Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/437,972

EARLY WARNING METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR NITROGEN CONCENTRATION IN INDUSTRIALIZED AQUAPONIC CIRCULATING WATER

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Feb 09, 2024
Examiner
JIA, XIN
Art Unit
2663
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
China Agricultural University
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
85%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 6m
To Grant
98%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 85% — above average
85%
Career Allow Rate
510 granted / 601 resolved
+22.9% vs TC avg
Moderate +13% lift
Without
With
+12.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
23 currently pending
Career history
624
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
3.2%
-36.8% vs TC avg
§103
73.2%
+33.2% vs TC avg
§102
7.8%
-32.2% vs TC avg
§112
6.3%
-33.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 601 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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) 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SUH (WO 2024090653 A1) in view of Yu (CN 109470831 A). Regarding claim 9 and 10. SUH teaches an early warning system for a nitrogen concentration in industrialized aquaponic circulating water, comprising: a sensitive fish farming container (see Figure 1-3, item 200), a photographing apparatus (see Figure 1-3, item C2), and a computer device (see Figure 5, item 140 and 130), wherein the sensitive fish farming container is communicated in communication with a farming pond of an aquaponic system such that a fluid flows in the farming pond and the sensitive fish farming container (see Figure 1-3, items 200 and 210, page 13, lines 28-32, The waste nutrient solution that falls from the cultivation tank 101 and is filtered and acidity adjusted in the peat moss buffer cultivation area 240 is moved to the sump tank 210 and mixed in the sump tank 210 through filtration, acidity adjustment, and purified water (raw water) supplementation. And the nutrient solution recovered through purification is supplied back to the fish tank 200 through circulation pipes); the photographing apparatus is connected to the computer device (see Figures 1-4, page 19, lines 13-16, the analysis server 130 receives the image of the fish from the underwater camera (C2) installed inside the fish tank 200, and based on the received captured image, the fish's breeding status, activity level, appropriate amount of feed supply, and water quality (bioflick)); the sensitive fish farming container is configured to farm a sensitive fish (see Figure item 200b); the photographing apparatus is configured to collect video data of the sensitive fish farming container, monitor a movement behavior of the sensitive fish, and transmit the video data to the computer device (see Figures 1-4, page 19, lines 13-16, the analysis server 130 receives the image of the fish from the underwater camera (C2) installed inside the fish tank 200, and based on the received captured image, the fish's breeding status, activity level, appropriate amount of feed supply, and water quality (bioflick)). However, SUH does not expressly teach the computer device is configured to obtain a nitrogen concentration grade of the aquaponic system and determine whether to send nitrogen concentration early warning information based on the nitrogen concentration grade. Yu teaches that the blue algae monitoring instrument for monitoring the content of the blue-green algae in the water to be detected; COD monitoring equipment for monitoring the COD content of ammonia nitrogen in the water monitoring instrument. for monitoring the testing water in the ammonia nitrogen content, and the total phosphorus monitoring apparatus, monitoring the testing for total phosphorus content, total nitrogen in water monitoring instrument for monitoring the total nitrogen content in the water to be detected (see page 10, lines 26-32); the controller combines the artificial neural network algorithm and the PID closed loop control, the input of the controller is ri-rm, which are dissolved oxygen, pH value, temperature, turbidity, conductivity, chlorophyll, blue-green algae, ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, total nitrogen and other water quality eutrophication parameter; and the water ecological health index of aquatic organism (see page 15, lines 33-7); the water quality parameter comprises water quality common five parameters and water quality eutrophication degree parameter; eutrophication degree of the water quality parameter comprises the chlorophyll content, blue-green algae content, nitrogen, phosphorus and organic pollutant content, control cabin for receiving the quality parameter, biology underwater image and water image, and to repair the tested water control water treatment equipment bay, the underwater robot can realize automatic real-time dynamic monitoring of the water ecology and pollution early warning (see page 7, lines 20-26). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify SUH by Yu to obtain COD monitoring equipment for monitoring the COD content of ammonia nitrogen in the water monitoring instrument. for monitoring the testing water in the ammonia nitrogen content, and the total phosphorus monitoring apparatus, monitoring the testing for total phosphorus content, total nitrogen in water monitoring instrument for monitoring the total nitrogen content in the water to be detected and water quality parameter comprises the chlorophyll content, blue-green algae content, nitrogen, phosphorus and organic pollutant content, control cabin for receiving the quality parameter, biology underwater image and water image, and to repair the tested water control water treatment equipment bay, the underwater robot can realize automatic real-time dynamic monitoring of the water ecology and pollution early warning, in order to provide the computer device is configured to obtain a nitrogen concentration grade of the aquaponic system and determine whether to send nitrogen concentration early warning information based on the nitrogen concentration grade. Therefore, combining the elements from prior arts according to known methods and technique would yield predictable results. Allowable Subject Matter Claim 1-8 and 11-16 are allowed. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XIN JIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5536. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am-7:30pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gregory Morse can be reached at (571)272-3838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /XIN JIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2663
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 09, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 13, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Mar 02, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
85%
Grant Probability
98%
With Interview (+12.8%)
2y 6m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 601 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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