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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/10/2024 was filed on or after the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goenka et al. (US2013/0232996).
Regarding Claim 1, Goenka teaches a vehicle air conditioning system for a vehicle [0001], the vehicle air conditioning system comprising:
an air conditioner unit [28, 30; 0020; fig 1];
a temperature sensor [72] configured to detect an outside air temperature that is a current air temperature outside the vehicle [0029];
a detection device [72] configured to detect an occupant of the vehicle [0029; 0032];
a storage [86] configured to store characteristic data that is generated for the occupant and that comprises clothing level data and a setting temperature of the air conditioner unit corresponding to outside air temperature data [0028; 0037-0042;]; and
a controller [32] configured to calculate a clothing level of the occupant detected by the detection device, compare the calculated clothing level with the clothing level data that is referred to from the characteristic data and that corresponds to the outside air temperature data comprising the outside air temperature which is input from the temperature sensor, and control driving of the air conditioner unit by referring to, from the characteristic data, the setting temperature corresponding to the clothing level data comprising the clothing level [0029; 0032; 0040-0045; fig 5].
Regarding Claim 7, Goenka teaches a vehicle air conditioning system comprising for a vehicle [0001], the vehicle air conditioning system:
an air conditioner [28, 30; 0020; fig a];
a temperature sensor [72] configured to detect an outside air temperature that is a current air temperature outside the vehicle 0029];
a detection device [72] comprising a camera and configured to detect an occupant of the vehicle [0029; 0032];
a memory [86] configured to store characteristic data that is generated for the occupant and that comprises clothing level data and a setting temperature of the air conditioner corresponding to outside air temperature data [0028; 0037-0042]; and
a processor [at 32] configured to calculate a clothing level of the occupant detected by the detection device, compare the calculated clothing level with the clothing level data that is referred to from the characteristic data and that corresponds to the outside air temperature data comprising the outside air temperature which is input from the temperature sensor, and control driving of the air conditioner unit by referring to, from the characteristic data, the setting temperature corresponding to the clothing level data comprising the clothing level [0029; 0032; 0040-0045; fig 5].
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goenka et al. (US2013/0232996) in view of Rowe (US2020/0172034).
Regarding Claim 2, Goenka teaches the invention of claim 1 above but does not explicitly teach wherein the controller is configured to learn, for the occupant, the setting temperature and the clothing level data comprising the clothing level corresponding to the outside air temperature data comprising the outside air temperature in the characteristic data, and rewrite the characteristic data.
However, Rowe teaches a vehicle climate control system [0001] having wherein a controller [fig 3] is configured to learn, for the occupant, the setting temperature and the clothing level data comprising the clothing level corresponding to the outside air temperature data comprising the outside air temperature in the characteristic data, and rewrite the characteristic data [0047; 0049-0056; fig 4; where the offset of the user preference is modified i.e. rewritten] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide a system that enhances user comfort.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Goenka to have wherein the controller is configured to learn, for the occupant, the setting temperature and the clothing level data comprising the clothing level corresponding to the outside air temperature data comprising the outside air temperature in the characteristic data, and rewrite the characteristic data in view of the teachings of Rowe where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide a system that enhances user comfort.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goenka et al. (US2013/0232996) in view of Tomita et al. (US2004/0129007).
Regarding Claim 3, Goenka teaches the invention of claim 1 above but does not teach wherein the controller is configured to, when the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit is changed by the occupant, learn a changed temperature as the setting temperature and rewrite the characteristic data.
However, Tomita teaches a vehicle air conditioning system [0003] having wherein a controller [ECU 3; 0052; 0053; fig 1] is configured to, when the setting temperature of the air conditioner system is changed by the occupant, learn a changed temperature as the setting temperature and rewrite the characteristic data [0065-0068; 0077; figs 5 & 6] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide a system that enhances user comfort by independently controlling temperature in accordance with a preference of each passenger [0016; 0077].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Goenka to have wherein the controller is configured to, when the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit is changed by the occupant, learn a changed temperature as the setting temperature and rewrite the characteristic data in view of the teachings of Tomita where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide a system that enhances user comfort by independently controlling temperature in accordance with a preference of each passenger.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goenka et al. (US2013/0232996) and Rowe (US2020/0172034) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Tomita et al. (US2004/0129007).
