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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Invention I, is acknowledged. Claims 14-20 have been considered in view of references considered during search.
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.
Claims 1-5, 7-10, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. 2016/0324171 (“Rothfuss”) in view of U.S. Patent No. 6,030,118 (“Schneider”), further in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2002/0044590 (“Simunovic”).
Claim 1
Rothfuss discloses an array, comprising: a plurality of enclosures (enclosures 208, 308, 408); a plurality of phase change materials each disposed in a corresponding enclosure of the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0057], phase change materials 210, 310, 410), wherein at least a first phase transition temperature of a first phase change material of the plurality of phase change materials is different than a second phase transition temperature of a second phase change material of the plurality of phase change materials (paragraph [0057], each phase material has different transition temperature); and a sensor substrate (phase change system 205) and detect: a first response associated with the corresponding set of particles in a first location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4, first change in section 210), and a second response associated with the corresponding set of particles in a second location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4, second change in section 310), wherein the first location and the second location are different (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4).
Rothfuss does not appear to explicitly disclose a plurality of particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures.
Schneider discloses a similar temperature indicator including magnetic particles incorporated in the phase change materials within an enclosure (col. 4, lns 17-35).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a plurality of particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures, as disclosed by Schneider, into the device of Rothfuss, for the purpose of providing an irreversible indication of temperature (Schneider, col. 4, lns 28-35).
Rothfuss in view of Schneider discloses a sensor substrate (Rothfuss, phase change system 205) but does not appear to explicitly disclose having a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate, where each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of particles in a corresponding enclosure.
Simunovic discloses temperature history tracking including a set of sensors detecting magnetic fields (paragraph [0054-0058]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate, where each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of particles in a corresponding enclosure, as disclosed by Simunovic, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, for the purpose of indicating a field strength of the actuated particles (Simunovic, paragraph [0052]).
Claim 2
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of particles are conductive particles or magnetic particles (Schneider, col. 4, lns 28-35).
Claim 3
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises a magnet configured to attract or repel the plurality of particles (Schneider, col. 4, lns 8-16).
Claim 4
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1, wherein each sensor is further configured to detect magnetic responses associated with at least a portion of the plurality of particles (Simunovic, paragraph [0052]).
Claim 5
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises one or more of heating elements or cooling elements (Simunovic, paragraph [0086]).
Claim 7
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are disposed at the bottom of the plurality of enclosures (Simunovic, Fig. 1A, paragraph [0052]).
Claim 8
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim1, wherein each of the plurality of enclosures includes a phase change material that is different than remaining phase change materials of the plurality of phase change materials (Rothfuss, paragraph [0057]).
Claim 9
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts in the plurality of enclosures, wherein each sensor is further configured to detect a conductance associated with at least a portion of the plurality of particles (Simunovic, paragraphs [0058-0060]).
Claim 10
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors include a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) element wherein the plurality of sensors are disposed at the bottom of the plurality of enclosures (Simunovic, paragraph [0054]).
Claim 19
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors include a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) element (Simunovic, paragraph [0054]).
Claims 6, 13-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. 2016/0324171 (“Rothfuss”) in view of U.S. Patent No. 6,030,118 (“Schneider”), further in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2002/0044590 (“Simunovic”), further in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2005/0167656 (“Sun”).
Claim 6
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1.
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic does not appear to explicitly disclose further comprises a passivation layer covering the plurality of enclosures.
Sun discloses a phase change element including a passivation layer (paragraph [0058]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a passivation layer covering the plurality of enclosures, as disclosed by Sun, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, for the purpose of providing thermal isolation between structures (Sun, paragraph [0058]).
Claim 13
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1.
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic does not appear to explicitly disclose further comprises a support substrate having thermal conduction pathways configured to provide thermal conduction between the array and an object.
Sun discloses a phase change element including a conductive substrate (paragraph [0044]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a support substrate having thermal conduction pathways configured to provide thermal conduction between the array and an object, as disclosed by Sun, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, for the purpose of providing thermal contact between structures (Sun, paragraph [0044]).
Claim 14
Rothfuss discloses an array, comprising: a plurality of enclosures (enclosures 208, 308, 408); a plurality of phase change materials each disposed in a corresponding enclosure of the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0057], phase change materials 210, 310, 410), wherein each of the plurality of enclosures includes a phase change material having a phase transition temperature that is different than remaining phase transition temperatures of remaining phase change materials of the plurality of phase change materials (paragraph [0057], each phase material has different transition temperature); and a sensor substrate having a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate (phase change system 205), where each of the plurality of sensors detect: a first magnetic response associated with the corresponding set of magnetic particles in a first location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4, first change in section 210), and a second magnetic response associated with the corresponding set of magnetic particles in a second location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4, second change in section 310), wherein the first location and the second location are different (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4).
Rothfuss does not appear to explicitly disclose a plurality of particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures.
Schneider discloses a similar temperature indicator including magnetic particles incorporated in the phase change materials within an enclosure (col. 4, lns 17-35).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a plurality of particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures, as disclosed by Schneider, into the device of Rothfuss, for the purpose of providing an irreversible indication of temperature (Schneider, col. 4, lns 28-35).
