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 1 and 11 and their associated dependent claims are objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 1, line 5. The phrase “of mobile” should be changed to “of the mobile”; in claim 1, line 6, the phrase “a source” should be changed to “the source”; in claim 1, line 11, the phrase “a some” should be changed to “some”; in claim 6, line 2, the phrase “ski” should be changed to “skid”; in claim 11, line 21, the phrase “a control system” should be changed to “the control system”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “source/irrigation water source” in claims 1, 11, and 17; “pump device” in claims 1, 11 and 17; “manifold assembly” in claim 1, 11 and 17; “control system” in claims 1, 11 and 17; “power source” in claims 7 and 11; “filtration system” in claims 7, 11 and 17.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-6, 8-10 and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bao (CN204070001U, Examiner additionally using its English Machine Translation, pages 1-3) in view of Saraceno (US20040108280).
Claim 1: Bao discloses a method of using a mobile agricultural pump system (Figs. 1-3; Examiner noting preliminarily that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality), the method comprising establishing fluid communication between the mobile agricultural pump system and irrigation water from a source (11, see page 1, “connect the qualified metal hose 11 at the inlet flange of the pump”); activating (page 3, “start pumping pump 13”) a pump device (13) of mobile agricultural pump system via a control system (note control/power components of 32/33/34) to draw the irrigation water from the source into a manifold assembly (see Figure below) of the mobile agricultural pump system in fluid communication with the pump device (see Figure below); discharging at least some irrigation water without filtration from a first outlet valve of the manifold assembly using the pump device (see Figure below); filtering at least some of the irrigation water without filtration from a first outlet valve of the manifold assembly using the pump device (see Figure below); discharging (via 11/12) the irrigation water that has been filtered from a second outlet valve of the manifold assembly (see Figure below).
Bao is not explicit about the control system connected (e.g., electrically) to the pump device and the filtration system but this idea of having some kind of control electrically connected to an associated pump and filtration setup is well known. For example, Saraceno teaches a portable water purification device (Fig.1 ) which sets forth a control (in this case, a switch 48) which is electrically connected to both a pump (32) and filtration system (note UV component). Saraceno’s idea of electrically connecting a control system to the pump and filter components would easily be incorporated into Bao as it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to provide electrical power to pump/filter components to have them successfully operate (e.g., in the case of the pump, the operate an associated motor and in the case of the filtration system, to electrically actuate associated filter valves or even to provide power to an incorporated UV filter to improve water purification).
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Claim 2: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Boa further discloses that discharging the irrigation water that has been filtered from the second outlet valve is performed concurrently with discharging the at least some irrigation water without filtration from the first outlet valve (see Figure above; Examiner again noting that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality and would necessarily involve a configuration of simultaneous discharge of some unfiltered irrigation water from the first outlet valve and discharge of filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve).
Claim 3: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Boa further discloses discharging a further amount of the irrigation water that has been filtered from a third outlet valve (see Figure above) of the manifold assembly concurrently with discharging the irrigation water that has been filtered from the second outlet valve and discharging the at least some irrigation water without filtration from the first outlet valve (Examiner again noting that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality and would necessarily involve a configuration of simultaneous discharge of some water from the first, second and third outlet valve).
Claim 5: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Saraceno further teaches sanitizing the water that has been filtered and discharging the water that has been filtered and sanitized (Fig. 1, note UV component which sanitized the fluid). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate a sanitizing component to the water treatment in Saraceno in order to further improve water quality for, perhaps, human consumption.
Claim 6: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Boa further discloses moving the mobile agricultural pump system on a trailer and skid mount assembly (see Figs. 2-3).
Claim 8: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Bao further discloses discharging the unfiltered irrigation water from the first outlet valve which includes discharging the unfiltered water at a first flow rate and wherein discharging the filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve includes discharge the filtered water at a second flow rate that differs from the first flow rate (see Figure above; Examiner notes that the different flow pathways through the two different outlet valves will produce two flow rates).
