The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 22-25, and 27-41 are presented for examination
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-11, filed August 26, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 27, and 31 under U.S.C. 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of previously cited prior art.
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.
Claims 22-23, 25, and 27-41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Meyer (US Patent Application 20140343734).
As per claim 22, Meyer teaches a plumbing control device ("PCD") [12, fig. 1 and 2] for controlling a fluid passing therethrough, the PCD comprising [0060, for example, control valve 12 that controls the flow of a substance from the intake 14 to the outtake 16]:
a body including an adjustment feature [20, fig. 2] for modifying a performance characteristic of the fluid while the PCD is in active use [0060, for example, actuator assembly 20 controls valve 12 to be either in an open or closed position].
a sensor [30/50, fig. 2] coupled to fluid for generating a first signal indicative of the performance characteristic [0060, for example, sensors 30 can be positioned in places that leaks could be expected to occur and interface with control unit 40 to provide status. If a sensor 30 detects a leak in the substance, then a leak status can be communicated to the control unit 40 and the control unit 40 can send a signal to actuator assembly 20 to turn off the valve 12].
a microcontroller [42, fig. 2] linked to the sensor for controlling operation of the sensor and processing the first signal [0088-0090, the processing element 42 connect to the sensor where the processing element send high signal or low signal to control the valves. For example, to close valve 12 the processing element 42 places a logical high signal onto the Close input that causes transistor T6 to conduct and force the gate of transistor T4 to a logic low level].
a power source [43, fig. 2].
an electrical switch [52, fig. 4A] connecting to the power source to the microcontroller and the sensor, wherein the electrical switch is configured to have: a normally off position in which no power from the power source is drawn by the adjustment feature or microcontroller to conserve energy; and an on position that supplies power from the power source to the microcontroller and the sensor [o141, 0188, 0228, as pointed out from the switch the device can be powered on/off where it is controlled by the processing unit where the processing unit in low power mode when the device is not in used. For example, mechanical switch 52 can provide functions such as power on or off test, or rest functions].
an antenna board [31/26, fig. 2] linked to the microcontroller and, when the switch is in the on position, configured to send a second signal to a mobile device based on the first signal, wherein the mobile device is configured to generate an output display for a user based on the second signal in real-time to allow evaluating the performance characteristic such that the user can adjust the adjustment feature for a desired value of the performance characteristic [0062, 0072, 0222 as shown in figure 2 antenna with receiver connected to the processing unit where signal can be send/receive to the mobile device to control the valve by turning it off. For example, the remote access may be performed in various ways including but not limited to: a PC, Smart Phone or Tablet via the internet; in a Wi-Fi application mode; or the system may also be run manually from the control panel as well. The system has the versatility of allowing operation, bypassing, or restoring to normal operation via the manual buttons on the control panel to control unit 240].
As per claim 27, Meyer teaches a plumbing control device ("PCD") [12, fig. 1-2] for controlling a fluid passing therethrough, the PCD comprising [0060, for example, control valve 12 that controls the flow of a substance from the intake 14 to the outtake 16]:
a body including an adjustment feature [20, fig. 2] for modifying a performance characteristic of the fluid while the PCD is in active use [0060, for example, actuator assembly 20 controls valve 12 to be either in an open or closed position].
a sensor [30/50, fig. 2] coupled to the body and configured to generate a first signal indicative of the performance characteristic, wherein the sensor is normally in an off position to conserve energy [0060, 0139, for example, sensors 30 can be positioned in places that leaks could be expected to occur and interface with control unit 40 to provide status. If a sensor 30 detects a leak in the substance, then a leak status can be communicated to the control unit 40 and the control unit 40 can send a signal to actuator assembly 20 to turn off the valve 12. As well as the sensor is in sleep mode to conserve power. For example, an embodiment can provide the sensors 30 with a sleep mode that can be employed to conserve power and be awake during predetermined intervals].
a microcontroller [42, fig. 2] and antenna board assembly [31/26, fig. 2] linked to the sensor for controlling operation of the sensor [0088-0090, the processing element 42 connect to the sensor where the processing element send high signal or low signal to control the valves. For example, to close valve 12 the processing element 42 places a logical high signal onto the Close input that causes transistor T6 to conduct and force the gate of transistor T4 to a logic low level].
a power source [43, fig. 2].
a switch [52, fig. 4A] selectively connecting the power source to the microcontroller and the sensor, wherein the switch is configured to only connect the power source to the microcontroller and the sensor when an activation device is placed co-located within a predetermined range of the switch [0068, 0137, as pointed out the device can be operating within certain range, where outside the range it is not activated. For example, unique identification between sensors 30 and control units 40 allows for multiple systems 10 to be placed within radio frequency range of each other and not have the various components of one system 10 communicate with a component of another system 10].
