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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites "capable of" in line 3. It is preferred if language such as "configured to" is used in its place since it is optional language or is not positive recitation (e.g. if something is capable of performing a function, it does not necessarily have to perform that function).
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roberge (US Patent No. 20050128751 A1), in view of Vong (US Patent No. 20080066003 A1).
In re claim 1, Roberge teaches A system for configuring a lighting device (Para [0215]: "The component may further include a chip, firmware, and instructions or specifications for configuring the system into a lighting system 100."), comprising:
a. a lighting device configured to be mounted on an object (Para [0176]: "A given lighting unit 102 may have any one of a variety of mounting arrangements for the light source(s) in a variety of housings 800. Housings 800 may include enclosures, platforms, boards, mountings, and many other form factors, including forms designed for other purposes."), the lighting device comprising a display capable of presenting messages and flashing lights (Para [0308]: "In embodiments such as FIG. 34 a, the slide can provide voltage input to a lighting unit 102, and the switch can allow the user to switch between modes of operation, such as by selecting a color wash, a specific color or color temperature, a flashing series of colors, or the like." and para [0349]: "The computer system may include a display (e.g., a graphics user interface) where a representation of the lighting unit controller is displayed as an object. The display may also provide representations of the lighting unit 102 as an object.");
b. a rotational dial mechanism operatively connected to the lighting device, the dial mechanism comprising: an outer rotatable wheel; device for providing tactile feedback during operation; a full-color touch screen for selection and confirmation of settings (Para [0109]: "In embodiments the system 100 can respond to control of a user interface 4908, which may provide control directly to the lighting unit 102, such as through a switch, dial, button, dipswitch, slide mechanism, or similar facility or may provide control through another facility, such as a network interface 4902, a light system manager 5000, or other facility." and para [0304]: "A lighting unit 102 can respond to input from a user interface 4908... Examples of user interfaces that may be employed in various implementations of the present invention include, but are not limited to, switches, human-machine interfaces, operator interfaces, potentiometers, buttons, dials, sliders, a mouse, keyboard, keypad, various types of game controllers (e.g., joysticks), track balls, display screens, various types of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), touch screens...");
i. wherein the rotation of the dial serves as an input to change the message displayed or alter the patterns of the lighting device (Para [0109]: "In embodiments the system 100 can respond to control of a user interface 4908, which may provide control directly to the lighting unit 102, such as through a switch, dial, button, dipswitch, slide mechanism, or similar facility or may provide control through another facility, such as a network interface 4902, a light system manager 5000, or other facility.");
ii. wherein the touch screen allows for tactile swiping motions to control the lighting device, including changing the display, physical position, or orientation of the sign, and the flashing status or pattern (Para [0373]: "In embodiments, other user interfaces can trigger shows stored on a light system engine 5008, such as a knob, a dial, a button, a touch screen, a serial keypad, a slide mechanism, a switch, a sliding switch, a switch/slide combination, a sensor, a decibel meter, an inclinometer, a thermometer, a anemometer, a barometer, or any other input capable of providing a signal to the light system engine 5008. In embodiments the user interface is the serial keypad, wherein initiating a button on the keypad initiates a show in at least one zone of a lighting system governed by a light system engine connected to the keypad.");
c. a secondary confirmation feature requiring touch input after dial rotation to execute actions (Para [0415]: "In one embodiment a second selector switch can be used to select a base address. A press and hold interface allows selection from a large number of addresses.");
d. a security lockout feature requiring a password or passcode after a period of inactivity (Para [0314]: "Such systems can incorporate a lockout facility to prevent others from easily changing the settings. This can take the form of memory 3700 to store the current state but allow only a password-enabled user to make changes.");
