DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1 – 20 are pending in the present application.
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 § 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 1-20 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.
Independent claims 1 and 18 (see also claims dependent claims 14-15 and 17) recite limitations regarding "the heating structure" in lines 6 and 4 respectively.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
Specifically, it is unclear if “the heating structure” is a newly recited structure OR is referencing the previously recited temperature control structure OR if this heating structure is meant to be an integral portion of the temperature control structure OR some other interpretation.
As best understood, for purpose of examination and in order to expedite prosecution the heating structure will be considered as generally a portion of the temperature control structure.
However, positive in claim recitation of proper antecedent basis and/or clarification of the relation between the temperature control structure configured to produce heat/cooling output and the heating structure is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Clarke (US 20190310668) in view of Eyck et al. (US 20080227349; hereinafter Eyck).
Regarding claim 1, Clarke teaches an instrumented temperature-control blanket (at least heating mat 20; see at least fig. 2) comprising
an insulative material (see [0015] “the heating mat 20 is made out of a substantially flexible material. However, the heating mat 20 may be made out of any desired material” in view of [0003] teaching that at least a foam bun and/or upholstery layer are known; see fig. 1 and fig. 2);
a temperature control structure integrated with the insulative material (see figs. 1-3) and configured to produce a heat or a cooling output in response to an input signal (see figs. 2 and 3 showing at least heating element 28 controlled by controller 40; [0016]; see also [0018]); and
an optical sensor (see fig. 3 showing the optical sensor with the heating control structures) including an optical fiber (32; see [0018]) integrated with the insulative material along the heating structure (see figs. 2 and 3 showing this integrated configuration),
wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect a change in an optical property measured along a length of the optical fiber ([0019]; [0021]; abstract), the change in the optical property indicative of a temperature of the temperature-control blanket ([0021-25]).
Clarke does not directly and specifically state that the optical property is measured from a plurality of intervals and that the change in the optical property is at a respective interval of the plurality of intervals.
However, Eyck teaches an instrumented temperature-control blanket (see at least abstract and fig. 1) having measurement of the optical property (abstract; [0009]) at a plurality of intervals (see fig. 1 showing an example of these intervals being the Fiber Bragg Grating array points) and the change of the optical is at these intervals (see at least [0012-13]).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket of Clarke with the specific knowledge of using the intervals for an instrumented temperature-control blanket of Eyck. This is because such intervals allow for discrete temperature sensing at desired points / areas / intervals. This is important in order to provide more granular temperature measurement information to an end user.
Regarding claim 8, Clarke lacks direct and specific teaching teaches that the optical sensor is a first optical sensor, and the blanket further comprises a second optical sensor including a second optical fiber integrated with the insulative material along the temperature control structure and the first optical sensor, wherein the second optical sensor is configured to detect a change in an optical property measured from a plurality of intervals along a length of the second optical fiber, the change in the optical property indicative of a temperature of the temperature-control blanket at a respective interval of the plurality of intervals of the second optical fiber.
However, Eyck teaches an instrumented temperature-control blanket (see at least abstract and fig. 1) having measurement of the optical property (abstract; [0009]) at a plurality of intervals (see fig. 1 showing an example of these intervals being the Fiber Bragg Grating array points) and the change of the optical is at these intervals (see at least [0012-13]) as well as plural optical fibers each with separate pluralities of FBGs ([0012]).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket of Clarke with the specific knowledge of using the plural fibers with plural FBGs for an instrumented temperature-control blanket of Eyck. This is because such plural fibers allow for discrete temperature sensing at desired points / areas / intervals. This is important in order to provide more granular temperature measurement information to an end user (see [0012] of Eyck).
Regarding claim 18, Clarke teaches a method of operating an instrumented temperature-control blanket (via controller 40 controlling at least heating mat 20; see at least fig. 3 and [0020-23]; [0006]), the method comprising
producing a heat output from a temperature control structure in response to an input signal ([0024]; see also [0025-26]), the heating structure integrated with an insulative material (see [0015] “the heating mat 20 is made out of a substantially flexible material. However, the heating mat 20 may be made out of any desired material” in view of [0003] teaching that at least a foam bun and/or upholstery layer are known; see figs. 1-3); and
detecting, using an optical sensor (see fig. 3; [0018]) including an optical fiber (32; see [0018]) integrated with the insulative material along the temperature control structure (see figs. 2 and 3 showing this integrated configuration), a change in an optical property measured along a length of the optical fiber ([0019]; [0021]; abstract), the change in the optical property indicative of a temperature of the temperature-control blanket ([0021-25]).
