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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on May 8, 2026 has been entered.
Status of Claims/Response to Amendments
Claims 1-11 and 13-21 are currently pending in this application in response to the claim amendments filed on May 8, 2026. The 102 rejections as presented in the Final Office Action mailed on 02/12/2026 has been withdrawn. The following rejections are newly presented based on a new prior art identified from an updated search.
Claim Objections
Claims 21 and 13-16 are objected to because of the following informality: Claim 21 first recites “at least one signal processing module” (at line 3) but later recites “each at least one signal processing module” (at line 4) and “the respective signal processing module” (beginning at lines 6-7 and numerous other lines within claim 21). These limitations are interpreted as a broad limitation (“at least one signal processing module”) together with a narrow limitations (“each at least one signal processing module” and “the respective signal processing module”) that falls within the broad limitation (in the same claim), thus the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). Claim 21 is considered unclear because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
Claims 13-16 are further objected for being dependent upon an objected base claim 21. Appropriate corrections are required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-11, 13, and 16-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Canedo et al. (US-2020/0050167-A1).
With respect to claim 1, Canedo teaches a signal processing module for processing electrical signals exchanged between at least one field device and a programmable logic controller (I/O modules 1-2 receiving and processing sensor inputs from field devices and PLCs 1-4, abstract and figs.1-3, [0006-0010]), comprising:
a first connection component configured to electrically connect the signal processing module to the PLC and the at least one field device (ports from each of I/O modules 1-2 [0007,0009] to communicate1 to each of the PLCs 1-2/3-4 and the sensors/actuators of at least one field device in order to transfer sensor inputs to each PLC [0006], to receive processing results from each PLC [0006], to send a regeneration command to the PLCs to instruct the PLCs to be reset [0008], and to receive a regeneration complete message from each PLC [0009]);
a communication component configured to send information signals to the PLC (ports from each of I/O modules 1-2 [0007,0009] to send a regeneration command to the PLC to instruct the PLC to be reset [0008]); and
a signal processing component configured to process the electrical signals exchanged between the PLC and the at least one field device according to a functional scope of the signal processing module (failover control of I/O modules 1-2 {See fig.3}, to process the electrical signals from sensors {of field devices [0006]} and from the PLCs 1-2/3-4 {See fig.3} in accordance to the failover architecture of the I/O modules 1-2 and to determine whether there are any inconsistencies between the processing results received from each PLC, [0005-0006] and figs.1-3),
wherein the information signals are indicative of the functional scope (I/O module receiving sensor input from field devices…to determine whether there are any inconsistencies between the processing results received from each PLC in the first group of PLCs, [0006,0010,0032]).
With respect to claim 2, Canedo teaches wherein the communication component is configured to send the information signals indicative of the functional scope in response to: the electric connection by the first connection component, and/or the electric connection of the signal processing module to the PLC, and/or a request for the functional scope received from the PLC via the first connection component (connection does not take effect until the PLC images in the PLC Bank 1 are ready; this is communicated through a regeneration complete message…the regeneration command may be a simple message indicating that all PLCs are ready (e.g., a binary value with 1 indicating ready); while, in other embodiments, the regeneration complete message may include additional information regarding the status of the PLCs in the bank [0034]).
With respect to claim 3, Canedo teaches wherein the communication component is configured to send the information signals to the PLC via the first connection component and/or a wireless interface (a user-defined communication protocol is used for all the components to exchange messages containing instructions and their status. The components include the PLCs, the firewall, the engineering system, the PLC input filters, the I/O modules, and the failover algorithms…user-defined communication protocols can be created using the “Open User Communication” via Industrial Ethernet TCP protocol. Siemens TIA Portal Engineering System, for example, provides the so called “T blocks” in the Standard Library to enable user-defined communication. For example, FB65 “TCON” is used to establish a connection, FB66 “TDISCON” is used for ending a connection, FB63 “TSEND” is used for sending data, and FB64 “TRECV” is used for receiving data [0038]; functionality of any given programming component of the present disclosure may be distributed among multiple programming components that are connected, for example, via wired or wireless interfaces [0057]).
