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 submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/22/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1, 14, 15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claims 1, 14 and 17, the disclosure broadly recites “wireless coupling” between lighting protection system and the tower conducting unit, without limitation as to the type or mechanism of such wireless coupling.
The specification consistently describes the wireless coupling as a capacitive coupling between the lighting protection system of the blade and the tower conducting unit [0014, 18-19, 39]. While the specification briefly mentions alternative coupling approaches, such as antenna-based transmission [0020], the disclosure does not provide sufficient structural, operational or implementation detail to enable one the of the ordinary skill in the art to practice the full scope of the claimed wireless coupling without undue experimentation. The original disclosure doesn’t reasonably demonstrate that applicant had possession of the claim features at issue because it does not reasonably demonstrate the manner in which these features are implemented.
Claims 2-13, 15-16 and 18-20 also rejected as being dependent on rejected base claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
Claims 1, 3-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being anticipated by Klemar (U.S. Patent 6741069).
Regarding claim 1, Klemar discloses a condition monitoring device (fig.1 (6)) for a lightning protection system (LPS) (fig. 6 (4-6)) of a wind turbine blade, wherein the condition monitoring device is mountable to a wind turbine (fig. 1 system 4-6 in wind turbine blade of wind turbine as LPS system, “Referring to FIG. 1 to be used in a wind turbine” detector in wind turbine blade col. 2 lines 47-54), the condition monitoring device comprising:
a signal generation unit (fig. 1 via 4, 5) configured to generate and input probe signals (fig. 1 via 4 to 7 and 5 to 8) into a protection unit (fig. 1 (6)) of a lightning protection system (LPS) (fig. 1 (4-9)) of a wind turbine blade and/or to a tower conducting unit (signal from (5) to (8) “The input to the measuring circuit 8 consist in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of an electrical signal provided by a measuring coil 5 placed in close proximity to the lightning conductor 2, such that a lightning current flowing in the lightning conductor 2 by way of induction generates a voltage across the two terminals of the measuring coil 5” col. Lines 6-15);
a measurement unit configured to detect response signals (fig. 1 (8)), which are a system response of the probe signals via a wireless coupling between the lightning protection system (LPS) of the wind turbine blade and the tower conducting unit (inductive signal from measuring coil 5 which is inductively coupled to lightening conductor 2 col. 2 lines 55-67, col. 1 lines 6-33); and
a control unit (fig. 1 via 11) configured to control the signal unit and the measurement unit and to process the response signals (fig. 1 recording/procession means computer 11 col. 2 lines 60-67, col. 3 lines 1-5).
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Regarding claim 3, Klemar further discloses wherein the protection unit of the lightning protection system (LPS) comprises a down conductor (fig. 1 (lightning conductor 2 to ground 3)).
Regarding claim 4, Klemar further discloses wherein the tower conducting unit is formed at least sectionally by an exterior of a tower of the wind turbine (fig. 1 2 connected to tip of blade 1, col. 2 (lines 47-54)).
Regarding claim 5, Klemar further discloses wherein the signal generation unit comprises a signal induction device configured to inductively input the probe signals into a system comprising the protection unit and/or into the tower conducting unit (fig. 1 signals via 5 col. 3 lines 6-15 “an electrical signal provided by a measuring coil 5 placed in close proximity to the lightning conductor 2, such that a lightning current flowing in the lightning conductor 2 by way of induction generates a voltage across the two terminals of the measuring coil 5”).
Regarding claim 6, Klemar further discloses wherein the signal generation unit comprises a waveguide coupler configured to input the probe signals into the protection unit and/or into the tower conducting unit, and wherein the waveguide coupler is configured to limit overvoltage across the condition monitoring device (“an optical fibre. In this case the converter means 9 should convert for instance the electrical-output signal from the measuring circuit 8, being a function of the intensity of the lightning current, into a light signal of an intensity and spectral composition suitable for the following optical fibre 10” col. 2 lines 65-67, col. 3 lines 1-5).