Clarke does not directly and specifically state that the optical property is measured from a plurality of intervals and that the change in the optical property is at a respective interval of the plurality of intervals.
However, Eyck teaches an instrumented temperature-control blanket (see at least abstract and fig. 1) having measurement of the optical property (abstract; [0009]) at a plurality of intervals (see fig. 1 showing an example of these intervals being the Fiber Bragg Grating array points) and the change of the optical is at these intervals (se at least [0012-13]).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket of Clarke with the specific knowledge of using the intervals for an instrumented temperature-control blanket of Eyck. This is because such intervals allow for discrete temperature sensing at desired points / areas / intervals. This is important in order to provide more granular temperature measurement information to an end user.
Claims 2-4, 6-7, 13-14 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the teaching of Clarke (US 20190310668) and Eyck et al. (US 20080227349; hereinafter Eyck) as applied to claims 1 or 18 above respectively and further in view of Dailey (US 20130028555).
Regarding claim 2, Clarke teaches that the optical sensor comprises a signal generator (at least 42; see fig. 3) configured to propagate an optical signal through the optical fiber ([0021]), and a receiver (at least 44) configured to detect returned light ([0021]), based on the optical signal of the optical fiber (see fig. 3 showing this configuration; see also [0025-26]), and the optical sensor is coupled with a processing unit (at least processing part of controller 40) configured to analyze the returned light (see at least [0026]) to determine the change in the optical property along the length of the optical fiber (via the optical sensor 44 and the controller 40; [0021-23]; see also [0026]), and determine the temperature of the temperature-control blanket ([0025-26]; see also abstract) by comparing the change in the optical property with a baseline optical property ([0026] teaches detecting when “heat generated by the heating element 28 is in excess of the predetermined maximum amount” via optical changes; see also [0006]).
Clarke does not directly and specifically teach regarding measuring scattering of the returned light or state that the optical property is measured from a plurality of intervals and that the change in the optical property is at a respective interval of the plurality of intervals.
However, Eyck teaches an instrumented temperature-control blanket (see at least abstract and fig. 1) having measurement of the optical property (abstract; [0009]) at a plurality of intervals (see fig. 1 showing an example of these intervals being the Fiber Bragg Grating array points) and the change of the optical is at these intervals (see at least [0012-13]).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket of Clarke with the specific knowledge of using the intervals for an instrumented temperature-control blanket of Eyck. This is because such intervals allow for discrete temperature sensing at desired points / areas / intervals. This is important in order to provide more granular temperature measurement information to an end user.
Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching regarding measuring scattering of the returned light.
However, Dailey teaches a fiber optic sensor (abstract) for temperature ([0015]) specifically teaching regarding measuring scattering (see at least abstract teaching regarding at least “Rayleigh back-scattering, (OFDR, Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry), Brillouin frequency shift (BOTDA, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis, BOTDR, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry), Raman (Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) … and dense packed Fiber Bragg Gratings”).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket with FBGs of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the Rayleigh back-scattering and/or OTDR with the FBGs of Dailey. This is because such measurement of returning scattering allows for determining desired attributes such as temperature, stress and strain. This is important in order to provide an end user options for making the calculations/measurements.
Regarding claim 3, Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching that the processing unit may be configured to analyze the returned light scattering using one or both of an optical time domain reflectometry or an optical frequency domain reflectometry.
However, Dailey teaches a fiber optic sensor (abstract) for temperature ([0015]) specifically teaching regarding measuring scattering (see at least abstract teaching regarding at least “Rayleigh back-scattering, (OFDR, Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry), Brillouin frequency shift (BOTDA, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis, BOTDR, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry), Raman (Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) … and dense packed Fiber Bragg Gratings”).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket with FBGs of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the optical time domain reflectometry or optical frequency domain reflectometry of Dailey. This is because such measurements allow for determining desired attributes such as temperature, stress and strain. This is important in order to provide an end user options for making the calculations / measurements.
Regarding claim 4, Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching that the optical property comprises a light frequency spectrum, and the processing unit associates changes of the light frequency spectrum with each respective interval of the plurality of intervals based on a detected time of the returned light scattering at the receiver (see however, fig. 1 of Eyck).
