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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 16-35 set forth in the amendment submitted 1/12/2024 form the basis of the present examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/12/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because:
The abstract should be in narrative form within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claim 34 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 34 recites, “An arrangement for estimating a state of a subsea electrical power cable the arrangement comprising :…” should read, “An arrangement for estimating a state of a subsea electrical power cable, the arrangement comprising:……”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 16-35 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.
Claim 16 recites, “deriving, for each location, from the load data samples and the temperature data samples, a location specific covariance related quantity related to one of a covariance and a correlation of a load related quantity and a temporal temperature change related quantity; and estimating the state of the power cable based on analyzing the derived covariance related quantities.” The limitation is not clear. Because claim does not recite how to estimate the state of the power cable. It is not clear what steps are used to estimate the state (it is not clear what characteristic corresponds to state) of the power cable. It is not clear what is location specific covariance related quantity and how the quantity is determined. It is not clear how the covariance and a correlation of a load related quantity and a temporal temperature change related quantity is determined. It is not clear what steps are followed to determine a covariance and a correlation of a load related quantity and a temporal temperature change related quantity from load data and temperature date. Therefore, it is also not clear how a location specific covariance related quantity is determined. Claim does not recite any specific structure to perform the steps. Claim only recites a method. Claim looks like that some of the method steps are missing to estimate a state of a subsea electrical power cable ………………… Therefore, the claim limitation is not clear.
Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
For the purpose of present examination, depth of burial is construed to mean the state of the power cable and any correlation between temperature and load data is construed to mean interaction values.
Claim 34 is 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, because of the same reason as stated above.
.
Claims 17-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite by virtue of their dependence from claims 16 and 34.
Claim 18, recites, “wherein, for each location and for each of plural time shifts, the covariance related quantity is derived depending on a sum, over the plural points in time, of a product of the respective load data sample at a respective point in time and the respective temperature data sample at the respective point in time shifted by the respective time shift”. The limitation is not clear. It is not clear which values are summed and how the product of the load data and temperature data is calculated. It is not clear what steps are done to sum the values and what values are summed. Therefore, claim limitation is not clear.
Similar limitation recites in claim 19, 20 21 which is not clear because of the same reason as stated above for rejecting claim 18. Therefore, claim limitation is not clear.
Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
Claim 22 recites, “wherein one of the following holds: for each location and for each of plural time shifts, the covariance related quantity is derived as one of an empirical covariance and an empirical correlation between the load data samples and the temperature data samples at points in time shifted by the respective time shift”. However, it is not clear what is an empirical covariance and an empirical correlation between the load data samples and the temperature data samples. It is not clear how an empirical covariance and an empirical correlation between the load data samples and the temperature data is calculated and what method is used to calcite the data and how the values are calculated. Therefore, the limitation is not clear.
Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
Claim 23 recites, “wherein analyzing the covariance related quantities comprises, for at least one location, finding, as a first analysis value, a location specific maximal value of the covariance related quantity across the plural different time shifts, wherein estimating the state of the power cable is based on the first analysis result” which is not clear. It is not clear which value is the first analysis value and how the first analysis value is calculated. It is not clear how the state of the power cable is estimated based on the first analysis result. Therefore, the claim limitation is not clear.
Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
For the purpose of present examination any location is considered as the first location and the corresponding value is considered as the first analysis value.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite by virtue of their dependence from claim 23.
Claim 25 recites the limitation "the first analysis result" in 3-4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 25 recites, “The method according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the following holds: estimating the state of the power cable is based on whether the scaled first analysis result satisfies at least one of the following: the scaled first analysis……..”
However, claim 16 does not recite, “first analysis result”.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
Claim 27 recites, “The method according to claim 16, wherein analyzing the covariance related quantities comprises, for at least one location, finding, as a second analysis value ,……the second analysis result
However, claim 16 does not recite, “a first or second analysis value and a first or second analysis result”.
Therefore, the limitation is not clear.
Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
Claim 28 recites, “The method according to claim 16, wherein analyzing the covariance related quantities comprises, …… in order to obtain a third analysis result; analyzing, for at least one location, the behavior of the covariance related quantity at large time shifts in order to obtain a fourth analysis result;
However, claim 16 does not recite, “a first or second analysis value and a first or second analysis result”. Therefore, the limitation is not clear.
Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
Claim 29 recites, “obtaining further load data samples pertaining to plural further points in time; obtaining further temperature data samples pertaining to the plural locations along the power cable and pertaining to the plural further points in time”. The limitation is not clear. It is not clear which values are the further load data and further temperature data. It is not clear how further load and temperature data are calculated. It is not clear how further load data and temperature data is differentiated from other load and temperature data. Is there any range or limit to define further load and temperature data. Therefor ethe claim limitation ius not clear.
Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite by virtue of their dependence from claim 29.
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) 16-17, 23-24, 31 and 33-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Jonathan Lux et al. (Hereinafter, “Lux”) in the NPL- Real-Time Determination of Depth of Burial Profiles for Submarine Power Cables; IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER DELIVERY, VOL. 34, NO. 3, JUNE 2019; Pages -1079-1086.
Regarding claim 16, Lux teaches a method of estimating a state of a subsea electrical power cable (a method for permanent monitoring the depth of burial along the entire length of a buried power cable route in real time; Column 2 Page 1079 Line 44-46; The term “state” can represent any condition, shape, situation or any characteristics of subsea electrical power cable as claim does not specify what the state is. Therefore, here depth of burial (DOB) along the length is considered as the state of a power cable), the method comprising:
obtaining load data samples pertaining to plural points (From now on, we investigate a single conductor at position (0, L) for clarity; Page 1081 Column 1 Line 17-18) in time (The load variationsW0 and the steady state current have both been calculated according to IEC 60287 [9]; Page 1082, Column 2 Line 15-16;
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; Page 1081 Column 2 Line 11-25: equation above shows how to obtain load date),
the load data samples indicating an electrical load the power cable is subjected to (In this study, we present a method to permanently analyze the DoB of submarine power cable formations by using distributed temperature sensing, electric load data, and thermal models of the submarine cable installation; abstract-Page 1079, Column 1 Line 9-12; here current is measured and considered as load date);
obtaining temperature data samples pertaining to plural locations along the power cable and pertaining to the plural points in time (DTS systems can measure the temperature in optical fibers up to a distance of about 70 km with a temperature resolution better than 1 to 2 Kelvin [2].; Page 1079, Column 2 Line 1-3; Temperatures were measured in one of those fibers using a LIOS Brillouin-DTS with a sampling interval of 0.25 m, a spatial resolution of 3m and a measurement time below 10 minutes. Column 2 III. FIELD STUDY-Page 1083 Line 1-3);
deriving, for each location (a sampling interval of 0.25 m), from the load data samples and the temperature data samples (The calculations show that it is possible to determine the depth of burial from DTS and load data up to certain depth depending on the amplitude of load variations and the temperature resolution of the DTS measurements; Page 1083 Column 1 Line 11-14; Fig. 3. Contour plot of DoB results over position and time obtained with our method for DTS and load data recorded in a critical section of a submarine power cable installation in the North Sea. Calculations were performed once a day with a spatial resolution of 1 m; Page 1083), a location specific covariance related quantity related to one of a covariance and a correlation of a load related quantity and a temporal temperature change related quantity (We have tested our method on DTS and load data recorded by an European transmission system operator (TSO) over two months. The surveyed 155 kV AC cable is more than 40 km long and connects an offshore wind farm in the North Sea to the onshore grid. It has a cross section similar to that shown in Fig. 1. The single-mode optical fibers are located in the interstices between the conductor cores. Temperatures were measured in one of those fibers using a LIOS Brillouin-DTS with a sampling interval of 0.25 m, a spatial resolution of 3m and a measurement
time below 10 minutes. Under these conditions the temperature; III. FIELD STUDY; Page 1083 Column 2 Line 1-10) repeatability as defined by SEAFOM-MSP-01 [19] is below
0.5 K for distances smaller than 40 km [2].; Page 1084 Column 1 Line 1-2); and
estimating the state of the power cable (DOB is the state of power cable) based on analyzing the derived covariance related quantities (For each calculation of the DoB, as presented in Figs. 3 and 4, a current and temperature history of 10–14 days was considered; Page 1084; The depth of burial along the dashed lines are shown in Fig. 4. The upper part shows the time-dependent DoB at a position where the cable was exposed. Apparently, the exposure developed on a timescale of a few weeks. A yearly survey may thus not be sufficient to detect such events in time. The lower part of Fig. 4 shows a DoB profile at a fixed time. In Fig. 5 we show the relative thermal load (I/Imax)2 of the cable under consideration. Imax was calculated to be the steady state current load; Page 1084 Column 2 Line 4-11 at which the conductor temperature becomes 90 ◦C. Each result presented Figs. 3 and 4 uses a data history of around two weeks for the estimation of the ambient parameters. The time where Figs. 3 and 4(a) start is shifted to 0 days. The mean thermal load, the time average of the data shown in Fig. 5, was around 5% with a standard deviation of 6%. Therefore, we found that the maximum detectable depth represented by the dashed line in 4(b); Page 1085 Column 1 Line 1-8; In order to determine the DoB, the amplitudes of the slowly varying part of the measured temperature have to be analyzed. Their load-dependent size, which depends on the load, determines the maximal detectable depth, see (16). IV. CONCLUSION Page 1085 Column 1 Line 8-11).
