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 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.
Claims 1-8 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2017/0175316 (Oh hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Oh teaches a laundry treatment apparatus that discloses a cabinet (Figure 1 shows cabinet 10); a laundry container provided inside the cabinet and accommodating laundry (Container for the clothing behind door 20 per ¶ 55); an output part provided in the cabinet and outputting a screen (Screen 34 per ¶ 62 and Figure 2a); and an input part provided in the cabinet and receiving a user command for selecting an object displayed on the screen (Selector 32 per ¶ 67-68), wherein the output part outputs a course selection screen displaying a plurality of treatment courses for laundry treatment to be selectable through the input part (¶ 62 with Figures 2a-b and 5a-d), wherein a shortcut option corresponding to any one of a plurality of options for at least one of the plurality of treatment courses is displayed to be selectable on the course selection screen (Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the shortcut feature can be seen in any of the modes A through L selected to initially set a wash/laundry cycle for the device per ¶ 68), and wherein upon selection of the shortcut option on the course selection screen, the output part outputs an option setting screen for the shortcut option, on which a plurality of option values for the shortcut option are displayed to be selectable (After the mode of A-L is selected the user is prompted to customize the mode with options M through Q per ¶ 70 and 72-76).
Regarding claim 2, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 1 where Oh further discloses that any one of the plurality of treatment courses is displayed on the course selection screen as a target treatment course scheduled to be performed for laundry treatment (User desired selection of options A through L per ¶ 68), and wherein the shortcut option corresponds to any one of a plurality of options for the target treatment course (Evident per the rejection of claim 1’s interpretation above).
Regarding claim 3, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 2 where Oh further discloses a start/pause button provided in the cabinet and manipulated by a user (Execution button 33 per ¶ 62), wherein upon manipulation of the start/pause button on the course selection screen, the target treatment course starts, and upon selection of the target treatment course through the input part, the output part outputs an option display screen displaying at least some of the plurality of options for the target treatment course (Evident from ¶ 62-76 where the selector is used to determine the routine then sub routines are confirmed and the execution button is used to start the cycle).
Regarding claim 4, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 1 where Oh further discloses that each of the plurality of treatment courses is displayed as a course object selectable through the input part on the course selection screen (Course A through L in Figure 2a), and the shortcut option is displayed included in a course object (Evident from Figures 2a and 2b).
Regarding claim 5, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 1 where Oh further discloses that on the course selection screen, some of the plurality of treatment courses correspond to shortcut courses for which shortcut options are displayed, and shortcut options are not displayed for the other treatment courses (¶ 167-173 with Figure 3 where the controller highlights often used programs).
Regarding claim 6, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 5 where Oh further discloses that any one of the plurality of treatment courses is displayed as a target treatment course scheduled to be performed for laundry treatment on the course selection screen (Course A through L that is actually hovered over/selected by the user), and wherein when a shortcut course is displayed as the target treatment course on the course selection screen, the shortcut option is displayed on the course selection screen (When the user hovers over the selected course A through L [shortcut] then the display screen shows this selection).
Regarding claim 7, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 7 where Oh further discloses that only the shortcut option of the plurality of options is displayed and the other options are not displayed, on the course selection screen (During the customization described in ¶ 167-172 allows for a scenario where the user only uses a singular program of A through L and therefore would only light up that one option).
Regarding claim 8, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 1 where Oh further discloses an initial setting value of the shortcut option before being changed through the option setting screen is changed according to a treatment condition for the laundry (Initial values M through Q of each course/program A through L before the user adjusts any).
Regarding claim 11, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 1 where Oh further discloses that upon selection of any one of the plurality of treatment courses on the course selection screen, the output part outputs an option display screen displaying at least some of a plurality of options for the one of the plurality of treatment courses (¶ 67-76 where once the user has opted for a program A through L, they are then prompted to adjust the features M through Q if desired).
Regarding claim 12, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 11 where Oh further discloses each of the options displayed on the option display screen is displayed to be selectable through the input part (Inherent of the selector 32 for the programs A through L), and wherein upon selection of any one of the options on the option display screen, the output part outputs an option setting screen for the option, on which a plurality of option values for the one of the options are displayed to be selectable (¶ 67-76 detailing the adjusting of settings M through Q on screen 40).
Regarding claim 13, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 11 where Oh further discloses that some of the plurality of treatment courses on the course selection screen correspond to shortcut courses for which shortcut options are displayed (Programs A through L), shortcut options are not displayed for the other treatment courses (Any unlit courses per the course customization per ¶ 167-172), and the options displayed on the option display screen are displayed to be selectable through the input part (Inherent of the selector 32), and wherein at least some of options displayed to be selectable on an option display screen for any one of the other treatment courses are displayed to be unselectable on an option display screen for a shortcut course (Unlit courses of A through L per ¶ 167-172).
Regarding claim 14, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 11 where Oh further discloses that the shortcut option is displayed separately from the at least some of the plurality of options on the option display screen (Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, each program A through L is separate from each other).
Regarding claim 15, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 1 where Oh further discloses that any one of the plurality of option values is set as a setting value of the shortcut option, and the shortcut option is displayed to indicate the setting value on the course selection screen (The programs A through L act as shortcuts to specifically set laundry profiles and each program is displayed for the suer to select and then edit as necessary).
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 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2017/0175316 (Oh) in view of US 2020/0087839 (White hereinafter).
Regarding claim 9, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 8 but are silent with respect that the treatment condition includes an amount of the laundry accommodated in the drum, and the initial setting value is changed according to the amount of the laundry.
However, White teaches a laundry device that discloses the treatment condition includes an amount of the laundry accommodated in the drum, and the initial setting value is changed according to the amount of the laundry (¶ 181).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the control scheme of Oh with the laundry amount detection to further allow for the controller to adapt to a load size.
Regarding claim 10, Oh’s teachings are described above in claim 1 but are silent with respect that the shortcut option corresponds to a required time option for setting a required time for any one of the plurality of treatment courses.
However, White teaches a laundry device that discloses the treatment condition includes an amount of the laundry accommodated in the drum, and the initial setting value is changed according to the amount of the laundry (¶ 176).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the control scheme of Oh with the timing of White to allow for the user to specifically time the laundry operation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CONNOR J. TREMARCHE whose telephone number is (571)272-2175. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 0700-1700 Eastern.
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/CONNOR J TREMARCHE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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