With respect to claim 4, Canedo teaches wherein the first connection component is arranged at an edge of the signal processing module and for electrical connection is mated or configured to mate with a second connection component of a system comprising the PLC (Each of the PLC1-2/3-4 are interpreted to electrically connected at an edge of the I/O modules 1-2, figs.1-3)
With respect to claim 5, Canedo teaches wherein the signal processing module is configured to process analogue and/or digital electrical signals of the functional scope (I/O modules directly receiving sensor signals and the sensor signals are interpreted to be analog signals and data communications between the I/O modules to the actuators and to the PLCs 1-2/3-4 are interpreted to be digital signals, figs.1-3).
With respect to claim 6, Canedo teaches wherein the functional scope of the signal processing module comprises at least one of the following signal processing operations: converting an electrical signal detected by the at least one field device to a digital input (DI) of the PLC electrically connected by the first connection component; converting an electrical signal detected by the first connection component from a digital output (DO) of the PLC to the at least one field device; converting an electrical signal detected by the at least one field device to an analogue input (AI) of the PLC electrically connected by the first connection component; converting an electrical signal detected by the first connection component from an analogue output (AO) of the PLC to the at least one field device; providing a digital input (DI) towards the at least one field device, the DI being configured to acquire the electrical signals of the at least one field device; providing a digital output (DO) towards the at least one field device, the DO being configured to output the electrical signals to the at least one field device; providing an analogue input (AI) towards the at least one field device, the AI being configured to acquire the electrical signals of the at least one field device; and providing an analogue output (AO) to the at least one field device, the AO being configured to output the electrical signals to the at least one field device (I/O modules requires data conversion between analog to digital vs digital to analog to perform the processes where I/O modules1-2 directly receiving sensor signals and the sensor signals are interpreted to be of analog signals and data communications between the I/O modules to the actuators and to the PLCs 1-2/3-4 are interpreted to be of digital signals, figs.1-3;).
With respect to claim 7, Canedo teaches wherein the functional scope comprises at least two alternative states of signal processing by the signal processing module (connection does not take effect until the PLC images in the PLC Bank 1 are ready; this is communicated through a regeneration complete message…the regeneration command may be a simple message indicating that all PLCs are ready (e.g., a binary value with 1 indicating ready); while, in other embodiments, the regeneration complete message may include additional information regarding the status of the PLCs in the bank [0034]).
With respect to claim 8, Canedo teaches wherein the functional scope of the signal processing module is unchangeable2 (connection does not take effect until the PLC images in the PLC Bank 1 are ready; this is communicated through a regeneration complete message…the regeneration command may be a simple message indicating that all PLCs are ready (e.g., a binary value with 1 indicating ready); while, in other embodiments, the regeneration complete message may include additional information regarding the status of the PLCs in the bank [0034]; a user-defined communication protocol is used for all the components to exchange messages containing instructions and their status. The components include the PLCs, the firewall, the engineering system, the PLC input filters, the I/O modules, and the failover algorithms…user-defined communication protocols can be created using the “Open User Communication” via Industrial Ethernet TCP protocol. Siemens TIA Portal Engineering System, for example, provides the so called “T blocks” in the Standard Library to enable user-defined communication. For example, FB65 “TCON” is used to establish a connection, FB66 “TDISCON” is used for ending a connection, FB63 “TSEND” is used for sending data, and FB64 “TRECV” is used for receiving data. FIG. 5 shows an example of the FB63 “TSEND” block. The user-defined message is sent to the input parameter DATA, and the message length to the input parameter LEN. In this example, the message is stored in DB100 data block and is 100 bytes long. The send request is triggered by a positive edge at the input parameter “REQ”. If the send request is running, the “SEND BUSY” variable is set. The output parameters “DONE”, “ERROR”, and “STATUS” are required to evaluate the execution of FB63 [0038]).
With respect to claim 9, Canedo teaches wherein the information signals comprise at least one of the following identifiers: a signal processing module identifier indicative of the signal processing module; a connection component identifier indicative of the first connection component of the signal processing module; a connection state identifier indicative of a state of the electrical connection between the signal processing module and the PLC; a functional scope identifier indicative of the functional scope; an operational state identifier indicative of an operational state of processing the electrical signals and/or an operational state of the signal processing module; an application identifier indicative of an application of the electrical signals and/or indicative of a device type of the at least one field device; and a waveform identifier indicative of a waveform of the electrical signals (PLC uses an SD Card 405 to store the program configurations (labeled “Bak_1.dmp,” “Bak_2.dmp,” etc.)… randomized program configurations on the SD Card 405 are sequentially numbered. Then, a random number is selected within the range of numbers. Once selected, the identifier (e.g., filename) of the configuration is delivered to the programming component that performs the read of the SD Card [0036]; connection does not take effect until the PLC images in the PLC Bank 1 are ready; this is communicated through a regeneration complete message…the regeneration command may be a simple message indicating that all PLCs are ready (e.g., a binary value with 1 indicating ready); while, in other embodiments, the regeneration complete message may include additional information regarding the status of the PLCs in the bank [0034]).