However, Dailey teaches a fiber optic sensor (abstract) for temperature ([0015]) specifically teaching regarding measuring scattering (see at least abstract teaching regarding at least “Rayleigh back-scattering, (OFDR, Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry), Brillouin frequency shift (BOTDA, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis, BOTDR, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry), Raman (Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) … and dense packed Fiber Bragg Gratings”) using “time domain modulated, Rayleigh backscattering sensors” which are FBGs ([0091]).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket with FBGs of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the time domain modulated, Rayleigh backscattering sensors which are FBGs of Dailey. This is because such measurements allow for determining desired attributes such as temperature, stress and strain. This is important in order to provide an end user options for making the calculations / measurements.
Regarding claim 6, Clarke teaches that the processing unit is configured to compare the determined temperature of the temperature-control blanket to one or more set points (at least “a predetermined maximum amount” of heat; [0023]; see also [0025-26]), the blanket further comprises a controller (at least user interface 38 with portion of controller 40 monitoring the set point; see fig. 3) operatively coupled with the temperature control structure and configured to deliver the input signal thereto (see fig. 3 showing these portions are operatively coupled and the signal flow), and the controller is configured to change a property of the input signal based on the determined temperature of the temperature-control blanket deviating from the one or more set points ([0026]; see signal line 48 controls the energy to the heater), the input signal comprises at least one of an electrical signal or a flow of a coolant medium ([0017] teaches at least using electrical power / current / signal).
Regarding claim 7, Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching that the temperature control structure comprises a heating structure and the blanket further comprises a first thermocouple assembly integrated with the insulative material along a first interval of the plurality of intervals of the optical fiber and configured to measure a first temperature of the temperature-control blanket at the first interval, and a second thermocouple assembly integrated with the insulative material along a interval of the plurality of intervals of the optical fiber and configured to measure a second temperature of the temperature-control blanket at the second interval, and the processing unit is configured to determine the baseline optical property by correlating the first measured temperature of the first thermocouple assembly and the second measured temperature of the second thermocouple assembly with the optical property measured by the optical sensor for said first and second temperatures.
However, Dailey teaches a fiber optic sensor (abstract) for temperature ([0015]) specifically teaching regarding measuring scattering (see at least abstract teaching regarding at least “Rayleigh back-scattering, (OFDR, Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry), Brillouin frequency shift (BOTDA, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis, BOTDR, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry), Raman (Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) … and dense packed Fiber Bragg Gratings”) where at least some of the FBGs may be configured as thermocouples ([0060] “a standard fiber Bragg grating and sensor 24 could be either a fiber Bragg grating modified to act as a fiber optic thermocouple” is known in the art as useful for use in fiber based temperature sensing systems).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket with FBGs of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using thermocouples in / with the sensing system of Dailey. This is because such thermocouple measurements allow for determining desired attributes such as temperature and control the temperature with a heating or cooling system. This is important in order to provide an end user options for temperature regulation.
Regarding claim 13, Clarke teaches that the temperature control structure comprises a heating structure (at least 28) integrated with the insulative material (see at least fig. 2).
Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching of a cooling structure (teaching heaters).
However, Dailey teaches a fiber optic sensor (abstract) for temperature ([0015]) specifically teaching regarding measuring scattering (see at least abstract teaching regarding at least “Rayleigh back-scattering, (OFDR, Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry), Brillouin frequency shift (BOTDA, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis, BOTDR, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry), Raman (Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) … and dense packed Fiber Bragg Gratings”) which are used to control a cooling structure / system ([0007]; see also [0061] which teaches regarding using the temperature sensitive fiber optic system to control a hydrogen cooling for a generator; see [0081] regarding detecting temperature in zones for cooling those zones).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket with FBGs of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using sensors for controlling cooling as well as heating of Dailey. This is because such measurements allow for determining desired attributes such as temperature and control the temperature with a heating or cooling system. This is important in order to provide an end user options for temperature regulation.
Regarding claim 14, Clarke teaches that the processing unit is configured to compare the determined temperature of the temperature-control blanket to one or more set points (at least “a predetermined maximum amount” of heat; [0023]; see also [0025-26]), the blanket further comprises a controller (at least user interface 38 with portion of controller 40 monitoring the set point; see fig. 3) operatively coupled with the temperature control structure configured to deliver the input signal to the heating structure and/or the cooling structure (see fig. 3 showing these portions are operatively coupled and the signal flow), and the controller is configured to change a property of the input signal based on the determined temperature of the temperature-control blanket deviating from the one or more set points ([0026]; see signal line 48 controls the energy to the heater).
