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 .
Drawings
The subject matter of this application admits of illustration by a drawing to facilitate understanding of the invention. Applicant is required to furnish a drawing under 37 CFR 1.81(c). No new matter may be introduced in the required drawing. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d).
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following features are missing a number and a leader line indicating an element that is claimed. This list is not exhaustive:
Valve core mechanism (Claim 2): Separator (Claim 2); Edge of diaphragm valve (Claim 2); Inner ring of diaphragm valve 9Claim 2); peripheral surface of piston head (Claim 2); Movable rod (Claim 3); Upper end of Spring (Claim 3); Lower end of spring (Claim 3); Clamp slot (Claim 4); End of Drive Rod (Claim 5); Handle (Claim 5); Thread of drive rod (Claim 6); Water pressure judgment Module (Claim 7); Temperature judgment module (Claim 7)
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The following features are missing a number that corelates to an element in the drawings. This list is not exhaustive:
Valve core mechanism (Claim 2): Separator (Claim 2); Edge of diaphragm valve (Claim 2); Inner ring of diaphragm valve 9Claim 2); peripheral surface of piston head (Claim 2); Movable rod (Claim 3); Upper end of Spring (Claim 3); Lower end of spring (Claim 3); Clamp slot (Claim 4); End of Drive Rod (Claim 5); Handle (Claim 5); Thread of drive rod (Claim 6); Water pressure judgment Module (Claim 7); Temperature judgment module (Claim 7).
Appropriate correction is required.
The use of the term STM32F103VET6, which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-7 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 contains the trademark/trade name STM32F103VET6. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe a microcontroller and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite.
Claims 2-7 are rejected based on their dependency on Claim 1.
Claims 2-7 claim the following elements that are not indicated in the drawings with a number and lead line and a corresponding number indicated in the specification. The following features are missing a number that corelates to an element in the drawings. This list is not exhaustive:
Valve core mechanism (Claim 2): Separator (Claim 2); Edge of diaphragm valve (Claim 2); Inner ring of diaphragm valve 9Claim 2); peripheral surface of piston head (Claim 2); Movable rod (Claim 3); Upper end of Spring (Claim 3); Lower end of spring (Claim 3); Clamp slot (Claim 4); End of Drive Rod (Claim 5); Handle (Claim 5); Thread of drive rod (Claim 6); Water pressure judgment Module (Claim 7); Temperature judgment module (Claim 7).
It is unclear what is meant by these claimed elements.
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-6, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Irwin et al. US PG PUB 20130008542 (“Irwin”) in view of Guawardena et al. US PG PUB 20200354932 (“Guawardena”).
Regarding Claim 1, as best understood, Irwin discloses an intelligent valve (5100, ann. fig. 7E) that connects to internet, comprising: a main control module (7954, para 0144-0146), a touch screen (para 0125), a Wi-Fi module (para 0125), a sensor module (para 0125), a relay module and an electromagnetic valve body (ann. fig. 4F and para ), touch screen (para 0125), sensor module (para 0145), and relay module para 0145), wherein the relay module (para 0145) is connected to the electromagnetic valve body (ann. fig. 4F), and a 32-bit microcontroller STM32F103VET6 is used in the main control module as a main control chip (7950p, para 0145), the main control chip on the main control module comprises 100 pins, and 70-80 pins are configured to be universal IO ports (7950p, para 0145) to control a plurality of electromagnetic valve bodies.
Irwin, as modified above, discloses the claimed invention, except a 4G/5G module, Wi-Fi module, wherein the main control module is respectively connected to the 4G/5G module, 4G/5G module communicates with a cloud server through a base station; and the Wi-Fi module communicate with the cloud server by connecting the internet through a wireless router.
Guawardena teaches a 4G/5G module (para 0048), Wi-Fi module (para 0048), wherein the main control module is respectively connected to the 4G/5G module, 4G/5G module communicates with a cloud server through a base station (para 0048); and the Wi-Fi module communicate with the cloud server by connecting the internet through a wireless router (para 0048).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at a time prior to the effective filing date to have modified the intelligence system of water valves, as disclosed by the combination of Irwin, by adding a 4G network and Wi-Fi module with a cloud server connecting the internet through a wireless router, as taught by Guawardena, for the purpose of self-powered valves systems that do not require power lines to be routed to the valve by using one or more wireless receivers and/or wireless transceivers that enable the valves to be activated, deactivated and/or provided with a schedule without requiring communication lines to be laid and connected to the valve. Accordingly, the self-powered valve system can greatly reduce the cost to implement an irrigation system, simplify the design of irrigation systems, simplify the implementation of irrigation systems, enable the positioning of valves in locations where it is typically difficult to incorporate, and other benefits.
