NON-FINAL REJECTION
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 1-28 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is rejected as being indefinite as the recited limitation "wherein the metering electronics are configured to use a correction function f(X) being a function of measured or estimated values at least partially dependent on both flow velocity and speed of sound, wherein a correlation variable X of the correction function f(X) is proportional to a velocity v and inversely proportional to a speed of sound c raised to a positive exponent n." is confusing. In line 5-6, a limitation “flow velocity” is cited, and in line 7 another limitation “a velocity” is cited. One of ordinary skill in the art fails to ascertain whether the two velocities are same or not. Further, no component is cited to measure flow velocity, and it is not clear as to what velocity is referred by “a velocity”. Examiner suggests to be consistent with the claim language. Furthermore, there is no connection between the received ultrasonic signals and the correction function. Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art cannot fully determine the scope of the claimed invention.
Claim 15 is rejected as being indefinite as the recited limitation "a velocity v" in line 8 and “a velocity” in line 12 are confusing. Are the two velocities referring to flow velocity? Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art cannot fully determine the scope of the claimed invention. Examiner suggests to be consistent with the claim language.
Claim 21 is rejected as being indefinite as the recited limitation " determine a correction function f(X), wherein a correlation variable X of the correction function f(X) is proportional to a velocity v and inversely proportional to a speed of sound c raised to a positive exponent n; and
determine a corrected flow rate, wherein the correction function f(X) is applied to the ultrasonic transit time, a velocity calculated from the ultrasonic transit time, or a flow rate when determining the corrected flow rate." is confusing.
Is the recited limitation "a velocity v" in lines 9-10 and “a velocity” in line 12 same? Examiner suggests to be consistent with the claim language. Further, it is not clear what limitations are used in determining “a corrected flow rate.” Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art cannot fully determine the scope of the claimed invention.
Claims 2-14, 16-20 and 22-28 are rejected as they depend from claims 1, 15 and 21.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-28 would be allowable if amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The following prior arts made of record and not relied upon, are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Reissner et al. (US 2022/0381596 A1) teaches a flow measurement system comprising an ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring a flow of fluid through a channel, wherein the channel has an axial extension determining a flow direction of the fluid and a cross section characterizable by at least one characteristic parameter, the ultrasonic flowmeter comprising at least two ultrasonic transducers that are arranged at a distance from each other, when the ultrasonic flowmeter is fixed to the channel, and that are configured to emit ultrasonic pulses into the channel and to receive ultrasonic pulses in the channel, the ultrasonic flowmeter further comprising a processor connected to the two ultrasonic transducers, wherein the at least two ultrasonic transducers are arranged to emit and receive ultrasonic pulses, and the processor is configured to measure transit times of the ultrasonic pulses in the channel in such a manner that a flow velocity of the fluid and the one or more characteristic parameter(s) of the channel are determined by using the transit times [Claim 1].
Ao et al. (US 2009/0007625 A1) teaches a calibration system for a flow meter, said calibration system including a flow simulator comprising: a receiver configured to receive flow meter transducer signals from a flow meter; a simulation subsystem configured to create simulated transit time signal pulses and to transmit the simulated transit time signal pulses to the flow meter at preselected time intervals; and a calibration subsystem configured to: receive from the flow meter a transit time differential value generated by the flow meter based on the simulated transit time signal pulses; and output a calibration factor to the flow meter (Claim 1).
Hardies (3,974,693) teaches systems for measuring the rate of fluid flow in a pipe or an open unrestricted channel as a current at sea or ocean wherein the time delay between acoustic pulses transmitted upstream and downstream in a fluid passing along a path of travel is multiplied by repeated transmissions over predetermined time intervals. The correction for the speed of sound in the medium is founded on the realization that in a multiple time difference ultrasonic flowmeter, there is a pulse (N.sub.c .DELTA.t) in the generated N.DELTA.t train which is directly proportional to the velocity of the fluid. Accordingly, the time interval during which the train N.DELTA.t last is automatically adjusted so that the time difference, or multiple of .DELTA.t, be in fact N.sub.c .DELTA.t [Abstract].
McShane (3,914,998) teaches in a flowmeter operative with a fluid stream, the combination of: one pair of oppositely disposed first and second ultrasonic transducers located in acoustic contact with said fluid stream and being at an angle in relation to said fluid stream; transducer triggering means operative in a sing-around fashion with said first and second transducers to transmit acoustic signals from each one of said transducers in response to an acoustic signal received from the other transducer; means cumulatively responsive to the time difference between each pulse belonging to one of said trains of downstream and upstream pulses and each corresponding one of said reference pulses for each of the operative positions of said switching means for deriving respective sum signals each dependent upon the speed of sound in said fluid at rest and proportional to the cumulative time difference between the reference pulse and the corresponding one of said downstream and upstream pulses; and output means operative with said sum signals for deriving a signal representative of fluid velocity [Claim 1].
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUMAN NATH whose telephone number is (571)270-1443. The examiner can normally be reached on M to F 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/SUMAN K NATH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855