DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments to claims and specification filed 04/22/2026 are accepted.
Claims 1-14 are pending.
Claim 1 is amended, incorporating matter from Claims 5 and 9.
Claims 5 and 9 are cancelled.
With respect to rejections of claims 1-14 under 35 U.S.C. 103 over prior art, Applicant’s arguments have been fully reviewed but are not persuasive. Regarding remarks (Pg 6) concerning rejection of claim 9, specifically use of reference by BANTING to teach “wireless communication device associated with a transformer”, Examiner respectfully disagrees. Rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103 is presented below, annotated with additional explanations for clarity.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating
obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-9, 12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MCCAMMON (US 20170030955 A1) in view of BANTING (US 20100084920 A1).
With respect to Claim 1, MCCAMMON teaches:
A wireless tracking device comprising: (MCCAMMON, same technical field, [0003]: “present invention relates generally to systems, methods, and apparatuses for determining the mechanical load and electrical energy status of a wire.”; and teaches a wireless tracking device, see Title, and [0044]: “wireless sensor apparatus for determining and reporting the status of an electrical wire”; and [0045]: “means for wireless data transmission”; [0023]: “transmitter and receiver may utilize a digital algorithm in a computing device to synchronize the carrier signal to the power line frequency to adaptively track changes in the power line”)
circuit components comprising: a first wireless communication system, a processor, a memory or storage, ([0031]: “second data signal is wirelessly communicated with the wireless communication path”; and [0017]: “apparatus comprises a coupling device in communication with a processor”; [0036]: “storing information of the voltage reduction in a non-volatile memory”)
and a first sensor operable to measure conditions of the wireless tracking device,
([0019]: “sensor periodically measures peak line voltage and peak line current and reports peak values to the remote location.”; and FIG. 10 with [0081]: “Strain gauges are used to measure force or weight…strain gauge measurement and the mechanical properties of post 400…forces on post 400 can be determined”; and teaches accelerometer to indicant motion of device, see [0086]: “invention may further comprise an accelerometer” and see Claim 1 “measuring the mechanical load on said housing operably connected to said microprocessor”)
a battery; ([0100]: “power will be supplied by the sensor battery”)
wherein the wireless tracking device is configured to attach to an overhead electrical line and detect failure events that are experienced by the overhead electrical line based on sensor data monitored by the wireless tracking device. ([0003]: “invention relates generally to systems, methods, and apparatuses for determining the mechanical load and electrical energy status of a wire”; and FIG. 1 (i.e., depicting standard insulator used on overhead lines), and FIG. 3 (i.e, insulator serving as housing for monitoring device), with [0065]: “overhead utility power lines” and [0067]: “power line sensor 1000…insulator housing 100 can be disposed over non-contact energy harvester 200… system controller 700; communications module 800; and RF antenna 900” (i.e., “wireless”); FIG. 10, depicting overhead transmission lines.; see also, for clarity, [0043]: “indicate a power line is down or in contact with an object”, and [0064]: “provides a dependable indication of the “status” of a powerline” (i.e., “detect failure events”))
the wireless tracking device is associated with a tracking system and is configured to report any detected failure events to another wireless communication device associated with the tracking system, (As above, Abstract: “reporting the status of an electrical wire”(i.e., “tracking system”); [0019]: “see sensor periodically measures peak line voltage and peak line current and reports peak values to the remote location” (i.e., “report any detected failure events”); [0044]: “wireless sensor apparatus for determining and reporting the status of an electrical wire” and [0069]: “Communications module 800 is further operatively connected to radio frequency (“RF”) antenna 900 for wireless communication of a power line's status (energized, non energized, in place, fallen, etc.) with a system provider” and [0093]: “status of a power line collected by sensor 1000 can then be sent to the system user via a wireless communications network.”)
MCCAMMON does not teach:
a circuit connecting the circuit components and the battery,
the other wireless communication device is a wireless tracking device or gateway device associated with a transformer.
