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 .
Detailed Action
This action is responsive to the application 18/578,078 filed on January 10, 2024. Claims 1-19 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim(s) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
The "an electronic device controller”, “an electronic device”, “a communication terminal” of claim(s) 1, 11, 12, 18 and 19 is/are not to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter. The claimed element’s “a basic setting storage unit”, “a user identifying unit”, “a device control unit”, “a receiving unit”, “an operation control unit”, “a transmitting unit”, “a use history managing unit”, “a turn-on receiving unit”, “a turn-on transmitting unit”, “a setting transmitting unit”, “an operation screen display unit”, “a specifying information transmitting unit”, “an operation screen generating unit”, “a turn-on signal transmitting unit”, “a use history managing unit”, “a turn-on receiving unit”, “a turn-on control unit”, and “a setting unit” are non-structure limitations, since the Specification is silent regarding the meaning of these terms. Thus, applying the broadest reasonable interpretation in light of the Specification and taking into account the meaning of the words in their original usage as they would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art (MPEP §2111.01), a machine must comprise (at least one) structure element/limitation that showing it is a tangible embodiment, providing evidence that the abstract idea has been applied (a practical application) and that it would not cover all substantial practical uses of the abstract idea (see MPEP §2106 II.(A)). Therefore, the claimed subject matter as a whole fails to fall within the definition of a machine/manufacturer patentable eligible category subject matter.
As such, the claim(s) 1 is/are not limited to statutory subject matter and is therefore nonstatutory. See MPEP 2106 section V.DETERMINE WHETHER THE CLAIMED INVENTION COMPLIES WITH 35 U.S.C. §101 under subsection 1. Nonstatutory subject matter.
Other dependent claims 2-10, 13-17, which are not specifically cited above are also rejected because of the deficiencies of their respective parent 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 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 of this title, 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) 1-5, 8, 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong (US 2019/0028290), and in view of Boyd et al. (US 2014/0156281) hereinafter “Boyd”
Claim 1
Jeong teaches an electronic device controller [i.e. home automation activation unit 130] comprising:
a basic setting storage unit storing basic setting information associating a user ID with operating conditions of one or more electronic devices [i.e. in the home automation activation unit 130, the information on the home electronic device control unit, which is to be activated in real time when a user enters the house, is set and stored in advance by user input. In other word, the information in the home electronic device control unit is being stored and is set in advance by the user input, which associated a recognized face of the user (i.e. a user ID) ] (Jeong, 0041-0042);
a user identifying unit to obtain a user ID by identifying a user [i.e. face recognition device obtain a user face or user voice which is used to identifying/authenticating the user] (Jeong, 0036-0037, 0040); and
a device control unit to control one or more electronic devices on the basis of the identified user and a current time by referring to the basic setting information, wherein when the user has instructed to change an operating condition of an electronic device, the device control unit changes the operating condition of the electronic device and updates the basic setting information [i.e. the home automation activation unit activating the home electronic device control unit in real time, it switches from the sleep mode to operation mode to control the home electronic device, it allows the home electronic device 10 to be turned on or off or perform a reserved operation according to the user input in real time or predetermined reservation information] (Jeong, 0040-0041).
Jeong fails to teach the basic setting information associating the user ID and a time period with operating conditions of one or more electronic devices.
However, in an analogous art, Boyd teaches the basic setting information associating the user ID and a time period with operating conditions of one or more electronic devices [i.e. control settings includes a user name for the control point and a setting configuration of one or more control settings for a period, for example, scheduling, power, temperature…] (Boyd, 0040).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Boyd of basic setting information associating the user ID and a time period with operating conditions of one or more electronic devices. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to provide the user with methods and apparatus for configurating the automation system that provides more convenient to control appliances while the user is present (Boyd, 0002-0003).
