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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1-20 are rejected below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 2 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. It is unclear on the metes and bound of the term “trustworthiness”.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nixon (U.S. PG Pub. 2022/0078238).
As to claims 1 and 16, Nixon teaches an apparatus for providing wireless communication access on a single pair Ethernet network comprising: a node comprising: a single pair Ethernet communication module coupled to a wired single pair Ethernet network and configured to transmit communications to and receive communications from a first industrial automation device of one or more industrial automation devices coupled to the wired single pair Ethernet network[0063, In one example, the APL (physical layer) of FIG. 2 may be a ruggedized, two-wire, loop-powered Ethernet physical layer that uses 10BASE-T1L plus extensions for installation within operating conditions and hazardous areas of process plants. In this case, the APL power switch 84 provides connectivity between all standard Ethernet networks and field devices and includes power supplies to provide power to the APL field switches 86 and the field devices 82. Typically, the power switch 84 will be located in the control room or in a junction box on a skid. Likewise, the APL field switches 86 may be designed for installation and operation in hazardous areas. The field switches 86 are loop-powered by the APL power switch 84 and distribute both communication signals and power via spurs 92 to the field devices 82. The Advanced Physical Layer (APL) project was initiated to create a protocol-neutral Ethernet that can solve the problem of finding a long-reach Ethernet protocol. This physical layer can be used as described herein in process automation and on process instrumentation to connect field devices in, for example, remote and hazardous locations and operates to extend the Ethernet physical layer operating at 10 Mb/sec over single-pair cable. Moreover, APL extends 10BASE-T1L for use in hazardous areas which enables the development of standards associated with typical protection methods, especially intrinsic safety.0065 The use of the network 80 illustrates one methodology of implementing an APL physical layer and a supported communications protocol within a process control system or factory automation environment to provide communications between field devices, such as the field devices 82, and other devices such as process controllers 11 or other devices on the network 85/90 of FIG. 2. Of course, in other cases, a process controller can be connected directly to the APL power switch 84 in order to provide communications with that power switch using the APL physical layer and to thereby perform communications between the field devices 82 and the controller (e.g., the controller 11) using an APL physical layer. Moreover, while a power supply may be provided in or associated with the APL power switch 84 and may send power to the field switches 86 via the bus 88, the APL field switches 86 may be separately powered or may include their own power supplies or sources and power themselves, as well as the field devices 82, via the APL spur lines 92.]; a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with an external application [ 0007 As noted above, each field device is coupled to an I/O device using a particular communication medium or physical layer (e.g., a two-wire cable, a wireless link, or an optical fiber) via a terminal block on the I/O device, and further using one of the above or other specialized process control communication protocols (HART, CAN, WirelessHART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, etc.) that have been developed in the process control industry]; and a communication bus coupled between the wireless communication module and the single pair Ethernet communication module and configured to transmit data between the wireless communication module and the single pair Ethernet communication module[0051 Additionally, the memory 16 may store one or more communication applications 32 which execute on the processor 14 and which control communications with exterior devices via the communication interface 20. The communication applications 32 may be programmed to use any known or standard format, such as XML, JSON, etc., and may perform communication using a known or standard communication protocol over one or more different communication networks, such as wired networks, wireless networks, etc.] The data must be excused in some fashion between the communication units for the wired and the wireless communication.
As to claim 2, Nixon teaches wherein the wireless communication module comprises a processor configured to execute attestation services to verify trustworthiness of software running on the node[0085].
As to claims 3 and 17, Nixon teaches wherein the wireless communication module is further configured to receive commissioning instructions from the external application related to the first industrial automation device; and wherein the single pair Ethernet communication module is further configured to commission the first industrial automation device based on the commissioning instructions[0019].
As to claim 4, Nixon teaches wherein the node further comprises a processor having a trusted execution environment configured to execute containerized commissioning services in response to receiving the commissioning instructions[0085-0086].
As to claim 5, Nixon teaches wherein the processor is further configured to: gather data related to operation of the first industrial automation device[0079]; and analyze the gathered data; and provide the analyzed data to the external application via the wireless communication module[0079].
As to claim 6, Nixon teaches wherein gathered comprises one of alarm data and fault data[0079].
