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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-8, 10, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tuval et al. (US 2014/0152227).
In regard to Claim 1:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System comprising:
at least two electromagnetic field sources (120, 130) fixed to a common frame (140) and separated by a predetermined distance (R);
at least one electromagnetic field source with its own power source (220 (S1)), as an active electromagnetic field source (120);
one direct current source (230 (S2)) connected to each and every active electromagnetic field source (130) through programmable electronic switch (200, Paragraph 0042);
a time management (240) for programmable electronic switches (200) designed to send direct current pulses to active electromagnetic field sources (130) in order to preserve electromagnetic force acting on one electromagnetic source (130) while disabling reactive electromagnetic force acting on other electromagnetic source (120, Paragraphs 0042 and 0049).
In regard to Claim 2:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic field sources (120, 130) placing and orientation are axial in order to enable electromagnetic force interaction between them (Paragraph 0050).
In regard to Claim 3:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 1, wherein the distance (R) between electromagnetic field sources (120, 130) is large enough to allow switching transient phenomena to stabilize, which means static electromagnetic field generated by direct current to form (Paragraphs 0052-0053).
In regard to Claim 4:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic field source (120, 130) is a conductor of any shape powered by current source, which means it is an active electromagnetic field source (Paragraph 0054).
In regard to Claim 5:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic field source (120, 130) is a coil of any shape made of conductor powered by current source, which means it is an active electromagnetic field source (Paragraph 0054).
In regard to Claim 6:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 5, wherein a coil (C1, C2) being one turn of wire-conductor, the coil being round, rectangular or any shape (Paragraph 0054).
In regard to Claim 7:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic field source (120, 130) is a short-circuited coil, which means it is a passive electromagnetic field source (Paragraph 0054).
In regard to Claim 8:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 7, wherein a coil (C1, C2) being one turn of wire-conductor, the coil being, round, rectangular or any shape (Paragraph 0054).
In regard to Claim 10:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic field sources (120, 130) and electronic switches (220, 230) are nanoscale structures fabricated on a silicon chip (Paragraph 0043).
In regard to Claim 12:
Tuval discloses, in Figure 6, Pulsed Electromagnetic Propulsion System of claim 1, wherein the distance (R) between electromagnetic field sources (120, 130) is larger than the length of current conductor in individual electromagnetic sources in order to prevent time overlapping with the time management (Paragraph 0023).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 11, and 13-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Morris (US 6,118,193) discloses an electromagnetic machine, for using electrical energy to generate a propulsive force, includes an inertia ring disposed within an outer casing. The inertia ring can rotate freely relative to the outer casing. The outer casing supports a pair of primary coils. The inertia ring carries a plurality of secondary magnetic coils thereon. There is a pair of brushes that energizes the secondary magnetic coils on either side of each of the primary coils, as the secondary coils move past the pairs of brushes. The primary coils are energized to attract the secondary coils on one side thereof while repelling the secondary coils on the other side thereof to thereby impart rotational movement to the inertia ring relative to the outer casing.
Hruby et al. (US 6,735,935) discloses a pulsed Hall thruster system includes a Hall thruster having an electron source, a magnetic circuit, and a discharge chamber; a power processing unit for firing the Hall thruster to generate a discharge; a propellant storage and delivery system for providing propellant to the discharge chamber and a control unit for defining a pulse duration τ<0.1d3ρ/m, where d is the characteristic size of the thruster, ρ is the propellant density at standard conditions, and m is the propellant mass flow rate for operating either the power processing unit to provide to the Hall thruster a power pulse of a pre-selected duration, τ, or operating the propellant storage and delivery system to provide a propellant flow pulse of duration, τ, or providing both as pulses, synchronized to arrive coincidentally at the discharge chamber to enable the Hall thruster to produce a discreet output impulse.
Hruby et al. (US 7,459,858) discloses a Hall thruster with a shared magnetic structure including a plurality of plasma accelerators each including an anode and a discharge zone for providing plasma discharge. An electrical circuit having one or more cathodes connected to the plurality of plasma accelerators emits electrons that are attracted to the anode in each of the plasma accelerators. A shared magnetic circuit structure establishes a transverse magnetic field in each of the plurality of plasma accelerators that creates an impedance to the flow of electrons toward the anode in each of the plurality of plasma accelerators and enables ionization of a gas moving through one or more of the plurality of plasma accelerators. The impedance localizes an axial electric field in the plurality of plasma accelerators for accelerating ionized gas through the one or more of the plurality of plasma accelerators to create thrust.
McLean et al. (US 8,459,002) discloses an electronic propulsion engine that creates a propulsive force or thrust using electromagnetic forces or electrostatic forces, with an effect that is similar to the thrust of a jet or rocket engine. Forces are generated using electromagnets or capacitor plates that are separated by dielectric spacer cores and are operated with two modulated currents. The two modulated currents are synchronized, but with a relative phase such that the forces on the two magnets or capacitor plates are not balanced. Included are techniques to reduce circuit impedance and control electric-magnetic field dispersion, such as tuned LCR circuits, dielectric core materials between the magnets or capacitor plates, and RF superconductors result in high propulsion efficiencies. The system operates at RF frequencies and can also be used as a communication device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John W Poos whose telephone number is (571)270-5077. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN W POOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896