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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In [0016], “The second conductor 154 and the third conductor 156” should be --The second conductor 156 and the third conductor 158-- to be consistent with the drawings.
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 103 (see FIGs. 1A-1B). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-24 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 3, “the first thermocouple” should be --a first thermocouple of the two thermocouples-- to avoid the issue of lack of antecedent basis.
In claim 1, lines 5-6, “the second thermocouple” should be --a second thermocouple of the two thermocouples-- to avoid the issue of lack of antecedent basis.
In claim 1, line 11, “each thermocouple measurement point” should be --each of the first and second measurement points-- to avoid being too broad without clear boundaries.
In claim 2, line 2, “ each thermocouple” should be --each of the two thermocouples-- to avoid being too broad without clear boundaries.
In claim 3, line 2, “ each thermocouple” should be --each of the two thermocouples-- to avoid being too broad without clear boundaries.
In claim 3, line 2, “the connected terminals” should be --connected terminals-- to avoid the issue of lack of antecedent basis.
In claim 8, line 2, “ each thermocouple” should be --each of the two thermocouples-- to avoid being too broad without clear boundaries.
In claim 9, line 2, “ each thermocouple” should be --each of the two thermocouples-- to avoid being too broad without clear boundaries.
In claim 13, line 3, “ each thermocouple” should be --each of the two thermocouples-- to avoid being too broad without clear boundaries.
In claim 13, line 4, “ each thermocouple” should be --each of the two thermocouples-- to avoid being too broad without clear boundaries.
In claim 18, line 5, “measuring with diagnostic circuitry” should be --measuring with the diagnostic circuitry-- to avoid creating another antecedent basis.
The other claim(s) not discussed above, or depending on the above claim(s), are objected to for inheriting the issue(s) from their linking claim(s).
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 and 18-24 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.
Regarding claim 15, it recites:
“wherein the measurement circuitry:
determines correct wiring…;
determines swap of first conductor and the second conductor…;
determines a swap of the second conductor and the third conductor…;
determines a swap of the first conductor and the third conductor….”
It is unclear whether each of the determination steps are required. For examination purpose, the claim is assumed to be
“wherein the measurement circuitry:
determines correct wiring…;
determines swap of first conductor and the second conductor…;
determines a swap of the second conductor and the third conductor…; and
determines a swap of the first conductor and the third conductor….”
Further regarding claim 15, it recites “measured resistance difference between resistances of the two thermocouples is equal” in lines 3-4. It is unclear the resistance difference is equal to what. For examination purpose, --measured resistance difference between resistances of the two thermocouples is equal to zero-- is assumed.
Regarding claim 18, it recites “the measured temperatures” in line 12-13. It is unclear which temperatures are referred to. For examination purpose, --the measured first and second temperatures-- is assumed.
Further regarding claim 19, it recites “measured resistance difference between resistances of the two thermocouples is equal” in lines 3-4. It is unclear the resistance difference is equal to what. For examination purpose, --measured resistance difference between resistances of the two thermocouples is equal to zero-- is assumed.
Regarding claim 23, it recites “the method of claim 16” in line 1. It is unclear what subject matter is referred to (Note: claim 16 is a temperature transmitter assembly). For examination purpose, --the method of claim 18-- is assumed.
Regarding claim 24, it recites “the method of claim 17” in line 1. It is unclear what subject matter is referred to (Note: claim 17 is a temperature transmitter assembly). For examination purpose, --the method of claim 23-- is assumed.
The other claim(s) not discussed above, or depending on the above claim(s), are rejected for inheriting the issue(s) from their linking claim(s).
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, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reuvers (US 20230101179 A1) in view of WANG (CN 116232292 A; machine translation provided).
