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 Status
Claims 1-24 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A (Claims 1-24) in the reply filed on 07-14-2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 25-45 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species B, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07-14-2026.
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.
(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, 4-8, 16 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or (a)(2) as being anticipated by HUANG (US 2011/0040498).
Regarding claims 1 and 16,
HUANG teaches a wireless sensing system (and an associated method of operation), comprising:
a single conductor (24 connected via coaxial cable per [0050]; fig. 12; [0032] teaches a reader 24 (or vice versa) that serves as both the transmitter and the receiver (e.g., a transceiver). The reader (monitoring device) 24 can be a fixed device, portable device or handheld device. As a transmitter, the reader 24 sends an incident electromagnetic (EM) wave 22 toward the passive wireless antenna sensor 18);
an RF signal generator (82 in fig. 12) structured and configured to generate an RF interrogation signal ([0050] teaches a radio frequency (RF) signal generated by a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) 82 is transmitted);
an RF launcher (see horn in fig. 12) coupled to a first end of the conductor, the RF launcher being structured and configured to receive the RF interrogation signal and provide the RF interrogation signal to the conductor ([0032] teaches that element 24 serves as both the transmitter and the receiver (e.g., a transceiver)), the conductor being structured and configured to communicate the RF interrogation signal on the conductor as a number of first electromagnetic (EM) waves propagated on an outer surface of the conductor ([0032] teaches that 24 sends an incident electromagnetic (EM) wave 22 toward the passive wireless antenna sensor 18);
an interrogator coupled to the RF launcher ([0010] teaches a monitoring device or system interrogation system that measures the resonant frequency of the passive wireless antenna sensors may include an antenna reader with a network analyzer); and
a wireless sensor ([0050] teaches wireless sensor; [0032] teaches a passive wireless antenna sensor 18) located remotely from the RF launcher and positioned near the conductor, the wireless sensor being structured and configured to receive the RF interrogation signal based on the number of first EM waves and in response to the RF interrogation signal generate a backscattered RF signal ([0032] teaches that upon interception by the passive wireless antenna sensor 18, the incident EM wave 22 is scattered back as a reflected EM wave 26 by the passive wireless antenna sensor 18 if the frequency of the incident wave matches the resonant frequency of the passive wireless antenna sensor 18), wherein the conductor is structured and configured to propagate a number of second EM waves on the outer surface of the conductor based on the backscattered RF signal ([0032] teaches that backscattered or reflected EM wave 26 is received by the reader 24), and wherein the RF launcher is structured and configured to receive the number of second EM waves and provide the backscattered RF signal to the interrogator based on the number of second EM waves
([0032] teaches that the radiation parameters of a passive wireless antenna sensor 18 can be measured via a non-contact reader, based on the principle of backscattering; [0032] teaches that the backscattered or reflected EM wave 26 is then received by the reader 24. From the amplitude and the frequency of the received EM wave, the antenna radiation parameters (resonant frequency, return loss, etc.) can be measured.)
Regarding claim 4,
HUANG teaches that the RF signal generator and the interrogator are part of a single device (Fig. 9, 34 generates a series of RF signals; 38-50 correspond to the signal detection path).
Regarding claim 5,
HUANG teaches that the RF signal generator and the interrogator are part of separate devices (see Figs. 10-12).
Regarding claim 6,
HUANG teaches that the interrogator is a vector network analyzer ([0050] teaches a vector network analyzer 82 in fig.12).
Regarding claims 7 and 19,
HUANG teaches that the RF launcher is a horn launcher (see horn element in Fig. 12).
Regarding claims 8 and 19,
HUANG teaches that the horn launcher is a full horn launcher having a full cone (see the full cone as depicted in fig. 12).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 2, 3, 9-15, 17, 18 and 20-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HUANG (US 2011/0040498) in view of HENRY (U.S. Pub. 2021/0175928).
Regarding claims 2 and 17,
Huang teaches the wireless sensing system according to claim 1 and teaches the wireless sensor receiving an RF interrogation signal and generating a backscattered RF signal but fails to teach the further features as recited.
