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 .
Claims 1-15 are pending.
Claims 1-15 are rejected below.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 8-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Scholz (U.S. PG Pub. 2018/0307187).
As to claim 1, Scholz teaches a control arrangement (100) for an entrance system (300), comprising a controller module (30) and a sensor module (20), the controller module (30) being for providing control data to the sensor module (20) and the sensor module (20) being for providing sensor data to the controller module (abstract The invention relates to a safety sensor (1) for monitoring the operational safety of a system (2), comprising at least one safety signal input (11, 12) and at least one safety signal output (15, 16) for receiving and outputting safety signals, respectively. A first signal state of the safety signal signals a safe operating state of the system and is represented by a signal value from a first value range assigned to the first signal state, and a second signal state signals an unsafe operating state of the system and is represented by a signal value from a second value range which is assigned to the second signal state and which differs from the first value range. The safety sensor has a control unit (13) which is designed to detect the operating state of the system and output an output safety signal at the at least one safety signal output, the signal state of the safety signal signaling the detected operating state.) (30), said sensor module (20) being configured to: provide a safety signal representing the sensor data [0010 The operational state of the system can be detected by means of an external safety transmitter which is connected via a connection line to a safety signal input of the safety sensor. An external safety transmitter of this type may, for example, be a light barrier, a light grid, an actuator of a contactless safety switch which is fitted, for example, to an access door to be monitored, an emergency off switch or other safety transmitter which serves to detect the operational state of the system. However, the functionality of a safety transmitter of this type can also be integrated into the safety sensor, so that the safety sensor is able to detect the operational state of the system without an external safety transmitter], and retrieve the control data from the safety signal [ 0089 The use of the aforementioned value ranges therefore offers the advantage that a safety sensor or other device which complies with current safety engineering standards can reliably detect the operational state of the system signaled by the respective signal state on the basis of a safety signal transmitted by a safety sensor according to the invention, independently from the additional data impressed on the safety signal. The standard compliance of the safety sensor according to the invention and its compatibility with conventional standard-compliant safety sensors and other devices are advantageously guaranteed as a result.]; said controller module (30) being configured to: modulate a current of the safety signal, the modulated current representing the control data, and retrieve the sensor data from the safety signal[ 0090-0091 ccording to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the control unit is configured to impress additional data on the transmitted output safety signal and/or on the received input safety signal using a unipolar or bipolar line code, an AMI code, a block code, a Manchester code, an amplitude shift keying, a frequency shift keying, a phase shift keying, a quadrature amplitude modulation, a pulse amplitude modulation, a pulse phase modulation, a pulse frequency modulation and/or a pulse width modulation. The additional data to be impressed on the safety signal may be present in analog or digital form. The additional data may be transmitted through baseband transmission as a baseband signal or as a useful signal which is modulated onto a carrier signal] Claim 15 has similar limitations and is rejected for similar reasons.
As to claim 2, Scholz teaches wherein the safety signal is a dynamic safety signal comprising a plurality of pulses, wherein the sensor module (20) is configured to modulate pulse widths of said plurality of pulses, said modulated pulse widths representing a bit pattern comprising at least one bit, wherein the controller module (30) is configured to retrieve the sensor data by translating said bit pattern representation [0090].
As to claim 3, Scholz teaches according to wherein the safety signal is a dynamic safety signal comprising a plurality of pulses appearing at a predetermined frequency, wherein the sensor module (20) is configured to modulate the predetermined frequency, said modulated frequency representing a bit pattern comprising at least one bit, wherein the controller module (30) is configured to retrieve 30 the sensor data by translating said bit pattern representation [0090].
As to claim 4, Scholz teaches wherein the sensor data includes detection information, sensor module characteristics, maintenance information, process information and/or positional information [0150].
As to claim 5, Scholz teaches further comprising an interface circuitry (40), wherein the sensor module (20) and the controller module (30) are coupled by means of said interface circuitry (40) over a 10 single wire[0110].
As to claim 6, Scholz teaches wherein the interface circuitry (40) is a duplex communication interface [0066].
As to claim 8, Scholz teaches wherein the interface circuitry (40) comprises a transistor unit (52) and a load (54), and wherein the controller module (30) is configured to modulate the electrical resistance of the load (54) through control of the transistor unit (52)[0090-0091 how the bits are added].
As to claim 9, Scholz teaches wherein modulating the electrical resistance of the load (54) generates said modulated current, said modulated current representing a bit pattern comprising at least one bit, wherein the sensor module (20) is configured to retrieve control data from the one or more dynamic safety signals by translating said bit pattern representation [0090-0091].
As to claim 9, Scholz teaches wherein said control data comprises at least one of installation parameters, entrance system characteristics and/or maintenance information[0111].
As to claim 9, Scholz teaches wherein the sensor module (20) comprises one or more sensor units, said one or more sensor units being: optical sensors; ultrasonic sensors; inductive sensors; galvanic sensors; magnetic sensors; photoelectric sensors; capacitive sensors; pneumatic sensors; weight or pressure sensors; cameras; electromechanical switches; or any combination thereof [0111].
As to claim 12, Scholz teaches automatic door operator (200) comprising a control arrangement (100) according to claim 1 [ 0071].
As to claim 13, Scholz teaches an entrance system (300) comprising an automatic door operator (200) according to claim 12 and one or more movable door members (3 l0a-n), wherein the control arrangement (100) is configured to cause controlled actuation of the one or more movable door members (3 l0a-n) at least in part based on the sensor data[0112].
As to claim 14, Scholz teaches wherein said controlled actuation involves inhibiting, stopping or reverting current or future movement of at least one of the one or more movable door members (3 l0a-n)[0112].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Scholz (U.S. PG Pub. 2018/0307187) in view of Koehler (U.S. PG Pub. 20210240116).
Scholz teaches most of the claimed invention, but does not explicitly teach all of claim 7. However, this is an obvious variation as taught by Koehler as follows:
As to claim 7, Koehler teaches wherein the interface circuitry (40) is adapted to provide galvanic isolation between the sensor module (20) and the controller module (30) (element 330).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to include the teachings of Koehler into the system and mthods of Scholz. The motivation to combine is that Koehler teaches galvanic isolator 330 electrically isolates the high voltage AC components of voltage sensor 328 and current sensor 332 from the low voltage DC components of controller 334. For example, galvanic isolator 330 may include an optocoupler to pass the sensed voltage signal and the sensed current signal to controller 334[0034].
Other art of record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
De Coi (U.S. PG Pub. 2015/0060210) teaches monitoring sensors within an elevator system.
Gruber (U.S. PG Pub. 2014/0156900) teaches monitoring a safety door switch.
Papembreer (U.S. Pat. 10,969,759) teaches safety controller of industrial automation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN L LAUGHLIN whose telephone number is (571)270-1042. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM.
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/NATHAN L LAUGHLIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119