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 Objections
Claim 1 and 11 objected to because of the following informalities: It is unclear what bridge host network profile indicates and is not clearly defined in the specification. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-2, 4-6, and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Passeri et al. US 20170353549 A1 (Domestic Priority June 3, 2016) in view of Lee et al. US 20210068068 A1 (Foreign Priority September 2, 2019).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a home appliance device comprising: a communication unit configured to receive information related to an access point (AP) network profile (see, AP connected to each of the home appliances and the server, section 0039; noted, server providing a home appliance control service and stores user information such as user AP information, section 0041) and information related to the number of devices to be registered from a mobile terminal in which an application is installed (see, memory of the mobile terminal may store data on a number of applications executed on the mobile terminal, data, commands, and a hidden SSID list for operation of the mobile terminal, section 0091); and a controller configured to transmit information instructing at least one first home appliance device to act as a bridge host and the access point (AP) network profile to the at least one first home appliance device (see, registration information comprising unique information of the home appliance associated with controller, section 0016), and to transmit information instructing at least one second home appliance device to act as a bridge guest and the bridge host network profile to the at least one second home appliance device, wherein the communication unit includes a Wi-Fi Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device configured to process signal communication based on a BLE concurrency function among the home appliance device, the mobile terminal, the at least one first home appliance device, and the at least one second home appliance device; and the access point (AP) network profile is used when the at least one first home appliance device is connected to the access point (AP) (see, unregistered home appliance 10a may obtain information regarding the user AP 30 in order for the unregistered home appliance 10a to access the user AP 30, section 0057; noted, unregistered home appliance 10a as a first one of the home appliances, section 0034), and the bridge host network profile is used when the at least one second home appliance device is connected to the bridge host.
Lee discloses all the claim limitations but fail to disclose: information related to the number of devices to be registered from a mobile terminal in which an application is installed (see, memory of the mobile terminal may store data on a number of applications executed on the mobile terminal, data, commands, and a hidden SSID list for operation of the mobile terminal, section 0091); and a controller configured to transmit information instructing at least one first home appliance device to act as a bridge host and the access point (AP) network profile to the at least one first home appliance device (see, registration information comprising unique information of the home appliance associated with controller, section 0016), and to transmit information instructing at least one second home appliance device to act as a bridge guest and the bridge host network profile to the at least one second home appliance device, wherein the communication unit includes a Wi-Fi Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device configured to process signal communication based on a BLE concurrency function among the home appliance device, the mobile terminal, the at least one first home appliance device, and the at least one second home appliance device; and the access point (AP) network profile is used when the at least one first home appliance device is connected to the access point (AP) (see, unregistered home appliance 10a may obtain information regarding the user AP 30 in order for the unregistered home appliance 10a to access the user AP 30, section 0057; noted, unregistered home appliance 10a as a first one of the home appliances, section 0034), and the bridge host network profile is used when the at least one second home appliance device is connected to the bridge host.
However Passeri from a similar filed of endeavor discloses: information related to the number of devices to be registered from a mobile terminal (see, host computer discovery can query multiple network domains to find an input device model and serial number to find which hosts share the input device where device model and serial number can be registered, sections 0130-0131 Passeri) in which an application is installed (see, software application that is installed on multiple host computers where the software is running simultaneously on multiple host computers, section 0117 Passeri); and a controller configured to transmit information instructing at least one first home appliance device to act as a bridge host (see, multi-host switching on an input device where a first host is coupled to the input device, sections 0055-0056 Passeri) and the access point (AP) network profile to the at least one first home appliance device, and to transmit information instructing at least one second home appliance device to act as a bridge guest (see, a host acting as a bridge to a second host, section 0060 Passeri) and the bridge host network profile to the at least one second home appliance device (see, dynamically tracking of software settings between two hosts, section 0061 Passeri), wherein the communication unit includes a Wi-Fi Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device (see, input devices can be communicatively coupled to their respective host computers via Bluetooth Low-Energy (BTLE), section 0051 Passeri) configured to process signal communication based on a BLE concurrency function among the home appliance device, the mobile terminal, the at least one first home appliance device, and the at least one second home appliance device (see, the support for automatic switching between host computing devices in flow software, section 0051 Passeri; noted, the use of Bluetooth input device to switch between channels that correspond to hosts, section 0094 Passeri; noted, switching of channels on an input device in Bluetooth Low Energy, section 0085 Passeri); and the access point (AP) network profile is used when the at least one first home appliance device is connected to the access point (AP), and the bridge host network profile is used when the at least one second home appliance device is connected to the bridge host (see, secure messaging between hosts that include dynamic tracking of software settings between hosts, sections 0059-0062 Passeri).
