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 7-12 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.
Claims 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are:
Claim 7, clause 1 claims “a thermal detection device, having a field of view covering ingredients,…” and clause 2 claims “…turn over the ingredients…” The claim does not disclose a structure (such as a pot on a stove) in which the ingredients are contained within.
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) 13 and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rafii et al. (US 2017/0367151) hereinafter known as “Rafii”.
With regards to claim 13, Rafii discloses a cooking support method and a cooking support system [0001], configured for stove detection ([0053]; FIG. 1 cooking heater 3), the auto detection system comprising:
a thermal detection device ([0053]; thermal image camera 2), having a field of view covering the stove [0053][076], and configured to output a thermal frame having multiple temperatures ([0004]; The Examiner the thermal image of the region as a “frame” (see FIG. 7-8B). See also FIG. 19, [0127] which disclose a region-by-region thermal image comprising a background region and a cookware region 201.)[0065][0105]; and
a host (cooking support system 1) [0142], configured to receive the multiple temperatures [0063][0065][0127], and control a display device [0142][0044] to show a message of reaching a target temperature upon identifying that at least one of the multiple temperatures is larger than a heating threshold [0044].
With regards to claim 15, Rafii do not disclose the auto detection system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the host is further configured to control the display device to show a warning message upon identifying that the multiple temperatures exceed a high temperature threshold. [0044][0045]
With regards to claim 16, Rafii do not disclose the auto detection system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the host is configured to control the display device to show the multiple temperatures as a 2D image. [0142] (FIG. 7-8B)
With regards to claim 17, Rafii do not disclose the auto detection system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the host is further configured to switch off the stove when there is no human body moving in the field of view for a predetermined time interval. [0123][0124][0128][0129][0087]
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 are allowed.
Claim 14 is 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:
With regards to claim 1, the prior art of record fails to disclose or reasonably suggest, An auto detection system, comprising:
a thermal detection device, having a field of view covering a pot on a stove, the thermal detection device configured to output a thermal frame having multiple temperatures; and
a host, configured to receive the multiple temperatures, and control an indication device to remind a user to put ingredients in the pot upon identifying that at least one of the multiple temperatures is larger than a heating threshold.
The closest art of record teaches the following;
Jablokov et al. (US 2017/0031337)(“Jablokov”) discloses an appliance assistant that can monitor or control an appliance (Abstract; [0020]), comprising:
a thermal detection device ([0170]; infrared (IR) or thermal imaging sensors), having a field of view covering a pot on a stove ([0170]; “…proximity sensors that determine whether a pot…is on a burner of a stove or in the oven.”)([0170]; “…infrared (IR) or thermal imaging sensors that determine temperature proximate to a burner of the stove or the oven…”)([0172]; “…an IR or thermal sensor may be positioned above the stove. In some implementations, multiple sensors may be positioned above the stove and each sensor may be focused on a burner of the stove.”); and
a host ([0028][0029]; “Appliance assistant 110 may include one or more of a processor 113. Processor 113 may take any suitable form, such as a central processing unit, a microprocessor,…”), configured to receive the multiple temperatures [0180].
Jablokov teaches of using thermal imaging sensors that determines the temperature proximate to a burner of a stove [0170] and further teaches that the temperature sensor will send a notification that a temperature has exceeded a threshold [0051]. Also, the reference teaches of processing image data from a camera near a stove to provide detailed information on ingredients being used [0466].
Jablokov do not specifically disclose;
the thermal detection device configured to output a thermal frame having multiple temperatures, and
control an indication device to remind a user to put ingredients in the pot upon identifying that at least one of the multiple temperatures is larger than a heating threshold.
Rafii discloses a cooking support method and a cooking support system [0001] that is connected to a thermal image camera that takes a thermal image of a region including a cookware during cooking ([0004]; The Examiner the thermal image of the region as a “frame”. See also FIG. 19, [0127] which disclose a region-by-region thermal image comprising a background region and a cookware region 201.) (See also [0075] that the cookware are a stainless steel pot 51 and an enamel pot 52). Further, Raffii teaches that the cooking support system 1B calculates average temperatures within the cookware region and within the background region and using the average creates a thermal image of the cookware region and a thermal image of the background region [0127]. The reference teaches of a hot portion detector 12 that detects a hot portion of the cookware 5 from a thermal image, the hot region is then stored as temperature information in a storage 14 [0063]. Also, the cooking support system can detect the levels of contents within the cookwares (pots) 51 and 52 from the hot regions [0060][0076]. Rafii teaches “… the cooking support system and the cooking support method according to this embodiment can prevent the content from boiling over the cookware 5 by detecting occurrence thereof beforehand, regardless of the material of the cookware 5, considering the case where the user (human) engages with the cookware 5 by stirring the content….” [0134].
Neither, Jablokov nor Rafii disclose the control of an indication device to remind a user to put ingredients in the pot upon identifying that at least one of the multiple temperatures is larger than a heating threshold.
With regards to claim 14, Rafii do not disclose the auto detection system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the host is further configured
to turn on an extraction fan upon identifying that the multiple temperatures exceed a room temperature threshold, and
automatically adjust a wind strength of the extraction fan according to a variation of the multiple temperatures exceeding the room temperature threshold.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jablokov et al. (US 2017/0031337)
Kamei et al. (US 2017/0299194)
Robbins et al. (US 2015/0208858)
Tojo et al. (US 2009/0099691)
Logan et al. (US 2016/0374501)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUGH H MAUPIN whose telephone number is (571)270-1495. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uzma Alam can be reached at 571-272-3995. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUGH MAUPIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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