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 .
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(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (Chinese Patent Document CN111306378; hereinafter referred to as Li), and further in view of Ding et al. (Chinese Patent Document Number CN109708774; hereinafter referred to as Ding), and further still in view of Lennon (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2017/0089496).
With respect to claim 1, Li discloses and illustrates a structure suitable for use with a pipeline having a plurality of pipe sections (see Figures 1, 3, and 9), the structure shaped and dimensioned to couple at least two pipe sections (see Figures 1, 3, and 9), the structure comprising: a housing (upper half body 11 and lower half body 12) shaped and dimensioned to carry at least one device (integrated sensor 16) capable of receiving at least one detection signal associated with the pipeline (the sensor receives pressure or temperature signals), the detection signal being communicable within at least a portion of the pipeline (communication to at least wireless transmitter 17), wherein the detection signal is capable of being received by an analyzer for analysis to determine at least one defect associable with the pipeline (monitor 2 receives the signals which then can be sent to an analyzer as the signals are used to monitor pressure and temperature for ensuring safe operation per the last paragraph of the summary of the invention.). Li fails to disclose the detection signal comprising an acoustic emission signal. However, Ding teaches a passive wireless temperature sensor that comprises an acoustic surface wave sensor chip (see at least the translated abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the acoustic wave sensor chip temperature sensor for the temperature sensor arrangement in Li. One motivation to use the sensor arrangement from Ding with the system in Li is that the acoustic sensor arrangement is that the acoustic surface wave arrangement is less susceptible to temperature and is a more stable sensor which would provide more accurate and reliable real time monitoring of temperature in the pipe. However, neither Li or Ding disclose or teach a detection signal associated with a structural characteristic of the pipeline or determining at least one defect associable with the structural characteristic of the pipeline. However, Lennon teaches a sensor arrangement that can be located either externally or internally of a fluid fitting. The sensor in Lennon is disclosed to be capable to identify any or all of properties, status, and condition of a fluid fitting (see at least paragraph [0031] of the Lennon reference). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the sensor arrangement taught in Lennon with the arrangements of Li and Ding in as Lennon teaches that such a sensor arrangement allows obtaining real time data and may reduce or remove the need for post installation inspections (see at least paragraph [0031] of Lennon).
With respect to claim 2, the structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure corresponds to a clamping structure capable of clamping at least two pipe sections such that the structure and the at least two pipe sections form an integral unit so that the device is securely installed on the pipeline without disrupting a pipeline passageway (see at least figure 3 of Li).
With respect to claim 3, the structure according to claim 1, wherein the housing is shaped and dimensioned in a manner so that at least one opening is defined (through hole 112 of Li), and wherein the device (sensor 16 of Li) is carried within the housing and the detection signal is receivable by the device via the opening wire in through hole (112).
With respect to claim 4, the structure according to claim 3, wherein the opening is shaped and dimensioned in a manner so as to accommodate an “O” ring (rubber ring 15) for impeding water seepage and leakage in respect of the device (see Figures 4 and 6 of Li).
With respect to claim 7, an inspection method for inspecting a pipeline, the pipeline including a plurality of pipe sections, the inspection method comprising: providing a structure capable of carrying at least one device configurable to receive at least one detection signal associable with the pipeline (see Figures 1-4 of Li), the detection signal being communicable within at least a portion of the pipeline (communicable to wireless transmitter 17 of Li); coupling at least two pipe sections using the structure so that a passageway is formed through the pipeline (see upper half body 11 and lower half body 12 of Li that hold a pipe therebetween); wherein the detection signal is capable of being received by an analyzer for analysis to determine at least one defect associable with the pipeline (monitor 2 of Li receives the signals which then can be sent to an analyzer as the signals are used to monitor pressure and temperature for ensuring safe operation per the last paragraph of the summary of the invention.). Li fails to disclose the detection signal comprising an acoustic emission signal. Ding teaches a passive wireless temperature sensor that comprises an acoustic surface wave sensor chip (see at least the translated abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the acoustic wave sensor chip temperature sensor for the temperature sensor arrangement in Li. One motivation to use the sensor arrangement from Ding with the system in Li is that the acoustic sensor arrangement is that the acoustic surface wave arrangement is less susceptible to temperature and is a more stable sensor which would provide more accurate and reliable real time monitoring of temperature in the pipe. However, neither Li or Ding disclose or teach a detection signal associated with a structural characteristic of the pipeline or determining at least one defect associable with the structural characteristic of the pipeline. However, Lennon teaches a sensor arrangement that can be located either externally or internally of a fluid fitting. The sensor in Lennon is disclosed to be capable to identify any or all of properties, status, and condition of a fluid fitting (see at least paragraph [0031] of the Lennon reference). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the sensor arrangement taught in Lennon with the arrangements of Li and Ding in as Lennon teaches that such a sensor arrangement allows obtaining real time data and may reduce or remove the need for post installation inspections (see at least paragraph [0031] of Lennon).
