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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/31/2023 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because lines 5-6 state “The adapter devices is configured”, and the word “devices” should be corrected to “device”, such as “The adapter device is configured”. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [0004] line 6 states “The adapter devices is configured”, and the word “devices” should be corrected to “device”, such as “The adapter device is configured”.
Paragraph [0019] line 2 states “the first series of resistors and the first series of switches is connected” and the word “is” should be corrected to “are”, such as “the first series of resistors and the first series of switches are connected”.
Paragraph [0021] line 7 states “the switches are connected in parallel with in each case one of the resistors”, and should be corrected to “the switches are connected in parallel within each case of one of the resistors”.
Paragraph [0043] line 22 states “the resistors 22 are connected in the second series of resistors 23”, and should be corrected to “the resistors 22 are connected in the second series of resistors 26”. Because 26 is the second series of resistors, not 23.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 line 10 states “the adapter devices is configured”, and the word “devices” should be corrected to “device”, such as “the adapter device is configured”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 12 recites the limitations "the first terminal" and “the second terminal” in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Parent claim 1, upon which claim 12 depends, fails to recite these elements. Furthermore, the claim set creates ambiguity, as claim 5 introduces “terminal” in the context of the device’s input, while claim 6 introduces “contact” in the context of the devices output. It is unclear whether “the first terminal and the second terminal” in claim 12 are intended to refer to the input, the output, or some unclaimed structure.
While claim 12 is rejected as indefinite for lacking antecedent basis, the specification provides some basis for interpretation.
Claim 12 states “a first resistance value is determined which is dependent on the connected or disconnected resistors”. However, because the specification states in paragraph [0024] “when a first voltage is applied to the first and the second terminal, a first resistance value can be determined which is dependent on the connected or disconnected resistors”, and in paragraph [0025] “when a first voltage is applied to the first and second contact or to the second and the third contact, a first resistance value can be determined which is dependent on the connected or disconnected resistors”. These statements are effectively defining “contact” and “terminal” synonymous when describing the output function.
Based on applicant’s own disclosure, for purposes of examination the examiner will interpret claim 12 is intended to mean the output “contact”.
To overcome this rejection under 35 U.S.C 112(b), the applicant must amend claim 12 to resolve the lack of antecedent basis and the inconsistent terminology. For example, applicant may amend claim 12 to depend from claim 6 and recite “the first contact” and “the second contact”.
It should be noted that such an amendment would resolve the formal indefiniteness issues but would not overcome the rejection of this claim under U.S.C 102 as anticipated by Petersson (WO 0192978 A1), since Petersson discloses an output with a first contact (LS) and a second contact (LUT) in figure 6 that performs the recited function.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Petersson (WO 0192978 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Petersson discloses an adapter device (e.g. circuit 41 within module 40b, a second module 40b “can for instance comprise means for processing the position indicating signals…into position indicating output signals in the form of analogue signals”, page 17 [line 25-28], fig. 1 and 6) for transmitting tap positions of an on-load tap-changer (e.g. the field of the invention is a driving mechanism and a tap changer, page 1 [lines 11-13], fig. 1 and 6) from a control device (e.g. supervision and control unit 40, fig. 1) to a secondary device (e.g. indicator 45, figure 1), the adapter device comprising:
an input (e.g. not shown, but there are inputs for the relay contacts S1-S6 and K1-K6 within circuit 41 based on “the closing of the relay contacts is controlled by electronic circuits in the super vision and control unit 40 in dependence on the setting position of the driving mechanism”, page 11 [line 36] – page 12 [lines 1-2]) configured to receive at least one tap position from the control device of the on-load tap-changer (e.g. “the supervision and control unit 40 being adapted to process the sensor signals representing the setting position”, page 19 [lines 10-13]);
an output (e.g. the three line interface comprising lines LS, LUT, and LK of circuit 41, fig. 6) configured to output the tap position of the on-load tap-changer to the secondary device (e.g. “the supervision and control unit 40 is in the later case provided with output lines… depending on the present setting position”, page 11 [lines 14-18]); and
at least one resistor (e.g. resistors RS1-RS6, fig. 6) and at least one switch (e.g. switches S1-S6, fig. 6) which are connected in parallel with one another (e.g. resistors RS1-RS6 in parallel with switches S1-S6, fig. 6),
wherein the adapter devices is configured such that:
depending on the tap position of the on-load tap-changer, the at least one switch is actuated by the control device and the at least one resistor is connected or disconnected (e.g. the control unit 40 actuates the relay contacts within circuit 41 based on the detected position, “the closing of the relay contacts is controlled by electronic circuits in the super vision and control unit 40 in dependence on the setting position of the driving mechanism”, page 11 [line 36] – page 12 [lines 1-2]), and
the output tap position of the on-load tap-changer at the output corresponds to the resistance value of the at least one resistor that has been connected or disconnected (e.g. the output voltage is a direct function of the switched resistance network which is dependent on the tap position. “By closing a certain detected setting position, a gradually varying voltage… is obtained, which voltage depends on the present setting position of the driving mechanism”, page 12 [lines 4-8]). Applicant’s own specification admits that legacy devices require a “resistance value which is output by the application of a voltage” (paragraph [0011] line 7).