Claim 9: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Bao, as modified with Saraceno, further teaches sanitizing a further amount of the irrigation water with a treatment system that is part of the mobile agricultural pump system (note UV component in Saraceno in Fig. 1 which can sanitize the water), and wherein both of the second outlet valve and a third outlet valve of the manifold assembly are operable to selectively discharge the irrigation water that has been filtered and sanitized (Saraceno’s device, as incorporated into the filter arrangement of Bao, would allow for the second outlet valve or the third outlet valve to operable to selectively discharge filtered or sanitized irrigation water via the filtration system and the treatment system).
Claim 10: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. The method of claim 9, further comprising discharging the further amount of the irrigation water that has been filtered and sanitized from the third outlet valve of the manifold assembly concurrently with discharging the irrigation water that has been filtered from the second outlet valve and discharging the at least some irrigation water without filtration from the first outlet valve (Examiner again noting that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality and would necessarily involve a configuration of simultaneous discharge of some water from the first, second and third outlet valve).
Claim 17: Bao discloses a method of using a mobile agricultural pump system (Figs. 1-3; Examiner noting preliminarily that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality), the method consisting of establishing fluid communication between the mobile agricultural pump system and an irrigation water source (11, see page 1, “connect the qualified metal hose 11 at the inlet flange of the pump”); activating (page 3, “start pumping pump 13”) a pump device (13) via a control system (note control/power components of 32/33/34) to draw unfiltered irrigation water into a manifold assembly (see Figure above) in fluid communication with the pump device (see Figure above); discharging the unfiltered irrigation water from a first outlet valve of the manifold assembly from the mobile agricultural pump system (see Figure above); and discharging filtered irrigation water from a second outlet valve of the manifold assembly via a filtration system of the manifold assembly from the mobile agricultural pump system (see Figure above); wherein discharging the filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve is performed concurrently with discharging the unfiltered irrigation water from the first outlet valve (see Figure above; Examiner again noting that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality and would necessarily involve a configuration of simultaneous discharge of some unfiltered irrigation water from the first outlet valve and discharge of filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve).
Claim 18: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Boa further discloses discharging a further amount of the irrigation water that has been filtered from a third outlet valve (see Figure above) of the manifold assembly concurrently with discharging the irrigation water that has been filtered from the second outlet valve and discharging the at least some irrigation water without filtration from the first outlet valve (Examiner again noting that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality and would necessarily involve a configuration of simultaneous discharge of some water from the first, second and third outlet valve).
Claim 19: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Bao further discloses discharging the unfiltered irrigation water from the first outlet valve which includes discharging the unfiltered water at a first flow rate and wherein discharging the filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve includes discharge the filtered water at a second flow rate that differs from the first flow rate (see Figure above; Examiner notes that the different flow pathways through the two different outlet valves will produce two flow rates).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bao (CN204070001U) in view of Saraceno (US20040108280) and in further view of Snyder (US 8,920,140).
Claim 4: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Bao further discloses connecting the second outlet valve to an agricultural drip or sprinkler irrigation system (note secondary irrigations lines 11, connected with second outlet valve 12) but Bao is not explicit about connecting the first outlet valve outlet to a water storage receptacle. However, Snyder teaches a purification system in which a mobile system outputs to a water storage receptacle (see Fig. 1, note 300 and adjacent storage receptacle). A skilled artisan would be able to make connections to the respective outputs depending on the current needs of his/her situation and, as such, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate a water storage receptacle with the apparatus of Snyder in order to allow water to be saved for use at a future time period.
Claim(s) 7 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bao (CN204070001U) in view of Saraceno (US20040108280) and in further view of McLoughlin (US20130098642).
Claims 7 and 20: Bao and Saraceno teach the previous limitations. Bao is not explicit about remotely monitoring telemetry data associated with one or more of a power source, the pump device, a filtration system, a geospatial location and prevailing weather conditions of the mobile agricultural pump system; and controlling, based upon the monitoring the telemetry data, the discharging at least some irrigation water without filtration from the first outlet valve and the discharging the irrigation water that has been filtered from the second outlet valve. However, McLoughlin teaches a control system configured in a wireless manner (see paragraph 15) to communicate with an external device (60) to facilitate remote user-control of one or more of the first outlet valve, the second outlet valve, the pump device 20), the filtration system, a treatment system, or a power source. McLoughlin further teaches that the control system is configured to monitor telemetry data associated with one or more of the power source, the pump device, the filtration system, geospatial location, prevailing weather conditions, the first outlet valve, or the second outlet valve (see paragraph 15, Examiner noting data from, e.g., the valve controllers or pump control or pressure transducer 64 which could be viewed as being part of the pump 20). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to operate the control system of Bao in a manner as taught by McLoughlin in order simplify the overall structure in the sense that wiring would no longer be needed between the control system and associated components or be susceptible to damage/wear.
