DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claim 24 is objected to because of the following informalities: part of the claim is missing or incomplete. 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 15-24 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 15 recites the limitation "the message" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 16-24 are dependent from, and inherit the limitations of claim 15. Thus, claims 16-24 are rejected under 35 USC 112 second paragraph for at least the same reasons specified above with respect to claim 15.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bango et al. (US 2018/0238955 A1, hereinafter Bango).
Regarding claim 1, Bango discloses a monitoring system, comprising:
at least one voltage sensor or current sensor integrated within a housing that is directly coupled to a bushing or a secondary side cable of a distribution transformer within an electrical grid and configured for detecting a voltage or current in the bushing or a secondary side cable of a distribution transformer (see para. 0014-0015 and 0140);
at least one environmental sensor configured for detecting information in an environment of the distribution transformer (see para. 0170);
a processor configured for monitoring the detected information and determining if the information indicates a scenario in the environment or the electricity grid for which an alert to personnel may be warranted thereby transmitting a message to a central computing device regarding condition awareness so that remedial action may be taken by the personnel (see para. 0010, 0144 and 0170).
Regarding claim 2, Bango discloses the monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is a heat sensor configured for detecting ambient heat or environmental heat and when the ambient heat or environment heat rises above a threshold level indicating a scenario indicative of fire, the message transmitted thereby alerts the personnel that a fire may be occurring at or near the distribution transformer or to the distribution transformer (see para. 0053, 0166 and 0170).
Regarding claim 3, Bango discloses the monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is a smoke sensor configured for detecting smoke indicating a scenario indicative of fire, the message transmitted thereby alerts the personnel that a fire may be occurring in the distribution transformer or in proximity to the distribution transformer (see para. 0170).
Regarding claim 5, Bango discloses the monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is a gas sensor and the gas sensor is configured for monitoring gases and noxious gases, the processor further configured for transmitting data indicative of the gases and the noxious gasses, and transmitting the message if a detrimental scenario is detected (see para. 0170).
Regarding claim 6, Bango discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is an infrared camera for gathering infrared images from the distribution transformer and the environment, the processor further configured for transmitting the data indicative of the images, and transmitting the message if a detrimental scenario is detected (see para. 0170).
Regarding claim 7, Bango discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is an infrared heat sensor configured for detecting heat from the distribution transformer or the environment, the processor further configured for transmitting the data indicative of the heat, and to transmit the message if a detrimental scenario is detected (see para. 0170).
Regarding claim 8, Bango discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is a humidity sensor configured for detecting humidity in the environment, the processor further configured for transmitting data indicative of the humidity, and transmitting the message if the humidity sensor indicates a detrimental scenario (see para. 0175).
Regarding claim 9, Bango discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is a seismic sensor configured for detecting seismic activity in the environment, the processor further configured for transmitting data indicative of the seismic activity, and transmitting the message if the seismic sensor indicates a detrimental scenario (see para 0170).
Regarding claim 10, Bango discloses the device of claim 1, where the environmental sensor is an air quality sensor configured for detecting air quality in the environment, the processor further configured for transmitting data indicative of the air quality, and transmitting the message if the air quality sensor indicates a detrimental scenario (see para. 0170).
Regarding claim 11, Bango discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is a wind sensor, the processor further configured for transmitting the data, or issuing an alert message if the wind sensor indicates a detrimental scenario (see para. 0175).
Regarding claim 12, Bango discloses 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor is a geo- positioning system (GPS) configured for detecting location, the processor further configured for transmitting data indicative of the location data, and transmitting the message if the GPS indicates a change in the location (see para. 0171).
Regarding claim 13, Bango discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to identify manifesting grid asset, and/or intra-grid conditions that may be less obvious or recognizable by traditional human review and interpretation using artificial intelligence (see para. 0172)
Regarding claim 14, Bango discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to identify manifesting grid asset, and/or intra-grid conditions that may be less obvious or recognizable by traditional human review and interpretation using artificial intelligence based upon the message (see para. 0172).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANUEL A RIVERA VARGAS whose telephone number is (571)270-7870. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-6:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shelby Turner can be reached at 571-272-6334. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MANUEL A RIVERA VARGAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
Prosecution Insights