With respect to claim 10, Canedo teaches wherein, of the functional scope, the first connection component and/or the communication component and/or the signal processing component is configured for unidirectional or bidirectional communication of the electrical signals (the following teachings defined at least a unidirectional or bidirectional communication: a user-defined communication protocol is used for all the components to exchange messages containing instructions and their status. The components include the PLCs, the firewall, the engineering system, the PLC input filters, the I/O modules, and the failover algorithms…user-defined communication protocols can be created using the “Open User Communication” via Industrial Ethernet TCP protocol. Siemens TIA Portal Engineering System, for example, provides the so called “T blocks” in the Standard Library to enable user-defined communication. For example, FB65 “TCON” is used to establish a connection, FB66 “TDISCON” is used for ending a connection, FB63 “TSEND” is used for sending data, and FB64 “TRECV” is used for receiving data. FIG. 5 shows an example of the FB63 “TSEND” block. The user-defined message is sent to the input parameter DATA, and the message length to the input parameter LEN. In this example, the message is stored in DB100 data block and is 100 bytes long. The send request is triggered by a positive edge at the input parameter “REQ”. If the send request is running, the “SEND BUSY” variable is set. The output parameters “DONE”, “ERROR”, and “STATUS” are required to evaluate the execution of FB63 [0038]).
With respect to claim 11, Canedo teaches wherein the first connection component and/or the communication component and/or the signal processing component is configured for serial communication of the electrical signals and/or the information signals with the PLC (transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including the wires that make up a system bus, [0058]).
With respect to claim 17, Canedo teaches wherein the analogue and/or digital electrical signals of the functional scope comprise logic level electrical signals and/or modulated electrical signals (the regeneration command may be a simple message indicating that all PLCs are ready (e.g., a binary value with 1 indicating ready); while, in other embodiments, the regeneration complete message may include additional information regarding the status of the PLCs in the bank [0034]; FB65 “TCON” is used to establish a connection, FB66 “TDISCON” is used for ending a connection, FB63 “TSEND” is used for sending data, and FB64 “TRECV” is used for receiving data [0038]).
With respect to claim 18, Canedo teaches wherein the communication component is configured to receive control signals from the PLC via the first connection component, with the control signals specifying a state of the alternative states, and the signal processing component is configured to assume the specified signal processing state (the I/O 2 enables the actuator port and the control signals can be written to the actuators to resume control of the physical system. Notice that the I/O 2 module is connected back to the I/O 1 module through failover control signals. However, this connection does not take effect until the PLC images in the PLC Bank 1 are ready; this is communicated through a regeneration complete message. In some embodiments, the regeneration command may be a simple message indicating that all PLCs are ready (e.g., a binary value with 1 indicating ready); while, in other embodiments, the regeneration complete message may include additional information regarding the status of the PLCs in the bank [0034]).
With respect to claim 19, Canedo teaches wherein the information signals comprise the indication of the functional scope (the I/O 2 enables the actuator port and the control signals can be written to the actuators to resume control of the physical system. Notice that the I/O 2 module is connected back to the I/O 1 module through failover control signals. However, this connection does not take effect until the PLC images in the PLC Bank 1 are ready; this is communicated through a regeneration complete message. In some embodiments, the regeneration command may be a simple message indicating that all PLCs are ready (e.g., a binary value with 1 indicating ready); while, in other embodiments, the regeneration complete message may include additional information regarding the status of the PLCs in the bank [0034]).
