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 .
Priority
2. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/03/2025 and 09/19/2024 are considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
An election was made without traverse to prosecute the invention of Group I, which is disclosed in the Restriction requirement as Claims 1-4. Based on the Election of Group I without traverse, Claims 5-20 are withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Bing et al. (CN213517523), hereinafter ‘Bing’.
Regarding Claim 1, Bing discloses a self-calibrating current measuring apparatus (Abstract) comprising: a low-range current sensor configured to generate first voltage signals; a high-range current sensor configured to generate second voltage signals (Fig 3, Para [0024, 0038-0039] disclosing standard current transformer with wide frequency and wide range or a current transformer with wide frequency and wide range to be tested; wide range current transformer has range switching capability to expand current measurement range); and a self-calibration current measuring circuit (Fig. 3, AD1, AD2, FPGA, 32 microcomputer) configured to: receive the first voltage signals and the second voltage signals (Fig. 3, Para [0053-058] Data processing module A converts the standard small current signal into a standard small voltage signal, amplifies it, and then converts it into a digital signal for output to the calculation module; data processing module B converts the small current signal to be measured into the small voltage signal to be measured, amplifies it, and then converts it into a digital signal for output to the calculation module), convert the first voltage signals and the second voltage signals into respective first digital signals and second digital signals (Fig. 3, AD1 and AD2, Para [0053-058]), compare the first digital signals with the second digital signals, determine a difference between the first digital signals and the second digital signals exceed a recalibration threshold based on the comparison (Para [0054] The calculation module performs error calculations based on the data output by data processing module A and data processing module B to obtain the error of the wideband current transformer under test; error determined based on comparison and calibration data; Examiner interprets a recalibration threshold as reprocessing of the collected current as disclosed in Para [0035], further Bing discloses converting currents of different magnitudes into current signals within a specified range, to reduce sampling errors which can further be interpreted as recalibrations thresholds as an alternative), generate calibration data based on the determination (Para [0003] error calibration system used to complete error verification or calibration), and generate a digital output signal representative of a current reading based on an application of the calibration data to the second digital signals (Para [0020] Finally, the embedded 32-bit microcomputer sends the results and related data to the human-machine interface. The human-machine interface displays information such as waveform, effective value, and error; application of calibration data interpreted as information displayed via human-machine interface which is representative of the current reading above; calibration data interpreted as result of the determined difference between first and second signal which further results in determination of error, as defined by current claim).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bing et al. (CN213517523), hereinafter ‘Bing’, and further in view of Hebiguchi (WO 2012070337), hereinafter ‘Hebiguchi’.
Regarding Claim 2, Bing further discloses a communication module configured to receive the digital output (Para [0020] human machine interface).
Bing fails to explicitly disclose transmit the digital output to a battery management system.
However Hebiguchi discloses a current sensor which outputs data to a battery management system described as a circuit that evaluations the remaining battery amount (Para [0017]) for the benefit of providing a current sensor capable of expanding a measurement range and having high measurement accuracy.
Therefore it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to combine and provide transmission of the digital output to a battery management system for the benefit of evaluating a remaining battery amount and providing a current sensor capable of expanding a measurement range and having high measurement accuracy as taught by Hebiguchi in Para [0017, 0005].
Claim(s) 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bing et al. (CN213517523), hereinafter ‘Bing’, and further in view of Waeckerle et al. (US 20100102910), hereinafter ‘Waeckerle’.
Regarding Claims 3 and 4, Bing fails to explicitly disclose wherein the low-range current sensor comprises a closed-loop current sensor or a fluxgate current sensor and of Claim 4 wherein the high-range current sensor comprises an open-loop current sensor.
Waeckerle discloses a teaching of current sensors which considers a low-range current sensor comprises a closed-loop current sensor and a high-range current sensor comprises an open-loop current sensor (Para [0088]) for the benefit of providing measurement precision which is highly dependent on the coercive field of the alloy used to better the precision measurement (Para [0088-0090]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine and provide wherein the low-range current sensor comprises a closed-loop current sensor or a fluxgate current sensor or wherein the high-range current sensor comprises an open-loop current sensor for the benefit of providing measurement precision which is highly dependent on the coercive field of the alloy used and consideration of linearity of the magnetization curve or hysteresis cycle to better the precision measurement as taught by (Para [0088-0090]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALESA ALLGOOD whose telephone number is (571)270-5811. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 AM-3:30 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, Eman Alkafawi can be reached at (571) 272-4448. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ALESA ALLGOOD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
Prosecution Insights