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 .
The present Office Action is in response to Applicants’ filing of August 21, 2024. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination, with Claim 1 being the only one in independent form.
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.
Claims 1-12 and 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 10,954,948 (“Lowe”).
Regarding Claim 1, Lowe discloses a lighting apparatus (Fig. 5; col. 8, lines 43-50), comprising:
a fan (driven by motor 60; col. 6, lines 4-7);
a light device (80);
an integrated housing for disposing the fan and the light device (200);
a main controller (140; col. 8, lines 1-21);
a fan controller (40; col. 6, lines 12-20);
a light controller (140; col. 8, lines 22-25); and
a converter for converting an external AC power to a direct current (20; col. 6, lines 26-36), wherein the fan controller is coupled to the converter for generating a fan driving current to the fan according to a fan control signal from the main controller (40; col. 6, lines 12-20), wherein the light controller is coupled to the converter for generating a light driving current to the light device according to a light control signal (140; col. 8, lines 1-21), wherein the main controller receives a wireless main control signal from a wall switch operated by a user (105; col. 8, lines 31-39), wherein the main controller generates the fan control signal and the light control signal based on the wireless main control signal (105; col. 8, lines 10-25).
Regarding Claim 2, Lowe further discloses wherein the main controller comprises a wireless receiver, wherein the wall switch comprises a wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless main control signal is transmitted from the wireless transmitter to the wireless receiver (105; col. 8, lines 10-25).
Regarding Claim 3, Lowe further discloses where the wall switch has a manual switch disposed on a wall, wherein the wall switch has a processor for converting an operation on the manual switch to generate the wireless main control signal (105; col. 8, lines 10-39).
Regarding Claim 4, Lowe further discloses wherein the manual switch comprises a fan switch and a light switch, wherein the fan switch and the light switch are separate, wherein the processor multiplex a fan command from the fan switch and a light command from the light switch to create the wireless main control signal (105; col. 8, lines 10-39).
Regarding Claim 5, Lowe further discloses wherein the fan driving current comprises three-phase driving currents for driving a three-phase motor of the fan (Fig. 3; col. 7, lines 40-51).
Regarding Claim 6, Lowe further discloses wherein the fan motor is a direct current driven motor (60; col. 6, lines 4-7).
Regarding Claim 7, Lowe further discloses wherein the wall switch is also wired to the main controller, when the wireless connection is failed, the wire handles control signal transmission between the wall switch the main controller (310 in Fig. 6; col. 9, lines 3-15).
Regarding Claim 8, Lowe further discloses wherein the wall switch is electrically coupled to the converter to get power to operate (310 in Fig. 6; col. 9, lines 3-15).
Regarding Claim 9, Lowe further discloses wherein there is a heat conductor path between the fan (60) and the light device (30) so that the fan conducts heat dissipation for the light device (80 in ceiling fan 1A).
Regarding Claim 10, Lowe further discloses where there is a heat isolation element between the fan (60) and the light device (80 in ceiling fan 1A).
Regarding Claim 11, Lowe further discloses a direction bracket, wherein the direction bracket is fixed to the integrated housing for adjusting a direction of the light device and the fan (col. 8, lines 22-35).
Regarding Claim 12, Lowe further discloses wherein a vibration buffer is placed between the fan and the light device to eliminate vibration of the fan to the light device (by providing separation between 60 and 80).
Regarding Claim 14, Lowe further discloses wherein the fan comprises an external fan blade and an inner fan blade, wherein the inner fan blade drives the air to move in the air path (col. 6, lines 13-20; col. 8, lines 31-35).
Regarding Claim 15, Lowe further discloses wherein the fan has hidden blade inside a fan housing, wherein the fan has a housing with an air exit for air to move through (col. 6, lines 13-20; col. 8, lines 31-35).
Regarding Claim 16, Lowe further discloses wherein the fan has a connector for detachably attaching a air guide plate for adjust air flowing direction of the fan (col. 6, lines 13-20; col. 8, lines 31-35).
Regarding Claim 17, Lowe further discloses wherein the connector is rotatable for adjusting the air flowing direction (col. 6, lines 13-20; col. 8, lines 31-35).
Regarding Claim 18, Lowe further discloses wherein the main controller has two working modes (140; col. 8, lines 1-21), wherein in a first working mode, the fan is rotated in a first speed and in the second working mode, the fan is rotated in a second speed, wherein the first speed is more than 10 times of the second speed, wherein the in the second working mode, the light of the light device combined with the fan generates a required dancing pattern (col. 6, lines 47-56; col. 7, lines 5-10).
Regarding Claim 19, Lowe further discloses wherein the fan has a third working mode to blow air to ground, wherein the fan has a fourth working mode to suck air from ground, wherein the main controller (140; col. 8, lines 1-21) controls switching between the third working mode and the fourth working mode (col. 6, lines 47-56; col. 7, lines 5-10).
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 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent No. 10,954,948 (“Lowe”) in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2025/0312507 (“Niemiec”).
Regarding Claim 13, Lowe fails to specifically disclose wherein the fan guides air to flow through an air path, wherein the light device has a ultraviolet light source to disinfect the air in the air path.
However, Niemiec, in the same field of endeavor teaches wherein the fan guides air to flow through an air path, wherein the light device has a ultraviolet light source to disinfect the air in the air path (ABSTRACT; [0002]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided the lighting apparatus as disclosed by Lowe with a UV light source as taught by Niemiec, in order to prevent the spread of bacteria, fungus, viruses and/or mold, as evidenced by Niemiec ([0002], lines 6-7).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent No. 10,954,948 (“Lowe”) in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2024/0160172 (“Zhang”).
Regarding Claim 20, Lowe fails to specifically discloses wherein the main controller detects an ambient temperature to determine when to automatically turn on the fan.
However, Zhang, in the same field of endeavor teaches wherein the main controller detects an ambient temperature to determine when to automatically turn on the fan (44 in Fig. 3; [0079]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided the lighting apparatus as disclosed by Lowe with the temperature sensor as taught by Zhang, in order to simplify steps for controlling a ceiling fan to enhance user satisfaction, as evidenced by Zhang ([0007]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent No. 11,029,019 (“Bucher”) relates to a ceiling fan light and fan control system. See, Figs. 1-8, in particular.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0047391 (“McPherson”) relates to and electronic fan control system.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2023/0381365 (“McMillan”) relates to a UV-C upper air purifies with down lighting combined fixture.
U.S. Patent No. 12,031,712 (“Huang”) relates to a fan lamp and controller.
U.S. Patent No. 7,425,805 (“Hsu”) relates to a three-in-one control device for a ceiling fan.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PEDRO C FERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7050. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 EST.
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/PEDRO C FERNANDEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/ALEXANDER H TANINGCO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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