristic of the fluid exceeds a predetermined threshold, and optionally (“optionally” is not considered further limiting) shuts off the faucet (1).
Claim(s) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cobb et al. (Pub. No. US 2018/0186655) in view of Ophardt et al. (Pub. No. US 2017/0215655), and further in view of Alcorn et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,928,724).
Regarding claim 4, Cobb et al. disclose the essential features of the claimed invention but lacks disclosure wherein the at least one characteristic comprise water quality, and the at least one sensor comprises a sensor configured to sense total dissolved solids.
Alcorn et al. teach a sensor module (102) for a water flow line (104) comprising a water quality sensor (146) configured to sense total dissolved solids (Column 6 lines 40-48).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sensor module of Cobb et al. with a quality sensor as taught by Alcorn et al. for the advantage of detecting composition characteristics of fluids within a water supply line (Column 6 lines 40-48).
Regarding claim 5, Cobb et al. disclose the essential features of the claimed invention but lacks disclosure wherein the at least one characteristic comprises water usage, where the water usage is measured daily, weekly, monthly, or annually.
Alcorn et al. teach a sensor module (102) for a water flow line (104) comprising a plurality of sensors (Column 4 lines 50-62) that enable the sensor module (102) to measure water usage (Column 15 lines 26).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sensor module of Cobb et al. with a water usage measurement as taught by Alcorn et al. for the advantage of determining typical usage patterns and deviations from those patterns to alert users more quicky and easily monitor water usage (Column 3 lines 5-22).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Reinaldo Sanchez-Medina, telephone number 571-270-5168, fax number 571-270-6168. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (7:30AM-4:00PM EST).
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/REINALDO SANCHEZ-MEDINA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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