Regarding claim 1, Reuvers teaches a temperature transmitter assembly (i.e., “temperature measurement assembly”; see [0013] and FIG. 1), comprising:
a sensor comprising a first conductor, a second conductor, and a third conductor configured to provide leads for two thermocouples, the first conductor and the third conductor being leads for the first thermocouple and having a first measurement point at a first location, and the second conductor and the third conductor being leads for the second thermocouple and having a second measurement point at a second location a distance from the first location and at a surface of a process conduit (i.e., “FIG. 5A illustrates a three-wire MI cable joined to a two-wire MI cable. FIG. 5B illustrates a four-wire MI cable joined to a two-wire MI cable. As can be seen, junctions 412 and 416 share one conductor and one wire is left unused”; see [0026] and FIGs. 5A-5B; “This technology uses a pipe surface (skin) temperature measurement, a reference temperature measurement from a position spaced from the pipe surface”; see [0012]); and
measurement circuity (i.e., “ transmitter circuitry”) (i.e., “which circuitry is configured to obtain temperature measurements from heat flux temperature probe 220”; see [0014]),
Reuvers does not explicitly disclose (see only the underlined):
measurement circuity comprising three terminals, a first terminal for the first conductor, a second terminal for the second conductor, and a third terminal for the third conductor, the measurement circuity configured to determine an output related to a temperature at each thermocouple measurement point, the output indicative of a wiring state of the three conductors to the three terminals.
But WANG teaches:
measurement circuity comprising a pair of terminals (i.e., “electric instrument device 41 for automatically identifying and switching based on positive negative electrode”; see translation p. 10, bottom section and FIG. 5; “wiring terminal”; see translation p. 11, middle section) for each thermocouple, the measurement circuity configured to determine an output related to a temperature at each thermocouple measurement point, the output indicative of a wiring state of the three conductors to the three terminals (i.e., “the processing module is in communication connection with the matrix switch module, for identifying whether the positive negative electrode of each measuring device is reversely connected based on each digital signal obtained by each amplified analogue signal conversion”; see translation p. 2, bottom section).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reuvers in view of WANG, by adapting the measurement circuity comprising three terminals, a first terminal for the first conductor, a second terminal for the second conductor, and a third terminal for the third conductor, the measurement circuity configured to determine an output related to a temperature at each thermocouple measurement point, the output indicative of a wiring state of the three conductors to the three terminals, as claimed. The rationale would be to help detecting and correcting the wiring polarity error in a three-wire dual-thermocouple system.
Regarding claim 16, as a result of modification applied to claim 1 above, Reuvers in view of WANG further teaches:
wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to correct mis-wiring without rewiring by routing signals from terminals to a corrective circuit (i.e., “the processing module is in communication connection with the matrix switch module, for identifying whether the positive negative electrode of each measuring device is reversely connected based on each digital signal obtained by each amplified analogue signal conversion”; see WANG, translation p. 2, bottom section).
Regarding claim 17, as a result of modification applied to claim 16 above, Reuvers in view of WANG further teaches:
wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to correct mis-wiring by routing signals from terminals to the corrective circuit either before analog to digital conversion or after analog to digital conversion (i.e., “the CPU sends the cross switch matrix electronic switch switching instruction, switching is K1, K4, K2, K3 is closed, shown in FIG. 8, starting the starting polarity exchange task to perform polarity exchange… matrix switch module connected in series by sequentially operational amplifier, an AD converter and a processing module”; see WANG, translation p. 11, middle section and FIG. 8).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reuvers in view of WANG and KASSOVSKI et al. (GB 2507093 A; cited in IDS).
Regarding claim 2, the prior art applied to the preceding linking claim(s) teaches the features of the linking claim(s).
Reuvers does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the measurement circuitry measures resistance for each thermocouple via the three terminals.
But KASSOVSKI teaches:
measuring a resistance for a thermocouple to detect an open wire (i.e., “By monitoring the change of resistance, failures such as an open wire can be detected”; see Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reuvers in view of WANG, further in view of KASSOVSKI, such that the measurement circuitry measures resistance for each thermocouple via the three terminals, as claimed. The rationale would be to help detecting an open wire error.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reuvers in view of WANG and Rud (US 20230314239 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Reuvers further teaches:
wherein the measurement circuitry measures temperature for the measurement point (i.e., 412, 416) of each thermocouple via the three terminals (see FIG. 5A),
Reuvers does not explicitly disclose (see only the underlined):
wherein the measurement circuitry measures temperature for the measurement point of each thermocouple via the three terminals, and a reference temperature at the measurement circuitry.
