Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. This office action is in response to the filing with the office dated 06/14/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 06/14/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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.
4. Claims 9-13 and 15 are rejected under 35 US 112 (b) as being indefinite for reciting an Apparatus and Method, computer readable recording medium, method and apparatus in the same Claim.
Claim 9 recites “A detection method, implemented in the processing unit of the single-phase electric meter according to claim 1,………”.
Claim 15 recites “A computer-readable recording medium, on which a computer program is recorded, wherein the computer program comprises instructions which leads the processing unit of the meter according to claim 1 to execute a detection method,….”
A single claim which claims both an apparatus and the method steps of using the apparatus is indefinite. Ex parte Lyell, 17 USPQ2d 1548 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1990). Such a claim is directed to neither a “process” nor a “machine,” but rather embraces or overlaps two different statutory classes of invention. MPEP § 2173.05(p).
Claims 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) due to their dependency.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claim 1 is allowed.
6. Claims 2-8, are allowed as being dependent on the independent claim.
7. The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance:
In related art Teboulle et al (US 2020/0011910 A1) teaches, A method for verifying the wiring of an electrical energy meter, the meter comprising an upstream phase terminal, a downstream phase terminal and a cut-off member mounted between the upstream phase terminal and the downstream phase terminal, the verification method comprising the steps of: opening the cut-off member; measuring an upstream phase voltage upstream from the cut-off member and a downstream phase voltage downstream from the cut-off member; detecting, particularly according to a measurement of the upstream phase voltage and a measurement of the downstream phase voltage, a possible wiring error; if a wiring error is detected, generating and alert; if no wiring error is detected, closing the cut-off member and putting the meter in a nominal operating mode.
Kuo (US 2008/0024138 A1) teaches, An identifying apparatus for an arrangement of an alternating current (AC) power supply includes a detecting circuit and a control circuit. The AC power supply includes a hot line and a neutral line. The detecting circuit is electrically coupled to the hot line and the neutral line of the AC power supply. The AC power supply supplies power to an electronic device via the control circuit. The detecting circuit detects connection status of the hot line and the neutral line of the AC power supply and generates a detection signal to the control circuit. If the hot line and the neutral line are swapped, the control circuit prevents the AC power supply from supplying power to the electronic device.
Teboulle et al (US 2023/0098108 A1) teaches, An electricity meter includes at least one input terminal, at least one voltage sensor, and at least one current sensor, and a processor unit arranged to acquire the voltage measurements and the current measurements, and to detect a first period during which the source current is less than a first predefined current threshold, and a second period during which the source current is greater than a second predefined current threshold, to acquire a first voltage measurement during the first period and a second voltage measurement during the second period, and to detect faulty clamping between at least one wire and the input terminal when at least one detection value representative of a difference between a first voltage measurement and a second voltage measurement is greater than or equal to a voltage threshold.
Neiger et al (US 5477412 A) teaches, A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) with built in intelligence is described that includes circuitry to automatically indicate a device miswiring condition. When a GFCI is wired with its AC and LOAD terminals reversed, downstream devices are still protected in the event of a ground fault but the duplex receptacle on the GFCI itself is not. The invention incorporates miswiring sense circuitry that automatically triggers the generation of visual and audible alarms in the event a miswiring condition is sensed. The invention employs an alarm inhibiting technique that incorporates sense circuitry connected to the AC terminals on one side of the internal GFCI switches or relays and alarm generation circuitry connected to the LOAD terminals on the opposite side.
However the above cited prior art fails to teach, a floating potential target; a processing unit arranged to measure a target voltage between the target and the phase conductor, and to detect, according to the target voltage, a state of a connection of the phase and of the neutral on the meter, the state of the connection being able to be a normal connection or a crossed connection
Cited prior art neither individually nor in combination, fails to teach, anticipate or render obvious, “A single-phase electric meter, intended to measure a consumption by an installation of an electrical energy supplied by a distribution network comprising a phase (Ph) and a neutral (Ne), the meter comprising: a phase conductor intended to be connected to the phase; an electrical ground, which is connected to the phase conductor; a floating potential target; a processing unit arranged to measure a target voltage between the target and the phase conductor, and to detect, according to the target voltage, a state of a connection of the phase and of the neutral on the meter, the state of the connection being able to be a normal connection or a crossed connection” (as recited in the independent claim 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SURESH RAJAPUTRA whose telephone number is (571) 270-0477. The examiner can normally be reached between 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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, EMAN ALKAFAWI can be reached on 571-272-4448. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SURESH K RAJAPUTRA/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/EMAN A ALKAFAWI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858 7/20/2026
Prosecution Insights