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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schauble et al., US11956093 (hereinafter referred to as Schauble) and in view of DIN EN 60079-11 (hereinafter referred to as NPL U).
In regards to claim 7, Schauble teaches an intrinsically safe (current-limiting; [Col. 3, Ln. 39-44]) field device (field device; [Col. 3, Ln. 39-44]) of automation (HART; [Abstract]) technology for use in an explosion- hazard area (explosion-protection; [Col. 3, Ln. 39-44]), comprising: a first (connection element 11a; [Fig. 2]) and a second connection terminal (connection element 11b; [Fig. 2]) for connecting a two-wire line (implicit in a HART system and Fig. 2) via which a current (current I on the 11a line; [Fig. 2]) can be supplied (implicit of control system unit 31; [Col. 6, Ln. 63-Col. 7, Ln. 3] & [Fig. 2]); a sensor and/or actuator element (device electronics unit 4; [Fig. 2]) for detecting and/or setting (implicit of a load within a HART 2-wire system; [Fig. 2]) a process variable (variable output of the device electronics unit 4); and a field device electronic system (control system unit 31; [Fig. 2]) that is connected to the first and second connection terminals (implicit; [Fig. 2]) and conducts the current (implicit; [Fig. 2]), which can be supplied via the two-wire line (implicit; [Fig. 2]), from the first to the second connection terminal via a current path (current I with arrows; [Fig. 2]), wherein the field device electronic system is designed to transmit process variables detected via the sensor element via the two-wire line and/or to receive a process variable to be set by the actuator element via the two-wire line, and/or to correspondingly set the actuator element (implicit of a HART 2-wire system), and wherein the field device electronic system has a shunt resistor circuit (protection measures 28; [Fig. 2]) with a shunt resistor (resistors; [Col. 7, Ln. 17-24]), which is introduced into the current path (the resistors are in series with the current; [Fig. 2]), and a diode (Z-diode or Zener-diode within first and second supply circuits 15a & 15b; [Col. 7, Ln. 17-24]), each of which is connected in parallel to the shunt resistor (implicit; [Fig. 2]), wherein the diodes are wired such that the diodes are introduced into the current path in the flow direction (the diodes are in series with the current; [Fig. 2]).
Schauble does not teach the field device electronic system has two diodes, each of which is connected in parallel.
NPL U teaches the field device electronic system ( , Schauble) has two diodes (diodes & two… current paths; [8.7.1]), each of which is connected in parallel (two parallel diode; [8.7.1]) (Examiner’s Note: Please see the English translation of 8.7.1 below).
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In regards to claim 8, Schauble teaches wherein the shunt resistor (shunt regulator; [Col. 4, Ln. 1-4]) has a resistance value in the range of 5-40 ohms (Examiner’s Note: One of ordinary skill in the art would select a shunt resistor to be in the range of milliohms to ~100ohms. Therefore, 5-40 ohms is within that range.).
In regards to claim 9, Schauble teaches wherein the two diodes are silicon diodes having a forward voltage of approximately 0.6 to 0.7 V (Zener diode; [Col. 5, Ln. 54-56]) (Examiner’s Note: One of ordinary skill in the art would know that a Zener diode would have a forward voltage of approximately 0.6 to 0.7 V. Below is a screenshot of a Google result.).
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Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schauble et al., US11956093 (hereinafter referred to as Schauble) in view of DIN EN 60079-11 (hereinafter referred to as NPL U) and in further view of Seifried, US20160141955A1 (hereinafter referred to as Seifried).
In regards to claim 10, Schauble & NPL U do not teach wherein the field device electronics are configured to transmit a value corresponding to the process variable according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard and/or to receive a value corresponding to the process variable for setting the actuator element according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard.
Seifried teaches wherein the field device electronics are configured to transmit a value corresponding to the process variable according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard (Profibus standard PA; [0007]) and/or to receive a value corresponding to the process variable for setting the actuator element according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard (Profibus standard PA; [0007]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schauble & NPL U to incorporate wherein the field device electronics are configured to transmit a value corresponding to the process variable according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard and/or to receive a value corresponding to the process variable for setting the actuator element according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard as taught by Seifried. The motivation for doing so would be to have the device compliant with the appropriate communications protocol.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schauble et al., US11956093 (hereinafter referred to as Schauble) and in view of DIN EN 60079-11 (hereinafter referred to as NPL U) and in further view of Seifried, US20160141955A1 (hereinafter referred to as Seifried) and in further view of Friedl, US5793589 (hereinafter referred to as Friedl).
In regards to claim 11, Schauble, NPL U, and Seifried do not teach wherein the shunt resistor circuit further has an inductance connected in series to the shunt resistor for increasing the stability of a communication according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard, and wherein the diodes are connected in parallel to the shunt resistor and the inductance
Friedl teaches wherein the shunt resistor circuit (current sensor 8; [0007]) (protection measures 28, Schauble) further has an inductance (inductor 9; [0007]) connected in series (series; [0007]) to the shunt resistor (measuring resistor 10; [0007]) (resistor, Schauble) for increasing the stability of a communication according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard (Profibus standard PA, Seifried), and wherein the diodes are connected in parallel to the shunt resistor and the inductance (implicit in [Fig. 2], Schauble).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schauble, NPL U, & Seifried to incorporate wherein the shunt resistor circuit further has an inductance connected in series to the shunt resistor for increasing the stability of a communication according to the Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus FF standard, and wherein the diodes are connected in parallel to the shunt resistor and the inductance as taught by Friedl. The motivation for doing so would be to improve the current sensor by substituting the protection measures resistor which performs a current sensing function with Friedl's current sensor 8.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schauble et al., US11956093 (hereinafter referred to as Schauble) and in view of DIN EN 60079-11 (hereinafter referred to as NPL U) and in further view of Nakashima et al., US3818273 (hereinafter referred to as Nakashima).
In regards to claim 12, Schauble & NPL U do not teach wherein the field device electronic system has a bridge rectifier which is connected on the input side to the connection terminals and which is designed to rectify a terminal voltage applied to the input side and to provide the rectified terminal voltage on the output side for supplying power to the field device electronic system.
Nakashima teaches wherein the field device electronic system has a bridge rectifier (diodes D53-D56; [Fig. 9]) which is connected on the input side to the connection terminals (input terminals E/Es; [Fig. 9]) and which is designed to rectify a terminal voltage applied to the input side (implicit; [Fig. 9]) and to provide the rectified terminal voltage on the output side for supplying power to the field device electronic system (implicit in Fig. 2, Schauble).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schauble & NPL U to incorporate wherein the field device electronic system has a bridge rectifier which is connected on the input side to the connection terminals and which is designed to rectify a terminal voltage applied to the input side and to provide the rectified terminal voltage on the output side for supplying power to the field device electronic system as taught by Nakashima. The motivation for doing so would be to apply a regulated power to the system that would be within the control system unit 31.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US3818273, US5179488, & US11349297 are relevant references for adding a diode and resistor in parallel with different diode orientations to the flow of current.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMANTHA L FAUBERT whose telephone number is (703)756-1311. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM.
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SAMANTHA LYNETTE FAUBERT
Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838