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 .
This non-final Office action is in response to Applicant’s continuing patent application number 18/777,133 filed on 7/18/2024.
Currently, claims 1-21 are pending and examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/6/2025 and 7/19/2024 are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: on page 1, par. [0001], line 2; after “2020,” should added -- now U.S. Patent No. 12,070,639 --.
Appropriate correction is required.
On page 3, a heading “Detailed Description” should be read -- Detailed Description of the Drawings --.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claim 2 is 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.
Re claim 2, line 3; a citation “a structure” renders the claim indefinite and confusing because it’s unclear whether the same “a structure” cited in claim 1, line 3? Clarification is required.
Re claim 2, lines 4-5; a citation “to the first utility conduit of the first utility conduit” is confusing and indefinite because it redundant. For the examination purpose, it should be read “to the first conduit of the first utility spline”? Clarification 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.
Claim(s) 1-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US No. 2008/0155915 to Howe et al. (‘Howe’).
Re claim 1: Howe discloses a method of installing utility conduits at an installation site, the method including: connecting a first utility spline 120 to a structure 150 at the installation site; operably connecting a first utility conduit 166 of the first utility spline 120 to a first utility source (i.e. application devices, par. [0032]) at the installation site; and operably connecting a second utility conduit 166 of the first utility spline 120 to a second utility source (i.e. carry elements such as lower voltage DC power cables. par. [0197]) at the installation site (Figs. 1-2, par. [0335]).
Re claim 2: further comprising: connecting a second utility spline 122 to the first utility spline 120 (i.e. via 110, Fig. 2); connecting the second utility spline 122 to a structure 150 at the installation site; and operably connecting a first utility conduit 164 of the second utility spline 122 to the first utility conduit 166 of the first utility spline 120 (i.e. via a power entry box or power box connector, par. [0262]).
Re claim 3: further comprising operably connecting a third utility conduit 166 of the first utility spline 120 to a third utility source (i.e. application devices) at the installation site.
Re claim 4: wherein the first utility conduit includes a line voltage wire, the second utility conduit includes a low voltage wire (par. [0192]), and the third utility conduit includes a data cable (par. 0390]).
Re claim 5: wherein the first and second utility conduits 166/166 are supported by the first utility spline 120 and are not connected to the structure at the installation site (see Fig. 2).
Re claim 6: wherein the structure at the installation site is a ceiling 148 (Fig. 1).
Re claim 7: further comprising installing the first utility conduit 166 in or on the first utility spline 120 at a manufacturing site separate from the installation site (par. [0335]).
Re claim 8: further comprising sizing the first utility spline 120 and the first utility conduit 166 at the manufacturing site (par. [0335]).
Re claim 9: further comprising connecting an appliance hub to the first utility spline 120 (par. [0062]).
Re claim 10: further comprising determining a shared route for the first and second utility conduits 166/166, wherein connecting the first utility spline 120 to the structure at the installation site comprises positioning the first and second utility conduits 166/166 along the shared route (Fig. 1).
Re claim 11: wherein determining a shared route for the first and second utility conduits 166/166 includes determining a route (Fig. 1) from the first and second utility sources (i.e. power distribution means), to an installation location of an appliance hub (par. [0062]).
Re claim 12: wherein the first and second utility sources (i.e. power distribution means, par. [0062]) are building utility sources (i.e. building power, par. [0190]) in a core of a building (i.e. along with a ceiling 148).
Re claim 13: wherein: the first utility spline 120 is a primary utility spline having a length and comprising a support frame 430 configured to support the first and second utility conduits 166/166 along at least a portion of the length; and a branch access interface having a port (Fig. 76,i.e. a connecting port near 526 for connecting a display 528, or par. [0179]) in communication with and configured to facilitate connection to the first or second utility conduit 166/166; and the method further comprises connecting a branch utility spline (Fig. 76) to the primary utility spline 120 at the branch access interface; and operably connecting the branch utility spline to the first utility conduit 166 or the second utility conduit 166 via the port (see par. [0192], lines 15-18, last five lines).
Re claim 14: wherein connecting the branch utility spline (Fig. 76) to the primary utility spline 120 comprises positioning the branch utility spline (i.e. wherein connecting to a display 528 to extend perpendicularly relative to the length of the primary utility spline 120.
Re claim 15: wherein the port is a first port in communication with and configured to facilitate connection to the first utility conduit 166, and wherein the method further comprises operably connecting the branch utility spline (i.e. near 526, Fig. 76) to the second utility conduit 166 via a second port of the branch access interface (near 526), the second port in communication with and configured to facilitate connection the second utility conduit 166.
Re claim 16: wherein the branch utility spline is a first branch utility spline (see par. [0192], lines 15-18, last five lines, connecting the first branch utility spline to the primary utility spline 120 comprises connecting the first branch utility spline to a first lateral side of the primary utility spline, and the method further comprises connecting a second branch utility spline (see par. [0192], lines 15-18, last five lines) to a second lateral side of the primary utility spline, the second lateral side opposite the first lateral side (see Fig. 16).
Re claim 17: further comprising, receiving, at a network of distributed servers (par. [0190]), data from one or more sensors 821 carried by the first utility spline 120.
Re claim 18: wherein receiving the data comprises receiving: temperature data (par. [0016]); air composition data, including one or more of carbon dioxide levels, carbon monoxide levels, oxygen levels, smoke levels, and volatile organic compound levels; occupancy levels within one or more specific enclosures; humidity data; and/or sound levels (i.e. sound management, par. [0015]).
Re claim 19: wherein receiving the data at the network of distributed servers comprises wirelessly (i.e. wireless signals 957 959), receiving the data via at least one network hub configured to bilaterally communicate with the first utility spline 120 and the network of distributed servers.
Re claim 20: wherein the first utility spline 120 has a bottom side (wherein 430 points to, Fig. 2) facing away from the structure 150, and wherein the method further comprises connecting a panel 180 (Fig. 3, par. [0203] to the first utility spline 120 at the bottom side.
Re claim 21: wherein the panel 180 has acoustic-dampening properties (par. [0354]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (see attached PTO-892).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to CHI Q. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571) 272-6847. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 7AM-5PM or email: chi.nguyen@uspto.gov. If attempt to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Brian Mattei can be reached at (571) 270-3238. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pairdirect.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at (866) 217-9197.
/CHI Q NGUYEN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635
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