With respect to claim 8, Li discloses and illustrates a structure suitable for use with a pipeline comprising a pair of pipe sections (see Figures 1, 3, and 9), the structure comprising: an inner surface of a shape and dimension to conform to outer surfaces of the pair of pipe sections (upper half body 11 and lower half body 12; see Figure 3); and a housing disposed on an outer portion of the structure, the housing shaped and dimensioned to carry a first inspection device (integrated sensor 16; the sensor receives pressure or temperature signals), and configured to allow the first inspection device to receive a detection signal associated with the pipeline (communication to at least wireless transmitter 17 from sensor 16). Li fails to disclose the detection signal comprising an acoustic emission signal. Ding teaches a passive wireless temperature sensor that comprises an acoustic surface wave sensor chip (see at least the translated abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the acoustic wave sensor chip temperature sensor for the temperature sensor arrangement in Li. One motivation to use the sensor arrangement from Ding with the system in Li is that the acoustic sensor arrangement is that the acoustic surface wave arrangement is less susceptible to temperature and is a more stable sensor which would provide more accurate and reliable real time monitoring of temperature in the pipe. However, neither Li or Ding disclose or teach a detection signal associated with a structural characteristic of the pipeline or determining at least one defect associable with the structural characteristic of the pipeline. However, Lennon teaches a sensor arrangement that can be located either externally or internally of a fluid fitting. The sensor in Lennon is disclosed to be capable to identify any or all of properties, status, and condition of a fluid fitting (see at least paragraph [0031] of the Lennon reference). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the sensor arrangement taught in Lennon with the arrangements of Li and Ding in as Lennon teaches that such a sensor arrangement allows obtaining real time data and may reduce or remove the need for post installation inspections (see at least paragraph [0031] of Lennon).
With respect to claim 9, the structure according to claim 8, further wherein the structure is configured to clamp the pair of pipe sections such that, upon clamping, the structure and the pair of pipe sections form an integral unit without disrupting the pipeline passageway (see at least figure 3 of Li).
With respect to claim 10, the structure of claim 8, further comprising an opening in the inner surface of the structure (through hole 112), wherein when the first inspection device is disposed within the housing, the detection signal is receivable by the first inspection device from within the pipeline via the opening (see at least Figure 4 and 6 as the wire in the through hole enables the signal to get to the transmitter 17).
With respect to claim 11, the structure of claim 10, further wherein an “O” ring is disposed within the opening (rubber ring 15, see Figures 4 and 6 of Li).
With respect to claims 5, 6, 12, and 13, neither reference explicitly discloses the use of more than one sensing device on the ring arrangement. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide more than one sensor in order to obtain a more complete picture of the pipe as a single sensor might not be able to detect situations around a circumference of the pipe. With a similar thought process, one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to place multiple sensors around the entire perimeter of the pipe in order to obtain a complete picture of the pipe at one time, thus orthogonal placement of the sensors would be advantageous to get a more complete measurement in a single pass or operation of the sensor.
With respect to claim 14, neither reference explicitly discloses the use of a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene seal tape. However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to use polytetrafluoroethylene seal tape since the device is used for pipes that are fitted together, and to provide a means to ensure the pipe is fitted together well and not prone to leaks at the seams. Thus, the use of polytetrafluoroethylene seal tape would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to help seal the seams and prevent pipe damage from lakes at the seams or where pipe sections are screwed together or attached.
With respect to claims 15 and 16, neither reference explicitly discloses a heat insulation or an explosion proof material. However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize various materials would ensure that the housing and structure are able to withstand the environment for which they are being used and therefore the use of heat insulation (claim 15) and an explosion proof material (claim 16) would be obvious choices in the device is used in a high heat, high pressure environment to ensure the device can operate as intended.