Regarding claim 19, Clarke teaches propagating, using a signal generator (at least 42) of the optical sensor (see fig. 3), an optical signal through the optical fiber ([0021]), detecting, using a receiver of the optical sensor (at least 44), a returned light ([0021]), based on the optical signal, of the optical fiber (see fig. 3 showing this configuration; see also [0025-26]), analyzing, using a processing unit (at least processing part of controller 40) coupled with the optical sensor (see fig. 3), the returned light to determine the change in the optical property along the length of the optical fiber (via the optical sensor 44 and the controller 40; [0021-23]; see also [0026]), and determining, using the processing unit, the temperature of the temperature-control blanket ([0025-26]; see also abstract) by comparing the change in the optical property for each respective interval with a baseline optical property ([0026] teaches detecting when “heat generated by the heating element 28 is in excess of the predetermined maximum amount” via optical changes; see also [0006]).
Clarke does not directly and specifically teach regarding measuring scattering of the returned light or state that the optical property is measured from a plurality of intervals and that the change in the optical property is at a respective interval of the plurality of intervals.
However, Eyck teaches an instrumented temperature-control blanket (see at least abstract and fig. 1) having measurement of the optical property (abstract; [0009]) at a plurality of intervals (see fig. 1 showing an example of these intervals being the Fiber Bragg Grating array points) and the change of the optical is at these intervals (see at least [0012-13]).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket of Clarke with the specific knowledge of using the intervals for an instrumented temperature-control blanket of Eyck. This is because such intervals allow for discrete temperature sensing at desired points / areas / intervals. This is important in order to provide more granular temperature measurement information to an end user.
Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching regarding measuring scattering of the returned light.
However, Dailey teaches a fiber optic sensor (abstract) for temperature ([0015]) specifically teaching regarding measuring scattering (see at least abstract teaching regarding at least “Rayleigh back-scattering, (OFDR, Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry), Brillouin frequency shift (BOTDA, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis, BOTDR, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry), Raman (Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) … and dense packed Fiber Bragg Gratings”).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket with FBGs of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the Rayleigh back-scattering and/or OTDR with the FBGs of Dailey. This is because such measurement of returning scattering allows for determining desired attributes such as temperature, stress and strain. This is important in order to provide an end user options for making the calculations/measurements.
Regarding claim 20, Clarke teaches comparing, using the processing unit, the determined temperature of the temperature control-blanket to one or more set points (at least “a predetermined maximum amount” of heat; [0023]; see also [0025-26]), changing, using a controller (at least user interface 38 with portion of controller 40 monitoring the set point; see fig. 3) operatively coupled to the temperature control structure and the processing unit (see fig. 3 showing these portions are operatively coupled), a property of input signal based on the determined temperature of the temperature-control blanket deviating from the one or more set points ([0026]; see signal line 48 controls the energy to the heater).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the teaching of Clarke (US 20190310668), Eyck et al. (US 20080227349; hereinafter Eyck) and Dailey (US 20130028555) as applied to claims 1 and 2 above and further in view of Farhadiroushan et al. (US 20140036957; hereinafter Farhadiroushan).
Regarding claim 5, Clarke, Eyck and Dailey lack direct and specific teaching that the insulative material is wrapped around a pipe or a vessel, and the processing unit is configured to generate a 3-D temperature map corresponding to a 3-D surface of the pipe or vessel engaged with the insulative material, the 3-D temperature map formed from the determined temperature of the temperature-control blanket at each respective interval.
However, Farhadiroushan teaches fibre optic monitoring of articles / vessels / pipes / conduits (abstract; “monitoring of vessels, chambers, and fluid conduits”) using an insulative wrap / blanket / sleeve (101) where the “support structure for the fibre optic cable is a flexible sleeve 101 of fibrous material” ([0085]; see figs. 10B and 10A; see also [0086] “The sleeve 101 is approximately 3 to 7 mm thick and supports the fibre optic length in a preformed orientation. The insulating material of the sleeve reduces the effect of ambient temperature on the monitoring operation”) in order to map the temperature ([0043] “processing the collected data to provide a distributed temperature map of the vessel”).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the optical temperature sensing system of Clarke. Eyck and Dailey with the specific knowledge of using the fiber optic instrumented blanket / sleeve for temperature mapping of vessels and fluid conduits of Farhadiroushan. This is because such temperature mapping of conduits / vessels allows for a granular understanding of the thermal situation of the article. This is important in order to provide precise temperature information to an end user.
Claims 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the teaching of Clarke (US 20190310668) and Eyck et al. (US 20080227349; hereinafter Eyck) and as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Farhadiroushan et al. (US 20140036957; hereinafter Farhadiroushan).
