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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 20 recites the limitations “the first power button” and “the second power button." There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-19 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art does not disclose, or render obvious, the laundry treating apparatus as defined by claim 1. There is no apparent teaching, suggestion, or motivation to modify the closest prior art, Kim (US 2021/0207309; cited by Applicant), absent impermissible hindsight, to include a laundry treating apparatus comprising: a washing machine comprising a washing machine front panel provided on a front side thereof and a first drum provided therein to receive laundry; a drying machine disposed on the washing machine, the drying machine comprising a drying machine front panel provided on a front side thereof and a second drum provided therein to receive laundry; and a control panel provided between the washing machine front panel and the drying machine front panel, the control panel being configured to provide a user interface (UI) of at least one of the washing machine or the drying machine, wherein the control panel comprises a flat panel display configured to display one of a washing machine operation UI for operation of the washing machine and a drying machine operation UI for operation of the drying machine, wherein, based on an input of a switching button provided at the control panel is input in a state in which the washing machine operation UI is displayed on the flat panel display, the flat panel display displays the drying machine operation UI, and wherein, based on an input of the switching button is input in a state in which the drying machine operation UI is displayed on the flat panel display, the flat panel display displays the washing machine operation UI. In contrast to the claimed invention, Kim discloses a washing machine (Figure 2: 100) supporting a drying machine (300), and the washing machine having a control panel (110) including a dryer control button (221) to activate a dryer control for controlling the drying machine and a washing machine button (222) to activate a washer control for controlling the washing machine. (paragraphs 110-113). The dryer control button (221) may include a second touch switch (221a) and the washer control button (222) may include a third touch switch (222a), and when the control panel operates in a dryer control mode the dryer control button (221) may emit light and the washer control button may not emit light, and when the control panel operates in a washer control mode the washer control button (222) may emit light and the dryer control button may not emit light (paragraphs 114-115).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID G CORMIER whose telephone number is (571)270-7386. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30 - 6:00.
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DAVID G. CORMIER
Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/DAVID G CORMIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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