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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on11/11/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gemperli et al., US 20110238347
Regarding claim 1, Gemperli discloses a system configured to measure the on potential, instant off (I-Off) potential, isolation, bond current via a shunt, and coupon testing of both native and I-Off, comprising: a first metal asset electrically coupled to a cathodic protection element (Fig. 2; pipeline 12; cathodic protection rectifiers 14); a switch electrically coupled to the first metal asset wherein the switch has an open position and a closed position (Fig. 2; switch 40); a metal coupon selectively, electrically coupled to the first metal asset via the switch (Fig. 2; coupon 46); and a potential monitoring device electrically coupled to the metal coupon and the first metal asset such that the potential monitoring device measures the potential of the first metal asset with cathodic protection (Fig. 2-3; test unit 18; ¶[0041]; voltmeter 34 measure a plurality of potentials), wherein the potential monitoring device also monitors the potential of the metal coupon and is configured to measure the I-Off potential when the switch is moved from the closed position where the metal coupon is electrically coupled to the first metal asset to the open position where the metal coupon is electrically isolated from the first metal asset (fig. 7; ¶[0044]; opening instant-off switch allows instant-off voltage to be measured).
Regarding claim 2, Gemperli discloses wherein the first metal asset is a metal pipeline (¶[0003]).
Regarding claim 3, Gemperli discloses wherein the first metal asset and the metal coupon are formed from the same metal (¶[0031]).
Regarding claim 4, Gemperli discloses a transmitter wherein the transmitter transmits an on potential, the I-Off potential, isolation, bond current via shunt, and coupon potential (Fig. 2; wireless transceiver 32).
Regarding claim 5, Gemperli discloses wherein the transmitter is selected from the group of transmitters consisting of: a cellular transmitter, an IR transmitter, a satellite transmitter, a WiFi transmitter, a LoRa transmitter, a Sigfox transmitter, or a combination thereof (Fig. 2; wireless transceiver 32).
Regarding claim 6, Gemperli discloses a second metal asset and a shunt that electrically couples the second metal asset to the first metal asset (Fig. 2; “current shunt”; secondary pipeline 42).
Regarding claim 7, Gemperli discloses comprising a second metal pipeline and a shunt that electrically couples the second metal pipeline to the metal pipeline such that the second metal pipeline is coupled to the cathodic protection element (Fig. 2; “current shunt”; secondary pipeline 42).
Regarding claim 8, Gemperli discloses wherein the potential monitoring device measures the potential across the shunt (¶[0042]).
Regarding claim 9, Gemperli discloses a system configured to measure a corrosion free or a native potential of a metal asset, comprising: a first metal asset electrically coupled to a cathodic protection element (Fig. 2; pipeline 12; cathodic protection rectifiers 14); a metal coupon located proximate to the first metal asset and electrically isolated from the first metal asset (Fig. 2; coupon 44); and a potential monitoring device electrically coupled to the metal coupon and separately electrically coupled to the first metal asset (Fig. 2-3; test unit 18), wherein the potential monitoring device monitors the potential of the metal coupon and the potential of the first metal asset, wherein the potential of the metal coupon is the corrosion free potential of the system (Fig. 2-3; test unit 18; ¶[0041]; voltmeter 34 measure a plurality of potentials).
Regarding claim 10, Gemperli discloses wherein the first metal asset is a buried pipeline (¶[0022]).
Regarding claim 11, Gemperli discloses wherein the buried pipeline and the metal coupon are made from the same metal (¶[0031]).
Regarding claim 12, Gemperli discloses a system configured to measure the instant off (I-Off) potential and native potential of a metal asset, comprising: a first metal asset electrically coupled to a cathodic protection element (Fig. 2; pipeline 12; cathodic protection rectifiers 14); a switch electrically coupled to the first metal asset wherein the switch has an open position and a closed position (Fig. 2; switch 40) ; a first metal coupon selectively, electrically coupled to the first metal asset via the switch (Fig. 2; coupon 46); a potential monitoring device electrically coupled to the first metal coupon and the first metal asset such that the potential monitoring device measures the potential of the first metal asset with cathodic protection (Fig. 2-3; test unit 18; ¶[0041]; voltmeter 34 measure a plurality of potentials); and a second metal coupon located proximate to the first metal asset, wherein the second metal coupon is electrically isolated from the first metal asset and electrically coupled to the potential monitoring device (Fig. 2; coupon 44) , wherein the potential monitoring device monitors the native potential of the second metal coupon that is the native potential, and wherein the potential monitoring device monitors the potential of the first metal coupon and is configured to measure the I-Off potential when the switch is moved from the closed position where the first metal coupon is electrically coupled to the first metal asset to the open position where the first metal coupon is electrically isolated from the first metal asset (Fig. 7; ¶[0044]; opening instant-off switch allows instant-off voltage to be measured).
Regarding claim 13, Gemperli discloses wherein the first metal asset, the first metal coupon, and the second metal coupon are made of the same material (¶[0031]) .
Regarding claim 14, Gemperli discloses a second metal asset electrically coupled to the first metal asset via a shunt (Fig. 2; “current shunt”; secondary pipeline 42).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Da Costa et al., US 20210348281 teaches a cathodic protection monitoring system having a plurality of test units.
Brelsford et al., US 20150002132 teaches a test coupon package suitable for a cathodic protection system.
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/FEBA POTHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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