As to claim 7, Nixon teaches further comprising a gateway adapter coupled to the node via the wired Ethernet network[0076].
As to claim 8, Nixon teaches wherein the wireless communication module is further configured to receive reconfiguration instructions from the external application related to the first industrial automation device; and wherein the single pair Ethernet communication module is further configured to reconfigure the first industrial automation device based on the reconfiguration instructions[0080].
As to claim 9, Nixon teaches further comprising a gateway adapter comprising the node and configured to: gather network attributes of the one or more industrial automation devices via the single pair Ethernet communication module in response to a gather request from the external application[0018]; and transmit the network attributes to the external application via the wireless communication module in response to gathering the network attributes[0018, 0050].
As to claim 10, Nixon teaches wherein the first industrial automation device comprises an end node comprising a communications interface coupled with the wired Ethernet network, wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate with the single pair Ethernet communication module [0020].
As to claim 11, Nixon teaches wherein the first industrial automation device further comprises one of a push button switch, a sensor[0048], a toggle switch, a rotary switch, a contactor, a power tap, a motor controller, an actuator, a field device, and a visual status indicator.
As to claims 12 and 18, Nixon teaches wherein the single pair Ethernet communication module is further configured to: request, from the communications interface, a status parameter of the first industrial automation device[0077]; and transmit the status parameter to the wireless communication module via the communication bus[0050]; and wherein the wireless communication module is configured to wirelessly transmit the status parameter to the external application[0050].
As to claim 13, Nixon teaches wherein the first industrial automation device further comprises one of a functional safety industrial automation device and a functional non-safety industrial automation device[0097].
As to claim 14 and 20, Nixon teaches wherein the wireless communication module is configured to wirelessly communicate with the external application executed one of a mobile device and a cloud-based server[0098].
As to claim 15, Nixon teaches wherein the wired single pair Ethernet network comprises one of 10BASE-T1S Ethernet technology and 10BASE-T1L Ethernet technology[0063].
As to claim 19, Nixon teaches wherein communicating with the wired device comprises setting or retrieving operating information of the wired device[0079].
A reference to specific paragraphs, columns, pages, or figures in a cited prior artreference is not limited to preferred embodiments or any specific examples. It iswell settled that a prior art reference, in its entirety, must be considered for allthat it expressly teaches and fairly suggests to one having ordinary skill in theart. Stated differently, a prior art disclosure reading on a limitation of Applicant'sclaim cannot be ignored on the ground that other embodiments disclosed wereinstead cited. Therefore, the Examiner's citation to a specific portion of a singleprior art reference is not intended to exclusively dictate, but rather, todemonstrate an exemplary disclosure commensurate with the specificlimitations being addressed. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33,216 USPQ 1038,1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006,1009, 158 USPQ 275,277 (CCPA 1968)). In re: Upsher-Smith Labs. v. Pamlab, LLC, 412 F.3d 1319,1323, 75 USPQ2d 1213, 1215 (Fed. Cir. 2005); In re Fritch, 972 F.2d 1260, 1264, 23USPQ2d 1780, 1782 (Fed. Cir. 1992); Merck& Co. v. BiocraftLabs., Inc., 874 F.2d804, 807, 10 USPQ2d 1843, 1846 (Fed. Cir. 1989); In re Fracalossi, 681 F.2d792,794 n.1,215 USPQ 569, 570 n.1 (CCPA 1982); In re Lamberti, 545 F.2d 747,750, 192 USPQ 278, 280 (CCPA 1976); In re Bozek, 416 F.2d 1385, 1390, 163USPQ 545, 549 (CCPA 1969).
Other Prior art of record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Peterson (U.S. PG Pub. 2023/0106122) teaches a single pair ethernet for operator control stations.
Hottgenroth (U.S. PG Pub. 2020/0287895) teaches secure communication between and a field device and a commuting device.
Albrecht (U.S. PG Pub. 2019/0334860) teaches registering devices in industrial automation systems.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN L LAUGHLIN whose telephone number is (571)270-1042. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mohammad Ali can be reached at 571-272-4105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHAN L LAUGHLIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119
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