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 .
Detailed Action
Overview
This is a first action on the merits (FAOM) to this instant continuation application in which claims 1-19 are pending. Claims 1 and 9 are independent and claims 2-8 and 10-19 are dependent.
Independent claim 1 is directed to a current sensor comprising a magnetometer. The magnetometer is described to comprise a paramagnetic center. The paramagnetic center is further limited by adding limitations that essentially describe an NV center. Examiner’s search has brought up many prior art references that discloses NV center-based current sensors and at least one prior art reference that should be used reject instant independent claim 1 or 9. Therefore, the instant application is being rejected herewith, see claim rejection under 35 USC §102 elsewhere in this Office action.
Drawing
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the U-shaped wire defines a plane, of claim 10 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Rejection under 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.
Claims 1-4, 7-10, 13-15 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being by anticipated by Lutz (US-2019/0154766-A1).
Claim No
Claim feature
Prior Art
Lutz (US-2019/0154766-A1)
1
A current sensor comprising a magnetometer comprising:
Lutz discloses a current sensor1 (100) comprising a magnetometer (“magnetic field sensor 100”2), see para [0035].
a sensor element comprising at least one paramagnetic center that generates fluorescence radiation;
a sensor element (102) comprising at least one paramagnetic center3 that generates fluorescence radiation (122);
a radiation receiver configured to receive the fluorescence radiation from the sensor element and generate a first electrical signal based on receiving the fluorescence radiation from the sensor element; and
a radiation receiver (106) configured to receive the fluorescence radiation from the sensor element (102) and generate a first electrical signal (the signal sent by item 106 to item 108 is equated to the first electrical signal) based on receiving the fluorescence radiation from the sensor element (102); and
an electronic output circuit configured to generate and output a second electrical signal based on the first electrical signal;
an electronic output circuit (108) configured to generate and output a second electrical
signal based on the first electrical signal (the signal from item 106);
wherein:
a value of the fluorescence radiation generated by the sensor element depends at least in part on a magnetic flux density at a location of the sensor element; and
This feature is met by a Lutz as it ascertains magnetic field strength in part from the intensity of the fluorescence, see para [0021] [0037] and in many other places.
the magnetometer is configured to be placed near to a wire carrying a current
to be measured or in direct contact with the wire carrying the current to be measured such that the current to be measured in the wire modifies the magnetic flux density at the location of the sensor element.
Lutz meets this claim feature, see Fig. 8A and 8B.
A current carrying wire generates magnetic field4, therefore, when the wire (140) carries a current it will modify any pre-existing magnetic at a location near the wire (140) including a location where the NV center-based sensor element (102), see Fig. 8A and 8B.
2
The current sensor of claim 1, further comprising: a pump radiation source that emits pump radiation; wherein:
the sensor element is arranged to receive a portion of the pump radiation emitted by the pump radiation source; and
the sensor element generates the fluorescence radiation in response to
receiving the pump radiation.
Lutz meets claim 2 as the current sensor (100) comprises pump radiation source (1305).
The sensor element (102) receives pump radiation (118) for the radiation source (130), see Fig. 1.
the sensor element (102) generates the fluorescence radiation (148, 122) in response to receiving the pump radiation (118)
3.
The current sensor of claim 2, wherein the sensor element, the electronic output circuit and the pump radiation source are included in or on a substrate.
Lutz meets claim 3, see Fig. 7 which shows the sensor element (102, 116), the electronic output circuit (106) and the pump radiation source (130) are included in or on a substrate.
4
The current sensor of claim 1, wherein the electronic output circuit includes one or more of:
amplifiers, filters, controllers, analog-to-digital converters, and signal processors.
Lutz meets claim 4 as it discloses a filter (146).
7
The current sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least one paramagnetic center is an NV center.
Lutz meets claim 7as the paramagnetic center is an NV center, see para [0044] in Lutz.
8
The current sensor of claim 7, wherein the NV center is in a diamond crystal.
Lutz meets claim 8 as it disclose the NV center is in a diamond crystal, see the abstract in Lutz.
9
A current measuring system, comprising:
Lutz discloses a current measuring system as claimed.
a sensor element comprising at least one paramagnetic center that generates fluorescence radiation;
a sensor element (102, 116) comprising at least one paramagnetic center (NV center) that generates fluorescence radiation (148, 122);
a radiation receiver configured to receive the fluorescence radiation from the sensor element and generate a first electrical signal based on receiving the fluorescence radiation from the sensor element;
a radiation receiver (106) configured to receive the fluorescence radiation (122) from the sensor element (102) and generate a first electrical signal based on receiving the fluorescence radiation from the sensor element;
a wire; and
a wire (140)
an electronic output circuit configured to generate and output a second electrical
signal based on the first electrical signal;
an electronic output circuit (108) configured to generate and output a second electrical
signal6 based on the first electrical signal;
wherein:
a value of the fluorescence radiation generated by the sensor element depends at
least in part on a magnetic flux density at a location of the sensor element;
the wire is arranged to conduct a current to be measured; and
the wire is arranged such that the current to be measured modifies the magnetic flux density at the location of the sensor element.
a value of the fluorescence radiation generated by the sensor element depends at least in part on a magnetic flux density7 at a location of the sensor element;
the wire is arranged to conduct a current to be measured8;
the wire is arranged such that the current to be measured modifies the magnetic flux density at the location of the sensor element9.
