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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 6-10, 12-14, 17, 18 and 22-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Newport et al. (U.S. 2017/0205295, hereafter referred to as Newport).
Regarding claims 1 and 17, Newport teaches a system comprising: a multi-path loop component, the multi-path loop component including a plurality of interleaved discontinuous conductive paths that form a parallel circuit component; and a logic circuit operatively coupled to the multi-path loop component, the logic circuit configured to detect whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by at least one of the plurality of interleaved discontinuous conductive paths in response to at least one environmental condition in an area defined by the plurality of interleaved discontinuous conductive paths, and the logic circuit configured to output a signal that indicates that formation of the continuous circuit path has been detected (see para. 0085, ‘FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate an embodiment of a gel-based temperature indicator 500 that utilizes conductive particles 590 to allow an electric current to flow through a first substrate 510 when exposed to a temperature in excess of an allowable deviation. First electrode 502 and second electrode 504 are in electrical communication with a portion of first substrate 510 that is initially free of conductive particles 590. First gel 540, which includes conductive particles 590, is initially located in a different portion of first substrate 510, positioned on a surface of first substrate 510, or located in a separate substrate affixed to or positioned adjacent to first substrate 510. While indicator 500 is exposed to temperatures within an allowable deviation of a desired temperature, first gel 540 and conductive particles 590 remain immobile. When the ambient temperature exceeds the allowable deviation, first gel 540 liquefies and flows or migrates into the area of first substrate 510 between first electrode 502 and second electrode 504 carrying conductive particles 590 along with it. The presence of conductive particles 590 in the area of first substrate 510 between first electrode 502 and second electrode 504 allows an electric current to flow between the two electrodes, thereby sending a signal by wire or wirelessly to a monitoring device’; additionally see para. 0045).
Regarding claims 2 and 18, Newport further teaches further an antenna, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output the signal via the antenna in response to detecting that the continuous circuit path has been formed (see para. 0085, transmission may be wireless; additionally see para. 0045).
Regarding claims 6 and 22, Newport further teaches a substrate, wherein the multi-path loop component is formed from at least one metallic etching etched into the substrate or transfer of an electrically conductive ink onto the substrate (see para. 0081, 0090).
Regarding claims 7 and 23, Newport further teaches a reactive component 540 that reacts to the at least one environmental condition (temperature), the reactive component including a conductive material 590 disposed proximate to the area defined by the plurality of interleaved discontinuous conductive paths (electrodes (504, 502), and the volume therebetween in upper area of component 530), the conductive material being spaced away from the plurality of interleaved discontinuous conductive paths prior to the at least one environment condition, and the reactive component 540 reacting to the at least one environment condition to cause the conductive material to contact at least a portion of the area to form the continuous circuit path at least one of during or after the at least one environmental condition (see para. 0085).
Regarding claims 8, 9, 24 and 25, Newport further teaches wherein the reactive component includes a meltable component (see para. 0106) that separates the conductive material from the plurality of interleaved discontinuous conductive paths, and the meltable component melts in response to the at least one environment; wherein the at least one environmental condition includes at least one of a temperature that satisfies a temperature threshold, a humidity that satisfies a humidity threshold, a pressure that satisfies a pressure threshold, a mechanical property that satisfies a mechanical property threshold, exposure to a specified level of a chemical, or light that satisfies an illumination threshold condition (see para. 0106, ‘When the gels melt in response to a temperature in excess of an allowable deviation from a desired temperature...’).
Regarding claim 10, Newport further teaches wherein the environmental condition corresponds to the deposition of a conductive material 590 onto the area of the plurality of interleaved discontinuous conductive paths in response to damage to or abnormal operation (temperature deviation) of an object being monitored by the logic circuit.
Regarding claims 12-14, using broadest reasonable interpretation, there are several paths that are formed once the conductive gel migrates into the area of first substrate 510 between first electrode 502 and second electrode 504 carrying conductive particles 590 along with it. The presence of conductive particles 590 in the area of first substrate 510 between first electrode 502 and second electrode 504 allows an electric current to flow between the two electrodes (see para. 0085).
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) 3, 5 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newport.
Regarding claims 3 and 19, Newport further teaches wireless transmission of an output signal, however does not specify RF communication via the antenna.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the device of Newport, as an obvious matter of design choice in using RF communication, since applicant has not disclosed that RF communication solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with any generic antenna.
Regarding claim 5, Newport teaches all the claimed limitations except wherein discontinuities of adjacent ones of the plurality of interleaved discontinuous paths 590 are at least partially offset from each other.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the device of Newport since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Claim(s) 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newport in view of Kozono et al. (U.S. 2016/0290871, hereafter referred to as Kozono).
Newport teaches the claimed invention except a second multi-path loop component; and/or a second logic circuit.
Kozono teaches a similar environmental detector comprising a second multi-path loop (multiple contacted and contiguous junctions of conductive powder 5 within resin 6) operatively coupled to the logic circuit 24 in parallel or series with the multi-path loop (see para. 0060); Kozono further teaches a first and second logic circuit (24b, 26).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the device of Newport with the teaching of Kozono in order to increase sensor accuracy.
Allowable Subject Matter
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMEL E WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)270-7027. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 10am-4pm.
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/JAMEL E WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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