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.
Claims 15-20 are 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 15 recites the limitation “the second fixture” in line 15. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 in line 1 and claim 19 in line 1 also recites the limitation “the second fixture”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 16, 17 and 19 are rejected for dependency of claim 15.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown (US 20210301985 A1) in view of Johnson (US 20110113360 A1).
Claim 1. Brown teaches a water management system comprising:
a first end point device in communication with a first fixture
(Fig. 1, IoT device 110-114 connections to a connected object 102
[0080] fixture IoT devices 504 for connecting to “analog” home fixtures, such as faucets and other plumbing;)
, the first end point device including:
a first end point electronic processor configured to receive data associated with
the first fixture and a first fixture identifier
([0005] The water device may include an identifier... electronic records associated with the water device based on the identifier
[0082] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative system 600 that enables the monitoring, performance evaluation, and control of connected devices in a residential water system...such as the IoT device 200 of FIG. 2) including without limitation: a controller 602; smart valves (e.g., valves 613, 625, 654, 658, and 662))
, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by at least one electronic processor to perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:
associating the first fixture identifier with a first location classification
([0110] At first, the information in the records may include only the information available to the manufacturer or vendor, such as general product information like a product type, category, make and model, family, or product line, a version of initially installed firmware, an initial configuration, etc. (e.g. classification type);
[0114] At 916, the system can use the identifier to obtain the stored electronic records associated with the water device from the various data stores. At 918, the system can determine location data describing the geographic location of the installation site.);
receiving operational data associated with an actuation of the first fixture
([0133] At 1004, the system can receive or collect real-time device operation data describing the operating conditions of the water device. For example, the system can obtain the state (e.g., on or off) of a switch on the water device from the device's controller, as well as the value of any property observed by a sensor or meter (e.g., pressure, flow rate) associated with the water device.
[0145] methods of FIGS. 12 and 13 in predicting when the filter media should be backwashed or replaced include: water quality trends in the geographic region of the installation site,
[0147] The data represented in the user's device health profiles... track and display real-time parameters, e.g. age and use of a product; compare real-time and aggregate parameters and metrics to safe parameters and aggregate data (e.g., 90% of pumps in region fail after X months) to predict and alert to maintenance issues; analyze conditions and recommend appropriate replacement products based on a product serial number );
processing the operational data, wherein processing the operational data includes comparing the processed operational data to historical data of the first fixture
([0131] [0138] the device health profile 1110 can be configured to include a complete maintenance history of the water device...
[0134] If the system does identify an existing device health profile for the water device, at 1012 the system can compare the real-time data to the device health profile to determine whether the device is operating normally, or is exhibiting potentially problematic behavior (e.g., which may be indicated by a deviation of the real-time data from a normal operation signature of the health profile, where the deviation may be characterized by one or more variables represented in the real-time data differing from corresponding variables of the normal operation signature by a threshold or group of thresholds).);
and determining a deviation in performance of the first fixture based at least in part on the comparison of the processed operational data to the historical data
([0134] At 1008, the system can determine whether the water device already has a stored device health profile associated therewith. For example, the system can query a device health profile data store associated with the user, using the water device's identifier as a primary key... At 1014, the system can determine whether the collected data indicates the water device has a problem. For example, if the reported sensor values deviate a predetermined amount from the normal operation signature, or if they are similar to a problem signature, there may be a problem.).
Brown further teaches the process of organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures ([0101]) but does not specifically disclose organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures based at least in part on the first location classification.
However Johnson teaches wherein the first group of fixtures consists of one or more fixtures associated with the first location classification
([0129]-[0130] unit identifier... the location of the unit 1422...The HVAC unit view also includes an illustration 1440 of the particular HVAC unit showing various components thereof and various metric values sensed by the HVAC monitoring and control system 500. (e.g. grouping at a specific location)),)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art in the art before the effective filing date of invention to use process of organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures based at least in part on the first location classification as taught by Johnson within the system of Brown for the purpose of enhancing the system to provide detailed information into an organized manner so that an operator can easily identify a problem with a fixture corresponding to a specific location.
