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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: The claim cites “the detector” with insufficient antecedent basis. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mann et al. (US 2012/0268105) in view of Casti (US 2013/0128939).
Regarding to claims 1, 14:
Mann et al. discloses a device for determining an arrival time of a signal pulse, the device comprising
a comparison means (FIG. 1, elements 2a-2h) configured such that it compares the time course of a signal pulse (FIGs. 4, element PMT_IN) with two reference values (FIGs. 1 and 4: Thresholds 1-8) and triggers a time analysis means (FIG. 1, elements TDC) of the device when the signal pulse reaches a reference value (FIG. 9A: Receive input from PMT (S1), Compare to the plurality of thresholds (S2)),
wherein the time analysis means is configured such that it determines the time of the triggers (FIGs. 9A-B, steps S3-S6: Obtain time information in response to a threshold being met).
Mann et al. however does not teach wherein the time analysis means is configured to determine the time between the first and second triggering, and wherein the device is configured such that it determines an arrival time of the signal pulse by means of the determined time and by means of the reference values.
Casti discloses a method for detecting a crossing instant representing a time arrival of a signal (paragraph [0006]), comprising determining the time between a first triggering and a second triggering (FIG. 4A: Ts1 and Ts2), and determining the arrival time (FIG. 4A: TOA) of the signal by means of the determined time and by means of reference values (FIG. 4A: V1 and V2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the time analysis means in Mann et al. to determine the signal time arrival based on the reference values and the triggering times to obtain a detection with high temporal accuracy as taught by Casti (paragraph [0022]).
Regarding to claims 2, 16: wherein the device comprises a voltage source by means of which the reference voltages (V1, V2) can be provided (Mann et al.: FIG. 3: Threshold determination unit 11 provides the threshold voltages).
Regarding to claims 3-4, 17-18: characterized in that the device is configured such that it compares the time course of a signal pulse with a third reference value and triggers a time analysis means of the device when the signal pulse reaches the third reference value (Mann et al.: FIG. 4: Threshold 3), wherein the time analysis means is configured such that it determines the time between the second and third triggering, and wherein the device is configured such that it determines an arrival time of the signal pulse by means of the determined time and by means of the reference values (Casti: FIG. 5 shows the time arrival is determined in consideration of a plurality of triggering times and voltage levels).
Regarding to claims 5-13, 19-20: the time analysis means comprises a time-to-digital converter (TDC) for a determination of the time between a first and a second triggering (Mann et al.: FIG. 1, elements TDC. Casti: FIG. 1: The time calculation unit 300), wherein the device comprises an electronic assembly for determining an arrival time (Casti: FIG. 1-2, elements 300-400).
Regarding to claim 15: wherein the detector is a detector for elementary particles (Mann et al.: paragraphs [0003]-[0008]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAM S NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2151.
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, DOUGLAS RODRIGUEZ, can be reached on 571-431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LAM S NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
Prosecution Insights