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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is the first non-final office action on the merits. Claims 1-4 are currently pending.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. CN202210774456.8, filed on 07/01/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/02/2024 has been received and considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are accepted.
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.
Claim 4 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.
Claim 4 recites the limitation “the induction ends of the two” in line 4. However, this limitation lacks antecedent basis. It is unclear whether “the two” is referring to “the two connecting plates” recited in claim 2, “the two connecting elements” recited in claim 2, or “the power supply output induction module and the signal receiving induction module” recited in claim 4. For examination purposes, the examiner has construed “the induction ends of the two” as “the induction ends of the power supply output induction module and the signal receiving induction module”.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (CN 102879134 A, provided), in view of Ichige (US 20060037409 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches (Fig. 2, 3 and 5): A wireless telemetry device for collecting wheel-rail force signals (through data acquisition unit; para. 0007-0008), which is installed on a train for collecting wheel-rail force signals generated by strain gauges (sensor unit consists of strain gauges) installed on wheels (Fig. 5; para. 0032; Claim 1), comprising: a wireless telemetry module (wireless detection device), which is installed on a wheel axle (2) of the train (para. 0032); a signal transmission module (wireless transmission network; para. 0011) having a signal receiving module and a signal output module (two wireless transceiver modules, with one connected to the signal acquisition terminal for receiving control commands and the other connected to the monitoring terminal for sending commands; para. 0030), wherein; the signal receiving module (data acquisition unit) is installed on the bogie of the train and can realize wireless signal transmission with the signal output module (para. 0030 and 0032); and the signal output module is installed on the wheel axle (wheelset axle) and realizes signal connection with the wireless telemetry module (para. 0032).
Chen does not explicitly teach a power supply module, wherein the power supply module comprises a power supply output induction module and a power supply receiving induction coil; the power supply output induction module is installed on a bogie of the train and can realize wireless electrical connection with the power supply receiving induction coil; and the power supply receiving induction coil is installed on the wheel axle and electrically connected with the wireless telemetry module.
However, Ichige teaches an alternate rotary component force measuring device, wherein (Fig. 1 and 6): a power supply module (power supply unit 31c), wherein the power supply module (31c) comprises a power supply output induction module (coil 31b) and a power supply receiving induction coil (23b)(para. 0082); the power supply output induction module (31b) can realize wireless electrical connection (through electromagnetic induction) with the power supply receiving induction coil (23b)(Fig. 6; para. 0082); and the power supply receiving induction coil (23b) is electrically connected with a wireless telemetry module (data delivery unit 23a)(each unit inside processing means 2 is supplied power by the coil 23b; para. 0082; Fig. 6);
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for Chen to provide a power supply module having a power supply output induction module and a power supply receiving induction coil for wireless electrical connection, as disclosed by Ichige, and install the power supply output induction module and the power supply receiving induction coil on the bogie of the train and the wheel axle of Chen respectively, with a reasonable expectation of success because it would enable the vehicle’s powered bogie to electrically power the wireless telemetry device and its force sensor such that there is no need for physical, tethered wires that would otherwise twist and snap from continuous wheel rotation.
Chen further teaches (Fig. 5): a controller (main control unit; para. 0030) is installed on the bogie of the train (Fig. 5; para. 0032), but does not teach the signal transmission module comprises a signal receiving induction module and a signal output induction coil; and the controller is electrically connected with the power supply output induction module, and the controller realizes signal connection with the signal receiving induction module.
However, Ichige further teaches (Fig. 1 and 6): a signal transmission module (data delivery unit 23a and data receiving unit 31a) comprises a signal receiving induction module (31a) and a signal output induction coil (23a)(through electromagnetic coupling and optical data transmission; para. 0114); and a controller (data control unit 21c), wherein the controller (21c) is electrically connected with the power supply output induction module (31b)(Fig. 6), and the controller (21c) realizes signal connection with the signal receiving induction module (31a)(Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for Chen to modify the wireless signal transmission module with a signal receiving induction module and a signal output induction coil in connection with the controller, as disclosed by Ichige, with a reasonable expectation of success because it would enable simultaneous wireless Information and power transfer, allowing the system to transfer data and energy concurrently through a shared electromagnetic field without a need for physical, tethered wires.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 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 claims and if all rejections in view of 35 USC § 112 second paragraph are overcome.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2 and its depending claim(s) 3-4, the prior art fails to teach a telemetry tooling, wherein the telemetry tooling comprises two semicircular connecting elements and two semicircular connecting plates; the ends of the two connecting elements are respectively fixed and the wheel axle is tightly clamped between the two connecting elements; a gap is provided on the outer wall of one connecting element; the wireless telemetry module is installed in the gap; the two connecting plates are respectively fixed with the two connecting elements; the plate surfaces of the two connecting plates are aligned and arranged perpendicularly to the wheel axle; the wheel axle is limited between the two connecting plates; the power supply receiving induction coil and the signal output induction coil are coaxially sleeved on the wheel axle; the two connecting plates are limited between the power supply receiving induction coil and the signal output induction coil; and the power supply receiving induction coil and the signal output induction coil are fixed with the two connecting plates. While Chen further teaches (Fig. 2 and 5): wireless detection device for train wheel-rail contact force is encapsulated in a small box to be fixed on the wheelset axle (para. 0032), the examiner finds no obvious reason to modify Chen such that the box is a telemetry tooling with two semicircular connecting elements and two semicircular connecting plates; the ends of the two connecting elements are respectively fixed and the wheel axle is tightly clamped between the two connecting elements, wherein the wireless telemetry module is installed in a gap on the outer wall of one connecting element. Such a modification would require improper hindsight reasoning.
The examiner also finds no obvious reason to modify the secondary reference Ichige’s power supply receiving induction coil and signal output induction coil to be coaxially sleeved on the wheel axle; wherein the two connecting plates are limited between the power supply receiving induction coil and the signal output induction coil; and the power supply receiving induction coil and the signal output induction coil are fixed with the two connecting plates. Such a modification would require improper hindsight reasoning and modifications to a modifying reference.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure of a wireless telemetry device for collecting wheel-rail force signals, having induction signal and electrical transmission: US-20190323908-A1, CN-114152433-A, CN-112945436-A, CN-101368844-A, CN-109238753-A, CN-110441057-A, AT-519579-B1, WO-2014042123-A1, KR-20050036019-A, CN-113155330-A.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHENG XI LIN whose telephone number is (571)272-6102. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. through Fri. 9:00am to 6:00pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel (Joe) Morano can be reached at 5712726684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHENG LIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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