NON-FINAL REJECTION
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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, 4-8, 10-14, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lennon U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0089496.
With respect to claims 1 and 20, Lennon teaches a sensor body having a pipe engaging surface (casing material 60 engages an exterior surface 40 of a pipe, paragraph 34, figures 4 and 5); a first measurement device configured to contact a surface of the pipe when the pipe engaging surface is in contact with the surface of the pipe (sensor device 50 having an on board sensor 56 that is contact with a surface of the pipe, paragraphs 32-34, figures 4 and 5), the first measurement device being configured to measure a first parameter of the pipe (stress or strain measured, paragraph 32); and a data conduit configured to pass a measurement of the first parameter from the first measurement device to an external unit (antenna 52, paragraph 32); wherein the sensor body is comprised of a casted material (casing material 60 is applied over the surface of the sensor device 50, paragraph 34), and wherein the sensor body is formed from a polymeric material that is set around the first measurement device and the data conduit and is at least partially molded to the shape of the first measurement device and the data conduit (casing material may be formed of plastic and covers both the sensor device 50 and antenna 52, paragraph 35, figures 4 and 5). Further, Lennon teaches converting the measurement from the first measurement device into a digital signal (signal from the antenna 52), wherein said conversion takes place locally under the ground; and transmitting the digital signal via the data conduit to an external unit situated above the ground (signal from the antenna 52 is transmitted, paragraph 36, figures 4 and 5).
With respect to claim 4, Lennon teaches wherein the first measurement device is configured to lie flush with the pipe engaging surface of the sensor body (figures 4 and 5).
With respect to claims 5-8, Lennon teaches a second measurement device configured to contact the surface of the pipe when the pipe engaging surface is in contact with the surface of the pipe, wherein the second measurement device is configured to measure a second parameter of the pipe (additional sensors 70 may be included with the sensor device 50 and are within the sensor body 50, paragraphs 32 and 64, figures 4 and 5), where one sensor measures strain and the other may measure temperature or acceleration (paragraphs 32 and 64).
With respect to claim 10, Lennon wherein the sensor body is cylindrically shaped, wherein a diameter of a cross sectional area is larger than a depth of the cylindrical shape, such that the sensor body is approximately disc or puck shaped (interpreted as the shape of the casing 60, figures 4 and 5).
With respect to claim 11, Lennon teaches wherein the sensor further comprises a controller encapsulated within the sensor body that is configured to convert measurements from the first measurement device into a digital signal (interpreted as integrated circuit 54 that is capability to interface with wireless communication protocols, paragraph 32).
With respect to claim 12, Lennon teaches wherein: the pipe engaging surface further comprises a first flange extending from a central portion that extends longitudinally in a first direction and is dimensioned such that a longest side of the central portion extends in the first direction (interpreted as the surfaces and extended shape of the casing 60, figures 4 and 5), the first flange extends further in the first direction, wherein the first measurement device is housed in the first flange, and the second measurement device is housed in the first flange (the measuring devices are housed within the surfaces of the casing 60, figures 4 and 5).
With respect to claim 13, Lennon teaches wherein the pipe engaging surface comprises two side flanges extending from the central portion, with the first direction being perpendicular to the two side flanges (interpreted as the central area of the casing 60 and the sides are interpreted as the side flanges, figure 4).
With respect to claim 14, Lennon teaches wherein the data conduit comprises a wired connection that is positioned to extend away from the central portion in the opposite direction to the first flange (antenna 52 extends away from integrated circuit 54 and the “central” area of the sensor body 50, figure 4).
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) 2 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lennon U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0089496 in view of de Graff U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0065937.
