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 Objections
Claims 19 and 26 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 19, “charactering a water quality condition at the first moment based on the first inspection value” should be “characterizing a water quality condition at the first moment based on the first inspection value”.
In claim 26, “the control module determines the water quality condition based on the electrode content” should be “the control module determines the water quality condition based on the electrolyte content”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 21 is 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.
In claim 21, the meaning of “outputting the inspection module” is unclear. Clarification is required so that the scope of the claim is clear.
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 19-20 and 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN204154337U to Mao et al. (Mao) in view of US 2015/0097588 to Kim (Kim).
Regarding claim 19, Mao discloses a water quality inspection method for inspecting water quality using a floating device of water quality inspection based on a microcontroller (Mao, e.g., Fig. 2 and paragraphs 4-29; note in particular paragraphs 4-7, the utility model provides a water environment detecting ship, which solves the problem of relying on manual measurement and measuring water quality in a harsh environment; main controller controls the system power circuit, the PH acquisition circuit, the AC excitation source circuit, the excitation source selection circuit, the waveform conversion circuit, the temperature acquisition circuit, the turbidity acquisition circuit, the wireless circuit, the motor drive chip power supply circuit, the logic operation circuit, Full bridge drive circuit, RS232 to TTL circuit; main controller is an STM32 processing module), wherein:
the floating device comprises a first electrode and a second electrode (Mao, e.g., Fig. 7 and paragraph 20, conductivity electrode U7 comprises a first electrode (pin 1) coupled to excitation source selecting circuit of Fig. 7 and a second electrode (pin 2) coupled to waveform converting circuit of Fig. 8);
an electrolyte content in the water is analyzed by the floating device via applying an alternating excitation voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode and based on an intensity of a current formed between the first electrode and the second electrode (Mao, e.g., Fig. 7 and paragraph 20, excitation source selecting circuit of Fig. 6 applies an alternating excitation voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode; it is implicit that the output of Mao’s conductivity electrode U7 of Fig. 7 via pin 2 is based on an intensity of a current formed between the first electrode and the second electrode resulting from the application of an excitation voltage from excitation source selecting circuit of Fig. 7); and
the inspection method comprises:
within a preset time interval, acquiring a first inspection value using the floating device for inspection, the first inspection value comprising an electrolyte content acquired from the water by the floating device at a first moment (Mao, e.g., paragraph 14, note that data collection is performed once the ship reaches a target location; accordingly, collection of data, including first inspection value in the form of conductivity measurement using conductivity electrode U7 of Fig. 7 is performed withing a preset time interval; the examiner notes that a measurement of water conductivity disclosed by Mao is inherently a measurement of total electrolyte content in the water);
charactering a water quality condition at the first moment based on the first inspection value (Mao’s measurements, including conductivity measurements, are used to characterize water quality; see, e.g., paragraphs 29, 45);
acquiring a second inspection value by inspecting based on , the second inspection value comprising an electrolyte content acquired from the water by the floating device at a second moment (Mao, e.g., paragraph 45, Mao’s arrangement is configured for remote monitoring of water quality, which implies continuous or periodic measurements of water conductivity over time in the same manner discussed above, i.e., obtaining at least one subsequent inspection value after obtaining the first inspection value); and
characterizing the water quality condition at the second moment based on the second inspection value (Mao’s measurements, including conductivity measurements, are used to characterize water quality; see, e.g., paragraphs 29, 45).
Mao discloses that the frequency of the alternating excitation voltage can be selected based on whether the water sample is of low conductivity or high conductivity (Mao, e.g., Fig. 6 and paragraph 493). Mao is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing adjusting a frequency and an amplitude of the excitation voltage based on the first inspection value and that acquiring a second inspection value by inspecting is based on the adjusted excitation voltage. Kim relates to a liquid conductivity measuring device for measuring accurately and consistently. In Kim’s arrangement of Fig. 3, an alternating excitation voltage in the form of a reference signal supplied from reference signal generator 120 is applied between a first electrode in the form of reference signal application terminal and a second electrode in the form of conductivity detection terminal 105, and an electrolyte content in the water is analyzed based on an intensity of a resultant current formed between the first electrode and the second electrode (Kim, e.g., Fig. 3 and paragraph 41). Kim discloses that the amplitude and frequency of the reference signal may be suitably selected by considering the conductivity levels of the liquid and variation rate of the conductivity (Kim, e.g., paragraph 45). It 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 to modify Mao to include adjusting a frequency and an amplitude of the excitation voltage based on the first inspection value and such that acquiring a second inspection value by inspecting is based on the adjusted excitation voltage the excitation voltage. In this way, the amplitude and frequency of the reference/excitation signal can be selected by considering at least the conductivity levels of the measured liquid (e.g., water in the case of Mao).
