DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II, claims 11-15, in the reply filed on 6/30/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 6/30/26.
Claim Interpretation
Claim 11 recites an input unit, a function execution unit, and a controller as three distinct components. However, the present disclosure describes the input unit and the function execution unit to be components of the controller (see fig. 2, controller 110, function execution unit 130, input unit 140). The claims are interpreted consistent with the disclosure.
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 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR20080076755A by Miyase et al.
As to claim 11, Miyase discloses a dishwasher comprising an input unit 13 for receiving a course change signal to change a washing course to a low noise course; a function execution unit for executing a washing cycle; and a controller 12 configured to receiving a course change sign during execution of the washing course, change a parameter of the washing course to a parameter of the low noise course, and control the function execution unit to execute the cycle of the low noise course based on the parameter of the low noise course (paras. 51-56).
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.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR20080076755A by Miyase et al. in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 20100186772 by Hatfield et al.
As to claim 12, Miyase teaches that the parameter of the low noise course includes a washing time duration and rotation speed of a washing motor and that the controller executes the low noise course by adjusting the speed of the motor to be lower and the washing time duration to be larger (paras. 56, 59). Miyase does not teach that a parameter of the low noise course includes a washing water spray pressure and a washing water temperature. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious to include those parameters in a low noise course. Hatfield teaches that an increased wash water temperature and extended cycle duration allows for a reduced pump speed which reduces noise (para. 17). Hatfield further teaches that an increase in speed of a washing motor results in an increase in washing water pressure (para. 19); thus, a lower speed results in a lower pressure.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious that controlling a dishwasher to lower a water spray pressure, lower a speed of a washing motor, lengthen a washing time duration, and increase a water temperature may lower noise of a dishwasher based on the teachings of both Miyase and Hatfield.
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR20080076755A by Miyase et al.
As to claim 13, Miyase teaches a washing cycle may include a main washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, and a drying cycle (para. 43) and that upon receiving a course change signal during execution of a main washing cycle the controller changes a parameter of the washing course to a parameter of a low noise course at the change signal receiving time, executes the low noise course during a period of the change signal receiving timing to an end timing of the main cycle based on the low noise course parameter, and subsequently executes the main washing cycle of the low noise course for a first time duration allocated to the main washing cycle of the low noise course (paras. 55, 60).
Miyase does not explicitly teaches a preliminary washing cycle and distinct rinsing and heating rinsing cycles, but does teach that noise is mainly the injection sound of washing water, the collision sound, the circulation sound, the drainage sound, and the rotation sound of a washing pump or draining pump (para. 43). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious that one or more of those noise-producing functions would occur during any type of washing and rinsing cycle, as Miyase suggests, which would include a preliminary washing cycle and various types of rinsing cycles.
As to claim 14, Miyase teaches that upon receiving a course change signal during execution of a rinsing cycle the controller changes a parameter of the washing course to a parameter of a low noise course at the change signal receiving time, executes the low noise course during a period of the change signal receiving timing to an end timing of the rinsing cycle based on the low noise course parameter, and subsequently executes the rinsing cycle of the low noise course for a second time duration allocated to the rinsing cycle of the low noise course (paras. 55, 60).
As to claim 15, Miyase teaches that upon receiving a course change signal during execution of a rinsing cycle the controller changes a parameter of the washing course to a parameter of a low noise course at the change signal receiving time, executes the low noise course during a period of the change signal receiving timing to an end timing of the rinsing cycle based on the low noise course parameter, and subsequently executes the rinsing cycle of the low noise course for a second time duration allocated to the rinsing cycle of the low noise course (paras. 55, 60). While Miyase does not explicitly teach distinct rinsing and heating rinsing cycles, it does teach that noise is mainly the injection sound of washing water, the collision sound, the circulation sound, the drainage sound, and the rotation sound of a washing pump or draining pump (para. 43). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious that one or more of those noise-producing functions would occur during any type of rinsing cycle, as Miyase suggests, which would include a heating rinsing cycle.
Conclusion
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/SPENCER E. BELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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