BANTING teaches:
a circuit connecting the circuit components and the battery, (BANTING, same technical field, [0002]: “invention relates generally to powering electrical components, and more particularly to reliably and cost-effectively powering a device on an electrical power line by harvesting power from the power line”; FIGs. 1, 2 with [0017]: “FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for communicating faulted circuit indicator information using the power line monitoring device of FIG. 1”; also see for clarity [0066]: “communications facility 110 also can include components for any number of wireless or wired communications protocols”; FIG.6, and FIG. 11A, with [0026]: “FIG. 11, which comprises FIGS. 11A and 11B, is a circuit diagram for a circuit of the monitoring device of FIG. 6”; and [0058]: “sensor 102 can comprise circuitry for determining whether a fault condition has occurred and for notifying the controller 104 of the fault event.”, and [0105]: “monitoring device 600 includes circuitry 700…may include one or more sensors and/or communication devices… mounted on a circuit board…disposed within the housing”; [0130]: “circuit 700 includes a battery voltage monitor circuit 720” (i.e., “connecting the circuit components and the battery” ))
the other wireless communication device is a wireless tracking device or gateway device associated with a transformer. ([0066]: “communications facility 110 also can include components for any number of wireless or wired communications protocols”; also see for clarity, Abstract: “CTH includes a current transformer ("CT")”, and [0013]: “the electrical winding disposed on a current transformer”, and [0053]: “CTH includes a current transformer ("CT")”; Examiner interprets limitation “associated with a transformer” using broadest reasonable interpretation and plain meaning to be analogous to reference as presented. Examiner interprets limitation “tracking device” as analogous to reference monitoring device, “CTH”.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify MACCAMMON to include a circuit connecting the circuit components and the battery, and the other wireless communication device is a wireless tracking device or gateway device associated with a transformer, such as that of BANTING because it would be understood as a way to ensure a monitoring device would consistently be powered, and association with a transformer would allow for reliable energy transfer by well-known physical processes. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to combine the system taught by MACCAMMON with the integrated circuit design and connection with a transformer, in a wireless protocol, as more explicitly taught by BANTING because it would result in a reasonable expectation of improvement and reliability of a line monitoring device with the goal of fault identification. Both disclosures teach line monitoring and wireless acquisition and communication, so one of ordinary skill would see the advantage of the obvious combination to provide a more convenient and compact design for a line-monitoring device system.
With respect to Claim 2, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 1.
MACCAMMON teaches:
wherein the first sensor is a vibration sensor or accelerometer. ([0086]: “invention may further comprise an accelerometer”)
With respect to Claim 3, MCCAMMON in view of BANTING teaches the limitations of claim 2,
MACCAMMON teaches:
the wireless tracking device is configured to detect a failure event corresponding to the overhead power line falling from a structure towards the ground based on vibration data or accelerometer data measured by the first sensor. ([0043]: “object of the present invention to measure the tension in the power line, enabling the system to indicate a power line is down or in contact with an object”; and [0092]: “if a fallen tree or other object is contacting the line, it increases the tension in that section of line and the load on load cell post”; and [0086]: “invention may further comprise an accelerometer”)
With respect to Claim 4, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 3,
MACCAMMON teaches:
the wireless tracking device is configured to analyze the vibration data or accelerometer data to determine whether a failure event has occurred. (As above, expanded herein from previous office action for clarity, [0043]: “measure the tension in the power line, enabling the system to indicate a power line is down or in contact with an object” (i.e., “determine whether a failure event has occurred”) and [0086]: “accelerometer”, and Claim 1: “”.)
With respect to Claim 6, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 1,
MACCAMON, as modified by BANTING, as taught above, does not teach:
the other wireless communication device is another wireless tracking device.