Regarding Claim 2, as best understood, Irwin discloses the electromagnetic valve body comprises a valve body (ann. fig. 4F, electromagnetic valve body), a valve core mechanism (ann. fig. 4F), and a valve seat (ann. fig. 4F), the valve body is provided with a water inlet (2202) and a water outlet (2204), the valve body (ann. fig. 4F) is provided with an inner chamber (ann. fig. 4F), and the inner chamber is provided with a separator (ann. fig. 4F), the inner chamber is separated into a water inlet chamber (ann. fig. 4F) and a water outlet chamber (ann. fig. 4F) by the separator through the valve core mechanism, and the valve core mechanism (ann. fig. 4F) is configured to open and close a communication between the water inlet chamber (ann. fig. 4F) and water outlet chamber (ann. fig. 4F); wherein the valve core mechanism (ann. fig. 4F) comprises a drive rod (ann. fig. 4F), a piston head (ann. fig. 4F), and a diaphragm valve (ann. fig. 4F); the drive rod is thread connection (ann. fig. 4F) to the valve seat, the valve seat fixes an edge of the diaphragm valve (ann. fig. 4F) to an upper opening of the valve body (ann. fig. 4F), an inner ring of the diaphragm valve (ann. fig. 4F) is fixed to a peripheral surface of the piston head (ann. fig. 4F), the piston head and the drive rod are rotationally connected (ann. fig. 4F) and the piston head is controlled to lift and descend by the drive rod (para 0058); the diaphragm valve is controlled to open or close the separator by lifting or descending of the piston head (para 0079).
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IRWIN – ANNOTATED FIGURE 4F
Regarding Claim 3, as best understood, Irwin discloses the piston head (ann. fig. 4F) and a movable rod (ann. fig. 4F) are connected through a spring (ann. fig. 4F), the spring is sleeved on the drive rod (ann. fig. 4F), an upper end of the spring (ann. fig. 4F) abuts against the valve seat, and a lower end of the spring abuts against the piston head (ann. fig. 4F).
Regarding Claim 4, as best understood, Irwin discloses the piston head (ann. fig. 4F) and the valve seat (2308) are provided with a clamp slot (ann. fig. 4F) configured to clamp and fix the spring (ann. fig. 4F).
Regarding Claim 5, as best understood, Irwin discloses an end of the drive rod is provided with a handle (2502).
Regarding Claim 6, Irwin discloses a gear nut (2600) is provided at a thread of the drive rod (ann. fig. 4F), and the gear nut is rotationally installed on the valve seat (2308), matched with the thread of the drive rod, and cooperates with a reducer.
Claim 7, as best understood, is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Irwin et al. US PG PUB 20130008542 (“Irwin”) in view of Guawardena et al. US PG PUB 20200354932 (“Guawardena”), in further view of Turntine US 11215958 (“Turntine”).
Regarding Claim 7, as best understood, Irwin, as modified above, discloses a water pressure sensor (para 0145-0146, pitot tube) and are provided at the water outlet (2204) of the valve body (ann. fig. 4F), the water pressure sensor is connected with a water pressure judgment module , the water pressure judgment module judges a smaller value of water pressure, and the water pressure judgment module is connected to a logic module, an output end of the logic module is connected with a temperature rise module, and the temperature rise module heats the valve body and/or valve seat.
Irwin discloses the claimed invention, except a temperature sensor.
Turntine teaches a temperature sensor is connected with a temperature judgment module, the temperature judgment module judges a smaller value of temperature, the water pressure judgment module and the temperature judgment module are respectively connected to a logic module, an output end of the logic module is connected with a temperature rise module, and the temperature rise module heats the valve body and/or valve seat.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at a time prior to the effective filing date to have modified the different sensors on a water system, as disclosed by Irwin, by including a temperature sensor and heating valves, as taught by Turntine, for the purpose of preventing water systems from freezing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Graham US PG PUB 20130320250, Ueno US PG PUB 20170059075, Millius US PG PUB 20220368195, Millius US PG PUB 20240283325, Cheng US 6000674, Niess et al. US 11391392, Griswold US 3556464, Klicpera US 10410501, Halimi US 12029172, Kah,III US 10815958, Griswold US 3367621, Kendall US 4360037, and Roman US 6352238.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daphne Barry whose telephone number is (571)272-9966 and fax number is (571) 273-9966. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday 9 AM-6 PM (eastern).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor either Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at (571) 272-4881 or Craig Schneider can be reached at (571) 272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAPHNE M BARRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753