Regarding claim 7, Klemar further discloses wherein the signal generation unit is configured to be galvanically connected to the protection unit and/or the tower conducting unit by a hard-wired connection comprising at least one protection device (fig. 1 (5 connected to 6 via galvanically as a non-galvanic connected is with 11)).
Regarding claim 8, Klemar further discloses wherein the measurement unit comprises an inductive measurement device configured to inductively detect the response signals at the protection unit and/or at the at least one tower conducting unit (fig. 1 signals via 5 col. 3 lines 6-15 “an electrical signal provided by a measuring coil 5 placed in close proximity to the lightning conductor 2, such that a lightning current flowing in the lightning conductor 2 by way of induction generates a voltage across the two terminals of the measuring coil 5”).
Regarding claim 9, Klemar further discloses wherein the measurement unit is configured to be galvanically connected to the protection unit and/or to the tower conducting unit by a hard-wired connection comprising at least one protection device fig. 1 (5 connected to 8 via galvanically as a non-galvanic connected is with 11).
Regarding claim 10, Klemar further discloses wherein the probe signals which can be generated by the signal generation unit, are AC signals (col. 3 lines 6-15 “an electrical signal provided by a measuring coil 5 placed in close proximity to the lightning conductor 2, such that a lightning current flowing in the lightning conductor 2 by way of induction generates a voltage across the two terminals of the measuring coil 5”).
Regarding claim 11, Klemar further discloses wherein the probe signals, which can be generated by the signal generation unit, are high frequency signals (“high intensity electric currents such as lighting currents in a lighting conductor in a wind turbine are inherently high frequency” col. 2 lines 7-14).
Regarding claim 12, Klemar further discloses wherein the condition monitoring device is configured to measure a system response every time a respective wind turbine blade, comprising the lightning protection system (LPS), is aligned with a tower (“it is the object of the present invention to provide a detector for high intensity electric currents such as lightning currents in a lightning conductor for instance in a wind turbine, said detector continuously monitoring lightning currents in the lightning conductor where said detector provides improved reliability” col. 2 lines 7-14).
Regarding claim 13, Klemar further discloses wherein the control unit is configured to communicate with a data storage and analyzing device (fig. 1 via 11).
Regarding claim 14, the structure recited is intrinsic to the method recited in claim 1, as disclosed by Klemar (U.S. Patent 6741069) as the recited structure will be used during the normal operation, as discussed above with regard to claim 1. Klemar further discloses a data storage and analyzing device that is configured to communicate with the control unit of the condition monitoring device in order to receive and store the probe signals and the response signals (fig. 1 via 11 “One suitable means of transmission of signals between the detector 6 and the recording/procession means 11 would be by means of an optical fibre. In this case the converter means 9 should convert for instance the electrical-output signal from the measuring circuit 8, being a function of the intensity of the lightning current, into a light signal of an intensity and spectral composition suitable for the following optical fibre 10. A corresponding inverse converter means (not shown) would then be provided at the recording/processing means 11.” Col. 2 lines 52-67 and col. 3 lines 1-5).
Regarding claim 15, the structure recited is intrinsic to the method recited in claim 1, as disclosed by Klemar (U.S. Patent 6741069) as the recited structure will be used during the normal operation, as discussed above with regard to claim 1. Klemar further discloses a wind turbine comprising: a wind turbine blade (fig. 1 system 4-6 in wind turbine blade of wind turbine as LPS system, “Referring to FIG. 1 to be used in a wind turbine” detector in wind turbine blade col. 2 lines 47-54);
Regarding claim 16, the structure recited is intrinsic to the method recited in claim 1, as disclosed by Klemar (U.S. Patent 6741069) as the recited structure will be used during the normal operation, as discussed above with regard to claim 1. Klemar further discloses wherein the condition monitoring is arranged in the wind turbine blade of the wind turbine (fig. 1 system 4-6 in wind turbine blade of wind turbine as LPS system, “Referring to FIG. 1 to be used in a wind turbine” detector in wind turbine blade col. 2 lines 47-54)).
