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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-15 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 recites “an accessory” in lines 3 and 4. It is unclear they are same accessory or different accessories. Claim 1 also recites “an element for obtaining at least ne sensor reading” in line 5 and “a sensor element” in line 2 from bottom. It is unclear they are same element or different elements.
Since claims 2-15 depend upon an indefinite claim 1, those claims are construed to be indefinite by dependency.
Claims 11-12 recite a limitation “out of the group consisting ..”. This limitation renders the claims indefinite because it includes elements not actually disclosed, thereby rendering the scope of the claims unascertainable.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2021/0315354 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kim et al. discloses a haircare appliance 100, comprising a main body 110, 180 comprising a blower 119 for generating an airflow, wherein the main body comprises an attachment region 112 adapted for connecting an accessory 200, 300, and an accessory 200, 300, comprising an element 269 (Fig. 6) for obtaining at least one sensor reading at an acquisition region at or around the accessory, wherein information related to the sensor reading is obtained at the acquisition region (paragraphs [0033], [0035]); wherein the accessory 200, 300 is attachable to and/or detachable from the main body at the attachment region (paragraph [0067]), wherein the accessory 200, 300, when attached to the main body, is adapted to receive the airflow from the blower 119, and wherein the accessory 200, 300 is adapted to discharge the received airflow towards the hair of a user, wherein the information related to the sensor reading is transmitted from the acquisition region to a sensor element 269, and wherein the information is transmitted wirelessly (paragraphs [0093], [0094], [0096]).
Regarding claim 2, Kim et al. discloses wherein the element 269 for obtaining at least one sensor reading is an element for wirelessly transmitting the information related to the sensor reading from the acquisition region to the sensor element.
Regarding claim 3, Kim et al. discloses wherein the element for obtaining at least one sensor reading is the sensor element 269.
Regarding claim 4, Kim et al. discloses wherein the sensor element 269 is arranged in the accessory 300 (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 5, Kim et al. discloses wherein the sensor element 269 is functionally associated with the element for obtaining at least one sensor reading, so that the information related to the sensor reading transmitted from the acquisition region is receivable by the sensor element.
Regarding claim 6, Kim et al. discloses wherein the sensor element 269 is an active sensor element (paragraph [0085], infrared, laser, light)for actively generating a sensor reading initiation signal that is transmitted to the accessory to initiate the information related to the sensor reading.
Regarding claim 7, wherein the sensor reading initiation signal (paragraph [0085], infrared, laser, light) is transmitted to the acquisition region through the element for obtaining at least one sensor reading, and/or wherein the sensor reading initiation signal is transmitted to the acquisition region through a further transmission element .
Regarding claim 8, Kim et al. discloses wherein the haircare appliance comprises a plurality of acquisition regions and/or a plurality of sensor elements (paragraph [0033]), wherein the haircare appliance comprises a plurality of elements for obtaining at least one sensor reading and/or a plurality of further transmission elements (paragraphs [0134], [0215]), and wherein the plurality of elements for obtaining at least one sensor reading and/or the plurality of further transmission elements connect the plurality of acquisition regions and/or the plurality of sensor elements (Fig. 6, 269, 312).
Regarding claim 9, Jun et al. discloses wherein sensor element 269 is adapted to generate the sensor reading initiation signal, wherein the sensor reading initiation signal is transmitted to the acquisition region, wherein the sensor reading initiation signal interacts with an object at or around the acquisition region for generating the information related to the sensor reading, wherein the element for obtaining at least one sensor reading is adapted to transmit the generated information related to the sensor reading to the sensor element, wherein the sensor element is adapted to receive the information related to the sensor reading, and wherein the sensor element is adapted to process the received information related to the sensor reading to obtain the sensor reading (paragraphs [0116]-[0118]).
Regarding claim 10, Kim et al. discloses wherein the element for obtaining at least one sensor reading is a light propagating element (paragraph [0119], photosensitive sensor); and wherein the light propagating element is arranged for transmitting the information related to the sensor reading as electromagnetic radiation from the acquisition region to the sensor element (paragraph [0119]).
Regarding claim 11, Kim et al. discloses wherein the element for obtaining at least one sensor reading is at least one element or arrangement out of the group consisting of an optical element for collecting, transporting/guiding and distributing light, a lens, a mirror, a hollow prismatic pipe, a light rod, a mirrored light pipe, an optical fibre and an optical filter (paragraph [0085], pressure, ultrasound, infrared).
Regarding claim 12, Kim et al. discloses wherein the sensor reading is a sensor reading of an attribute of hair treatment currently treated by the haircare appliance, and wherein the attribute is indicative of at least one parameter out of the group consisting of a moisture level of the hair, a hair moisture, a temperature of the hair, a distance between the accessory and the hair, a hair presence, an ambient temperature, an ambient light level, a hair colour and a hair melanin content (paragraph [0119], pressure sensor).
Regarding claim 13, Kim et al. discloses wherein the sensor element 269 is arranged in the haircare appliance so to be not exposed to the physical operation of the blower, the airflow of the blower and/or heat provided by a heating element 117 for heating the airflow (Figs. 3, 6).
Regarding claim 14, Kim et al. discloses wherein the operation of the haircare appliance is adaptable dependent on the sensor reading (paragraph [0139]).
Regarding claim 15, Kim et al. discloses wherein the powering of the blower, the powering of a heater associated with the blower and/or the powering of the accessory is dependent on the sensor reading (paragraph [0139]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Goldman et al. (US 2018/0027940 A1) discloses a hair drying apparatus 100 comprising a main body comprising a blower 108 for generating an airflow and a contactless infrared sensor arranged in the main body (Fig. 12).
*Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA J YUEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4878. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MICHAEL G HOANG can be reached at (571) 272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jessica Yuen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3762
JY
Prosecution Insights