Claim 2
Jeong in combination with Boyd teach the electronic device controller according to claim 1, further comprising: a voice recognizing unit to recognize an uttered command uttered by the user [i.e. the face recognition device may detecting a voice to recognize whether or not a user accesses] (Jeong, 0036), wherein the device control unit changes the operating condition of the electronic device on the basis of the uttered command from the user and updates the basic setting information on the basis of the uttered command [i.e. activation of an appliance in the automation system by using audio input to a controller. Audible user input is converted to an audio signal and then processed by the controller to control the appliance based on the audio control input] (Boyd, abstract, 0019).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Boyd of the device control unit changes and updates the operating condition of the electronic device on the basis of the uttered command from the user. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to provide the user with methods and apparatus for configurating the automation system that provides more convenient to control appliances while the user is present (Boyd, 0002-0003).
Claim 3
Jeong in combination with Boyd teach the electronic device controller according to claim 1, wherein
the basic setting storage unit stores a set temperature of air conditioning equipment in the basic setting information [i.e. the information in the home electronic device control unit, which includes setting control and reservation information for controlling the air conditioner, is being stored and is set in advance by the user input] (Jeong, 0041, 0049), and
the device control unit controls a set temperature of the air conditioning equipment by referring to the basic setting information, and when the user has instructed to change the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment, the device control unit changes the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment and also changes the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment in the basic setting information [i.e. the home electronic device control unit remotely controls to turn on or off a home electronic device or perform a reservation operation according to preset reservation information, for example, operates the air conditioner at a predetermined temperature] (Jeong, 0049, 0071).
Claim 4
Jeong in combination with Boyd teach the electronic device controller according to claim 1, further comprising:
a presence detecting unit to detect presence of a user in a space of a predetermined range [i.e. the face recognition device detecting a voice or wireless signal including identification information to recognize whether or not a user accesses, i.e. to inform the user whether the user is in the house] (Jeong, 0036-0037, 0061), wherein
the user identifying unit identifies a user ID of the user detected to be present in the space [i.e. the face recognition device identifies the detected user face or user voice which is used to identifying/authenticating the user when the user’s indoor access is confirmed] (Jeong, 0036-0037, 0061), and
the device control unit controls one or more electronic devices on the basis of the basic setting information of the identified user [i.e. activating the home electronic device control unit in real time, it switches from the sleep mode to operation mode to control the home electronic device, it allows the home electronic device 10 to be turned on or off or perform a reserved operation according to the user input or predetermined reservation information] (Jeong, 0040-0041).
Claim 5
Jeong in combination with Boyd teach the electronic device controller according to claim 4, wherein when the presence of the user once detected to be present in the space by the presence detecting unit is no longer detected, the device control unit causes one or more electronic devices associated with the space to enter a stop or power-saving mode [i.e. operating the home electronic device 10 according to whether the user enters or nor, it is possible to prevent electric waste caused by unnecessary operation of the home electronic devices 10 in a situation where the user is out of the house, i.e. switches from the operation mode to the sleep mode] (Jeong, 0056).
Claim 8
Jeong in combination with Boyd teach the electronic device controller according to claim 1, further comprising:
a voice recognizing unit to recognize an uttered command uttered by a user [i.e. the face recognition device may detecting a voice to recognize whether or not a user accesses] (Jeong, 0036); and
an utterance setting storage unit storing utterance setting information associating a user ID and an uttered command with operating conditions of one or more electronic devices [i.e. control settings includes a user name for the control point and a setting configuration of one or more control settings associated with user voice input/command for controlling the appliances, for example, scheduling, power, temperature…] (Boyd, 0040), wherein
the device control unit further controls one or more electronic devices on the basis of the identified user and the uttered command by referring to the utterance setting information, and when the user has instructed to change an operating condition of an electronic device, the device control unit changes the operating condition of the electronic device and updates the utterance setting information [i.e. activation of an appliance in the automation system by using audio/voice input to a controller. Audible/voice user input is converted to an audio signal and then processed by the controller to control the appliance based on the audio/voice control input, for example, for controlling/changing the capabilities of the control point: power, motion, temperature, etc.] (Boyd, abstract, 0019).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Boyd of the device control unit changes and updates the operating condition of the electronic device on the basis of the uttered command from the user. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to provide the user with methods and apparatus for configurating the automation system that provides more convenient to control appliances while the user is present (Boyd, 0002-0003).
