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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed on 07/01/2024.
Claim Objections
Claim 13 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 13 directs to claim 9 but appears to be dependent on claim 10. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PARK (KR19980028578A) in view of JUNG (KR0144203B1).
Regarding independent claims 1, 8 and 15, PARK discloses an air conditioner, comprising:
an indoor fan (PARK discloses pg. 2, ¶2 “the indoor fan motor 3”);
a compressor (PARK discloses pg. 2, ¶2 “Each of the compressor 1”);
a temperature sensor (PARK discloses pg. 2, ¶2 “A detection unit 12 composed of various sensors such as an indoor temperature sensor 12a”); and
at least one processor (PARK discloses pg. 2, ¶2” It consists of the microcomputer 14.”), comprising processing circuitry, individually and/or collectively configured to control the air conditioner to (PARK discloses pg. 2, ¶4 “Then, the microcomputer 14 controls the respective loads through the load driver 13 according to the user control signal input from the user manipulation unit 11”):
cool air by turning-on the compressor (PARK discloses pg. 2, ¶5 “the microcomputer 14 operates the respective loads through the load driver 13 in the corresponding operation mode until the indoor temperature reaches the set temperature, thereby making the room cool or warm”),
discharge the cooled air to outside of the air conditioner by driving the indoor fan based on a wind volume mode from among a plurality of wind volume modes (PARK discloses table 2, which discloses “a low, medium and high setting and different values based on the different speeds”, pg. 4, ¶26 “weak wind”, pg. 4, ¶28 “heavy and strong wind”.),
correct a setting temperature of the air conditioner based on correction values corresponding to the wind volume modes (PARK discloses pg. 4, ¶28 “For example, if the set wind volume is a heavy wind, the correction temperature (T3) is set to 0.5 ° C (T3 ← 0.5) to correct the set temperature (T ← T1 + 0.5), and if the set wind volume is a strong wind, the correction temperature (T3) Select as 0 ℃ to calibrate set temperature (T ← T1 + T3)”);,
PARK does not disclose expressly turn-off, based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor matching with the corrected setting temperature, the compressor while driving of
JUNG discloses turn-off, based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor matching with the corrected setting temperature, the compressor while driving of the indoor fan is maintained, wherein the correction values are different values from one another in the plurality of wind volume modes (JUNG discloses pg. 3 and 4, ¶20-31“Thereafter, when the compressor off temperature is reached and the cooling operation is completed, the blowing operation in the section (B) and (C) is performed...”).
PARK and JUNG are analogous art because they are same field of endeavor of Air conditioning.
At the time of the invention, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill, in the art as of the effective filing date, to modify PARK to keep the fan running after cooling based on corrected temperature settings.
The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been JUNG pg. 5, ¶60 “As described above, since the present invention can maintain a constant relative humidity in the room, it becomes an environment in which wet and dry molds cannot survive in the room, thereby creating a comfortable indoor environment.”
Therefore, It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill, in the art as of the effective filing date, to combine PARK and JUNG for the benefit of turn-off, based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor matching with the corrected setting temperature, the compressor while driving of the indoor fan is maintained, wherein the correction values are different values from one another in the plurality of wind volume modes to obtain the invention as specified in the claims 1, 8 and 15.
