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
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, 7-12, 14-15, 17-19, 21-22, 24-26, 28-29, and 31-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO2021154289A1 (herein Buttler).
Regarding claim 1, Buttler teaches A method of pressure compensation of a fluid flow parameter (pressure compensation factor, Fig. 3, step 310, Fig. 5, 510; flow variable measured by the Coriolis flow meter 202, mass flow, volume for, or density, p. 9, Lines 10-12), the method comprising:
receiving a measured pipeline pressure value of a fluid in a pipeline (step 302, Fig. 3; conduit 208a, b, Fig. 2); and
determining, based on the measured pipeline pressure value, a pressure for determining a pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value (estimated inner flow meter pressure is determined, step 306, and a corrected flow variable is generated based on the estimate inner flow meter pressure, step 310, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 2, Buttler teaches wherein the measured pipeline pressure value comprises one of a measured inlet pipeline pressure value and a measured outlet pipeline pressure value (first outside pressure 503 from a first pressure sensor 204 located in a first process conduit 208a, p. 13, Lines 16-18).
Regarding claim 4, Buttler teaches wherein the pressure for determining the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value is based on a pressure loss associated with at least one of a conduit, an inlet manifold, and an outlet manifold (determining the second outside pressure may be based on one or more pressure loss coefficients, p. 8, Lines 31-32).
Regarding claim 5, Buttler teaches wherein the pressure loss associated with the conduit comprises at least one of a friction pressure loss and a bend pressure loss of the conduit (the one or more pressure loss coefficients may represent losses due to pipe friction and/or the physical features of the flow meter such as manifolds 150, 150’, flanges 103, 103’, the bends in the flow tubes, p. 9, Lines 9-12).
Regarding claim 7, Buttler teaches wherein determining, based on the measured pipeline pressure value, a pressure for determining a pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value comprises determining if the pressure for determining the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value is one of a calculated pressure value and the measured pipeline pressure value (it is possible to determine a second outside pressure using the Darcy-Weisbach equation, or any other method known to those of skill, p. 9, Lines 12-14; determining the second outside pressure may comprise receiving a second outside pressure measurement located in the second process conduit, p. 9, Lines 20-22).
Regarding claim 8, Buttler teaches wherein determining, based on the measured pipeline pressure value, the pressure for determining the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value comprises determining an error of the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value (p. 5 teaches Equation 5 which corresponds to determining an error for correction).
Regarding claim 9, Buttler teaches A meter electronics (20, Fig. 1) configured for pressure compensation of a fluid flow parameter value, the meter electronics comprising:
an interface (406, Fig. 4) configured to communicatively couple to a pressure sensor (204, Fig. 2) configured to measure a pipeline pressure of a fluid in the pipeline (conduit 208a, b, Fig. 2); and
a processing system communicatively coupled to the interface (processing system 402, Fig. 4, the processing system being configured to:
receive a measured pipeline pressure value of a fluid in a pipeline (step 302, Fig. 3; conduit 208a, b, Fig. 2); and
determine, based on the measured pipeline pressure value, a pressure for determining a pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value (estimated inner flow meter pressure is determined, step 306, and a corrected flow variable is generated based on the estimate inner flow meter pressure, step 310, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Buttler teaches A vibratory meter (flow meter system 200, Fig. 2) configured to determine a pressure for pressure compensation of a fluid flow parameter value, the vibratory meter comprising:
a sensor assembly configured to provide sensor signals (Coriolis flowmeter 202, Fig. 2); and
a meter electronics communicatively coupled to the sensor assembly (electronics 210, Fig. 2), the meter electronics being configured to:
receive the sensor signals (step 302, Fig. 3; conduit 208a, b, Fig. 2);
receive a measured pipeline pressure value of a fluid in a pipeline (step 304, Fig. 3; conduit 208a, b, Fig. 2); and
determine, based on the measured pipeline pressure value, a pressure for determining a pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value (estimated inner flow meter pressure is determined, step 306, and a corrected flow variable is generated based on the estimate inner flow meter pressure, step 310, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Buttler teaches A system (flow meter system 200, Fig. 2) for determining a pressure for pressure compensation of a fluid flow parameter value, the system comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to measure pipeline pressure (pressure sensor 204, Fig. 2);
a vibratory meter communicatively coupled to the pressure transducer (Coriolis flowmeter 202, Fig. 2), the vibratory meter being configured to:
receive a measured pipeline pressure value of the fluid in a pipeline (step 304, Fig. 3; conduit 208a, b, Fig. 2); and
determine, based on the measured pipeline pressure value, a pressure for determining a pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value (estimated inner flow meter pressure is determined, step 306, and a corrected flow variable is generated based on the estimate inner flow meter pressure, step 310, Fig. 3).
Regarding claims 12, 19, and 26, Buttler teaches wherein the measured pipeline pressure value comprises one of a measured inlet pipeline pressure value and a measured outlet pipeline pressure value (first outside pressure 503 from a first pressure sensor 204 located in a first process conduit 208a, p. 13, Lines 16-18).
Regarding claims 14, 21, and 28, Buttler teaches wherein the pressure for determining the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value is based on a pressure loss associated with at least one of a conduit, an inlet manifold, and an outlet manifold (determining the second outside pressure may be based on one or more pressure loss coefficients, p. 8, Lines 31-32).
Regarding claims 15, 22, and 29, Buttler teaches wherein the pressure loss associated with the conduit comprises at least one of a friction pressure loss and a bend pressure loss of the conduit (the one or more pressure loss coefficients may represent losses due to pipe friction and/or the physical features of the flow meter such as manifolds 150, 150’, flanges 103, 103’, the bends in the flow tubes, p. 9, Lines 9-12).
Regarding claim 17, 24, and 31, Buttler teaches wherein the processing system being configured to determine, based on the measured pipeline pressure value, a pressure for determining a pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value comprises the processing system being configured to determine if the pressure for determining the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value is one of a calculated pressure value and the measured pipeline pressure value (it is possible to determine a second outside pressure using the Darcy-Weisbach equation, or any other method known to those of skill, p. 9, Lines 12-14; determining the second outside pressure may comprise receiving a second outside pressure measurement located in the second process conduit, p. 9, Lines 20-22).
Regarding claims 18, 25, and 32, Buttler teaches wherein the processing system being configured to determine, based on the measured pipeline pressure value, the pressure for determining the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value comprises the processing system being configured to determine an error of the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value (p. 5 teaches Equation 5 which corresponds to determining an error for correction).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 6, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, and 30 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.
Regarding claims 3 and 6 and dependents thereof, the prior art does not teach the claimed determination of the pressure compensated fluid flow parameter value. Buttler teaches relevant equations including Equations 1A and 1B for estimating inner flow meter pressure. However, Buttler does not explicitly teach using permanent pressure loss and dynamic pressure drop/loss in the same fashion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHILIP FADUL whose telephone number is (571)272-5411. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 8pm-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Lindsay can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
/PHILIP T FADUL/Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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