Claim 10
Jeong in combination with Boyd teach the electronic device controller according to claim 1, further comprising:
a presence detecting unit to detect presence of a user in a space of a predetermined range [i.e. the face recognition device detecting a voice or wireless signal including identification information to recognize whether or not a user accesses, i.e. to inform the user whether the user is in the house] (Jeong, 0036-0037, 0061); and
an alerting unit to transmit an alert signal, wherein the user identifying unit identifies a user ID of the user detected to be present in the space [i.e. when the authentication of the user is completed, the face recognition device transmits user information to the face recognition server that confirm the user entering the house and release the lock state of the door lock] (Jeong, 0033-0034, 0036),
when the identified user ID is any of one or more user IDs registered in advance, the device control unit causes one or more electronic devices to start operating on the basis of the identified user and the current time by referring to the basic setting information [i.e. the user faces/images or voice is registered or previously stored for performing authentication for indoor access] (Jeong, 0033), and when the identified user ID is none of one or more user IDs registered in advance or when no user ID is identified, the alerting unit transmits an alert signal [i.e. when the authentication of the user is completed, the face recognition device transmits user information to the face recognition server that confirm the user whether entering the house or not and release or not the door lock] (Jeong, 0033-0034, 0036).
Claim 11
Jeong teaches an electronic device [i.e. home electronic device control unit 140] comprising:
a receiving unit to receive a control signal including a command ID and an operation command via near field radio communication from an external electronic device controller [i.e. the home electronic device control unit 140 is provided for each type of the home electronic devices 10 which include the light, TV, air conditioner, etc. The home electronic device control unit 140 receives wireless signal with control commands corresponding to the user input or reservation information via RF/infrared communication that allows the particular home electronic device 10 to receive and perform operation according to the received control command, e.g. turn on or turn off (a command ID)] (Jeong, 0047, 0049);
an operation control unit to perform operation settings of the electronic device in accordance with the operation command included in the control signal when the received device of the electronic device [i.e. control the particular home electronic device 10, such as the light 11, TV 12, to be turned on or off or perform a reserved operation settings according to the user command or predetermined reservation information] (Jeong, 0040-0041, 0047, 0049); and
a transmitting unit to transmit the control signal via near field radio communication, wherein the transmitting unit refers to the command ID in the received control signal and, when the control signal has not been previously received, transmits the control signal [i.e. transmitting the wireless signal with control commands corresponding to the user input or reservation information via RF/infrared communication to the particular home electronic device 10 to perform operation according to the received control command] (Jeong, 0047, 0049).
Jeong fails to teach the control signal including a device ID.
However, in an analogous art, Boyd teaches the control signal including a device ID [i.e. the audio signal input from the user that includes appliance’s name (as speech phrasing a question to be answered by the user “please provide a name for this appliance”)] (Boyd, 0040, 0059-0061).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Boyd of the control signal including a device ID. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to provide the user with methods and apparatus for configurating the automation system that provides more convenient to control appliances while the user is present (Boyd, 0002-0003).
Claim(s) 12-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong (US 2019/0028290), and in view of Asahi (US 2021/0201910)
Claim 12
Jeong teaches an electronic device controller [i.e. home automation activation unit 130] comprising:
a turn-on receiving unit to receive a turn-on signal to turn on the electronic device together with a user ID from a user terminal [i.e. the home automation activation unit 130 receives the setting information on the home electronic device control unit, which is to be activated in real time when a user enters the house, is set and stored in advance by user input/command. The setting information includes a turn on signal to be operated by the home electronic device 10 (i.e. the light, TV, etc.) which associated a recognized face of the user (i.e. a user ID)] (Jeong, 0041-0042, 0052);
a turn-on transmitting unit to transmit a turn-on signal to the electronic device upon receiving the turn-on signal [i.e. transmitting the user command (turn on signal) to the home automation activation unit 130 upon the receiving the user input/signal or the predetermined reservation information] (Jeong, 0047-0049, 0052).
