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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-11 filed June 25, 2024 are pending and are hereby examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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, 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. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
6. Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Takemura et al (US 2015/0292926) in view of Gyoutoku et al (US 2024/0167861).
7. Re Claims 1, 10: Takemura discloses comprising:
a processor and a memory storing program instructions that cause the processor to (see [0003] offset memory 41):
measure a plurality of propagation times from a time point at which an ultrasonic wave starts to be transmitted to each crossing time point at which a reception signal of the ultrasonic wave crosses a reference level after the reception signal crosses a threshold voltage (see [0028] measures propagation times, [0034] threshold voltage set),
and extract, from among the plurality of propagation times, a specific propagation time whose difference from a reference propagation time is within a first predetermined range, and use the specific propagation time to calculate a flow rate of fluid through which the ultrasonic wave propagates (see [0029] calculate flow rate of fluid based on propagation time).
However, Takemura fails to disclose the following explicitly. Meanwhile, Abraham teaches:
ultrasonic wave (see [0029] ultrasonic wave).
From the teaching of Gyoutoku, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Takemura’s flow meter device and flow rate calculation with Gyoutoku‘s teaching of an ultrasonic wave in order for “… sensing an entry of water into a measurement flow channel (see Gyoutoku [0001]).”
8. Re Claim 2: Takemura discloses further comprising a first sensor and a second sensor,
wherein the program instructions cause the processor to extract a forward propagation time that is a specific propagation time, from among a plurality of propagation times measured when an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the first sensor is received by the second sensor, extract a backward propagation time that is a specific propagation time, from among a plurality of propagation times measured when an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the second sensor is received by the first sensor, and use the forward propagation time and the backward propagation time to calculate the flow rate (see [0028] propagation time in forward manner).
9. Re Claim 3: Takemura discloses wherein the program instructions cause the processor to use the forward propagation time and the backward propagation time to calculate the flow rate in a case where a difference between the forward propagation time and the backward propagation time is within a second predetermined range (see [0028] calculates forward and reverse).
10. Re Claim 4: Takemura discloses wherein
the plurality of propagation times measured when the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the first sensor is received by the second sensor include a first forward propagation time, a second forward propagation time, and a third forward propagation time, the first forward propagation time being shorter than the second forward propagation time, the second forward propagation time being the forward propagation time, and the third forward propagation time being longer than the second forward propagation time, and
the program instructions cause the processor to extract a specific forward propagation
time whose difference from the backward propagation time is within the second predetermined range from among the first forward propagation time, the second forward propagation time, and the third forward propagation time, and use the specific forward
propagation time and the backward propagation time to calculate the flow rate (see [0057] accumulator with forward propagation times).
11. Re Claim 5: Takemura discloses wherein the program instructions cause the processor to update the reference propagation time to the specific forward propagation time (see [0064] propagation time corrector).
12. Re Claim 6: Takemura discloses wherein the program instructions cause the processor to update the reference propagation time to the specific propagation time (see [0064] propagation time corrector).
13. Re Claim 7: Takemura discloses wherein the plurality of propagation times measured when the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the first sensor is received by the second sensor include a first propagation time, a second propagation time, a third propagation time, and a fourth propagation time, the second propagation time being longer than the first propagation time, the third propagation time being longer than the second propagation time, and the fourth propagation time being longer than the third propagation time,
the plurality of propagation times measured when the ultrasonic wave transmitted from
the second sensor is received by the first sensor include a fifth propagation time, a sixth
propagation time, a seventh propagation time, and an eighth propagation time, the sixth propagation time being longer than the fifth propagation time, the seventh propagation time being longer than the sixth propagation time, and the eighth propagation time being longer than the seventh propagation time,
the program instructions cause the processor to store the first propagation time, the
second propagation time, and the third propagation time in a first buffer, a second buffer, and a third buffer, respectively, in a case where a difference between the second propagation time and the reference propagation time is within the first predetermined range,
the program instructions cause the processor to store zero, the first propagation time,
and the second propagation time in the first buffer, the second buffer, and the third buffer,
respectively, in a case where a difference between the first propagation time and the reference
propagation time is within the first predetermined range,
the program instructions cause the processor to store the second propagation time, the
third propagation time, and the fourth propagation time in the first buffer, the second buffer, and the third buffer, respectively, in a case where a difference between the third propagation time and the reference propagation time is within the first predetermined range,
the program instructions cause the processor to store the fifth propagation time, the
sixth propagation time, and the seventh propagation time in a fourth buffer, a fifth buffer, and a sixth buffer, respectively, in a case where a difference between the sixth propagation time and the reference propagation time is within the first predetermined
range,
the program instructions cause the processor to store zero, the fifth propagation time,
and the sixth propagation time in the fourth buffer, the fifth buffer, and the sixth buffer,
respectively, in a case where a difference between the fifth propagation time and the reference
propagation time is within the first predetermined range, and
the program instructions cause the processor to store the sixth propagation time, the
seventh propagation time, and the eighth propagation time in the fourth buffer, the fifth buffer, and the sixth buffer, respectively, in a case where a difference between the seventh propagation time and the reference propagation time is within the first predetermined range (see [0029] time difference calculator and correction amount calculator).
14. Re Claim 8: Takemura discloses wherein the program instructions cause the processor to
use a propagation time stored in the second buffer and a propagation time stored in the
fifth buffer to calculate the flow rate in a case where a difference between the propagation time stored in the second buffer and the propagation time stored in the fifth buffer is within the second predetermined range,
use the propagation time stored in the second buffer and a propagation time stored in the fourth buffer to calculate the flow rate in a case where a difference between the propagation time stored in the second buffer and the propagation time stored in the fourth buffer is within the second predetermined range, and
use the propagation time stored in the second buffer and a propagation time stored in the sixth buffer to calculate the flow rate in a case where a difference between the propagation time stored in the second buffer and the propagation time stored in the sixth buffer is within the second predetermined range (see [0029] time difference calculator and correction amount calculator).
15. Re Claim 9: Takemura discloses wherein the program instructions cause the processor to
update the reference propagation time to the propagation time stored in the fourth buffer in the case where the difference between the propagation time stored in the second buffer and the propagation time stored in the fourth buffer is within the second predetermined range, and
update the reference propagation time to the propagation time stored in the sixth buffer in the case where the difference between the propagation time stored in the second buffer and the propagation time stored in the sixth buffer is within the second predetermined range (see [0029] time difference calculator and correction amount calculator).
16. Re Claim 11: Takemura discloses wherein the physical quantity of the medium is a flow rate of fluid through which the ultrasonic wave propagates (see [0003] flow rate of fluid through passage based on corrected propagation time).
Examiner Notes
17. The Examiner suggests expounding upon what a reference level of what, and what exactly a crossing time point is. The Examiner then suggests incorporating claims 3 (dependent on 2), 5 (dependent on 4), and 11 together into the independent claims. Finally, the Examiner suggests incorporating more hardware from the Specification and any unique arrangements of hardware, unique hardware, or unique ways the hardware is communicating. The aforementioned claim suggestions, in combination together, is suggested to help advance prosecution forward, although further search, examination, and consideration is required.
Conclusion
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/FAWAAD HAIDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
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