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 .
Priority
This application is a continuation of U.S. application No. 17/778,535, filed on 05/20/2022, now US patent No. 12,244,129.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 02/05/2025; 02/11/2025; and 04/21/2025 have been considered and made of record.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 02/05/2025 is acceptable.
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 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Strods et al. [US 2018/0124903].
Regarding claim 18, Strods et al., disclose a method for a smart wall-plate system (figures 1-20), comprising:
establishing, by a wireless communications interface (paragraph 0057), a first connection with a local device via a first wireless communication protocol (100, figure 1, paragraphs 0050-0053 and 0063), wherein the wireless communications interface comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers to facilitate communication with one or more wireless devices (102, 104, and/or 106, figure 1), one or more cloud services platforms (114, figure 1), or a combination thereof, via at least the first wireless communication protocol and a second wireless communication protocol, wherein the wireless communications interface resides in a chip package (1034, figure 10) coupled with a printed circuit board (a PCB 1507, figures 15A-15C), wherein a wall-plate comprises an opening (a central opening disposed on the front surface, figures 15B-15C) through front and rear surfaces of the wall-plate (1530, figures 15B-15C), the opening sized and configured to receive a user accessible portion of an in-wall electrical device (1502, figure 15D), the PCB not located within the opening (1507, figures 15B-15C), wherein the PCB is coupled with the rear surface of the wall-plate of the smart wall-plate system;
establishing, by the wireless communications interface, a second connection with a local area network device via the second wireless communication protocol (112, figure 1, paragraph 0058);
establishing, by the wireless communications interface, a third connection with one or more cloud services platforms via the local area network device (110, figure 1, paragraphs 0045 and 0049-0051); communicating with the one or more cloud services platforms to engage services provided by the one or more cloud services platforms (figures 1-4); and controlling local or remote devices in accordance with a predetermined automation activity (figure 13, paragraph 0192-0199).
Regarding claim 19, Strods et al. further disclose the network device comprising a medium access control (MAC, paragraph 0050) address and a basic service set identifier (BSSID, paragraph 0050).
Regarding claim 20, Strods et al. further disclose wherein the first communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth protocol (figure 1, paragraphs 0055-0057) that actively seeks a Bluetooth connection with the local device when the wireless communication interface is first powered on and the second wireless communication protocol comprises a Wi-Fi protocol (figure 1, paragraphs 0055-0057).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-17 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Closet arts,
Strods et al. [US 2018/0124903] disclose a smart wall-plate device (figures 1-20), comprising a wall-plate (1530, figures 15A-15D) having a front surface (1520, figure 15D) and rear surface (an opposite surface of the cover plate 1530, figures 15A-15C), the wall-plate including an opening (a central opening disposed on the front surface, figures 15B-15C) through the front and rear surfaces, the opening sized and configured to receive a user accessible portion of an in-wall electrical device (1502, figure 15D); and a printed circuit board (a PCB 1507, figures 15A-15C) arranged and configured to couple to a portion of the rear surface, the PCB not located within the opening (1507, figures 15A-15C).
Levante et al. [US 2015/0362164] disclose a smart wall-plate device (10, figures 1-8), comprising a wall-plate (22, figures 1-2 and 7) having a front surface (20, figures 3-5) and rear surface (an opposite surface of the front surface 20, figures 3-5), the wall-plate including an opening (a central opening disposed on the front surface, figures 1-2 and 7) through the front and rear surfaces, the opening sized and configured to receive a user accessible portion of an in-wall electrical device (70, figure 7); and a printed circuit board (a PCB 11, figures 1 and 7) arranged and configured to couple to a portion of the rear surface, and a user input component (50, figure 7) being a separate element than the user accessible portion of the electrical device.
Neither cited references, Strods et al., and/or Levante et al., nor the prior art of record alone or in combination, discloses, teaches or render suggest obvious that a smart wall-plate device includes a user input component mounted on the PCB, the user input component being a separate element than the user accessible portion of the electrical device, the user input component arranged and configured to detect a user input; a processor; a memory including instructions to be executed by the processor, as claimed in the claim 1. Claims 2-10 depend on the allowed claim 1.
Neither cited references, Strods et al., and/or Levante et al., nor the prior art of record alone or in combination, discloses, teaches or render suggest obvious that a smart wall-plate device includes a user input component mounted on the PCB, the user input component being a separate element than the user accessible portion of the electrical device, the user input component arranged and configured to detect a user input; a processor; a memory including instructions to be executed by the processor, and wherein the smart wall-plate is coupled to a mounting bracket, as claimed in the claim 11. Claims 12-17 depend on the allowed claim 11.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Sembhi et al. [US 6,380,696] disclose multi-scene preset lighting controller; and
Elgayyar [US 2014/0062340] discloses electrical switch device with automatic control.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen L. Parker can be reached on (303) 297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUNG S. BUI/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/HUNG S. BUI/Primary Patent Examiner, 2841/2800
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