Jeong fails to teach a use history managing unit to manage use history of an electronic device for each user; and a setting transmitting unit to transmit a setting signal based on the use history associated with the user ID to the electronic device.
However, in an analogous art, Asahi teaches a use history managing unit to manage use history of an electronic device for each user; and a setting transmitting unit to transmit a setting signal based on the use history associated with the user ID to the electronic device [i.e. the operation history DB 544 is a database where a history of the voice operations in each customer’s home is registered, the operation history DB has, for each customer, a record over a period includes operator, appliance ID, operation number, setting content, etc. The operation sequence information may be generated based on the history of each customer (which should include customer ID) associated with the operation setting] (Asahi, 0196, 0199).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Asahi of a use history managing unit to manage use history of an electronic device for each user, and a setting transmitting unit to transmit a setting signal based on the use history associated with the user ID to the electronic device. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to enable the user to sufficiently utilize home appliances that the user has (Asahi, 0012).
Claim 13
Jeong in combination with Asahi teach the electronic device controller according to claim 12, wherein
the turn-on receiving unit receives a multi-turn-on signal being a single turn-on signal for a plurality of electronic devices together with a user ID from a user terminal, upon receiving the multi-turn-on signal, the turn-on transmitting unit transmits a turn-on signal to each of the plurality of electronic devices specified in the multi-turn- on signal [i.e. the home automation activation unit 130 receives the setting information on the home electronic device control unit, which is to be activated in real time when a user enters the house, is set and stored in advance by user input/command. The setting information includes a turn on signal to be operated by the home electronic device 10 (i.e. the light, TV, etc.) which associated a recognized face of the user (i.e. a user ID)] (Jeong, 0041-0042, 0052),
the setting transmitting unit transmits setting signals each based on the user ID and use history of each of the plurality of electronic devices specified in the multi-turn- on signal to each of the plurality of electronic devices together [i.e. the operation setting information may be generated based on the history of each customer (which should include customer ID) associated with the operation setting] (Asahi, 0196, 0199).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Asahi of the setting transmitting unit transmits setting signals each based on the user ID and use history of each of the plurality of electronic devices specified in the multi-turn- on signal to each of the plurality of electronic devices together. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to enable the user to sufficiently utilize home appliances that the user has (Asahi, 0012).
Claim 14
Jeong in combination with Asahi teach the electronic device controller according to claim 12, wherein upon receiving the setting signal for the electronic device together with the user ID from the user terminal, the use history managing unit updates user history information associated with the user ID and the electronic device [i.e. the operation history DB 55 updates the operation setting information which is generated based on the history of each customer (which should include customer ID) associated with the operation setting] (Asahi, 0196, 0199, 0208).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Asahi of upon receiving the setting signal for the electronic device together with the user ID from the user terminal, the use history managing unit updates user history information associated with the user ID and the electronic device. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to enable the user to sufficiently utilize home appliances that the user has (Asahi, 0012).
Claim 17
Jeong in combination with Asahi teach the electronic device controller according to claim 12, further comprising:
a name receiving unit to receive an operation name [i.e. receiving a turn on or turn off (operation name) command/signal] (Jeong, 0042, 0052); and
a name registering unit to register the operation name in association with a plurality of electronic devices when turn-on signals for the plurality of electronic devices are successively received and the operation name is subsequently received, wherein when a turn-on signal including the operation name is received, the turn-on transmitting unit transmits the turn-on signal to each of the plurality of electronic devices associated with the operation name [i.e. the home automation activation unit 130 receives the setting information on the home electronic device control unit, which is to be activated in real time when a user enters the house, is set and stored in advance by user input/command. The setting information includes a turn on signal to be operated by the home electronic device 10 (i.e. the light, TV, etc.) which associated a recognized face of the user (i.e. a user ID)] (Jeong, 0041-0042, 0052).
