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.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kousuke (WO 2019044158) in view of Nakamoto et al. (EP 2960588).
Reg. Cl. 1, Kousuke discloses: An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a housing having an exhaust port formed thereon; a heat exchanger housed on an inside of the housing; a blower that is housed on the inside of the housing, and that blows air to the exhaust port, and a biometric sensing device that detects biometric information regarding a living body, where the living body is located inside of a detection range thereof, wherein a shutter that opens and closes at least a portion of the exhaust port, is provided in the exhaust port, the biometric sensing device (3) 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 (Fig. 2).
Reg. Cl. 2, Kousuke discloses: 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.
Reg. Cl. 3, Kousuke fails to show / disclose, however Nakamoto et al. teaches: wherein wind adjusting members (10, Figs, 2 and 3) that adjust a direction of air being discharged from the exhaust port are provided on the exhaust port (7, 9a and 9b) and the detection range of the biometric sensing device is provided outside of a movable range of the wind adjusting members.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kousuke’s Indoor air-conditioner unit with Nakamoto et al’s wind adjusting member and shutters 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. Doing so would provide a means of discharging the conditioned air in an efficient manner to cool a given space.
Reg. Cl. 5, Kousuke discloses: wherein the indoor unit is a wall-mounted type indoor unit (Fig. 1), the exhaust port is located to the bottom, more than the blower, the biometric sensing device (3) 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 (Fig. 2).
Reg. Cl. 7, Kousuke discloses: wherein the biometric sensing device is located to a top, more than a center part in a vertical direction of the housing.
Reg. Cl. 9, Kousuke 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. Cl. 10, Kousuke 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. Cl. 11, Kousuke discloses: wherein the biometric sensing device has a Doppler type sensor (5).
Reg. Cl. 12, Kousuke discloses: a controller (6), 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 (Fig. 6).
Reg. Cl. 13, Kousuke discloses: wherein the detection range of the biometric sensing device, is a range of a preset design value.
Claims 4, 6, 8, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kousuke (WO 2019044158) in view of Nakamoto et al. (EP 2960588) above, and further in view of Hiragi et al. (CN 103765116).
Reg. Cl. 4, Kousuke as modified by Nakamoto fails to discloses, 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. Cl. 6, Kousuke discloses: wherein the detection range of the biometric sensing device (41) expands to the front and diagonally to a bottom direction, from the biometric sensing device (Figs. 10, 11 and 13).
Reg. Cl. 8, Kousuke discloses: 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. Cl. 14, Kousuke discloses: An air conditioner comprising: the indoor unit according to claim 1, and an outdoor unit. 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 Kousuke’s Indoor air-conditioner unit with Hiragi et al’s cleaning device; the detection range of the biometric sensing device expanding to the front and diagonally to a bottom direction; the biometric sensing device is located on the bottom; 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicant is advised to review all the prior art listed on the USPTO 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERRELL L MCKINNON whose telephone number is (571)272-4797. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8:00 am to 4:30 pm..
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/TERRELL L MCKINNON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3632