Regarding claim 17, the method recited is intrinsic to the apparatus recited in claim 1, as disclosed by Klemar (U.S. Patent 6741069) as the recited method steps will be performed during the normal operation of the apparatus, as discussed above with regard to claim 1.
Regarding claim 18, Klemar further discloses wherein the probe signal is an AC signal signals, in particular between 0 A and 5 A and/or 0 V and 50 V, and/or in a frequency range between 100 kHz to 10 GHz, preferably between 500 kHz to 5 GHz (“a measuring circuit 8 which measures the intensity of the lightning current flowing in the lightning conductor 2 located in the blade of the wind turbine and a converter means 9 receiving the output signal from the measuring circuit 8 and converting this signal into a suitable form to be transmitted via the non-galvanic connection to a recording and/or processing means, here shown as the computer 11” col. 2 lines 55-65, inherently this signal is low voltage 0-10v and normally 2.4 or 5 GHZ).
Regarding claim 19, Klemar further discloses further comprising storing and analyzing the probe signal and the response signal, wherein the analysis is preferably the wind turbine blade and/or the tower conducting unit (fig. 1 recording/procession means computer 11 col. 2 lines 60-67, col. 3 lines 1-5).
Regarding claim 20, Klemar further discloses wherein the generating, the inputting, and the measuring are performed during operation of the wind turbine and/or wherein the inputting is performed every time the wind turbine blade is aligned with the tower (“it is the object of the present invention to provide a detector for high intensity electric currents such as lightning currents in a lightning conductor for instance in a wind turbine, said detector continuously monitoring lightning currents in the lightning conductor where said detector provides improved reliability” col. 2 lines 7-14, adjusted as required).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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 of this title, 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 2, 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klemar (U.S. Patent 6741069)
Regarding claim 2, Klemar teaches wherein the wireless coupling between the lightning protection system (LPS) of the blade and the tower conducting unit (a measuring coil 5 arranged in close proximity with lighting conductor 2 to enable wireless transfer via inductive coupling (fig. 1 col. 1 lines 55-67 and col. 3 lines 1-16)).
Klemar does not explicitly teach a capacitive coupling, although Klemar’s primarily describe inductive coupling utilizing a measuring coil 5 and lighting conductor 2 which are bot conductive elements arranged in close proximity and used together as the wireless transmission interface, a capacitance is necessarily exist between the coil and conductor due to electric field interaction. Accordingly, any wireless non galvanic coupling implemented using claim 5 and conductor 2 inherently includes capacitive coupling components.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement, utilize of characterize the wireless coupling of Klemar as comprising capacitive coupling as a known technique for transferring signals between proximate conductive elements through electric field interaction to gain advantage of improved and robust wireless signal transfer between components.
Regarding claim 21, the structure recited is intrinsic to the method recited in claim 14, as disclosed by Klemar (U.S. Patent 6741069) as the recited structure will be used during the normal operation, as discussed above with regard to claim 14.
Klemar does not explicitly teach a capacitive coupling, although Klemar’s primarily describe inductive coupling utilizing a measuring coil 5 and lighting conductor 2 which are bot conductive elements arranged in close proximity and used together as the wireless transmission interface, a capacitance is necessarily exist between the coil and conductor due to electric field interaction. Accordingly, any wireless non galvanic coupling implemented using claim 5 and conductor 2 inherently includes capacitive coupling components.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement, utilize of characterize the wireless coupling of Klemar as comprising capacitive coupling as a known technique for transferring signals between proximate conductive elements through electric field interaction to gain advantage of improved and robust wireless signal transfer between components.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Schlüter (U.S. Publication 20210140409) discloses Checking Lightning Conductors For Wind Turbines.
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/TAQI R NASIR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858