Regarding claim 17, Lux teaches a method,
wherein, for each location (a sampling interval of 0.25 m) and for each of plural time shifts ( for example two months)(Temperatures were measured in one of those fibers using a LIOS Brillouin-DTS with a sampling interval of 0.25 m, a spatial resolution of 3m and a measurement time below 10 minutes; Column 2 III. FIELD STUDY-Page 1083 Line 1-3; We have tested our method on DTS and load data recorded by an European transmission system operator (TSO) over two months. The surveyed 155 kV AC cable is more than 40 km long and connects an offshore wind farm in the North Sea to the onshore grid. III. FIELD STUDY; Page 1083, Column 2 Line 1-5), the covariance related quantity is derived based on the load data samples (The load variationsW0 and the steady state current have both been calculated according to IEC 60287 [9].; Page 1082 Column 2 Line 15-16) and the temperature data samples (Temperatures were measured in one of those fibers using a LIOS Brillouin-DTS with a sampling interval of 0.25 m, a spatial resolution of 3m and a measurement time below 10 minutes; Column 2 III. FIELD STUDY-Page 1083 Line 1-3) related to points in time shifted by the respective time shift (The calculations show that it is possible to determine the depth of burial from DTS and load data up to certain depth depending on the amplitude of load variations and the temperature resolution of the DTS measurements.; Page 1083 Column 1 Line 11-14
For each calculation of the DoB, as presented in Figs. 3 and 4, a current and temperature history of 10–14 days was considered; Page 1084).
Regarding claim 23, Lux teaches a method,
wherein analyzing the covariance related quantities comprises, for at least one location, finding, as a first analysis value (We have tested our method on DTS and load data recorded by an European transmission system operator (TSO) over two months. The surveyed 155 kV AC cable is more than 40 km long and connects an offshore wind farm in the North Sea to the onshore grid. III. FIELD STUDY; Page 1083, Column 2 Line 1-5; Temperatures were measured in one of those fibers using a LIOS Brillouin-DTS with a sampling interval of 0.25 m, a spatial resolution of 3m and a measurement time below 10 minutes; Column 2 III. FIELD STUDY-Page 1083 Line 1-3), a location specific maximal value of the covariance related quantity across the plural different time shifts, wherein estimating the state of the power cable is based on the first analysis result (In Fig. 3, we show the results of our algorithm over 30 days and a critical 400 meter section of the power cable. The calculations have been performed locally, which means that the results at different positions are independent from each other, for every meter position along the cable section. Calculations have been triggered once a day considering a temperature history of two weeks to reach the regime where (10) is valid. The figure shows a few red regions with a width of the order of 5 meter, well above the spatial resolution of the DTS; Page 1084 Column 1 Line 3-12; Fig. 4. Results of our algorithm for DTS data recorded by a European transmission system operator. Cuts correspond to the dashed lines shown in Fig. 3. The dashed line in b) shows the numerically calculated Lmax , which is quite small due to the low load, see Fig. 5, during the observed period of time; Page 1084; Figure 5 shows the state of the power cable is based on the first analysis result).
Regarding claim 24, Lux teaches a method,
further comprising: determining a scaled first analysis value (value is normalized as shown in Figure 2; The normalized effective thermal resistivity ρeff /ρ is shown in Fig. 2(a) for xF = ΔyF = 5 cm and an original laying depth of L0 = 2 m. For real cable geometries the finite size of the cable limits the minimum effective thermal resistivity to a value larger than zero; Page 1082, Column 1 Line 9-13) by scaling the first analysis value based on a normalization value (Fig. 2. (a) Effective thermal resistivity calculated according to (13).We have used typical values of L0 = 2m, and xF = ΔyF = 5 cm. (b)Maximum detectable depth Lmax according to (16) for various cable types.We assumed a temperature resolution of the DTS device of Ts = 1 K and a thermal resistivity of the seafloor of ρ = 0.7K ∗ m/W. The load variations are normalized with respect to the maximum current calculated according to IEC60287 for each cable type. Maximum currents were found to be 764, 919, 940, 1084 and 2033 A, from top to bottom of the legend; Page 1082),
wherein estimating the state of the power cable is based on the scaled first analysis result (Fig. 4. Results of our algorithm for DTS data recorded by a European transmission system operator. Cuts correspond to the dashed lines shown in Fig. 3. The dashed line in b) shows the numerically calculated Lmax , which is quite small due to the low load, see Fig. 5, during the observed period of time; Page 1084; Figure 5 shows the state of the power cable is based on the first analysis result).
