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 .
This is the first Office Action on the merits. Claims 1-20 are currently pending, with claims 10-20 withdrawn from consideration, and claims 1-9 considered.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 10-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/08/2025.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chan (US 20230117451 A1), hereafter referred to as “Chan”.
Regarding claim 1, Chan discloses a container farm (abstract, figs. 1-9) comprising:
a cultivation module (figs. 5A-5C) comprising:
at least one first plant support apparatus (e.g., fig. 5B) configured to receive one or more plants having a first configuration (fig. 5B showing a vertical configuration); and
a support module (paragraph [0046]) comprising:
an irrigation system (265) configured to provide a mixture of water and nutrients to the at least one first plant support apparatus (paragraph [0049] and claim 4); and
a climate control system (263) comprising components of a heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning (HVAC) system (paragraph [0059]);
wherein the at least one first plant support apparatus is configured to be exchanged with at least one second plant support apparatus configured to receive one or more plants having a second configuration different than the first configuration (paragraphs [0075]-[0079]).
Regarding claim 2, Chan discloses the container farm of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the first configuration (fig. 5B) comprises vertically-oriented plant grow channels (fig. 5B and paragraph [0078]).
Regarding claim 3, Chan discloses the container farm of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the second configuration (fig. 5C) comprises horizontally-oriented shelves (fig. 5C; paragraph [0079]).
Regarding claim 4, Chan discloses the container farm of claim 1, and further discloses comprising:
a camera (380) configured to capture image data of the one more plants growing in the first plant support apparatus (paragraph [0068]); and
a controller (164) comprising a processor and memory, the memory including computer- executable instructions executable by the processor (paragraphs [0043]-[0044]) to:
receive the captured image data (paragraph [0040], [0043]-[0044]);
determine, based on the captured image data one or more of a health of the one or more plants and a lifecycle phase of the one or more plants growing in the first plant support apparatus (paragraph [0068]).
Regarding claim 5, Chan discloses the container farm of claim 4, and further discloses wherein the controller (164) is configured to use machine-learning (paragraph [0093]).
Regarding claim 6, Chan discloses the container farm of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the support module includes a nursery zone (paragraph [0079]) including an irrigation tray coupled to the irrigation system, the irrigation tray configured to receive one or more seedling trays therein (paragraph [0079]).
Regarding claim 7, Chan discloses the container farm of claim 6, and further discloses wherein the nursery zone (a first tray; paragraph [0079]) is positioned within a cavity (e.g., interior space of frame structure of 100; paragraph [0033]) in the support module and includes one or more lighting panels configured to provide light to the seedling trays (paragraphs [0034]-[0036]).
Regarding claim 8, Chan discloses the container farm of claim 7, and further discloses wherein the cavity in the support module is a first cavity (a first interior space of the rack of 100; fig. 3), and wherein the support module includes a germination zone (a second tray; paragraph [0079]) configured to receive seeded trays of ungerminated seedlings therein, wherein the germination zone is positioned in a second cavity in the support module (paragraph [0079]).
Regarding claim 9, Chan discloses the container farm of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the support module includes a germination including configured to receive seeded trays of ungerminated seedlings therein (paragraph [0079]).
Conclusion
The cited prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure. The references have many of the elements in the applicant’s disclosure and claims.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter Poon can be reached on (571) 272-6891. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/H.J.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3643
/PETER M POON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3643