Regarding claim 20, Mao in view of Kim discloses wherein adjusting the frequency and the amplitude of the excitation voltage is based on an inspection module and the first inspection value (see Mao in view of Kim as applied to claim 19, noting that the frequency/amplitude adjustments are informed by the first inspection value and an inspection module in the form of Mao’s conductivity electrode U7 of Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 24, Mao in view of Kim at least suggests wherein:
the first inspection value is an electrolyte content acquired by the floating device from a first water position at the first moment, characterizing the water quality condition at the first water position based on the first inspection value; and
the second inspection value is an electrolyte content acquired by the floating device from a second water position at the second moment, characterizing the water quality condition at the second water position based on the second inspection value,
recognizing that Mao discloses controlling the ship to target coordinate to acquire water quality measurements (Mao, e.g., paragraphs 5, 14, 45).
Regarding claim 25, Mao in view of Kim at least suggests wherein:
the first inspection value further comprises a temperature value acquired by the floating device from the water at the first moment; and
the second inspection value further comprises a temperature value acquired by the floating device from the water at the second moment,
recognizing that Mao discloses controlling the ship to target coordinate to acquire measurements including temperature measurements (Mao, e.g., paragraphs 5, 14, 45).
Claims 26-28, 30, 32-33 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 113654598 A to Sun et al. (Sun), and further in view of Mao and Kim.
Regarding claim 26, Sun discloses a floating device for water quality inspection based on a microcontroller (Sun, e.g., Figs. 1-2 and paragraph 37, note controller of Fig. 2), wherein:
the microcontroller has an executable water quality inspection program, when the floating device executes the water quality inspection program,
the floating device comprises an inspection module (Sun, e.g., paragraph 37, water conductivity sensor S7 for detecting lake water conductivity), an indication module (Sun, e.g., paragraphs 56-58, that portion of controller 3 that generates indications of excellent, medium and bad), an analysis module (Sun, e.g. paragraphs 54-59, that portion of controller that obtains/acquires/determines conductivity value by analyzing output of water conductivity sensor S7), a power supply module (Sun, e.g., Fig. 2 and paragraph 37, power module 4), a control module (Sun, e.g. paragraphs 54-59, that portion of controller that calculates the ecological environment evaluation parameter SENK and its average SENKA), and a floatable carrier (Sun, e.g., Fig. 1, remote control unmanned ship);
the inspection module, the indication module, the analysis module, the power supply module, and the control module are installed on the carrier (Sun, e.g., Figs. 1-2 and paragraph 37);
the inspection module, the indication module, the analysis module, and the control module are electrically connected to each other and powered by the power supply module (Sun, e.g., Figs. 1-2 and paragraph 37);
the analysis module, and the control module are integrated into the microcontroller (Sun, e.g., Fig. 2 and paragraph 37; also see discussion above pertaining to analysis module and control module), and, when the microcontroller executes the water quality inspection program they are operable such that: the analysis module analyzes the electrolyte content in the water and the control module determines the water quality condition based on the electrode content (Sun, e.g. paragraphs 54-59, that portion of controller that calculates the ecological environment evaluation parameter SENK and its average SENKA; the examiner notes that these values are determined at least based on part on the conductivity value) and controls the indication module indication based on the condition of the water quality (Sun, e.g., paragraphs 56-58, that portion of controller 3 that generates indications of excellent, medium and bad based on values of the ecological environment evaluation parameter SENK and its average SENKA).
Sun is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing that (1) the water quality inspection is conducted using the water quality inspection method according to claim 19, (2) the inspection module has a first electrode and a second electrode arranged opposite to each other, the inspection module is configured such that: during water quality inspection, a first end of the first electrode and a first end of the second electrode are immersed in water, while a second end of the first electrode and a second end of the second electrode are extended and connected to the power supply module, (3) the power supply module applies an excitation voltage between the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode, (4) the analysis module analyzes the electrolyte content in the water based on an intensity of the current formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, (5) the power supply module is integrated into the microcontroller and (6) the indication module is controlled to emit an intensity indication based on the condition of the water quality. Mao and Kim disclose (1) a water quality inspection is conducted using the water quality inspection method according to claim 19, (2) an inspection module having a first electrode and a second electrode arranged opposite to each other, the inspection module is configured such that: during water quality inspection, a first end of the first electrode and a first end of the second electrode are immersed in water, while a second end of the first electrode and a second end of the second electrode are extended and connected to a power supply module, (3) the power supply module applies an excitation voltage between the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode, and (4) analyzing the electrolyte content in the water is based on an intensity of the current formed between the first electrode and the second electrode (see Mao in view of Kim as applied to claim 19).