Regarding Claims 2, 9 and 16. The limitations of claims 1, 8 and 15 are discussed above. wherein the plurality of wind volume modes comprises a strong wind mode, a medium wind mode, and a low wind mode (PARK disclose a plurality of modes. See table 2, and pg. 4, ¶26 “weak wind”, pg. 4, ¶28 “heavy and strong wind”. Weak read as low, heavy read as medium);
Regarding Claims 3, 10 and 20. The limitations of claims 1, 9 and 15 are discussed above. wherein at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to:
correct the setting temperature based on a first correction value based on the wind volume mode being in the low wind mode , correct the setting temperature based on a second correction value based on the wind volume mode being in the medium wind mode, and correct the setting temperature based on a third correction value based on the wind volume mode being in the strong wind mode (PARK discloses “different correction values based on the wind volume”, See Table 2 and pg. 4, ¶27 and 28 which further disclose “obtaining the correction values based on the wind volume”. pg. 4, ¶26 “weak wind”, pg. 4, ¶28” heavy and strong wind”);
Regarding claims 4, 11 and 18. The limitations of claims 3, 10 and 15 are discussed above. wherein the first correction value is greater than the second correction value, and the second correction value is greater than the third correction value (PARK discloses pg. 3, ¶12 “In addition, when the user inputs the set air volume that is the rotational speed of the indoor fan motor through the user control unit, the lower the set air volume, the higher the correction temperature is selected from the previously stored correction temperature, and then the It is characterized by setting the set temperature to the sum.” See table 2, and pg. 4, ¶26 “weak wind”, pg. 4, ¶28 “heavy and strong wind.”);
Regarding claims 5, 12, and 19. The limitations of claims 4, 11 and 15 are discussed above. wherein the first correction value is 2, the second correction value is 1.5, and the third correction value is 1 (PARK discloses different correction values based on the wind volume, See Table 2 and pg. 4, ¶27 and 28 which further disclose “obtaining the correction values based on the wind volume”. Table 2 discloses “light wind having a correction value of 1, a medium wind having a correction value of 0.5 and a strong wind having a correction value of 0” pg. 4, ¶26 “weak wind”, pg. 4, ¶28” heavy and strong wind”);
Regarding claims 6, 13 and 17. The limitations of claims 3, 9 and 15 have been discussed above. wherein at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to:
correct the setting temperature by subtracting the first correction value from the setting temperature based on the wind volume mode being in the low wind mode, correct the setting temperature by subtracting the second correction value from the setting temperature based on the wind volume mode being in the medium wind mode, correct the setting temperature by subtracting the third correction value from the setting temperature based on the wind volume mode being in the strong wind mode (PARK discloses different correction values based on the wind volume, See Table 2 and pg. 4¶27 and 28 which further disclose “obtaining the correction values based on the wind volume”. Table 2 discloses “light wind having a correction value of 1, a medium wind having a correction value of 0.5 and a strong wind having a correction value of 0”, pg. 3, ¶23 discloses “a subtraction to obtain a new correction value”, pg. 4, ¶26 “weak wind”, pg. 4, ¶28 “heavy and strong wind”);
Regarding claims 7 and 14. The limitations of claims 1 and 8 have been discussed above.
PARK discloses the air conditioner of claim 1.
PARK does not disclose expressly turn-on, based on the compressor being turned-off, the compressor based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor matching with the setting temperature
JUNG discloses turn-on, based on the compressor being turned-off, the compressor based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor matching with the setting temperature (JUNG discloses pg. 3 and 4, ¶20-31 “Thereafter, when the compressor off temperature is reached and the cooling operation is completed, the blowing operation in the section (B) and (C) is performed” … an ON-temperature when reached ends the blowing… “When the air blowing section ends, the cooling operation mode is switched back to the section (D) to perform the cooling operation.” This reads as when the ON threshold (matching setting temp) is hit the compressor will turn on and begin cooling again).
PARK and JUNG are analogous art because they are same field of endeavor of Air conditioning.
At the time of the invention, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill, in the art as of the effective filing date, to modify PARK to turn-on, based on the compressor being turned-off, the compressor based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor matching with the setting temperature
The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been JUNG pg. 5, ¶60 “As described above, since the present invention can maintain a constant relative humidity in the room, it becomes an environment in which wet and dry molds cannot survive in the room, thereby creating a comfortable indoor environment.”
Therefore, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill, in the art as of the effective filing date, to combine PARK and JUNG for the benefit turn-on, based on the compressor being turned-off, the compressor based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor matching with the setting temperature to obtain the invention as specified in the claims 7 and 14.
Conclusion
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/C.D.C./ Examiner, Art Unit 2115
/KAMINI S SHAH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2115
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