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 Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: Inc alim 9, the term “the one or more secondary sensors” lacks antecedent basis. It appears that claim 9 was intended to depend from claim 8 instead of claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-3, 10-12, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2013/0247643 [Shen].
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Shen discloses a system to calibrate indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors associated with an area of interest (AOI), the system comprising:
a controller associated with a building management system (BMS) of the AOI [Micro Control Unit, paragraph 0026], wherein the controller is in communication with one or more IAQ sensors associated with the AOI;
wherein the controller is configured to:
actuate the BMS to create a predetermined calibration environment for the one or more IAQ sensors of the AOI [when the calibration mode is activated, the air purifying unit starts to purify air in the air to so that the cabin will eventually reach a zero air state, paragraphs 0032-0033];
monitor IAQ values detected by the one or more IAQ sensors at the AOI in the predetermined calibration environment at a predefined time [air sensor measurement outputs are read once every second for 10 seconds, paragraph 0034]; and
calibrate the one or more IAQ sensors based on the monitored IAQ values being detected by each of the IAQ sensors [the measurement output of the air sensor is calibrated by calculating a difference between a reference value and a first value (the air sensor measurement output at zero air), paragraphs 0033-0035].
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Shen further discloses that the controller is configured to calibrate the one or more IAQ sensors based on an average value of the monitored IAQ values being detected by each of the IAQ sensors [averaging the ten air sensor measurement outputs, paragraph 0034].
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Shen further discloses that the controller creates the predetermined calibration environment by actuating the BMS to perform one or more of adjusting inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, adjusting ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing a degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level [When the calibration mode is activated, the air purifying unit starts to purify the air in the cabin. The ambient air in the cabin is sucked into the air purifying unit via the inlet area by the motor and passes through the filtering means, and then the purified air exits the air purifying unit via the outlet area and mixes with the ambient air in the cabin. The operation of the air purifying unit is repeated so as to purify the air in the cabin, paragraph 0032].
Regarding claim 17, Shen further discloses that the one or more IAQ sensors comprise one or more of a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an oxygen sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide, and a nitrous oxide sensor [the air sensor may be a particle sensor, paragraph 0026].
Regarding claim 18, Shen discloses method for creating a calibration environment for indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors associated with an area of interest (AOI), the method comprising the steps of:
enabling a building management system associated with the AOI to perform one or more of adjusting inflow of outdoor air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, adjusting ventilation rate of the AOI a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing a degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level [When the calibration mode is activated, the air purifying unit starts to purify the air in the cabin. The ambient air in the cabin is sucked into the air purifying unit via the inlet area by the motor and passes through the filtering means, and then the purified air exits the air purifying unit via the outlet area and mixes with the ambient air in the cabin. The operation of the air purifying unit is repeated so as to purify the air in the cabin, paragraph 0032].
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.
Claims 6, 7, 14 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2013/0247643 [Shen].
Regarding claims 6, 7, 14 and 19, Shen does not specifically disclose performing the calibration during night or other times in which no occupants are present. Examiner takes official notice that air conditioning systems before the effective filing date of the claimed invention conventionally performed diagnostic or maintenance functions during night times or other times in which air-conditioned spaces would be unoccupied in order to avoid inconveniencing any occupants. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to perform the Shen air sensor calibrations during night times or other times in which the area of interest is unoccupied in order to avoid inconveniencing occupants of the area of interest while performing air sensor calibration operations.
Claims 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2013/0247643 [Shen], in view of Nigg et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2021/0072207 [Nigg].
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Shen, as described above, discloses creating a calibration environment for calibrating air quality sensors by performing air purification on an area of interest. Shen does not disclose adjusting inflow of outside air and ventilation rates to create the calibration environment. Like Shen, Nigg discloses calibrating air quality sensors. Specifically, Nigg discloses creating a calibration environment for calibrating air sensors by performing an air-flushing process (i.e. creating an inflow of outside air and ventilating inside air) [paragraph 0037]. Since it was known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to create a calibration environment for air quality sensors by performing inside air flushing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art apply the Nigg teachings to the Shen system in order to more quickly reach a zero air status for air sensor calibration.
Regarding claims 5 and 16, Shen and Nigg, as described above, disclose creating a calibration environment for an indoor air quality sensor by air-flushing and purification. Shen further discloses that the air quality sensor may be used in a home or office building [paragraph 0024]. Shen and Nigg do not disclose that the home or office buildings contain multiple zones, each with an air quality sensor. Examiner takes official notice that homes and office buildings before the effective filing date of the claimed invention conventionally including multiple air conditioning zones, each with controllable air flows and air quality sensors. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the Shen and Nigg teachings to conventional homes or office buildings with that multiple air conditioning zones with controllable air flows and air quality sensors in order to facilitate the calibration of the air quality sensors.
Regarding claims 8, 9, 15 and 20, Nigg further discloses that the system comprises one or more secondary sensors comprising one or more of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, an oxygen sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor positioned outside the AOI and in communication with the controller, the one or more secondary sensors are operable to temperature, and humidity of the outside air and/or a level of air quality parameters comprising one or more of volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ethylene, formaldehyde, radon, methane, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, oxygen, and nitrous oxide present in the outside air, wherein the controller is configured to create the predetermined calibration environment when the monitored level of the air quality parameters, the temperature, and the humidity of the outside air is detected to be within predefined threshold values [collection of reference response data for calibration is suspended when large amounts of smog or smoke are detected in the area, paragraph 0038].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Grabinger et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2011/0264280 discloses performing automatic calibrations of sensors in an HVAC system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL B YANCHUS III whose telephone number is (571)272-3678. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/PAUL B YANCHUS III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115 June 26, 2026
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