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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/29/2026 has been entered.
Status of Claims
Claims 11, 13, 16, 18, 21-26 are amended.
Claims 31- are new.
Claims 11-35 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Claims 11-30 under 35 U.S.C. 102 under Trundle et al (WO 2021/003264 A1)have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Weeks.
Claim Objections
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: “wherein the processor adjusts the risk profile based a number and type of the one or more smart home devices” should be ---…based upon a number and type of one or more smart home devices---.
Appropriate correction is required.
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) 11-15 and 17-35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated Weeks et al (US 2014/0136242 A1).
As per claim 11, Weeks discloses a security alarm (Fig. 1) (i.e., monitoring system) assembly comprising:
one or more dwelling sensors, conditions in a dwelling are sensed; (Fig. 1)(item# 56)[¶0012]
a security alarm system in communication with the one or more dwelling sensors;(Fig. 1)(item# 54)[¶0012] and
a processor in communication with the security alarm system, the processor receiving data indicative of a number and type of said one or more dwelling sensors, data indicative of said one or more conditions sensed by said one or more dwelling sensors in said dwelling, data indicative of an extent to which the security alarm system is activated, and data indicative of an extent to which one or more of the security alarm system [[or]] and the one or more dwelling sensors are monitored by a professional company or a person occupying the dwelling, and calculating a risk profile based thereon, said risk profile not including any identifying information of the dwelling or the person occupying the dwelling; (Fig. 1)(item# 52)[¶0010],[¶0012]
wherein the security alarm assembly is configured to send the risk profile so determined to an insurance provider or broker and obtain an insurance quote based on the same.(Fig. 1) [¶0003],[¶0010- i.e., occupant’s habits with respect to the alarm system],[¶0012]
As per Claim 12, Weeks discloses including a communication module configured to enable the processor to communicate with and receive data from one or more smart home devices, with the processor being configured to calculate the risk profile in part based thereon. (Fig. 1)(Item#50)[¶0012]
As per Claim 13, Weeks discloses wherein the processor adjusts the risk profile a based a number and type of the one or more smart home devices.[¶0010- indicate behavior patterns known to raise of lower risk- behavior patterns are interpreted as profile], [¶0012-¶0013]
As per Claim 14, Weeks discloses wherein the one or more dwelling sensors comprise a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, an optical sensor, a door sensor, a window sensor, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor, a water leak sensor, a water flow sensor and/or a humidity sensor, and wherein the one or more smart home devices comprise a smart hub, a smart refrigerator, a smart air conditioning system, a smart oven, a smart cooker, a smart shower, a smart mattress, a smart thermostat, a smart speaker, a smart display, a smart doorbell, a smart lock, a smart plug, and/or a smart lighting system. [¶0018], [¶0024], [¶0028]
As per Claim 15, Trundle discloses wherein the one or more dwelling sensors comprise at least one water leak sensor. [¶0024]
As per Claim 17, Weeks discloses, wherein the assembly includes a sliding risk scale (i.e., risk tolerance) within/along which a given said risk profile is determined/adjusted. [¶00100, [¶0043]
As per Claim 18, Weeks discloses a computer program product comprising a medium (item# 342)carrying computer readable instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute a method of obtaining an insurance quote [¶0041], the method comprising:
determining whether the dwelling is being monitored by a security alarm system and adjusting a base line said risk profile in response thereto; [¶0010],[¶0012], [¶0043]
determining a type and extent of dwelling sensors within the dwelling and further adjusting the risk profile in response thereto; [¶0040-¶0043]
receiving data from said dwelling sensors and further adjusting the risk profile in response thereto[¶0040-¶0043]]; and
sending the risk profile so determined to an insurance provider and obtaining an insurance quote based on the same. [¶0041-¶0043]
As per Claim 19, Weeks discloses a computer program product according to claim 18, including determining whether the dwelling sensors include at least one water leak detector and if so, lowering the risk profile.[¶0024]
As per Claim 20, Weeks discloses a computer program product according to comprising an application software in communication with the dwelling sensors, a security alarm system and one or more smart home devices, with the application software enabling centralized monitoring of the dwelling sensors, the security alarm system and the one or more smart home devices. [¶0012],
As per Claim 21, Weeks discloses wherein the processor is part of the security alarm system or wherein the processor is part of one or more of a computing device and a mobile device. [¶0011]
As per Claim 22, Weeks discloses, including an application software, with the one or more dwelling sensors and the security alarm system being capable of being centrally monitored thereby and/or with the application software being configured to enable an operator thereof to one or more of adjust, control or activate one or more of the security alarm system, the dwelling sensors, and one or more smart home devices. (Fig. 1)(item# 56)[¶0012], [¶0040-¶0043]
As per Claim 23, Weeks discloses, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the risk profile based the extent to which the one or more smart homes devices are monitored. [¶0041-¶0043]
As per Claim 24, Weeks discloses, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the risk profile based the extent to which the one or more smart home devices are used. [¶0041-¶0043]
As per Claim 25, Weeks discloses, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the risk profile based the extent to which the at least one water leak sensor is monitored. [¶0031-¶0034]
As per Claim 26, Weeks discloses, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the risk profile based the extent to which the at least one water leak sensor is used. [¶0024]
As per Claim 27, Weeks discloses including determining whether and tracking the extent to which the at least one water leak detector is monitored professionally or by a person occupying the dwelling, and adjusting the risk profile in response thereto. [¶0024]
As per Claim 28, Weeks discloses including determining a number of said water leak detectors and adjusting the risk profile in response thereto. [¶0024]
As per Claim 29, Weeks discloses, including determining a number and type of smart home devices within the dwelling and further adjusting the risk profile in response thereto. [¶0040-¶0043]
As per Claim 30, Weeks discloses, including adjusting the risk profile in part based on the extent to which the dwelling sensors, the security alarm system and the one or more smart home devices are monitored. [¶0040-¶0043]
As per Claim 31, Weeks discloses wherein the processor is situated within the dwelling (Fig. 1)(item# 20)(item# 52)[¶0012]
As per Claim 32, Weeks discloses that the risk profile is determined locally [¶0012-¶0013]
As per claim 33, Weeks discloses including memory with which said data is stored, wherein the memory is situated within the dwelling [¶0013-memory not shown coupled to processor- (item# 52)]
As per claim 34, Weeks discloses including a Local Area Network (LAN) via which the processor communicates with the security alarm system [¶0016]
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) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weeks in view of Martin (WO 2021/034859).
35. As per Claims 16, Weeks fails to disclose but Martin discloses, wherein assembly is configured to create to create a geofence and/or virtual perimeter about a person’s dwelling or property, with the processor selectively communicating with and/or ping various components of the assembly based on whether a designated said person enters or exits the geofence, with the processor making determinations and/or communicating information to the person, based on the same. [¶0160], [¶0175]
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date for Weeks to have known of and understood the advantages of using a geofence as taught by Martin to as part of a home security alarm system as enunciated in Weeks. Thus it would have been obvious for Weeks to have integrated the geofence of Martin into Weeks as an alternative feature to monitor home dwellers as required by Weeks.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL S FELTEN whose telephone number is (571)272-6742. The examiner can normally be reached Flex.
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DANIEL S. FELTEN
Examiner
Art Unit 3692
/DANIEL S FELTEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3692
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