Rothfuss in view of Schneider discloses a sensor substrate (Rothfuss, phase change system 205) but does not appear to explicitly disclose having a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate, where each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of particles in a corresponding enclosure.
Simunovic discloses temperature history tracking including a set of sensors detecting magnetic fields (paragraph [0054-0058]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate, each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of magnetic particles in a corresponding enclosure, as disclosed by Simunovic, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, for the purpose of indicating a field strength of the actuated particles (Simunovic, paragraph [0052]).
Sun discloses a phase change element including a conductive substrate (paragraph [0044]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a support substrate having thermal conduction pathways configured to provide thermal conduction between the array and an object, as disclosed by Sun, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, for the purpose of providing thermal contact between structures (Sun, paragraph [0044]).
Claim 15
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, further in view of Sun discloses the array of claim 14, further comprises a magnet configured to attract or repel the plurality of magnetic particles (Schneider, col. 4, lns 28-35).
Claim 16
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, further in view of Sun discloses the array of claim 14, further comprises one or more of heating elements or cooling elements (Simunovic, paragraph [0086]).
Claim 17
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, further in view of Sun discloses the array of claim 14.
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic does not appear to explicitly disclose further comprises a passivation layer covering the plurality of enclosures.
Sun discloses a phase change element including a passivation layer (paragraph [0058]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a passivation layer covering the plurality of enclosures, as disclosed by Sun, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, for the purpose of providing thermal isolation between structures (Sun, paragraph [0058]).
Claim 18
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, further in view of Sun discloses the array of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensors are disposed at the bottom of the plurality of enclosures (Simunovic, Fig. 1A, paragraph [0052]).
Claim 20
Rothfuss discloses a temperature tracking system, comprising: a plurality of arrays removably attached to a plurality of objects (Fig. 4), each array of the plurality of arrays includes: a plurality of enclosures (enclosures 208, 308, 408); a plurality of phase changa materials each disposed in a corresponding enclosure of the plurality of enclosures, wherein each of the plurality of enclosures includes a phase change material having a phase transition temperature that is different than remaining phase transition temperatures of remaining phase change materials of the plurality of phase change materials (paragraph [0057], each phase material has different transition temperature); and detect: a first magnetic response associated with the corresponding set of magnetic particles in a first location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4, first change in section 210), and a second magnetic response associated with the corresponding set of magnetic particles in a second location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4, second change in section 310), wherein the first location and the second location are different (paragraph [0057], Fig. 4); and a controller configured to determine a temperature or a temperature range reached by each of the plurality of objects based on measurements by each corresponding plurality of sensors.
Rothfuss does not appear to explicitly disclose a plurality of particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures.
Schneider discloses a similar temperature indicator including magnetic particles incorporated in the phase change materials within an enclosure and a magnet configured to attract or repel the plurality of magnetic particles (col. 4, lns 17-35).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a plurality of particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures, as disclosed by Schneider, into the device of Rothfuss, for the purpose of providing an irreversible indication of temperature (Schneider, col. 4, lns 28-35).
Rothfuss in view of Schneider discloses a sensor substrate (Rothfuss, phase change system 205) but does not appear to explicitly disclose having a sensor substrate having a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate, where each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of magnetic particles in a corresponding enclosure.
Simunovic discloses temperature history tracking including a set of sensors detecting magnetic fields (paragraph [0054-0058]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate, each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of magnetic particles in a corresponding enclosure, as disclosed by Simunovic, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, for the purpose of indicating a field strength of the actuated particles (Simunovic, paragraph [0052]).
Sun discloses a phase change element including a conductive substrate (paragraph [0044]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a support substrate having thermal conduction pathways configured to provide thermal conduction between the array and a corresponding object of the plurality of objects, as disclosed by Sun, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, for the purpose of providing thermal contact between structures (Sun, paragraph [0044]).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. 2016/0324171 (“Rothfuss”) in view of U.S. Patent No. 6,030,118 (“Schneider”), further in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2002/0044590 (“Simunovic”), further in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2005/0001728 (“Appelt”).
Claim 11
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1.
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic does not appear to explicitly disclose further comprises a reference sensor configured to measure a reference resistor.
Appelt discloses a reference sensor measuring a reference resistor (paragraph [0103]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a reference sensor configured to measure a reference resistor, as disclosed by Appelt, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, for the purpose of providing increased precision in measurement (Appelt, paragraph [0103]).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. 2016/0324171 (“Rothfuss”) in view of U.S. Patent No. 6,030,118 (“Schneider”), further in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2002/0044590 (“Simunovic”), further in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2015/0133827 (“Seo”).
Claim 12
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic discloses the array of claim 1.
Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic does not appear to explicitly disclose further comprises adhesive pads configured to removably attach the array to an object.
Seo discloses incorporated removably attached adhesive pads (paragraph [0036]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated further comprises adhesive pads configured to removably attach the array to an object as disclosed by Seo, into the device of Rothfuss in view of Schneider, further in view of Simunovic, for the purpose of providing secure contact between measurement and apparatus (Seo, paragraph [0036]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICA S Y LIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7911. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4, TW M,W.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas X Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERICA S LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853