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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 6/29/2026, with respect to informalities in the claims have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of 1/28/2026 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, filed 6/29/2026, with respect to non-statutory double patenting in the claims have been fully considered and are persuasive. The double patenting rejection of 1/28/2026 has been withdrawn in view of the Terminal disclaimer of 6/29/2026.
However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kim et al. (US 2015/0140990) and Ott et al. (US 2015/0222398).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 8-17, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2015/0140990, hereinafter “Kim”).
Regarding claims 8, 13 and 19, Kim discloses a method for providing control of a smart home system, comprising:
providing a computing device including a display (UE 200, Fig. 2 and 4);
connecting a universal device to the computing device via a wired or wireless connection (home gateway HGW 120, connected to UE 200 via network 130, wired and wireless, para. 0042, Fig. 2 and 3; see also power line communication, para. 0062);
connecting one or more system modules to the universal device via a wired or wireless connection, the one or more system modules and the universal device communicating using an open source protocol (home devices 110, connected to HGW 120, via power line communication, para. 0062, Fig. 2);
sending a message from the computing device to the one or more system modules requesting initialization information (one-touch mode execution request, 906, Fig. 9, para. 0096);
sending a message from the one or more system modules to the computing device including the initialization information, the initialization information including information regarding one or more unique functions of the corresponding one of the one or more system modules and control parameters of the one or more functions (home devices 110, send operation state information to HGW 120, step 901, Fig. 9, para. 0096; operation state information and device control commands correspond to unique functions such as frequently used functions, cleaning start/end for robot cleaner, recording start/end for camera, etc., para. 0133-0134; implemented using controller 210 of UE 200 includes CPU 210-1 and ROM 210-2 that stores a control program to control the UE 200, para. 0060);
creating a user interface for displaying on the display of the computing device, the user interface including control surfaces which, when manipulated by a user, cause a change in a value of one of the control parameters of one of the one or more functions of the peripheral device (operations states displayed on a UI screen, para. 0134, see also Fig. 10, para. 0097-0098, user stores operation states of home devices at current time; see also para. 0018; and UI screen to control home devices, Fig. 10, para. 0062, 97-98).
Regarding claim 14, the universal device and the one or more system modules are connected via a wireless connection (home devices 110 communicate with the HGW 120 in a wireless communication scheme, para. 0042).
Regarding claims 9 and 15, Kim further discloses the connection between the universal device and the one or more system modules is a wired connection (home devices 110 communicated with HGW 120 in a wired communication scheme, para. 0042).
Regarding claims 10 and 16, Kim further discloses the wired connection is made through power lines (power line communication, para. 0062).
Regarding claims 11 and 17, Kim further discloses the open source protocol is a power line communication protocol (power line communication, para. 0062).
Regarding claim 12, Kim further discloses the one or more system modules each include one or more unique functions, circuity for performing the one or more unique functions, a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, a protocol stored on the memory and executing on the processor (home devices 1-3, 110-1 to 110-3, each transmit operation state information 901 to HGW 120 and receive device control commands 911, Fig. 9, para. 0096, see also para. 0042, 0046, including security devices 114 like IP cameras, which inherently include “transceivers, memory, and processor, and protocol stored on the memory configured to be executed to exchange messages”).
Regarding claim 20, Kim further discloses including two or more system modules, the two or more system modules having only the transceiver circuit in common (different types of home devices 112, 114, 116, 118, would correspond to different circuitry, and would only have the shared HGW 120 in common, see Fig. 1).