Claim 2. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 1, wherein the first fixture includes a faucet, a flush valve, a soap dispenser, a water service line monitor, a backflow preventer, a grease interceptor, a roof drain, a floor drain, an acid neutralization system, a fire distribution system, an irrigation system, a thermostatic mixing valve, a hand dryer, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a leak detector, an occupancy light sensor, an air quality sensor, a door latch, or a valve sensor
(Brown [0080] faucets and other plumbing).
Claim 3. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 1, wherein the first location classification is based on at least one of a floor, a room, or a building
(Johnson Fig 14, [0129] location [0119] On the left side of the graphical user interface, the name or code 1110 for the facility is shown followed by a drop-down list of links to information about the facility. These links include, but are not limited to, a "building" link 1120, a "floorplans" link 1130, a "HVAC systems" link 1140, an "electrical systems" link 1150, and a "data and alarms" link 1160.).
Claim 4. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 1, wherein determining a performance deviation includes detecting a decreasing or increasing usage trend of the first fixture
(Brown [0144] a threshold TH2 can be set relatively low (e.g., at a pressure indicating the filter media is 50% clogged) so that the system proactively alerts the user to a future (e.g., 2-3 months in the future) need to backwash or replace the filter media;
[0090] whether a mechanical failure has occurred in the given filter, such as plugging (e.g., indicating that the filter has reached the end of its useful life), black water (e.g., where activated carbon from the filter cartridge enters the water stream), or leaks (e.g., which may be identified as water pressure drops across the filtration system 614).).
Claim 5. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 1, wherein the set of functions further comprises generating a usage alert
([0135] If the data points do match a problem signature, at 1024 the system can generate an alert and deliver the alert to the user, notifying the user of the existing or emergent problem condition(s).).
Claim 6. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 1, wherein processing the data further includes comparing the operational data to one or more target operational parameters, and wherein types of target operational parameters include a target flow rate, a target volume, a target pressure, a target temperature, a target operational life span, and a target battery capacity
(Brown [0134] If no problem is detected, at 1016 the system can store a “snapshot” comprising the current operational data in one or more data stores associated with the user and/or the IoT platform, and at 1018 the system can incorporate the snapshot data into the current device health profile.
[0135] At 1022, the system can determine whether the data points match (or at least substantially match) a problem signature (e.g., stored in a library). For example, the data may indicate a problem is present or emerging if the collected data is within a threshold of the corresponding values in the signature, and/or are approaching the signature values at or exceeding a predetermined rate. Non-limiting examples are described below with respect to the Figures. If the data points do match a problem signature, at 1024 the system can generate an alert and deliver the alert to the user,).
Claim 7. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 6, wherein determining a deviation in performance is also based at least in part on the comparison of the operational data to the one or more target operational parameters
(Brown [0134] If no problem is detected, at 1016 the system can store a “snapshot” comprising the current operational data in one or more data stores associated with the user and/or the IoT platform, and at 1018 the system can incorporate the snapshot data into the current device health profile.
[0135] At 1022, the system can determine whether the data points match (or at least substantially match) a problem signature (e.g., stored in a library). For example, the data may indicate a problem is present or emerging if the collected data is within a threshold of the corresponding values in the signature, and/or are approaching the signature values at or exceeding a predetermined rate. Non-limiting examples are described below with respect to the Figures. If the data points do match a problem signature, at 1024 the system can generate an alert and deliver the alert to the user,)..
Claim 8. Brown and Johnson teach the water mater management system of claim 1, wherein the set of functions further comprises detecting a maintenance need, and wherein the maintenance need is based at least in part on the deviation in performance
(Brown [0144] a threshold TH2 can be set relatively low (e.g., at a pressure indicating the filter media is 50% clogged) so that the system proactively alerts the user to a future (e.g., 2-3 months in the future) need to backwash or replace the filter media;
[0090] whether a mechanical failure has occurred in the given filter, such as plugging (e.g., indicating that the filter has reached the end of its useful life), black water (e.g., where activated carbon from the filter cartridge enters the water stream), or leaks (e.g., which may be identified as water pressure drops across the filtration system 614).).
