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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (US 2017/0272705) and further in view of Irby et al (US 2007/0174732).
For claim 1, Wang et al teach a video camera comprising:
a memory;
a network interface for communicating over a network (e.g. figure 1 or figure 4, network);
an image capture sensor for capturing a video stream; a housing; a controller operatively coupled to the memory (it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art the camera has to have processor to process the video and memory to store the video signal), the network interface and the image capture sensor (e.g. figure 1 or figure 4: a network security camera connect to a network), the controller configured to:
receive the video stream from the image capture sensor (e.g. paragraph 6: input video);
generate an output based at least in part on the video stream (e.g. paragraph 6: The cloud server 92 is configured to receive a warning message transmitted from the network security camera 90. To check whether the network security camera 90 detects an abnormal situation, the users need to have a mobile device or a computer and connect the mobile device or the computer to the cloud server 92);
send the output onto the network via the network interface (e.g. paragraph 6: The cloud server 92 is configured to receive a warning message transmitted from the network security camera 90);
and send an alert onto the network via the network interface when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to cross a corresponding threshold (e.g. paragraph 6: The cloud server 92 is configured to receive a warning message transmitted from the network security camera 90).
Wang et al do not further disclose:
execute a health status algorithm, wherein the health status algorithm is configured to: monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the video camera, wherein the plurality of health parameters include one or more health parameters that are indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of the video camera and one or more health parameters that are indicative of the health of one or more software components of the video camera.
Irby et al teach execute a health status algorithm, wherein the health status algorithm is configured to: monitor each of a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the video camera, wherein the plurality of health parameters include one or more health parameters that are indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of the video camera and one or more health parameters that are indicative of the health of one or more software components of the video camera (e.g. paragraph 37: Therefore, the present invention provides a monitoring system 7 for providing real time hardware/software system (i.e., for computing system 6) health status updates and issuing alerts (i.e., if a threshold is exceeded with a component within computing system 6, if a malfunction with a component within computing system 6 is detected, etc) to appropriate support personnel (e.g., hardware support, software support, etc) so that the exceeded threshold or malfunction may be repaired. …A health status for the computing system 6 (i.e., for components within computing system 6) is defined herein as an operational status for any hardware components, software components, (e.g., software applications, data, dataflow, etc), and interfaces (e.g., network connections) associated with the computing system 6).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Irby et al into the teaching of Wang et al to monitor system using specified rules to determine a health status of the components (e.g. abstract) to improve convenience for user.
Claim 11 is rejected for the same reasons as discussed in claim 1 above.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al and Irby et al, as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, in view of Lee et al (US 2012/0019620) and further in view of Nakamura et al (US 2002/0117621).
For claim 2, Wang et al and Irby et al do not further disclose the video camera is a Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) video camera comprising: a focus drive mechanism for mechanically changing a focus of the PTZ video camera; a PTZ drive mechanism for mechanically changing a PTZ position of the PTZ video camera; a transparent dome for protecting the image capture sensor; and wherein the controller is further operatively coupled to the focus drive mechanism and the PTZ drive mechanism.
Lee et al teach the video camera is a Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) video camera comprising: a focus drive mechanism for mechanically changing a focus of the PTZ video camera; a PTZ drive mechanism for mechanically changing a PTZ position of the PTZ video camera; and wherein the controller is further operatively coupled to the focus drive mechanism and the PTZ drive mechanism (e.g. figure 1: P motor 11, T motor 12 and z motor 13; paragraph 16: the control unit 30 further directs the PTZ driver 10 to drive x-axis movement, y-axis movement of the lens 22, and adjusts the foci of the lens 22, to capture a 3D facial image.). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Lee et al into the teaching of Wang et al and Irby et al to implement the PTZ function in a timely manner to capture clear and recognizable image (e.g. paragraph 4, Lee et al) to improve the quality of the video.
