Detailed Action
Summary
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 .
1.This office action is in responses to the application filed on May 5,2024
2. Claims 1-20 are pending and has been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
3.The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/21/2025,03/19/2025 and 05/21/ 2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
4. Drawings submitted on 05/21/ 2025 are acceptable.
Specification
5. Specification parag. [0037] states that inductance 380 and resistor 382. However, drawings 3-4 shows inductor 382/582 and resistor 382/582. Appropriate action is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
6. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5,9-10,16 and 20 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.
Claims 5, 9,10 and 16 recite “the surface”. There are insufficient antecedent basis for this claim limitations.
Claims 9 and 20 recite power circuit further comprises “a secondary capacitor” are used in the claims are vague and unclear. Claims 9 and 20 depend on claim 8 and 19, respectively which recited “secondary capacitor” in their claims . Therefore, it is not clear to the examiner that in both claims 9&20 which recited a power circuit further comprises “a secondary capacitor” are referring to another or second “secondary capacitor” or not. Therefore, appropriate action is required.
Claim 6 depend on claim 5, thus is also rejected because of its dependency.
Claims 17-19 depend on claim 16, thus are also rejected because of their dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7 and 10-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) (a)(2) as being anticipated by Li “CN117588158”.
In re to claim 1, Li discloses a system (Figs.1-8 shows a device for breaking rock based on high-voltage pulse discharge) comprising: a pulsed power drill bit comprising one or more electrodes (crushing/breaking electrode unit 7) ;
a pulse-generating (PG) circuit (pulse forming unit 6) configured to provide an electric potential across the one or more electrodes (electric potential across a crushing/breaking electrode unit 7);
a boost charger (charging boosting unit 3) configured to charge an energy storage component in the PG circuit (pulse forming unit 6: Examiner noted that charging boosting unit 3 is configured to charge pulse generator 6 via a primary storage unit 4 and high-voltage conversion unit 5); and
a power supply (charging unit 1) configured to provide voltage to the PG circuit (charging unit 1 is configured to provide voltage to pulse forming unit 6 ).
In re to claim 2, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8) comprising a cable (electric energy transmission unit 2) configured to connect the power supply to the PG circuit (transmission unit 2 is configured to transmit the low voltage current to charging unit 3 all the way to crushing/breaking electrode unit 7, see abstract and claim 1) .
In re to claim 3, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8) wherein the cable supplies voltage between ranges of 100V-1kV, 1kV-10kV, 10kV-100kV, 1kV-10kV, 10kV-100kV, or 100kV-1,000kV (page 8 , parag.0009 recites that transmission unit 2 voltage rating is 0-800V ) .
In re to claim 4, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8) wherein the boost charger configured to increases the voltage from the power supply (charging boosting unit 3 is configured to boost and rectify the low voltage AC and convert into high voltage DC, see page 9, para. 1, lines 1-19).
In re to claim 5, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8) wherein the boost charger is disposed on the surface (charging boost unit is disposed in a well, see abstract, claim 1 and Fig. 1).
In re to claim 6, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8), wherein the boost charger (Fig. 3 shows a boost charger unit 3 ) comprises at least a switching element , an inductor, and a capacitor (Fig. 3 shows a boost charger unit 3 comprises switch S1&S2, transformer T1&T comprises primary and secondary windings or inductors and capacitor C&C2) .
In re to claim 7, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8), further comprising a pulsed power circuit (primary energy storage unit 4/302) configured to generate a pulsed of voltage at any signal function at any rate to the cable (primary energy storage unit 4 is configured to output a pulse voltage when the electric energy reaches a preset value)
In re to claim 10 , Li discloses (Figs. 1-8), wherein the pulsed power circuit is disposed on the surface (see abstract and claim 1 ).
In re to claim 11, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8), wherein voltage from the one or more electrodes forms an arc from the pulsed power drill bit across a drilling fluid proximate to a distal end of a wellbore ( breaking electrode 7 perform electric breaking of the rocks by using the steep front high voltage pulse, see abstract, page 4, lines 3-15 ).
In re to claim 12, Li discloses a method (Figs. 1-8 shows method and a device for breaking rock based on high-voltage pulse discharge) comprising:
disposing a pulsed power drill bit comprising one or more electrodes downhole (crushing/breaking electrode unit 7) ;
providing an electric potential across the one or more electrodes with a pulse-generating (PG) circuit (pulse forming unit 6 is providing an voltage across an electrode unit 7 );
charging an energy storage component in the PG circuit with a boost charger (charging boosting unit 3) configured to charge an energy storage component in the PG circuit (pulse forming unit 6: Examiner noted that charging boosting unit 3 is configured to charge pulse generator 6 via a primary storage unit 4 and high-voltage conversion unit 5);
and
providing voltage to the PG circuit with a power supply (charging unit 1 is configured to provide to pulse forming unit 6 ). .
In re to claim 13, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8) comprising connecting the power supply to the PG circuit with a cable (transmission unit 2 is configured to transmit the low voltage current to charging unit 3 all the way to crushing/breaking electrode unit 7, see abstract and claim 1) .
In re to claim 14, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8) wherein the cable supplies voltage between ranges of 100V-1kV, 1kV-10kV, 10kV-100kV, 1kV-10kV, 10kV-100kV, or 100kV-1,000kV (page 8 , parag.0009 recites that transmission unit 2 voltage rating is 0-800V ) . .
In re to claim 15, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8) comprising increasing voltage from the power supply with the boost charger (charging boosting unit 3 is configured to boost and rectify the low voltage AC and convert into high voltage DC, see page 9, para. 1, lines 1-19).
In re to claim 16, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8) wherein the boost charger is disposed on the surface (charging boost unit is disposed in a well, see abstract, claim 1 and Fig. 1). .
In re to claim 17, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8), wherein the boost charger (Fig. 3 shows a boost charger unit 3 ) comprises at least a switching element , an inductor, and a capacitor (Fig. 3 shows a boost charger unit 3 comprises switch S1&S2, transformer T1&T comprises primary and secondary windings or inductors and capacitor C&C2) .
In re to claim 18, Li discloses (Figs. 1-8),further comprising generating a pulsed of voltage (primary energy storage unit 4/302) at any signal function at any rate to the cable with a pulsed power circuit (primary energy storage unit 4 is configured to output a pulse voltage when the electric energy reaches a preset value)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 8, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the system including the limitation of “ wherein the pulsed power circuit comprises at least a primary switch, a primary capacitor, a transformer, a secondary switch, and a secondary capacitor. ”
Note:
Claim 19 would be allowable if applicant to overcome the 112 (b) rejection because claim 19 depend on claim 16.
Claim 19, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the method including the limitation of “wherein the pulsed power circuit comprises at least a primary switch, a primary capacitor, a transformer, a secondary switch, and a secondary capacitor. ”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pai “ 20250034946” the present invention discloses a system comprising at least one coiled tubing extending from a surface of a wellbore to a bottomhole assembly (BHA); a power cable to be housed either inside or outside the at least one coiled tubing and to electrically couple a power supply at the surface of the wellbore with the BHA.
Pai “20250075569” the present invention discloses Some implementations include a system having at least one thermally insulated coiled tubing and a bottom hole assembly (BHA) connected to the at least one thermally insulated coiled tubing.
Pai “202500847706” relate to a pulsed-power drilling system, in which a pulsed-power drill is conveyed downhole and operated via coiled tubing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SISAY G TIKU whose telephone number is (571)272-6898. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-6:00PM. 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, Crystal L Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-1682. 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.
/SISAY G TIKU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838