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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/26/2024 complies with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
Acknowledgement is made of the preliminary amendment(s) filed 11/26/2024.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10-18 & 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wiklund et al (US 20170023393 A1) in view of APPEL et al (US 20160313159 A1)
Regarding claims 1,7, 10, 11, 17 & 20 Wiklund teaches one or more physical processors 208 210 configured by machine-readable instructions to obtain fluid composition information (Abstract) , the fluid composition information [0014][0070][0075][0077] defining fluid composition in a pipe [0014][0070][0075][0077] defining; obtain pipe operation information, the pipe operation information defining operating characteristics in the pipe [0014][0035][0070][0075][0077] defining; determine liquid quantity in the pipe based on the fluid composition in the pipe and the operating characteristics in the pipe [0056]-[0059], [0062]-[0067]; determine whether liquid is present in the pipe based on the liquid quantity in the pipe [0070]-[0075]. Wiklund et al teaches correcting gas flow rate [0062][0074][0077] but does not teach responsive to a determination that liquid is present in a pipe, determine a liquid-corrected gas flow rate in the pipe based on the fluid composition in the pipe, the operating characteristics in the pipe, and the liquid quantity in the pipe. Appel et al teaches a multiphase fluid flow measurement system that teaches determining a liquid-corrected gas flow rate in the pipe based on the fluid composition in the pipe, the operating characteristics in the pipe, and the liquid quantity in the pipe. (Interpreted as the calibration procedure cited) [0040][0041][0042][0041][0043][0044].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art of flow rate analysis systems before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the flow rate monitoring system as taught by Wiklund et al to further include a multiphase fluid flow measurement system that teaches determining a liquid-corrected gas flow rate in a pipe based on the fluid composition in the pipe, the operating characteristics in the pipe, and the liquid quantity in the pipe as taught by APPEL et al for the purpose of monitoring a flow of fluid and correcting and / or calibrating and / or compensating individual components of the fluid flow to accurately determine velocity and / or mass flow rate of the fluid.
Regarding claims 2 & 12 Wiklund et al teaches the fluid composition in the pipe includes a breakdown of fluid components in the pipe by number and/or mass [0014][0055][0056][0070][0075].
Regarding claims 3 & 13 Wiklund et al teaches the operating characteristics in the pipe include temperature, differential pressure, static pressure, and uncorrected gas flow rate in the pipe (Abstract)[0021][0070][0075].
Regarding claims 4 & 14 Wiklund et al teaches a flow restriction 304 is located along the pipe and the differential pressure is measured between a first point along the pipe and a second point along the pipe, the first point being on a first side of the flow restriction and the second point being on a second side of the flow restriction, and the static pressure is measured on the first side or the second side of the flow restriction [0075][0076].
Regarding claims 5 & 15 Wiklund et al teaches the determination of the liquid quantity in the pipe based on the fluid composition in the pipe and the operating characteristics in the pipe include determination of phase in the pipe based on the breakdown of the fluid components in the pipe by number and/or mass, the temperature, and the static pressure. [0012][0022][0039[0040]
Regarding claims 6 & 16 Wiklund et al teaches the determination of the liquid quantity in the pipe includes determination of a liquid fraction in the pipe. [0056][0062]
Regarding claims 8 & 18 Wiklund et al teaches total transferred liquid over a time-period is determined based on the liquid flow rate [0027][0050][0056].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 & 19 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The cited pertinent art of record does not anticipate nor render obvious determination of an uncorrected gas flow rate in a pipe based on the fluid composition in the pipe and the operating characteristics in the pipe or based on gas flow rate measurement; determination of an over-read or an under-read of the uncorrected gas flow rate in the pipe based on the liquid quantity in the pipe; and determination of a liquid-corrected gas flow rate in the pipe based on the uncorrected gas flow rate in the pipe and the over-read or the under-read of the gas flow rate in the pipe.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20260049852 A1 QUANTIFICATION OF LIQUID FLOW RATE AND CORRECTION OF GAS FLOW RATE IN THE PRESENCE OF LIQUID IN A GAS PIPELINE
US 20240401992 A1 CORRECTION OF GAS FLOW IN THE PRESENCE OF LIQUID IN A GAS PIPELINE
US 9829361 B2 Method for accurately measuring gas flow and liquid flow in a gas and liquid mixed fluid
US 20050193832 A1 Multiphase Coriolis type mass flowmeter for detecting mass of material flowing through conduit, has correction module which determines corrected flow parameter based on apparent flow parameter and apparent flow condition
US 20240361163 A1 QUANTIFICATION OF LIQUID FLOW RATE FOR LIQUID MIXTURE
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDRE J ALLEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2174. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 9am-5PM.
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/ANDRE J ALLEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