10
The current measuring system of claim 9, wherein the wire is U-shaped.
Lutz meets claim 10 as a U-shaped current wire will also generate magnetic field at a nearby location, and the current sensor (100) in Lutz can be used to detect that magnetic field.
13
The current measuring system of claim 9, further comprising:
a pump radiation source that emits pump radiation; wherein:
the sensor element is arranged to receive a portion of the pump radiation emitted by the pump radiation source; and
the sensor element generates the fluorescence radiation in response to
receiving the pump radiation.
Lutz meets claim 13.
a pump radiation source (130) that emits pump radiation (132); wherein:
the sensor element (102, 116) is arranged to receive a portion of the pump radiation (132) emitted by the pump radiation source; and
the sensor element (102,116) generates the fluorescence radiation (148, 122) in response to receiving the pump radiation (132).
14
The current measuring system of claim 13, wherein the sensor element, the electronic output circuit and the pump radiation source are included in or on a substrate.
Lutz meets claim 14, see Fig. 7 in Lutz.
15
The current measuring system of claim 9, wherein the electronic output circuit includes one
or more of: amplifiers, filters, controllers, analog-to-digital converters, and signal processors.
Lutz meets claim 15 as the current measuring system (100) in Lutz includes a filter (146).
18
The current measuring system of claim 9, wherein the at least one paramagnetic center is an
NV center.
Lutz meets claim 18 as it discloses the paramagnetic center is being an NV center.
19
The current measuring system of claim 18, wherein the NV center is in a diamond crystal.
Lutz meets claim 19 as it can be understood that an NV center is a diamond, see Fig. 3 in Lutz.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 11-12, and 16-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
As to claim 5, the claim would be allowable if written in independent form because the prior art of the record neither discloses nor reasonably suggests the current sensor of claim 1, further comprising a feature vector extraction unit, wherein the feature vector extraction unit is configured to receive the second electrical signal, and extract, from a temporal course of values of the second electrical signal, a feature vector signal, the feature vector signal comprising a temporal sequence of feature vectors.
As to claim 6, the claim depends from claim 5 and it would be allowable if claim 6 is written in independent form.
As to claim 11, the claim would be allowable if written in independent form because the prior art of the record neither discloses nor reasonably suggests the current measuring system of claim 10, wherein a bend in the U-shaped wire defines a plane whereby the sensor element is located at a distance of no more than 10 mm from this plane.
As to claim 12, the claim depends from claim 11 and it would be allowable if claim 11 is written in independent form.
As to claim 16, the claim would be allowable if written in independent form because the prior art of the record neither discloses nor reasonably suggests the current measuring system of claim 9, further comprising a feature vector extraction unit, wherein the feature vector extraction unit is configured to receive the second electrical signal, and extract, from a temporal course of values of the second electrical signal, a feature vector signal, the feature vector signal comprising a temporal sequence of feature vectors.
As to claim 17, the claim depends from claim 16 and it would be allowable if claim 16 is written in independent form.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Citation
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Burchard (US-2022/0397429-A1) discloses current sensor like one claimed in claim 1. This reference is like the applied reference Lutz. Therefore, like Lutz, the independent claims and many dependent claims may be rejected using this reference. However, this reference appears to be from the same inventive entity and the date of filing is within a year of filing the parent application in this country. In case Lutz did not, this reference could have been used in rejecting claims in a first Office action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to G. M. HYDER whose telephone number is (571) 270-3896. The examiner can normally be reached on 9 AM to 5 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, Stephanie Bloss can be reached on (571) 272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/G.M. A HYDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
1Examiner comment: Lutz uses the term current sensor 100 and magnetometer (magnetic field sensor) interchangeably, see para [0035].
2[0035] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a current sensor 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The current sensor 100 includes a diamond material 102, an emitter 104, a sensor 106, and an evaluating device 108. The magnetic field sensor 100 is configured to measure a magnetic field 110. To measure the magnetic field 110, the diamond material 102 is exposed to the magnetic field 110. The diamond material 102 has at least one nitrogen intercalation 112 and a vacancy 114 in the crystal lattice diamond material 102 which is adjacent to the nitrogen intercalation 112. Together, the nitrogen intercalation 112 and the vacancy 114 form a nitrogen-vacancy center 116 in the crystal lattice.
3Examiner comment: Item 102 is an NV diamond center which is also known to be a paramagnetic center. The NV diamond generates fluorescence radiation.
4Examiner comment: According to Ampere’s law an electric current generates magnetic field.
5 Examiner comment: the radiation source (130) in Lutz can be an LED or VCSEL laser which performs as a pump.
6 Examiner comment: The claimed second electrical signal can be equated to the signal outputted by the evaluating device #108 which is based on the first signal sent from item #106 to item #108.
7 Examiner comment: This feature is met by principle of operation of an NV center-based sensor.
8 Examiner comment: The wire (140) carries a current (138).
9Examiner comment: This claim feature is met by the fact that a current generates magnetic field according to Ampere’s law, therefore, when a current flows through the wire 140 a magnetic field is created by the current and thus modifying the [existing] magnetic field.
Prosecution Insights