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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/31/2024 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 USC § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bachmann et al. US Patent Application No. 2011/0172932.
Regarding claim 1, Bachmann discloses a method for providing condition data of an elevator rope (see par. 0008), wherein the method comprising:
using current state condition data representing a condition of the elevator rope for the length of the elevator rope in a current state and condition change data indicating at least one potential change in the condition of the elevator rope as input data of a rope condition model (In an initialization phase (S1, S2) the cable 5 is subdivided into N sections A1 to AN and the positions of the pulleys 1 to 4 on the cable 5 are assigned to each floor 0-50, see also par. 0046, furthermore, Bachmann teaches the travel and pulley interactions acting as physical change factors that are input into the evaluation system to calculate wear),
processing the input data with the rope condition model to provide output data comprising condition data of the elevator rope in a new state (Bachmann discloses that the degree of damage or the number of alternate bending is thus recognizable and capable of evaluating at any time for each cable section A1 to AN, see FIG. 6 and para. 0047); and
utilizing the provided condition data of the elevator rope to update the current state condition data or in an elevator call allocation process (Bachmann teaches that "For each cable section A1 to AN (this can be as large or small as desired depending on the respective requirement) the number of rollings-over by the pulleys 1 to 4 is continuously recorded, which the examiner interprets as the newly calculated wear values are continuously stored to update the recorded state of the cable sections). See also fig. 5 and S3, S4, S7 in FIG. 7 and pars. 0047.
As to claim 2, Bachmann et al. teaches wherein the condition change data comprises movement data of at least one realized movement cycle of the elevator car, and wherein the provided condition data is utilized to update the current state condition data (In the example in FIG. 2 the car 8 travels in the journey 1 from the floor 0 to the floor 8. The evaluating unit 32 receives the floor information (call information) from the elevator control 31 and thereupon increases the contents of the corresponding eight memory positions SP3 to SP10 in each instance by the value one and the accumulated journey data is used to update the overall current wear state (readiness for discard) of the rope segments. (see pars.0032-0033).
Regarding claim 3, Bachmann et al. discloses, wherein the condition change data comprises movement data of at least one predicted movement cycle of the elevator car, and wherein the provided condition data is utilized in the elevator call allocation process (Bachmann teaches that "The evaluating unit is constructed and operable in such a manner that it determines the degree of readiness for discard for each of these sections on the basis of the data, which is obtained by the control, about the travel destination see para. 0009). Furthermore, the use of travel destination data (call information) to evaluate wear is interpreted as disclosing the claimed limitation of utilizing predicted movement cycles in an elevator call allocation process because the system evaluates future travel destinations (calls) to determine their impact on rope wear.
As to claim 4, Bachmann discloses comprising discretizing the elevator rope by dividing the elevator rope into a plurality of rope segments (BACHMANN teaches see par. 0008 and 0046 that division of the support means into sections is disclose as “discretizing the elevator rope" because dividing a continuous rope into discrete sections is the definition of discretization. This is further supported by BACHMANN's disclosure that "In an initialization phase (S1, S2) the cable 5 is subdivided into N sections A1 to AN" see para. 0046, which directly maps to dividing the rope into a plurality of rope segments).
Referring to claim 5, Bachmann teaches comprising updating the provided condition data by using actual condition data of the elevator rope (BACHMANN teaches that "According to a further feature of the invention the support means is additionally monitored by an optical checking device. The determination of the replacement state of wear can thereby be carried out more precisely and reliably" (see para. [0016]). BACHMANN's optical monitoring disclosing it because physical observations of the rope are used to refine and update the wear determination. BACHMANN's discloses that "In the optical check note can be taken of, for example, wire breakages, bubbles in the aramide support means and changes in the geometry of the support means 5 (see para. [0055]), which represents actual physical condition data of the rope.
As to claim 6, Bachmann teaches training the rope condition model by using historical movement data of realized movement cycles and/or historical actual condition data (BACHMANN teaches that "In order to determine the service life of a support means, for example an aramide cable, appropriate tests are carried out beforehand and utilization is made of empirical values... The knowledge obtained therefrom leads to a bending cycle count which indicates how many bending cycles are permissible" see para. [0025]). BACHMANN's further use of empirical values and test results is teaches this because the system utilizes historical test and operational data to define the baseline wear limits and parameters of the model.
Referring to claim 7, Bachmann discloses wherein the actual condition data and/or the historical actual condition data are obtained by at least one rope condition monitoring sensor device arranged inside an elevator shaft and/or by a rope condition monitoring sensor device operated by a user during a maintenance visit (BACHMANN teaches that "The support means 5 can additionally also be monitored by an optical checking device 30 (FIG. 1)... Use can be made of, for example, a video camera as optical checking device 30" (see para. [0055]). This is disclosing a sensor device arranged inside an elevator shaft. Furthermore, BACHMANN teaches "the support means 5 can also be visually checked by a service engineer" (see para. [0055]), which corresponds to a sensor device operated by a user during a maintenance visit.
As to claim 8, Bachmann teaches wherein the at least one rope condition monitoring sensor device is a rope diameter monitoring device (BACHMANN teaches an optical checking device that monitors "changes in the geometry of the support means 5" see para. [0055]), which discloses a rope diameter monitoring device.
Referring to claim 9, Bachmann discloses the condition of the elevator rope is expressed as a rope condition count of the elevator rope for the length of the elevator rope or as rope diameter data representing a diameter of the elevator rope for the length of the elevator rope (BACHMANN teaches continuously recording the number of rollings-over (bending cycles) for each cable section A1 to AN (see par. [0047]), which discloses a "rope condition count... for the length of the elevator rope". Furthermore, BACHMANN's optical checking device monitors geometry changes (see pars. [0055]), which discloses "rope diameter data representing a diameter of the elevator rope... for the length of the elevator rope".
As to claim 19, Bachmann teaches a non-transitory computer program product for providing condition data of an elevator rope which, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer to perform the method (BACHMANN teaches an evaluating unit connected to an elevator control that is "constructed and operable" to perform the calculations for determining the replacement state of wear (see par. [0009]). This discloses a computer program product executing on a processor because the evaluating unit's described operations inherently require software or firmware instructions (computer program code) executed by a processor.
Referring to claims 10-18 and 20, they disclose similar limitations as those taught by Bachmann for claims 1-9 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure to further show the general state of the art.
See Tyni US 5,907,137 which also teaches the claim invention as describe above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDUARDO COLON SANTANA whose telephone number is (571)272-2060. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Wellington can be reached at 571-272-4483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDUARDO COLON SANTANA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
