DETAILED ACTION
for
FLOATING ROOF TANK MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHODS
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 09/09/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Oath/Declaration
The Oath/Declaration submitted on 09/09/2024 is noted by the Examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: (111a to 111d as shown in Fig. 1, 154 as shown in Fig. 1c, 701 as shown in Fig. 7a and 772d in Figs. 7a and 7b) in addition (1402b in paragraph [0121]) in the specification is not found the drawings. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested:
FLOATING ROOF TANK MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHODS STORING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS CONFIGURED TO DETECT LIGHT FROM FIBER OPTIC SENSOR AND CONTROLLER CONFIGURED TO PROCESS LIGHT TO DETERMINE STATUS OF FLOATING ROOF TANK.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-2, 10, 12-13, 16-18 and 24-25 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1-2, 10, 13 and 24-25 use the term fiber while claims 2, 12 and 16-18 use the term fibre. Applicants are advised to use consistent numbering and using the same name for each element throughout the specification and drawing. Appropriate correction is required.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 2, claim lines 2: replace “the deformable floats” with a “a deformable floats” to maintain antecedent basis. This will reflect to proper antecedent basis for claim 2, claim line 4, claim 4,, claim line 2-4, claim 6, claim line 3.
Claim 9, claim lines 3: replace “the gas” with a “a gas” to maintain antecedent basis.
Claim 10, claim lines 3: replace “the bottom of the tank” with a “a bottom of the tank” to maintain antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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.
Claims 1-2, 4-6, 10, 13, 16-18, 21, 23-24, 30-31 and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Fisk (WO 2021207837) “Submitted by applicant on IDS”.
The applied reference has a common inventor with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
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Regarding claim 1, Fish discloses a floating-roof tank assembly comprising: a floating roof having (701): an impermeable roof section (Fig. 7A); a floating-roof seal (702) configured to span between the impermeable roof section and one or more walls of a container of a floating roof tank (Fig. 7b); a float attached to the roof section (“The rigid section in this case comprises floats to allow the roof to float on the liquid contained within the container.”; [Fig. 2]); a sensor assembly comprising (Fig. 7b): a fiber
optic sensor array (704) having fiber optic sensors (704a, 704x, 704y); a light source configured to transmit light to the fiber optic sensors; (”a light source configured to transmit light along the fiber optic cable”; [ ¶0127]) a receiver configured to detect light from each fiber optic sensor (”a receiver configured to detect light from the fiber optic cable after it has interacted with the fiber optic cable.”; [
¶0127]); and a controller (705) configured to process the light received by the receiver to determine the status of the floating roof tank (¶0128).
Regarding claim 2, Fish further discloses a the one or more fiber optic sensors (704a, 704x, 704y) having a float pressure sensor (¶0017 &¶0056), the float pressure sensor comprising a fibre optic cable portion configured to detect strain in the deformable floats “The rigid section in this case comprises floats”, and the controller (705) being configured to determine a pressure of the deformable float based on the detected strain (¶0135).
Regarding claim 4, Fish further discloses the controller (705) being configured to monitor the pressure (¶0056) of the deformable float over time to identify leaks in the deformable float (¶0090), and the controller (705) being configured to identify different leak types based on the rate of change of pressure monitored over time “The apparatus may be configured to detect shape, temperature, pressure, vibration and/or tension.”.
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Regarding claim 5, Fish further discloses the controller (705) being configured to identify the leak being in contact with a liquid based on characteristic frequency components within the determined pressure readings over a period of time (¶0090).
Regarding claim 6, Fish further discloses the controller (705) being configured to correlate the monitored pressure of multiple deformable floats (¶0056).
Regarding claim 10, Fish further discloses the one or more fiber optic sensors (704a, 704x, 704y) having a liquid level pressure sensor (gauge pole) positioned at the bottom of the tank (700), the liquid level pressure sensor (gauge pole) having a gas-filled sealed deformable vessel and a strain sensor “The controller may also be configured to detect …. pressure or strain against the floating roof” configured to determine the deformation “Deformations would be detected using a multicore cable” of the sealed deformable vessel (¶0135), and the controller (705) being configured to determine the liquid level based on the pressure determined by the liquid level pressure sensor (gauge pole).
