DETAILED ACTION
This non-final rejection is responsive to the claims filed 05 July 2024. Claims 1-11 are pending. Claim 1 is an independent claim.
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 § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Regarding Claim 1
Step 1
According to the first part of the analysis, in the instant case, claims 1-14 are directed to a method. Thus, each of the claims falls within one of the four statutory categories (i.e., process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter).
Step 2A, Prong One
constructing a … of blast furnace operating parameters, the … comprising the number of gas flow peaks of lower part of the blast furnace PD, the number of gas flow peaks of upper part of the blast furnace PU, blast furnace feed, a distribution system, an air supply system and a cooling system collected in production history; and (This step for collecting and organizing values is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
selecting the blast furnace operating parameters satisfying a first preset condition from the database to generate an instruction for setting the blast furnace operating parameters for a next operating stage; (This step for selection is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process. Generation of an instruction is an announcement of a mental selection’s result.)
wherein the first preset condition comprises: the number of gas flow peaks of lower part of the blast furnace PD<a preset value PDO, and the blast furnace operating parameters corresponding to a minimum value of the number of gas flow peaks of upper part of the blast furnace PU are selected when the condition PD<PDO is satisfied; (This step for a comparison and selection is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
wherein a statistical method for the number of gas flow peaks of lower part of the blast furnace PD and the number of gas flow peaks of upper part of the blast furnace PU is as follows: calculating a correlation coefficient Rk between a standard deviation of temperature ATk of the kth cooling stave and a standard deviation of heat load of the blast furnace ATL respectively, wherein k=5, 6, ..., 12; (This step for a statistical method to calculate a correlation coefficient is a mathematical calculation and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
counting the number of gas flow peaks, corresponding to a section of cooling stave with the highest correlation coefficient Rk in the 5thto9thsectionsof cooling staves, as the number of gas flow peaks of lower part of the blast furnace PD; and (This step for a statistical method to calculate a correlation coefficient is a mathematical calculation and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
counting the number of gas flow peaks, corresponding to a section of cooling stave with the highest correlation coefficient Rk in the 10thto12thsectionsof cooling staves, as the number of gas flow peaks of upper part of the blast furnace PU. (This step for a statistical method to calculate a correlation coefficient is a mathematical calculation and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong 2: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application.
database (The “database” is understood to be generic computer equipment. See MPEP 2106.05(f).)
Step 2B
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception. The claim recites computing devices which are generic computer components.
Regarding Claim 2
Step 2A Prong One:
wherein the step "constructing a database of blast furnace operating parameters" specifically comprises: dividing the statistically obtained number of gas flow peaks of lower part of the blast furnace PD into different grades in order of magnitude, to obtain the number of gas flow peaks of lower part of the blast furnace PD in different ranges, and taking average values of the blast furnace operating parameters in a same grade; and (This step for organizing the data and taking an average is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
the first preset condition comprises: a maximum value in a range of the grade of the number of gas flow peaks of lower part of the blast furnace PD<a preset value PDO, and the average value of the blast furnace operating parameters corresponding to the minimum value of the number of gas flow peaks of upper part of the blast furnace PU is selected when the condition is satisfied. (This step for selecting the data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
Claim does not recite any additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Regarding Claim 3
Step 2A Prong One:
wherein the correlation coefficient Rk between the standard deviation of temperature ΔTk of the kth cooling stave and the standard deviation of heat load of the blast furnace ΔTL is calculated by the following equation:
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(This step for a mathematical calculation and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
wherein Cov(ΔTk, ΔTL) is a sample covariance of ΔTk and ΔTL in several units of time within a preset time, Var(ΔTk) is a variance of ΔTk in several units of time within a preset time, and Var(ΔTL) is a variance of ΔTL in several units of time within a preset time.
(This step for defining variables is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
the first preset condition comprises: a maximum value in a range of the grade of the number of gas flow peaks of lower part of the blast furnace PD<a preset value PDO, and the average value of the blast furnace operating parameters corresponding to the minimum value of the number of gas flow peaks of upper part of the blast furnace PU is selected when the condition is satisfied. (This step for selecting the data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
Claim does not recite any additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Regarding Claim 4
Step 2A Prong One:
wherein the standard deviation of temperature of the kth cooling stave ATk is calculated by the following equation: ATk =
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(This step for a mathematical calculation and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
wherein m is the number of temperature collection points on the kth cooling stave, j=1, ..., m, Ti is the ith temperature data of a temperature collection point on the kth cooling stave, n is the number of temperature samples in unit time, i=1, ..., n, and T is an average temperature in unit time.
