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 .
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 05/22/2023, 04/17/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3 recites "PID-controller" but does not explicitly claim what this abbreviation means. As best understood, "PID" means "proportional-integral-derivative". However, the specification does not explicitly disclose that this is the case.
Claim 3 recites "MEMS" gyroscope" but does not explicitly claim what this abbreviation means. As best understood, "MEMS" means "micro-electro-mechanical-systems". However, the specification does not explicitly disclose that this is the case.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1, 11, 12, 13 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, "containing logic commands which when executed controls"
should read --containing logic commands which, when executed, controls-- with the commas similar to seen in as recited in claim 13 line 3 to improve the language. All recitations of “which when executed” in the claims should be revised similarly in a consistent manner.
Claim 11 recites "to initially closing the first valve and opening the second valve" should read --to initially close the first valve and open the second valve-- to remedy a language issue.
Claim 12, lines 3-4 recites "to automatically preparing the heave compensator" should read --to automatically prepare the heave compensator-- to remedy a language issue.
Claim 13, line 6, "to continuously determining" should read --to continuously determine-- to remedy a language issue.
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.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, line 4-5 recites "an upper first chamber and a lower second chamber filled with hydraulic liquid". It is unclear whether both the first and second chambers are filled with hydraulic liquid or only the second chamber is filed with hydraulic liquid.
Claim 1, 7th to last line recites “a logical controller unit”
Claim 1, 3rd to last line recites “the logic controller unit” Claim 3, line 2 recites "the logic control unit".
It is unclear whether or not these are the same structure. These recitations should be revised in a consistent manner to provide proper antecedent basis..
Claim 2 recites "preferably electrically drive proportional valves". It is unclear whether the limitations recited after the term "preferably" are required in the claims.
Claim 3 recites "PID-controller" but does not explicitly claim what this abbreviation means. As best understood, "PID" means "proportional-integral-derivative". However, the specification does not explicitly disclose that this is the case.
Claim 3 recites "MEMS" gyroscope" but does not explicitly claim what this abbreviation means. As best understood, "MEMS" means "micro-electro-mechanical-systems". However, the specification does not explicitly disclose that this is the case.
Claim 9 recites "the program module of the control unit further comprises". There is a lack of antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. This should probably read --the processor of the logic control unit further comprises--
Claim 11 recites "fully opens valve" in line 5. It is unclear which valve is being opened. This should probably read -- fully opens the first valve--.
Claim 12 "the program module of the control unit further comprises". There is a lack of antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. This should probably read --the processor of the logic control unit further comprises--
Claim 12, line 7 and 13 recites "the second position sensor". There is a lack of antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims.
Claim 12, line 11, "engaging pump". It is unclear whether this is a different pump than the pump established in claim 1. This should read --engaging the actuator controlled pump-- to properly refer back to previously established structures.
Claim 12, line 14, "the pump" should read --the actuator controlled pump-- to properly refer back to previously established structures.
Claim 13, line 1, "wherein Quick Lift Module" should read --wherein the Quick Lift Module-- to properly refer back to previously established structures.
Claims 12 line 11 and claim 14, line 2 recite " hydraulic fluid". It is unclear whether this is different or the same as the previously recited "hydraulic liquid". The claims should be revised to consistently recite either "hydraulic liquid" or "hydraulic fluid" throughout the claims.
Claim 15, recites " an electric battery for supplying electric energy to the actuators of the first and the second valves, the pump, the logic control unit, the motion sensing unit, and the sensor kit".
It is unclear why "the motion sensing unit" is recited when it is part of "the sensor kit".
The way the language is currently written has ambiguous interpretations, such as implying actuators for the sensor kit and the logic control unit because of the sentence structure reciting "the actuators of the..." followed by "the first and second valves, the pump, the logic control unit, the motion sensing unit, and the sensor kit".
