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(a)(1)
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.
The claims are rejected as follows:
Claims 1, 4 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mitsumoto et al., JP 2005–207675 A (“Mitsumoto”)1.
Regarding claim 1:
Mitsumoto discloses that an ultraviolet irradiation unit (Mitsumoto’s ultraviolet lamp 11, Mitsumoto Fig. 3, [0011]) attachable to an air conditioner (Mitsumoto’s air conditioner 2, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0008]) including an indoor unit having an indoor fan (Mitsumoto’s blower fan 57, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0020]) and an air conditioning control unit (Mitsumoto’s control unit 28, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0020]) that controls an operation of the indoor unit, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11 of Mitsumoto) comprising:
a light source (Mitsumoto’s ultraviolet lamp 11, Mitsumoto Fig. 3, [0011]) that irradiates the indoor unit with an ultraviolet ray (as an ultraviolet lamp 11, Mitsumoto’s UV lamp 11 irradiates UV ray to the indoor unit, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0028]); and
a light source control unit (Mitsumoto’s ultraviolet lamp control unit 72, ultraviolet lamp control unit Fig. 5, [0024]) that is capable of communicating with the air conditioning control unit (28 of Mitsumoto, Mitsumoto Fig. 5, [0024]) and controls an operation of the light source (on and off of light source 11, Mitsumoto Fig. 5, [0024]), wherein
the light source control unit (72 of Mitsumoto) turns on a power source of the light source when receiving a first signal transmitted from the air conditioning control unit (Mitsumoto discloses that UV lamp 11 is turned on when room temperature is 10 degree C, Mitsumoto Fig. 6, [0024]; room temperature being 10 degree C is the claimed “first signal”, Mitsumoto discloses its control unit 28 controls the entire air conditioner, such as the UV lamp 11, Mitsumoto Fig. 6, [0021], it is therefore understood that the Mitsumoto’s controller 28 receives signal from temp sensor, and when the temperature reaches 10 degree C, the controller 28 control the UV lamp controller 72 to turn on the UV lamp 11).
Regarding claim 4:
Mitsumoto discloses that an air conditioner (Mitsumoto’s air conditioner 2, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0008]) comprising:
an indoor unit (shown in Mitsumoto Fig. 1) including a casing (Mitsumoto’s rear casing 48 and front panel 49, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0019]) having a suction port (Mitsumoto’s suction port 50, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0019]) through which indoor air is sucked, an indoor fan (Mitsumot’s blower fan 57, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0020]) accommodated in the casing (48, 49 of Mitsumoto), and a collecting member (Mitsumoto ‘s photocatalyst filter 21, Mitsumoto Fig. 2, [0025]) accommodated in the casing;
an air conditioning control unit (Mitsumoto’s control unit 28, Mitsumoto Fig. 5, [0021]) that controls an operation of the indoor unit; and
an ultraviolet irradiation unit (Mitsumoto’s ultraviolet lamp 11, Mitsumoto Fig. 1, [0021]) including a light source (11 of Mitsumoto) that irradiates the collecting member (21 of Mitsumoto, Mitsumoto [0026]) with an ultraviolet ray and a light source control unit (Mitsumoto’s ultraviolet lamp control unit 72, Mitsumoto Fig. 5, [0024]) that is capable of communicating with the air conditioning control unit (28 of Mitsumoto) and controls an operation of the light source (Mitsumoto Figs. 5–6, [0021] and [0024]), wherein
the light source control unit (72 of Mitsumoto ) turns on a power source of the light source when receiving a first signal transmitted from the air conditioning control unit (Mitsumoto discloses when temperature is 10 degree C, UV lamp 11 is turned, Mitsumoto Fig. 6, [0024], and therefore temperature being 10 degree C is the claimed “first signal”).
Regarding claim 9:
Mitsumoto discloses that the air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the light source control unit (72 of Mitsumoto) receives first information related to an indoor temperature from the air conditioning control unit, and the light source control unit turns on and off the power source of the light source based on the first information (Mitsumoto discloses its ultraviolet lamp control unit 72 detect the room temperature at the start of the operation, and if the T is lower than 10 degree C, UV lamp is not lit and if T is 10 degree or higher, UV lamp 11 will be lit, ultraviolet lamp control unit Fig. 6, [0024]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
The claims are rejected as follows:
Claims 2, 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Mitsumoto in view of Carr, US 2020/0254133 A1 (“Carr”).
Regarding claim 2:
Mitsumoto does not disclose that the ultraviolet irradiation unit according to claim 1, wherein the light source control unit (72 of Mitsumoto) turns off the power source of the light source when a predetermined period has elapsed after reception of the first signal.
