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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 09 August 2024 and 07 January 2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because in Figs.5A-5B, the reference numbers for the terminal box body (510.1) and a terminal box lid (510.2) (¶[0095]) are reversed.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because “Furthermore, the optical output unit that receives the optical-output control signal and that is configured to provide an optical output signal according to the optical-output control signal” is not a sentence. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 11, 13, 18 & 20 are 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.
In claim 11, the structure of “…a panel-mount light-emitting device that comprises the light-emitting device and the transparent optical element” is unclear when claim 1 recites “the transparent optical element is a transparent optical spacer element that is located between a terminal box body and a terminal box lid of the motor terminal box.”
Regarding claim 13, “an elongated strip” is vague and indefinite.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6, 9, 12-14, 16 & 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Canada et al. (US 5,726,911) in view of Wurth et al. (US 6,361,281).
Regarding claim 1, Canada generally teach the invention of an electric motor 102 having a motor terminal box (monitor housing) 110 and a diagnostics-signaling unit (motor monitor) 100 at least partly located within the motor terminal box, the diagnostics-signaling unit comprising:
a diagnostics device (motor monitor) 100 that is configured to: determine an operating condition of the electric motor and provide an optical-output control signal indicative of the operating condition (i.e., monitor 100 senses, analyzes, stores and outputs various motor operating data; c.2:31-37);
an optical output unit (infrared communications port) 154 configured to receive the optical-output control signal and to provide an optical output signal according to the optical-output control signal (i.e., data and information is transmitted to and from monitor through communications port; c.9:30-39); and
an…optical element (inherent to IR communications port 154, which transmits data to and from monitor) configured to give off the optical output signal to an outside of the electric motor (c.9:30-39), wherein the…optical element is…located between a terminal box body 110a and a terminal box lid 110b of the motor terminal box 110 (Fig.4).
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Canada does not teach the IR communications port 154 is a “transparent” optical element comprising a “transparent optical spacer element” between a terminal box body and a terminal box lid of the motor terminal box.
But, Wurth teaches a motor with contactless controller comprising an optical device comprising infrared device 28 for receives and transmits data and further including a transparent optical spacer element (transparent protective housing) 24 which covers and protects the optical device (c.2:33-65; Figs.2-3).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide Canada with a transparent optical spacer element since Wurth teaches this would have covered and protected the infrared optical device.
Regarding claim 2, Canada teaches the optical output unit comprises a display unit (portable data collector) 362 that receives configured to receive the optical-output control signal and is configured to display, as the optical output signal, a visualization of the operating condition (c.12:5-20; Fig.6).
Regarding claim 3, both Canada and Wurth teach an optical output unit comprising a light-emitting device that is configured to emit an infrared light signal as the optical output signal.
Regarding claim 4, in the combination, the optical output unit comprises a light-emitting device that is configured to emit a human-perceivable light signal as the optical output signal (Wurth, c.4:8-9).
Regarding claim 6, the combination teaches the diagnostics device is configured to provide the optical-output control signal such that information about the operating condition of the electric motor is encoded in a modulation pattern of the infrared light signal emitted by the light-emitting device (Canada c.9:30-39; Wurth c.3:30-c.4:4).
Regarding claim 9, in the combination, the transparent optical element is comprised within the terminal box body…of the motor terminal box.
Regarding claim 12, the transparent optical element of Wurth is an “optical aperture” [sic] (i.e., window section 42; Fig.4).
Regarding claim 13, the transparent optical element of Wurth is an “elongated strip” [sic] in the sense of window section 42 being elongated (Fig.4).
Regarding claim 14, while the combination including Wurth teaches only one optical element, providing plural optical elements would have been an obvious design choice. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). Further, as with claim 6, the combination teaches the diagnostics device is configured to provide the optical-output control signal such that information about the operating condition of the electric motor is encoded in a modulation pattern of the infrared light signal emitted by the light-emitting device (Canada c.9:30-39; Wurth c.3:30-c.4:4).
Regarding claim 16, the combination teaches the diagnostics device is configured to provide the optical-output control signal such that information about the operating condition of the electric motor is encoded in a modulation pattern of the infrared light signal emitted by the light-emitting device (Canada c.9:30-39; Wurth c.3:30-c.4:4).
Regarding claim 21, both Canada and Wurth teach an optical output unit comprising a light-emitting device that is configured to emit an infrared light signal as the optical output signal.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Canada & Wurth as applied to claim 6, further in view of Lesher et al. (US 3,641,539).
Canada & Wurth teach encoding of the infrared modulation pattern, but not that a blinking pattern, per se.
But, Lesher teaches a remote monitoring system capable of monitoring the condition of an apparatus, generating signals indicative of that condition, and, at a remote location, providing signals indicative of the detected status, e.g., electric motors, including a controllable oscillator which produces a signal which may be pulsed or modulated to represent data to be sent to the base station (abstract; c.1:4-11). Lesher in particular teaches a blinking signal for an indicator signal to indicate working conditions (c.2:13-25).
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide Canada & Wurth with a blinking modulation pattern since Lesher teaches a blinking signal would have been desirable for indication of working conditions of a motor.
Claims 1-2 & 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansen (US 9,360,017) in view of Heilman et al. (US 8,546,984).