With respect to claim 20, Canedo wherein, of the functional scope, the first connection component and/or the communication component and/or the signal processing component is configured for unidirectional or bidirectional communication of the electrical signals with the PLC and/or the at least one field device (the following teachings defined at least a unidirectional or bidirectional communication: a user-defined communication protocol is used for all the components to exchange messages containing instructions and their status. The components include the PLCs, the firewall, the engineering system, the PLC input filters, the I/O modules, and the failover algorithms…user-defined communication protocols can be created using the “Open User Communication” via Industrial Ethernet TCP protocol. Siemens TIA Portal Engineering System, for example, provides the so called “T blocks” in the Standard Library to enable user-defined communication. For example, FB65 “TCON” is used to establish a connection, FB66 “TDISCON” is used for ending a connection, FB63 “TSEND” is used for sending data, and FB64 “TRECV” is used for receiving data. FIG. 5 shows an example of the FB63 “TSEND” block. The user-defined message is sent to the input parameter DATA, and the message length to the input parameter LEN. In this example, the message is stored in DB100 data block and is 100 bytes long. The send request is triggered by a positive edge at the input parameter “REQ”. If the send request is running, the “SEND BUSY” variable is set. The output parameters “DONE”, “ERROR”, and “STATUS” are required to evaluate the execution of FB63 [0038]).
With respect to claim 21, Canedo teaches a system for exchanging electrical signals between at least one field device and a programmable logic controller (system of figs.1-3 for exchanging electrical signals between field devices {via sensors and actuators)} and PLCs 1-4, figs.1-3), comprising:
at least one signal processing module for processing the electrical signals exchanged between the at least one field device and the PLC, each at least one signal processing module (each of I/O modules 1-2 to process the electrical signals exchanged between sensors and actuators of field devices and the PLCs 1-4, fig.1/3 and [0006-0010]) comprising:
a first connection component configured to electrically connect the respective signal processing module to the at least one field device and the PLC (ports from each of the I/O modules 1-2 [0007,0009] to communicate3 to each of the PLCs 1-2/3-4 and the sensors/actuators of at least one field device in order to transfer sensor inputs to each PLC [0006], to receive processing results from each PLC [0006], to send a regeneration command to the PLCs to instruct the PLCs to be reset [0008], and to receive a regeneration complete message from each PLC [0009]),
a communication component configured to send information signals to the PLC (ports from each of the I/O modules 1-2 [0007,0009] to send a regeneration command to the PLC to instruct the PLC to be reset [0008]), and
a signal processing component configured to process the electrical signals exchanged between the at least one field device and the PLC of a functional scope of the respective signal processing module, the information signals being indicative of the functional scope (failover control of each of the I/O modules 1-2 {See fig.3}, to process the electrical signals from sensors {of field devices [0006]} and from the PLCs 1-2/3-4 {See fig.3} in accordance to the failover architecture of each of the I/O modules 1-2 and to determine whether there are any inconsistencies between the processing results received from each PLC, [0005-0006] and figs.1-3; each of the I/O modules 1-2 to receive and process sensor input from field devices…to determine whether there are any inconsistencies between the processing results received from each PLC in the first group of PLCs, [0006,0010,0032]);
the PLC providing at least one port for exchanging the electrical signals (PLCs 1-4 providing at least one port for exchanging the electrical signals to and from the PLCs 1-4 as disclosed in figs.1-3); and
at least two second connection components which are electrically connected to the at least one port of the PLC and which are each configured to electrically connect the PLC to the at least one signal processing module via its first connection component (each of the I/O modules 1-2 [0007,0009] to electrically connect to the PLCs 1-2 or to the PLCs 3-4 as disclosed in figs.1-2),
wherein the PLC is configured to receive information signals from the at least one signal processing module and to exchange the electrical signals with each respective signal processing module via the at least two second connection components of the functional scope of the respective signal processing module (PLCs 1-2 or PLCs 3-4 to receive information signals from either of the I/O module 1 or 2 respectively when the either of the I/O module 1 or 2 to transfer sensor inputs to each PLCs 1-2 [0006] and when the I/O module 1 or 2 to send a regeneration command to the PLCs to instruct the PLCs to be reset [0008] and to send results to the I/O modules 1-2 [0006], and to send a regeneration complete message to the I/O modules 1-2 [0009]), and
wherein the information signals from each respective signal processing module are indicative of the functional scope of each respective signal processing module (each of the I/O modules 1-2 receiving sensor input from field devices…to determine whether there are any inconsistencies between the processing results received from group of PLCs, [0006,0010,0032]).
