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
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Severson et al., US Pg. Pub. No. (2022/0219833) referred to hereinafter as Severson.
As per claim 1, Severson teaches an aircraft comprising: an exterior skin (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, , figs 1-2, 5);
an emitter electrode disposed at a first position in proximity to the exterior skin and exposed to ambient air, wherein the emitter electrode is configured to generate charged particles proximate the emitter electrode via a voltage pulse (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 37, figs 1-2, 5);
a collector electrode disposed at a second position in proximity to the exterior skin and exposed to ambient air, wherein: the second position is aft of the first position (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, , figs 1-2, 5); and
the collector electrode is configured to detect a current associated with a flow of the charged particles during movement of the aircraft through an atmosphere (see at least Abstract, Para 22-23, 25-26, figs 1-2, 5); and
one or more processors coupled to the emitter electrode and the collector electrode, wherein the one or more processors are configured to measure a duration between the voltage pulse and the current, and wherein the duration is indicative of a speed of the aircraft (see at least Abstract, Para 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, , figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 2, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the voltage pulse comprises a pulse greater than five kilovolts (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 3, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the voltage pulse has a duration of less than one microsecond (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 4, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the voltage pulse has a duration of approximately fifty nanoseconds (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 5, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the emitter electrode is shaped to define an apex to concentrate electrical field ionization (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 6, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the second position is approximately five centimeters aft of the first position (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 7, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the collector electrode has a blunted shape (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 8, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first position comprises a position elevated from the exterior skin and extending above a boundary layer associated with the ambient air during movement of the aircraft through the atmosphere (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 9, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a charge measuring circuit coupled to the collector electrode and the one or more processors (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 10, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 9, wherein the charge measuring circuit is configured to sample the current at a sampling rate of greater than or equal to ten megahertz (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 11, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the collector electrode, the emitter electrode, or both comprise a plasma-durable material (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 12, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 11, wherein the plasma-durable material comprises tungsten (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 13, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 1, wherein the collector electrode, the emitter electrode, or both comprise a dielectric material (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claim 14, Severson teaches an aircraft of claim 13, wherein the dielectric material comprises a ceramic material, a plastic material, a fiberglass material, or a combination thereof (see at least Abstract, Para 2, 5, 10, 22-23, 25-26, 28-29, 31, 37, figs 1-2, 5).
As per claims 15-20, the limitations of claims 15-20 are similar to the limitations of claims 1-14, therefore they are rejected based on the same rationale.
Conclusion
Please refer to from 892 for cited references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUSSA A SHAAWAT whose telephone number is (313)446-6592. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/MUSSA A SHAAWAT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3669
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