Claim 18
Jeong teaches a communication terminal [i.e. user terminal 20] comprising:
an operation screen display unit to display an operation screen including turn-on buttons respectively associated with a plurality of electronic devices [i.e. the user terminal 20 displays the list of home electronic devices 10 associated with turn on commands/buttons] (Jeong, fig. 1; 0040-0042, 0052);
a specifying information transmitting unit to transmit specifying information of an electronic device to the electronic device controller after the signal is received [i.e. in the home automation activation unit 130, the information on the home electronic device control unit, which is to be activated in real time when a user enters the house, is set and stored in advance by user input. In other word, the information in the home electronic device control unit is being stored and is set in advance by the user input, which associated a recognized face of the user (i.e. a user ID)] (Jeong, 0041-0042);
an operation screen generating unit to add a turn-on button for the electronic device on the operation screen after the specifying information is transmitted; and a turn-on signal transmitting unit to transmit a turn- on signal for an electronic device associated with a selected turn-on button to the electronic device controller when one of the turn-on buttons displayed on the operation screen is selected [i.e. transmitting the user command (turn on signal) to the home automation activation unit 130 upon the receiving the user input/signal or the predetermined reservation information] (Jeong, 0047-0049, 0052).
Jeong fails to teach an acknowledgement signal receiving unit to receive an acknowledgement signal from the electronic device controller according to claim 12.
However, in an analogous art, Asahi teaches an acknowledgement signal receiving unit to receive an acknowledgement signal from the electronic device controller (Asahi, 0196, 0199).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Asahi of an acknowledgement signal receiving unit to receive an acknowledgement signal from the electronic device controller. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to enable the user to sufficiently utilize home appliances that the user has (Asahi, 0012).
Claim 19
Jeong teaches an electronic device comprising:
a turn-on receiving unit to receive a turn-on signal together with a user ID from a user terminal [i.e. the home automation activation unit 130 receives the setting information on the home electronic device control unit, which is to be activated in real time when a user enters the house, is set and stored in advance by user input/command. The setting information includes a turn on signal to be operated by the home electronic device 10 (i.e. the light, TV, etc.) which associated a recognized face of the user (i.e. a user ID)] (Jeong, 0041-0042, 0052);
a turn-on control unit to turn on the electronic device upon receiving the turn-on signal [i.e. receiving the user command (turn on signal) at the home automation activation unit 130 upon the receiving the user input/signal or the predetermined reservation information] (Jeong, 0047-0049, 0052).
Jeong fails to teach a use history managing unit to manage use history of the electronic device for each user; and a setting unit to initially set an operating condition of the electronic device on the basis of the user history associated with the user ID.
However, in an analogous art, Asahi teaches a use history managing unit to manage use history of the electronic device for each user; and a setting unit to initially set an operating condition of the electronic device on the basis of the user history associated with the user ID [i.e. the operation history DB 544 is a database where a history of the voice operations in each customer’s home is registered, the operation history DB has, for each customer, a record over a period includes operator, appliance ID, operation number, setting content, etc. The operation sequence information may be generated based on the history of each customer (which should include customer ID) associated with the operation setting] (Asahi, 0196, 0199).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong to include the teachings of Asahi of a use history managing unit to manage use history of the electronic device for each user; and a setting unit to initially set an operating condition of the electronic device on the basis of the user history associated with the user ID. One ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to enable the user to sufficiently utilize home appliances that the user has (Asahi, 0012).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7, 9, 15-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure (see PTO-892).
US 11,153,716 issued to Madden et al., teaches providing location tracking services for monitoring their location, where the location tracking services can be part of a mobile device.
US 10,887,650 issued to Wilson et al., teaches providing a home automation system and method for configuring a device state including receiving an input from the client device that the server.
US 2016/0139574 issued to Lee et al., teaches providing a smart home control apparatus and method for controlling household electronic supplies through a wireless network or the Internet of Things.
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH CHAU N NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4242. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TONIA DOLLINGER can be reached on (571)272-4170. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINH CHAU NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2459