Claim 9. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 1, wherein types of maintenance needs include repair, cleaning, replacement, supply replenishment, and preventative maintenance
(Brown [0144] a threshold TH2 can be set relatively low (e.g., at a pressure indicating the filter media is 50% clogged) so that the system proactively alerts the user to a future (e.g., 2-3 months in the future) need to backwash or replace the filter media;
[0090] whether a mechanical failure has occurred in the given filter, such as plugging (e.g., indicating that the filter has reached the end of its useful life), black water (e.g., where activated carbon from the filter cartridge enters the water stream), or leaks (e.g., which may be identified as water pressure drops across the filtration system 614).).
Claim 10. Brown teaches a water management system comprising:
a first end point device in communication with a first fixture,
(Fig. 1, IoT device 110-114 connections to a connected object 102
[0080] fixture IoT devices 504 for connecting to “analog” home fixtures, such as faucets and other plumbing;)
the first end point device including:
a first end point electronic processor configured to receive data associated with the first fixture and a first fixture identifier
([0005] The water device may include an identifier... electronic records associated with the water device based on the identifier (
[0082] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative system 600 that enables the monitoring, performance evaluation, and control of connected devices in a residential water system...such as the IoT device 200 of FIG. 2) including without limitation: a controller 602; smart valves (e.g., valves 613, 625, 654, 658, and 662));
and a first non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by at
least one electronic processor to perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:
associating the first fixture identifier with a first location classification
([0110] At first, the information in the records may include only the information available to the manufacturer or vendor, such as general product information like a product type, category, make and model, family, or product line, a version of initially installed firmware, an initial configuration, etc. (e.g. classification type);
[0114] At 916, the system can use the identifier to obtain the stored electronic records associated with the water device from the various data stores. At 918, the system can determine location data describing the geographic location of the installation site.);
receiving operational data associated with an actuation of the first fixture
([0133] At 1004, the system can receive or collect real-time device operation data describing the operating conditions of the water device. For example, the system can obtain the state (e.g., on or off) of a switch on the water device from the device's controller, as well as the value of any property observed by a sensor or meter (e.g., pressure, flow rate) associated with the water device.
[0145] methods of FIGS. 12 and 13 in predicting when the filter media should be backwashed or replaced include: water quality trends in the geographic region of the installation site,
[0147] The data represented in the user's device health profiles... track and display real-time parameters, e.g. age and use of a product; compare real-time and aggregate parameters and metrics to safe parameters and aggregate data (e.g., 90% of pumps in region fail after X months) to predict and alert to maintenance issues; analyze conditions and recommend appropriate replacement products based on a product serial number);
processing the operational data, wherein processing the operational data includes determining usage information related to the actuation
([0130] The system can collect the sensor data, as well as various state data of the water devices, such as the device configuration, the positions of switches and valves, the network connection details, etc...the system can compile and analyze various elements of the data collected from these disparate sources to produce device health and system health profiles describing the usage, behavior, and operational performance of various water devices and subsystems within the water system.
[0147] The data represented in the user's device health profiles... track and display real-time parameters, e.g. age and use of a product);
comparing usage information of the first fixture to usage information of a second fixture
([0131] For example, a device's water use signature may be used, alone or together with those of other devices in the water system, to determine that there is a leak in the water system, and to locate the leak (i.e., by determining which water devices and/or sensors are reporting an excessive flow rate or volume relative to their normal signatures
[0134] If the system does identify an existing device health profile for the water device, at 1012 the system can compare the real-time data to the device health profile to determine whether the device is operating normally,)
; and determining a deviation in performance of the first fixture based at least in part on
the comparison of usage information
([0134] At 1008, the system can determine whether the water device already has a stored device health profile associated therewith. For example, the system can query a device health profile data store associated with the user, using the water device's identifier as a primary key... At 1014, the system can determine whether the collected data indicates the water device has a problem. For example, if the reported sensor values deviate a predetermined amount from the normal operation signature, or if they are similar to a problem signature, there may be a problem.).
Brown further teaches the process of organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures ([0101]) but does not specifically disclose organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures based at least in part on the first location classification.