But Rud teaches:
measuring a reference temperature at the measurement circuitry (i.e., “a reference temperature, such as a temperature measured within housing 260”; see [0018]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reuvers in view of WANG, further in view of Rud, by incorporating a reference temperature sensor such that the measurement circuitry measures temperature for the measurement point of each thermocouple via the three terminals, and a reference temperature at the measurement circuitry, as claimed. The rationale would be to help calculating heat flow (see Rud [0018]).
Claims 13, 14, 18, 23 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reuvers in view of WANG, KASSOVSKI and Rud.
Regarding claim 13, Reuvers further teaches: wherein the measurement circuitry measures:
temperature for the measurement point (i.e., 412, 416) of each thermocouple via the three terminals (see FIG. 5A),
Reuvers does not explicitly disclose (see only the underlined):
wherein the measurement circuitry measures resistance for each thermocouple via the three terminals.
But KASSOVSKI teaches:
measuring a resistance for a thermocouple to detect an open wire (i.e., “By monitoring the change of resistance, failures such as an open wire can be detected”; see Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reuvers in view of WANG, further in view of KASSOVSKI, such that the measurement circuitry measures resistance for each thermocouple via the three terminals, as claimed. The rationale would be to help detecting an open wire error.
Reuvers does not explicitly disclose (see only the underlined):
wherein the measurement circuitry measures temperature for the measurement point of each thermocouple via the three terminals, and a reference temperature at the measurement circuitry.
But Rud teaches:
measuring a reference temperature at the measurement circuitry (i.e., “a reference temperature, such as a temperature measured within housing 260”; see [0018]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reuvers in view of WANG and KASSOVSKI, further in view of Rud, by incorporating a reference temperature sensor such that the measurement circuitry measures temperature for the measurement point of each thermocouple via the three terminals, and a reference temperature at the measurement circuitry, as claimed. The rationale would be to help calculating heat flow (see Rud [0018]).
Regarding claim 14, as a result of modification applied to claim 13 above, Reuvers in view of WANG, KASSOVSKI and Rud further teaches:
wherein the measurement circuitry identifies mis-wiring of the first, second, and third conductors to the first, second, and third terminals using at least one of the measured resistances and the measured temperatures (i.e., “By monitoring the change of resistance, failures such as an open wire can be detected”; see KASSOVSKI, Abstract).
Regarding claim 18, Reuvers teaches a method of operating a temperature measurement assembly (see [0013] and FIG. 1) which wires first, second and third conductors for a three conductor sensor, the first conductor and the third conductor for a first thermocouple and the second conductor and the third conductor for a second thermocouple, the three conductors connected to first, second and third terminals of diagnostic circuitry (i.e., “FIG. 5A illustrates a three-wire MI cable joined to a two-wire MI cable. FIG. 5B illustrates a four-wire MI cable joined to a two-wire MI cable. As can be seen, junctions 412 and 416 share one conductor and one wire is left unused”; see [0026] and FIGs. 5A-5B; “These thermocouples are electrically connected to transmitter circuitry within housing 210, which circuitry is configured to obtain temperature measurements from heat flux temperature probe 220 and calculate an estimate of the process fluid temperature based thereon”; see [0014]), the method comprising:
measuring a first temperature at a first measurement point at a first location, and measuring a second temperature at a second measurement point a distance from the first measurement point at a surface of a process conduit (i.e., “This technology uses a pipe surface (skin) temperature measurement, a reference temperature measurement from a position spaced from the pipe surface”; see [0012]);
Reuvers does not explicitly disclose (see only the underlined):
a method of diagnosing mis-wiring of first, second and third conductors for a three conductor sensor, the first conductor and the third conductor for a first thermocouple and the second conductor and the third conductor for a second thermocouple, the three conductors connected to first, second and third terminals of diagnostic circuitry; the method comprising:
identifying mis-wiring of the first, second, and third conductors to the first, second, and third terminals using at least one of the measured resistances and the measured temperatures.
