DETAILED ACTION
Application Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This action is in response to Applicant’s submission dated 05/14/2026. Claim(s) 26–49 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Claim 50 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/27/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 39 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. It is unclear how a course or option selected by the manipulation portion can be completed while the appliance is turned off because, by definition, if the appliance is off it is not completing a course or option (otherwise it would be on). Because the claim is unclear, examination under §§ 102 & 103 is not possible at this time. Appropriate action is necessary.
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) 26–32, 34, & 37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2021/0164145 to Kim et al.
With regard to claim 26, Kim discloses a laundry treating apparatus (abstract) comprising: a cabinet (130) (Fig. 1; ¶ 0102; a drum (110) accommodated in the cabinet (130) and configured to receive laundry therein (Fig. 3; ¶ 0101); a driver (140) disposed in the cabinet (130) and configured to rotate the drum (110) (Fig. 3; ¶ 0105); a manipulation portion (51A) configured to receive a selection command for selecting a course or an option to be performed by operation of the driver (140) (¶¶ 0136, 0142–0144); a display interface (52) configured to display first information including at least one of a name, a selected state, or an executed state of the course or the option (¶¶ 0136, 0139–0146); a communication module (700) configured to communicate with an appliance (2) (¶ 0166), the appliance (2) being disposed outside the cabinet (130) and configured to receive laundry (¶ 0166); and a switching portion (51D) disposed at the cabinet and configured to receive a connection command for communicating the communication module with the appliance (2) (¶¶ 0156–0158, 0166–0168), wherein the display interface (52) is configured to, based on the connection command being input to the switching portion, display second information including at least one of a name, a selected state, an executed state, or a completed state of a course or an option of the appliance (2) (¶¶ 0166–0168, 240–243).
With regard to claim 27, Kim further discloses the display interface (52) is configured to, based on the connection command being input to the switching portion (51D) while displaying the second information, switch to display the first information, the first information further including a completed state of the course or the option selected via the manipulation portion (51A) (¶¶ 0166–0168, 240–243).
With regard to claim 28, Kim further discloses the manipulation portion (51A) is configured to receive a selection command for selecting the course or the option of the appliance (2) based on the connection command being input to the switching portion (51D) (¶¶ 0166–0168, 240–243).
With regard to claim 29, Kim further discloses the display interface (52) is configured to display the selected state of the course or the option of the appliance (2) based on the selection command for selecting the course or the option of the appliance (2) being input to the manipulation portion (51A) (¶¶ 0166–0168, 240–243).
With regard to claim 30, Kim further discloses an executing portion (51S) disposed at the cabinet (130) and configured to receive an execution command for executing the course or the option selected by the manipulation portion (51A) (¶ 0144, 0147–0148), wherein the executing portion (51S) is configured to receive an execution command for executing the course or the option of the appliance (2) based on the display interface (52) displaying the selected state of the course or the option of the appliance (2) (¶ 0144, 0147–0148).
With regard to claim 31, Kim further discloses the display interface (52) is configured to display the executed state of the course or the option of the appliance (2) based on the connection command being input to the switching portion (51D) while the appliance (2) executes the course or the option of the appliance (2) (¶¶ 0157–0158, 245, 247–248).
With regard to claim 32, Kim further discloses an executing portion (51S) disposed at the cabinet (130) and configured to receive a stop command for stopping the course or the option selected by the manipulation portion (51A) (¶ 0144), wherein the executing portion (51S) is configured to receive a stop command for stopping the course or the option of the appliance (2) based on the display interface (52) displaying the executed state of the course or the option of the appliance (2) (¶ 0144).
With regard to claim 34, Kim further discloses the display interface (52) is configured to display the first information based on the course or the option of the appliance (2) being completed (¶¶ 0136, 0139–0146).
With regard to claim 37, Kim further discloses a power switch (51p) disposed at the cabinet (130) and configured to receive a power command for supplying and cutting off power to at least one of the driver, the manipulation portion, the display interface, or the appliance (Fig. 4; ¶ 0145), wherein the power switch (51p) is configured to cut off the power to the appliance based on the power command being input while the display interface displays the second information (Fig. 4; ¶ 0145).
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 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.
Claims 33, 44–45, & 48 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim.