However Johnson teaches wherein the first group of fixtures consists of one or more fixtures associated with the first location classification
([0129]-[0130] unit identifier... the location of the unit 1422...The HVAC unit view also includes an illustration 1440 of the particular HVAC unit showing various components thereof and various metric values sensed by the HVAC monitoring and control system 500. (e.g. grouping at a specific location)),)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art in the art before the effective filing date of invention to use process of organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures based at least in part on the first location classification as taught by Johnson within the system of Brown for the purpose of enhancing the system to provide detailed information into an organized manner so that an operator can easily identify a problem with a fixture corresponding to a specific location.
Claim 11. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 10, wherein the second fixture is a member of the first group of fixtures
(Brown [0131] For example, a device's water use signature may be used, alone or together with those of other devices in the water system, to determine that there is a leak in the water system, and to locate the leak (i.e., by determining which water devices and/or sensors are reporting an excessive flow rate or volume relative to their normal signatures). In other embodiments and examples, signatures can be used in comparisons to real-time operational data to determine that certain water devices in the water system are operating normally; in the context of detecting a present or potential future problem or maintenance issue in the water system, the system can use the information that some devices are operating normally to refine a diagnosis of the problem.
(.g. the system has water devices and the system uses information from the water devices to compare and diagnosis potential issues with a problem devices within the system)).
Claim 12. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 10, wherein determining the deviation in performance includes determining a decreased usage of the first fixture relative to the usage of the second fixture
(Brown [0131] in the context of detecting a present or potential future problem or maintenance issue in the water system, the system can use the information that some devices are operating normally to refine a diagnosis of the problem.
[0144] a threshold TH2 can be set relatively low (e.g., at a pressure indicating the filter media is 50% clogged) so that the system proactively alerts the user to a future (e.g., 2-3 months in the future) need to backwash or replace the filter media;
[0090] whether a mechanical failure has occurred in the given filter, such as plugging (e.g., indicating that the filter has reached the end of its useful life), black water (e.g., where activated carbon from the filter cartridge enters the water stream), or leaks (e.g., which may be identified as water pressure drops across the filtration system 614).).
Claim 13. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 10 wherein the first fixture and the second fixture are the same fixture type
(Brown [0127] This analysis can include cross-referencing the data from disparate sources to determine parameter values that correlate to high performance of the same type of water device in comparable installation environments.)
Claim 14. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 10, wherein the set of functions further comprises determining a maintenance need for resolving the performance deviation
(Brown [0147] The data represented in the user's device health profiles... track and display real-time parameters, e.g. age and use of a product; compare real-time and aggregate parameters and metrics to safe parameters and aggregate data (e.g., 90% of pumps in region fail after X months) to predict and alert to maintenance issues; analyze conditions and recommend appropriate replacement products based on a product serial number ).
Claim 15. Brown teaches a water management system comprising:
a first end point device in communication with a first fixture
(Fig. 1, IoT device 110-114 connections to a connected object 102
[0080] fixture IoT devices 504 for connecting to “analog” home fixtures, such as faucets and other plumbing;)
, the first end point device including:
a first end point electronic processor configured to receive data associated with the first fixture and a first fixture identifier
([0005] The water device may include an identifier... electronic records associated with the water device based on the identifier (
[0082] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative system 600 that enables the monitoring, performance evaluation, and control of connected devices in a residential water system...such as the IoT device 200 of FIG. 2) including without limitation: a controller 602; smart valves (e.g., valves 613, 625, 654, 658, and 662))
and a first non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by at least one electronic processor to perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:
associating the first fixture identifier with a first location classification
([0110] At first, the information in the records may include only the information available to the manufacturer or vendor, such as general product information like a product type, category, make and model, family, or product line, a version of initially installed firmware, an initial configuration, etc. (e.g. classification type);
[0114] At 916, the system can use the identifier to obtain the stored electronic records associated with the water device from the various data stores. At 918, the system can determine location data describing the geographic location of the installation site.);
receiving operational data associated with an actuation of the first fixture
([0133] At 1004, the system can receive or collect real-time device operation data describing the operating conditions of the water device. For example, the system can obtain the state (e.g., on or off) of a switch on the water device from the device's controller, as well as the value of any property observed by a sensor or meter (e.g., pressure, flow rate) associated with the water device.
