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
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, 2, 5-8, 10-12, 15, 17, 18, & 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pulley et al. [PG. Pub. No.: US 2022/0214452 A1].
With regards to claim 1, Pulley discloses a system for engine effector position measurement (110, 200, & 300, linear fluid effector, Figs. 1-3, ¶0062) the system comprising: an effector actuator of an engine (Figs. 1 & 2, ¶0006), the effector actuator comprising a house (112, 212, 312, 412, & 512 all define a housing, Figs. 1-5, ¶0041, ¶0047, ¶0062, ¶0071, & ¶0078) and one or more movable elements for changing an effector position of an effector coupled to the effector actuator (118, 218, 318, movable body, Figs. 1 & 2, ¶0042); and a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor (time-of-flight, piezo element, ¶0052-0054) within a housing (of the effector actuator and positioned to measure a distance between the TOF sensor (TOF defines a distance, ¶0053-0054) and a reflecting surface (122, a face, Fig. 1, ¶0041) within the housing (112, 212, 312, 412, & 512 all define a housing, Figs. 1-5,) to determine the effector position of the effector (¶0009, ¶0041, & ¶0045).
With regards to claim 2, Pulley discloses the TOF sensor is mounted on a static portion of the effector actuator (132a and 132b, are fixed end acoustic transceivers, Figs. 1 & 2, ¶0042) and the reflecting surface is a surface of a movable element (118, movable body, Figs. 1 & 2, ¶0042).
With regards to claim 5, Pulley discloses the one or more movable elements comprise a linear motion component of the effector actuator (110, 200, & 300, linear fluid effector, Figs. 1-3, ¶0062).
With regards to claim 6, Pulley discloses the TOF sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor (¶0004).
With regards to claim 7, Pulley discloses a calibration sensor comprising a second TOF sensor and a calibration surface at a known distance from the second TOF sensor (second time-of-flight, ¶0054), wherein the distance is measured based on calibrating a travel time measured by the TOF sensor based on a calibration travel time measured by the calibration sensor (¶0052-0057).
With regards to claim 8, Pulley discloses a calibration surface at a known distance from the TOF sensor, and wherein the distance is measured based on calibrating a travel time associated with the reflecting surface based on a calibration travel time associated with the calibration surface (¶0053-0056).
With regards to claim 10, Pulley discloses the TOF sensor is positioned inside a cavity filled with a working fluid of the effector actuator (130a, 130b, 330a, & 330b are positioned inside the fluid effector, Figs 1 & 3, ¶0042 & ¶0064).
With regards to claim 11, Pulley discloses the one or more movable elements comprise a piston that linearly displaces with changing of the effector position (a linear piston effector, ¶0007).
With regards to claim 12, Pulley discloses the effector actuator is coupled to rotating fan blades of the engine (rotary vane capable of rotating and pivoting, ¶0078).
With regards to method claims 15 & 17 are thereby met by the apparatus/the system thereof by the ratio metric position sensor and control system as disclose by Pulley above in claims 1 & 7.
With regards to claim 18, Pulley discloses the distance is measured based on calibrating a travel time associated with the reflecting surface using a speed of wave traveling through a medium determined based on a calibration travel time associated with a calibration surface at a known distance from the TOF sensor (speed of sound can be sensed or determined, ¶0004).
With regards to claim 20, Pulley discloses the TOF sensor is positioned inside a cavity filled with a working fluid of the effector actuator (time of flight position sensor is inside with a fluid in first and second cavity, ¶0007-0008).
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) 4 & 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pulley et al. [PG. Pub. No.: US 2022/0214452 A1] in view of Rajamani [EP 1988258 A2].
With regards to claim 4, Pulley discloses the claimed invention effector actuator as cited above in claim 1, however is silent on effector actuator comprises a blade pitch actuator, a stator vane actuator, an inlet guide vane pitch actuator, an outlet guide vane pitch actuator, a bleed valve actuator, or a variable nozzle actuator.
Rajamani teaches of (48, a actuator position measuring sensor and a position command source, Fig. 1-3, ¶0006-0007), which can include one or more sensors positioned adjacent to the coupling mechanism(s) 42, the positioning ring 20, the coupling mechanism(s) 22B, and/or the airfoil(s) 26, ¶0014, lines 42-45).
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art to modify Pulley with the vane/airfoils based upon the teachings thereof Rajamani. When modifying Pulley, one would have readily concluded to provide the sensors, coupling mechanism to the vanes/ airfoils to enable dynamic adjustment of the positioning of the vanes based upon comparison between a sensed vane position feedback signal (or signals) and a position command signal that indicates desired vane positioning, (¶0006).
With regards to claim 13, Pulley discloses the claimed invention effector actuator as cited above in claim 1, however is silent the effector actuator is coupled to stationary vanes of the engine.
Rajamani teaches of the sensor system for a stator assembly of a gas turbine engine including an actuator with additional coupling mechanisms to a plurality of vanes (Fig. 1-3, ¶0006-0007).
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art to modify Pulley with an actuator with additional coupling mechanisms to a plurality of vanes teachings thereof Rajamani. When modifying Pulley, one would have readily concluded to provide the sensors, coupling mechanism to the vanes/ airfoils to enable dynamic adjustment of the positioning of the vanes based upon comparison between a sensed vane position feedback signal (or signals) and a position command signal that indicates desired vane positioning, (¶0006).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 9, 14, & 19 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.
With regards to claim 3, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the TOF sensor is mounted on a movable element and the reflecting surface is a surface of a static portion of the effector actuator, in combination with the remaining claimed elements as set forth in claim 3 and from which they depend therefrom of claim 1.
With regards to claims 9 and 19, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed calibration surface is configured to reflect a part of a wave transmitted by the TOF sensor while allowing a remaining wave to pass through to the reflecting surface, in combination with the remaining claimed elements as set forth in claims 9 &19 and from which they depend therefrom of claims 1 & 15.
With regards to claim 14, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the reflecting surface is rotating within the housing of the effector actuator, in combination with the remaining claimed elements as set forth in claim 14 and from which they depend therefrom of claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRANCIS C GRAY whose telephone number is (571)270-3348. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-5pm.
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/FRANCIS C GRAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852