DETAILED ACTION
This non-final rejection is responsive to the claims filed 05 September 2024. Claims 1-15 are pending. Claims 1 and 9 are independent claims.
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 § 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 1-3, 8-11, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi (US 2015/0219352 A1) hereinafter known as Kobayashi.
Regarding independent claim 1, Kobayashi teaches:
An air conditioner, comprising: (Kobayashi: Fig. 2 and ¶[0053]; Kobayashi teaches an air-conditioner.)
an indoor unit; (Kobayashi: Fig. 2 and ¶[0053]; Kobayashi teaches an indoor machine 30.)
an outdoor unit configured to be connected to the indoor unit, and including a plurality of electronic devices comprising various circuitry; (Kobayashi: Fig. 2 and ¶[0053]; Kobayashi teaches an outdoor machine 40, which contains a fan and a compressor.)
an inputter comprising input circuitry configured to obtain an input and transmit a signal corresponding to the input; and (Kobayashi: Fig. 2 and ¶[0054]-¶[0057] and ¶[0082]; Kobayashi teaches an interface 32 and a remote controller receiving unit 34, which receive signals from mobile terminal 16.)
a controller including at least one processor, comprising processing circuitry, configured to: (Kobayashi: Fig. 2 and ¶[0054]-¶[0057] and ¶[0091]; Kobayashi teaches controllers 33 and 33b, which control the operation.)
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An embodiment of Kobayashi does not explicitly teach but another embodiment teaches:
set a maximum current applied to the outdoor unit based on the signal received from the inputter, and (Kobayashi: ¶[0072]-¶[0073]; Kobayashi teaches the user setting the setting value (current threshold) of power consumption peak. ¶[0076]-¶[0078] further teach the controller 33 b transmitting the control signals based on the set peak cut rate.)
adjust a driving current applied to each of the plurality of electronic devices included in the outdoor unit based on the set maximum current. (Kobayashi: ¶[0076]-¶[0079]; Kobayashi teaches detecting the current value and the controller 33 b controlling the maximum value of the power consumption (current). The controller 33 b transmits the control signal to the compressor and fan.)
Kobayashi is in the same field of endeavor as the present invention, as it is directed to controlling peak power in an air conditioning unit. It would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person of ordinary skill in the art, to combine a user setting the peak power for an air conditioning unit with further controlling the driving current of the plurality devices based on the set power. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine these teachings because the combination would allow reducing the power consumption and quickly responding to the electric power demand in which the peak cut of the power consumption is requested, as suggested by Kobayashi: ¶[0009].
Regarding claim 2, Kobayashi further teaches the air conditioner of claim 1.
Kobayashi further teaches:
wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of electronic devices to control a total driving current of the plurality of electronic devices included in the outdoor unit to remain constant at the set maximum current. (Kobayashi: Fig. 8 and ¶[0094]; Kobayashi teaches holding the power at threshold P1.)
Regarding claim 3, Kobayashi further teaches the air conditioner of claim 1.
Kobayashi further teaches:
wherein the plurality of electronic devices comprise: a compressor and an outdoor fan, wherein the controller is configured to control the compressor and the outdoor fan to control a total driving current of the plurality of electronic devices included in the outdoor unit to correspond to the set maximum current. (Kobayashi: ¶[0076]-¶[0079]; Kobayashi teaches detecting the current value and the controller 33 b controlling the maximum value of the power consumption (current). The controller 33 b transmits the control signal to the compressor and fan.)
Regarding claim 8, Kobayashi further teaches the air conditioner of claim 1.
Kobayashi further teaches:
further comprising: a remote controller comprising remote control circuitry configured to be connected to the controller by wire or wirelessly, and to select an input mode of the inputter, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the maximum current applied to the outdoor unit in response to the signal transmitted from the inputter, based on the input mode of the inputter being selected as a maximum current input mode via the remote controller. (Kobayashi: Fig. 2 and ¶[0082]; Kobayashi teaches the remote controller making the same setting as mobile terminal 16. Such a mode may be power saving mode.)