Regarding claim 2, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
a plurality of resistors (e.g. resistors RS1-RS6 and resistors RK1-RK6 within circuit 41, fig. 6) is provided, the plurality of resistors comprising the at least one resistor (e.g. resistors RS1-RS6 and resistors RK1-RK6, fig. 6);
the resistors are connected in series (e.g. series resistors RS1-RS6, fig. 6)
the series-connected resistors form a first series of resistors (e.g. circuit 42 comprises the series connected resistors RS1-RS6, fig. 6).
Regarding claim 3, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
a plurality of switches is provided (e.g. switches S1-S6 and switches K1-K6 within circuit 41, fig. 6),
the switches are connected in series (e.g. series switches S1-S6, fig. 6), and
the series-connected switches form a first series of switches (e.g. circuit 42 comprises series switches S1-S6, fig. 6).
Regarding claim 4, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:
in each case, one switch is connected in parallel with a respective one of the resistors (e.g. the resistors RS1-RS6 and switches S1-S6 in circuit 42, fig. 6).
Regarding claim 5, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the input has at least one terminal (e.g. not shown, but the relay switches S1-S6 and K1-K6 input terminals are disclosed by “the closing of the relay contacts is controlled by electronic circuits in the supervision and control unit 40”, page 11 [line 36] – page 12 [line 1], fig. 6),
each terminal is coupled to at least one switch or is assigned to one switch (e.g. not shown, the control terminal for relay S1 is inherently coupled to the relay switch S1, likewise with the control terminal for relay S2 is coupled to the relay switch S2, and so on for all the switches in circuit 41, fig. 6), and
the control device is configured to actuate the corresponding switch via the respective terminal (e.g. for circuit 41 comprising circuits 42 and 43, “the closing of the relay contacts is controlled by electronic circuits in the supervision and control unit 40 in dependence on the setting position”, page 11 [line 36] – page 12 [lines 1-2], fig. 6).
Regarding claim 6, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the output has a first contact (e.g. output line LS of circuit 41, fig. 6) and a second contact (e.g. output line LUT of circuit 41, fig. 6),
the adapter device is configured such that, by applying a first voltage (i.e. a voltage is generated between LS and LUT) between the first contact and the second contact, a resistance value is determined which is dependent on which resistor has been connected or disconnected or which resistors have been connected or disconnected (e.g. a voltage is generated between LS and LUT which is a direct function of the switched state of the resistors; “a gradually varying voltage between LS and LUT… is obtained, which voltage depends on the present setting position”, page 12 [lines 5-8]),
the at least one tap position is one of a plurality of tap positions (e.g. the context of the prior art is a multiple position tap changer; “the driving mechanism 1 according to the illustrated embodiment is adapted to regulate the tap changer between 36 different switching positions”, page 9 [lines 18-21]), and
each resistance value corresponds to or is assigned to a respective one of the tap positions of the on-load tap-changer (e.g. supervision and control unit 40 comprises the means for “generating position indicating signals imitating stepped signals from a potentiometer sensor”, thus circuit 41 has an output signal corresponding to a resistance value that represents the tap position, page 11 [lines 20-23], fig. 1 and 6).
