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
Claims 6 and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 6, line 6; it appears that “a value of a fluid velocity” and “a value of a fluid volume flow rate” refers back to claim 5, lines 6-7. It should be amended to -- the value of the fluid velocity-- and --the value of the fluid volume flow rate--.
Regarding claim 13, line 4; it appears that “a value of a fluid velocity” and “a value of a fluid volume flow rate” refers back to claim 12, lines 4-5. It should be amended to –the value of the fluid velocity-- and --the value of the fluid volume flow rate--.
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.
(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) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shibano et al. (JP06-109510A) (see translation).
Regarding claim 1: Shibano discloses a fluid velocity sensor unit and/or fluid volume flow rate sensor unit comprising:
at least one heating element which can configured to be arranged in a fluid line, characterized in that the heating element being formed at least by a part of a first transistor (1) (Fig. 1) [0012-0013].
Regarding claim 2: Shibano discloses at least one circuit (Fig. 1) which comprises the first transistor (1) and which is provided to keep a difference between a temperature of the first transistor and a reference temperature constant over time [0025].
Regarding claim 3: Shibano discloses the circuit (Fig. 1)) comprises at least a second transistor (2) which has a temperature which forms the reference temperature [0016].
Regarding claim 4: Shibano discloses the circuit comprises at least one amplifier (7) which is provided to adjust a collector voltage of the first transistor (1) such that a difference between the temperature of the first transistor and the reference temperature is constant over time [0015-0016].
Regarding claim 5: Shibano discloses characterized by at least one control unit which is provided to ascertain at least one value of a collector voltage of the first transistor (1) 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 [0018-0022].
Regarding claim 6: Shibano discloses characterized in that 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 a value of a fluid velocity and/or a value of a fluid volume flow rate [0015-0016].
Regarding claim 7: Shibano disclose a device having a fluid velocity sensor unit and/or a fluid volume flow rate sensor unit according to claim 1, the device including characterized by the fluid line (14), in which at least the first transistor (1) is arranged [0013, 0.018] (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8: Shibano discloses a circuit with a second transistor (2), wherein the second transistor (2) 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 (1) (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9: Shibano discloses the device is provided to determine a quantity of fluid which has flowed through the fluid line [0018] (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10: Shibano discloses a method for determining 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 (1) is used as a heating element (Fig. 1) [0012-0013].
Regarding claim 11: Shibano discloses the circuit comprises at least one amplifier (7) 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. 1).
Regarding claim 12: Shibano 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 [0015, 0018].
Regarding claim 13: Shibano 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 a value of a fluid velocity and/or a value of a fluid volume flow rate [0015-0016].
Regarding claim 14: Shibano discloses the device including the fluid line, in which at least the first transistor is arranged [0013, 0.018] (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15: Shibano discloses a circuit with a second transistor, wherein the second transistor (2) 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 (1) (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16: Shibano disclsoes the device is provided to determine a quantity of fluid which has flowed through the fluid line [0018] (Fig. 1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-Yamagishi et al. (US 6,672,154) discloses a flow rate sensor unit, flowmeter and flow sensor.
-Felsenstein et al. (US 6,421,617) discloses an interface including fluid flow measurement for use in determining an intention of, or an effect produced by, an animate object.
-Sekimura (US 4,637,253) discloses a semiconductor flow detector for detecting the flow rate and flowing direction of fluid.
-Ikeno (US 11,726,104) discloses a flow velocity sensor with improved weatherability.
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/TOAN N PHAM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685 2/25/26
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