It 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 to modify Sun such that (1) the water quality inspection is conducted using the water quality inspection method according to claim 19, (2) the inspection module has a first electrode and a second electrode arranged opposite to each other, the inspection module is configured such that: during water quality inspection, a first end of the first electrode and a first end of the second electrode are immersed in water, while a second end of the first electrode and a second end of the second electrode are extended and connected to the power supply module, (3) the power supply module applies an excitation voltage between the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode, and (4) the analysis module analyzes the electrolyte content in the water based on an intensity of the current formed between the first electrode and the second electrode. In this way, water conductivity can be determined using a conductivity probe having first and second electrodes that are immersed in the water and excited by an AC voltage as taught by Mao, with the amplitude and frequency of the reference/excitation signal being selected by considering at least the conductivity levels of the measured liquid as taught by Kim.
Further, the examiner takes Official notice of the fact that microcontrollers having integrated power supplies, or conversely power supplies having integrated microcontrollers, were well-known and conventional before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. The prior art included each element claimed, although not necessarily in a single prior art reference, with the only difference between the claimed invention and the prior art being the lack of actual combination of the elements in a single prior art reference. One of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods, and that in combination, each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. Moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable. For these reasons, the recitation that the power supply module is integrated into the microcontroller does not patentably define over Sun.
Further, the examiner takes Official notice of the fact that the use of light-based indicators for providing visual indications for the types of indications generated by Sun as disclosed in paragraphs 56-58 (e.g., green = excellent, yellow = medium, red = bad) was well-known and conventional before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. It 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 to modify Sun such that the indication module is controlled to emit an intensity indication based on the condition of the water quality, e.g., green = excellent, yellow = medium, red = bad. In this way, an operator of Sun’s unmanned ship 1 (Fig. 1) can be visually apprised of the average value SENKA of the ecological environment assessment parameters using well-known and conventional light-based indicators.
Regarding claim 27, Sun in view of Mao and Kim discloses wherein, when the microcontroller executes the water quality inspection program, the control module divides the water quality into a plurality of grades by setting preset values (Sun, e.g., paragraphs 56-58).
Regarding claim 28, Sun in view of Mao and Kim discloses wherein: the indication module comprises a plurality of indicators corresponding one-to-one with the grades; and when the water quality is inspected, the control module controls the indicators corresponding to the grades to emit intensity indications based on the grades (see Sun in view of Mao and Kim as applied to claims 26-27, e.g., modify Sun such that the indication module is controlled to emit an intensity indication based on the condition of the water quality, e.g., green = excellent, yellow = medium, red = bad. In this way, an operator of Sun’s unmanned ship 1 (Fig. 1) can be visually apprised of the average value SENKA of the ecological environment assessment parameters using well-known and conventional light-based indicators).
Regarding claim 30, Sun in view of Mao and Kim is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing wherein: the microcontroller has a display and buttons; the display is used to display the preset values; and the buttons are used to enter the preset values. The examiner takes Official notice of the fact that the use of a display and buttons (e.g., a keyboard) in connection with a microcontroller for facilitating microcontroller programming and/or for supplying input values in connection with the execution of a program was well-known and conventional before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. It 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 to modify Sun in view of Mao and Kim such that the microcontroller has a display and buttons; the display is used to display the preset values; and the buttons are used to enter the preset values (e.g., the comparison thresholds disclosed by Sun in paragraphs 56-58). In this way, Sun’s preset values can be adjusted/changed as needed using well-known and conventional microcontroller peripherals such as a display and keyboard.
Regarding claim 32, Sun in view of Mao and Kim discloses wherein: the carrier is made of a solid material with a density less than that of water; a part of the carrier that floats on a water surface has a chamber; and the chamber is used to accommodate and secure the analysis module, the power supply module, and the control module (implicit from at least Figs. 1-2 and paragraph 37 of Sun).
Regarding claim 33, Sun in view of Mao and Kim discloses a power module installed on the carrier, the power module being used to drive the floating device to move in the water (Sun, e.g., Figs. 1-2 and paragraph 37, power assembly 8 that drives the hull to move).
Regarding claim 35, Sun in view of Mao and Kim discloses a remote control, the remote control being used to remotely control the power module to drive the floating device to move in the water (Sun, e.g., Figs. 1-2 and paragraph 37, implicit in view of remote control terminal 2 held by operator).
