CTNF 19/174,585 CTNF 78746 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. This is a response to the Applicants' file on 4/9/25. In virtue of this filing, claims 1-8 are currently presented in the instant application. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/9/25 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 &1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claim 7 is 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. Claim 7, line 3, the phase “ near ”. It is unclear how near or close to entrance of an indoor space. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-3, 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Hidaka (US Pub. No: 2016/0234913) in view of Hashimoto et al (US Patent No: 6,081,639) . With respect to claim 1, Hidaka disclose in figures 2-3 that, a detection device comprising: a human detector (121) that detects movement of a person (paragraphs [54-58]); a communicator (115,125) that transmits a detection signal indicating that the human detector has detected the movement of the person; and a controller (the lighting controller includes: a sensor which detects a person in a space where the lighting device is disposed, and brightness of the space; a second communication circuit which receives the control information transmitted from the system controller; and a dimming controller which switches to one of modes that is indicated in the control information from another of the modes and executes the one of the modes, the modes including (a) a human detection mode for controlling the dimming in accordance with a result of human detection by the sensor, (b) a brightness detection mode for controlling the dimming in accordance with a result of detection of the brightness by the sensor, and (c) a dimming level fixed mode for controlling the dimming by maintaining a dimming level at a fixed value. Paragraph [10]. Hidaka does not disclose a controller that delays or prunes transmission of the detection signal by the communicator when the controller determines that a magnitude of the movement of the person detected by the human detector is less than a predetermined magnitude. Hashimoto et al disclose the difference between signals obtainable from the plural detection portions of the infrared array sensor, and compares the ratio or the magnitude of the difference between the detection portion s and detection portions adjacent to the detection a magnitude of the movement of the person detected by the human detector. Col.4, lines 46-63. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Hashimoto et al into the system control device of of Hidaka to determine the magnitude of the movement. With respect to claim 2, Hidaka as modified claim 1 above, wherein the human detector detects infrared radiation emitted by a body of the person, and when an intensity of the infrared radiation detected by the human detector is less than a threshold, the controller determines that the magnitude of the movement of the person detected is less than the predetermined magnitude. Col.4, lines 46-63 of Hashimoto et al. With respect to claim 3, Hidaka as modified claim 1 above, further comprising: a brightness detector that detects ambient brightness (paragraph [10]), wherein the controller delays or prunes the transmission of the detection signal by the communicator based on the ambient brightness detected by the brightness detector. With respect to claim 5, Hidaka as modified claim 1 above, wherein the controller adjusts a degree of delaying or pruning the transmission of the detection signal by the communicator based on an attribute of a target space where the detection device performs detection. Paragraph [113]. With respect to claim 6, Hidaka as modified claim 1 above, wherein a dimming condition of a lighting fixture is controlled based on the detection signal transmitted by the communicator. Figures 2-3. With respect to claim 6, Hidaka as modified claim 1 above, wherein when a target space where the detection device performs detection is a space near an entrance of an indoor space, the communicator transmits the detection signal to a plurality of lighting fixtures provided in the indoor space, the plurality of lighting fixtures each being the lighting fixture. Paragraphs [40-64]. With respect to claim 6, Hidaka disclose in figures 1-4 that, a lighting system comprising: a lighting fixture that is controlled based on the detection signal transmitted by the detection device . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim 4 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. Citation of pertinent prior art The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached. Inquiry Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taningco Alexander H can be reached on 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Minh Tran/ Primary Examiner Art Unit 2845 Application/Control Number: 19/174,585 Page 2 Art Unit: 2845 Application/Control Number: 19/174,585 Page 3 Art Unit: 2845 Application/Control Number: 19/174,585 Page 4 Art Unit: 2845 Application/Control Number: 19/174,585 Page 5 Art Unit: 2845 Application/Control Number: 19/174,585 Page 6 Art Unit: 2845
Prosecution Insights