As per claim 31, Meyer teaches a plumbing control device ("PCD") [12, fig. 1-2] for controlling a fluid passing therethrough, the PCD comprising [0060, for example, control valve 12 that controls the flow of a substance from the intake 14 to the outtake 16]:
a portable controller [240, fig. 11].
a body forming a passage [intake 14, outtake 16, via valve 12, fig. 2] for the fluid and including an adjustment feature for modifying at least one performance characteristic of the fluid while the PCD is in active use [0060, for example, actuator assembly 20 controls valve 12 to be either in an open or closed position].
at least one sensor [30/50, fig. 2] coupled to the body and configured to generate at least one signal indicative of the at least one performance characteristic, wherein: the at least one sensor is normally in an off position to conserve energy [0060, 0139, for example, sensors 30 can be positioned in places that leaks could be expected to occur and interface with control unit 40 to provide status. If a sensor 30 detects a leak in the substance, then a leak status can be communicated to the control unit 40 and the control unit 40 can send a signal to actuator assembly 20 to turn off the valve 12. As well as the sensor is in sleep mode to conserve power. For example, an embodiment can provide the sensors 30 with a sleep mode that can be employed to conserve power and be awake during predetermined intervals].
when the at least one sensor is in an on position, the at least one sensor communicates directly with the portable controller to transfer the at least one signal for processing, storage, and display by the portable controller [0223, fig. 11, as pointed out, user with mobile phones can access and control the device. For example, a user may access the system via the internet using a remote device such as smart phones, laptop computers, computers, tablet computers or any virtually any device with a display and internet connection. This allows a user to view problems (both faults and non-faults) remotely and act on those problems using only the internet access. Wireless flowmeters 131 may have their instantaneous and their accumulated amounts viewed. Wireless valves 127 may be opened or closed through the internet connection].
As per claim 23, Meyer teaches the switch is only set to the on position automatically and only when the antenna board comes in a range of the microcontroller [ 0123, 137 censor operates withing certain range].
As per claim 25, Meyer teaches the antenna board is configured to active the switch between the off position and the on position [0062, 0072, 0222 as shown in figure 2 antenna with receiver connected to the processing unit where signal can be send/receive to the mobile device to control the valve by turning it off. For example, the remote access may be performed in various ways including but not limited to: a PC, Smart Phone or Tablet via the internet; in a Wi-Fi application mode; or the system may also be run manually from the control panel as well. The system has the versatility of allowing operation, bypassing, or restoring to normal operation via the manual buttons on the control panel to control unit 240].
As per claim 28, Meyer teaches when the switch is in the on position, the microcontroller and antenna board assembly send a second signal in real-time to allow evaluating the performance characteristic to set the adjustment feature for a desired value of the performance characteristic [0062, 0072, 0222 as shown in figure 2 antenna with receiver connected to the processing unit where signal can be send/receive to the mobile device to control the valve by turning it off. For example, the remote access may be performed in various ways including but not limited to: a PC, Smart Phone or Tablet via the internet; in a Wi-Fi application mode; or the system may also be run manually from the control panel as well. The system has the versatility of allowing operation, bypassing, or restoring to normal operation via the manual buttons on the control panel to control unit 240].
As per claim 29, Meyer teaches the performance characteristic is selected from the group consisting of pressure, temperature and combinations thereof [0100, water pressure of the valve].
As per claim 30, Meyer teaches the sensor communicates via Bluetooth technology [figure 2 shown wireless sensor 30].
As per claims 28-41, they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in the rejected claims above. Therefore, claims 28-41 are also anticipated by Meyer for the same reasons set forth in the rejected claims above.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Meyer (US Patent Application 20140343734) in the view of Haller (US Patent Application 20120305096).
As per claim 24, Meyer does not teach the antenna board utilizes an NFC link to activate the switch.
However, Haller teaches the antenna board utilizes an NFC link to activate the switch [0028, fig. 2-4, near field communication is used to enable the communication between the valve in order to activate an inactivate the device].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the design of Meyer to include the method of Haller to use near field communication that can closer to the device an enable the pressure adjustment or turn off the valve.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/VOLVICK DEROSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2176
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