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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 6/1/2026 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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) 1-7 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Parks et al. (9494021 – Parks) in view of Knight et al. (20170115102 – Knight).
Parks discloses a perforating gun, comprising:
Re claim 1:
an outer sleeve 12 (i.e., figs. 1 and 19 - multiple sleeves put directly connected together forms one sleeve) of a wireline-deployed tool string 142 comprising a generally tubular wall structure having an outer peripheral surface, opposite ends thereof and a central passage therethrough extending from one end to the other end and further including a connection 70 at each end to connect to other tools (i.e., pgh. 114); and
a plurality of separate perforating modules (i.e., pgh. 105, "gun assemblies") of the wire-line deployed tool string installed within the central passage of the outer sleeve whereby the plurality of separate perforation modules are sealed (i.e., by the outer sleeve) form a surrounding wellbore environment exterior the outer sleeve, wherein each perforating module comprises a shaped charge 18 (i.e., figs. 2, 19) and detonator 26 (i.e., fig. 19) configured to detonate the shaped charge in response to receiving a firing signal addressed to the detonator (i.e., pghs. 105, 107).
Parks is silent on a uniquely addressable switch configured to detonate the shaped charge in response to receiving a firing signal addressed to the switch. Knight teaches a uniquely addressable switch (i.e., pgh. 22, "each perforating gun assembly 100 comprises a perforating tool 110 and one or more switch subs 200") configured to detonate the shaped charge in response to receiving a firing signal addressed to the switch (i.e., pgh. 27, "switch subs 200 are configured to pass signals between the multiple perforating tools 110 of tool string 20 and to control the detonation of the shaped charges 316 housed in each perforating tool 110"). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to try the perforating gun of Park with a uniquely addressable switch, as taught by Knight, to selectively fire the shape charges (i.e., Knight, pghs. 37-40).
Knight further discloses,
Re claim 2, each of the plurality of perforating modules comprises a detonator in signal communication with the switch of the perforating module (i.e., pgh. 28, detonator chamber 202 with detonator connected to the module by ballistic pattern, fig. 4) and ballistically connected to the shaped charge of the perforating module.
Re claim 3, the switch of the perforating module is configured to transmit a detonation signal to the detonator in response to receiving the firing signal addressed to the switch (i.e., pgh. 28).
Re claim 4, each of the plurality of perforating modules comprises a plurality of the shaped charges, and wherein switch of the perforating module is configured to detonate each of the plurality of shaped charges in response to receiving the firing signal addressed to the switch (i.e., pgh. 28).
Re claim 5, Knight and Parks discloses a switch disposed in the switch chamber (i.e., pgh. 37), but is silent on the switch of each of the plurality of perforating modules has a length extending in a direction parallel with a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun that is less than a width of the switch extending in a direction orthogonal with the longitudinal axis of the perforating gun. However, it would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to modify the switch of Knight and Parks with a length extending in a direction parallel with a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun that is less than a width of the switch extending in a direction orthogonal with the longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to easily dispose the switch in the chamber, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Knight further discloses,
Re claim 6, the switch of each of the plurality of perforating modules comprises an opening at least partially surrounded by an outer periphery of the switch (i.e., pgh. 37, inner surface of the switch chamber).
Re claim 7, each of the plurality of perforating modules are pressure isolated (i.e., by the througbore 202 in the switch sub 200, fig. 4) from one another.
Re claim 18, each of the plurality of perforating modules comprises a digitally addressable switch (i.e., pgh. 39, wireline communication is considered digital - https://www.bing.com/search?q=Is+wireline+comunication+considerd+digital%3F&cvid=101546ad1e904e9baf017048ed9f437a&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEAyBggDEAAYQDIGCAQQABhAMgYIBRAAGEAyBggGEAAYQDIICAcQ6QcY_FXSAQkxNDE5MWowajGoAgCwAgA&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531).
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.
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/YONG-SUK (PHILIP) RO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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