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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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) 1, 3, 6-12 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. KR20190116189A (hereinafter “Park”) in view of Ebrom et al. USPGPUB 20160218884 A1 (hereinafter “Ebrom”).
As to claim 1, Park teaches a server managing a home appliance installed in a user's residential space (paragraph 0017-0018 “office server and the temperature change of the washing machine” and FIG. 1), comprising: a memory configure to store one or more of instructions (paragraph 0015 and FIG. 1 “a memory in which a freezing prediction algorithm of the washing machine is stored and one or more processors communicating with the memory, wherein the processor”); and a processor configured to execute one or more of the instructions and to perform an operation of managing the home appliance (paragraph 0015-0020 “processor is disposed in the washing machine. Determining an association of the temperature change of the washing machine according to the temperature data through the freezing prediction algorithm based on the temperature data sensed by the temperature sensor sensed and the temperature data received from the meteorological office server” and “processor may be configured to apply the freeze prediction algorithm to the temperature data and the temperature data to determine a group to which the washing machine belongs, from among a freezing washing machine group or an unfrozen washing machine group”), the processor obtains environmental information detected by a sensor of the home appliance after the home appliance is registered, the processor obtains weather information in a second time section of the specific administrative division, based on the information on a specific administrative division (paragraph 0013-0022 “temperature data received from the washing machine (eg, the temperature data detected by the temperature sensor before the washing stroke starts, or the temperature when the washing stroke is not performed) while the washing machine is turned on for a set period of time. The temperature data periodically detected by the sensor) and the temperature data received from the meteorological office server during the set period of time, thereby determining the correlation of the temperature change of the washing machine according to the temperature data, even when the washing machine is turned off. It is aimed to predict the freezing of the washing machine according to the association and the temperature”), and the processor predicts whether an operational error of the home appliance occurs in the second time section, based on the environmental information in a first time section prior to the second time section and the weather information in the second time section (paragraph 0012-0022 “washing machine is predicted based on a change in temperature, and the washing machine is predicted to be frozen, the freezing prevention guide information for the washing machine is provided to a user terminal associated with the washing machine” and “processor is predicted that the washing machine is frozen, providing freezing prevention guide information for the washing machine to a user terminal associated with the washing machine”).
Park does not explicitly teach wherein the processor obtains a message for requesting a registration of the home appliance, comprising information on a specific administrative division regarding the residential space, and based on the message for requesting a registration, registers the home appliance.
However, Ebrom teaches wherein the processor obtains a message for requesting a registration of the home appliance (paragraph 0020-0025 “identifying an appliance configured as above and interacting with the multimedia user interface in an audiovisual conference link. Here, the interacting step can include leaving a video message, leaving an audio message, speaking to a user, seeing an image of the user, listening to the voice of a user, transmittal of an identifier identifying the interacting, receiving of warranty information, and receiving one of customer information, payment information, and/or product registration information”), comprising information on a specific administrative division regarding the residential space, and based on the message for requesting a registration, registers the home appliance (paragraph 0020-0025 and 0248-0253 “centralized location in the home, and one of the appliances” and Park paragraph 0097 and 0105 “receive the region (eg, Seoul, Changwon, etc.) in which the washing machine is installed from the washing machine or the manager terminal”).
Park and Ebrom are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor and contain overlapping structural and functional similarities. They both relate to home appliances management system.
Therefore at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above home appliances management system, as taught by Park, and incorporating obtains a message for requesting a registration of the home appliance, as taught by Ebrom.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve monitoring, controlling to achieve network participation. One example of this internal network used within a household appliance is the WIDE network protocol, created by Whirlpool, Inc., the assignee of this document, as suggested by Ebrom (paragraph 0012).
As to claim 3, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches further comprising: a communication unit configured to receive the message for requesting a registration from a terminal device of the user, to receive the environmental information from the home appliance and to receive current weather information of the specific administrative division from a weather information supply server; and a storage unit configured to store the information on a specific administrative division and the environmental information, wherein the processor obtains the environmental information in the first time section and the information on a specific administrative division from the storage unit (paragraph 0088-0100).
As to claim 6, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the processor generates a message for requesting weather information, which requests the weather information in the second time section, based on the information on a specific administrative division, the communication unit transmits the message for requesting weather information to the weather information supply server, and the communication unit receives the weather information in the second time section from the weather information supply server (paragraph 0115-0117 and FIG. 1,4-5 and 7).
As to claim 7, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the first time section is a past time section, and the second time section is a future time section (paragraph 0100-0115, 0117 and FIG. 1, 5 and 7).
As to claim 8, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the home appliance corresponds to a clothes processing device, the environmental information corresponds to a temperature value in the clothes processing device, the sensor corresponds to a temperature sensor, the weather information in the second time section corresponds to a temperature value in the second time section, and the operational error corresponds to a first operational error in relation to freezing and bursting of the clothes processing device (paragraph 0038, 0100-0117 and FIG. 1, 5 and 7).
As to claim 9, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the processor predicts that the first operational error will occur in the second time section, in a case where a representative temperature value in the clothes processing device in the first time section is less than a first predetermined critical temperature vale, and a temperature value in the second time section is less than a second predetermined critical temperature value (paragraph 0100-0117 and FIG. 1, 4-5 and 7).
As to claim 10, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the representative temperature value in the clothes processing device corresponds to a minimum temperature value in the clothes processing device in the first time section (paragraph 0085-0086 and FIG. 1, 5 and 7).
As to claim 11, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the clothes processing device corresponds to a washing machine, a temperature value in the clothes processing device corresponds to a temperature value of water remaining in the washing machine, the temperature sensor detects a temperature value of the remaining water, and the first operational error comprises a water supply error, a water discharge error and a freezing error of a water supply part or a water discharge part (paragraph 0038, 0100, 0105-0117 and FIG. 1,5 and 7).