With regard to claim 33, Kim fails to explicitly disclose the display interface is configured to continuously display the executed state of the course or the option of the appliance until the connection command is input to the switching portion. The length of time information is displayed is a known results-effective variable because the longer the display time, the more opportunity a user has to see the information, but at the tradeoff the continuous display increases power usage and decreases the useful life of the display. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the display interface be configured to continuously display the executed state of the course or the option of the appliance until the connection command is input to the switching portion, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955) (Claimed process which was performed at a temperature between 40°C and 80°C and an acid concentration between 25% and 70% was held to be prima facie obvious over a reference process which differed from the claims only in that the reference process was performed at a temperature of 100°C and an acid concentration of 10%.); see also Peterson, 315 F.3d at 1330, 65 USPQ2d at 1382 (“The normal desire of scientists or artisans to improve upon what is already generally known provides the motivation to determine where in a disclosed set of percentage ranges is the optimum combination of percentages.”); In re Hoeschele, 406 F.2d 1403, 160 USPQ 809 (CCPA 1969) (Claimed elastomeric polyurethanes which fell within the broad scope of the references were held to be unpatentable thereover because, among other reasons, there was no evidence of the criticality of the claimed ranges of molecular weight or molar proportions.). For more recent cases applying this principle, see Merck & Co. Inc. v. Biocraft Lab. Inc., 874 F.2d 804, 10 USPQ2d 1843 (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 975 (1989); In re Kulling, 897 F.2d 1147, 14 USPQ2d 1056 (Fed. Cir. 1990); and In re Geisler, 116 F.3d 1465, 43 USPQ2d 1362 (Fed. Cir. 1997).
With regard to claim 44, Kim further discloses the communication module (700) is provided independently of the cabinet (130) and the appliance (2) (¶¶ 0166–0167), the communication module (700) being configured to communicate with a product (2) that is configured to receive laundry therein (¶ 0166), wherein the display interface (52) is configured to, based on the connection command being input to the switching portion (51D), display third information including at least one of a name, a selected state, or an executed state of a course or an option of the additional product (2) (¶¶ 0166–0168, 240–243).
Kim fails to disclose an additional product. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the laundry apparatus connected to an additional product, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) (Claims at issue were directed to a water-tight masonry structure wherein a water seal of flexible material fills the joints which form between adjacent pours of concrete. The claimed water seal has a “web” which lies in the joint, and a plurality of “ribs” projecting outwardly from each side of the web into one of the adjacent concrete slabs. The prior art disclosed a flexible water stop for preventing passage of water between masses of concrete in the shape of a plus sign (+). Although the reference did not disclose a plurality of ribs, the court held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.).
With regard to claim 45, Kim further discloses the display interface is configured to alternately display the second information and the third information based on the connection command being input to the switching portion (¶¶ 0166–0168, 240–243).
With regard to claim 48, Kim fails to the additional product includes: a mini cabinet disposed adjacent to the cabinet; a mini drum accommodated inside the mini cabinet and configured to receive laundry therein; and a mini driver configured to rotate the mini drum. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include a mini cabinet disposed adjacent to the cabinet; a mini drum accommodated inside the mini cabinet and configured to receive laundry therein; and a mini driver configured to rotate the mini drum, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) (Claims at issue were directed to a water-tight masonry structure wherein a water seal of flexible material fills the joints which form between adjacent pours of concrete. The claimed water seal has a “web” which lies in the joint, and a plurality of “ribs” projecting outwardly from each side of the web into one of the adjacent concrete slabs. The prior art disclosed a flexible water stop for preventing passage of water between masses of concrete in the shape of a plus sign (+). Although the reference did not disclose a plurality of ribs, the court held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.). Furthermore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to miniaturize the cabinet, drum, and driver, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 220 F.2d 459, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Claim 35 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of US 2018/0291550 to Niu et al.
Kim fails to explicitly disclose the display interface is configured to be powered off based on the course or the option selected via the manipulation portion being completed. Niu teaches the display interface is configured to be powered off based on the course or the option selected via the manipulation portion being completed (¶ 0045). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry treating apparatus of Kim with the display options of Niu because such a combination would have had the added benefit of conserving power by ending the display.
Claim 36 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of US 2016/0326682 to Sato et al.
Kim fails to explicitly disclose the display interface is configured to switch to display the first information based on the selection command not being input to the manipulation portion for a reference time while displaying the second information. Sato teaches the display interface is configured to switch to display the first information based on the selection command not being input to the manipulation portion for a reference time while displaying the second information (¶¶ 0095, 0101). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry appliance of Kim with the display configuration of Sato because such a combination would have had the added benefit of providing the user with additional information.
Claim 38 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of US 2012/0201062 to Lee.