Regarding claim 31, Lux teaches a method,
wherein at least one of the following holds:
the plural different time shifts include time shifts ranging from 0 hours to 20 hours;
the plural points in time cover a range of between one week and ten weeks (In Fig. 3, we show the results of our algorithm over 30 days and a critical 400 meter section of the power cable. The calculations have been performed locally, which means that the results at different positions are independent from each other, for every meter position along the cable section. Calculations have been triggered once a day considering a temperature history of two weeks to reach the regime where (10) is valid; Page 1084; Column 1 Line 3-9;
estimating the state of the subsea electrical power cable includes at least one of:
estimation of an extent of exposure to at least one of water and soil
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; Page 1083, Column 1 Line 1-10); one of qualitative and quantitative estimation of at least one of:
burial state and change of burial state and burial depth and change of burial depth (An analysis of field data shows that our method has the capability to detect comparatively fast variations of DoB and also cable exposure events in real installations; Abstract-Page 1079 Column 1 Line 12-15).
Regarding claim 33, Lux teaches a method, wherein obtaining the load data samples comprises:
one of measuring and deriving electrical power conveyed through the power cable, including measuring at least one of voltage and current and power at one or more locations (The load variationsW0 and the steady state current have both been calculated according to IEC 60287 [9]; Page 1082, Column 2 Line 15-16; Fig. 5. Relative thermal load of the cable under study. Corresponding current has been analyzed to obtain the results in Figs. 3 and 4.; Page 1084; current is measured at one or more locations through the power cable).
Regarding claim 34, Lux teaches an arrangement for estimating a state of a subsea electrical power cable (a method for permanent monitoring the depth of burial along the entire length of a buried power cable route in real time; Column 2 Page 1079 Line 44-46; The term “state” can represent any condition, shape, situation or any characteristics of subsea electrical power cable as claim does not specify what the state is. Therefore, here depth of burial (DOB) along the length is considered as the state of a power cable), the arrangement comprising:
a processor (Once the mapping is known, the depth of burial can be calculated in real-time on a standard desktop computer; Page 1085, Column 1 IV. CONCLUSION-Line 17-18; Therefore, the arrangement can be done with a computer using a processor) adapted to:
to obtain load data samples pertaining to plural points (From now on, we investigate a single conductor at position (0, L) for clarity; Page 1081 Column 1 Line 17-18) in time (The load variationsW0 and the steady state current have both been calculated according to IEC 60287 [9]; Page 1082, Column 2 Line 15-16;
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; Page 1081 Column 2 Line 11-25: equation above shows how to obtain load date),
the load data samples indicating an electrical load the power cable is subjected to (In this study, we present a method to permanently analyze the DoB of submarine power cable formations by using distributed temperature sensing, electric load data, and thermal models of the submarine cable installation; abstract-Page 1079, Column 1 Line 9-12; here current is measured and considered as load date);
to obtain temperature data samples pertaining to plural locations along the power cable and pertaining to the plural points in time (DTS systems can measure the temperature in optical fibers up to a distance of about 70 km with a temperature resolution better than 1 to 2 Kelvin [2].; Page 1079, Column 2 Line 1-3; Temperatures were measured in one of those fibers using a LIOS Brillouin-DTS with a sampling interval of 0.25 m, a spatial resolution of 3m and a measurement time below 10 minutes. Column 2 III. FIELD STUDY-Page 1083 Line 1-3);
to derive, for each location (a sampling interval of 0.25 m), from the load data samples and the temperature data samples (The calculations show that it is possible to determine the depth of burial from DTS and load data up to certain depth depending on the amplitude of load variations and the temperature resolution of the DTS measurements; Page 1083 Column 1 Line 11-14; Fig. 3. Contour plot of DoB results over position and time obtained with our method for DTS and load data recorded in a critical section of a submarine power cable installation in the North Sea. Calculations were performed once a day with a spatial resolution of 1 m; Page 1083), a location specific covariance related quantity related to one of a covariance and a correlation of a load related quantity