Attorney Docket No. WAC-10APP1CON
`(309-010CON)
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`In re Patent Application of
`
`Application No.
`
`Confirmation No.
`
`Examiner
`
`Filed
`
`Group Art Unit
`
`For
`
`—:
`
`:
`
`;
`
`;
`
`:
`
`:
`
`;
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`WangsAlliance Corporation
`
`17/340,338
`
`1040
`
`Monica C. King
`
`June 7, 2021
`
`3741
`
`METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR
`CONTROLLING FAN DEVICES
`
`Commissionerfor Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`Dear Commissioner:
`
`REPLY TO OFFICE ACTION
`
`This reply is being filed in response to the Office Action mailed on December8,
`
`2021 (the "Office action").
`
`Amendments of the claims begin on page2.
`
`Remarksbegin on page7.
`
`
`(309-010CON)
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`In re Patent Application of
`
`Application No.
`
`Confirmation No.
`
`Examiner
`
`Filed
`
`Group Art Unit
`
`For
`
`—:
`
`:
`
`;
`
`;
`
`:
`
`:
`
`;
`
`WangsAlliance Corporation
`
`17/340,338
`
`1040
`
`Monica C. King
`
`June 7, 2021
`
`3741
`
`METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR
`CONTROLLING FAN DEVICES
`
`Commissionerfor Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`Dear Commissioner:
`
`REPLY TO OFFICE ACTION
`
`This reply is being filed in response to the Office Action mailed on December8,
`
`2021 (the "Office action").
`
`Amendments of the claims begin on page2.
`
`Remarksbegin on page7.
`
`
`
`Amendmenis to the claims
`A complete set of the claims is included below, as well as the currentstatus of
`
`each claim. This listing of claims will replaceall prior versions andlistings of claims in the
`
`application.
`
`Listing of Claims
`
`1-51. (canceled)
`
`52. (currently amended)
`
`Apparatus A fan device comprising:
`
`a fan motor;
`
`a fan motorcontrol circuit;
`
`a processorin electrical communication with the fan motor control circuit;
`
`
`
`
`
`a first wireless interface configured to receiveatafirstfrequency,a first signal
`
`conformingto a first communications protocol; and
`
`a second wireless interface configured to receive a second signal|[[s]] ata-second
`
`frequeney conforming to a second communications protocol that is different from the first
`
`frequeney Communications protocol;
`
`wherein:
`
`the fan motor control circuit is configured to cause the fan motor to perform an
`
`operation in responseto the first signal; and
`
`the processoris configured to transmit, via the first wireless interface or the
`
`second wireless interface, to a server, an indication corresponding to the operation.
`
`53. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim [[52]] 72
`
`wherein:
`
`the first signal and the second signal have, respectively, a [[the]] first frequency
`
`and a [[the]] second frequency; and
`
`the first frequency and the second frequency are in different frequency bands.
`
`54. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 52 wherein the
`
`first wireless interface is a WiFi interface.
`
`
`
`55. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 54 wherein the
`
`second wireless interface is not a WiFi interface.
`
`56. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 55 wherein the
`
`second wireless interface is a radio frequency (RF)interface.
`
`57. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 52 wherein the
`
`second wireless interface is a WiFi interface.
`
`58. (currently amended)
`
`The-apparatus fan device of claim 57 wherein the
`
`first wireless interface is not a WiFi interface.
`
`59. (currently amended)
`
`The-apparatus fan device of claim 58 wherein the
`
`first wireless interface is a radio frequency (RF)interface.
`
`60. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim [[52]] 53 wherein
`
`the first frequency and the second frequency are not infrared frequencies.
`
`61. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 52 further
`
`comprising a fan that has a state, and the indication includes an indication of thestate.
`
`62. (currently amended)
`
`The-apparatus fan device of claim 61 wherein the
`
`state 1s a state selected from the group consisting of: idle, active, fan on, fan off, fan direction,
`
`and fan speedlevel.
`
`63. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 52 configured to
`
`be paired to a controller;
`
`wherein:
`
`the controller is configuredto:
`
`be paired to another fan device; and
`
`device, wherein the fan device and the other fan device perform the same operation in response
`
`transmit a group commandto the fan device and the other fan
`
`to the group command.
`
`
`
`64. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 63 wherein the
`
`controller is a wall control unit.
`
`65. (currently amended)
`
`The-apparatus fan device of claim 63 wherein the
`
`controller is a wireless terminal.
`
`66. (currently amended)
`
`The-apparatus fan device of claim 63 wherein the
`
`controller is a cell phone.
`
`67. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 52 wherein:
`
`a first wall control unit correspondsto the fan device and includes:
`
`a first AC powerinput; and
`
`a first AC poweroutput;
`
`a second wall control unit corresponds to another fan device and includes:
`
`a second AC powerinput; and
`
`a second AC poweroutput; and
`
`the second AC powerinput is configured to source power from the first AC power
`
`68. (currently amended)
`
`The-apparatus fan device of claim 52 further
`
`an AC powerinterface corresponding to the fan motor;
`
`output.
`
`comprising:
`
`wherein:
`
`the fan motor is a DC motorthat is configured to receive power from the AC
`
`powerinterface.
