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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 04/11/2024 have been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 1 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recite a term “RTP” in last paragraph. Examiner suggests amending the term to recite “rubidium titanyl phosphate (RTP)” to restore clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 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 of this title, 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) 1-5, 9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nulty et al. (US 20150276818; hereinafter Nulty) in view of Yakymyshyn et al. (US 20050200371).
Regarding claim 1, Nulty teaches in figure(s) 1-5 An optical voltage measurement system, comprising:
a pickoff rod (Sensor probe 221 measures voltage on conductor 114 ; fig. 2) electrically connected to a power line (110) and configured to emanate an electric field commensurate with the power line’s energy (para. 27 - conductive material may be placed near the line on which a measurement is being made such that voltage on the line will couple to the sensor);
a sled (reflective member 204 with test port 212) for aligning and maintaining optical componentry (Pockel's crystal 206) in a fixed orientation to the pickoff rod (114,221; para. 48 - crystal 206 with the reflective member 204 is oriented such that the reflective member is at the bottom of the test port, adjacent the line 110 being measured); and
wherein the optical componentry comprises a dual RTP crystal assembly (para. 21 - rubidium phosphate or any material or combination exhibiting suitable light modulation properties).
Nulty does not teach explicitly RTP.
However, Yakymyshyn teaches in figure(s) 1-8 RTP (para. 28 - electro-optical material 26 in the optical resonant cavity 24 may be formed from Rubidium Titanyl Phosphate RTP; fig. 2A).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Nulty by having RTP as taught by Yakymyshyn in order to provide simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results as evidenced by "A signal acquisition probing system uses a micro-cavity laser to acquire an electrical signal from a device under test… having the property of a changing index of refraction in response to an applied electromagnetic field " (abstract, para. 28).
Regarding claim 2, Nulty teaches in figure(s) 1-5 the optical voltage measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a ground cage to increase electric field strength impinging the optical componentry (para. 28 - second conductive member may also be applied at a second end of the crystal. By coupling the second conductive member to ground a voltage will be established across the crystal).
Regarding claim 3, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 1,
Yakymyshyn additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-8 wherein the sled comprises a ceramic sled body having a central chamber for holding the optical componentry (para. 27 - optically reflective materials 20, 22 and 28 are preferably ceramic mirrors formed from layers of zirconium dioxide, silicon dioxide and silicon nitride), an input port for receiving a light beam (14), and an output port for transmitting the light beam; and wherein the input port and the output port are collinear along a light beam path (23; para. 27 - polarized optical output 23 when either pumped by an coherent optical input, such as the optical signal 14).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Nulty by having wherein the sled comprises a ceramic sled body having a central chamber for holding the optical componentry as taught by Yakymyshyn in order to provide simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results as evidenced by "A signal acquisition probing system uses a micro-cavity laser to acquire an electrical signal from a device under test… having the property of a changing index of refraction in response to an applied electromagnetic field " (abstract, para. 28).
Regarding claim 4, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 3,
Yakymyshyn additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-8 further comprising a sled cover configured to mate with the ceramic sled body and seal the central chamber (para. 27 - optically reflective materials 20, 22 and 28 may be partially reflective or totally reflective to particular wavelengths of light).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Nulty by having further comprising a sled cover configured to mate with the ceramic sled body and seal the central chamber as taught by Yakymyshyn in order to provide simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results as evidenced by "A signal acquisition probing system uses a micro-cavity laser to acquire an electrical signal from a device under test… having the property of a changing index of refraction in response to an applied electromagnetic field " (abstract, para. 28).
Regarding claim 5, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 4,
Yakymyshyn additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-8 wherein the central chamber has a flat surface (160; fig. 7) parallel to the light beam path (20).
Regarding claim 9, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 1,
Yakymyshyn additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-8 further comprising a fiber-optic cable to transmit light to the sled (para. 36 - optical fiber 122 couples the optical output of the optical transmitter to the micro-cavity laser in the probing head 94 and couples the frequency modulated optical signal from the micro-cavity laser to the beam splitter 118; fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Nulty by having further comprising a fiber-optic cable to transmit light to the sled as taught by Yakymyshyn in order to provide simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results as evidenced by "A signal acquisition probing system uses a micro-cavity laser to acquire an electrical signal from a device under test… having the property of a changing index of refraction in response to an applied electromagnetic field " (abstract, para. 28).
