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 .
Response to Arguments
Rejection of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 112(d):
The rejection of claims 10-12 are withdrawn in light of the amendment to the claims.
Rejection of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102:
Applicant argues Lobo's monitoring of cover/cap coverage is not related to any "active stimulus" event. In light of the amendment, the new grounds of rejection now rely on other portions of Lobo for teaching "active stimulus" such as the monitoring of smoke during normal operations and the detector D1 of Table 3. The system taught by Lobo, when operated in normal conditions rather than checking for anomalies, would perform the method of claim 1 and have the same structure as recited in claim 8.
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, and 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lobo (US 2021/0142654).
Lobo, under normal operation, monitors for smoke, and also during testing, monitors for smoke and anomalies (Table 30):
1. A method of evaluating an operational aspect of a life safety detection device, the method comprising:
transmitting light from at least one light source into a detection chamber positioned within an interior of a housing of the life safety detection device (para. [0047]: "the detection chamber readings may be obtained by a photo electric transmitter and receiver placed inside each detector.");
receiving, over a predefined time period (para. []0051), scattered light within the detection chamber (para. [0047]: "the detection chamber readings may be obtained by a photo electric transmitter and receiver placed inside each detector."), wherein the scattered light is indicative of a presence of airborne particulate matter (para. [0047]: "When airborne particles enter inside a detection chamber of the detector, the light transmitted by the photo electric transmitter is scattered by the airborne particles");
determining, by at least one processor (control panel 102; para. [0062]: “The monitoring unit monitors the detection chamber readings received from the detectors.”) communicably coupled to the life safety detection device, a variation pattern of the airborne particulate matter during the predefined time period based on the received scattered light during the predefined time period (Para. [0047]: "Whenever, there is smoke or fire, the number of airborne particles increases and more light is scattered and received in lesser amount at the photo electric receiver.");
analyzing, by the at least one processor, the variation pattern of the airborne particulate matter over the predefined time period with respect to another variation pattern during the predefined time duration (Para. [0047]: "Whenever, there is smoke or fire, the number of airborne particles increases and more light is scattered and received in lesser amount at the photo electric receiver."; Para. [0060]: "it is shown in Table 2 that there is smoke build up at 13:45 ") ; and
evaluating, by the at least one processor, the operational aspect associated with the life safety detection device based on the analyzing step (para. [0060]: " Table 3 illustrates different detectors D1-D6. Detector D1 describes the value (from ADC) of detector D1 which is below 50 units indicating an alarm needs to be triggered for the value of less than 50 units. The value of less than 50 indicates increase the airborne particles such as smoke to alarming level. In this case due to more number of smoke particles, the light received by the photo receiver is less and accordingly lesser reading for ADC is obtained. A neighboring detector D3 indicates the impact of smoke being developed and reading are in range of 65-70. Detector D3 appears to have constant reading and does not correspond to the readings of neighboring detectors indicating a possibility of anomaly in the detector D3. The readings of D4-D6 appear to be in normal range of 75-80. Accordingly, in this embodiment, different readings from ADC may be used to identify any anomaly associated with the detectors.");
wherein the determining comprises determining a variation pattern of the airborne particulate matter (Para. [0047]: "Whenever, there is smoke or fire, the number of airborne particles increases and more light is scattered and received in lesser amount at the photo electric receiver.") indicative of perturbation in the airborne particulate matter during an active stimulus associated with an event (para. [0059]: "Further, it is shown in Table 2 that there is smoke build up at 13:45 with 44 units which increases to 53 units at 14:00 indicating a time to alert a fire and alarm system.) within a predefined threshold distance from the life safety detection device (nearby or closer such as at the life safety detection device), and wherein the event perturbs air quality (smoke; para. [0060]: "Detector D1 describes the value (from ADC) of detector D1 which is below 50 units indicating an alarm needs to be triggered for the value of less than 50 units. The value of less than 50 indicates increase the airborne particles such as smoke to alarming level." See remainder of para. [0060]) within the predefined threshold distance (vicinity of the detector: "location information" para. [0040]; or inside chamber).
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises one of:
activating or deactivating of a device within the predefined threshold distance (e.g. para. [0057]: "a cover/cap is placed on two detectors D3 and D4"),
activating or deactivating of a sub-alarm threshold aerosol within the predefined threshold distance,
change in state of one of a door, a window, or an object within the predefined threshold distance, and
activating or deactivating of a ventilation system within the predefined threshold distance (Please note that the listed events are not positively recited as a step of the claimed method. Rather these different events describe conditions in which the method is intended to be performed. The claimed steps are still the same. The claimed processor does not identify which of the listed event caused the detection of the event, nor does the claim require any of the events to be performed.).
