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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 9/27/2024, 11/11/2024, 11/19/2024, 3/3/2025, 3/18/2025, 3/26/2025, 4/4/2025, 4/17/2025, 5/20/2025, 6/5/2025, 7/1/2025, 7/22/2025, 8/6/2025, 8/25/2025, 9/18/2025, 10/3/2025, 10/16/2025, 10/27/2025, 11/6/2025, 12/3/2025, 12/11/2025, 1/2/2026, & 1/27/2026, was filed before the first office action. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Merkulov et al. (US 20130013118 A1, published: 1/10/2013), in view of Noor (US 20190368763 A1, published: 12/5/2019).
Claim 1: Merkulov teaches an electronic device, comprising: a display device (the system 100 may further include appropriate computer UI 128, such as a display [Merkulov, 0024]); one or more processors; and memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors (the processor or central processing unit (CPU) 116 may be connected to memory 118 via an interconnect bus 126 [Merkulov, 0024]), the one or more programs including instructions for: displaying, on the display device, a temperature mode creation user interface including a first set of controls for creating a temperature mode for an external thermostat device controllable by the electronic device; while displaying, on the display device, the temperature mode creation user interface, detecting a first set of one or more inputs (FIG. 2 is a diagram depicting an exemplary thermostat UI. As shown, the thermostat UI is enabled in an arc or dial design. In this example, the set point input is 72 degrees and the set point range is 70 to 74 degrees. This example also depicts a temperature algorithm input, where the user has selected a setting close the maximum comfort axis. In one aspect, the thermostat UI 114 accepts user inputs modifying the set point range, and the energy management application modifies a temperature algorithm in response to the modified set point range [Merkulov, 0028, FIG. 2]); in response to detecting the first set of one or more inputs: selecting a temperature range that includes a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature, different than the minimum temperature; and associating the temperature range with a first temperature mode; and associating the first temperature mode with the first scheduled operation (one side of the temperature scale may be the heating control object. This object is adjustable by the user so that the user's desired optimum heating set point is displayed. Around this desired optimum heating set point is a displayed range, which may be at the same scale as the temperature indicator, and which shows the maximum and minimum temperatures that the system allows when heating. On the other side of the temperature scale is the cooling control object. This object is similarly adjusted by the user to configure the optimum cooling set point. Around this desired optimum cooling set point is a displayed range (e.g., at the same scale as the temperature indicator), which shows the maximum and minimum temperatures that the system will allow when cooling [Merkulov, 0009]; Examiner's Note: wherein cooling and heating points are considered different modes associated with different).
Merkulov does not teach after associating the temperature range with the first temperature mode, displaying, on the display device, a temperature scheduling user interface including a second set of controls for creating a scheduled operation of the external thermostat device; while displaying, on the display device, the temperature scheduling user interface, detecting a second set of one or more inputs; and in response to detecting the second set of one or more inputs: selecting a first criteria for activation of a first scheduled operation.
However, Noor teaches teach after associating the temperature range with the first temperature mode, displaying, on the display device, a temperature scheduling user interface including a second set of controls for creating a scheduled operation of the external thermostat device; while displaying, on the display device, the temperature scheduling user interface, detecting a second set of one or more inputs; and in response to detecting the second set of one or more inputs: selecting a first criteria for activation of a first scheduled operation (a user may interact with the HVAC system scheduling module 194 to select certain days and/or times of the day when various temperature setpoints should be used. For instance, the user may set the HVAC system 100 to a higher or lower setpoint at times when the user does not wish for the HVAC system 100 to provide conditioned air to a conditioned space. Scheduling may be done by specific date and/or times, days of the week, months, and other classifications of time [Noor, 0060]. A measured temperature or temperature setpoint may also be displayed on the user interface 250. The temperature icon 276 may be selected via user input, which may cause the VR/AR equipment 102 to display a screen with temperature setpoints, such as minimum and maximum temperature setpoints [Noor, 0086]; Examiner's Note: wherein setting a range implies a small number to a big number, both being different numbers).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the invention was filed, to modify the displayed temperature control invention of Merkulov to include the temperature control feature of Noor.
One would have been motivated to make this modification to make precise temperature adjustments and schedules to allow for varying temperature environments at different times.
Claims 5 and 9, having similar deficiencies to claim 1, are likewise.
Claim 2: The combination of Merkulov and Noor, teaches the electronic device of claim 1. Noor further teaches wherein the second set of one or more inputs includes an input corresponding to a selection of the first temperature mode from among a plurality of available temperature modes (A measured temperature or temperature setpoint may also be displayed on the user interface 250. The temperature icon 276 may be selected via user input, which may cause the VR/AR equipment 102 to display a screen with temperature setpoints, such as minimum and maximum temperature setpoints [Noor, 0086]).
Claims 6 and 10, having similar deficiencies to claim 2, are likewise.
Claim 3: The combination of Merkulov and Noor, teaches the electronic device of claim 1. Merkulov further teaches wherein selecting the temperature range includes: displaying, in the temperature mode creation user interface, a graphical indication of the selected temperature range, including: in accordance with a first portion of the selected temperature range being within a first predetermined temperature range, displaying a first portion of the graphical indication in a first color that corresponds to the first predetermined temperature range; and in accordance with the first portion of the selected temperature range being within a second predetermined temperature range, displaying the first portion of the graphical indication in a second color, different from the first color, that corresponds to the second predetermined temperature range (FIG. 2 is a diagram depicting an exemplary thermostat UI. As shown, the thermostat UI is enabled in an arc or dial design. In this example, the set point input is 72 degrees and the set point range is 70 to 74 degrees. This example also depicts a temperature algorithm input, where the user has selected a setting close the maximum comfort axis. In one aspect, the thermostat UI 114 accepts user inputs modifying the set point range, and the energy management application modifies a temperature algorithm in response to the modified set point range [Merkulov, 0028, FIG. 2]; Examiner's Note: as illustrated).
Claims 7 and 11, having similar deficiencies to claim 3, are likewise.
Claim 4: The combination of Merkulov and Noor, teaches the electronic device of claim 3, wherein selecting the temperature range includes: displaying a numeric indication of the minimum temperature, including: in accordance with the minimum temperature being with the first predetermined temperature range, displaying the numeric indication of the minimum temperature in the first color; and in accordance with the minimum temperature being with the second predetermined temperature range, displaying the numeric indication of the minimum temperature in the second color; and displaying a numeric indication of the maximum temperature, including: in accordance with the maximum temperature being with the first predetermined temperature range, displaying the numeric indication of the maximum temperature in the first color; and in accordance with the maximum temperature being with the second predetermined temperature range, displaying the numeric indication of the maximum temperature in the second color (whether the temperature reflected by the temperature icon 276 is within the minimum and maximum temperature setpoints may be indicated by a color of a ring 277 of the temperature icon 276. For example, when the displayed temperature is within a range of temperatures defined by the minimum and maximum temperatures, the ring 277 may be green. Yet, when the temperature in the temperature icon 276 is outside of the range of temperatures between the minimum and maximum temperature setpoints, the ring 277 may be a different color, such as red [Noor, 0086]).
Claims 8 and 12, having similar deficiencies to claim 4, are likewise.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SETH A SILVERMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-9783. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur, 8AM-4PM MST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Adam Queler can be reached at (571)272-4140. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Seth A Silverman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2172
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