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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/735,238
`
`01/06/2020
`
`Masakazu HOASHI
`
`20296.0133USW1
`
`1278
`
`HAY
`
`M
`
`LERé
`
`HAMRE, SCHUMANN, MUELLER & LARSON P.C.
`45 South Seventh Street
`Suite 2700
`MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-1683
`
`HAILE, BENYAM
`
`2688
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`11/29/2021
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`PTOMail @hsml.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1,3 and 6 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1,3and6 is/are rejected.
`(1 Claim(s)__is/are objectedto.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)0) The drawing(s) filedon__ is/are: a)(J accepted or b)() objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)1) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)Z None ofthe:
`b)() Some**
`a)C All
`1.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.1.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20211124
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/735,238
`HOASHI etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`BENYAM HAILE
`2688
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 10/26/2021.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`2a)¥) This action is FINAL.
`2b) (J This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/735,238
`Art Unit: 2688
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthe
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AJA.
`
`Status of Claims
`
`2.
`
`Claims1, 3, 6 are pending.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`3.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which formsthe basis for all obviousness
`
`rejectionsset forth in this Office action:
`
`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed inventionis 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 obviousbefore the effective
`filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinaryskill in the art to which the claimed
`invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the mannerin which the invention was made.
`
`4,
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`The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35
`
`U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
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`1. Determining the scope and contents of the priorart.
`
`2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claimsat issue.
`
`3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
`
`4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or
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`nonobviousness.
`
`5.
`
`Claims 1, 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vahid [US
`
`20130275313] in view of Kuwanoet al. [Kuwano, US 8706303].
`
`Asto claim 1. Vahid discloses A method for displaying a procedure of maintenance
`
`workfor a refrigerator on a display comprising:
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/735,238
`Art Unit: 2688
`
`Page 3
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`identifying an error that occurred in the refrigerator based on an instruction input
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`by a user,[fig. 3, 0031, 0046, 0047] user selects possible issue from a list;
`
`causing the display to display a plurality of countermeasures which correspond to
`
`the erroridentified in the identifying, [fig. 3, 0047];
`
`whenoneof the plurality of countermeasuresis selected, causing the display to
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`display the procedure whichindicates a plurality of processes correspondingto the selected
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`countermeasure,[fig. 3, 0047], each of the plurality of processes being provided in advance
`
`with a work movie, [0038, 0039] a remote server storing video guide on howto repair the
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`device and send the guide when requested; and
`
`when aninstruction to play a specific work movie, from among the work movies
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`providedfor the plurality of processes, [fig. 3, 0047, 0048] selected guide videois played,
`
`correspondingto a specific process includedin the plurality of processes is received,
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`causing the display to play the specific work movie on the display, [0047, 066, 0067], by
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`obtaining data for playing the specific work movie on the display from a server whichis
`
`configured to communicate, directly or indirectly, with the display, [0034], when the input
`
`of the instruction to play the specific work movie is received via the display, [0034, 0047,
`
`0066, 0067],
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`wherein the specific work movie is played on the display using the data received in
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`the obtaining, [0034, 0047, 0066, 0067],
`
`the specific work movie includes only work explanation information of the specific
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`process of the countermeasures that needs to be checked, [0047], and
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`wherein whenthe specific processis selected, (i) an explanation of the specific
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`process, [0047], and (ii) an object for receiving the inputof the instructions to play the
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/735,238
`Art Unit: 2688
`
`Page 4
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`specific work movie correspondingto the specific process are displayed, basic functionality
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`of a video player, on the display, [0044, 0066, 0067].
`
`Vahid fails to explicitly disclose that the explanation of the specific process and the
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`object for playing the movie are both displayed on a samescreen onthe display.
`
`Kuwanoteaches an apparatus for displaying instructions in a manualthat contains a
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`video [fig. 8A]; wherein the instruction manual displays instructions for a countermeasure for an
`
`error wherein the same screen shows an object for playing a video for the sameinstruction
`
`manual, [col. 7, lines 54-64].
`
`It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time ofthe filing of
`
`the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Vahid with that of Kuwanosothat the user
`
`can have the option of viewing the instructional video at the same time as reading the
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`instructions as another alternative of implementing a closed captioning feature as a separate text.
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`Asto claim 6. Vahid discloses The method according to claim 1, wherein the error
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`that occurred in the productis identified based on an error code input by the user, [0047].
`
`6.
`
`Claims 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vahid in view
`
`of Kuwanoasapplied to claim 1 above, further in view of Mapeset al. [Mapes, US 5946921].
`
`Asto claim 3. Vahid fails to disclose The method according to claim 1, wherein the
`
`error includes an abnormality of an ice mechanism of the refrigerator, and the plurality of
`
`countermeasures include a removalof foreign substance stuck in the ice mechanism and a
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`replacement of the ice mechanism.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/735,238
`Art Unit: 2688
`
`Page 5
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`Mapesteaches a methodfor repairing a refrigerant system wherein the repair includes
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`removing a blockage and replacing the mechanism that is part of the ice making mechanism,
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`[col. 7, lines 7-53].
`
`It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time ofthe filing of
`
`the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Vahid with that of Mapes for the method of
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`Vahid to include commonrefrigerator problem diagnosis and repair instructions so as the method
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`can be used for commonrefrigerator diagnostic steps.
`
`7.
`
`Applicant's arguments filed 02/16/2021 have been fully considered but they are not
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`Response to Arguments
`
`persuasive.
`
`Argument 1: Vahid does not disclose a method in which, whenthe specific process is
`
`selected both, (i) an explanation of the specific process and (ii) an object for receiving the input
`
`of the instruction to play the specific work movie corresponding to the specific process are
`
`displayed on a samescreen on the display as required by claim 1.
`
`Response 1:In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one
`
`cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based
`
`on combinationsof references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In
`
`re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
`
`The Office Action is relying on a combination ofprior arts, Vahid and Kuwano, as
`
`detailed abovein the rejection of claim 1.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/735,238
`Art Unit: 2688
`
`Page 6
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`Conclusion
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this
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`Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP§ 706.07(a).
`
`Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`
`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
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`MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this action. In the eventa first reply is filed within TWO
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`MONTHSofthe mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after
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`the end of the THREE-MONTHshortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period
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`will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37
`
`CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event,
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`however,will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHSfrom the date ofthis
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`final action.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to BENYAM HAILEwhosetelephone numberis (571)272-2080. The
`
`examiner can normally be reached 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM Mon. - Thur..
`
`Examinerinterviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using
`
`a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicantis
`
`encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR)at
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examinerby telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Steven Lim can be reached on (571)270-1210. The fax phone numberfor the
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`organization wherethis application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/735,238
`Art Unit: 2688
`
`Page 7
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`
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`Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`/Benyam Haile/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2688
`
`