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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Claims 1 and 3-8 in the reply filed on 05/15/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 4, 6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3, line 3; and Claim 6, lines 3-4, “an acknowledge standard for power cables” is unclear to how this relates to “an acknowledge standard for power cables” cited in claim 1.
Claim 8, line 2, “the power grid” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 4 is included in this rejection because of dependency.
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)(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 and 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Orini (2012/0024565).
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Orini discloses an underground power cable system comprising at least a first section and a second section, the first section having a cable section with at least one cable accessory (a joint at 240), and the second section including a cable section without any cable accessories (no joint), the power cable conductor size being the same for the at least firt and second sections ([0028], only the armor material being changed, the cable structure remains the same). It is noted that since the cable system of Orini comprises structure and material as claimed, the first section is allowed to reach a first highest conductor temperature; the second section is allowed to reach a second highest conductor temperature; the first section and the second section are qualified according to an acknowledge standard for power cables, for different highest allowed conductor temperatures; the first highest allowed conductor temperature is lower than the second highest allowed conductor temperature ([0081], [0082], and [0084]); and the second highest allowed conductor temperature is achieved by the second section having an enhanced thermal insulation (pipe or duct 230) (re-claim 1); each of the first and second sections individually fulfills all requirements of the cited acknowledge standard for power cables (re-claims 3, 4, and 6); the first and second sections are individually qualified for their respective highest allowed conductor temperatures according to a set of requirements (re-claim 5); and the power cable system can be used in a national power grid (re-claims 7 and 8).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAU N NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1980. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, 7am to 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAU N NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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