Hansen teaches an electric motor having a motor terminal (control) box 62 and a diagnostics-signaling unit (controller) 66 at least partly located within the motor terminal box, the diagnostics-signaling unit comprising:
a diagnostics device that is configured to:
determine an operating condition of the electric motor (i.e., controller determines operating characteristics of pump 10 by measuring power, stator, rotor and heat energy; c.4:37-c.5:25); and provide an optical-output control signal indicative of the operating condition (i.e., controller sends one or more signals relating to the operating characteristics of the pump assembly and/or the flow characteristics of the fluid moved through the pump to optical display 70; c.5:36-47; c.6:5-25); and
an optical output unit (inherent to display 70 & numerical readout section 74 and indication section 76) configured to receive the optical-output control signal and to provide an optical output signal according to the optical-output control signal (c.5:36-47; c.6:5-25); and
a transparent optical element (numerical readout section/ indicator section) 74/76 configured to give off the optical output signal to an outside of the electric motor (i.e., numerical readout section 74 displays one or more digits representative of an output and indicator section 76 that includes one or more indicators that relate to the numerical readout section; c.6:5-25; Fig.4).
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Hansen does not specifically teach the transparent optical element 74/76 is “a transparent optical spacer element that is located between the terminal box body [62] and a terminal box lid of the motor terminal box.”
But, Heilman teaches a pump motor control including a motor terminal box (high/low voltage housings) 40/56 with a user interface comprising an LCD display 90/92 comprising a flexible membrane 98 with a transparent optical element that is a transparent optical spacer element (transparent window section/transparent filler plate) 100/108 located between the terminal box body 40/56 and a terminal box lid 116 (c.7:4-15; Figs.2-6). The transparent optical spacer element eliminates air gaps along the underside of the display and reduces condensation (c.8:19-33) and the lid provides protection and further insulates the display against temperature differences and condensation buildup (c.9:15-55).
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide Hansen’s transparent optical element with a transparent optical spacer element located between the terminal box body and a terminal box lid of the motor terminal box since Heilman teaches a transparent optical spacer element would have eliminated air gaps along the underside of the display and reduced condensation and the lid would have provided protection and further insulated the display against temperature differences and condensation buildup.
Regarding claim 2, in Hansen the optical output unit comprises a display unit configured to receive the optical-output control signal and to display, as the optical output signal, a visualization of the operating condition (i.e., numerical readout section 74 displays one or more digits representative of an output and indicator section 76 that includes one or more indicators that relate to the numerical readout section; c.6:5-25).
Regarding claim 4, in Hansen the optical output unit comprises a light-emitting device that is configured to emit a human-perceivable light signal as the optical output signal (intrinsic to Hansen’s visual display 70 that has one or more readout, screen or other display component for conveying information to the user; c.4:31-36; c.6:5-25).
Claims 3, 9-11 & 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansen & Heilman as applied to claims 2 and 4, further in view of Mayhew et al. (US 6,894,452).
Hansen and Heilman teach the optical output unit comprises a light-emitting device (i.e., Hansen’s visual display 70 that has one or more readout, screen or other display component for conveying information to the user; c.4:31-36; c.6:5-25) but it is not configured to emit an infrared signal as the optical output signal.
But, Mayhew teaches a motor controller 16 including a remote configuration device (e.g., personal digital assistant/PDA) 18 with an LCD display 44 and a light-emitting device (infrared module) 60/62 configured to emit an infrared signal as the optical output signal (c.3:15-c.4:62 Figs.1-2). Use of infrared communications provides wireless communication with necessary voltage isolation with the PDA (c.4:8-30).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date to configure the light-emitting device of Hansen and Heilman to emit an infrared signal as the optical output signal since Mayhew teaches this would have provided wireless communication with necessary voltage isolation.
Regarding claim 9, in the combination, in particular Heilman, the transparent optical element 100/108 is comprised within the terminal box body 40/56…of the motor terminal box.
Regarding claim 10, Hansen teaches a lid (display) 70 comprising the transparent optical element 74/76 (Fig.4).
Regarding claim 11, as best understood, Heilman’s user interface 78 & display 90 comprises a panel-mount light-emitting device that comprises the light-emitting device and the transparent optical element (c.7:4-15; Fig.4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 15, 17 & 18-20 are 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.
To the limited extent these features were searched for within the motor art, the prior art of record does not appear to further teach the particulars of the claimed electric motor terminal box and diagnostics-signaling unit including, inter alia,
“the light-emitting device is configured to emit light in a plurality of different colors, and the diagnostics device is configured to provide the optical-output control signal, such that information about the operating condition of the electric motor is encoded within the plurality of different colors of the human-perceivable light signal emitted by the light-emitting device” (claim 5); or
“wherein the electric motor includes a light-emitting tower that is mounted on a motor frame of the electric motor and that comprises the transparent optical element” (claim 15);
“the light-emitting device is configured to selectively emit light through any one of the plurality of transparent optical elements, and the diagnostics device is configured to provide the optical-output control signal such that information about the operating condition is encoded in a pattern related to through which optical element light is emitted” (claims 18-20).
These determinations are based on keyword and citation searches performed in a limited number of subclasses. Artificial intelligence search tools were employed. Nomenclature in the art is inconsistent. Keyword searches in the foreign art was limited to the text of the abstract. For these reasons, the scope of the search was necessarily truncated and relevant art classified outside the subclasses searched and/or using different terminology or keywords may not have been reviewed. See the Search Notes for details.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BURTON S MULLINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2029. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5. 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, Tulsidas C Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BURTON S MULLINS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834