In view of the above, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claim invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art of which the claimed invention pertains to modify the mobile terminal of Lee with the host switching of Passeri. The motivation would have been to improve communication between host computers on the network.
Regarding claim 2, Lee discloses the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: receive a device information request from the mobile terminal (controller of mobile terminal may control the Wi-Fi module to attempt to transmit connection request with appliance, section 0116); check the number of registrable devices that can be registered (see, memory as a limiting factor of amount of applications executed on the mobile terminal, section 0091; noted, appliances operating in the AP associated with a list stored in memory of the mobile terminal, section 0098); transmit information related to the number of devices that can be registered and information related to the home appliance device (see, unregistered home appliance may determine whether the hidden SSID of the searched pre-registered home appliance matches the preset hidden SSID stored in the list, section 0112); and perform an authentication procedure (see, when the unregistered home appliance is communicatively connected to the pre-registered home appliance, a certificate-based server may perform an authentication operation for security, section 0063).
Regarding claim 4, Lee discloses the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: the home appliance device is connected to an access point (AP) using the access point (AP) network profile (see, controller may be configured to control, based on successful communication connection between the AP and the Wi-Fi, the Wi-Fi module to transmit, to the server and through the AP, registration information comprising unique information of the home appliance. In some examples, the AP information may include an SSID and a password of the AP and the unique information of the home appliance may include a serial number of the home appliance, section 0016).
Regarding claim 5, Lee discloses the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: a maximum number of the first home appliance devices is 4 (see, when the server 40 receives the registration information, the server 40 may complete a registration operation for the unregistered home appliance 10a where the server 40 may complete the operation of registering the unregistered home appliance 10a based on the received registration information of the unregistered home appliance 10a which is not unreasonable to restrict the number of, sections 0159-0162), and a maximum number of the second home appliance devices is 3 (see, usage of the mobile terminal 20 to register the home appliances 10a and 10b with an home appliance control system, section 0038).
Regarding claim 6, Lee discloses the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: the information related to the number of devices to be registered is information input through an interface of the mobile terminal (see, the controller may be configured to control, based on the Wi-Fi module receiving information regarding AP connected to the registered home appliance from the communicatively-connected registered home appliance after transmitting the registration confirmation key input completion signal to the registered home appliance, the Wi-Fi module to attempt the connection with the AP through the virtual interface based on the received AP information, section 0015; noted, AP information can consist of the registration confirmation key input completion signal to the server through the AP and a SSID and a password of the AP, section 0012).
Regarding claim 9, Lee discloses the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: the home appliance is one of a shoe styler, a washing machine, and a refrigerator (see, examples of home appliances include a washing machine, a refrigerator, etc. , section 0033).
Regarding claim 10, Lee discloses the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one first home appliance device is registered with a server via the access point (AP) (see, The AP 30 may be communicatively connected to each of the home appliances 10a and 10b and the server 40, section 0039); and the at least one second home appliance device is registered with the server via the bridge host (see, the unregistered home appliance 10a may transmit a client mode switch completion signal to the pre-registered home appliance 10b, the pre-registered home appliance 10b may transmit the client mode switch completion signal to the server 40 through the user AP 30, and the server 40 may transmit the client mode switch completion signal to the mobile terminal 20, section 0186).
