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 .
Drawings
The drawings filed on 06/05/24 are accepted.
Examiner’s Note - 35 USC § 101
Claims 1-11 qualify as eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. 101.
Under step 2A, prong one, independent claim 1 does not recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon.
For the sake of argument, even if independent claim 1 did recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon under step 2A, prong one, the claim also recites additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application, under step 2A, prong two. Specifically, the claims disclose a “flue gas analysis device comprising …” certain structural limitations, such as a display and an inlet port for said flue gases. As a whole, the disclosure of the structure of the flue gas analysis device, combined with the implementation of, “dynamically vary the position of said first indicator along said first axis according to the instantaneous value of said first data signals …” was considered to apply the judicial exception with, or by use of, a particular machine (see MPEP 2106.05(b)).
Claims 1-11 are therefore not directed to a judicial exception. They qualify as eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. 101.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al (CN204301771U) in view of Carroll et al (US Pat 11732891). Please note that both original foreign document and machine translation of CN204301771U have been included.
With respect to claim 1, Liu et al discloses:
A flue gas analysis device (figures 2-4)
a display (figure 2, reference 5)
an inlet port for said flue gases (figure 2, reference 9)
With respect to claim 1, Liu et al differs from the claimed invention in that is does not explicitly disclose:
a first sensor configured to detect the level of a first chemical species, selected from oxygen and carbon dioxide, present in said flue gases and to generate as output first data signals associated with the level of said first detected chemical species
a logic unit operatively connected to said display and configured to receive said first data signals as input
wherein said logic unit is configured to electronically control said display so as to:
display a stoichiometric combustion diagram comprising a first axis indicating excess air
display a first indicator along said first axis of the excess air value calculated by said logic unit by processing said first data signals
dynamically vary the position of said first indicator along said first axis according to the instantaneous value of said first data signals
With respect to claim 1, Carroll et al discloses:
a first sensor configured to detect the level of a first chemical species, selected from oxygen and carbon dioxide, present in said flue gases and to generate as output first data signals associated with the level of said first detected chemical species (column 6, lines 12-34 disclose sensing various chemical species, including oxygen (lines 12 and 15) and carbon dioxide (line 31).)
a logic unit operatively connected to said display and configured to receive said first data signals as input (column 6, lines 40-46 state, “The above discussed sensors in the stack section may include a flue gas analyzer (not shown) prior to transmission to the process controller 128 that extract, or otherwise test, a sample of the emitted gas within the stack 116 … and perform an analysis on the sample to determine the associated oxygen …”)
wherein said logic unit is configured to electronically control said display (figure 11, reference 1168; column 8, line 67 – column 9, line 3 states, “The display 1108 may be co-located with the process controller 128, or may be remote therefrom and displays data about the operating conditions of the heater …”) so as to:
display a stoichiometric combustion diagram comprising a first axis indicating excess air (figure 16)
display a first indicator along said first axis of the excess air value calculated by said logic unit by processing said first data signals (figure 16; column 12, lines 25-33 state, “When the combustion-system fuel-flow rate changes, the process controller 128 can also be configured to adjust the airflow rate accordingly. It is advantageous for combustion systems to utilize a minimal amount of ‘excess air’ for combustion to maximize efficiency and emissions of the combustion system.”)
dynamically vary the position of said first indicator along said first axis according to the instantaneous value of said first data signals (column 6, lines 21-34 state, “These sensors indicate the state of combustion in the heater 102 in substantially real-time … on a real-time basis …”; The claimed dynamic variation is obvious in view of Carroll’s real-time teachings. Column 6, lines 24-28 of Carroll state, “By monitoring the combustion process … the system operator may adjust the process and combustion to stabilize the heater 102 …”)
With respect to claim 1, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Carroll et al into the invention of Liu et al. The motivation for the skilled artisan in doing so is to gain the benefit of real-time monitoring of excess air and other pertinent parameters that affect the performance of the combustion device.