Claim(s) 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bao (CN204070001U, Examiner additionally using its English Machine Translation, pages 1-3) in view of Saraceno (US20040108280) and Barker (US 7,775,374) and in further view of Snyder (US 8,920,140).
Claim 11: Bao discloses a method of using a mobile agricultural pump system (Figs. 1-3; Examiner noting preliminarily that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality), the method comprising establishing fluid communication between the mobile agricultural pump system and an irrigation water source (11, see page 1, “connect the qualified metal hose 11 at the inlet flange of the pump”), wherein the mobile agricultural pump system comprises a frame (note 1, in Fig. 3 or frame upon 21 in Fig. 2); a pump device (13) connected to the frame and defining a pump inlet (note inlet towards 11/12) and a pump outlet (note outlet towards 14), wherein the pump device provides water to a first outlet valve (see Figure above) and a filtration system that is downstream of the first outlet valve (16, Examiner noting that the associated isolation valves could be viewed as being part of the filtration system); a manifold assembly supported by the frame and in fluid communication with the pump outlet (see Figure above), the manifold assembly including the first outlet valve operable to selectively discharge irrigation water from the pump outlet (see Figure above); and a second outlet valve in fluid communication with the filtration system (see Figure above), wherein the second outlet valve is operable to selectively discharge filtered irrigation water (see Figure above); and a control system (note control/power components of 32/33/34) operably configured to be connected to at least one power source, the pump device, and the filtration system (see Figure above); activating (page 3, “start pumping pump 13”) the pump device (13) via a control system (note control/power components of 32/33/34) to draw unfiltered irrigation water into the manifold assembly (see Figure above) in fluid communication with the pump device (see Figure above); and discharging filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve of the manifold assembly via the filtration system and from the mobile agricultural pump system to an agricultural drip, or a sprinkler irrigation system, or an agricultural irrigation system (see Figure above, note discharge to irrigation lines 11, near outlet valve 12), wherein discharging the unfiltered irrigation water from the first outlet valve and discharging the filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve is controlled by the control system (see Figure above; Examiner again noting that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality and would necessarily involve valve control from the associated control system).
Bao is not explicit about the control system connected (e.g., electrically) to the pump device and the filtration system but this idea of having some kind of control electrically connected to an associated pump and filtration setup is well known. For example, Saraceno teaches a portable water purification device (Fig.1 ) which sets forth a control (in this case, a switch 48) which is electrically connected to both a pump (32) and filtration system (note UV component). Saraceno’s idea of electrically connecting a control system to the pump and filter components would easily be incorporated into Bao as it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to provide electrical power to pump/filter components to have them successfully operate (e.g., in the case of the pump, the operate an associated motor and in the case of the filtration system, to electrically actuate associated filter valves or even to provide power to an incorporated UV filter to improve water purification).
Bao is also not explicit about the at least one power source providing power to the pump device, filtration system, and the control system. However, Barker teaches a water purification system in which at least one power source providing power to the pump device, filtration system, and the control system (see Fig. 2, noting the power system 202 providing power to the pump motor 204, the control system 208, as well as the associated valving 206 which can function as isolation solenoid valves for the filtration system (see col. 4, lines 40-55; Examiner also noting that Bao’s arrangement could also provide teaching for electrical connection between the pump/control/filtration). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to a skilled artisan to power the pump/control system/filtration system of Bao via at least one power source like that taught by Barker as electrical power can simplify the control of the entire pump system.