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses a method for registering a home appliance device comprising: receiving information related to an access point (AP) network profile (see, AP connected to each of the home appliances and the server, section 0039; noted, server providing a home appliance control service and stores user information such as user AP information, section 0041) and information related to the number of devices to be registered from a mobile terminal in which an application is installed (see, memory of the mobile terminal may store data on a number of applications executed on the mobile terminal, data, commands, and a hidden SSID list for operation of the mobile terminal, section 0091); and transmitting information instructing at least one first home appliance device to act as a bridge host and the access point (AP) network profile (see, registration information comprising unique information of the home appliance associated with controller, section 0016); and transmit information instructing at least one second home appliance device to act as a bridge guest and the bridge host network profile to the at least one second home appliance device, wherein a Wi-Fi Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device of the home appliance device is configured to process signal communication based on a BLE concurrency function among the home appliance device, the mobile terminal, the at least one first home appliance device, and the at least one second home appliance device; and the access point (AP) network profile is used when the at least one first home appliance device is connected to the access point (AP) (see, unregistered home appliance 10a may obtain information regarding the user AP 30 in order for the unregistered home appliance 10a to access the user AP 30, section 0057; noted, unregistered home appliance 10a as a first one of the home appliances, section 0034), and the bridge host network profile is used when the at least one second home appliance device is connected to the bridge host.
Lee discloses all the claim limitations but fail to disclose: information related to the number of devices to be registered from a mobile terminal in which an application is installed (see, memory of the mobile terminal may store data on a number of applications executed on the mobile terminal, data, commands, and a hidden SSID list for operation of the mobile terminal, section 0091); and transmitting information instructing at least one first home appliance device to act as a bridge host and the access point (AP) network profile (see, registration information comprising unique information of the home appliance associated with controller, section 0016); and transmit information instructing at least one second home appliance device to act as a bridge guest and the bridge host network profile to the at least one second home appliance device, wherein a Wi-Fi Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device of the home appliance device is configured to process signal communication based on a BLE concurrency function among the home appliance device, the mobile terminal, the at least one first home appliance device, and the at least one second home appliance device; and the access point (AP) network profile is used when the at least one first home appliance device is connected to the access point (AP) (see, unregistered home appliance 10a may obtain information regarding the user AP 30 in order for the unregistered home appliance 10a to access the user AP 30, section 0057; noted, unregistered home appliance 10a as a first one of the home appliances, section 0034), and the bridge host network profile is used when the at least one second home appliance device is connected to the bridge host.
However Passeri from a similar filed of endeavor discloses: information related to the number of devices to be registered from a mobile terminal (see, host computer discovery can query multiple network domains to find an input device model and serial number to find which hosts share the input device where device model and serial number can be registered, sections 0130-0131 Passeri) in which an application is installed (see, software application that is installed on multiple host computers where the software is running simultaneously on multiple host computers, section 0117 Passeri); and transmitting information instructing at least one first home appliance device to act as a bridge host (see, multi-host switching on an input device where a first host is coupled to the input device, sections 0055-0056 Passeri) and the access point (AP) network profile; and transmit information instructing at least one second home appliance device to act as a bridge guest (see, a host acting as a bridge to a second host, section 0060 Passeri) and the bridge host network profile to the at least one second home appliance device (see, dynamically tracking of software settings between two hosts, section 0061 Passeri), wherein a Wi-Fi Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device of the home appliance device (see, input devices can be communicatively coupled to their respective host computers via Bluetooth Low-Energy (BTLE), section 0051 Passeri) is configured to process signal communication based on a BLE concurrency function among the home appliance device, the mobile terminal, the at least one first home appliance device, and the at least one second home appliance device (see, the support for automatic switching between host computing devices in flow software, section 0051 Passeri; noted, the use of Bluetooth input device to switch between channels that correspond to hosts, section 0094 Passeri; noted, switching of channels on an input device in Bluetooth Low Energy, section 0085 Passeri); and the access point (AP) network profile is used when the at least one first home appliance device is connected to the access point (AP), and the bridge host network profile is used when the at least one second home appliance device is connected to the bridge host (see, secure messaging between hosts that include dynamic tracking of software settings between hosts, sections 0059-0062 Passeri).
