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 in response to Application filed 11/21/24. Claims 1 – 14 have been examined and are pending.
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 – 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Francis Jorg US 12688030 B2.
Regarding claims 1 and 14, Francis anticipates a management apparatus that manages one or more facility devices constituting a facility device group, the management apparatus comprising:
a storage device to store a version of a control program stored in each of the one or more facility devices (4:35 – 40, see software repository) communication interface to communicate with a server storing a control program of the facility device (2:55 – 60 see backend server);
and a controller to, in response to arrival of a predetermined timing, for each of the one or more facility devices, determine whether or not it is necessary to update the control program, by comparing the version of the control program stored in the storage device with a version specified by version information of the control program stored in the server, wherein the controller is configured to download the control program for a facility device for which it has been determined that it is necessary to update the control program (6:47 – 57, see comparing current version with and installed version in repository).
Regarding claim 2, the management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not it is necessary to update the control program by comparing, for each model of the facility device, the version of the control program stored in the storage device with the version specified by the version information of the control program stored in the server (6:47 – 57 see comparing current version).
Regarding Claim 3, the management apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not it is necessary to update the control program by determining, for each model of the facility device, whether or not function improvement information of the control program stored in the server is suitable for a program update setting that is set in advance (11:20 – 35).
Regarding claim 4, the management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, for a facility device for which it has been determined that it is necessary to update the control program, the controller is configured to notify about necessity of an update by at least one of a display on a display device and a notice given to a user of the facility device (10:30 – 40, see updated management system).
Regarding claim 5, the management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, for a facility device for which it has been determined that it is necessary to update the control program, the controller is further configured to notify about a candidate for update time of the control program (6:45 – 55).
Regarding Claim 6, the management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, for each facility device for which it has been determined that it is necessary to update the control program, the controller is configured to calculate the candidate based on an operation schedule of each facility device (12:30 – 40, see configuration and imported at certain point of time regarding calculate based on operation schedule).
Regarding Claim 7, the management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, for each facility device for which it has been determined that it is necessary to update the control program, the controller is configured to determine whether or not to update the control program based on an operation state of each facility device(6:60 – 7:15).
Regarding Claim 8, the management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the storage device is configured to store a management program for controlling the management apparatus, and the controller is configured to: in response to arrival of the predetermined timing, determine whether or not it is necessary to update the management program in the management apparatus, by comparing a version of the management program stored in the storage device with aversion specified by version information of a management program stored in the server, and when it is determined that it is necessary to update the management program in the management apparatus, download the management program of the management apparatus from the server (6:47 – 57, see comparing current version with and installed version in repository).
Regarding claim 9, the management apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a candidate for update time of the management program based on an operation schedule of each of the one or more facility devices (12:30 – 40, see configuration and imported at certain point of time regarding calculate based on operation schedule).
Regarding Claim 10, the management apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not to update the management program based on an operation state of each of the one or more facility devices (10:30 – 40, see updated management system).
Regarding Claim 11, the management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, for a facility device for which it has been determined that it is necessary to update the control program, the controller is configured to download a control program from an information processing apparatus other than the server (2:50 – 67).
Regarding Claim 12, the management apparatus according to claim 5, 6, or 9, wherein the candidate represents update start time or a time zone that is able to be designated as the update start time (12:30 – 40).
Regarding Claim 13, the management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not it is necessary to update the control program, by further comparing a type of a function having frequent abnormalities in the one or more facility devices with a type of a function for which a defect has been corrected in the control program stored in the server (6:47 – 57).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ishikawa US 20240103839 A1 also discloses downloading in a vehicle and up versioning software utilizing downloading and updates in a similar configuration.
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Chuck Kendall whose telephone number is 571-272-3698. The examiner can normally be reached on 10:00 am - 6:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hyung Sough can be reached on 571-272-6799. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHUCK O KENDALL/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2192
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