Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 17 recites “claim 1” which appears to be referring to “claim 10”. Appropriate correction is required.
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, 16 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as failing to set forth 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, 16 and 24 recite the limitation "the occupancy sensing apparatus". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-25 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Closest prior art Eckel et al. (Patent No. 5,946,209) teaches “A system for selectively providing power from a power source to a load to operate in an area for at least one occupant comprising a processing device for controlling the opening and closing of a relay connected between the load and the power source for energizing the load, and a sensor for detecting the presence of an occupant in the area. The processing device is programmable to close the relay in response to an output signal from the sensor for a period of time that can be of fixed duration, or a duration that is dynamically and automatically determined using sensor data relating to measure time between successive, detected occupant movements. In addition to a daylight inhibit function, the system is provided with color indicators and a tone generator to indicate various operating conditions and to guide a user entering selected system parameters, among other features.” Additionally, Steinel (Patent No. 6,160,352) teaches “An automatic switching device for flourescent light has a light sensing element that reacts to ambient light and a switching unit designed to react to an output signal from the light sensing element and to activate or deactivate the flourescent light. The switching unit has a reference threshold generator. The flourescent light is activated or deactivated depending on whether the output signal from the light sensing element exceeds or falls below a threshold generated by the reference threshold generator and the threshold level depends on the luminosity sensed by the light sensing element. The switching unit further includes a delay designed for preventing signal processing by the switching unit for a present period of time upon switching on of the flourescent light.” However, the cited prior arts do not teach responsive to “responsive to receipt of the first signal:
compare the second signal to an ambient light threshold value;
determine whether the second signal indicates an ambient light level above a threshold;
responsive to the determination that the ambient light level is at or above the threshold:
generate a first output signal indicative of the occupied/high light condition; and
communicate the first output signal via the interface circuitry; and
responsive to the determination that the ambient light level is below the threshold:
generate a second output signal indicative of an occupied/low light condition; and
transmit the second output signal via the interface circuitry”.
Conclusion
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/AN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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