With respect to claims 2 and 3, Lennon teaches the claimed invention except wherein the first measurement device is configured to output an analogue measurement that is converted to a digital signal in a vicinity of the pipe, wherein the sensor body is comprised of at least one of a casted material that is set around the first measurement device and the data conduit.
de Graff teaches a test data sheet that is applied to the surface of a pipe for measurement (abstract) having an apparatus 100 (a sensor body) that is applied to the surface of a pipe and encapsulated by an encapsulant 160 that may be formed from silicon or a polymeric (paragraphs 67 and 72), wherein the apparatus is configured as a flexible tape 120 and has encapsulant 160 to encapsulate sensing element(s) 104, the processor 110 (the processing having and ADC, paragraph 88), and the memory 108 are illustrated as disposed on the flexible substrate 102, which is formed as the flexible tape 120 (paragraphs 66-67, figure 2). Further, the one or more sensing elements 104, disposed on or otherwise integrated with the flexible substrate 102, to sense a technical parameter (e.g., a force, a physical dimension, a temperature or other environmental parameters, a stress, a strain, a flow rate, a vibration shock) and examples of the sensing element(s) 104 include but are not limited to: a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a load cell, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a chemical sensor, an optical sensor, an electrical sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, an acoustic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a flow rate sensor, and an image sensor (paragraph 68).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the sensor device of Lennon with the sensor device having silicon or polymeric encapsulate which encapsulates a plurality of sensors as part of the device as well as the processing circuitry on the device as taught by de Graff in order to provide a more accurate sensing device and provide mechanical protection, device isolation, mechanical protection and protection against the environment (paragraph 130, de Graff).
Claim(s) 9 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lennon U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0089496 in view of Yang et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0093220.
With respect to claim 15, Lennon teaches the claimed invention except wherein the pipe is positioned underground, and wherein the sensor is configured to be positioned on the pipe underground and the system comprising a junction box; at least one sensor of the claimed sensor device; wherein the at least one sensor is attached to the junction box via the data conduit.
Yang teaches a system for detecting and locating leaks includes a underground pipeline (paragraph 13) having strain sensors positioned on the external surface of the pipeline, acoustic pressure sensors positioned at intervals along the pipeline, local processors connected to the strain sensors and acoustic pressure sensors, and a central processor connected to the local processors wherein the non-intrusive sensors 54 can be sent to a local processor 56 directly or through a signal conditioner unit 58, and. alternatively, the non-intrusive sensors 54 can be connected to signal conditioners 58 which are connected to a 4-20 mA to signal convertor 60, and by using an RF modem and UHF antenna 62, the link between the leak detection system local processor unit 56 mounted inside the plant can be achieved (figure 6).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the invention of Lennon and provide a signal conditioner (junction box) as part of a series of sensors on an underground pipeline as taught by Yang in order to easily combine the sensor signals of plural sensor system for monitoring large area of pipes.
Claim(s) 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lennon U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0089496 in view of Yang et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0093220 and further in view of de Graff U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0065937.
With respect to claims 16-19, Lennon teaches additional sensors 70 may be included with the sensor device 50 and are within the sensor body 50 (paragraphs 32 and 64, figures 4 and 5), and Lennon as modified by Yang teaches wherein the attachment between the junction box and the data conduit is configured to be water resistant (underwater pipelines, Yang paragraph 13). But Lennon as modified by Yang fails to teach an analogue to digital converter for converting the measurement from the first measurement device to an analogue signal, and wherein: at least one sensor comprises a load cell encapsulated in the sensor body and that is configured to be positioned atop the pipe.
de Graff teaches a test data sheet that is applied to the surface of a pipe for measurement (abstract) having an apparatus 100 applied to the surface of a pipe, wherein the apparatus is configured as a flexible tape 120 and has encapsulant 160 to encapsulate sensing element(s) 104, the processor 110 (the processing having and ADC, paragraph 88), and the memory 108 are illustrated as disposed on the flexible substrate 102, which is formed as the flexible tape 120 (paragraphs 66-67, figure 2). Further, the one or more sensing elements 104, disposed on or otherwise integrated with the flexible substrate 102, to sense a technical parameter (e.g., a force, a physical dimension, a temperature or other environmental parameters, a stress, a strain, a flow rate, a vibration shock) and examples of the sensing element(s) 104 include but are not limited to: a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a load cell, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a chemical sensor, an optical sensor, an electrical sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, an acoustic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a flow rate sensor, and an image sensor (paragraph 68).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the sensor device of Lennon as modified by Yang with the sensor device having a plurality of sensors as part of the device as well as the processing circuitry on the device as well as taught by de Graff in order to provide a more accurate sensing device.
Conclusion
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FREDDIE KIRKLAND III
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
/Freddie Kirkland III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855 9/4/2026
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