DETAILED ACTION
Non-Final Rejection
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 statements (IDS’s) submitted on 20 February 2025 and 4 March 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-11 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kapoor (U.S. Patent Publication 2015/0240996).
Regarding claim 1, Kapoor discloses A mobile gas storage system 10 (FIG. 12), comprising:
a trailer skid 246;
one or more gas tanks 128, 130, 132; and
a compressor 40 in fluid communication with the one or more gas tanks, wherein:
the compressor is configured to compress gas from a gas source into the one or more gas tanks (Paragraph 27);
the one or more gas tanks are configured to provide gas to a downstream device 140/142 (FIG. 11); and
at least one of the compressor or the one or more gas tanks is coupled to the trailer skid (FIG. 12) (FIG. 1, 11-13; Paragraph 26-31).
Regarding claim 2, Kapoor discloses the compressor is configured to slipstream gas (10A slipstream from 254) (Paragraph 52) from the gas source when a gas supply of the gas source exceeds a gas demand of the downstream device (FIG. 13; Paragraph 52-53).
Regarding claim 3, Kapoor discloses the compressor is coupled to the trailer skid (FIG. 12).
Regarding claim 4, Kapoor discloses a controller 204 configured to:
activate the compressor to compress gas from the gas source into the one or more gas
tanks when a gas supply of the gas source exceeds a gas demand of the downstream device (“valves 134, 136, 138 are in communication with controller 204 as well as valves 154, 156, 158, 159. Thus, flow through lines 94 and/or lines 148, 150, 152 can be controlled via the controller 204 by manipulation of valves 134, 136, 138 and/or 150, 156, 158, 159 so that flow from the compressor package 40 can flow directly to the storage tanks 128, 130, 132 or direct flow to dispensers 140, 142”. If the gas is being supplied through the compressor and does not have the ability to go to the dispensers 140/142, the controller will adjust the valves in order for the fluid to go somewhere, in this instance the storage tanks); and
provide gas from the one or more gas tanks to the downstream device when a gas demand of the downstream device exceeds a gas supply of the gas source (“valves 134, 136, 138 are in communication with controller 204 as well as valves 154, 156, 158, 159. Thus, flow through lines 94 and/or lines 148, 150, 152 can be controlled via the controller 204 by manipulation of valves 134, 136, 138 and/or 150, 156, 158, 159 so that flow from the compressor package 40 can flow directly to the storage tanks 128, 130, 132 or direct flow to dispensers 140, 142”. If the gas is being supplied through the compressor and does not have enough gas from the storage tanks 128/130/132 to meet the demand from the dispensers 140/142, the controller will adjust the valves in order for the demand to be met by another fluid supply, in this instance the supply) (Paragraph 43).
Regarding claim 5, Kapoor discloses a gas supply sensor 206 in fluid communication with the gas source and operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the gas supply sensor provides a gas supply parameter to the controller (Paragraph 42).
Regarding claim 6, Kapoor discloses a gas tank sensor (pressure tap of 210) in fluid communication with the one or more gas tanks and operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the gas tank sensor provides a gas tank parameter to the controller (FIG. 10; Paragraph 43).
Regarding claim 7, Kapoor discloses the controller is further configured to monitor the gas demand of the downstream device (Paragraph 43).
Regarding claim 8, Kapoor discloses the one or more gas tanks comprises a plurality of gas tanks (128, 130, 132) (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Kapoor discloses the gas source comprises a gas processing system (272, 276) (FIG. 13; Paragraph 51).
Regarding claim 10, Kapoor discloses the gas processing system is configured to provide gas suitable for the downstream device (Paragraph 51).
Regarding claim 11, Kapoor discloses the gas processing system comprises at least one of a slug catcher, a hydrogen sulfide regulating device, or a mobile refrigeration unit 48 (FIG. 1; Paragraph 27).
Regarding claim 16, Kapoor discloses the downstream device comprises a gas distribution system 142 (FIG. 11).
Regarding claim 17, Kapoor discloses the gas distribution system comprises at least one of a high pressure distribution device (Paragraph 27), a low pressure distribution device, or a hose reel (Paragraph 5, 27).