Claim 29 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun in view of Mao and Kim, and further in view of US 5,154,016 to Fedora et al. (Fedora).
Regarding claim 29, the examiner notes that Fig. 1 of Sun discloses that the unmanned ship 1 of Fig. 1 discloses two rod-shaped structures, each having one end installed on a part of the unmanned ship 1 that floats on a water surface. Sun in view of Mao and Kim is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing wherein: the indication module comprises a rod-shaped support portion; one end of the support portion is installed on a part of the carrier that floats on a water surface; and the indicator is mounted on the support portion. Fedora discloses in connection with a remotely controlled floatation platform 4 shaped in the style of a fishing vessel (Fig. 1) that a plurality of lights arranged on the mast can be utilized to communicate the intelligence to the operator (Fedora, e.g., col. 3, lines 14-25; also see Fig. 8 and accompanying disclosure). It 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 to modify Sun in view of Mao and Kim such that the indication module includes one of Sun’s rod-shaped structures for supporting the light-based indicators controlled to emit the intensity indication based on the condition of the water quality, e.g., green = excellent, yellow = medium, red = bad. In this way, an operator can be visually apprised of the average value SENKA of the ecological environment assessment parameters using well-known and conventional light-based indicators mounted in manner that promotes viewability, as taught by Fedora.
Claim 31 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun in view of Mao and Kim, and further in view of Liquid Level Control Utilizing Conductivity Sensors, SMD Fluid Controls, available at https://www.fluidswitch.com/2017/06/27/liquid-level-control-utilizing-conductivity-sensors/ on 3/13/2022 (SMD).
Regarding claim 31, Sun in view of Mao and Kim is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing wherein:
the first electrode and the second electrode are in a strip shape;
the first end of the first electrode is parallel to the first end of the second electrode;
the first electrode or the second electrode is made of a conductive material either in metal or graphite; and
the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode are wires.
SMD discloses a conductivity sensor having first and second electrodes in a strip shape, with a first end of the first electrode being parallel to a first end of the second electrode and with the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode being wires (SMD, e.g., second figure, conductivity sensors B, C). It is implicit that SMD’s electrodes are electrically conductive. Moreover, the examiner takes Official notice of the fact that use of metal as a material for such electrodes was a well-known and conventional choice before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. The prior art included each element claimed, although not necessarily in a single prior art reference, with the only difference between the claimed invention and the prior art being the lack of actual combination of the elements in a single prior art reference. One of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods, and that in combination, each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. Moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable. For these reasons, the recitation that the first electrode and the second electrode are in a strip shape, the first end of the first electrode is parallel to the first end of the second electrode, the first electrode or the second electrode is made of a conductive material either in metal or graphite, and the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode are wires does not patentably define over Sun in view of Mao and Kim when considered in light of the teachings of SMD and the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.
Claims 34 and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun in view of Mao and Kim, and further in view of US 4,808,931 to Ling (Ling).
Regarding claim 34, Sun in view of Mao and Kim is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing a pulley module installed on the carrier, the pulley module being used to wrap the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode so that the first end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode are immersed in the water at different depths. Ling discloses an arrangement in which a conductivity probe may be attached to a towing cable which trails a surface ship, submarine, or other vessel, with the towing cable being stored on a stowage spool located on the vessel during periods when no conductivity measurements are made (Ling, e.g., Fig. 9 and col. 11, lines 39-66). In Ling’s arrangement, the stowage spool is the functional equivalent of a pulley, and one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that Ling’s conductivity probe is necessarily immersed at different depths during both deployment and retrieval. It 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 to modify Sun in view of Mao and Kim to include a pulley module installed on the carrier, the pulley module being used to wrap the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode so that the first end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode are immersed in the water at different depths. In this way, in the manner disclosed by Ling, deployment and retrieval of Sun’s water conductivity sensor S7 can be realized using a stowage spool.
Claim 36 recites a remote control, the remote control being used to remotely control a pulley module to wrap the second end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode so that the first end of the first electrode and the second end of the second electrode are immersed in the water at different depths and is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable over Sun in view of Mao, Kim and Ling for reasons analogous to those discussed above in connection with claim 35, recognizing that the functions of modified Sun’s unmanned ship 1 of Fig. 1 are controlled via remote control terminal 2.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 22-23 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2015/016017 to Lee et al. relates to a device and related method for monitoring pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, and dissolved oxygen content of water using a single set of electrodes.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL R MILLER whose telephone number is (571)270-1964. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lee Rodak, can be reached at 571-270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL R MILLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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