BANTING teaches:
the other wireless communication device is another wireless tracking device. (For clarity, [0066]: “communications facility 110 also can include components for any number of wireless or wired communications protocols”; and [0070]: “communications facility 110 also can facilitate communications between two or more monitoring devices 100”; also, for clarity, (adding additional detail to rejection recited in previous office action) Examiner notes term reference term “communication facility 110” is described as part of monitoring system in [0057]: “controller 104 analyzes the sensor data it receives…includes any suitable control mechanism capable of receiving sensor data and controlling peripheral systems, such as…communications facility 110…capable of establishing that a fault event has occurred.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify MACCAMMON, as modified by BANTING, as taught above, to include that the other wherein the other wireless communication device is another wireless tracking device, such as that further disclosed by BANTING because it would be understood as a way to facilitate expanded coverage of an overhead line system and would have a reasonable expectation of successfully creating a more robust information network by taking advantage of redundancy in monitoring and in leveraging a relay system to pass data from one monitor to another. One of ordinary skill would see the advantage of using the technique taught by BANTING in combination with the system of MACCAMMON as a way to address potential "blind spots" in an overhead line system, while minimizing the number of monitors necessary – and thus reducing expense in both installation and maintenance of monitoring devices.
With respect to Claim 7, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 5.
MACCAMON, as modified by BANTING, as taught above, does not teach:
the other wireless tracking device is also attached to an overhead electrical line.
BANTING teaches:
the other wireless tracking device is also attached to an overhead electrical line. (Expanded from previous office action for clarity, as above, [0066]: “communications facility 110 also can include components for any number of wireless or wired communications protocols”; [0067]: “simultaneously monitoring communication feeds from numerous monitoring devices 100”; also for clarity, [0054]: “monitoring device 100 is electrically connected to a power line 116. The term "power line" is used herein to refer to any type of electrical conductor that transmits electricity from one location to another. For example, the power line 116 can include one or more utility cables, whether above ground (i.e., “overhead”), underground, or otherwise.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify MACCAMMON, as modified by BANTING, as taught above, to include that the other wireless communication device is also attached to an overhead electrical line, such as that further disclosed by BANTING because it would be understood that deploying multiple monitoring devices, i.e., a “second” monitoring device on a line would facilitate expanded coverage of an overhead line fault detection system and would have a reasonable expectation of successfully creating a more robust information network by taking advantage of redundancy in monitoring and in leveraging a relay system to pass data from one monitor to another. One of ordinary skill would see the advantage of using the technique taught by BANTING in combination with the system of MACCAMMON as a way to address potential "blind spots" in an overhead line system, while minimizing the number of monitors necessary – and thus reducing expense in both installation and maintenance of monitoring devices.
With respect to Claim 8, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 5.
MACCAMMON teaches:
the tracking system responds to the received report by deenergizing a transformer associated with the overhead electrical line. ([0016]: “control signal drives a relay to a normally open position or trips the relay closed when the line power fails. The control drives motors to either maintain or isolate (shut down) power (i.e., “deenergizing”) lines at a power substation.”; For clarity, Examiner notes interpretation of “transformer” using broadest reasonable interpretation and plain meaning as analogous to reference of “substation”, which would be understood by one of ordinary skill to a location where a electric line would be connected to a transformer.)
With respect to Claim 12, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 1.
MACCAMMON teaches:
wherein the first sensor is an orientation sensor. ([0117]: “invention may further comprise an accelerometer added to the control electronics to replace the load cell sensor to determine if the sensor has moved or changed orientation as the result of a downed line. If an event occurs, the accelerometer will sense if the sensor changes angle/orientation and then sensor can alert the user that an event has occurred.”)
With respect to Claim 14, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 1.
MACCAMMON teaches:
the first sensor is one or more of: a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, a moisture or humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, a GPS sensor, a time of flight sensor, a depth sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a sound sensor. ([0032]: “one or more sensors, such as current sensors, a voltage sensor, a video camera, a temperature sensor, a barometer, a motion sensor, a level sensor, and/or a vibration sensor”)
Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MCCAMMON (US 20170030955 A1) in view of BANTING (US 20100084920 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of UBER (US 20050040809 A1).
With respect to Claim 10, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 1.
MACCAMMON, as modified by BANTING and as taught above, does not teach:
the first sensor comprises one or more of an inductive current sensor, a hall effect sensor, a current transducer, and an electromagnetic field sensor.
