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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-8 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Barczyk (US PUB 2015/0108967).
With respect to claim 1, Barczyk discloses a current measurement apparatus (See the circuit shown in figure 3 of Barczyk) configured to measure a tracking current (See the abstract of Barczyk), the current measurement apparatus comprising: a magnetic core (See [312] in figure 3 of Barczyk) that can be disposed so as to enclose wiring to be measured (See [314] in figure 3 of Barczyk); and first (See [318] in figure 3 of Barczyk) and second coils wound on the magnetic core (See [316] in figure 3 of Barczyk), wherein the number of turns of the second coil is smaller than the number of turns of the first coil (See that in figure 3 of Barczyk that the number of turns of coil [316] is smaller than the number of turns of coil [318]), and the second coil is configured to be able to detect the tracking current flowing through the wiring (See paragraph [0034] of Barczyk).
With respect to claim 2, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first coil is configured to be able to detect a commercial power frequency current flowing through the wiring (See paragraph [0002] of Barczyk).
With respect to claim 3, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a first current measurement circuit configured to measure the commercial power frequency current detected by the first coil (See coil [1620A] shown in figure 16 of Barczyk which according to paragraph [0085] is connected to a first current measurement circuit); and a second current measurement circuit configured to measure the tracking current detected by the second coil (See coil [1620B] shown in figure 16 of Barczyk which according to paragraph [0085] is connected to a second current measurement circuit).
With respect to claim 4, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a controller (See paragraph [0029] of Barczyk); and a display (See paragraph [0005] of Barczyk), wherein the controller is configured to control the display to display the commercial power frequency current measured by the first current measurement circuit and the tracking current measured by the second current measurement circuit (See paragraph [0005] in view of paragraph [0062] of Barczyk).
With respect to claim 5, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an amplifier circuit configured to amplify an output current of the second coil (See claim 13 of Barczyk); and a low-pass filter configured to output a commercial power frequency current (See paragraph [0082] of Barczyk), among an output current of the amplifier circuit, wherein an output current of the low-pass filter is fed back to the first coil (See paragraph [0082] in view of figure 14 of Barczyk).
With respect to claim 6, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a first current measurement circuit configured to measure the output current of the low-pass filter (See paragraph [0082] of Barczyk); and a second current measurement circuit configured to measure the tracking current detected by the second coil (See coil [1620B] shown in figure 16 of Barczyk which according to paragraph [0085] is connected to a second current measurement circuit).
With respect to claim 7, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a controller (See paragraph [0029] of Barczyk); and a display (See paragraph [0005] of Barczyk), wherein the controller is configured to control the display to display the output current of the low-pass filter measured by the first current measurement circuit and the tracking current measured by the second current measurement circuit (See paragraph [0005] in view of paragraph [0062] of Barczyk).
With respect to claim 8, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second coil is configured to be able to detect the commercial power frequency current, as well as the tracking current See paragraph [0002] of Barczyk).
With respect to claim 10, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic core is configured in shape of a ring (See the ring-like core [312] in figure 3 of Barczyk).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barczyk as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Corzine (US PUB 2019/0190251).
With respect to claim 9, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the number of turns of the second coil is equal to or smaller than 1/100 of the number of turns of the first coil. However, Corzine does disclose wherein the number of turns of the second coil is equal to or smaller than 1/100 of the number of turns of the first coil (See paragraph [0036] of Corzine). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the device disclosed by Barczyk to include the feature disclosed by Corzine because doing so allows for the optimization of the anticipated transient load.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barczyk as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of McBee et al. (US PUB 2012/0039062), hereinafter McBee.
With respect to claim 11, Barczyk discloses the current measurement apparatus according to claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the magnetic core is configured to be partly openable and closable. However, McBee does disclose wherein the magnetic core is configured to be partly openable and closable (See paragraph [0059] of McBee). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the device disclosed by Barczyk to include the feature disclosed by McBee because doing so enables variable reluctance which provides tuning of the magnetic circuit specifically it’s coupling value.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TEMILADE S RHODES-VIVOUR whose telephone number is (571)270-5814. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (flex schedule).
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/TEMILADE S RHODES-VIVOUR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/GIOVANNI ASTACIO-OQUENDO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858 2/13/2026
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