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 .
Receipt is acknowledged of Applicant’s Amendment filed April 23, 2026. Claims 1-18 are pending.
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.
3 Claims 1-3, 5-7, 9-13, and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Itashiki et al. (JP-S63143441) in view of Tsuboi et al. (WO 2019044158).
Reg. CI. 1, Itashiki et al. discloses; An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a housing (1) having an exhaust port (5) formed thereon; a heat exchanger (2) housed on an inside of the housing; a blower (3) that is housed on the inside of the housing, and that blows air to the exhaust port, and a biometric sensing device (11, 12) that detects biometric information regarding a living body, where the living body is located inside of a detection range thereof, wherein a shutter (6) that opens and closes at least a portion of the exhaust port, is provided in the exhaust port, the biometric sensing device (11, 12) is accommodated on the inside of the housing, and transmits a transmission signal that passes through a wall of the housing to detect the biometric information, and the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided outside a movable range of the shutter (Figs. 3, 7, 8, and 13).
Reg. CI. 2, Itashiki et al. fails to disclose; however, Tsuboi et al teaches: an indoor unit information sensing device (5) which detects information regarding an indoor environment in which the indoor unit is installed, wherein the indoor unit information sensing device has a sensor main body that is relatively movable with respect to the housing, and the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided outside a movable range of the sensor main body in the indoor unit information sensing device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Itashiki et al.'s Indoor air-conditioner unit with Tsuboi et al's indoor unit information sensing device (5) which detects information regarding an indoor environment in which the indoor unit is installed, wherein the indoor unit information sensing device has a sensor main body that is relatively movable with respect to the housing, and the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided outside a movable range of the sensor main body in the indoor unit information sensing device. Doing so would provide a means of enhancing the cooling efficiency of the discharged conditioned air to cool a given space.
Reg. CI. 3, Itashiki et al. discloses; wherein wind adjusting members (7, Fig. 4) that adjust a direction of air being discharged from the exhaust port are provided on the exhaust port and the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided outside of a movable range of the wind adjusting members.
Reg. CI. 5, Itashiki et al. discloses; wherein the indoor unit is a wall-mounted type indoor unit (Fig. 3), the exhaust port is located to the bottom, more than the blower, the biometric sensing device is located on a front of the blower, and the detection range of the biometric sensing device expands to the front, from the biometric sensing device.
Reg. CI. 6, Itashiki et al. discloses; wherein the detection range of the biometric sensing device expands to the front and diagonally to a bottom direction, from the biometric sensing device.
Reg. CI. 7, Itashiki et al. discloses; wherein the biometric sensing device is located to a top, more than a center part in a vertical direction of the housing.
Reg. CI. 9, Itashiki et al. discloses; wherein the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided on an outside of a movable range of all movable parts, out of the parts that configure the indoor unit.
Reg. CI. 10, Itashiki et al. discloses; wherein the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided on a region that is on an outside of the heat exchanger.
Reg. CI. 11, Itashiki et al. and Tsuboi et al. both disclose; wherein the biometric sensing device has a Doppler type sensor.
Reg. CI. 12, Itashiki et al. discloses; a controller, wherein the controller controls at least a portion of parts that configure the indoor unit, based on biometric information detected using the biometric sensing device.
Reg. CI. 13, Itashiki et al. discloses; wherein the detection range of the biometric sensing device, is a range of a preset design value.
Reg. CI. 15, Itashiki et al. discloses; wherein the biometric sensing device comprises a transmitter configured to transmit the transmission signal and a receiver configured to receive a reception signal reflected from an object.
Reg. CI. 16, Itashiki et al. fails to disclose; however, Tsuboi et al teaches: wherein the indoor unit information sensing device (5) is movable in a vertical direction such that it is interchangeable between a condition of protruding from a bottom surface of the housing and a condition of being accommodated inside of the housing ([0057] [0059]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Itashiki et al.'s Indoor air-conditioner unit with Tsuboi et al's indoor unit information sensing device is movable in a vertical direction such that it is interchangeable between a condition of protruding from a bottom surface of the housing and a condition of being accommodated inside of the housing.
Doing so would provide the information device with alternate mobility for sensing during use.
Claims 4, 8, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
over Itashiki et al. (JP-S63143441) in view of Tsuboi et al. (WO 2019044158) above, and further in view of Hiragi et al. (CN 103765116).
Reg. CI. 4, Itashiki et al. as modified by Tsuboi et al., fails to disclose, however; Hiragi et al, teaches: a cleaning device (paragraph [0041]) that cleans a filter, wherein the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided on an outside of a movable range of the cleaning device.
Reg. CI. 8, Itashiki et al. as modified by Tsuboi et al., fails to disclose, however; Hiragi et al, teaches; wherein the biometric sensing device (41) is located on the bottom, more than the center in the vertical direction of the housing (Fig. 3).
Reg. CI. 14, Itashiki et al. as modified by Tsuboi et al., fails to disclose, however; Hiragi et al, teaches; an air conditioner comprising: the indoor unit according to claim 1, and an outdoor unit (Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Itashiki et al.'s Indoor air- conditioner unit with Hiragi et al's cleaning device that cleans a filter, wherein the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided on an outside of a movable range of the cleaning device; the biometric sensing device is located on the bottom more than the center in the vertical direction of the housing; and an air conditioner comprising the indoor unit according to claim 1, and an outdoor unit. Doing so would provide a means of cleaning the filter, expanding the detection range of the biometric sensor; and provide an alternate location of the biometric sensor to keep the system to keep the system operating efficiently.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed April 23, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-14 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made as shown above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The Applicant is advised to review all the prior art on the PTO-892.
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/TERRELL L MCKINNON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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