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 .
Response to Applicant’s Arguments
Applicant argues that the combination of Bhutada et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2023/0022633 A1) and Ruehle (U.S. Patent No. 2020/0303784 A1) fails to teach or suggest a capacitive voltage sensor including at least two temperature sensors arranged to measure temperature directly in the gas of a GIS. Applicant further argues that Bhutada only discloses a single temperature sensor associated with the capacitor and that Ruehle relates to a current sensor for a battery module rather than a capacitive voltage sensor in a gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) environment.
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
Bhutada discloses a capacitive voltage sensor including a cylindrical capacitor and a temperature sensor arranged in a thermal connection with the capacitor for measuring temperature and improving measurement accuracy through temperature compensation (see Bhutada, e.g 0011-0013 and 0061-0062. Bhutada et al. therefore teaches the fundamental concept of temperature-based compensation for capacitive voltage measurements, which corresponds to the claimed purpose of improving measurement accuracy.
Although Bhutada primarily discloses a single temperature sensor associated with the capacitor, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide additional temperature sensors in order to obtain more complete thermal information (such as temperature gradients or average temperature values) affecting the sensing system. Obtaining multiple temperature measurements for improved compensation represents a predictable variation of the prior art system that would have predictably improved measurement accuracy.
Ruehle discloses the use of multiple temperature sensors associated with electrical sensing components in order to monitor thermal conditions and improve system accuracy and reliability (see e.g. Ruehle paragraph 0030. Ruehle therefore demonstrates that the use of more than one temperature sensor in an electrical measurement system for improved monitoring and compensation was known in the art.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the capacitive voltage sensor arrangement of Bhutada to include additional temperature sensors as taught by Ruehle in order to obtain improved temperature characterization and thereby enhance measurement accuracy, which is the same purpose identified in Bhutada.
Implementing additional temperature sensors represents nothing more than the predictable use of prior art element according to their established functions. Providing multiple sensors to obtain improved temperature data would have yielded predictable results, namely improved temperature compensation and improved voltage measurement accuracy.
Applicant further argues that the references do not disclose temperature sensors arranged to measure temperature directly in the gas of a GIS. However, the particular placement of temperature sensors within the surrounding environment of the sensing assembly represents a matter of routine design choice. Once the need to measure environmental temperature affecting the capacitive sensor is recognized, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have readily placed temperature sensors at locations where relevant temperature information can be obtained, including within the surrounding gas environment of the enclosure.
The specific positioning of sensors within the gas region of GIS merely reflects an obvious implementation of temperature monitoring within the environment affecting the sensor and does not produce a new or unexpected result beyond improved temperature measurement.
Accordingly, the combination of Bhutada and Ruehle teaches or at least suggests the claimed capacitive voltage sensing system including multiple temperature sensors used to improve temperature compensation, and the claimed invention represents no more than the predictable use of known elements according to their functions.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 9 are allowed.
With respect to claim 6, the prior art fails to teach in combination with the rest of the limitations in the claim: “further comprising means for estimating or calculating a temperature gradient between the at least two temperature sensors and/or an average value of the temperatures measured by the at least two temperature sensors.”
With respect to claim 9, the prior art fails to teach in combination with the rest of the limitations in the claim: “means for compensating the voltage value measured by the capacitive sensor on the basis of the geometrical parameters of the capacitor, and possibly of the temperature measurements of at least two temperature sensors and/or of the temperature gradient between the at least two temperature sensors and/or of the average temperature measured with the at least two temperature sensors and/or of the variation of the geometrical parameters due to dilatation resulting from the temperature.”
Claims 14 and 15 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 respect to claim 14, the prior art fails to teach in combination with the rest of the limitations in the claim: “comprising measuring at least one voltage with the capacitive sensor, measuring at least one temperature with each of the at least two sensors, calculating at least one temperature gradient between the at least two sensors and/or at least one average temperature on the basis of the temperatures provided by each of the at least two sensors and compensating and/or correcting the measured voltage on the basis of the temperature gradient and/or the average temperature.”
Claim 15 is objected to due to its dependency on claim 14.
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.
Claims 1-5, 7, 8 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhutada et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2023/0022633 A1) in view of Ruehle (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0303784 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Bhutada et al. discloses a GIS containing a gas and comprising at least one conductor (see primary conductor 2 shown in Fig. 1) and at least one capacitive sensor comprising a cylindrical capacitor (para 0062, lines 1-3), arranged around the conductor (see primary conductor 2 shown in Fig. 1), the sensor comprising at least two digital or analogue temperature sensors (see temperature sensor 11) whereby the temperature sensors can measure the temperature directly in the gas of the GIS (para 0058, lines 1-8).
Bhutada et al. does not disclose two temperature sensors.
Ruehle et al. discloses two temperature sensors (para 0051, lines 1-13).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Bhutada et al. to include two temperature sensors as taught by Ruehle et al. to predictably measure a wider area.
With respect to claim 2, Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 1, wherein the at least two digital or analogue temperature sensors are regularly positioned along or around the cylindrical capacitor (see Bhutada et al. para 0058, lines 1-8).
With respect to claim 3, Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 1, comprising four analogue temperature sensors, comprising two groups of two of the sensors connected in series, the two groups being connected in parallel (see Bhutada et al. para 0058, lines 1-8).
With respect to claim 4, Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 1, comprising n (n > 2) analogue temperature sensors connected in parallel (see temperature sensors 51 and 52 shown in Fig. 1).
With respect to claim 5, Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 1, comprising n (n > 2) digital temperature sensors, connected in daisy chain (see temperature sensors 51 and 52 shown in Fig. 1).
With respect to claim 7, Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 1, further comprising means for estimating or calculating the temperature at the location of each of the temperature sensors (see temperature sensors 51 and 52 shown in Fig. 1; para 0058, lines 1-8).
With respect to claim 8, Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 7, further comprising means for establishing a set of data or a map of the temperature distribution (para 0052, lines 1-8).
With respect to claim 10, the combination of Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 1, the sensor having an external diameter of at least 200 mm (see Bhutada et al. para 0052, lines 1-8).
With respect to claim 11, the combination of Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 1, comprising a single conductor, the GIS being a single- phase GIS, the cylindrical sensor being arranged around the conductor (see Bhutada et al. para 0058, lines 1-8).
With respect to claim 12, the combination of Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS as in claim 1, comprising three conductors (conductors 2 shown in Fig. 1), the GIS being a three-phase GIS, and three capacitive sensors (see capacitors 3 and 8 shown in Fig. 1; para 0056, lines 1-5), a capacitive sensor being arranged around each of the conductors (see conductor 2 shown in Fig. 2).
With respect to claim 13, the combination of Bhutada et al. and Ruehle et al. discloses a GIS according to claim 11, at least one temperature sensor being located below, or at the bottom of, the conductor or below, or at the bottom of, each conductor (see Bhutada et al. para 0058, lines 1-8), and at least one temperature sensor being located above, or at the top of, the conductor or above, or at the top of, each conductor.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/FARHANA A HOQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858