In the analogous art of air purification units, Carr discloses a UV-C LEDs 355 communicate with a control system 105 to turn off or on in specific increments of time of UV-C LEDs last longer than if they were to run continuously, Carr Fig. 6, [0062]. It would therefore have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Mitsumoto’s light source control unit to turn off the power source of Mitsumoto’s UV lamp 11 when a predetermined period has elapsed after reception of the first signal to prolong the UV lamp life.
Regarding claim 6:
Mitsumoto does not disclose that the ultraviolet irradiation unit according to claim 4, wherein the light source control unit (72 of Mitsumoto) turns off the power source of the light source after a predetermined period has elapsed following reception of the first signal.
In the analogous art of air purification units, Carr discloses a UV-C LEDs 355 communicate with a control system 105 to turn off or on in specific increments of time of UV-C LEDs last longer than if they were to run continuously, Carr Fig. 6, [0062]. It would therefore have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Mitsumoto’s light source control unit to turn off the power source of Mitsumoto’s UV lamp 11 when a predetermined period has elapsed after reception of the first signal to prolong the UV lamp life.
Claims 3, 5, 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Mitsumoto.
Regarding claim 3:
While Mitsumoto does not explicitly disclose that the ultraviolet irradiation unit according to claim 1, wherein the light source control unit (72 of Mitsumoto) turns off the power source of the light source upon reception of a second signal transmitted from the air conditioning control unit when the air conditioner stops operating or when the indoor fan stops operating, Mitsumoto discloses the control unit 28 controlling the entire air conditioner such as stopping the operation of the air conditioner and controlling the ultraviolet lamp 11, Mitsumoto [0021]. It would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to understand that stopping the entire air conditioner including stopping the UV lamp 11, which is part of Mitsumoto’s air conditioner.
Regarding claim 5:
While Mitsumoto does not explicitly disclose that the air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein when the air conditioner starts operating or when the indoor fan starts operating, the air conditioning control unit transmits the first signal, Mitsumoto discloses that the ultraviolet lamp 11 is turned on when room temperature detected is above 10 degree C, Mitsumoto [0024]. It would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to understand that if a temperature is above 10 degree C when the air condition starts operating, the air conditioning control unit transmits the first signal immediately when the air conditioner starts operating and therefore read on the claim.
Regarding claim 7:
While Mitsumoto does not explicitly disclose that the air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the air conditioning control unit transmits a second signal when the air conditioner stops operating or when the indoor fan stops operating, and the light source control unit turns off the power source of the light source when receiving the second signal, Mitsumoto discloses the control unit 28 controlling the entire air conditioner such as stopping the operation of the air conditioner and controlling the ultraviolet lamp 11, Mitsumoto [0021]. It would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to understand that stopping the entire air conditioner including stopping the UV lamp 11, which is part of Mitsumoto’s air conditioner. In which case, the signal of turning of the air conditioner would be the second signal because it turns off the entire air condition, which including the UV lamp.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Mitsumoto in view of Lee et al., KR 20–0406806 Y1 (“Lee”)2.
Regarding claim 8:
Mitsumoto does not disclose the air conditioner according to claim 4, further comprising a notification unit, wherein the light source control unit transmits a third signal to the air conditioning control unit when detecting an abnormality of the light source, and the air conditioning control unit causes the notification unit to notify when receiving the third signal.
In the analogous art of air conditioner comprising UV lamps, Lee discloses a UV lamp 19 in the air conditioner, Lee Fig. 3, p. 7. Additionally, Lee discloses a notification unit (Lee’s liquid crystal display part 64) connected to its control panel 63 to detects the abnormality of the UV lamp in the liquid crystal display unit, Lee Fig. 3, p. 8. It would therefore have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to include Lee’s liquid crystal display part 64 in Misumoto to detect an abnormality of Mitsumoto’s lamp 11 with the coordination of Lee’s controller part in Mitsumoto. With such modification, a third signal would be sent to modified Mitsumoto’s air conditioning control unit when detecting an abnormality of the light source and the air conditioning control unit causes the notification unit to notify when receiving third signal the same way as discussed in Lee.
Conclusion
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/Qianping He/Examiner, Art Unit 1776
1 Mitsumoto’s original document and machine translation is the 28-page FOR dated Aug. 12, 2024. The examiner relies on the original document for the figure and machine translation for the figure.
2 Lee’s original document and machine translation is the 19-page FOR dated Aug. 12, 2024. The examiner relies on the original document for the figure and machine translation for the figure.
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