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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wan et al. (CN 108168646).
Regarding claim 1, Wan et al. (hereinafter Wan) teaches a liquid level signal correction system, comprising: a vessel 3 for containing liquid and saturated steam [0010]; a bypass chamber 8 configured to be in fluid communication with the vessel 3, liquid and saturated steam (Fig. 1); and a level transmitter for measuring a level of the liquid in the bypass chamber and generating a bypass level signal [0049].
Wan also teaches measuring a density of the saturated steam [0051], and a measuring a density of the liquid and generating a liquid pressure signal [0051]; a signal modifier configured to receive the bypass level signal, steam density signal and liquid density signal, and to calculate a density error correction based on the steam density signal and liquid density signal to modify the bypass level signal to indicate a correct liquid level corresponding to the level of the liquid inside the vessel [0070]. Wan also teaches that temperature of the inner and outer cylinders is the main reason for the change in water density [0070].
Wan remains silent as to a first temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the saturated steam and generating a steam temperature signal, and a second temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the liquid and generating a liquid temperature signal; a signal modifier configured to receive the bypass level signal, steam temperature signal and liquid temperature signal, and to calculate a density error correction based on the steam temperature signal and liquid temperature signal to modify the bypass level signal to indicate a correct liquid level corresponding to the level of the liquid inside the vessel.
While silent, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have measured the temperature of the steam and liquid, as Wan teaches that it is the main reason for the change in water density [0070], and doing so would be an obvious alternative to measuring the density of the water. The relationship between pressure, temperature, and density is well-known and defined in thermodynamics.
Regarding claim 2, Wan as modified above teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the signal modifier calculates the density error correction by calculating a density of the liquid and a density of the saturated steam based on the liquid temperature signal and the saturated steam temperature signal. As modified above to include the temperature measurements, Wan uses a density correction method [0021-0023]
Regarding claim 4, Wan teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the signal modifier is further configured to output the correct liquid level for display. Wan teaches that display of the accurate measurement is of great significance [0004].
Regarding claim 6, the use and operation of the modified system of Wan as rejected in claim 1 teaches method for correcting a measured liquid level signal from a bypass chamber comprises; measuring a level of liquid in a bypass chamber and generating a bypass level signal [0049]; measuring a temperature of saturated steam in a vessel and generating a steam temperature signal (as modified to measure temperature instead of the density in paragraph [0051]); measuring a temperature of a liquid in the vessel and generating a liquid temperature signal (as modified to measure the temperature instead of the density in paragraph [0051]); sending the bypass level signal, steam temperature signal and liquid temperature signal to a signal modifier [0070]; and using the signal modifier to calculate a density error correction based on the received steam temperature signal and liquid temperature signal to modify the bypass level signal to indicate a correct liquid level corresponding to the level of the liquid inside the vessel [0020-0023].
Regarding claim 7, the use and operation of the modified system of Wan, as rejected above in claim 2, teaches the method of claim 6, further comprising using the signal modifier to calculate the density error correction by first calculating a density of the liquid and a density of the saturated steam based on the liquid temperature signal and the saturated steam temperature signal [0021-0023].
Regarding claim 9, the use and operation of the modified system of Wan, as rejected above in claim 4, teaches the method of claim 6, further comprising outputting the correct liquid level from the signal modifier for visual display [0004].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 8, and 10 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. Wan et al. (CN 102116660) teaches a method for correcting multipoint measurement of a steam drum liquid level of a high-pressure boiler. The method performing temperature/pressure compensation calculation to obtain the correction value of the steam drum liquid level (abstract).
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
/A.V.D/Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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