[0138] the device health profile 1110 can be configured to include a complete maintenance history of the water device...
[0145] methods of FIGS. 12 and 13 in predicting when the filter media should be backwashed or replaced include: water quality trends in the geographic region of the installation site,
[0147] The data represented in the user's device health profiles... track and display real-time parameters, e.g. age and use of a product; compare real-time and aggregate parameters and metrics to safe parameters and aggregate data (e.g., 90% of pumps in region fail after X months) to predict and alert to maintenance issues; analyze conditions and recommend appropriate replacement products based on a product serial number );
processing the operational data, wherein processing the operational data includes comparing the processed operational data to historical data of the first fixture
([0131] [0134] If the system does identify an existing device health profile for the water device, at 1012 the system can compare the real-time data to the device health profile to determine whether the device is operating normally, or is exhibiting potentially problematic behavior (e.g., which may be indicated by a deviation of the real-time data from a normal operation signature of the health profile, where the deviation may be characterized by one or more variables represented in the real-time data differing from corresponding variables of the normal operation signature by a threshold or group of thresholds).
[0147] The data represented in the user's device health profiles... track and display real-time parameters, e.g. age and use of a product);
processing the operational data, wherein processing the operational data includes determining usage information of the first fixture and developing a usage trend
([0138] the device health profile 1110 can be configured to include a complete maintenance history of the water device...
[0145] methods of FIGS. 12 and 13 in predicting when the filter media should be backwashed or replaced include: water quality trends in the geographic region of the installation site,);
comparing the usage information and usage trend of the first fixture to usage information and usage trends of the second fixture
([0131] For example, a device's water use signature may be used, alone or together with those of other devices in the water system, to determine that there is a leak in the water system, and to locate the leak (i.e., by determining which water devices and/or sensors are reporting an excessive flow rate or volume relative to their normal signatures). In other embodiments and examples, signatures can be used in comparisons to real-time operational data to determine that certain water devices in the water system are operating normally; in the context of detecting a present or potential future problem or maintenance issue in the water system, the system can use the information that some devices are operating normally to refine a diagnosis of the problem.
(e.g. the system has water devices and the system uses information from the water devices to compare and diagnosis potential issues with a problem devices within the system);
determining a deviation in performance of the first fixture which includes detecting at least one of a decrease in usage of the first fixture or a decreasing usage trend of the first fixture
(Brown [0131] in the context of detecting a present or potential future problem or maintenance issue in the water system, the system can use the information that some devices are operating normally to refine a diagnosis of the problem.
[0144] a threshold TH2 can be set relatively low (e.g., at a pressure indicating the filter media is 50% clogged) so that the system proactively alerts the user to a future (e.g., 2-3 months in the future) need to backwash or replace the filter media;
[0090] whether a mechanical failure has occurred in the given filter, such as plugging (e.g., indicating that the filter has reached the end of its useful life), black water (e.g., where activated carbon from the filter cartridge enters the water stream), or leaks (e.g., which may be identified as water pressure drops across the filtration system 614).);
and identifying a partial or complete failure of the first fixture based on a determined deviation in performance
([0134] At 1008, the system can determine whether the water device already has a stored device health profile associated therewith. For example, the system can query a device health profile data store associated with the user, using the water device's identifier as a primary key... At 1014, the system can determine whether the collected data indicates the water device has a problem. For example, if the reported sensor values deviate a predetermined amount from the normal operation signature, or if they are similar to a problem signature, there may be a problem.
[0090] whether a mechanical failure has occurred in the given filter, such as plugging (e.g., indicating that the filter has reached the end of its useful life), black water (e.g., where activated carbon from the filter cartridge enters the water stream), or leaks (e.g., which may be identified as water pressure drops across the filtration system 614).).
Brown further teaches the process of organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures ([0101]) but does not specifically disclose organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures based at least in part on the first location classification.