`
`69. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatus fan device of claim 52 further
`
`comprising, when the-stenalis-afirststenal the operation is a first operation|[,]] and the
`
`indication is a first indication:
`
`a light; and
`
`a light control circuit configured to cause the light to perform a second operation
`
`in response to a second lighting signal received by the first wireless interface;
`
`
`
`wherein the processoris further configured to transmit to the server, via the first wireless
`
`interface or the second wireless interface, a second indication corresponding to the second
`
`operation.
`
`70. (currently amended)
`
`The-apparatus fan device of claim 69 wherein:
`
`the light hasa state;
`
`the second indication includes an indication of the state; and
`
`the state is a state selected from the group consisting of: light on, light off, and
`
`light intensity level.
`
`71. (currently amended)
`
`The apparatusfan device of claim 52 further
`
`comprising:
`
`a housing[[;]] that includes
`
`
`
`
`
`att: the processor, the first wireless interface,
`
`and the second wireless interface
`
`are-cissesed4
`
`:
`
`SHS.
`
`72. (new)
`
`The fan device of claim 52 further comprising an antenna;
`
`wherein:
`
`and
`
`the first wireless interface is configured to transmit and receive via the antenna;
`
`the second wireless interface is configured to transmit and receive via the antenna.
`
`73. (new) The fan device of claim 52 wherein the indication includes a device
`
`status reporting message.
`
`74. (new)
`
`The fan device of claim 73 wherein the device status reporting
`
`message reports a change from a previously transmitted device status reporting message.
`
`75. (new)
`
`The fan device of claim 74 wherein the changeis in response to a
`
`control message transmitted by a phone.
`
`76. (new) The fan device of claim 52 wherein the processor is configured to
`
`transmit the indication once in a predetermined timeinterval.
`
`
`
`77. (new) The fan device of claim 52 wherein thefirst wireless interface is
`
`configured to receive the signal from a server in accordance with a schedule.
`
`78. (new) The fan device of claim 77 wherein the schedule is generated by a
`
`server based on a plurality of indications.
`
`79. (new) The fan device of claim 52 further comprising a fan configured to
`
`receive an input from an auxiliary device configured to provide data about an environmental
`
`condition in a room in whichthefan is located;
`
`wherein the fan includes the fan motor.
`
`80. (new) The fan device of claim 79 wherein:
`
`the auxiliary device is a sensor; and
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`the condition is a temperature.
`
`81. (new)
`
`The fan device of claim 52 wherein the indication includes a
`
`normal operation indicator.
`
`
`
`Upon entry of the foregoing amendments, claims 52-81 will be pending in this
`
`REMARKS
`
`application.
`
`I
`
`Summaryof the Office Action
`
`The Examinerrejected claims 52-71 as being unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. §103
`
`over McPhersonet al. U.S. Publication No. US. 2016/0047391 (hereinafter, "McPherson") in
`
`view of Monteith et al. U.S. Publication No. 2019/018649 (hereinafter, "Monteith").
`
`Il.
`
`Reply to the rejections over McPherson and Monteith
`
`The Examinerrejected claims 52-71 as being obvious from McPhersonin view of
`
`Monteith. Claim 52 is independent. Claims 53-71 depend from claim 52.
`
`Applicant has amended claim 1 to recite afan device comprising afirst wireless
`
`interface and a second wireless interface.
`
`Applicant respectfully submits that neither McPherson nor Monteith teaches or
`
`suggests a fan device that comprises afirst wireless interface and a secondwireless interface.
`
`Because neither McPherson nor Monteith, nor a combination of McPherson and
`
`Monteith, teaches or suggests afan device comprising afirst wireless interface and a second
`
`wireless interface, claims 52-71 are allowable for at least the foregoing reason. Applicant
`
`respectfully requests that the Examiner withdrawthe rejections of claim 52-71.
`
`It.
`
`Other Amendments
`
`Applicant has amendedall the claims to replace "apparatus" with "fan device."
`
`Applicant has amended claim 52 to recite that the signal received by the first
`
`wireless interface is afirst signal that conformsto afirst communications protocol, the signal
`
`received by the second wireless interface is a second signal that conforms to a second
`
`communications protocolthat is different from the first communications protocol. Applicant
`
`has made conforming amendmentof claims 53 and 60.
`
`Applicant has amended claims 69 and 71 to more particularly point out and
`
`distinctly claim inventive subject matter.
`
`Applicant has added claims 73-81, which depend from claim 52, and are therefore
`
`allowable at least for that reason.
`
`
`
`Absenceofa reply to a specific rejection, issue or comment doesnotsignify
`
`applicant’s agreement. Absence of an argumentdoesnotsignify waiver of the argument. Further,
`
`amendmentor cancellation of any claim is not a concession of unpatentability of the claim prior
`
`to the amendmentor cancellation.
`
`IV.
`
`Conclusion
`
`Applicant respectfully submits that this application is in condition for allowance
`
`and awaits a prompt and favorable response to this Reply. The Director is hereby authorized to
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`charge any additional fees that may be due in connection with this paper, or to refund any
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`overpayments, to Deposit Account No. 50-4650.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`
`/Edward M. Arons/
`Edward M. Arons
`Reg. No. 44,511
`Attorney for Applicant
`WEISS & ARONS LLP
`Customer No. 72,810
`63 South Main Street
`Spring Valley, New York 10977
`Tel.: (845) 362-6100
`
`Date: March 8, 2022
`
`
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