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) 1-8 and 10-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Denise (US Patent No. 8,109,301).
Re: Claim 1, Denise discloses the claimed invention including a beverage dispensing system for an appliance, comprising:
a dispenser area defined within the appliance having a shelf (130) configured to receive a container (140) (Fig. 1);
a dispenser (120) configured to release liquid into the container in the dispenser area (Fig. 1);
at least one sensor configured to detect a location of the container within the dispenser area (Fig. 1, Col. 22, lines 41-44, camera sensor capture images);
a user interface (2255) configured to display feedback to a user (Fig. 35); and
a controller (500) configured to receive sensor data (Fig. 5);
determine whether the container is centered within the dispenser area based on the sensor data (1520) (Fig. 15, Col. 9, lines 36-42, determined if centered under dispenser); and
after a predefined waiting period (1570), instruct the dispenser to dispense liquid to fill the container (Fig. 15, Col. 18, lines 1-10, waiting period).
Re: Claim 2, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the controller is further configured to instruct the user interface to present a message during the waiting period, the message including information that the waiting period is occurring (Fig. 35 depicts a messaging portion for relaying operational information to the user).
Re: Claim 3, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the sensor is further configured to detect whether a hand is within the dispenser area (Col. 9, lines 43-50, detects hand).
Re: Claim 4, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the controller is further configured to determine whether the sensor data indicates occurrence of a stop condition, the stop condition including at least one of the container not being centered, the container being full, and the hand entering the dispenser area (Col. 25, lines 30-35, not centered and Col. 23, lines 30-33, container being full).
Re: Claim 5, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the controller is further configured to instruct the dispenser to cease dispensing in response to the sensor data indicating a stop condition (Col. 23, lines 41-47, stop condition ceases dispensing).
Re: Claim 6, Denise discloses the claimed invention including a light assembly (750, 770) arranged along at least one side of the dispenser area (Col. 14, lines 25-26, light assembly); wherein the controller is further configured to, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the container not being centered, instruct the feedback component to illuminate based on the container location to provide feedback to the user to facilitate correction of the container location (Col. 14, lines 31-52, provides feedback to the user to correctly place the container).
Re: Claim 6, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the sensor is a light sensor configured to capture images of the dispensing area (Col. 22, lines 41-44, capture images) and wherein determining whether the container is centered within the dispenser area includes comparing the images with a baseline image; and determining, based on the comparison, whether a container is present within the dispenser area (Col. 22, lines 41-43, capture reference point images for comparison).
Re: Claim 8, Denise discloses the claimed invention including in response to determining that the container is present, the controller is further configured to identify a location of a rim of the container (Col. 29, lines 27-32, container features are determined, said features include rim, base, sidewall etc.).
Re: Claim 10, Denise discloses the claimed invention including a beverage dispensing system for an appliance, comprising:
dispenser area defined within the appliance to receive a container (140) (Fig. 1);
a dispenser configured to release ice into the container in the dispenser area (Col. 35, lines 31-35, ice dispensed);
at least one camera configured to acquire images of the dispenser area (Col. 22, lines 41-44, camera capture images);
a controller configured to
receive images from the camera (Col. 22, lines 41-42, camera);
compare the images with saved images (Col. 22, lines 41-60 compares images);
determine a position of the container within the dispenser area; and initiate a dispense mode based on the position(Col. 22, lines 41-60 compares images, Col. 25, lines 30-35, determine position);
Re: Claim 11, Denise discloses the claimed invention including a user interface in communication with the controller and wherein the mode is an ice mode and the controller is configured to instruct the user interface to display an indication of the ice mode (Col. 35, lines 40-50, Col. 37, lines 57-61, displays indication of ice).
Re: Claim 12, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the dispenser is an ice dispenser and further comprising a water dispenser configured to release water into the container in the dispenser area (Col. 8, lines 24-32, water and ice), and wherein the controller is further configured to initiate at least one of ice mode and water mode depending on the container position relative to the ice dispenser (Col. 35, lines 50-60, initializes ice mode based on container position).
Re: Claim 13, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the controller is further configured to instruct the water dispenser to not dispense water during the ice mode (Col. 36, lines 8-20, does not dispense at the same time).
Re: Claim 14, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the camera is an infrared sensor arranged between an ice dispenser and a water dispenser (Col. 36, lines 38-43, infrared sensor).
Re: Claim 15, Denise discloses the claimed invention including a beverage dispensing system for an appliance, comprising:
a dispenser area defined within the appliance having a shelf (130) configured to receive a container (140) (Fig. 1);
a dispenser (120) configured to release liquid into the container in the dispenser area (Fig. 1);
at least one sensor configured to detect whether a user's hand is within the dispenser area (Col. 9, lines 43-50, detects hand).;
a user interface (2255) configured to display feedback to a user (Fig. 35); and
a controller (500) configured to
receive sensor data;
determine that the user's hand is within the dispenser area (Col. 19, lines 25-32, detects hand); and
instruct the dispenser to cease dispensing in response to the sensor data indicating a stop condition (Col. 25, lines 30-36, stop condition to cease dispensing).
Re: Claim 16, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the sensor is further configured to detect a location of the container within the dispenser area via images (Col. 29, lines 33-40, detects location of the container in the dispensing area).
Re: Claim 17, Denise discloses the claimed invention including the controller is further configured to determine whether the container is centered within the dispenser area based on the sensor data (Col. 9, lines 36-42, Col. 29, lines 33-40, determines if centered under outlet); and after a predefined waiting period, instruct the dispenser to dispense liquid to fill the container Fig. 15, Col. 18, lines 1-10, waiting period).
Re: Claim 18, Denise discloses the claimed invention including wherein determining whether the container is centered within the dispenser area includes comparing the images with a baseline image; and determining, based on the comparison, whether a container is present within the dispenser area (Col. 22, lines 41-43, capture reference point images for comparison).
Re: Claim 19, Denise discloses the claimed invention including determining whether the container is centered within the dispenser area includes comparing the images with a baseline image) (Fig. 15, Col. 9, lines 36-42, Col. 29, lines 33-40 determined if centered under dispenser by comparing imaged); and determining, based on the comparison, whether a container is present within the dispenser area (Co. 25, lines 13-20, determining if container is present).
Re: Claim 20, Denise discloses the claimed invention including a light assembly (750, 770) arranged along at least one side of the dispenser area (Col. 14, lines 25-26, light assembly); wherein the controller is further configured to, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the container not being centered, instruct the feedback component to illuminate based on the container location to provide feedback to the user to facilitate correction of the container location (Col. 14, lines 31-52, provides feedback to the user to correctly place the container).
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Denise (US Patent No. 8,109,301) as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Lelkes (US Patent No. 10,853,701.
Re: Claim 9, Denise discloses the claimed invention except for expressly stating the type of image analysis. However, Lelkes teaches determining whether a container is present includes comparing brightness levels of a pixel of the images (Col. 3, lines 15-18, comparing pixel brightness).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to include comparing pixel brightness as taught by Lelkes, since Lelkes states that such a modification doe not require a camera having a high resolution, thus a cheaper camera sensor may be employed and easily replaced if there’s a malfunction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References cited on the PTO-892 provide additional examples of dispensers with detection systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES P. CHEYNEY whose telephone number is (571)272-9971. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
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/CHARLES P. CHEYNEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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