Regarding claim 9, Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching that the insulative material comprises a high-temperature ceramic with formed channels therein configured to receive at least a portion of the temperature control structure and at least a portion of the optical fiber.
However, Farhadiroushan teaches fibre optic monitoring of articles / vessels / pipes / conduits (abstract; “monitoring of vessels, chambers, and fluid conduits”) using an insulative material ([0084] “ceramic insulating material (not shown) is placed between the fibre optic cable and the channel structure 92 to insulate the fibre optic”; see fig. 9A) and channels (92; [0083] “channel structure 92, most clearly shown in FIG. 9B, comprises a channel for receiving the fibre optic length 94”; see figs. 9A and 9B).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the optical temperature sensing system with heating of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the fiber optic instrumented ceramic insulated channels of Farhadiroushan. This is because such ceramic material in channels allows for “the channel structure 92 to insulate the fibre optic from the effects of the environment” ([0084] of Farhadiroushan). This is important in order to provide a robust sensing device / system to an end user.
Regarding claim 10, Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching regarding high-temperature ceramic threads engaged with the insulative material and the portion of the temperature control structure and/or the portion of the optical fiber to secure the portion of the temperature control structure and/or the portion of the optical fiber in the formed channels.
However, Farhadiroushan teaches fibre optic monitoring of articles / vessels / pipes / conduits (abstract; “monitoring of vessels, chambers, and fluid conduits”) using an insulative material ([0084] “ceramic insulating material (not shown) is placed between the fibre optic cable and the channel structure 92 to insulate the fibre optic”; see fig. 9A) and channels (92; [0083] “channel structure 92, most clearly shown in FIG. 9B, comprises a channel for receiving the fibre optic length 94”; see figs. 9A and 9B) where the fiber is secured in the channel(s) with fastening means such as cable ties ([0084]) which may have notches (96; [0084]; see fig. 9B).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the optical temperature sensing system with heating of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the fiber optic instrumented ceramic insulated channels with fastening means of Farhadiroushan. This is because holding such ceramic material in channels allows for “the channel structure 92 to insulate the fibre optic from the effects of the environment” ([0084] of Farhadiroushan). This is important in order to provide a robust sensing device / system to an end user.
Regarding claim 11, Clarke teaches that the portion of the temperature control structure and the portion of the optical fiber are enclosed within the insulative material (see at least fig. 2 showing the temperature control structure and optical fiber is in the mat / insulative material).
Regarding claim 12, Clarke teaches that the formed channels define a serpentine pattern (see at least fig. 2 showing a serpentine pattern is known; see also fig. 1 of Eyck and fig. 9A of Farhadiroushan each showing that a serpentine pattern is known).
Claims 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the teaching of Clarke (US 20190310668) and Eyck et al. (US 20080227349; hereinafter Eyck) and as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Forbes et al. (US 20210148769; hereinafter Forbes).
Regarding claim 15, Clarke teaches a system comprising the blanket of claim 1 (see treatment of claim 1 above).
Clarke and Eyck do not directly and specifically state regarding a pipe or a vessel having a fluid therein, wherein the blanket is engaged with the pipe or the vessel to provide the heat output of the heating structure to the fluid (teaching rather toward a heated seat and articles of clothing/blanket respectively).
However, Forbes teaches “a distributed temperature sensor 140, such as a fiberoptic cable” ([0043]) which is “operatively coupled to (e.g., attached to, either removably or fixedly) the conduit 120 (e.g., outer surface of the conduit 120) and/or to a temperature control element 130 (e.g., the heating element 132, or the like) that is operatively coupled to the conduit 120” ([0043]) where the temperature control element may be a jacketed pipe with heating and cooling applied to the pipe ([0057]; see fig. 5).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to further modify the heated instrumented system of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the heated and cooled jacketed pipe with fiber optic temperature sensing of Forbes. This is because such a configuration applies the concepts of temperature measurement and control to a pipe for a process fluid. This is important in order to provide additional functionality such as maintaining a process fluid at a desired temperature.
Claims 16-17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the teaching of Clarke (US 20190310668), Eyck et al. (US 20080227349; hereinafter Eyck) and Forbes et al. (US 20210148769; hereinafter Forbes) as applied to claims 1 and 15 above and further in view of and Dailey (US 20130028555).