Wang et al, Irby et al and Lee et al do not teach a transparent dome for protecting the image capture sensor. Nakamura et al teach a transparent dome for protecting the image capture sensor (e.g. paragraph 146: a dome 180 made of an infrared-transparent material and used for protecting the camera). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Nakamura et al into the teaching of Wang et al, Irby et al and Wang et al to protect the camera to improve the durability of the camera.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al and Irby et al, as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Huang et al (US 2021/0004610).
For claim 5, Wang et al and Irby et al do not further disclose the plurality of health parameters that are indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of the video camera include one or more of a sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of the video stream and a sensed image sharpness of one or more image frames of the video stream. Huang et al teach the plurality of health parameters that are indicative of the health of one or more hardware components of the video camera include one or more of a sensed light intensity of one or more pixels of one or more frames of the video stream and a sensed image sharpness of one or more image frames of the video stream (e.g. paragraph 128: sharpness score). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Huang et al into the teaching of Wang et al, Irby et al and Wang et al to check for camera health (e.g. paragraph 128, Huang et al) to improve the durability of the camera.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al and Irby et al, as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Richardson et al (US 2016/0044217).
For claim 10, Wang et al and Irby et al do not further disclose the plurality of health parameters that are indicative of the health of one or more software components of the video camera include one or more of: a health status parameter associated with a number of times that the video camera has been rebooted over a predetermined period of time; and a health status parameter that indicates whether the firmware of the video camera is up-to-date or not. Richardson et al teach the plurality of health parameters that are indicative of the health of one or more software components of the video camera include one or more of: a health status parameter associated with a number of times that the video camera has been rebooted over a predetermined period of time; and a health status parameter that indicates whether the firmware of the video camera is up-to-date or not (e.g. paragraph 40: during a firmware update which can take several minutes or more, the status ring 50 can communicate that the update is still proceeding by flashing and/or progressively growing larger in a progress-bar manner). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Richardson et al into the teaching of Wang et al, Irby et al and Wang et al to allow the status, as determined by the camera's on-board processor, to quickly and effectively communicate with the users (e.g. paragraph 40, Richardson et al).
Claims 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al and Irby et al, as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Kuoppala et al (US 2016/0018805).
For claim 15, Wang et al and Irby et al do not further disclose the building control system includes an access control system, and the building control device includes an access control panel of the access control system. Kuoppala et al teach the building control system includes an access control system (e.g. paragraph 41: Doors, locks and burglar alarms), and the building control device includes an access control panel of the access control system (e.g. paragraph 23: destination operator panels). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Kuoppala et al into the teaching of Wang et al, Irby et al and Wang et al to improve comfort and safety for operational performance of the building (e.g. paragraph 3, Kuoppala et al).
For claim 16, Wang et al and Irby et al do not further disclose the building control system includes a fire system, and the building control device includes a fire panel of the fire system. Kuoppala et al teach the building control system includes a fire system, and the building control device includes a fire panel of the fire system (e.g. paragraph 42: fire protection doors can be closed and locked). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Kuoppala et al into the teaching of Wang et al, Irby et al and Wang et al to improve comfort and safety for operational performance of the building (e.g. paragraph 3, Kuoppala et al).
For claim 17, Wang et al and Irby et al do not further disclose the building control system includes an HVAC system, and the building control device includes an HVAC panel of the HVAC system. Kuoppala et al teach the building control system includes an HVAC system, and the building control device includes an HVAC panel of the HVAC system (e.g. paragraphs 39-40: HVAC can be switched on). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Kuoppala et al into the teaching of Wang et al, Irby et al and Wang et al to improve comfort and safety for operational performance of the building (e.g. paragraph 3, Kuoppala et al).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-20 are allowed. (Reasons of Allowance: see discussion of claims 1 and 11 above. There’s no teaching or suggestion in the prior arts fort the claimed video surveillance system).
Claims 3-4, 6-9 and 12-14 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAQUAN ZHAO whose telephone number is (571)270-1119. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur: 7:00 am-5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thai Tran can be reached on 571-272-7382. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
Email: daquan.zhao1@uspto.gov.
Phone: (571)270-1119
/DAQUAN ZHAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2484
Prosecution Insights