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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1-20 are rejected below.
Information Disclosure Statement
No IDS was filed.
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 1-20 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 line 9 states determining whether heating data in the target region meets a preset condition based on the indoor environmental feature of each sub-region and the gas consumption data; generating an early warning message in response to determining that the heating data does not meet the preset condition, and sending the early warning message to a gas user platform by a gas user service platform. It is unclear what the heating data is. It is not defined and then used in some comparison. Also, it is unclear what the preset condition is. Since the heating data is unknown Examiner is unable to determine how or what is being done. There then seems to be a warning, but Examiner is unable to tell what this warning is. Furthermore, there does not seem to be any tie with this heating data and warning to the rest of the claim. The warning does not seem to be about heating since the rest of the claim determines and generates a heat supply instruction regardless of the heating data and the warning. Examiner believes there may be an omitted step along with the further clarification that would tie the claim elements together. Claim 11 has similar issues.
Other Prior arts of record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Cornwall (U.S. PG Pub. 2014/0207392) teaches identifying gas usage of an appliance.
Yagi (U.S. PG Pub. 2006/0019134) teaches a gas supplying system.
Matsuoka (U.S. PG Pub. 2014/0316584) teaches supply gas to a neighborhood and optimizing temperature setpoints.
Allowable Subject Matter
Examiner believes that once the 35 USC 112 issues are remedied it is likely that the case will be in, or very close to, condition for allowance. Examiner suggests making amendments to the claims and then scheduling an interview with the Examiner to go over the amendments to expedite the case.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN L LAUGHLIN whose telephone number is (571)270-1042. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mohammad Ali can be reached at 571-272-4105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHAN L LAUGHLIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119
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