Regarding claim 12, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 3,
Nulty additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-5 further comprising an optical detector; wherein the optical componentry is configured to physically sense a voltage and the electric field (para. 8 - a laser configured to direct a beam of light through the light modulating member towards the conductive, reflective member; para. 12 - a light modulating member comprising a first end and a second end, the light modulating member changing a property of light passing through the member based on a voltage on the light modulating member; para. 21 - optical sensor may be constructed using a material that alters a measurable parameter of light based on a voltage applied to the material); and wherein the optical detector is configured to detect the voltage and the electric field (para. 58 - optical voltage sensor constructed may be used to measure voltage of any conductor).
Claim(s) 6, 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn, and further in view of Soref et al. (US 4516837).
Regarding claim 6, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 1,
Nulty does not teach explicitly wherein the dual RTP crystal assembly comprises a first crystal aligned along the light beam path, a quarter-wave plate aligned along the light beam path, a second crystal aligned along the light beam path, and a half-wave plate aligned along the light beam path.
However, Soref teaches in figure(s) 1-14 wherein the dual RTP crystal assembly comprises a first crystal (col. 2 lines 35-55 :- liquid crystal medium) aligned along the light beam path, a quarter-wave plate (53; fig. 5 ) aligned along the light beam path, a second crystal aligned along the light beam path, and a half-wave plate (55 ) aligned along the light beam path (71).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Nulty by having wherein the dual RTP crystal assembly comprises a first crystal aligned along the light beam path, a quarter-wave plate aligned along the light beam path, a second crystal aligned along the light beam path, and a half-wave plate aligned along the light beam path as taught by Soref in order to provide "electrically-controlled devices employing optically active nematic liquid crystals for switching polarized or unpolarized optical signals with low insertion loss" (col. 1 lines 5-15).
Regarding claim 8, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn and Soref teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 6,
Nulty additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-5 further comprising a line pole insulator having a cavity (112,212; para. 6 - sensor may be sized to fit within a test port or other opening in the insulation on a medium voltage underground line); and a ground cage (208; para. 47 - conductive member made of silver coupled to ground to act as a reference voltage for the Pockel's crystal 206) configured to increase electric field strength impinging the optical componentry, wherein the ground cage comprises a metallic liner disposed on an inner portion of the line post insulator (para. 52 - sensor probe 221 are shown within test access port 212).
Regarding claim 11, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn and Soref teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 8,
Nulty additionally teaches in figure(s) 1-5 wherein the line post insulator is configured to provide environmental protection to the sled (para. 4 - lines are heavily insulated to prevent humans from accidentally contacting conductors at that voltage).
Claim(s) 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn, and further in view of Cinoman et al. (US 20090110934).
Regarding claim 7, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 1,
Nulty does not teach explicitly wherein the sled comprises cycloaliphatic epoxy.
However, Cinoman teaches wherein the sled comprises cycloaliphatic epoxy (para. 5 - epoxy adducts of cycloaliphatic polyamines).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Nulty by having wherein the sled comprises cycloaliphatic epoxy as taught by Cinoman in order to provide "providing chip resistant powder coatings for steel, especially high tensile steel, while providing thinner and/or more economical topcoats therefore… chip-resistant powder topcoats for substrates having one or more corrosion resistant powder coating basecoats thereon comprise the cured or fused product of a coating powder of a resin component of one or more toughened epoxy resin" (paras. 4-5).
Claim(s) 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn, and further in view of Jones et al. (US 20200292593).
Regarding claim 10, Nulty in view of Yakymyshyn teaches the optical voltage measurement system of claim 1,
Nulty does not teach explicitly wherein the pickoff rod has an end distal to the power line, wherein the distal end is hemispherical.
However, Jones teaches in figure(s) 1-2 wherein the pickoff rod (106; fig. 1) has an end distal to the power line, wherein the distal end is hemispherical (122).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Nulty by having wherein the pickoff rod has an end distal to the power line, wherein the distal end is hemispherical as taught by Jones in order to provide "voltage detector is a rod that has a handle at the proximal end. The distal end of the rod has a voltage probe" (abstract).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
See the List of References cited in the US PT0-892.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AKM ZAKARIA whose telephone number is (571)270-0664. The examiner can normally be reached on 8-5 PM (PST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Judy Nguyen can be reached on (571) 272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AKM ZAKARIA/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858