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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the actuator and the electroproportional valve must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) 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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4,7-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Baugh 20160362948.
Referring to claim 1, Baugh discloses an automated reel tension control system for a coiled tubing reel comprising: one or more sensors (proximity sensors 230,232) configured to monitor one or more parameters of tubing size, tubing wall thickness, tubing grade, reel geometry, well position, and tubing movement direction, and transmit real time data to a processor (240); an actuator ( slip clutch 116 and valve 298, see paragraph 0077) for controlling reel tension; a processor (240) operably connected to the actuator, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a proper reel tension based on the transmitted real time data and transmit a signal to the actuator to continuously adjust tension on the reel to the calculated proper reel tension (see paragraph 0076, the compute calculates the relative constant tension and communicates the information to the tensioning device); and an operator input operably connected to the processor (see paragraph 0054 control panel 126 ).
Referring to claims 2 and 10, Baugh discloses the actuator adjusts reel tension using a hydraulic, an electric, or a pneumatic pressure ( see paragraph 0062 air signal sent to slip clutches) .
Referring to claims 3 and 11, Baugh discloses the actuator comprises an electroproportional valve (298, see paragraph 0062, processor send electric signal to valve 298 which sends air signal to clutches).
Referring to claims 4 and 12, Baugh discloses the processor further employs a reel core diameter, reel drive components, or both to calculate the proper reel tension (see paragraph 0058).
Referring to claims 7 and 13, Baugh discloses tubing size, tubing wall thickness, tubing grade, and reel geometry are operator inputs ( see paragraph 0058).
Referring to claims 8 and 14, Baugh discloses well position is employed to calculate the number of coiled tubing wraps on the coiled tubing reel (see paragraph 0058).
Referring to claim 9, Baugh discloses a process for controlling reel tension on a coiled tubing reel comprising: transmitting data comprising tubing size, tubing wall thickness, tubing grade, reel geometry, well position, and tubing movement direction to a processor; calculating a proper reel tension for a coiled tubing reel with the processor based on the transmitted data (see paragraph 0011 and paragraph 0076); transmitting a signal comprising the calculated proper reel tension to an actuator configured to control reel tension (see paragraph 0056); and continuously adjusting reel tension with the actuator to the calculated proper reel tension using the transmitted signal (see paragraph 0077 and the tensioning device automatically maintains the constant tension which would require continuously adjustments as computes calculations the constant tension).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baugh 20160362948 in view of Blair et al. 20170096864.
Referring to claims 5-6, Baugh discloses the operator input is a control panel (126) does not discloses the operator input comprises a touch screen or a keyboard and monitor. Blair teaches that control panels for reel controls can have touchpad and keyboard to easily input information and monitor to display operational status (see paragraph 0016). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the system disclosed by Baugh to have include a touch screen, keyboard and monitor in view of the teachings of Blair with reasonable expectation of success in order to easily input information and display operational status.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/9/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Referring to the drawing objections, the applicant argues “the system pertaining to the sensors, actuator, operator input, and electroproportional valve has
been more than adequately explained and an express illustration is not necessary for understanding by one of ordinary skill in the art of the subject matter to be patented.” The examiner respectfully disagrees. The specification states how the actuator adjust the tension is not particularly critical. The examiner respectfully disagrees. Understanding how the actuator controls the tension is important to since the claims are directed to a tension control system. Moreover, the dependent claims further limit the actuator (“actuator adjusts reel tension using a hydraulic, an electric, or a pneumatic pressure” and “the actuator comprises an electroproportional valve”). Drawings are needed to understand how the actuator can function is the why it is claimed. Therefore, the drawing objection as related to the actuator remains.
Referring to Baugh reference, the applicant argues Baugh does not continuously adjust reel tension to a calculated proper reel tension based on the claimed parameters or data but is just concerns with “automatically maintaining a relatively constant tension”. The examiner respectfully disagrees. The process calculates the constant tension based on information gathered from sensors (see paragraph 0058). The tensioning device is in communication with the processor to automatically maintain the coiled tubing at the calculated constant tension rate (see paragraph 0076). Since the reel is computer controlled (see paragraph 0002) the adjustments can be made continuous. Therefore, Baugh discloses the claimed invention.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GIOVANNA WRIGHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7027. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am- 5 pm.
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, Nicole Coy can be reached at (571) 272-5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Giovanna Wright/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672