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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of group 1 to claims 1-9, 128-140 in the reply filed on 4/30/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
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) 1-9, 128-131, 133-140 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Bell (5467808).
Bell discloses a window treatment system comprising: first and second brackets for mounting the window treatment system to a structure; a covering material (curtain);
a motor drive unit(44a, 44b) operatively coupled to the covering material for adjusting a position of the covering material between a lowered position and a raised position; one or more lift assistance springs(96a, 96b) configured to provide lift assistance to the motor drive unit; and a battery holder configured to receive at least one battery for powering the motor drive unit; wherein, during a test procedure, the motor drive unit is configured to: control the position of the covering material through a movement between
the lowered position and the raised position; determine a magnitude of an input power of the motor drive unit as consumed from the at least one battery during the movement of the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position; determine that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs based on the magnitude of the input power of the motor drive unit during the movement of the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position; and in response to determining that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs, communicate an indication that the window treatment system
requires more or less lift assistance springs(page 7 lines 38-67, page 10 lines 36-62, page 14 lines 41-64).
Per claim 2, Bell further shows during the test procedure, the motor drive unit is configured to: control the covering material from the lowered position to the raised position; determine a maximum raising power while the motor drive unit is controlling the covering material from the fully-lowered position to the fully-raised position;
control the covering material from the raised position to the lowered position; and
determine a maximum lowering power while the motor drive unit is controlling
the covering material from the raised position to the lowered position (page 7 lines 38-67, page 10 lines 36-62, page 14 lines 41-64).
Per claim 3, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to determine that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs when a difference between the maximum raising power and the maximum lowering power is greater than a threshold (page 7 lines 38-67, page 10 lines 36-62, page 14 lines 41-64).
Per claim 4, Bell further shows when the maximum raising power is greater than the maximum lowering power, the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs is an indication that the window treatment system requires more lift assistance springs, and, when the maximum lowering power
is greater than the maximum raising power, the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance spring is an indication that the window treatment system requires less lift assistance springs.
Per claim 5, Bell further shows the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs is an indication that the difference between the maximum raising power and the maximum lowering power is greater than the threshold.
Per claim 6, Bell further shows during the test procedure, the motor drive unit is configured to determine that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs when the magnitude of the input power is greater than a threshold during the movement of the covering material between the lowered position and
the raised position.
Per claim 7, Bell further shows during the test procedure, the motor drive unit is configured to control the covering material from the lowered position to the raised position, and determine the magnitude of the input power of the motor drive unit during the movement of the covering material from the lowered position to the raised
position; and wherein, when the magnitude of the input power is greater than the threshold during the movement of the covering material from lowered position to the raised position, the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs is an indication that the window treatment system requires more lift assistance springs (page 7 lines 38-67, page 10 lines 36-62, page 14 lines 41-64).
Per claim 8, Bell further shows during the test procedure, the motor drive unit is configured to control the covering material from the raised position to the lowered position, and determine the magnitude of the input power of the motor drive unit during the movement of the covering material from the raised position to the lowered position; and wherein, when the magnitude of the input power is greater than the threshold
during the movement of the covering material from raised position to the lowered position, the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs is an indication that the window treatment system requires less lift assistance springs.
Per claim 9, Bell further shows wherein the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs is an indication that the magnitude of the input power was greater than the threshold during the movement of the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position.
Per claim 128, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to determine a magnitude of a battery current conducted through the at least one battery when the at least one battery is received in the battery holder, and wherein the motor drive unit is configured to determine the magnitude of the input power of the motor drive unit
based on the magnitude of the battery current.
Per claim 129, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to determine a magnitude of a battery voltage produced across the at least one battery when the at least one battery is received in the battery holder, and to determine the magnitude of the input power of the motor drive unit by calculating the magnitude of the input power based on the magnitude of the battery voltage and the magnitude of the battery current.
Per claim 130, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to execute the test procedure in response to receiving a message or in response to an actuation of a button on the motor drive unit.
Per claim 131, Bell further shows when the magnitude of the input power was greater than the threshold during the movement of the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position, the motor drive unit is configured to store
in memory the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs (page 7 lines 38-67, page 10 lines 36-62, page 14 lines 41-64).
Per claim 133, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to communicate the indication that the window treatment system requires more or
less lift assistance springs by blinking a visible indicator of the motor drive unit (page. 13 lines 20-50).
Per claim 134, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to communicate the indication that the window treatment system requires more or
less lift assistance springs by blinking the visible indicator when the magnitude of the input power is greater than the threshold during the movement of the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position.
Per claim 135, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to communicate the indication that the window treatment system requires more or
less lift assistance springs by blinking the visible indicator after an end of the movement of the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position.
Per claim 136, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to communicate the indication that the window treatment system requires more or
less lift assistance springs by transmitting a message including the indication of the result of the test procedure (page 13 lines 20-60).
Per claim 137, Bell further shows when the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs is an indication that the window treatment system requires more lift assistance springs, the motor drive unit is
configured to communicate the indication that the window treatment system requires more lift assistance springs by blinking a visible indicator of the motor drive unit with a first unique blink pattern(page 13 lines 20-60).
Per claim 138, Bell further shows when the indication that the window treatment system requires more or less lift assistance springs is an indication that the window treatment system requires less lift assistance springs, the motor drive unit is
configured to communicate the indication that the window treatment system requires less lift assistance springs by blinking the visible indicator with a second unique blink pattern(page 13 lines 20-60).
Per claim 139, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to communicate an indication that the window treatment system does not require
more or less lift assistance springs by blinking a visible indicator of the motor drive unit with a third unique blink pattern.
Per claim 140, Bell further shows the motor drive unit is configured to be paired with a remote control device and to execute the test procedure in response to receiving the message from the remote control device via one or more wireless signals(page 12 lines 9-16).
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.
Claim(s) 132 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bell in view of Ogden Jr. et al (2013/0233496).
Bell shows all the claimed limitations except for a head rail assembly mounted to the structure via the first and second brackets, the head rail assembly configured to house the lift assistance spring and the battery holder; a Roman shade fabric configured to hang from a location adjacent to the head rail assembly, at least one lift cord configured to wrap around the roller tube and extending to a bottom end of the Roman shade fabric, such that rotation of the roller tube is configured to raise and lower the Roman shade fabric.
Ogden Jr. et al figures 2-4, shows a head rail assembly mounted to the structure via the first and second brackets, the head rail assembly configured to house the lift assistance spring and the battery holder; a Roman shade fabric configured to hang from a location adjacent to the head rail assembly, at least one lift cord configured to wrap around the roller tube and extending to a bottom end of the Roman shade fabric, such that rotation of the roller tube is configured to raise and lower the Roman shade fabric.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Bell’s structures to show a head rail assembly mounted to the structure via the first and second brackets, the head rail assembly configured to house the lift assistance spring and the battery holder; a Roman shade fabric configured to hang from a location adjacent to the head rail assembly, at least one lift cord configured to wrap around the roller tube and extending to a bottom end of the Roman shade fabric, such that rotation of the roller tube is configured to raise and lower the Roman shade fabric as taught by Ogden Jr. et al in order to securely mount a Roman shade assembly on a supporting wall.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art shows different curtain mounting assemblies.
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/PHI D A/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633
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