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
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 1-15 and 20-22 in the reply filed on 6/26/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is no search burden and there is an overlap of structure. This is not found persuasive because the difference in structure and search burden was established with the previous office action and Applicant has not distinctly challenged this and has only included blanket statements.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
Claims 1-15 are 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.
Claim 1 recites “a blower configured to move air from an inlet to a plurality of outlet vents, wherein each of the plurality of outlet vents is switchable between an open configuration and a closed configuration”. It is not clear if the vents are positively recited because they are part of functional language related to a blower which indicates a functional feature of the blower. For examination purposes Examiner will consider the vents to be positively recited.
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) 1-3, 8-11, 14-15, and 20-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN105082935 to Wang et al. (Wang).
Regarding claims 1 and 20, Wang teaches a blower (at least the first paragraph of Page 8 of the translation) configured to move air from an inlet to a plurality of outlet vents (shown in Figure 2 and/or the blower is configured to perform this function), wherein each of the plurality of outlet vents is switchable between an open configuration and a closed configuration (shown in Figure 2 characters 28, 30, 32, 34, and/or 36 and opening and closing vents is normal operation of the device and/or the blower is configured to perform this function); and processing circuitry configured to control the blower based at least in part on a cumulative outlet area of a set of the plurality of outlet vents that are in the open configuration (Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8 of the translation which disclose changing flowrates and blower voltage dependent on the amount of open area or effective flow area. Reference is also made to flow speed and total airflow which is indicative of having the area calculated because it is part of the formula between total airflow and flow speed).
Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the blower based at least in part on the cumulative outlet area of the set of the plurality of outlet vents that are in the open configuration by: determining a desired airflow for a user climate setting; determining the cumulative outlet area of the set of the plurality of outlet vents that are in the open configuration; and determining a control parameter for the blower based at least in part on the desired airflow and the outlet area (Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8 of the translation discloses that the device controls to a desired airflow which is indicative of determining a desired airflow, referencing flow area, adjusting for closures of vents and adjusting the total effective flow area, and target total flow which are indicative of determining an outlet area, and the passage discloses determining a control parameter such as voltage).
Regarding claim 3, Wang teaches wherein the cumulative outlet area is a sum of cross-sectional areas of the outlet vents in the set of the plurality of outlet vents that are in the open configuration (Last Paragraph of Page 6 and Paragraph 6 of Page 7 disclose a total effective flow area which is a sum of cross-sectional areas).
Regarding claim 8, Wang teaches wherein the control parameter comprises a power parameter indicating an amount of power to provide to the blower to generate the desired airflow (Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8 discloses varying volage of a blower).
Regarding claim 9, Wang teaches wherein the power parameter comprises a pulse width modulation parameter (Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8 discloses varying pulse width modulation).
Regarding claim 10, Wang teaches wherein the set of the plurality of outlet vents that are in the open configuration are located in a first zone within a passenger compartment of a vehicle, wherein the plurality of outlet vents includes a second set that are in the closed configuration and that are located in a second zone within the passenger compartment of the vehicle (any open vents can be classified as in a first zone and closed vents can be grouped in a second zone and Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8 discloses opening and closing of vents), and wherein determining the desired airflow comprises performing a scaling operation based on a ratio of the cumulative outlet area of the set of the plurality of outlet vents that are in the open configuration to a cumulative outlet area of the set of the plurality of outlet vents that are in the open configuration and the second set of the outlet vents that are in the closed configuration (Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8 discloses controlling when vents are open and closed and altering control dependent on this).
Regarding claim 11, Wang teaches wherein the first zone is a front zone of the passenger compartment in which a driver seat is disposed (28, 30, 32, and/or 34, Figure 2), and the second zone is a rear zone of the passenger compartment (36, Figure 2, any of the vents can be opened and closed and the first and second zones can be classified in this manner)
Regarding claim 14, Wang teaches wherein the blower and the plurality of outlet vents are implemented in a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system (Figures 1-2 and disclosed throughout).
Regarding claim 15, Wang teaches wherein the HVAC system is implemented in a vehicle (Figures 1-2 and abstract of translation).
Regarding claim 20, Wang teaches a blower; a plurality of vents, each switchable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and each configured to outlet air received from the blower in the open configuration; and processing circuitry configured to control the blower to provide a constant amount of airflow through an open one of the plurality of vents before and after a switch of one or more others of the plurality of vents between the open configuration and the closed configuration (disclosed in the rejection of claim 1 above and adjustment of flow to make it constant disclosed in the Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8).
Regarding claim 21, Wang teaches an inlet for the blower, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the blower to provide the constant amount of airflow through the open one of the plurality of vents before and after a change in a configuration of the inlet (disclosed in the rejection of claim 1 above and adjustment of flow to make it constant disclosed in the Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 4-7 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of JP11348526 to Homitsu et al. (Homitsu).
Regarding claim 4, Wang teaches wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an inlet area of the inlet (controller is configured to allow this data to be input), wherein determining the control parameter for the blower based at least in part on the desired airflow and the outlet area comprises determining the control parameter for the blower based at least in part on the desired airflow, and the outlet area (Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8 discloses controlling airflow and controlling airflow is based on inlet area and desired airflow).
Wang is silent on wherein the controlling is based on an inlet area.
Homitsu teaches wherein the controlling is based on an inlet area. (Translation of Abstract and description). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Wang with the teachings of Homitsu to provide wherein the controlling is based on an inlet area. Doing so would allow for airflow to be controlled and allow for reduced noise.
Regarding claim 5, the modified device of Wang teaches wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the inlet area by determining whether the inlet is in a recirculation configuration or an external air configuration, and wherein determining the control parameter for the blower based at least in part on the desired airflow, the inlet area, and the outlet area comprises selecting a parameter determination mode based on the determination of whether the inlet to the blower is in the recirculation configuration or the external air configuration (Wang teaches desired airflow and inlet area control while Homitsu teaches inlet area control).
Regarding claim 6, the modified device of Wang teaches wherein selecting the parameter determination mode comprises selecting a first lookup table if the inlet to the blower is in the recirculation configuration or a second lookup table if the inlet to the blower is in the external air configuration (Homitsu teaches changing flow based on inlet source which is indicative of inlet area).
Regarding claim 7, the modified device of Wang teaches wherein determining the control parameter for the blower based at least in part on the desired airflow, the inlet area, and the outlet area comprises determining the control parameter using the selected parameter determination mode, the desired airflow, and the outlet area (Wang teaches desired airflow and inlet area control while Homitsu teaches inlet area control).
Regarding claim 22, the modified device of Wang teaches wherein the change in the configuration of the inlet comprises change between a recirculation configuration and an external air configuration (Translation of Abstract and Description of Homitsu).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of U.S. Patent 10639961 to Wijaya et al. (Wijaya).
Regarding claim 13, Wang teaches wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the desired airflow by: determining a steady-state airflow based on the user climate setting; determining a transient airflow based on a difference between the user climate setting and a current temperature within the apparatus; determining a solar load airflow based at least on a solar load on the apparatus; and determining the desired airflow based on the steady-state airflow, the transient airflow, (Last Paragraph of Page 6 – Paragraph 3 of Page 8 discloses this control)
Wang is silent on controlling with the solar load airflow
Wijaya teaches a solar load airflow (Claims 1, 6, and 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Wang with the teachings of Wijaya to provide solar load airflow. Doing so would increase the comfort of a user.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The cited prior art discloses the general state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN S ANDERSON II whose telephone number is (571)272-2055. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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, Michael Hoang can be reached at 574-272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/STEVEN S ANDERSON II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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