In view of the above, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claim invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art of which the claimed invention pertains to modify the mobile terminal of Lee with the host switching of Passeri. The motivation would have been to improve communication between host computers on the network.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Passeri et al. US 20170353549 A1 (Domestic Priority June 3, 2016) in view of Lee et al. US 20210068068 A1 (Foreign Priority September 2, 2019), and in further view of Murakami et al. US 20220183010 A1 (Domestic Priority September 4, 2019).
The combination of Lee and Passeri discloses all the claim limitations but fail to disclose: Regarding claim 3, the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: the Wi-Fi BLE device is configured to operate based on a time-division operation between a first logical interface related to signal communication related to registration between the home appliance device and the application and a second logical interface related to signal communication between the home appliance device and the at least one first home appliance device.
However Murakami from a similar filed of endeavor discloses: the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: the Wi-Fi BLE device (see, interface #1 and #2 communication done through Bluetooth, section 0438 Murakami) is configured to operate based on a time-division operation (see, Time division multiplexing (TDM) or carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) associated with terminals, section 1661 Murakami) between a first logical interface related to signal communication related to registration between the home appliance device and the application (see, first apparatus Y701 includes first interface Y703 for connecting to second apparatus Y702, sections 0273-0274 Murakami) and a second logical interface related to signal communication between the home appliance device and the at least one first home appliance device (see, second apparatus Y702 includes second interface Y704 for connecting to first apparatus Y701, sections 0273-0274 Murakami).
In view of the above, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claim invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art of which the claimed invention pertains to modify the combination of Lee and Passeri with the interfaces of Murakami. The motivation would have been to improve communication between apparatuses.
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Passeri et al. US 20170353549 A1 (Domestic Priority June 3, 2016) in view of Lee et al. US 20210068068 A1 (Foreign Priority September 2, 2019), and in further view of Kwag et al. US 20180279389 A1 (Foreign Priority September 24, 2015).
The combination of Lee and Passeri discloses all the claim limitations but fail to disclose: Regarding claim 7, the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: the bridge host is determined in ascending numerical order of received signal strength indicators (RSSI) among the plurality of home appliance devices.
However Kwag from a similar filed of endeavor discloses: the home appliance device according to claim 1, wherein: the bridge host is determined in ascending numerical order of received signal strength indicators (RSSI) among the plurality of home appliance devices (see, the RSSI value is inversely proportional to distance. The server 610 may be likely to determine that the network hub with a large RSSI value is located close to the corresponding electronic device. Accordingly, the server 610 may determine the network hub that has transmitted the message including the RSSI value greater than a threshold value as a new network hub for connection of the electronic device, 0094 Kwag).
In view of the above, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claim invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art of which the claimed invention pertains to modify the combination of Lee and Passeri with the RSSI of Kwag. The motivation would have been to improve intelligent services.
The combination of Lee and Passeri discloses all the claim limitations but fail to disclose: Regarding claim 8, the home appliance device according to claim 7, wherein: the bridge guest corresponds to a home appliance device having a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) similar to the RSSI of the bridge host.
However Kwag from a similar filed of endeavor discloses: the home appliance device according to claim 7, wherein: the bridge guest corresponds to a home appliance device having a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) similar to the RSSI of the bridge host (FIG. 8, the RSSI value is inversely proportional to the distance between the network hub and the electronic device. The electronic device may determine the electronic device that has transmitted the message with the largest RSSI value as the closest node. Accordingly, the electronic device a5 60 may determine the electronic device a6 63 as the closest node, section 0118 Kwag).
In view of the above, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claim invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art of which the claimed invention pertains to modify the combination of Lee and Passeri with the RSSI of Kwag. The motivation would have been to improve intelligent services.
Conclusion
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/PATRICK YIPAO PEI/Examiner, Art Unit 2473
/KWANG B YAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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