f. wireless connectivity enabling the dial to connect to the lighting device using communication protocols, and control multiple message boards within a localized area (Para [0266]: "The methods and systems disclosed herein also include a variety of methods and systems for light control, including central control facilities 3500 as well as control facilities that are local to lighting units 102. One grouping of control facilities 3500 includes dimmer controls, including both wired and wireless dimmer control. Traditional dimmers can be used with lighting units 102, not just in the traditional way using voltage control or resistive load, but rather by using a processor to scale and control output by interpreting the levels of voltage. In combination with a style and interface that is familiar to most people because of the ubiquity of dimmer switches, one aspect of the present specification allows the position of a dimmer switch (linear or rotary) to indicate color temperature or intensity through a power cycle control. That is, the mode can change with each on or off cycle. A special switch can allow multiple modes without having to turn off the lights. An example of a product that uses this technique is the Color Dial, available from Color Kinetics.");
g. user notification features providing status updates through audible tones, lights, or text-to-speech (Para [0399]: "In a workplace environment lighting units 102 can be used to light the environment 9600, such as a desk, cubicle, office, workbench, laboratory bench, or similar workplace environment. The lighting systems can provide white and non-white color illumination of various colors, color temperatures, and intensities, so that the systems can be used for conventional illumination as well as for aesthetic, entertainment, or utilitarian effects, such as illuminating workplace objects with preferred illumination conditions, such as for analysis or inspection, presenting light shows or other entertainment effects, or indicating data or status. For example, coupled with a signal source 8400, such as a sensor, the workplace lighting systems could illuminate in a given color or intensity to indicate a data condition, such as speed of a factory line, size of a stock portfolio, outside temperature, presence of a person in an office, whether someone is available to meet, or the like.");
h. speech recognition technology for activating the message board or lights (Para [0308]: "FIG. 34 h shows a microphone 3412, such as for a voice recognition facility interface to a lighting unit 102, such as to trigger lighting by voice interaction.";
i. customization features allowing for message and flasher control, duration (Para [0225]: "Referring to FIGS. 24 a and 24 b, control signals from a control facility 3500, such as a central data source, are used by a processor 3600 that controls the drive hardware 3800, causing current to be delivered to the light sources 300 in the desired intensities and durations, often in very rapid pulses of current, such as in pulse width modulation or pulse amplitude modulation, or combinations of them, as described below.), creation, editing (Para [0278]: "In embodiments the other computer system comprises a browser and the user of the browser can edit the XML file using the browser to edit the lighting show generated by the lighting show composer."), color, and brightness adjustments (Para [0287]: "For example, a lighting system operator may want to generate a color changing effect that varies colors from lighting unit to lighting unit in such a way as to generate the appearance of a propagating rainbow of colors (“rainbow chase”), given a particular placement of lighting units with respect to one another. In this example, the operator may provide a simple instruction to the central controller 3500 to accomplish this, and in turn the central controller may communicate to one or more LUCs using an Ethernet-based protocol high-level command to generate a “rainbow chase.” The command may contain timing, intensity, hue, saturation or other relevant information, for example. When a given LUC receives such a command, it may then interpret the command so as to generate the appropriate lighting control signals which it then communicates using a DMX protocol via any of a variety of signaling techniques (e.g., PWM) to one or more lighting units that it controls.").
Roberge fails to teach e. an endless menu allowing continuous rotation of the dial without physical or software end stops.
However, Vong teaches e. an endless menu allowing continuous rotation of the dial without physical or software end stops (Para [0002]: "Currently the menu elements wrap from the beginning of a list of the menu elements to the end. This allows for simple navigation through a long list of menu elements. In this particular implementation, list wrapping by repeating the entire list of menu elements at the end of the list. However, if the list of menu elements is short, the duplicate instances of menu elements in the list appear across the UI to create a list long enough to wrap across the UI. Although a wrapping and scrolling function is achieved, the design is unsightly and confusing due to either the presence of duplicate menu elements, menu elements that break at different positions at opposite edges of the UI, or both").
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Roberge to incorporate the teachings of Vong to provide e. an endless menu allowing continuous rotation of the dial without physical or software end stops with the Lighting Methods And Systems of Roberge. Doing so allows for simple navigation through a long list of menu elements, as recognized by Vong (Para [0002]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES EDWARD MUNION whose telephone number is (571)270-0437. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30-5:00.
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/JAMES E MUNION/Examiner, Art Unit 2688 06/13/2026
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