DETAILED ACTION
For
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELF-DIAGNOSING OF PREASSEMBLED
ULTRASONIC FLOWMETER
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 01/26/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Oath/Declaration
The Oath/Declaration submitted on 03/19/2024 is noted by the Examiner.
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)(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 1-12, 14-20, 25 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Froehlich (WO 2004046657) “Submitted by Applicant on IDS”.
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Regarding claim 1, Froehlich discloses a method for self-diagnosing an ultrasonic flowmeter assembly which is designed for measuring a flow and/or temperature of a fluid through a channel, the ultrasonic flowmeter assembly comprising (see abstract): a conduit section (7) extending in an axial direction (S); an ultrasonic sensor comprising at least one ultrasonic transducer (3) that is fixed to the conduit section (7), wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer (3) being configured to emit ultrasonic pulses “An ultrasound transducer 3; 4 has at least one piezoelectric element 5; 6, which
generates and / or receives the ultrasound measurement signals; page 5, lines 26-29” into the conduit (7) and to receive ultrasonic pulses after having travelled along at least one path (SP1) in the conduit section (7) and to output measurement data (Page 6, lines 4-6), the ultrasonic sensor further comprising a controller (9) connected to the ultrasonic transducer (3) for processing the measurement data (Page 6, lines 9-12), wherein a reference measurement and a test measurement each comprises emitting and receiving at least one ultrasonic pulse along at least one same or comparable path (Page 5, lines 26-29), the method comprising the method elements of: providing a reference measurement data; obtaining a test measurement data (Page 7, lines 16-18); comparing the reference measurement data and the test measurement data (Page 7, lines 19-20), wherein the reference measurement data comprises a reference signal characteristic of at least one received ultrasonic pulse of the reference measurement (Page 6, lines 1-6), and the test measurement data comprises a test signal characteristic of at least one received ultrasonic pulse of the test measurement (Page 6, lines 13-15), wherein obtaining the reference measurement data and the test measurement data is done without flow of fluid through the channel [“While FIG. 2 relates to the 'error case that the tube 7 is empty, FIG. 3 shows the' normal case 'when medium 10 flows through tube 7 “; Page 5, lines 40-45].
Regarding claim 2, Froehlich further discloses the ultrasonic sensor comprises at least two ultrasonic transducers (3,4) that are fixed to the conduit section (7) and are arranged at a distance from each other along the axial direction (Fig. 1), and that are configured to emit ultrasonic pulses into the conduit (8) and to receive ultrasonic pulses after having travelled along at least one path (SP1) in the conduit section (7).
Regarding claim 3, Froehlich further discloses the reference measurement data is obtained at least once before or after installation of the ultrasonic flowmeter assembly at a site of operation, and/or wherein the test measurement data is obtained repeatedly after installation of the ultrasonic flowmeter assembly at a site of operation [“a corresponding measurement can be made, for Commissioning of the ultrasonic measuring device can be carried out, which then embodies the target measuring signal for an empty pipe “; Page 6, lines 1-5].
Regarding claim 4, Froehlich further discloses obtaining the reference measurement data is performed during commissioning or during a first start-up procedure of the ultrasonic flowmeter assembly [“If the pipe 7 is flowed through by the medium 10, the majority of that from one of the two ultrasonic transducers 3; 4 emitted ultrasound measurement signal coupled into the medium 10 and passes through the sound path SP1, Page 6, lines 12-15”].
Regarding claim 5, Froehlich further discloses obtaining the test measurement data is performed wherein obtaining the test measurement data is initiated repeatedly by the controller (9; Page 6, lines 10-12).
Regarding claim 6, Froehlich further discloses the ultrasonic flowmeter assembly is part of a variable air volume box (Fig. 1), which is installable in the channel (8).
Regarding claim 7, Froehlich further discloses obtaining the reference measurement data and the test measurement data is done by closing a damper of the variable air volume box during normal operation to enforce zero flow.
Regarding claim 8, Froehlich further discloses obtaining the reference measurement data is done by using at least two paths, and obtaining the test measurement data is done by using the same (Page 5, lines 37-40).
Regarding claim 9, Froehlich further discloses comparing the reference measurement data and the test measurement data comprises comparing the reference signal characteristics and the test signal characteristics (Page 7, lines 3-9) and deriving at least one characteristic parameter for quantifying a deviation of the test signal characteristics from the reference signal characteristics (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 10, Froehlich further discloses the reference signal characteristic a waveform of the ultrasonic pulses (Page 6, lines 28-30).