(This step for defining variables is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
Claim does not recite any additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Regarding Claim 5
Step 2A Prong One:
…, and a sample dataset is subjected to removal of outliers and removal of data under unstable working conditions to obtain a final processed sample dataset (This step for organization of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
wherein the temperature of the cooling stave is collected by thermocouples arranged on the cooling stave … (This step amounts to collecting data, which is understood to be insignificant extra-solution activity and data gathering. See MPEP 2106.05(g).)
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception. The claim recites limitations that are directed to receiving or transmitting data over a network, these are well-understood, routine, conventional computer functions as recognized by the court decisions listed in MPEP § 2106.05(d).
Regarding Claim 6
Step 2A Prong One:
wherein the standard deviation of heat load of the cooling stave,
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wherein TLi is the heat load of the blast furnace when the ith temperature data is collected, n is the number of heat load samples in unit time, i=1, ..., n, and TL is average heat load in unit time (This step for a mathematical calculation and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
No additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Regarding Claim 7
Step 2A Prong One:
wherein the heat load of the blast furnace TL; = c - F(Tt-T~), wherein c is specific heat capacity of water, F is a flow rate of cooling water in the cooling stave, Tout is an outlet water temperature of the cooling stave, and Tin is an inlet water temperature of the cooling stave. (This step is for a mathematical relationship and defining of variables and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
No additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Regarding Claim 8
Step 2A Prong One:
… the multiple temperature data being sorted by collection time; (This step for organization of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
removing interference temperature data from the multiple temperature data, and determining several analytical temperature data; (This step for organization of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
performing moving average processing on respective analytical temperature data in order according to the determination order of the several analytical temperature data; and (This step for organization of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
counting the number of gas flow peaks based on the respective analytical temperature data Tp subjected to the moving average processing, and defining the temperature data satisfying both a second preset condition and a third preset condition as one gas flow peak, wherein the number of gas flow peaks of each section of cooling stave is a sum of the number of gas flow peaks at multiple temperature collection points on the cooling stave in a preset time; (This step for counting of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
the second preset condition is: Tp>Tp−1 and Tp≥Tp+1, wherein Tp−1, Tp and Tp+1 are the (p−1)th, pth and (p+1)th analytical temperature data respectively; and (This step for defining of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
the third preset condition is: the analytical temperature data of the 5th to 9th cooling staves satisfy Tp/T>1.05, or the analytical temperature data of the 10th to 12th cooling staves satisfy Tp/T>1, wherein T is an average temperature in unit time. (This step for defining of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
No additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Regarding Claim 9
Step 2A Prong One:
wherein the moving average processing comprises: creating a moving window of a preset step size, and according to the set step size, starting from a first temperature data among the several analytical temperature data, moving forward in the order of collection time until a last temperature data enters the moving window; and (This step for organization of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
after each time of moving, taking an average value of temperature data in the moving window as the analytical temperature data of an intermediate collection point in the moving window, in order to obtain several analytical temperature data after several times of moving. (This step is for taking an average which is a mathematical relationship and defining of variables and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
No additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Regarding Claim 10
Step 2A Prong One:
wherein the interference temperature data comprise: continuous multiple constant temperature data, temperature data outside a preset range (Tmin, Tmax), as well as temperature data in 2 hours before opening, during opening and in 2 hours after closing of a back-drafting valve. (This step for organization of data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
No additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Regarding Claim 11
Step 2A Prong One:
wherein the blast furnace feed parameters comprise Zn content, alkali metal content and sintered fine ore percentage in the blast furnace feed; (This step for defining data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
the distribution system parameters comprise a maximum tilting angle, charge level height and periphery load O/C, wherein O is the number of ore circles in the two outermost grades/ (the total number of ore circles x batch ore charge), and C is the number of coke circles in the two outermost grades/ (the total number of coke circles x batch coke charge); (This step for defining data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
the air supply system comprises tuyere area, tuyere length, blast volume and oxygen content; and (This step for defining data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
the cooling system comprises an inlet water temperature and a flow rate of cooling water in the cooling stave. (This step for defining data is practically implementable in the human mind, or with the help of pen and paper, and is understood to be a recitation of a mental process.)
Step 2A Prong Two:
No additional elements.
Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because when considered separately and in combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX OLSHANNIKOV whose telephone number is (571)270-0667. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/ALEKSEY OLSHANNIKOV/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2118
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