and a temporal temperature change related quantity (We have tested our method on DTS and load data recorded by an European transmission system operator (TSO) over two months. The surveyed 155 kV AC cable is more than 40 km long and connects an offshore wind farm in the North Sea to the onshore grid. It has a cross section similar to that shown in Fig. 1. The single-mode optical fibers are located in the interstices between the conductor cores. Temperatures were measured in one of those fibers using a LIOS Brillouin-DTS with a sampling interval of 0.25 m, a spatial resolution of 3m and a measurement time below 10 minutes. Under these conditions the temperature; III. FIELD STUDY; Page 1083 Column 2 Line 1-10) repeatability as defined by SEAFOM-MSP-01 [19] is below 0.5 K for distances smaller than 40 km [2].; Page 1084 Column 1 Line 1-2); and
to estimate the state of the power cable (DOB is the state of power cable) based on analyzing the derived covariance related quantities (For each calculation of the DoB, as presented in Figs. 3 and 4, a current and temperature history of 10–14 days was considered; Page 1084; The depth of burial along the dashed lines are shown in Fig. 4. The upper part shows the time-dependent DoB at a position where the cable was exposed. Apparently, the exposure developed on a timescale of a few weeks. A yearly survey may thus not be sufficient to detect such events in time. The lower part of Fig. 4 shows a DoB profile at a fixed time. In Fig. 5 we show the relative thermal load (I/Imax)2 of the cable under consideration. Imax was calculated to be the steady state current load; Page 1084 Column 2 Line 4-11 at which the conductor temperature becomes 90 ◦C. Each result presented Figs. 3 and 4 uses a data history of around two weeks for the estimation of the ambient parameters. The time where Figs. 3 and 4(a) start is shifted to 0 days. The mean thermal load, the time average of the data shown in Fig. 5, was around 5% with a standard deviation of 6%. Therefore we found that the maximum detectable depth represented by the dashed line in 4(b); Page 1085 Column 1 Line 1-8; In order to determine the DoB, the amplitudes of the slowly varying part of the measured temperature have to be analyzed. Their load-dependent size, which depends on the load, determines the maximal detectable depth, see (16). IV. CONCLUSION Page 1085 Column 1 Line 8-11).
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) 32 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lux in the NPL- Real-Time Determination of Depth of Burial Profiles for Submarine Power Cables (IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER DELIVERY, VOL. 34, NO. 3, JUNE 2019; Pages -1079-1086) in view of HILL et al. (Hereinafter, “Hill”) in the US Patent Application Publication Number US 20160298960 A1.
Regarding claim 32, Lux teaches a method, wherein obtaining the temperature data samples comprises:
acquiring measuring data of a fibre optic distributed temperature sensing system employing an optical fibre arranged at or in or on the power cable (We show analytically that the depth of burial can be derived from the history of temperatures measured at the position of the optical fiber; Page 1080, Column 1 Line 4-6).
However, Lux fails to teach the temperature sensing system utilizing at least one of: Raman scattering, Brillouin scattering, Rayleigh scattering.
Hill teaches a method and a device for monitoring a submarine cable, which is used in particular to transport energy (Paragraph [0001] Line 1-3), wherein
the temperature sensing system utilizing at least one of:
Raman scattering, Brillouin scattering, Rayleigh scattering (The fiber optic system for distributed temperature measurement may be based on Raman or Brillouin scattering; Paragraph [0017] Line 1-3). The purpose of doing so is to provide high accuracy and reliability, to allow a continuous and real-time determination of the thermal resistance of the soil surrounding the submarine cable along the entire submerged length of the submarine cable, thus enabling reliable monitoring of the cover of the submarine cable.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Chiu in view of Hill, because Hill teaches to include a Ramen scattering in temperature sensing system provides high accuracy and reliability (Paragraph [0017]), allows a continuous and real-time determination of the thermal resistance of the soil surrounding the submarine cable along the entire submerged length of the submarine cable, thus enabling reliable monitoring of the cover of the submarine cable (Paragraph [0014]).
Regarding claim 35, Lux teaches an arrangement, further comprising:
an optical fibre arrangeable at to the power cable (We show analytically that the depth of burial can be derived from the history of temperatures measured at the position of the optical fiber; Page 1080, Column 1 Line 4-6).