HENRY teaches a system to modifying an electromagnetic wave comprising a second RF launcher coupled to a second end of the conductor opposite the first end, the wireless sensor being positioned near the second RF launcher, the second RF launcher being structured and configured to transmit the RF interrogation signal based on the number of first EM waves and receive the backscattered RF signal and provide the backscattered RF signal to the second end of the conductor (Henry teaches a bidirectional guided wave communication arrangement having first and second transmission devices 101 and 102 coupled to opposite ends of transmission medium 125 (fig. 1, [0105], [0107]). Each transmission device includes a communication interface 205, transceiver 210 and coupler 220 (See [0110]), with coupler 220 functioning to both launch and receive electromagnetic to/from medium ([0113]) waves. [0111] further teaches a wireless interface).
Before the effective filing date of the invention it would have been obvious to modify the system of Huang per the teachings of Henry and include a second launcher as claimed because a second launcher would receive the first guided EM waves from the conductor for reception by the sensor. This modification to the system of Huang so as to include the low-loss guided-wave propagation technique of Henry would have the benefit of extending the effective communication range of Huang's system, thus reducing the distance over which the backscattered signals must propagate.
Regarding claims 3 and 18,
Henry teaches that the wireless sensor is positioned along a length of the conductor at a location between the first end of the conductor and a second end of the conductor opposite the first end ([0192] teaches a waveguide system 1602 is presented for use in a guided wave communications system 1600, such as the system presented in conjunction with FIG. 15. The waveguide system 1602 can comprise sensors 1604; [0198] teaches sensor 1604b can perform measurements on the power line 1610; [0716] teaches that based on the feedback received from the sensors, the repeater device 1306 can make the determination about whether to keep the transmission along the same wire or transfer the transmission to the other wire).
Regarding claims 9, 10 and 20,
Henry teaches that the horn launcher is a partial horn launcher having less than a full cone; the partial horn launcher has a half cone ([0408] teaches a horn structure 4602, which in one embodiment can be split in two halves (4602A and 4602B) for ease of coaxial placement along a longitudinal path of a transmission medium 4601 (e.g., a cable of a power grid, dielectric core, or other suitable object) that facilitates transport of electromagnetic waves launched by the waveguide system 4600 or received by the waveguide system 4600).
Regarding claim 11,
Henry teaches in [0408] that the horn may be divided into separate portions for installation. [0409] disclosed that the illustrated horn in nonlimiting and may be replaced with other suitable configurations and discloses, “Although a horn structure is shown in FIG. 46A, it will be appreciated that any structure (e.g., cylindrical, pyramidal, etc.) coaxially aligned (or not coaxially aligned) with the transmission medium 4601 that is suitable for launching or receiving electromagnetic waves can be used with embodiments described herein”. [0243] teaches that waveguide structures may have an arc or sector cross section, truncated to conform to the conductor; and [0413]-[0414] teaches, “…a scattering component can be split into 4 components positioned in north, south, east and west azimuthal coordinates of the transmission medium 4601.” And is thus interpreted as corresponding to “the partial horn launcher has a quarter cone.”
Regarding claims 12 and 21,
Henry teaches that the conductor is a solid conductor ([0078] teaches Examples of such transmission media can include rods, rails, pipes; [0108] teaches the transmission medium 125 is implemented as a single wire transmission system, it can include a wire. A conductive rod or single strand wire corresponds to "a solid conductor").
Regarding claims 13 and 22,
Henry teaches that the conductor is a hollow conductor ([0080] teaches "a... hollow element").
Regarding claims 14 and 23,
Henry teaches that the conductor is a pipeline ([0080] teaches "a conduit...").
Regarding claims 15 and 24,
Henry teaches that the conductor is a large diameter conductor having an outer diameter that is ~0.1 times the free space wavelength of the wave propagating on the conductor ([0112] teaches selectable carrier frequencies including frequencies in the 3-6 GHz range. A conductor having a diameter of 1.1 cm is taught in [0123]. Using the relationship:
free space wavelength = speed of light in free space / the frequency of the electromagnetic wave
i.e., 3 x 108 / 3 x 109 Hz = 1 x 10-1 m = .01 m = 10 cm.
The wavelength is about 10 cm, and Henry’s conductor is about 1 cm (1.1 cm). The conductor is therefore approximately one-tenth of the wavelength.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIONNE PENDLETON whose telephone number is (571)272-7497. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5pm.
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/DIONNE PENDLETON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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