DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to papers submitted on 14 June 2024.
Claims 1-11 are pending and presented for examination.
Applicant's submission of references on form PTO-1449, filed on June 14, 2024, has been considered. A signed copy of the form is attached.
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 § 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)(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.
(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, 3-5, and 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Publication No. US 2020/0119552 A1 to Nieh et al..
The published reference of prior art to Nieh et al. (herein after “Nieh”) teaches of control systems for use in controlling operation of an electrical appliance. In doing so, the reference of prior art teaches and/or fairly suggests the limitations of the instant invention as follows.
As per independent claim 1, a wireless control system, for a household appliance, - (the control system for use in controlling operation of an electrical appliance is stated in paragraph [0028]) is recited as comprising:
• an electronic housing – (a control panel surface on the housing is stated in paragraph [0029]);
• the electronic housing configured to be secured within a household appliance – (the housing of the electrical appliance includes the control panel and control module as described in paragraph [0029]);
• the electronic housing comprising a power kill switch – (Nieh teaches the power kill switch as the control knob (100) in paragraph [0029]);
• the power kill switch in operable connection with a power supply of the household appliance – (in paragraph [0029] states that the appliance housing includes a power source with the control module);
• the power kill switch in operable connection with a wireless signal transceiver – (in paragraph [0029] the appliance housing also consists of a wireless power transmitter assembly).
In claim 3 the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 1, further states wherein the power kill switch is in operable connection with the power supply via placement upon a power line of the household appliance. This element of the instant invention is described by Nieh in paragraph [0033] as “the wireless power receiver assembly (120) enables transferring of electrical power from the power source (220) within the electrical appliance housing through the housing surface and to the control knob (100) to power the input/output module (110), it's associated electrical circuitry (110A) and any other electrical components of the control knob (100) in real time.”
Claim 4 is directed to the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 1, wherein the power kill switch is in operable connection with the power supply via placement upon a computerized motherboard construct of the household appliance. Paragraph [0035] explains this aspect of the instant invention as “the control knob (100) is attached to the control panel surface (200A) of the electrical appliance housing (200), the wireless power receiver (130A) is positioned within a power transfer region (X) whereby the wireless power receiver (130) in the control knob (100) is inductively coupled with the wireless power transmitter (230) such that the wireless power receiver (130) is able to draw power from the magnetic field. In addition, the magnetic field produced by the electrical conductor induces a voltage on terminals of the receiver transducer (120A) which can be electrically connected with a load (110,110) comprising the control knob electrical components (110,110A). In this embodiment, the control knob (100) electrical components are directly powered from the terminals of the receiver transducer (130A) via suitable power interfacing circuitry.”
As per claim 5, the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal transceiver is configured to receive a signal from a wireless internet network is claimed. Nieh teaches this in paragraph [0030] as “the wireless communication system in this embodiment is configured to communicate the control signals using a Bluetooth® type wireless communication protocol transceivers operably-connected to the control module (210) and control module input/output module (110A)”
With regard to claim 7, the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal transceiver is in operable connection with a remote device is stated. Nieh teaches the use of a remote device in paragraph [0031] wherein
“ within the electrical appliance housing and the control knob input/output module circuitry (110A) are also configured for communication with an external computing device such as a smartphone, a laptop computer” is stated.
In claim 8, the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 7, wherein the remote device is a mobile phone is recited. Nieh teaches the specific use of a mobile phone as the remote device as a smartphone as described in paragraph [0031].
Regarding claim 9, the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 8, wherein the mobile phone comprises an application configured to enable and disable the power kill switch is claimed. In paragraph [0031] Nieh specifically teaches the use of a software application to control the operational state of the control knob or power kill switch as “a software application may be downloadable on to the computing device and executable on the device to provide a user-interactive graphical user interface via which a user may receive information from the control module (210) and/or control knob (100) via a wireless communication link that is indicative of the current state of operation of the electrical appliance, or, an operational state of the control knob (100)”.
Claim 10 directs the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 7, to wherein the remote device is a computer. Nieh teaches the use of a remote device in paragraph [0031] wherein “ within the electrical appliance housing and the control knob input/output module circuitry (110A) are also configured for communication with an external computing device such as a smartphone, a laptop computer” is explained.
As with claim 11, the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 10, wherein the computer comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium to enable and disable the power kill switch. The use of a computer program or software is addressed by Nieh in paragraph [0031] as “a software application may be downloadable on to the computing device and executable on the device to provide a user-interactive graphical user interface via which a user may receive information from the control module (210) and/or control knob (100)”.
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Publication No. US 2020/0119552 A1 to Nieh et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent Publication No. US 2015/0333377 A1 to Davila et al..
The limitations of independent claim 1 are taught by the published prior art of Nieh as explained above.
Regarding claim 2, the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 1, wherein the electronic housing comprises a battery is claimed. Nieh teaches the use of a battery in paragraph [0035] wherein “the control knob (100) may include a rechargeable battery which is charged in real-time from the terminals of the receiver transducer (130A) and which is then used to power the internal electrical components of the control knob (100).” Then claim 2 continues with wherein the battery is a lithium battery. Although Nieh teaches the use of batteries, the specific type of battery in not addressed. For this reason, the published prior art of Davila et al. (herein after “Davila”) is introduced. Davila teaches of using batteries to power devices. In doing so, the use of a lithium ion battery is explained in paragraph [0030] as “main energy storage element 110 may include one or more energy storage cells, such as electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy (e.g., lithium ion, nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium, or lead-acid battery cells) … which allows current to flow out of the battery 110 to supply energy to the load device.”. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the above mentioned invention of Nieh with the use of a lithium battery as per Davila so as to allow the household appliance or device to be powered; as lithium batteries are well known for providing high energy density, making them lighter and more compact for their power capacity. They also offer a longer lifespan, are more efficient, charge faster, have a low self-discharge rate, and require low maintenance.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Publication No. US 2020/0119552 A1 to Nieh et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US Patent Publication No. US 2008/0106154 A1 to Boyd.
The limitations of independent claim 1 are taught by the published prior art of Nieh as explained above.
Regarding the limitations of claim 6, the wireless control system for a household appliance of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal transceiver is configured to receive a short range radio wave signal and a long range radio wave signal, respectively. Although Nieh teaches the use of wireless signals for transmitting and receiving, the published prior art is silent on the specific use of the type of radio wave signals used. For this reason, the prior art of Boyd is relied upon. Boyd teaches transmitting and receiving electromagnetic energy or radio waves at both long and short frequencies as described in paragraph [0007] as “our electronic equipment transmits and receives electromagnetic energy at frequencies that extend from the longest radio waves to the very short ones.” Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the above mentioned invention of Nieh to include the transmitting and receiving of long and short radio waves for purposes of simplifying data transfer and communication along with lower costs as is well known. Further, Boyd states that the generation, sending, and receiving electromagnetic waves (i.e., radio waves) are as old as the field of radio itself in paragraph [0007].
For the reasons stated above, the limitations of the instant invention are taught and/or fairly suggested by the prior arts of record; thereby, rendering the instant claims unpatentable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent Publication No. US 2019/0141824 A1 De Jong et al.
relates to control equipment comprising a wireless switch and a controller for use in a system further comprising a wired switch, to which the wireless switch is retrofitted, for powering a wirelessly controllable appliance.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sheela Rao whose telephone number is (571) 272- 3751. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Wednesday from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm.
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/Sheela Rao/Examiner, Art Unit 2119 October 14, 2025
/MOHAMMAD ALI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2119