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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
1. Applicant's election with traverse of Species I, claims 1-5 in the reply filed on 12/18/25 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.03(a)). Claims 6-11 have been withdrawn acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/10/24 has been entered. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
3. The drawings filed on 06/10/24. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. Claim(s) 1, 4, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ames et al. (Pub. No. 2003/0072515), in view of Danisch (U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,494) or in view of Froggatt et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 10,378,885). Hereafter “Ames”, “Danisch”, “Froggatt”.
Regarding Claim(s) 1, Ames teaches an apparatus comprising:
a cable, said cable comprising a length (figures 1, 2, towed hydrophone array cable14, optical fiber cable 18);
at least three curvature sensors located at at least three respective curvature sensor positions along the length of said cable (figures 1, 2, at least three curvature sensors 12 located at at least three respective curvature sensor positions along the length of said cables 14, 18); and generating respective curvature values at the at least three respective curvature sensor positions, (Abstract; [0004, 0010, 0012, 0016, 0017, 0032, 0034]);
at least one position sensor ([0007], lines 1-4); and
a processor receiving the respective curvature values from said at least three curvature sensors (Abstract; [0004, 0010, 0012, 0016, 0017, 0032, 0034]. It is inherent that to determine array shape by curvature sensors there must be a computer or a processor), said processor recovering at the at least three respective curvature sensor positions at least based on the respective curvature values, (Abstract; [0004, 0010]. It is inherent that to determine array shape by curvature sensors and a sensor system for sensing the curvature in a towed hydrophone array must contain a computer or a processor; Figure 1, tree positions of curvature sensors 12).
However, Ames does not teach position sensor along the length of said cable of said cable and generating at least one positional value, and receiving the respective measured positional value from said at least one position sensor, recovering respective angles of twist, and the at least one respective measured positional value. Danisch teaches position sensor along the length of said cable and generating at least one positional value, and receiving the respective measured positional value from said at least one position sensor, and the at least one respective measured positional value (column 1, lines 30-33; Column 2, lines 37-40; Column 3, lines 15-17; Column 9, lines 49-50; Column 25, lines 37-38; Claims 1, 14, 17, 19, 32. Displacement sensor is not different from position sensor), recovering respective angles of twist, (column 2, lines 62-63; Column 3, lines 15-17; Column 14, lines 48-50; Column 24, lines 10-13). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Ames by generating at least one positional value and recovering respective angles of twist in order to measure of stress and position and curvature (Danisch, column 1, lines 30-32; Column 25, lines 37-38; Column 2, lines 62-67; Column 3, lines 1-18; Column 14, lines 42-50).
Froggatt also teaches generating at least one positional value, and receiving the respective measured positional value from said at least one position sensor, and the at least one respective measured positional value (Column 2, lines 37-39; Column 15, lines 57-59; Column 19, lines 12-15; Claims 2, 11), recovering respective angles of twist, (Column 2, lines 52-57; Column 3, lines 18-25; Column 7, lines 23-37). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Ames by generating at least one positional value and recovering respective angles of twist in order to measure position and curvature of the fiber (Column 2, lines 37-39; Column 15, lines 57-59; Column 19, lines 12-15; Column 2, lines 52-57; Column 3, lines 18-25; Column 7, lines 23-37).
Regarding Claim(s) 4, Ames teaches the apparatus comprising one of: a hydrophone array comprising said cable; a volumetric sensor array comprising said cable; a towed array comprising said cable; a trip line array comprising said cable; and a tethered remotely operated vehicle comprising said cable, (Abstract, [0004, 0009, 0012]).
6. Claim(s) 3, 5, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ames et al. (Pub. No. 2003/0072515), in view of Danisch (U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,494) or in view of Froggatt et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 10,378,885), further in view of Jumg (2021/0109245). Hereafter “Ames”, “Danisch”, “Froggatt”, “Jumg”.
Regarding Claim(s) 3, Ames, Danisch, Froggatt teach all the limitations of claim 1 as stated above except for at least one position sensor comprises one of: at least one depth sensor, wherein the respective measured positional value is a respective measured depth value; and at least one altimeter, wherein the respective measured positional value is a respective measured height value. Jumg teaches depth sensor, ([0030], lines 25-26). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Ames, Danisch, Froggatt by having depth sensor in order to measure depth value.
Regarding Claim(s) 5, Ames, Danisch, Froggatt teach all the limitations of claim 1 as stated above except for curvature sensors comprises one of: three strain sensors; and three piezo-based curvature sensors. Jumg teaches depth sensor, ([0023], line 11; [0034], lines 17-19; [0046], lines 9-11). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Ames, Danisch, Froggatt by having piezo-based curvature sensors in order to have a specific sensor for curvature or deformation measurement.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claim 2 is 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.
8. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: there was no prior art found by the examiner that suggested modification or combination with the cited art so as to satisfy the combination of all the limitations in claim 2.
9. As claim 2, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious an apparatus comprising at least three curvature sensors located at three respective curvature sensor positions along the length of cable and generating respective curvature values at the three respective curvature sensor positions; one position sensor along the length of said cable and generating positional value; processor recovering at least three respective angles of twist at the three respective curvature sensor positions based on the respective curvature values and the at one respective measured positional value; wherein generating a naive estimate of the cable shape based on the respective curvature values and free of the at least one respective measured positional value; generating expected positional values based on the naive estimate of the cable shape; correcting the naive estimate of the cable shape by minimizing an error between the expected positional values based on the naive estimate of the cable shape and the at least one respective measured positional value; in combination with the rest of the limitations of claims 1 and 2.
Fax/Telephone Information
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michelle Iacoletti can be reached on (571)270-5789. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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