Regarding Claim 4, Goenka, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 2 above but does not teach wherein the controller is configured to, when the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit is changed by the occupant, learn a changed temperature as the setting temperature and rewrite the characteristic data.
However, Tomita teaches a vehicle air conditioning system [0003] having wherein a controller [ECU 3; 0052; 0053; fig 1] is configured to, when the setting temperature of the air conditioner system is changed by the occupant, learn a changed temperature as the setting temperature and rewrite the characteristic data [0065-0068; 0077; figs 5 & 6] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide a system that enhances user comfort by independently controlling temperature in accordance with a preference of each passenger [0016; 0077].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Goenka to have wherein the controller is configured to, when the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit is changed by the occupant, learn a changed temperature as the setting temperature and rewrite the characteristic data in view of the teachings of Tomita where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide a system that enhances user comfort by independently controlling temperature in accordance with a preference of each passenger.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goenka et al. (US2013/0232996) in view of Feng (CN115366604A).
Regarding Claim 5, Goenka teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Goenka teaches biometric information acquisition device configured to acquire biometric information of the occupant and output the biometric information to the controller [0029; 0034].
Goenka does not explicitly teach wherein the controller is configured to: when the input biometric information indicates a body temperature of the occupant is high, change a temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a first temperature setting higher than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined first temperature, and
when the body temperature, a pulse, or a heart rate of the occupant is high and an amount of perspiration is large, change the temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a second temperature setting lower than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined second temperature.
However, Feng teaches a vehicle control technology [0001] wherein a controller [0051] is configured to: when the input biometric information indicates a body temperature of the occupant is high, change a temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a first temperature setting higher than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined first temperature [0029; 0030; 0034; 0041; where a child having a cold implies a high body temperature], and
when the body temperature, a pulse, or a heart rate of the occupant is high and an amount of perspiration is large, change the temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a second temperature setting lower than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined second temperature [0029; 0030; 0034; 0043; where a fever implies a high body temperature] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide a system that improves the health of a user [0017].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Goenka to have wherein the controller is configured to: when the input biometric information indicates a body temperature of the occupant is high, change a temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a first temperature setting higher than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined first temperature, and
when the body temperature, a pulse, or a heart rate of the occupant is high and an amount of perspiration is large, change the temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a second temperature setting lower than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined second temperature in view of the teachings of Feng where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide a system that improves the health of a user.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goenka et al. (US2013/0232996) and Rowe (US2020/0172034) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Feng (CN115366604A).
Regarding Claim 6, Goenka teaches the invention of claim 2 above and Goenka teaches biometric information acquisition device configured to acquire biometric information of the occupant and output the biometric information to the controller [0029; 0034].
Goenka does not explicitly teach wherein the controller is configured to: when the input biometric information indicates a body temperature of the occupant is high, change a temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a first temperature setting higher than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined first temperature, and
when the body temperature, a pulse, or a heart rate of the occupant is high and an amount of perspiration is large, change the temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a second temperature setting lower than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined second temperature.
However, Feng teaches a vehicle control technology [0001] wherein a controller [0051] is configured to: when the input biometric information indicates a body temperature of the occupant is high, change a temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a first temperature setting higher than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined first temperature [0029; 0030; 0034; 0041; where a child having a cold implies a high body temperature], and
when the body temperature, a pulse, or a heart rate of the occupant is high and an amount of perspiration is large, change the temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a second temperature setting lower than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined second temperature [0029; 0030; 0034; 0043; where a fever implies a high body temperature] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide a system that improves the health of a user [0017].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Goenka to have wherein the controller is configured to: when the input biometric information indicates a body temperature of the occupant is high, change a temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a first temperature setting higher than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined first temperature, and
when the body temperature, a pulse, or a heart rate of the occupant is high and an amount of perspiration is large, change the temperature setting of the air conditioner unit to a second temperature setting lower than the setting temperature of the air conditioner unit by a predetermined second temperature in view of the teachings of Feng where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide a system that improves the health of a user.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LARRY L FURDGE whose telephone number is (313)446-4895. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6a-3p; F 6a-10a.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry Fletcher can be reached at 571-270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LARRY L FURDGE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763