Bao further discloses connecting the second outlet valve to an agricultural drip or sprinkler irrigation system (note secondary irrigations lines 11, connected with second outlet valve 12) but Bao is not explicit about connecting the first outlet valve outlet to a water storage receptacle. However, Snyder teaches a purification system in which a mobile system outputs to a water storage receptacle (see Fig. 1, note 300 and adjacent storage receptacle). A skilled artisan would be able to make connections to the respective outputs depending on the current needs of his/her situation and, as such, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate a water storage receptacle with the apparatus of Snyder in order to allow water to be saved for use at a future time period.
Claim 12: Bao, Saraceno, Barker and Snyder teach the previous limitations. Boa further discloses that discharging the irrigation water that has been filtered from the second outlet valve is performed concurrently with discharging the at least some irrigation water without filtration from the first outlet valve (see Figure above; Examiner again noting that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality and would necessarily involve a configuration of simultaneous discharge of some unfiltered irrigation water from the first outlet valve and discharge of filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve).
Claim 13: Bao, Saraceno, Barker and Snyder teach the previous limitations. Boa further discloses discharging a further amount of the irrigation water that has been filtered from a third outlet valve (see Figure above) of the manifold assembly concurrently with discharging the irrigation water that has been filtered from the second outlet valve and discharging the at least some irrigation water without filtration from the first outlet valve (Examiner again noting that the discussion on pages 1-3 of the English Machine Translation of CN204070001U explicitly involves checking and confirming operationality of all the associated components, which would necessarily involve test activation and discharge of fluid throughout pump system’s lines, valve, filters, etc., to ensure proper functionality and would necessarily involve a configuration of simultaneous discharge of some water from the first, second and third outlet valve).
Claim 14: Bao, Saraceno, Barker and Snyder teach the previous limitations. Bao further discloses discharging the unfiltered irrigation water from the first outlet valve includes discharging the unfiltered water at a first flow rate and wherein discharging the filtered irrigation water from the second outlet valve includes discharge the filtered water at a second flow rate (see Figure above; Examiner notes that the different flow pathways through the two different outlet valves will produce two flow rates).
Claim(s) 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (CN204070001U, Examiner additionally using its English Machine Translation, pages 1-3) in view of Saraceno (US20040108280) and Barker (US 7,775,374) and Snyder (US 8,920,140) and in further view of McLoughlin (US20130098642).
Claim 15: Bao, Saraceno, Barker and Snyder teach the previous limitations. Bao is not explicit about remotely monitoring telemetry data associated with one or more of a power source, the pump device, a filtration system, a geospatial location and prevailing weather conditions of the mobile agricultural pump system; and controlling, based upon the monitoring the telemetry data, the discharging at least some irrigation water without filtration from the first outlet valve and the discharging the irrigation water that has been filtered from the second outlet valve. However, McLoughlin teaches a control system configured in a wireless manner (see paragraph 15) to communicate with an external device (60) to facilitate remote user-control of one or more of the first outlet valve, the second outlet valve, the pump device 20), the filtration system, a treatment system, or a power source. McLoughlin further teaches that the control system is configured to monitor telemetry data associated with one or more of the power source, the pump device, the filtration system, geospatial location, prevailing weather conditions, the first outlet valve, or the second outlet valve (see paragraph 15, Examiner noting data from, e.g., the valve controllers or pump control or pressure transducer 64 which could be viewed as being part of the pump 20). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to operate the control system of Bao in a manner as taught by McLoughlin in order simplify the overall structure in the sense that wiring would no longer be needed between the control system and associated components or be susceptible to damage/wear.
Claim 16: Bao, Saraceno, Barker, Snyder and McLoughlin teach the previous limitations. Bao, as modified by Saraceno, further teaches sanitizing at least some of the filtered irrigation water (note UV component in Saraceno in Fig. 1 which can sanitize the water), and wherein the discharging the filtered irrigation water from the third outlet valve includes discharging the filtered irrigation water that has been sanitized (Saraceno’s device, as incorporated into the filter arrangement of Bao, would allow for the second outlet valve or the third outlet valve to operable to selectively discharge filtered or sanitized irrigation water via the filtration system and the treatment system).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN C ZOLLINGER whose telephone number is (571)270-7815. The examiner can normally be reached Generally M-F 9-4 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Essama Omgba can be reached at 469-295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHAN C ZOLLINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746