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 § 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(s) 1-2 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saleem et al. (2021/0207347).
Regarding claim 1, Saleem discloses a faucet water discharge control method (see figures 1-18 and 24-27), applied to a processor (303 and 330) of a faucet water discharge control system (300; see figure 18), wherein the faucet water discharge control system (300) further comprises a temperature control valve assembly including a hot water inlet (345), a cold water inlet (340), a mixing chamber (the mixing volume 362) and a water outlet (399), the mixing chamber (362) is connected to the hot water inlet (345), the cold water inlet (340) and the water outlet (399) respectively (see figure 18), the hot water inlet (345) is provided with a first valve (355 and 365), the cold water inlet (340) is provided with a second valve (357 and 360), the mixing chamber (362) is provided with a temperature sensor (380) and a third valve (385; see figure 18), and the faucet water discharge control method comprises:
in response to a water discharge control instruction that comprises a target temperature value (the initial target temperature) being received (paragraph [0042]), determining a target hot water flow rate and a target cold water flow rate (the target flow rate or default flow rate for hot and cold water) based on the target temperature value (abstract, paragraph [0069] and claim 1; see figure 13);
controlling valve opening (position) of the first valve (365; the hot-side flow control signal 426) based on the target hot water flow rate (the default flow rate; paragraph [0043], [0102]-[0103], [0131]);
controlling valve opening (position) of the second valve (360; the cold-side flow control signal 421) based on the target cold water flow rate (the default flow rate; paragraph [0043], [0102]-[0103], [0131]);
acquiring a reference temperature value (the temperature sensed by the sensor 380) sent by the temperature sensor (380; see figures 18 and 24A-24B); and
controlling on/off state of the third valve (385) based on the target temperature value (the target temperature provided by the target-temperature register) and the reference temperature value (the output temperature detected by the sensor 380; paragraph [0085], [0131], [0139]; see figures 18 and 24A-24B).
Regarding claim 2, Saleem discloses the controlling on/off state of the third valve (385) based on the target temperature value (the initial target temperature value) and the reference temperature value (the mixed water temperature sensed by sensor 380) comprises:
controlling the third valve (385) to be turned off (the solenoid 385 response to the shutoff mixed signal 446 which is generated by the emergency temperature comparator 415) in response to the reference temperature value (the mixed water temperature sensed by sensor 380) being greater than a preset temperature threshold (the pre-established threshold; paragraph [0147]).
Regarding claim 8, Saleem discloses a faucet water discharge control system, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a computer program (see figures 1-17 for the computer program) stored in the memory and executable on the processor (paragraph [0148]), wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to implement the faucet water discharge control method according to claim 1 (paragraph [0148]; see rejection of claim 1 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, 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) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saleem in view of Akita et al. (CN105992915A).
Regarding claim 4, Saleem discloses the cold water inlet is further provided with a second water pressure sensor (332), and the faucet water discharge control method further comprises: acquiring a cold water pressure value sent by the second water pressure sensor (332; see figure 2); generating abnormality information (no cold signal 444) in response to the hot water temperature value and/or the cold water pressure value being less than preset thresholds (the pre-established threshold; paragraph [0115]; noted alternative limitation, the pressure value limitation has been addressed); and displaying (the graphical display 315) the abnormality information (no cold signal 444) in a preset application interface (the graphical display 315; see figures 18 and 24-27).
However, Saleem fails to disclose the hot water inlet is further provided with a first temperature sensor, and the faucet water discharge control method further comprises: acquiring a hot water temperature value sent by the first temperature sensor.
Akita teaches a hot water and cold water mixing device comprising a hot water inlet (51) is further provided with a first temperature sensor (23), and the faucet water discharge control method further comprises: acquiring a hot water temperature value sent by the first temperature sensor (23; see figure 9).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the system of Saleem to incorporate a hot water temperature sensor as taught by Akita in order to accurately detect the hot water temperature by temperature sensor.
Regarding claim 5, Saleem discloses the faucet water discharge control system further comprising: in response to the cold water pressure value being less than a preset water pressure threshold (the pre-established threshold), controlling the second valve (357 and 360) to be turned off (insufficient cold water pressure arriving at the cold water input port 340 indicates the second valve 357 is turned off; paragraph [0115]).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saleem in view of Rexach et al. (2019/0090056).
Regarding claim 9, Saleem fails to disclose a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute the faucet water discharge control method according to claim 1.
Rexach teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a faucet water discharge control method (paragraph [0136]; see figure 9).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the system of Saleem to incorporate the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as taught by Rexach in order to improve the execution of the stored computer program.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 6-7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The primary reference Saleem taken alone or in combination fails to disclose the claimed control features of the faucet water discharge control system as required in claims 3 and 6-7. Also, the prior art of record fails to provide further teachings or motivations to modify the faucet water discharge control system of Saleem in order to arrive the claim invention. Therefore, claims 3 and 6-7 are allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KUN KAI MA whose telephone number is (571)-270-3530. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jianying Atkisson can be reached on 5712707740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KUN KAI MA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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