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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2015/0140990, hereinafter “Kim”) in view of Ott et al. (US 2015/0222398, hereinafter “Ott”).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a smart home system (Figs. 2 and 5) for controlling devices (home devices 110, see Figs. 1 and 2), comprising:
a computing device (UE 200, PC 201, or Smart TV 150-1, Figs. 2, 5, para. 0066);
one or more system modules (at least one home device 110 in rooms 140, Fig. 5, para. 0066, see also home devices 110 connected to HGW 120, Fig. 2, and see also Fig. 9) electrically connected to the computing device (UE 200 transmits group control command to the HGW 120 by power line communication, para. 0062, Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, shows PC 201 connected to HGW via wired network 130a), the one or more system modules comprising circuity for performing one or more unique functions based on the control information (group control commands and unique functions such as on/off states, cleaning start/end for robot cleaner, recording start/end for camera, etc., para. 0133-0134), the one or more system modules further comprising a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, a protocol stored on the memory configured to be executed by the processor to exchange messages, including initialization information, with the computing device (home devices 1-3, 110-1 to 110-3 each transmit operation state information 901 to HGW 120 and receive device control commands 911, Fig. 9, para. 0096, see also para. 0042, 0046, including security devices 114 like IP cameras, which inherently include “transceivers, memory, and processor, and protocol stored on the memory configured to be executed to exchange messages”);
a universal device interposed between the computing device and the one or more system modules (home gateway, HGW 120, Figs. 1-3, 5 and 9), so that the universal device exchanges messages with both the computing device and the one or more system modules, the universal device including a transceiver for sending data to, and receiving data from, the computing device (HGW 120 receives and transmits messages to and from home devices 110, and also with UE 200, Fig. 9, and includes communication module 122 including a wired communication module 122-5, Fig. 3, para. 0052); and
a software application stored on non-transitory media on the computing device which includes instructions (controller 210 of UE 200 includes CPU 210-1 and ROM 210-2 that stores a control program to control the UE 200, para. 0060), for requesting, based on the control information, the initialization information from the one or more system modules, and allowing a user to execute the one or more unique functions of the modules (transmit one-touch mode execution request to HWG 120, receiving current operation state information of the home devices, i.e. “initialization information,” step 907, transmit group control commands to home devices via HGW 120, steps 909 and 911, see Fig. 9, para. 0096, 101).
However, Kim does not expressly disclose the smart home system further comprises a crystal oscillator configured to produce a sinusoidal wave comprising control information.
Ott discloses a power line communication system including a modulator comprising a crystal oscillator for generating the carrier wave (i.e. sinusoidal wave) for converting a baseband signal to a different frequency spectrum (para. 0002, 0062). Thus Ott suggests implementing a power line communication transmission using a modulator including a crystal oscillator to produce the carrier wave.
Because both Kim and Ott disclose power line communication transmitters, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the application was filed, to substitution one power line communication transmitter implementation for another, for the predictable result of using a crystal oscillator in a power line communication transmitter/modulator to generate the carrier wave of the signal.
Regarding claim 2, Kim further discloses the initialization information includes one or more unique functions and control parameters are for the one or more unique functions (operation state information and device control commands correspond to unique functions such as frequently used functions, cleaning start/end for robot cleaner, recording start/end for camera, etc., para. 0133-0134, see also Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 3, Kim further discloses the software application further includes instructions for creating a user interface based on the initialization information (operations states displayed on a UI screen, para. 0134, see also Fig. 10, para. 0097-0098, user stores operation states of home devices at current time; see also para. 0018).
Regarding claim 4, Kim further discloses wherein the user interface includes one or more control surfaces which generator commands for changing control parameters on a corresponding one of the one or more system modules (UI screen to control home devices, Fig. 10, para. 0062, 97-98).
Regarding claim 5, Kim further discloses a user operates the control surfaces on a touch screen display of the computing device (UE 200 transmits control command according to users touch input para. 0048, touch screen, para. 0061).
Regarding claim 6, Kim further discloses the one or more system modules are connected to the universal device via a wired connection (home devices 110, connected to HGW 120, via power-line communication para. 0062).
Regarding claim 7, Kim further discloses the wired connection is made using a power line (power line communication, para. 0062).
Regarding claim 18, Kim does not expressly disclose the power line communication includes adding control information to a sinusoidal wave created by a crystal oscillator.
Ott discloses a power line communication system including a modulator comprising a crystal oscillator for generating the carrier wave (i.e. sinusoidal wave) for converting a baseband signal to a different frequency spectrum (para. 0002, 0062). Thus Ott suggests implementing a power line communication transmission using a modulator including a crystal oscillator to produce the carrier wave.
Because both Kim and Ott disclose power line communication transmitters, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the application was filed, to substitution one power line communication transmitter implementation for another, for the predictable result of using a crystal oscillator in a power line communication transmitter/modulator to generate the carrier wave of the signal.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S HUANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1798. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hannah Wang can be reached at (571) 272-9018. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/David S Huang/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631 9/29/2026
