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 Objections
Claims 1-12 are objected to because of the following informalities. Appropriate correction is required.
In claim 1, line 3, the word -- an -- should be inserted before the phrase “closed end”. In line 7, the word -- said -- should be inserted before the phrase “vibrating membrane”. In line 10, the phrase “said vibrating film” should be changed to -- said vibrating membrane -- to provide proper antecedent basis.
In claim 2, line 1, the phrase “the material” should be changed to -- a material --. In line 2, the word -- a -- should be inserted before the phrase “Teflon structure”. In line 2, the word -- a -- should be inserted before the phrase “metal structure”.
In claim 3, line 2, the word -- an -- should be inserted before the phrase “outer peripheral surface”.
In claim 4, line 2, the word -- an -- should be inserted before the phrase “entrance end”. In line 2, the word -- an -- should be inserted before the phrase “exit end”.
In claim 5, line 2, the word -- an -- should be inserted before the phrase “outer area”. In line 4, the word -- a -- should be inserted before the phrase “second pressure balance hole”.
In claim 6, line 2, the word -- an -- should be inserted before the phrase “outer area”. In line 4, the word -- a -- should be inserted before the phrase “second pressure balance hole”. In line 5, the word -- the -- should be inserted before the phrase “second pressure hole”.
In claim 7, line 2, the word -- a -- should be inserted before the phrase “recessed body”. In line 3, the phrase “the bottom” should be changed to -- a bottom --.
In claim 9, line 2, the word -- said -- should be inserted before the phrase “magnetic material”. In line 3, the phrase “the outer periphery” should be changed to -- an outer periphery --. In line 4, the word -- an -- should be inserted before the phrase “extension body”. In line 5, the word -- said -- should be inserted before the phrase “extension body”. In lines 6-7, the phrase “the outer side” should be changed to -- an outer side --.
In claim 10, line 2, the word -- a -- should be inserted before the phrase “magnetic material”.
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 4-10 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.
In claim 4, the claim is claiming a low-frequency extension tube having a tube body, an entrance end, and an exit end. However, it is not clear how this low-frequency extension tube is related to the other elements in the sensing device, for example – how the low-frequency tube is connected, attached, or mounted to the other elements in the sensing device? Please clarify.
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 1-3 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TW201307819 (Huang et al.) in view of U.S. Patent 2016/0091378 (Tsai et al.).
With regards to claim 1, Huang et al. discloses a pressure sensing system comprising, as illustrated in Figures 1-5, a pipeline fluid pressure fluctuation sensing device 1 (e.g. pressure sensing device; paragraph [0019]; Figure 2) adapted to connect a fluid pipeline 100 (e.g. gas pipe; paragraph [0019]) comprising a housing 10 (e.g. housing formed by a base 11, a cover 12 and an outer shell 13; paragraphs [0019],[0020]) having an open end (e.g. bottom end of base 11) and closed end (e.g. top end of outer shell 13) opposite to each other such that the open end is adapted to connect the fluid pipeline (e.g. paragraph [0020]; observed in Figure 2); a vibrating membrane 25 (e.g. telescopic diaphragm layer; paragraph [0019]) provided inside the housing such that the vibrating membrane allowed to be displaced due to a pressure change generated by the fluid pipeline (e.g. paragraphs [0022],[0023]); a magnetic element 30 (e.g. magnetic element; paragraph [0019]) linked to the vibrating membrane such that the magnetic element is generated with a displacement change because the vibrating membrane is displaced (e.g. paragraphs [0023],[0024]); a magnetic sensing element 40 (e.g. calculation circuit; paragraphs [0025],[0030]) provided inside the housing such that the magnetic sensing element sensing the displacement change of the magnetic element. (See, paragraphs [0001] to [0042] of translation).
The only differences between the prior art and the claimed invention are 1) a fixing ring connected between the housing and vibrating membrane; 2) a pressure balance hole passed through the fixing ring is adapted to balance pressure at two opposite sides of the vibrating membrane; 3) a magnetic sensing element provided outside the housing.
For difference 1) and 2), Tsai et al. discloses pressure sensor comprising, as illustrated in Figures 1-14, a pressure fluctuation sensing device 100 (e.g. sensing system; paragraph [0032]) comprising a housing 112,114 (e.g. enclosure and package substrate; paragraph [0033]); a vibrating membrane 130 (e.g. central portion of the sensor element 130 is considered as this vibrating membrane in Figure 1; paragraphs [0033],[0036]) provided inside the housing such that the vibrating membrane allowed to be displaced due to a pressure change (e.g. paragraphs [0036],[0063]); a fixing ring 130 (e.g. left-end portion and right-end portion of the sensor element 130 is considered as this fixing ring in Figure 1; paragraph [0033]) connected between the housing and vibrating membrane; a pressure balance hole 132 (e.g. vent holes; paragraph [0033]) passed through the fixing ring is adapted to balance pressure at two opposite sides of the vibrating membrane (e.g. paragraphs [0035],[0036]). (See, paragraphs [0032] to [0111]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have readily recognize the advantages and desirability of employing a fixing ring connected between the housing and vibrating membrane, and a pressure balance hole passed through the fixing ring is adapted to balance pressure at two opposite sides of the vibrating membrane as suggested by Tsai et al. to the system of Huang et al. to have the ability to provide a leakage path between an ambient atmosphere above the vibrating membrane and a back cavity below the vibrating membrane to arrange the vibrating element to a resting position. (See, paragraphs [0035],[0036] of Tsai et al.).
For difference 3), to have set such structural arrangement to position the magnetic sensing element provided outside the housing, as presently claimed, instead of inside the housing, as disclosed by Huang et al., is considered to have been a matter of optimization and choice possibilities to the operator and/or manufacturer where to place the magnetic sensing element, whether outside the housing, as presently claimed, or inside the housing, as disclosed by Huang et al., that would have been obvious to a skilled artisan in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention without departing from the scope of the invention and without changing and/or altering the operation of the magnetic sensing element, whether outside or inside the housing, namely to sense the displacement change of the magnetic element.
With regards to claim 2, both references, Huang et al. and Tsai et al., further disclose the material of the vibrating membrane 25;130 comprises an elastomer structure, Teflon structure, or metal structure (e.g. stretchable material like elastomer - paragraph [0022] of Huang et al.; deformable material like elastomer to deform convex/concave or non-deformable rigid material like metal - paragraph [0036] of Tsai et al.)
With regards to claim 3, Tsai et al. further discloses the fixing ring has an inner peripheral surface (e.g. inwardly surface) and an outer peripheral surface (e.g. outwardly surface) such that the outer peripheral surface of the fixing ring is fixed to the housing (e.g. observed in Figure 1), and the vibrating membrane 130 is connected inside the inner peripheral surface of the fixing ring (e.g. observed in Figure 3 - different embodiment for vibrating membrane 330 connected to inner peripheral of fixing ring)
With regards to claim 11, Huang et al. further discloses the magnetic element 30 is provided below the vibrating membrane 25. (See, observed in Figures 2,4)
With regards to claim 12, Huang et al. does not explicitly disclose the housing 10 is made of a non-magnetic material (e.g. silicon; paragraphs [0019],[0020]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-10 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.
The references cited, particularly Fussell, Morehouse, Bhargava, Kaneko, Stretch and Bhat, are related to pressure sensing device systems comprising a housing, a vibrating membrane provided within the housing, and a magnetic element linked to the vibrating membrane.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Helen C Kwok whose telephone number is (571)272-2197. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 4:00 EST.
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/HELEN C KWOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855