Regarding claim 18, Kapoor discloses the one or more gas tanks are coupled to the trailer skid (FIG. 2, 11, 12).
Regarding claim 19, Kapoor discloses a method to provide gas, the method comprising:
slipstreaming gas from a gas source when a gas supply of the gas source exceeds a gas demand of a downstream device (Paragraph 52);
compressing gas from the gas source into one or more storage tanks (128, 130, 132) coupled to a trailer skid 246 (Paragraph 27); and
providing gas from the one or more storage tanks to the downstream device when the gas demand of the downstream device exceeds the gas supply of the gas source (Paragraph 43) (FIG. 1, 2, 12; Paragraph 27, 43, 52).
Regarding claim 20, Kapoor discloses a non-transitory machine readable storage medium containing executable instructions which, when executed by a controller 204, cause the controller to perform a method, the method comprising:
activating a compressor 40 to compress gas slipstreamed from a gas source into one or more gas tanks (128, 130, 132) when a gas supply from the gas source exceeds a gas demand of a downstream device (140, 142) (“valves 134, 136, 138 are in communication with controller 204 as well as valves 154, 156, 158, 159. Thus, flow through lines 94 and/or lines 148, 150, 152 can be controlled via the controller 204 by manipulation of valves 134, 136, 138 and/or 150, 156, 158, 159 so that flow from the compressor package 40 can flow directly to the storage tanks 128, 130, 132 or direct flow to dispensers 140, 142”. If the gas is being supplied through the compressor and does not have the ability to go to the dispensers 140/142, the controller will adjust the valves in order for the fluid to go somewhere, in this instance the storage tanks), wherein the compressor or the one or more gas tanks are coupled to a trailer skid 246 (FIG. 12; Paragraph 52); and
providing gas from the one or more gas tanks to the downstream device when the gas demand of the downstream device exceeds the gas supply of the gas source (“valves 134, 136, 138 are in communication with controller 204 as well as valves 154, 156, 158, 159. Thus, flow through lines 94 and/or lines 148, 150, 152 can be controlled via the controller 204 by manipulation of valves 134, 136, 138 and/or 150, 156, 158, 159 so that flow from the compressor package 40 can flow directly to the storage tanks 128, 130, 132 or direct flow to dispensers 140, 142”. If the gas is being supplied through the compressor and does not have enough gas from the storage tanks 128/130/132 to meet the demand from the dispensers 140/142, the controller will adjust the valves in order for the demand to be met by another fluid supply, in this instance the supply) (Paragraph 43) (FIG. 1, 2, 12; Paragraph 43, 52).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kapoor in view of Ough (U.S. Patent Publication 2022/0278531).
Regarding claim 13, Kapoor discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for claim 1.
Kapoor further discloses the downstream device comprises a transport vessel 280 (FIG. 13).
Kapoor is silent regarding the downstream device comprises a reciprocating generator.
However, Ough teaches the downstream device 10 comprises a reciprocating generator 14 on a transport vessel (FIG. 1; Paragraph 32, 43-44).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Kapoor by making the downstream device a reciprocating generator, as taught by Ough, for the purpose of allowing for space-efficient and rapidly deployable power generation.
Regarding claim 14, Kapoor discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for claim 1.
Kapoor further discloses the downstream device comprises a transport vessel 280 (FIG. 13).
Kapoor is silent regarding the downstream device comprises a plurality of reciprocating generators.
However, Ough teaches the downstream device 10 comprises a plurality of reciprocating generators 14 on a transport vessel (FIG. 1; Paragraph 32, 43-44).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Kapoor by making the downstream device a plurality of reciprocating generators, as taught by Ough, for the purpose of allowing for space-efficient and rapidly deployable power generation.
Regarding claim 15, Kapoor, as modified above, discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for claim 14.
Kapoor/Ough further teaches the plurality of reciprocating generators are coupled to a switchgear (Ough 12) (Ough FIG. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is 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 closest prior art fails to anticipate or make obvious the gas processing system comprises the slug catcher, the hydrogen sulfide regulating device, and the mobile refrigeration unit, along with the other limitations of the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER D BALLMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-9984. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 6:00-3:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig M Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER D BALLMAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3753
/MICHAEL R REID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753