As to claim 12, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the clothes processing device corresponds to a dryer, a temperature value in the clothes processing device corresponds to a temperature value of a duct included in the dryer, the temperature sensor detects a temperature value of the duct, and the first operational error comprises a water discharge error and a water empty error (paragraph 0038, 0100, 0105-0117 and FIG. 1,5 and 7).
As to claim 14, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Ebrom further teaches wherein the home appliance corresponds to an air purifier, the first time section and the second time section are included in the same date, the environmental information corresponds to a fine dust concentration in the air purifier, the sensor corresponds to a fine dust sensor configured to detect a fine dust concentration in the air conditioner, the weather information in the second time section corresponds to a fine dust concentration in the second time section, and the operational error corresponds to a third operational error in relation to a replacement of a filter of the air purifier (paragraph 0351-0352 and 0179).
As to claim 15, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the processor generates a message for guiding management, which prevents the operational error from occurring in a case where the operational error is predicted to occur, and the message for guiding management is provided to the terminal device of the user or the home appliance (paragraph 0046-0047 and 0120-0122 and FIG. 1, 4-5 and 7-8).
As to claim 16, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
Park further teaches wherein the message for guiding management comprises first management guide information corresponding to a cause for occurrence of the operational error and second management guide information regarding a method for preventing the operational error from occurring (paragraph 0045-0046 and 0118-0120 and FIG. 1, 4-5 and 7-8).
As to claim 17, is related to claim 1, with similar limitations also rejected by same rational.
As to claim 18, is related to claim 8, with similar limitations also rejected by same rational.
As to claim 19, is related to claim 11, with similar limitations also rejected by same rational.
As to claim 20, is related to claim 12, with similar limitations also rejected by same rational.
5. Claim(s) 2 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. KR20190116189A (hereinafter “Park”) in view of Ebrom et al. USPGPUB 20160218884 A1 (hereinafter “Ebrom”) further in view of Hahn et al. KR20210067691A (hereinafter “Hahn”).
As to claim 2, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
The combination does not explicitly teach wherein the specific administrative division is an administrative division except for an top-level administrative division, out of administrative divisions of the residential space.
However, Hahn teaches wherein the specific administrative division is an administrative division except for an top-level administrative division, out of administrative divisions of the residential space (paragraph 0142 and FIG. 6).
Park, Ebrom and Hahn are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor and contain overlapping structural and functional similarities. They both relate to home appliances management system.
Therefore at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above home appliances management system, as taught by Park and Ebrom, and incorporating an top-level administrative division, out of administrative divisions of the residential space, as taught by Ebrom.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve monitoring, controlling to achieve network participation. One example of this internal network used within a household appliance is the WIDE network protocol, created by Whirlpool, Inc., the assignee of this document, as suggested by Ebrom (paragraph 0012).
As to claim 4, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
The combination does not explicitly teach wherein the processor executes an application for a server for managing the home appliance, the terminal device executes an application for a terminal for managing the home appliance, and the communication unit receives the message for requesting a registration from the terminal device through the application for a terminal.
However, Hahn teaches wherein the processor executes an application for a server for managing the home appliance, the terminal device executes an application for a terminal for managing the home appliance, and the communication unit receives the message for requesting a registration from the terminal device through the application for a terminal (paragraph 0119-0120 and FIG. 1).
5. Claim(s) 5 /are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. KR20190116189A (hereinafter “Park”) in view of Choi et al. USPGPUB KR20200009742A (hereinafter “Choi”).
As to claim 5, Park and Ebrom teach all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
The combination does not teach wherein the home appliance is provided with a location measurement device configured to measure location information of the home appliance, the location information of the home appliance corresponds to the information on a specific administrative division, and the information on a specific administrative division is automatically input to the application for a terminal.
Choi teaches wherein the home appliance is provided with a location measurement device configured to measure location information of the home appliance, the location information of the home appliance corresponds to the information on a specific administrative division, and the information on a specific administrative division is automatically input to the application for a terminal (paragraph 0024-0027 and FIG. 3).
Park, Ebrom and Choi are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor and contain overlapping structural and functional similarities. They both relate to home appliances management system.
Therefore at the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above home appliances management system, as taught by Park and Ebrom, and incorporating a specific administrative division is automatically input to the application for a terminal, as taught by Choi.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve monitoring, controlling to achieve network participation. One example of this internal network used within a household appliance is the WIDE network protocol, created by Whirlpool, Inc., the assignee of this document, as suggested by Ebrom (paragraph 0012).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and listed on the attached PTO Form 892 but not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Dillon et al USPGPUB 2015/0145678 teaches a a computer network comprising a storage facility, a data processing device, a data transmission device, and a server in operative connection with the storage facility. The storage facility comprises a load state detection device and a user detection device. The user detection device is configured to record a time period of at least one user in front of and/or in the vicinity of the storage facility. The load state detection device is configured to detect a removal of at least one article from the storage facility and/or loading of the storage facility with at least one article. Data acquired by the user detection device and/or the load state detection device of the storage facility can be transmitted to the server and/or can be retrieved from the server. The present disclosure also relates to a method for operating such a computer network.
Lee USPGPUB 20190353379 A1 teaches a building management system includes one or more processors, and one or more computer-readable storage media communicably coupled to the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that cause the one or more processors to: receive utterance data from a voice assist device; determine a location of the voice assist device; analyze the utterance data to identify a sentiment relating to a temperature of the location; and control an HVAC system to adjust the temperature of the location based on the sentiment.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIAUL KARIM whose telephone number is (571)270-3279. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8:00-4:00 PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mohammad Ali can be reached on 571 272 4105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZIAUL KARIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119
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