With respect to claim 2, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
wherein the logic unit is configured to electronically control said display so as to display along said first axis a range of excess air that leads to high boiler efficiency, said logic unit being configured to calculate said range according to user-settable parameters (obvious in view of combination; Carroll figure 16 discloses display with first axis a range of excess air. Column 12, lines 25-33 of Carroll also discusses the link between excess air and efficiency maximization. Carroll also discloses operator control, which suggests user-settable parameters (see, for example, operator control teachings in column 5, lines 7-14 and column 6, lines 24-28)
With respect to claim 3, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
further comprising a second sensor configured to detect the level of a second chemical species present in said flue gases and to generate as output second data signals associated with the level of said second detected chemical species, said logic unit being configured to receive said second data signals as input (obvious in view of combination; Carroll discloses multiple types of sensors, such as references 132, 134, and 136. See also Carroll column 6, lines 21-34.)
With respect to claim 4, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
wherein the second chemical species is carbon monoxide and the logic unit is configured to electronically control said display so as to: (obvious in view of combination; Carroll figure 1, reference 134; Carroll figure 16; Carroll column 6, lines 12-45)
display on said stoichiometric combustion diagram a second indicator of the carbon monoxide level (Carroll figure 1, reference 134; Carroll figure 16; Carroll column 6, lines 12-45)
dynamically vary the position of said second indicator according to the instantaneous carbon monoxide level measured by said second sensor (obvious in view of Carroll’s real-time teachings, as discussed above)
With respect to claim 5, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
wherein the stoichiometric combustion diagram comprises at least one trend line of one of said chemical species as a function of excess air (obvious in view of combination; see Carroll figure 16, note curved lines)
With respect to claim 6, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
wherein the logic unit is configured to electronically control said display so as to display at least one indicator bar indicating at least one of said levels of chemical species (obvious in view of combination; Carroll figure 16 vertical axes can broadly be construed to serve as indicator bars. Using indicator bars in graphical displays are also obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.)
With respect to claim 7, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
wherein the logic unit is configured to electronically control said display so as to dynamically vary said at least one indicator bar according to said first and/or second data signals (obvious in view of real time teachings of Carroll, as discussed above)
With respect to claim 8, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
wherein the stoichiometric combustion diagram comprises an additional efficiency trend line as a function of the excess air (obvious in view of combination; As discussed above, Carroll links “excess air” with efficiency. Carroll figure 16 also discloses various trend lines based on excess air. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to interpret one or multiple of such trend lines as an efficiency trend line.)
With respect to claim 9, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
wherein the first indicator comprises a segment perpendicular to said first axis (obvious in view of combination; see Carroll figure 16)
With respect to claim 10, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
wherein the first indicator comprises digital numerical values (obvious in view of combination; see Carroll figure 16)
With respect to claim 11, Liu et al, as modified, discloses:
further comprising a third sensor configured to detect the temperatures of said flue gases and to generate as output third data signals associated with said temperature, said logic unit configured to: (obvious in view of combination; see three sensors 132, 134, 136 of Carroll et al in figure 1)
electronically control said display so as to display an additional indicator bar indicating said measured temperature (obvious in view of combination; figure 4 of Carroll depicts a diagram showing air temperature). Carroll further discloses temperature monitoring throughout its disclosure.)
calculate said range according to said user-settable parameters and said third data signals (obvious in view of combination; see complete teachings of Carroll, as discussed above)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yang et al (US PgPub 20190257519) discloses a system and method for operating a combustion chamber.
Liu et al (US PgPub 20220196239) discloses a high temperature carbon monoxide sensor for in-situ combustion monitoring.
Saucedo et al (US PgPub 20040231332) discloses real time optimization and control of oxygen enhanced boilers.
Bambeck (US Pat 7414726) discloses gas analyzer systems and methods.
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/LEONARD S LIANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2857 08/08/26
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