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 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 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.
(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 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sekimura et al. (US 4,637,253).
Regarding claim 1: Sekimura discloses a fluid velocity sensor unit and/or fluid volume flow rate sensor unit (10) comprising: at least one heating element (14) configured to be arranged in a fluid line, the heating element being formed at least by a part of a first transistor (14) (Fig. 2; col. 3, line 14-col. 4, line 24).
Regarding claim 2: Sekimura discloses at least one circuit (Fig. 2) which comprises the first transistor (14) and which is provided to keep a difference between a temperature of the first transistor and a reference temperature constant over time (col. 3, lines 19-39).
Regarding claim 3: Sekimura discloses the circuit comprises at least a second transistor which has a temperature which forms the reference temperature (col. 6, lines 31-56).
Regarding claim 4: Sekimura discloses the circuit comprises at least one amplifier (26) which is provided to adjust a collector voltage of the first transistor such that a difference between the temperature of the first transistor and the reference temperature is constant over time (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5: Sekimura discloses at least one control unit which is provided to ascertain at least one value of a collector voltage of the first transistor and, on the basis of the value of the collector voltage, to determine at least one value of a velocity of a fluid and/or at least one value of a volume flow rate of the fluid (col. 3, line 40-col. 4, line 24; col. 8, lines 1-36).
Regarding claim 6: Sekimura discloses the control unit is provided to compare the ascertained value of the collector voltage with at least one value which is stored in the control unit, and to determine by the comparison at least the value of the fluid velocity and/or the value of the fluid volume flow rate (col. 3, line 40-col. 4, line 24; col. 8, lines 1-36).
Regarding claim 7: Sekimura discloses a fluid velocity sensor unit and/or a fluid volume flow rate sensor unit (10) according to claim 1, the device including the fluid line, in which at least the first transistor (14) is arranged (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8: Sekimura discloses the fluid velocity sensor unit and/or the fluid volume flow rate sensor unit (10) includes a circuit with a second transistor (16a, 16b), wherein the second transistor of the circuit of the fluid velocity sensor unit or of the fluid volume flow rate sensor unit is arranged upstream of, with respect to a flow direction of a fluid in the fluid line, and/or next to the first transistor(Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9: Sekimura discloses the device is provided to determine a quantity of fluid which has flowed through the fluid line (col. 4, lines 8-24).
Regarding claim 10: Sekimura discloses a fluid velocity and/or for determining a fluid volume flow rate and/or for determining a quantity of fluid which has flowed, in which at least a part of a transistor (14) is used as a heating element (col. 4, lines 8-24).
Regarding claim 11: Sekimura discloses the circuit comprises at least one amplifier (26) which is provided to adjust a collector voltage of the first transistor such that a difference between the temperature of the first transistor and the reference temperature is constant over time (Fig. 11; col. 6, lines 31-56).
Regarding claim 12: Sekimura discloses a control unit which is provided to ascertain at least one value of a collector voltage of the first transistor (14) and, on the basis of the value of the collector voltage (Vc), to determine at least one value of a velocity of a fluid and/or at least one value of a volume flow rate of the fluid (col. 4, lines 7-45; col. 6, lines 31-61).
Regarding claim 13: Sekimura discloses the control unit is provided to compare the ascertained value of the collector voltage with at least one value which is stored in the control unit, and to determine by the comparison at least the value of the fluid velocity and/or the value of the fluid volume flow rate (col. 3, line 40-col. 4, line 24; col. 8, lines 1-36).
Regarding claim 14: Sekimura discloses a device having a fluid velocity sensor unit and/or a fluid volume flow rate sensor unit (10) according to claim 13, the device including the fluid line, in which at least the first transistor (14) is arranged (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 15: Sekimura discloses the fluid velocity sensor unit and/or the fluid volume flow rate sensor unit (10) includes a circuit with a second transistor (16a, 16b), wherein the second transistor of the circuit is arranged upstream of, with respect to a flow direction of a fluid in the fluid line, and/or next to the first transistor (14) (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 16: Sekimura discloses the device is provided to determine a quantity of fluid which has flowed through the fluid line (col. 4, lines 8-24).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TOAN NGOC PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-2967. The examiner can normally be reached M - F (7 AM - 3:30 PM).
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/TOAN N PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685 10/1/26
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