UBER teaches:
the first sensor comprises one or more of an inductive current sensor, a hall effect sensor, a current transducer, and an electromagnetic field sensor. (UBER in same technical field, Abstract: “device for use in locating a fault on a power line of a power distribution system includes: at least one sensor for measuring at least one property of the power line”; [0012]: “sensor of the device can, for example, measure at least one of current, voltage, power, temperature, stress, vibration amplitude or vibration frequency… sensor measures current via a measurement of the magnetic field caused by current in the power line. The sensor can, for example, be a Hall effect sensor”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify MACCAMMON, as modified by BANTING, as taught above, to include the first sensor comprises one or more of an inductive current sensor, a hall effect sensor, a current transducer, and an electromagnetic field sensor, such as that of UBER because it would be understood that deploying multiple sensor types to monitor an overhead line would bring about a reasonable expectation of success in improving the reliability of identifying faults or anomalies on an electric power line. One of ordinary skill would understand the advantage of measuring a variety of physical parameters, as a way to enhanced accuracy, provide redundancy for comparative confirmation. Combining various sensor types as taught by UBER with the method and system of MACCAMMON as modified by BANTING, would improve overall results by leveraging the fact that each sensor offers different advantages for monitoring the power line, and understanding that using them together would provide a more robust and complete picture of line status. One of ordinary skill would see the obvious combination, since all three references are directed at solution to similar problem, and each teaches a variation in sensor types.
With respect to Claim 11, MCCAMMON in view of BANTING, and further in view of UBER, teaches the limitations of claim 10.
MACCAMMON teaches:
the wireless tracking device is configured to detect a fault current or detect a risk of a future fault current occurring based on an electrical current measurement of the overhead electrical line. ([0019]: “fault sensor suitable for use in a heterogenous power distribution system executes a stored program and causes sufficient information to be collected to distinguish a source of fault current”)
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MCCAMMON (US 20170030955 A1) in view of BANTING (US 20100084920 A1), as applied to Claim 12 above, and further in view ANDERSON (US 20140195185 A1).
With respect to Claim 13, MCCAMMON, in view of BANTING, teaches the limitations of claim 12,
MCCAMMON teaches:,
first sensor is [an] orientation sensor (As above, [0117], disclosure of accelerometer sensor.)
MACCAMMON, as modified by BANTING and as taught above, does not teach:
sensor is a 9-axis absolute orientation sensor.
ANDERSON teaches
sensor is a 9-axis absolute orientation sensor. (ANDERSON is in related technical field, Abstract: “system and method for estimating angular velocity”; and [0008]: “system and method use an accelerometer and magnetometer to estimate an angular velocity in place of a gyroscope in 9-axis sensor fusion to estimate angular orientation”; Examiner notes that ANDERSON field of endeavor may be considered as different from the claimed invention. However, applying guidance found in MPEP 2141.01(a) I: “A reference is analogous art to the claimed invention if: (1) the reference is from the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention (even if it addresses a different problem); or (2) the reference is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor (even if it is not in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention).” Examiner has considered the problem faced by the inventor, based on reading of specification in view of claim limitations, and understands the problem address by limitation in Claim 13 as directed to more accurate determination of orientation of a structure, in this case, an electrical wire. Examiner finds that a person of ordinary skill would have reason to consult and apply the teachings found in the disclosure of ANDERSON, involving improvements to orientation determination. Thus, ANDERSON is considered to be “reasonably pertinent” to the instant application.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and was included in previous office action (Non-Final Rejection, dated 10/22/2025).
Examiner's note: Examiner has cited particular paragraphs and columns and line numbers in references as applied to claims above for convenience of the applicant. The specified citations are representative of teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within individual claims. However, other passages and figures may apply. It is respectfully requested that in preparing responses, along with consideration of context of the passage taught by the prior art as considered by Examiner, Applicant consider references in their entirety, with references therein, as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TONI D SAUNCY whose telephone number is (703)756-4589. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Catherine Rastovski can be reached at 571-270-0349. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TONI D SAUNCY/Examiner, Art Unit 2857
/Catherine T. Rastovski/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
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