DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is responsive to application number 18/542,549 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SMART VALVE CONTROL OF POOL AND SPA COMPONENTS AND OPERATIONS, filed on 12/15/23. Claims 1-38 are pending.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 16-38 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made of Invention I without traverse in the reply filed on 11/24/25. Claims 1-15 remain for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Roy et al. (US Pub. 2020/0319621).
Regarding Claim 1 Roy shows a smart valve system (shown at least by ¶ [0196-0209]). , comprising: a valve actuator (14e, 114e, 214e, 314e, 414e, 514e, 614e, 714e, 4514e, 4614e) for actuating a valve; a sensor (¶ [0204-0206]) for monitoring a flow rate through the valve; a controller (¶ [0208]) in communication with the valve actuator and the sensor (¶ 0204-0208]); and a communications interface (32) in communication with the controller (at least 22, 70, 84) and a variable speed pumping system (614a, 714a, 814a), wherein the controller is configured to measure the flow rate through the valve and controls operation of the variable speed pumping system based on the measured flow rate (¶ [0199-0208]).
Regarding Claim 2 Roy shows the smart valve system of Claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor for detecting pressure changes at the valve, the controller controlling operation of the valve actuator in response to the detected pressure changes at the valve (¶ [0141; 0165; 0181; 0198; 0199; 0204; 0205; ;0207; 0208]).
Regarding Claim 3 Roy shows the smart valve system of Claim 1, wherein the controller controls operation of the valve using the detected pressure changes to avoid undershoot or overshoot conditions (¶ [0141; 0165; 0181; 0198; 0199; 0204; 0205; 0207; 0208]).
Regarding Claim 4 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein controller transmits the flow rate to the variable speed pumping system, the variable speed pumping system calibrating a flow rate of the variable speed pumping system in response to the flow rate through the valve (¶ [0207]; via power draw and smart valve; pump flow rate may be calculated by comparing controlled quantity to the valve position and computing the margin available..; aka calibration of the pump speed/flow rate for the desired flow).
Regarding Claim 5 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to measure the flow rate through the valve, measure a speed of the variable speed pump, map the speed to the measured flow rate, transmit a pump speed command to the variable speed pumping system, and dynamically control a valve position of the valve to achieve a desired flow rate for the valve (¶[0203-0208]).
Regarding Claim 6 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to measure the flow rate through the valve, determine a full speed of the variable speed pumping system, set a valve position of the valve to a desired flow rate, and instruct the variable speed pumping system to reduce a pump speed until a lowest acceptable pump speed is reached by the variable speed pumping system (¶ [0207]).
Regarding Claim 7 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to monitor the flow rate and issue a clean or backwash filter notification if the flow rate indicates that a filter in fluid communication with the variable speed pump is dirty (Fig. 19P; ¶ [0142; 0161-0162]).
Regarding Claim 8 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to monitor the flow rate, determine if the flow rate indicates excess flow, and directs the excess flow to a return of a pool or a spa (¶ [0204, 0206]).
Regarding Claim 9 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a required flow rate for a pool or spa device, instruct the variable speed pumping system to deliver the required flow rate, monitor a speed of the variable speed pumping system, determine whether the speed indicates a low flow condition, and issue a clean or backwash filter notification in response to the low flow condition (Fig. 19AH; ¶ [0181]).
Regarding Claim 10 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate the valve actuator to restrict suction through the valve, instruct the variable speed pumping system to operate in a soft-start mode, determine whether the variable speed pumping system achieves prime, and operating the valve actuator to open the valve and instructing the variable speed pumping system to operate in a normal mode if the variable speed pumping system achieves prime (Figs. 19B, 19AU; ¶ [0145, 0193])
Regarding Claim 11 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine from monitoring of the flow rate whether the pump is experiencing cavitation, and operating the valve actuator to restrict water flow through the valve to reduce the cavitation (Fig. 19J; ¶ [0156]; Figs. 19R & 19S; ¶ [0164]).
Regarding Claim 12 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the controller controls operation of the valve actuator and the variable speed pump to produce at least one burst of water by a water feature (Fig. 31A-31F; ¶ [0305-0307]) .
Regarding Claim 13 Roy shows the system of Claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor and the controller detects changes in flow rates through the valve based on pressure changes detected by the pressure sensor and without requiring a flow meter (¶ [0014; 0181; 0199]).
Regarding Claim 14 Roy shows the system of Claim 13, wherein the controller controls operation of at least one of the valve or the variable speed pumping system in response to detected changes in flow rates (¶ [0199; 0207]).
Regarding Claim 15 Roy shows the system of Claim 14, wherein the valve is in fluid communication with a water feature, and at least one of the valve or the variable speed pumping system controls flow to the water feature in response to the detected changes in flow rates (Figs. 31A-31F; ¶ [0305-0307])).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Stifles, Jr. et al. (US Pub. 2015/0030463) shows the general state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTINE J SKUBINNA whose telephone number is (571)270-5163. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday, 9:30 AM to 6PM EST.
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/CHRISTINE J SKUBINNA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754 1/29/2026