To remedy this issue,
"an electric battery for supplying electric energy to the actuators of the first and the second valves, the pump, the logic control unit, the motion sensing unit, and the sensor kit"
should read
--an electric battery for supply electric energy to the logic control unit, the sensor kit, and the respective actuators of the first actuator controlled valve, the second actuator controlled valve, and the actuator controlled pump--
The dependent claims are indefinite at least because they depend from indefinite claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claim 2-15 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not disclose nor render obvious the heave compensator including the specified chamber connections between the two accumulators and the main cylinder, with the valves and pumps in the specified conduits in combination with the rest of the limitations as claimed in claim 1.
The dependent claims are allowable because they depend from allowable claim 1.
The prior art disclose various configurations for active heave compensators, but each fail to disclose or render obvious all limitations and there is insufficient rationale to combine the prior art to reach the claimed invention absent impermissible hindsight. See references listed in the conclusion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Meeker et al. (US 3912227) discloses a motion compensation device with the first and second connecting devices on the ends
Cannell et al. (US 9718652) discloses a heave compensation system with two accumulators connected to a main cylinder with all hydraulic chambers connected via conduits similar to the present application
Roodenburg et al. (US 10099752) discloses a heave compensation system with valves in the fluid lines between the accumulator and actuator
Bergem (US 2018/0016120) discloses a pertinent heave compensation system with two accumulators, a main cylinder including connection devices on each end, with valves in the fluid conduits that connect various fluid chambers, but does not disclose the pump unidirectionally regulating the flow of hydraulic liquid from the sixth chamber to the fourth chamber
Martinsen (US 11111113) discloses a pertinent heave compensation system with a unidirectional pump connecting an accumulator chamber with a main cylinder chamber
Bergem et al. (US 9919902) discloses a heave compensator, comprising: a main hydraulic cylinder comprising a first connection device located at an upper end of the main hydraulic cylinder and a first piston having a piston rod, where the interior of the main hydraulic cylinder is divided by the first piston into an upper first chamber and a lower second chamber filled with hydraulic liquid, and where the piston rod has a second connection device located at a lower end of the piston rod, a lifting accumulator comprising a second piston dividing the interior of the lifting accumulator into a third chamber filled with gas and a fourth chamber filled with hydraulic liquid, wherein the fourth chamber is fluidly connected to the second chamber by a first liquid conduit
Shanks (US 4351261) Fig. 6 discloses a heave compensator, comprising: a main hydraulic cylinder comprising a first connection device located at an upper end of the main hydraulic cylinder and a first piston having a piston rod, where the interior of the main hydraulic cylinder is divided by the first piston into an upper first chamber and a lower second chamber filled with hydraulic liquid, and where the piston rod has a second connection device located at a lower end of the piston rod, a lifting accumulator comprising a second piston dividing the interior of the lifting accumulator into a third chamber filled with gas and a fourth chamber filled with hydraulic liquid, wherein the fourth chamber is fluidly connected to the second chamber by a first liquid conduit having a first actuator controlled valve regulating the flow of hydraulic liquid in the first liquid conduit, a lowering accumulator comprising a third piston dividing the interior of the lowering accumulator into a fifth chamber filled with gas and a sixth chamber filled with hydraulic liquid, wherein the sixth chamber is fluidly connected to the second chamber by a second liquid conduit having a second actuator controlled valve regulating the flow of hydraulic liquid in the second conduit, a sensor kit comprising a motion sensing unit registering the vertical movements of the main hydraulic cylinder, a logical controller unit comprising a processor loaded with a Valve Regulation Module containing logic commands which when executed controls and regulates the actuator of the first actuator controlled valve, the actuator of the second actuator controlled valve, and the actuator of the actuator controlled pump, and signal transferring lines electronically connecting the logic controller unit to the motion sensing unit of the sensor kit, the actuators of the first and the second actuator controlled valves, and the actuator of the actuator controlled pump.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dustin T Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-0163. The examiner can normally be reached M - F: 8:00am - 4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel E. Wiehe can be reached at (571) 272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DUSTIN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745 November 18, 2025