DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Minix Mini Dryer Pro Review (cited on IDS submitted on 1/27/2025).
Regarding claim 1, Minix discloses a laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a cabinet (pg. 1);
a receiving portion configured to accommodate laundry in the cabinet (pg. 4); and
an output area (information display/control panel) provided in the cabinet and defined as a space in which information is output (pg. 4), wherein the output area includes:
a center portion having a straight edge, and a side portion located at each of both ends of the center portion and having a curved edge (pg. 4), and
the output area has a track shape in which the straight edge of the center portion and the curved edge of the side portion are connected to each other and provides a space in which information is entirely output (pg. 4).
Regarding claim 14, Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cabinet includes a front panel defining a front surface of the cabinet (pg. 1), and the front panel includes:
a first opening provided in the cabinet to enable laundry to be fed into the receiving portion (pg. 1); and
a second opening provided in the cabinet to be located above the first opening and defining the output area (pg. 1).
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.
Claim(s) 2-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minix in view of Kwon (RU 2685280 C1).
Regarding claim 2, Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, except further comprising a display installed in the cabinet and configured to provide a screen exposed to an outside of the cabinet through the output area, wherein the output area entirely overlaps the display.
However, Kwon teaches a laundry treating apparatus comprising: a display (Fig. 3; 130) installed in the housing and configured to provide a screen exposed to an outside of the housing through the output area (Fig. 1; 12), wherein the output area entirely overlaps the display (Fig. 4) (see bottom of pg. 2 discussing an object of the invention is to use a rectangular shape display for use with the circular shape output area).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify Minix to further comprise a display installed in the cabinet and configured to provide a screen exposed to an outside of the cabinet through the output area, wherein the output area entirely overlaps the display. The motivation to combine is so that a standard cost-effective rectangular-shaped display can be used with the aesthetic output area disclosed in Minix.
Regarding claim 3, Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an opening provided in the cabinet and defining the output area (pg. 1);
EXCEPT a display installed in the cabinet and configured to provide a screen exposed to an outside of the cabinet through the output area; wherein the opening entirely overlaps the display.
However, Kwon teaches a laundry treating apparatus comprising: a display (Fig. 3; 130) installed in the housing and configured to provide a screen exposed to an outside of the housing through the output area (Fig. 1; 12); wherein the opening entirely overlaps the display (Fig. 4) (see bottom of pg. 2 discussing an object of the invention is to use a rectangular shape display for use with the circular shape output area).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify Minix to further comprise a display installed in the cabinet and configured to provide a screen exposed to an outside of the cabinet through the output area; wherein the opening entirely overlaps the display. The motivation to combine is so that a standard cost-effective rectangular-shaped display can be used with the aesthetic output area disclosed in Minix.
Regarding claim 4, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the display has an area larger than the opening, and a portion of the display is located in the opening (Kwon; Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a panel module that includes the display and is installed in the cabinet such that at least a portion of the display overlaps the entire opening (Fig. 3 of Kwon shows the display 130 and panel module surrounding the display).
Claim(s) 6-13, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minix in view of Yang (EP 2765488 A2).
Regarding claim 6, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, except wherein a plurality of courses for treating laundry accommodated in the receiving portion are displayed within the output area to each have a circular edge.
However, Yang teaches a laundry treating apparatus wherein a plurality of selectable options for are displayed within the output area (350) to each have a circular edge (Fig. 9). It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify Minix wherein a plurality of courses for treating laundry accommodated in the receiving portion are displayed within the output area to each have a circular edge. The motivation to combine is to provide a display/interface that is simple and easy to read.
Regarding claim 7, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 6, wherein the side portion are located at each of both ends of the center portion defined based on one direction (Minix; Fig. 1), and the plurality of courses are aligned in the one direction within the output area (Yang; Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 8, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 6, wherein an execution target scheduled to be performed from among the plurality of courses displayed within the output area is displayed to have a larger size than remaining courses (Yang; Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of courses are displayed only in the center portion of the output area (Fig. 9 of Yang shows that the options are centered in a vertical direction). Moreover, the alignment of the courses is a matter of obvious design choice.
Regarding claim 10, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 6, wherein any one of the plurality of courses is provided such that a partial area is located in the side portion and a remaining area is located in the center portion. In the combination, the plurality of courses can be spread out evenly across the output area, similar to how they are spread out evenly across the output area (350) of Yang, such that a partial area is located in the side portion and a remaining area is located in the center portion.
Regarding claim 11, Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, except wherein an execution button image for an execution command of a course for treating laundry accommodated in the receiving portion is displayed within the output area.
However, Yang teaches a laundry treating apparatus wherein an execution button image (enlarged letter or circled course) for an execution command of a course for treating laundry accommodated in the receiving portion is displayed within the output area (Fig. 9).
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify Minix wherein an execution button image for an execution command of a course for treating laundry accommodated in the receiving portion is displayed within the output area. The motivation to combine is to provide a simple and clear indication as to which course is selected.
Regarding claim 12, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 11, wherein the course for treating laundry accommodated in the receiving portion is displayed to have a circular edge within the output area (Yang; Fig. 9), and the execution button image (enlarged letter indicating the course) is located within the circular edge of the course (Yang; Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 13, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 11, except further comprising a power button provided in the cabinet to be located at a point spaced apart from the output area and manipulated by a user.
However, Yang teaches a power button (Fig. 10; 4) provided in the cabinet to be located at a point spaced apart from the output area and manipulated by a user. It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify Minix to further comprise a power button provided in the cabinet to be located at a point spaced apart from the output area and manipulated by a user. The motivation to combine is to free up space in the output area for other indicators and selectable buttons.
Regarding claim 15, modified Minix discloses the laundry treating apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second opening is designed with a width longer than a height (Minix, pg. 1), and the front panel includes a power button located at a point spaced apart from the second opening in a width direction of the cabinet (see modification made for the rejection of claim 13).
Conclusion
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/JASON LAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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