Regarding claim 11, Froehlich further discloses the characteristic parameter is derived from waveform quantities selected from the list of: an intensity of a waveform amplitude a shape of a waveform amplitude (Page 6, lines 28-30), a position of a waveform zero-crossing (Fig. 5), a position of a waveform extremum, a waveform frequency, or a shape of an enveloping function (Page 2, lines 15-17).
Regarding claim 12, Froehlich further discloses identifying a cause of a defect of the ultrasonic flowmeter assembly (Fig. 1) based on comparing, in particular based on the at least one characteristic parameter quantifying a deviation of the test signal characteristics from the reference signal characteristics (Figs. 5-6), and wherein the identified cause is one or more of: a change in a conduit dimension (Page 7, lines 3-11), a change of functioning or malfunctioning of the ultrasonic sensor (Fig. 1, Page 5, lines 26-29), a dirt accumulation on the at least one ultrasonic transducer (3,4) and an interference with an object in the conduit section.
Regarding claim 14, Froehlich further discloses the ultrasonic pulses are emitted and received by the same transducer and travel along an I-shaped path for identifying a change in a conduit dimension (Fig. 1, Page 5, lines 26-29).
Regarding claim 15, Froehlich further discloses the ultrasonic pulses are emitted by a first of the two transducers (3, 4) and are received by a second of the two transducers, in particular for identifying a change in a conduit dimension (Page 5, lines 37-40).
Regarding claim 16, Froehlich further discloses the ultrasonic pulses are emitted by a first of the two transducers (3,4) and are received by a second of the two transducers, and the ultrasonic pulses are emitted along a V-shaped path (Fig. 1), preferably for measuring a flow (Page 2, lines 1-3).
Regarding claim 17, Froehlich further discloses the V-shaped path and the U-shaped path are both used, a first characteristic parameter is determined from the reference measurement data (Page 4, lines 33-37) and the test measurement data along the V-shaped path (Fig. 1), a second characteristic parameter is determined from the reference measurement data and the test measurement data along the U-shaped path (Fig 1. & Fig. 4), and a change of the first characteristic parameter, in particular a change in their relationship, is used to identify a cause of defect of the ultrasonic flowmeter assembly (Page 5, lines 19-21).
Regarding claim 18, Froehlich further discloses comparing the reference measurement data and the test measurement data comprises creating a correlation of the reference signal characteristics (Page 7, lines 15-21) and the test signal characteristics and using the correlation as the at least one characteristic parameter (Page 7, lines 22-25).
Regarding claim 19, Froehlich further discloses the reference signal characteristics is stored in the controller (9); and the test signal characteristics is obtained from the controller (Page 6, lines 7-12).
Regarding claim 20, Froehlich further discloses the reference signal characteristics and the test signal characteristics are obtained by conditioning of the measurement data (Page 7, lines 15-21).
Regarding claim 25, Froehlich further discloses a reference path during obtaining the reference measurement data and a testing path during obtaining the test measurement data are identical [“FIG. 5 relates to the "fault case" that the tube 7 is empty, FIG. 6 shows the "normal case" if the tube 7 from Medium 10 is flowed through”; Page 5].
Regarding claim 30, Froehlich further discloses wherein the I-shaped path and the delta-shaped path are both used (Fig. 1), a first characteristic parameter is determined from the reference measurement data (Page 7, lines 22-25) and the test measurement data along the I-shaped path (Fig. 4), a second characteristic parameter is determined from the reference measurement data (Page 4, lines 1-6) and the test measurement data along the delta-shaped path (Page 4, lines 8-13), and a change of the first characteristic parameter (Fig. 3), in particular a change in their relationship, is used to identify a cause of defect of the ultrasonic flowmeter assembly (Page 7, 9-22).
Conclusion
Kleem discloses a flow measuring device comprising a meter body having a conduit for the fluid, two phased-array ultrasonic transducer units spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the conduit, which can emit and receive ultrasonic signals at different angles, a control and evaluation unit for driving the ultrasonic transducer units and evaluating the received ultrasonic signals and determining the flow using the transit time of the ultrasonic signals on the measuring paths.
Eryurek discloses a flow diagnostic system for a flow sensing element and impulse lines. A pressure transmitter coupled to the impulse lines provides digital pressure data to a control system. The control system provides the pressure data and real time clock readings to a diagnostic application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDI N HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)270-7042. The examiner can normally be reached M & F 9-5 and T-TH, 6-4.
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/BRANDI N HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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