Regarding claim 7, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
a first series of resistors (e.g. circuit 42 comprising resistors Rs1-Rs6, fig. 6) and a first series of switches (e.g. switches S1-S6, fig. 6) are connected at their first end to a first contact (e.g. output line LS, fig. 6) and at their second end to a second contact (e.g. output line LUT, fig. 6).
Regarding claim 8, Pettersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 7, wherein:
the adapter device further comprises a second series of switches (e.g. circuit 43 comprises switches k1-k6, fig. 6) and a second series of resistors (e.g. resistors RK1-RK6, fig. 6),
the second series of switches is constructed from a plurality of switches connected in series (e.g. switches K1 through K6, fig. 6),
the second series of resistors is constructed from a plurality of resistors connected in series (e.g. resistors RK1 through RK6, fig. 6), and
the switches of the second series of switches are connected in parallel with in each case one of the resistors of the second series of resistors (e.g. the arrangement of switches K1-K6 relative to the resistors RK1-RK6 providing the functional equivalent of resistors with parallel switches, fig. 6).
Regarding claim 9, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 8, wherein:
the first series of resistors and the first series of switches connected in parallel therewith are connected in series with the second series of resistors and the series of switches connected in parallel therewith (e.g. circuit 41 comprising circuit 42 and 43 where circuit 42 comprises the first series resistors RS1-RS6 in parallel with the first series of switches S1-S6, and circuit 43 comprises the second series resistors RK1-RK6 in parallel with the second series of switches K1-K6, fig .6).
Regarding claim 10, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 7, wherein:
a second series of resistors (e.g. resistors RK1-RK6, fig. 6) and a second series of switches connected (e.g. switches K1-K6, fig. 6) in parallel therewith are connected on one side to the second end (e.g. end of circuit 42 connected to output line LUT, fig. 6) and on the other side to a third end (e.g. end of circuit 43 connected to line LK, fig. 6).
Regarding claim 11, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
the output has a third contact (e.g. line LK of circuit 41, fig. 6) which is connected to the third end.
Regarding claim 12, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the adapter device is configured such that, when a first voltage is applied to the first terminal and the second terminal (e.g. “a gradually varying voltage between LS and LUT… which voltage depends on the present setting position”, page 12 [lines 5-8]), a first resistance value (e.g. the resistance value of circuit 42, fig. 6) is determined which is dependent on the connected or disconnected resistors (e.g. inherent function of circuit 42 connected between LS and LUT, where the generated voltage is a direct function of the switched resistance, fig. 6).
Regarding claim 13, Petersson discloses the adapter device as claimed in claim 11, wherein:
the adapter device is configured such that, when a first voltage is applied to the first contact and the second contact or to the second contact and the third contact (e.g. voltage generated between LS and LUT or LUT and LK, fig. 6), a first resistance value (e.g. the resistance of circuit 42 or 43, fig. 6) is determined that is dependent on the connected or disconnected resistors in the first series of resistors or the second series of resistors (e.g. first and second series resistors in circuit 42 and 43 respectively, fig. 6),
the adapter device is configured such that, when a second voltage is applied to the first contact and the third contact (e.g. voltage applied across LS and LK, figure 6), a second resistance value is determined that is dependent on the connected or disconnected resistors in the first series of resistors and the second series of resistors (e.g. total resistance of circuit 42 and 43, figure 6), and
the first voltage is a reference voltage, and the second voltage is a supply voltage (e.g. voltage across LS and LK is the supply, and the varying voltage at LUT is the reference, like the function of a potentiometer, “generating position indicating signals imitating stepped signals from a potentiometer sensor”, page 11 [lines 20-23], fig. 1 and 6).
Regarding claim 14, Petersson discloses an arrangement, the arrangement comprising:
the adapter device (e.g. signal generating means 41 within module 40b, fig. 1 and 6) as claimed in claim 1;
an on-load tap-changer (e.g. the disclosure is a driving mechanism for a tap-changer, fig. 1); and
a control device (e.g. supervision and control unit 40, fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, Petersson discloses the arrangement as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a drive having a motor (e.g. electric motor 3, fig. 1) and the control device (e.g. supervision and control unit 40, fig. 1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art Oleg (DE-102011106804-A1) discloses a signal being input to a switch that interacts with a series of resistors to transmit tap positions.
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/GABRIEL RURYCZ/ Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/THIENVU V TRAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2838