With respect to claim 17, none of the references explicitly discloses a cable gland and a conduit for positioning cables. However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize a cable gland since the device is used on pipes, which are often underground. One of ordinary skill in the art would want to use a means to position and guide cables if attached to the device to ensure the device is able to operate as intended and get signals from the device to any other equipment as needed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12 December 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. First, the Examiner notes that the Applicant argues what each applied reference lacks individually. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of 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 Examiner notes that there are no arguments individually about reference D1, thus those rejections are deemed to be applicable and agreed with. In particular, with respect to arguments concerning reference D2, the Applicant argues that “D2 may disclose a temperature sensor that comprises an acoustic surface wave sensor chip. By adopting surface acoustic wave (SAW) passive wireless sensing technology and mounting the SAW sensor relative to the cable terminal, the problems of low efficiency and unstable temperature measurement devices in traditional switchgear temperature monitoring that rely on on-site manual monitoring can be solved, enabling remote, real-time, and safe monitoring of the temperature of electrical elements (See the section of summary of invention in D2). Notably, D2 uses an acoustic surface wave sensor chip, which detects surface acoustic waves (SAW), rather than acoustic emission signals. An acoustic surface wave sensor chip is a device that uses acoustic waves traveling along the surface of a piezoelectric material in the sensor to detect physical changes (such as temperature and pressure) in the environment. These environmental changes affect the wave's velocity or attenuation. For example, in D2, when the temperature of cable terminal 5 changes, the surface acoustic wave sensor chip 1 can quickly detect the temperature information through heat conduction of the sensor support 4 (See the fourth paragraph from the end of last page of D2 document). Nevertheless, this fails to cure the noted deficiencies of D1. An acoustic emission signal recited in claim 1 refers to a transient elastic wave generated by the sudden release of energy within a material. For example, one or more transient stress waves may be produced by a rapid release of energy during a corrosion process occurring along the pipeline, which can then be used to detect corrosion in the pipeline (See lines 29-32 of page 6 of PCT publication).” The Examiner disagrees. The section of the specification the Applicant cites states: “ In the example implementation, the aforementioned device(s) can correspond to acoustic emission (AE) sensor(s). An AE sensor can, example, correspond to a piezoelectric (PZT) type sensor which can measure the AE signal(s) which can, for example, correspond to elastic wave(s) generated by the distortion produced during the corrosion process. One or more AE signals can be indicative of one or more corrosion reactions which taking place during data acquisition.” The Applicant’s own specification indicates a piezoelectric type acoustic emission sensor is suitable, which is what a SAW type sensor is. It also appears to disclose that the SAW sensor does provide the type of sensing that is intended by the Applicant. Citing examples of an AE sensor does not preclude or exclude the SAW type sensor, which is commonly used to measure stress and strain. If the wave intended by the applicant is a stress wave, then the SAW sensor capable of measuring stress would still provide the sensing type as needed. For at least this reason, the Applicant’s argument is not persuasive. With respect to the argument against reference D3, the Applicant argues:” However, D3 is directed to providing a sensor for identifying any of the properties, status, or condition of the fluid fitting 10 (coupling body or ring), as well as the quality of the attachment between the fluid fitting and the pipe (see paragraph [0031] of D3), and NOT for identifying the information regarding the structural characteristic of the pipeline itself. For completeness, the sensor used in D3 is strain sensors. These transducers typically produce a small electrical resistance change in response to the movement (strain) of the structure to which they are attached (See paragraph [0027] of D3).” The Examiner disagrees. First, there is nothing that distinguishes the fitting from the pipeline. Once the fitting is connecting portions of the pipeline together, the fitting is now a part of the pipeline itself. Therefore, measuring the fitting is measuring the pipeline, as claimed. The Applicant appears to be intending to argue a measurement of a length of a pipeline section. That’s not what is claimed and intention is different than specifics, so a measurement along any part of the pipeline, including the coupling, meets the claim limitation. For at least this reason, the arguments with respect to D3 alone are not persuasive. Since the arguments of the references individually are not persuasive, then the rejection is being deemed to valid and the rejection is being maintained. Further, as a piecemeal argument of the references individually does not properly show error in how the combination of references are applied with respect to the claims, then the argument as a whole is not persuasive. Therefore, the rejection is being maintained.
Conclusion
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 RODNEY T FRANK whose telephone number is (571)272-2193. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5:30pm.
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RODNEY T. FRANK
Examiner
Art Unit 2855
January 6, 2026
/PETER J MACCHIAROLO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855