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the another variation pattern is associated with another life safety detection device within a predefined threshold distance from the life safety detection device (“neighboring detector D3”; para. [0058]: “It is depicted in the tables that a detector D1, D2, D4, D5, and D6 are showing detection chamber readings which are varying at different time periods sampled by a control panel. However, detector D3 is showing constant reading of 7 units for all the time samples indicating an anomaly associated with detector D3").
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the another variation pattern is a predefined pattern associated with a ground truth airborne particulate matter detection device. (The act performed in claim 1 is the same, regardless of how the data is associated with the ground truth airborne particulate matter detection device. Furthermore, the claim does not require the predefined pattern be from the ground truth airborne particulate matter detection device and only requires an undefined association. In this case, the detectors of Lobo provide indications of particles in air like that of a ground truth airborne particulate matter detection device)
6. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the analyzing comprises determining whether a deviation between the variation pattern of the airborne particulate matter and the another variation pattern is within a predefined threshold, and
the evaluating comprises evaluating that the life safety detection device is malfunctioning in response to a determining that the deviation is above a predefined threshold (para. [0059]: "Further, it is shown in Table 2 that there is smoke build up at 13:45 with 44 units which increases to 53 units at 14:00 indicating a time to alert a fire and alarm system. The neighboring detector D3 still shows a constant reading of 7 units. Such a reading indicates that the detector D3 is not working properly and needs to be notified to the concerned user.").
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
transmitting, by the at least one processor, an alert indicating malfunctioning of the life safety detection device based on the evaluating step (para. [0059]: "Such a reading indicates that the detector D3 is not working properly and needs to be notified to the concerned user.").
8. A system of evaluating an operational aspect of a life safety detection device, the system comprising:
a life safety detection device (Fig. 1, 100) comprising:
a housing defining a detection chamber for receiving ambient materials (para. [0003]: "detectors such as smoke, fire, hazardous gases detectors etc. are covered with a cover/cap to avoid fine air particles such as construction dust, painting fumes etc. entering into a detection chamber of the detectors");
at least one light source configured to emit light into the detection chamber (para. [0047]: "the detection chamber readings may be obtained by a photo electric transmitter and receiver placed inside each detector."); and
at least one light sensing device configured to receive, over a predefined time period, scattered light reflected from the ambient materials in the detection chamber, wherein the scattered light is indicative of a presence of airborne particulate matter (para. [0047]: "the detection chamber readings may be obtained by a photo electric transmitter and receiver placed inside each detector."); and
a processor (control panel 102) communicably coupled to the life safety detection device, wherein the processor is configured to:
determine a variation pattern of the airborne particulate matter during the predefined time period based on the received scattered light at the life safety detection device during the predefined time period (control panel 102; see citation given above for claim 1);
analyze the variation pattern of the airborne particulate matter over the predefined time period with respect to another variation pattern during the predefined time duration (see citation given above for claim 1); and
evaluate the operational aspect associated with the life safety detection device based on the analysis (see citation given above for claim 1);
wherein the determining comprises determining a variation pattern of the airborne particulate matter indicative of perturbation in the airborne particulate matter during an active stimulus associated with an event within a predefined threshold distance from the life safety detection device within the predefined threshold distance (see citation given above for claim 1).
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the another variation pattern is associated with another life safety detection device within a predefined threshold distance from the life safety detection device (Same applies as claim 10 above).
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the another variation pattern is a predefined pattern associated with a ground truth airborne particulate matter detection device (Same applies as claim 10 above since the ground truth airborne particulate matter detection device is not an element of the claim system and is an object intended to be used in conjunction with the claimed system).
13. The system of claim 8, wherein:
to analyze the variation pattern, the processor is configured to determine whether a deviation between the variation pattern of the airborne particulate matter and the another variation pattern is within a predefined threshold, and
to evaluate the operational aspect, the processor is configured to evaluate that the life safety detection device is malfunctioning in response to a determining that the deviation is above a predefined threshold (para. [0051]: " During the blockade, the detection chamber reading may also vary around the constant reading within a predetermined limit." In addition, the processor only compares the patterns. The processor does not identify what the active stimulus is).
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:
transmit an alert indicating malfunctioning of the life safety detection device based on the evaluating step (para. [0059]: "Such a reading indicates that the detector D3 is not working properly and needs to be notified to the concerned user.").
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hwa Andrew S Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-2419. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michelle Iacoletti can be reached at (571) 270-5789. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Hwa Andrew Lee/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877