With resepect to claim 13, Canedo teaches comprising at least two of the signal processing modules (I/O modules 1-2, figs.1-3), each of whose first connection components are electrically connected to a different one of the second connection components (I/O module 1 communicates to I/O module 2 via failover control and/or multiplexer, figs.1-3) and each of which is configured to send the information signal to the PLC (ports from each of I/O modules 1-2 [0007,0009] to send a regeneration command to the PLC to instruct the PLC to be reset [0008]) and to process the electrical signals exchanged between the at least one field device and the PLC of the functional scope of the respective signal processing module (failover control of each of the I/O modules 1-2 {See fig.3}, to process the electrical signals from sensors {of field devices [0006]} and from the PLCs 1-2/3-4 {See fig.3} in accordance to the failover architecture of each of the I/O modules 1-2 and to determine whether there are any inconsistencies between the processing results received from each PLC, [0005-0006] and figs.1-3; each of the I/O modules 1-2 to receive and process sensor input from field devices…to determine whether there are any inconsistencies between the processing results received from each PLC in the first group of PLCs, [0006,0010,0032]).
With respect to claim 16, Canedo teaches wherein the PLC comprises a connection to a higher-level control center and is configured to send the electrical signals (PLCs 1-4 are controlled via user-defined protocols over Industrial Ethernet and TCP, fig.6 and [0038]), the information signals and/or the signals derived therefrom to the higher-level control center, and/or receive instructions from the higher-level control center for controlling the processing of the electrical signals and send control signals in accordance with the instructions to one of the signal processing modules, and/or receive instructions from the higher-level control center for controlling the at least one field device and send electrical signals to the at least one field device in accordance with the instruction (PLC comprises an operating system and a user program. The operating system provides the intrinsic PLC functionality (e.g., handling of restart and errors, memory management, calling the user program, etc.), [0039]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious, which makes the following claims allowable over the prior art:
With respect to claim 14, wherein the information signals are indicative of an identifier of the respective signal processing module and the at least one port provided by the PLC comprises a serial port electrically connected to the at least two second connection components for exchanging the electrical signals, and wherein the PLC is configured to exchange the electrical signals with the at least two signal processing modules via the serial port, and wherein the at least two signal processing modules are differentiated and/or addressed by their respective identifiers.
With respect to claim 15, wherein a respective port of the PLC is electrically connected to a respective other one of the at least two second connection components, and wherein the PLC is configured to configure the port electrically connected to the respective second connection component in response to the information signals from the at least two signal processing modules of the functional scope indicated via that port.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HIEN (CINDY) D KHUU whose telephone number is (571)272-8585. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8a-8p.
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/HIEN D KHUU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116 May 14, 2026
1 Canedo discloses at [0038] a user-defined communication protocol is used for all the components to exchange messages containing instructions and their status. The components include the PLCs, the firewall, the engineering system, the PLC input filters, the I/O modules, and the failover algorithms…user-defined communication protocols can be created using the “Open User Communication” via Industrial Ethernet TCP protocol…provides the so called “T blocks” in the Standard Library to enable user-defined communication. For example, FB65 “TCON” is used to establish a connection, FB66 “TDISCON” is used for ending a connection, FB63 “TSEND” is used for sending data, and FB64 “TRECV” is used for receiving data.
2 The claim interpretation for the limitation “the functional scope of the signal processing module is unchangeable” is based on the broadest reasonable interpretation in light of the specification: “The PLC can be designed to detect the functional scope by means of the information signals and output an error message (for example to the control center) if the functional scope is not suitable for a sequence control stored in the PLC.” See Specification at [0053].
3 Canedo discloses at [0038] a user-defined communication protocol is used for all the components to exchange messages containing instructions and their status. The components include the PLCs, the firewall, the engineering system, the PLC input filters, the I/O modules, and the failover algorithms…user-defined communication protocols can be created using the “Open User Communication” via Industrial Ethernet TCP protocol…provides the so called “T blocks” in the Standard Library to enable user-defined communication. For example, FB65 “TCON” is used to establish a connection, FB66 “TDISCON” is used for ending a connection, FB63 “TSEND” is used for sending data, and FB64 “TRECV” is used for receiving data.
Prosecution Insights