Kim fails to explicitly disclose the display interface is configured to display the first information based on the power switch cutting off the power to the appliance. Lee teaches the display interface is configured to display the first information based on the power switch cutting off the power to the appliance. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry appliance of Kim with the display configuration of Lee because such a combination would have had the added benefit of providing final information to the user.
Claim 40 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of US 2014/0067131 to Park et al.
Kim fails to disclose the appliance is configured to receive power based on the connection command being input to the switching portion while the appliance is powered off. Park teaches the appliance is configured to receive power based on the connection command being input to the switching portion while the appliance is powered off (¶ 0179). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry appliance of Kim with the remote control of Park because such a combination would have had the added benefit of being able to turn on the appliance remotely.
Claims 41–43, 46–47 & 49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Official Notice.
With regard to claim 41, Kim fails to explicitly disclose the switching portion is configured to disable input of the connection command based on the communication module not being able to communicate with the appliance. It is old and well-known in the art to disable input of a connection command based on the communication module not being able to communicate with an appliance. For example, many phone apps and computer networks (such as printers) are marked as unavailable when a connection cannot be established. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry apparatus of Kim with an unavailable identification known in the prior art because such a combination would have had the added benefit of informing a user that certain options are unavailable.
With regard to claim 42, Kim fails to disclose the switching portion is configured to disable input of the connection command based on the appliance being turned off. It is old and well-known in the art to disable input of a connection command based on the communication module not being able to communicate with an appliance (such as when an appliance is off). For example, many phone apps and computer networks (such as printers) have the ability to mark connected appliances as unavailable when a connection cannot be established (such as when the appliance is off). As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry apparatus of Kim with an unavailable identification known in the prior art because such a combination would have had the added benefit of informing a user that certain options are unavailable.
With regard to claim 43, Kim fails to disclose a setting portion disposed at the cabinet and configured to receive an option command for changing or resetting a course option of the course selected by the manipulation portion, wherein the setting portion is configured to receive an option command for changing or resetting a course option of the course of the appliance based on the display interface displaying the second information. It is old and well-known in the art to have an option for a user to go back to a selection screen or restart a selection and to display said option. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry apparatus of Kim with the course reselection/restart option because such a combination would have had the added benefit of allowing a user to correct a mistake.
With regard to claim 46, Kim fails to disclose the display interface is configured to alternately display the second information and the third information (i) in an order of connection with the communication module of the appliance and the additional product based on the connection command being input to the switching portion, or (ii) in an order of power supply to the appliance and the additional product based on the connection command being input to the switching portion. The information display order would have been one of an obvious matter of design choice. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) (Claims to a hydraulic power press which read on the prior art except with regard to the position of the starting switch were held unpatentable because shifting the position of the starting switch would not have modified the operation of the device.); In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975) (the particular placement of a contact in a conductivity measuring device was held to be an obvious matter of design choice).
With regard to claim 47, Kim further discloses a tub (120) that is disposed in the cabinet (130) and accommodates the drum (110) therein (Fig. 3; ¶ 0101), the tub (120) being configured to receive water (¶ 0101); a water supply disposed in the cabinet (130) and configured to supply water to the tub (120) (¶ 0108); and a drainage (170) disposed in the cabinet (130) and configured to drain water from the tub (120) (¶ 0109).
Kim fails to disclose the appliance includes (i) a drying drum configured to receive laundry therein, and (ii) a heat exchanger configured to supply heated air to the drying drum. Dryers having (i) a drying drum configured to receive laundry therein, and (ii) a heat exchanger configured to supply heated air to the drying drum are old and well-known in the art. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry apparatus of Kim with a dryer known to the prior art because such a combination would have had the added benefit of allowing the clothes to be dried.
With regard to claim 49, Kim further discloses the manipulation portion (51A) is rotatably disposed at the cabinet (130) the manipulation portion is rotatably disposed at the cabinet (130) (¶¶ 0136, 0142–0144).
Kim fails to disclose the display interface is fixed inside the manipulation portion to thereby maintain a fixed position without rotation while the manipulation portion rotates relative to the cabinet. Having a display interface fixed inside a manipulation portion to thereby maintain a fixed position without rotation while the manipulation portion rotates relative to the mounting structure is old and well-known in the art (a Nest® thermostat is one well-known example). As such, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the laundry apparatus of Kim with the nested display known to the prior art because such a combination would have had the added benefit of being more compact than having a separate display and manipulation portion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see attached PTO-892. Applicant is encouraged to review the cited references prior to submitting a response to this office action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID J LAUX whose telephone number is (571)270-7619. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:30 M-F.
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/DAVID J LAUX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
August 6, 2026
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