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 § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al. (U.S. 2017/0096299). Yang et al. teaches an induction actuated container 20, comprising a container body 22 having an inner cavity therein and a container opening, an induction actuated container cover 56, 38, 24, including a control housing 56, 38, defining a ring shape receiving chamber therein (figure 7A) and having a cover opening defined by 38 (figure 7A), mounted on said container body, a cover panel 24 pivotally connected to said induction actuated container cover at 38 and configured to be selectively moved between a close state to cover said cover opening (figure 1) and said container opening so as to enclose said inner cavity and an open state to expose said inner cavity with outside through said container opening and said cover opening (paragraph [0063]), and an actuation unit 58 received in said receiving chamber of said induction actuated container cover and configured to drive said cover panel between the close state and the open state (paragraph [0127]), and a full-body induction arrangement 102 received in said receiving chamber of said induction actuated container cover and configured to actuate said actuation unit 58 to drive said cover panel between the close state and the open state in response to an actuation movement applied to anywhere on an exterior surface of said induction actuated container (paragraph [0080]).
Regarding claim 2, said full-body induction arrangement includes a vibration switch sensor unit configured to detect the actuation movement applied to said induction actuated container (paragraph [0079]) and a control circuit 70 configured to actuate said actuation unit to drive said cover panel between the close state and the open state upon receiving a signal sent from said vibration switch sensor unit when the actuation movement applied to the induction actuated container is detected (paragraph [0074]).
Regarding claim 5, said control circuit 70 of the induction actuated container further comprises an infrared switch sensor unit 112, 114 provided on said induction actuated container cover and configured to actuate said actuation unit to open said cover panel when said infrared switch sensor unit detects a target approaching said infrared switch sensor unit (paragraphs [0079]-[0115]).
Regarding claim 6, said control circuit 70 of the induction actuated container further comprises an infrared switch sensor unit 112, 114 provided on said induction actuated container cover and configured to actuate said actuation unit to open said cover panel when said infrared switch sensor unit detects a target approaching said infrared switch sensor unit (paragraphs [0079]-[0115]).
Regarding claim 9, Yang et al. teaches a control method of an induction actuated container 20, comprising steps of (A) maintaining a control circuit of said induction actuated container in a shutdown mode while said induction actuated container is power on (“Ready Mode”), (B) actuating said control circuit 70 in a standby mode when a control switch of said induction actuated container is actuated, and (C) during the standby mode, actuating a cover panel of said induction actuated container to open for a predetermined period of time when an actuation movement applied to anywhere on said induction actuated container is detected by a vibration switch sensor unit (figure 14; paragraphs [0159]-[0187]).
Regarding claim 10, the step (C) further comprises steps of (C1) sending an output signal from said vibration switch sensor unit 112, 114, which is a low-power vibration switching circuit, when the actuation movement applied to said induction actuated container is detected, (C2) triggering a micro controller to control an actuation unit to open said cover panel with respect to a container body of said induction actuated container (figure 14), (C3) controlling an actuation unit of said induction actuated container to close said cover panel with respect to said container body of said induction actuated container after said cover panel has been opened for the predetermined period of time (paragraphs [0159]-[0187]) and (C4) maintaining said vibration switch sensor unit to the standby mode after said cover panel is closed (figure 14).
Regarding claim 11, comprising a step of (D) in the standby mode, actuating said cover panel to open for the predetermined of time when an infrared switch sensor unit of said control circuit detects a target approaching said infrared switch sensor unit (paragraphs [0159]-[0187]).
Regarding claim 12, the step (D) further comprises steps of (D1) sending an output signal from said infrared switch sensor unit 112, 114 when the target approaching said infrared induction sensor unit within a detection range is detected (D2) triggering said micro controller to control said actuation unit to open said cover panel with respect to said container body of said induction actuated container (figure 14) (D3) controlling said actuation unit to close said cover panel with respect to said container body of said induction actuated container after said cover panel has been opened for the predetermined period of time (paragraphs [0159]-[0187]), and (D4) maintaining said vibration switch sensor unit to said standby mode after said cover panel is closed (figure 14).
Regarding claim 13, comprising a step of (E) in the standby mode (“Ready Mode”), switching said induction trach container to a continuous open state, wherein said cover panel is retained in the open state once said cover panel is actuated to open until said cover panel is actuated to close again (paragraph [0094]).
Regarding claim 14, the step (E) further comprises steps of (E1) in the standby mode, opening said cover panel when said control switch is actuated for a first time mode, and (E2) closing said cover panel when said control switch is actuated again (paragraphs [0096], [0099]).
Regarding claim 15, the step (E1) further comprises triggering said micro controller to control said actuation unit to open said cover panel with respect to said container body of said induction actuated container when said control switch is actuated and retaining said cover panel in the open state before said actuation switch is actuated again (paragraph [0096]), wherein the step (E2) further comprises triggering said micro controller to control said actuation unit to close said cover panel with respect to said container body of said induction actuated container when said control switch is actuated again (paragraph [0099]; figure 14).