Regarding claims 9-11 and 15, these claims recite a method that performs the function of the air conditioner of claims 1-3 and 8; therefore, the same rationale for rejection applies.
Claims 4, 5, 7, and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi in view of Aoki (US 2003/0150229 A1) hereinafter known as Aoki.
Regarding claim 4, Kobayashi further teaches the air conditioner of claim 1.
Kobayashi does not explicitly teach but Aoki teaches:
the controller comprises: a plurality of contact terminals connected to the inputter, and the controller is configured to determine the maximum current applied to the outdoor unit, based on a voltage of the signal applied to a first contact terminal of the plurality of contact terminals. (Aoki: Fig. 3 and ¶[0033]; Aoki teaches output and operation signals are inputted to input terminals of the air conditioning control device. Further, Fig. 3 and ¶[0041]-¶[0043] and ¶[0050] teach relating the position of the dial to the terminal inputs by detecting an electric potential and triggering a control signal.)
Aoki is analogous to the present invention, since it is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor, i.e. providing setpoints to the air conditioning controllers. It would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person of ordinary skill in the art, to substitute a user setting the peak power for an air conditioning unit via a remote unit as taught in Kobayashi with a manual controllable dial that is connected to a terminal and uses potential variance to regulate the signal as taught in Aoki. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Kobayashi to include teachings of Aoki, because the combination would allow conveying a user-selected setpoint to the air conditioner controller, as suggested by Aoki: ¶[0043].
Regarding claim 5, Kobayashi in view of Aoki further teaches the air conditioner of claim 4.
Kobayashi does not explicitly teach but Aoki teaches:
wherein the inputter comprises a regulator comprising circuitry configured to be connected to the first contact terminal of the controller, wherein the voltage of the signal applied to the first contact terminal is changed based on an operation of the regulator. (Aoki: Fig. 3 and ¶[0033]; Aoki teaches output and operation signals are inputted to input terminals of the air conditioning control device. Further, Fig. 3 and ¶[0041]-¶[0043] and ¶[0050] teach relating the position of the dial to the terminal inputs by detecting an electric potential and triggering a control signal.)
Regarding claim 7, Kobayashi in view of Aoki further teaches the air conditioner of claim 5.
Kobayashi does not explicitly teach but Aoki teaches:
wherein the regulator comprises: a variable resistor configured to vary the voltage of the signal applied to the first contact terminal. (Aoki: Fig. 3 and ¶[0041]-¶[0043]; Aoki teaches using variable resistors for supplying inputs.)
Regarding claims 12-14, these claims recite a method that performs the function of the air conditioner of claims 4, 5, and 7; therefore, the same rationale for rejection applies.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi in view of Aoki in view of Johnson (US 2007/0210950 A1) hereinafter known as Johnson.
Regarding claim 6, Kobayashi in view of Aoki further teaches the air conditioner of claim 5.
Kobayashi in view of Aoki does not explicitly teach but Johnson teaches:
wherein the regulator comprises: a plurality of resistor elements comprising resistors arranged in series; and a plurality of switch elements comprising switches branched from nodes between the plurality of resistor elements and arranged in parallel, wherein the voltage of the signal applied to the first contact terminal is determined based on closure of any one of the plurality of switch elements. (Johnson: Fig. 2 and ¶[0007]; Johnson teaches a switch assembly with a network of series coupled resistors. Fig. 2 and ¶[0013]-¶[0014] further teach switches disposed in parallel. ¶[0015] further teaches the voltage being indicative of whether the switches are closed.)
Johnson is analogous to the present invention, since it is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor, i.e. implementing a regulator/switch assembly. It would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to a person of ordinary skill in the art, to combine a user setting the peak power for an air conditioning unit via a regulator as taught in Kobayashi in view of Aoki with the regulator comprising a series of resistors with branched switches in parallel, which set a unique voltage as taught in Johnson. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Kobayashi and Aoiki to include teachings of Johnson, because the combination would allow efficiently setting the setpoints.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX OLSHANNIKOV whose telephone number is (571)270-0667. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/ALEKSEY OLSHANNIKOV/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2118
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