Regarding claim 16, Clarke teaches that the blanket further comprises a signal generator (at least 42; see fig. 3) configured to propagate an optical signal through the optical fiber ([0021]), and a receiver (at least 44) configured to detect returned light ([0021]), based on the optical signal of the optical fiber (see fig. 3 showing this configuration; see also [0025-26]), and the system further comprises a processing unit (at least processing part of controller 40) configured to analyze the returned light (see at least [0026]) to determine the change in the optical property along the length of the optical fiber (via the optical sensor 44 and the controller 40; [0021-23]; see also [0026]), and determine the temperature of the temperature-control blanket ([0025-26]; see also abstract) by comparing the change in the optical property for each respective interval with a baseline optical property ([0026] teaches detecting when “heat generated by the heating element 28 is in excess of the predetermined maximum amount” via optical changes; see also [0006]).
Clarke does not directly and specifically teach regarding measuring scattering of the returned light or state that the optical property is measured from a plurality of intervals and that the change in the optical property is at a respective interval of the plurality of intervals.
However, Eyck teaches an instrumented temperature-control blanket (see at least abstract and fig. 1) having measurement of the optical property (abstract; [0009]) at a plurality of intervals (see fig. 1 showing an example of these intervals being the Fiber Bragg Grating array points) and the change of the optical is at these intervals (see at least [0012-13]).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket of Clarke with the specific knowledge of using the intervals for an instrumented temperature-control blanket of Eyck. This is because such intervals allow for discrete temperature sensing at desired points / areas / intervals. This is important in order to provide more granular temperature measurement information to an end user.
Clarke and Eyck lack direct and specific teaching regarding measuring scattering of the returned light.
However, Dailey teaches a fiber optic sensor (abstract) for temperature ([0015]) specifically teaching regarding measuring scattering (see at least abstract teaching regarding at least “Rayleigh back-scattering, (OFDR, Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry), Brillouin frequency shift (BOTDA, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis, BOTDR, Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry), Raman (Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) … and dense packed Fiber Bragg Gratings”).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instrumented temperature-control blanket with FBGs of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the Rayleigh back-scattering and/or OTDR with the FBGs of Dailey. This is because such measurement of returning scattering allows for determining desired attributes such as temperature, stress and strain. This is important in order to provide an end user options for making the calculations/measurements.
Regarding claim 17, Clarke, Eyck, Forbes and Dailey lack direct and specific teaching that the fluid comprises a fissile molten salt fluid of a molten salt reactor system, the processing unit is further configured to compare the determined temperature of the temperature control blanket to one or more set points associated with a freezing temperature of the fissile molten salt fluid, the blanket further comprises a controller operatively coupled with the heating structure and configured to deliver the input electrical signal thereto, and the controller is configured to change a property of the input electrical signal based on the determined temperature of the temperature-control blanket advancing toward the one or more set points.
However, Forbes teaches “a distributed temperature sensor 140, such as a fiberoptic cable” ([0043]) which is “operatively coupled to (e.g., attached to, either removably or fixedly) the conduit 120 (e.g., outer surface of the conduit 120) and/or to a temperature control element 130 (e.g., the heating element 132, or the like) that is operatively coupled to the conduit 120” ([0043]) where the temperature control element may be a jacketed pipe with heating and cooling applied to the pipe ([0057]; see fig. 5) based on a threshold temperature range ([0047]; [0052]).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to further modify the heated instrumented system of Clarke and Eyck with the specific knowledge of using the heated and cooled jacketed pipe with fiber optic temperature sensing of Forbes. This is because such a configuration applies the concepts of temperature measurement and control to a pipe for a process fluid. This is important in order to provide additional functionality such as maintaining a process fluid at a desired temperature.
Further, Clarke does disclose a predetermined maximum amount of heat being compared to ([0025] of Clarke); Forbes discloses thresholds and threshold ranges for regulating heating/cooling ([0047]; [0052]; [0057] of Forbes),
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the temperature control based on known and predetermined thresholds of Clarke and Forbes with one of ordinary skill in the art of molten salt reactors knowledge of the freezing point and other critical points of fissile molten salt fluid. This is because one of ordinary skill in the art would have expected the freezing of fissile molten salt fluid to be important to avoid because nuclear reactor safety is a point of importance in the art of molten salt reactors.
Further, it has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed (here for a specific MSR pipe while the prior art teaches an industrial process pipe – see [0052] of Forbes) does not differentiate the claimed apparatus (since the claimed fissile molten salt fluid of a molten salt reactor system does not recite any further structural requirement beyond controlling the heating/cooling of the fluid as already known from the prior art) from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. (MPEP 2114 II.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
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/PHILIP L COTEY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/LAURA MARTIN/ SPE, Art Unit 2855