But WANG teaches:
a method of diagnosing mis-wiring of thermocouples based on measured temperature of each thermocouple (i.e., “the processing module is in communication connection with the matrix switch module, for identifying whether the positive negative electrode of each measuring device is reversely connected based on each digital signal obtained by each amplified analogue signal conversion”; see translation p. 2, bottom section; “the thermocouple is a kind of temperature-sensing element, is a meter. It directly measures the temperature, and converts the temperature signal into the thermal electromotive force signal”; see translation p. 8, lower section).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reuvers in view of WANG, to adapt the method for diagnosing mis-wiring of first, second and third conductors for a three conductor sensor, the first conductor and the third conductor for a first thermocouple and the second conductor and the third conductor for a second thermocouple, the three conductors connected to first, second and third terminals of diagnostic circuitry; the method comprising: identifying mis-wiring of the first, second, and third conductors to the first, second, and third terminals using at least one of the measured resistances and the measured temperatures, as claimed. The rationale would be to help detecting and correcting the wiring polarity error in a three-wire dual-thermocouple system.
Reuvers does not explicitly disclose:
measuring with diagnostic circuitry a first resistance between the first and third terminals and a second resistance between the second and third terminals.
But KASSOVSKI teaches:
measuring a resistance for a thermocouple to detect an open wire (i.e., “By monitoring the change of resistance, failures such as an open wire can be detected”; see Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reuvers in view of WANG, further in view of KASSOVSKI, by measuring with diagnostic circuitry a first resistance between the first and third terminals and a second resistance between the second and third terminals, as claimed. The rationale would be to help detecting an open wire error.
Reuvers does not explicitly disclose:
measuring a reference temperature at the diagnostic circuitry.
But Rud teaches:
measuring a reference temperature at the diagnostic circuitry (i.e., “a reference temperature, such as a temperature measured within housing 260”; see [0018]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reuvers in view of WANG and KASSOVSKI, further in view of Rud, by incorporating a reference temperature sensor by measuring a reference temperature at the diagnostic circuitry, as claimed. The rationale would be to help calculating heat flow (see Rud [0018]).
Regarding claim 23, as a result of modification applied to claim 18 above, Reuvers in view of WANG, KASSOVSKI, and Rud further teaches:
correcting mis-wiring without rewiring by routing signals from terminals by a corrective circuit (i.e., “the processing module is in communication connection with the matrix switch module, for identifying whether the positive negative electrode of each measuring device is reversely connected based on each digital signal obtained by each amplified analogue signal conversion”; see WANG, translation p. 2, bottom section).
Regarding claim 24, as a result of modification applied to claim 23 above, Reuvers in view of WANG, KASSOVSKI, and Rud further teaches:
wherein correcting mis-wiring is accomplished by routing signals either before analog to digital conversion or after analog to digital conversion (i.e., “the CPU sends the cross switch matrix electronic switch switching instruction, switching is K1, K4, K2, K3 is closed, shown in FIG. 8, starting the starting polarity exchange task to perform polarity exchange… matrix switch module connected in series by sequentially operational amplifier, an AD converter and a processing module”; see WANG, translation p. 11, middle section and FIG. 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 and 9-12 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, provided any other pending issues are resolved.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: claims 3-7 and 9-12 recites specific details in the further limitations. Reuvers, WANG, KASSOVSKI, and Rud do not teach or suggest any of the detailed limitations as claimed, in combination with the rest of the claim limitations as claimed and defined by the Applicant.
Notes
Claims 15 and 19-22 are rejected under 35 USC 112(b), but distinguish over the closest prior art of record due to the detailed further limitations. The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the detailed further limitations as claimed, in combination with the rest of the claim limitations as claimed and defined by the Applicant.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Rud et al. (US 20110299567 A1) teaches a process variable transmitter for measuring a temperature of an industrial process, involving wiring a first wire of a thermocouple to a first and a second terminals of the transmitter; wiring a second wire of the thermocouple to a third and a fourth terminals; and identifying polarity of thermocouple based upon at least one measurement taken between at least two of the first, second, third and fourth electrodes.
Barari et al. (US 20170069925 A1) teaches a temperature sensor that has a physical presence in a conduit within a fuel cell system to measure the temperature of the fluid at a point within the conduit and a wall temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of a wall of the conduit.
Huang et al. (US 20080163692 A1) teaches a system for pipe condition monitoring in a pipeline for flowing hydrocarbons using at least one thermal sensor probe.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN C KUAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7066. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00AM-5:30PM.
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/JOHN C KUAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
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