Regarding claim 16, comprising a step of (F) in the standby mode (“Ready Mode”), actuating said control circuit of said induction actuated container to a shutdown mode when said control switch is actuated with a second time mode, and actuating said control circuit of said induction actuated container to the standby mode when said control switch is actuated for the first time mode (paragraph [0094]).
Regarding claim 17, comprising a step of (G) in the standby mode, switching said induction actuated container to a single function state by switching off said vibration switch sensor unit to turn off a vibration induction function of said induction actuated container (paragraph [0098]).
Regarding claim 18, the step (G) further comprises switching off said vibration switch sensor unit by actuating said control switch for a third time mode to turn off the vibration induction function, so that said induction actuated container merely maintains an infrared induction function (paragraph [0097]).
Regarding claim 19, comprising a step of (H) in the standby mode, switching said induction actuated container back to a dual function state, wherein both said vibration switch sensor unit and said infrared switch sensor unit are switched on and both the vibration induction function and the infrared induction function are turned on (paragraph [0099]).
Regarding claim 20, the step (H) further comprises switching on said vibration switch sensor unit again by said micro controller to turn on the vibration induction function of said induction actuated container by actuating said control switch for the third time mode again (paragraphs [0099]-[0100]).
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 3, 4, 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (U.S. 2017/0096299) in view of Liao et al. (U.S. 2022/0329196).
Regarding claim 3, Yang et al. discloses the claimed invention except for the capacitor. Liao et al. teaches that it is known to provide driving circuit with a capacitor (see paragraph [0022]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the container of Yang et al. with the capacitors, as taught by Liao et al., in order to relay information to move the lid from a closed position to an open position.
Further regarding claim 3, said control circuit 70 includes a micro controller and a driving circuit, wherein said vibration switch sensor 112, 114 is a low-power vibration switching circuit comprising a vibration switch sensor, a field effect transistor (paragraph [0227]), a capacitor (as modified above), a high-resistance resistor, and a pull-up resistor and a pull-down resistor (potentiometer) of a corresponding port pin of said micro controller (paragraphs [0012]-[0024]), wherein said actuation unit comprises an electric motor 78 and a reduction unit (paragraph [0064]).
Regarding claim 4, Yang et al. discloses the claimed invention except for the specifics of the switches. Liao et al. teaches that it is known to provide driving circuit with multiple switches (see paragraphs [0022]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the container of Yang et al. with switch assembly, as taught by Liao et al., in order to relay information to move the lid from a closed position to an open position.
Further regarding claim 4, in a standby mode (“ready mode”) while the induction actuated container is power on, the actuation movement applied to said exterior surface of said induction actuated container actuates said cover panel to open with respect to said control housing of said induction actuated container cover (paragraphs [0097]-[0098]), wherein said pull-up resistor is effective and said pull-down resistor is not effective and that said micro controller controls a first switch being connected and a second switch being disconnected (as taught by Liao et al.; paragraphs [0036]-[0038]), wherein said vibration switch sensor 112, 114 is in a conduction state, a gate of said field effect transistor is at a low level, said field effect transistor is cut-off, and said corresponding port pin of said micro controller remains in high-level state due to an effectiveness of said pull-up resistor and a non-effectiveness of said pull-down resistor, such that when a vibration signal is generated in said induction actuated container due to the actuation movement applied to said induction actuated container (as taught by Laio et al.), said vibration switch sensor is instantly disconnected and said gate of said field effect transistor is in a high-level state instantly, said filed effect transistor is on, said corresponding port pin is instantly in low-level state, and said micro controller (paragraphs [0012]-[0024]) receives a level change of said corresponding port pin and sends an output signal to an input port of said driving circuit 70 from another port pin of said micro controller, wherein said driving circuit provides a positive voltage to said electric motor through an output port of said driving circuit to actuate said electric motor 78 to frontwardly rotate to drive said cover panel to the open state via said reduction unit and said cover panel opens for a delay period of time (as taught by Liao et al.; paragraphs [0036]-[0038]) (time delay discussed in paragraphs [0159]-[0187] of Yang et al.), and then said micro controller (paragraphs [0012]-[0024]) is set to control said driving circuit to supply a negative voltage to said electric motor 78 to actuate said electric motor to reversely rotate to drive said cover panel to the close state via said reduction unit, and that said induction actuated container returns to the standby mode and prepares for another induction opening operation of said cover panel (paragraphs [0159]-0187] of Yang et al.).
Regarding claim 7, said control circuit 70 of the induction actuated container further comprises an infrared switch sensor unit 112, 114 provided on said induction actuated container cover and configured to actuate said actuation unit to open said cover panel when said infrared switch sensor unit detects a target approaching said infrared switch sensor unit (paragraphs [0079]-[0115]).
Regarding claim 8, said control circuit 70 of the induction actuated container further comprises an infrared switch sensor unit 112, 114 provided on said induction actuated container cover and configured to actuate said actuation unit to open said cover panel when said infrared switch sensor unit detects a target approaching said infrared switch sensor unit (paragraphs [0079]-[0115]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art is cited for the induction actuation mechanism.
THIS ACTION IS NON-FINAL.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIKI MARINA ELOSHWAY whose telephone number is (571)272-4538. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 7: 00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m..
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/NIKI M ELOSHWAY/Examiner, Art Unit 3736