However Johnson teaches wherein the first group of fixtures consists of one or more fixtures associated with the first location classification
([0129]-[0130] unit identifier... the location of the unit 1422...The HVAC unit view also includes an illustration 1440 of the particular HVAC unit showing various components thereof and various metric values sensed by the HVAC monitoring and control system 500. (e.g. grouping at a specific location)),)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art in the art before the effective filing date of invention to use process of organizing the first fixture into a first group of fixtures based at least in part on the first location classification as taught by Johnson within the system of Brown for the purpose of enhancing the system to provide detailed information into an organized manner so that an operator can easily identify a problem with a fixture corresponding to a specific location.
Claim 16. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 15, wherein the decrease in usage of the first fixture is unanticipated
([0135] If the data points do match a problem signature, at 1024 the system can generate an alert and deliver the alert to the user, notifying the user of the existing or emergent problem condition(s). At 1026, the system can determine whether, even though the problem signature is present, the water device is nevertheless operating normally. If not, at 1040 the system can exit a normal operation mode and enter a device replacement/service call mode, in which the system can, via user interfaces and/or automated commands to customer service, help the user deactivate and repair/replace the malfunctioning water device.).
Claim 17. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 15, wherein developing the usage trend includes reviewing historical data of the first fixture
([0138] the device health profile 1110 can be configured to include a complete maintenance history of the water device...
[0145] methods of FIGS. 12 and 13 in predicting when the filter media should be backwashed or replaced include: water quality trends in the geographic region of the installation site).
Claim 18. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 15, wherein the first fixture and second fixture are the same fixture type
(Brown [0127] This analysis can include cross-referencing the data from disparate sources to determine parameter values that correlate to high performance of the same type of water device in comparable installation environments).
Claim 19. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 15, wherein the first fixture and the second fixture are different fixture types
(Brown [0120] Different types of water devices, and different versions of the same water device,).
Claim(s) 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown and Johnson and further in view of Vigano (US 20170011318 A1).
Claim 20. Brown and Johnson teach the water management system of claim 15, wherein identifying a partial or complete failure of the first fixture is based on the usage information and usage trend of the first fixture and the comparison between the first fixture and the second fixture
([0131] For example, a device's water use signature may be used, alone or together with those of other devices in the water system, to determine that there is a leak in the water system, and to locate the leak (i.e., by determining which water devices and/or sensors are reporting an excessive flow rate or volume relative to their normal signatures). In other embodiments and examples, signatures can be used in comparisons to real-time operational data to determine that certain water devices in the water system are operating normally; in the context of detecting a present or potential future problem or maintenance issue in the water system, the system can use the information that some devices are operating normally to refine a diagnosis of the problem.
(e.g. the system has water devices and the system uses information from the water devices to compare and diagnosis potential issues with a problem devices within the system)
and further discloses the process of entering a device replacement/service call mode and a user interfaces and help the user deactivate and repair/replace the malfunctioning water device (Brown [0135]) but do not specifically disclose wherein identifying the partial or complete failure includes determining one or more parts of the first fixture associated with the failure.
However, Vigano teaches wherein identifying the partial or complete failure includes determining one or more parts of the first fixture associated with the failure
([0115][0116] Process 1200 begins with MSPR platform 402 detecting a fault with smart connected HVAC equipment 408 installed in a building (step 1208)...In response to detecting the fault or identifying the repair or replacement opportunity, MSPR platform 402 may provide an alert notification to the building owner (e.g., in the form of an email sent to the building owner) (step 1210)
[0140] Email message 1700 is shown to include a notification 1702 that HVAC equipment requires service and may identify the HVAC equipment by type 1704, location 1706, model number, serial number, and/or other attributes which describe the HVAC equipment. Email message 1700 may include an indication of the problem 1708 and a recommended action 1710 for repairing the problem).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of invention to use the process of determining one or more parts of the first fixture associated with the failure as taught by Vigano within the system of Bravo for the purpose of assisting which part is required for replacing the fixture so that the user can easily replace the part.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RUFUS C POINT whose telephone number is (571)270-7510. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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/RUFUS C POINT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689