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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Invention Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 05/26/2026.
Applicant's election with traverse of Invention Group I in the reply filed on 05/26/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that examination can be made without serious burden for claim 11 due to its similarities to claim 1. This is not found persuasive because claim 11 is a method claim classified in A23L5/10 while claim 1 is in a different classification A47J36/32, as noted in the Requirement for Restriction/Election mailed on 04/08/2026.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baldwin (US 20210321819 A1).
Regarding claim 1
Baldwin discloses a cooking system (Fig 1) comprising:
a cooking cavity (container 104, [0044 top]);
a sensor (sensors, such as a temperature sensor 211, a pressure sensor 212, Fig 2A, [0045 top]); and
a processing system (predictive cooking system 100, [0043 top]), wherein the processing system is configured to:
receive, via the sensor, a foodstuff parameter associated with a food located in the cooking cavity (Fig 3, at step 306, the system obtains measurements via temperature and pressure sensors 211, 212 of the food, i.e. foodstuff parameters, to beginning initial heating instructions for the food in cooking cavity 104, [0048 top]);
determine, based on the received foodstuff parameter and using a state estimator, a foodstuff state (Fig 3, step 308, the system can determine one or more process parameters related to corresponding physical characteristics of the fluid 10 and the container 104 based on changes in temperature, i.e. received foodstuff parameter, by using a state estimator being a Kalman filter, [0049 top]);
determine a temperature curve associated with the food located in the cooking cavity (Fig 6A shows using a predictive cooking technology, a temperature curve of the food item 608 in the cooking cavity 104, [0069 middle]);
calculate, based on the foodstuff state (step 308, Fig 3), based on a prior foodstuff state (step 304 Fig 3), and based on the determined temperature curve (Fig 6A), an estimated time until cooking is completed (the food item 608 substantially reaches the desired food temperature within the predetermined period of time, for example approximately 50 minutes, [0069 middle]); and
cause the estimated time to be displayed (Fig 7, a user interface showing a Turbo Cook time 1040 using the disclosed predictive cooking techniques, [0071 bottom]).
Regarding claim 2
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 1.
Baldwin further discloses wherein the temperature curve is associated with a rate of change for the food (the slope of the temperature curve 608 in Fig 6A is the rate of change of temperature over time).
Regarding claim 3
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 1.
Baldwin further discloses a heating element (heater 210, Fig 2A, [0045 top]) configured to heat the food located in the cooking cavity (104).
Regarding claim 4
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 3.
Baldwin further discloses a housing (container 104 being a housing with a cooking cavity to contain the food item 12 inside, Fig 1) that defines the cooking cavity (104),
wherein the heating element (210, Fig 2A) and the processing system (a processor 213 and a memory device 214, Fig 2A [0045 bottom]) are mounted to the housing (cooking device 200 mounted to the housing 104 in Fig 1).
Regarding claim 5
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 1.
Baldwin further discloses wherein the sensor comprises at least one of:
a thermometer; a pressure sensor (temperature and pressure sensors 211, 212 of the food, Fig 2A [0048 top]).
Regarding claim 6
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 1.
Baldwin further discloses a user interface configured to receive an indication of the food located in the cooking cavity (Fig 8 shows the user interface to indicate that the food is ready to eat at 1060, 1062).
Regarding claim 7
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 1.
Baldwin further discloses a user interface configured to display the estimated time (Fig 7, a user interface showing a Turbo Cook time 1040 using the disclosed predictive cooking techniques, [0071 bottom]).
Regarding claim 8
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 1.
Baldwin further discloses wherein the processing system (100 Fig 1) is configured to cause the estimated time (estimated Turbo cook time 1040, Fig 7) to be displayed by transmitting the estimated time until cooking is completed to a user device (screen 1014, Fig 7, [0071]),
wherein the user device is configured to display the estimated time (user device screen 1040 displays the estimated time 1040).
Regarding claim 9
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 1.
Baldwin further discloses wherein the cooking system comprises at least one of: a sous vide (cooking applicant 102 is a sous vide device, Fig 1, [0044 top]).
Regarding claim 10
Baldwin discloses the cooking system of claim 1.
Baldwin further discloses wherein the state estimator comprises at least one of:
a Kalman filter; an extended Kalman filter; a modified Kalman filter (Fig 3, step 308, the system can determine one or more process parameters related to corresponding physical characteristics of the fluid 10 and the container 104 based on changes in temperature, i.e. received foodstuff parameter, by using a state estimator being a Kalman filter, [0049 top]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bhogal (US 20170176019 A1) teaches a method to prepare food
Allen (US 20160335874 A1) teaches to use a thermometer probe to measure food temperature
Volatier (US 11478107 B2) teaches a method to cook food
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thuyhang Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-5317. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Edward F. Landrum can be reached on (571) 272-5567. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Thuyhang N Nguyen/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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