Regarding claim 13, Fish further discloses the one or more fiber optic sensors (704a, 704x, 704y) having a displacement sensor (¶0057) connected between the roof section (¶0135) and a shoe (411) of the floating-roof seal (702), the displacement sensor (¶0057) being configured to determine the movement of the floating-roof seal (702) with respect to the impermeable roof section (Fig. 3 & Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 16, Fish further discloses the fibre optic sensor array (704a, 704x, 704y) having a float liquid detection sensor (310) positioned inside one of the floats (Fig. 3), the float liquid detection sensor (310) configured to detect the presence of one or more of (Fig. 4) a liquid stored in the container and water (¶0059).
Regarding claim 17, Fish further discloses fibre optic sensor array (704a, 704x, 704y) having a float vapor detection sensor positioned inside one of the floats (¶0082), the float vapor detection sensor configured to detect the presence of solvent (¶0049).
Regarding claim 18, Fish further discloses the fibre optic sensor (704a, 704x, 704y) array having a roof liquid detection sensor positioned on top of the floating roof (701), the roof liquid detection sensor (308) configured to detect the presence of a liquid stored in the container and water (¶0059).
Regarding claim 21, Fish further discloses the floating-roof tank assembly having a plurality of frequency modulated continuous wave roof lidar units (¶0042) configured to monitor the position of the floating roof (701), and the roof lidar units are configured to measure the polarization of the received light (”a light source configured to transmit light along the fiber optic cable”; [ ¶0127]).
Regarding claim 23, Fish further discloses the floating-roof tank assembly having a plurality of frequency modulated continuous wave container (709) lidar units (¶0042) configured to monitor the status of the container (¶0071).
Regarding claim 24, Fish further discloses the controller (705) being configured to correlate multiple fiber optic sensors (704a, 704x, 704y) to determine the orientation of the impermeable roof section (¶0042).
Regarding claim 30, Fish further discloses a floating roof (701) having an impermeable roof section; a floating-roof seal (702) configured to span between the impermeable roof section and walls (703) of a container (709); floats attached to the roof section (¶0127); a sensor assembly having a plurality of lidar units (¶0042), each lidar unit having a lidar optic sensor array (704a, 704x, 704y) configured to emit light towards a top of the floating roof (701); a lidar receiver configured to detect light reflected off the top of the floating roof (701); and a controller (705) configured to process the light received by the lidar receiver to determine the status of the floating roof tank (¶0042).
Regarding claim 31, Fish further discloses the lidar units are configured to determine a position of the roof section (¶0037).
Regarding claim 34, Fish further discloses the monitored surfaces having a top surface (¶0120).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 12, 22, 25 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
A floating-roof tank assembly having a floating-roof seal spanning between an impermeable roof section and walls of a container of a floating roof tank, a float pressure sensor having a deformable diaphragm which is connected to a said float such that one side of the diaphragm is in contact with the gas inside the float, a sensor assembly having a fiber optic sensor array having fibre optic sensor array comprises multiple tilt sensors mounted at different positions on the impermeable roof section, a light source transmits light to the fiber optic sensors, and a receiver detects light from each fiber optic sensor, a controller processes the light received by the receiver to determine the status of the floating roof tank, the controller monitors the pressure of the deformable float over time to identify leaks in the deformable float, the controller identifies different leak types based on the rate of change of pressure monitored over time, and the controller correlates the monitored pressure of multiple deformable floats.
Wenger discloses a method of determining a filling level of a product contained in a tank, the method comprising the steps of, transmitting an electromagnetic probing signal towards a target area of a surface of the product, receiving a reflected probing signal being a reflection of the electromagnetic probing signal at the surface; determining a parameter value indicative of an amplitude of the reflected probing signal; if the parameter value is indicative of an amplitude larger than a predetermined threshold value.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDI N HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)270-7042. The examiner can normally be reached M & F 9-5 and T-TH, 6-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Deherrera can be reached at (303) 297-4237. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRANDI N HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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