However, Lux fails to teach a light pulse generator adapted to generate primary light pulses and inject them into the optical fibre; a detector adapted to detect secondary light pulses returning from the optical fibre after having interacted with the fibre at plural locations, the processor being further adapted to process the process the secondary light pulses, in order to derive the temperature data samples for the plural locations.
Hill teaches a method and a device for monitoring a submarine cable, which is used in particular to transport energy (Paragraph [0001] Line 1-3), further comprising:
a light pulse generator [3] adapted to generate primary light pulses and inject them into the optical fibre; a detector [5] adapted to detect secondary light pulses returning from the optical fibre after having interacted with the fibre at plural locations, the processor [5]being further adapted to process the process the secondary light pulses, in order to derive the temperature data samples for the plural locations (The light of a laser light source 3 can be coupled into the optical fiber 2 by using suitable coupling means 4. Individual portions of the light can be back-scattered in the optical fiber 2 by way of temperature-dependent Raman or Brillouin scattering (see FIG. 1). The back-scattered portions can be supplied by the coupling means 4 to detection and evaluation means 5 which capture the scattered light and determine from the detected back-scattered light spatially resolved the temperature of the optical fiber 2; Paragraph [0047] Line 1-11). The purpose of doing so is to provide high accuracy and reliability, to allow a continuous and real-time determination of the thermal resistance of the soil surrounding the submarine cable along the entire submerged length of the submarine cable, thus enabling reliable monitoring of the cover of the submarine cable.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Chiu in view of Hill, because Hill teaches to include a light pulse generator to generate primary light pulses and inject them into the optical fibre provides high accuracy and reliability (Paragraph [0017]), allows a continuous and real-time determination of the thermal resistance of the soil surrounding the submarine cable along the entire submerged length of the submarine cable, thus enabling reliable monitoring of the cover of the submarine cable (Paragraph [0014]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 18-22 and 25-30 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include 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:
Poland et al. (US 7379631 B2) discloses, “Multi-core Distributed Temperature Sensing Fiber- A multi-core distributed temperature sensing optical fiber is described, wherein the arrangement and construction of at least two cores provides a spectral attenuation corrected (e.g., corrected for hydrogen and/or stress on the fiber) temperature measurement (Abstract). Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary multi-core optical fiber is illustrated generally at 10. The fiber comprises a first light guiding core 12 and a second light guiding core 14. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the first core 12 is a Raman distributed temperature sensing (DTS) core, which core may be of any convenient size, e.g., 50 micron core, 62.5 micron core, 100 micron core, etc. The second core 12 is illustrated as a singlemode core including fiber Bragg gratings. Referring now to FIG. 2, another exemplary embodiment utilizes at least two light guiding cores (3 such cores are illustrated here), wherein the cores include fiber Bragg gratings 16 written periodically or randomly therein. In one exemplary embodiment, the fiber Bragg gratings 16 of at least two cores are generally collocated, and the measured effects of temperature or strain at a particular location are compared to correct for non-linear spectral attenuation. With regard to FIG. 3, it is to be noted that for purposes of this disclosure, the term "at least two light guiding cores" should be construed to encompass a construction wherein multiple core portions 12 lie parallel in the same length of fiber cable, even where two such cores 12 are joined, e.g., at a distal (or downhole) portion, as shown generally at 17 in FIG. 3. With regard to FIG. 1, it should also be noted that the cores need not have the same diameters, e.g. with a single mode core having a lesser diameter than a Raman DTS core positioned within the same fiber. As used herein, the multiple core fibers improve the accuracy of a DTS measurement of the fiber. Also, where at least two cores are engineered to react differently to a desired parameter, e.g., temperature (which temperature may vary considerably in downhole environments) or strain (which may arise due to cabling construction, activity, vibration, etc. in the environment), the measurements from the at least two cores may be compared to ascertain a corrected temperature measurement (Column 3 Line 1-36)-However Poland does not disclose deriving, for each location, from the load data samples and the temperature data samples, a location specific covariance related quantity related to one of a covariance and a correlation of a load related quantity and a temporal temperature change related quantity; and estimating the state of the power cable based on analyzing the derived covariance related quantities.”
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NASIMA MONSUR whose telephone number is (571)272-8497. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am-6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eman Alkafawi can be reached at (571) 272-4448. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NASIMA MONSUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/EMAN A ALKAFAWI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858
1/2/2026
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