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 .
Status of the Application
2. Claim 1-15 have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits.
Drawings
3. The drawings filed on 11/7/24 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4-5, and 11-13 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.
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 6 recites the limitation "the rate”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
6. Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is software per se and software is not a statutory category of patentable subject matter because claim 14 is a computer program product which is not embodied on any statutory medium.
The Examiner suggests amending the claim to read “A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program code for performing…..……” to overcome this rejection. Examiner also suggest that while amending claims to overcome 101 rejection, the amendment should supported under 354 U.S.C 112(a).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. Claim 1-3, 7-10, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nilsson (Hereinafter known as “Nilsson 1”) (Pub: 2011/0093129) in view of Nilsson (Hereinafter known as “Nilsson 2”) (Pub: 2012/0162003).
9. Regarding claim 1, Nilsson 1 teaches A field device system configured to determine a process variable (e.g., According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing operating power to a sensor for detecting a process variable) (Para. [0024]), the field device system comprising: processing circuitry configured to be connected to a sensing unit for determining a process variable (e.g., According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a radar level gauge comprising a microwave unit for transmitting microwaves into the tank, and receiving a reflection from the tank, processing circuitry connected to the microwave unit and arranged to determine the level based on a relation between transmitted microwaves and the reflection, a power interface for connecting the radar level gauge to an external power supply, and power management circuitry arranged to provide power at an operating voltage to the microwave unit and the processing circuitry.) (Para. [0013], Fig. 1, element 16 as a processing circuitry and );
a power interface arranged to receive power from a power supply (e.g., a power interface for connecting the radar level gauge to an external power supply) (Para. [0013], Fig. 1),
and power management circuitry arranged to provide power at an operating voltage to the sensing unit and the processing circuitry (e.g., and power management circuitry arranged to provide power at an operating voltage to the microwave unit and the processing circuitry) (Para. [0013], Fig. 1),
the power management circuitry comprising: a first voltage converter, having a low voltage end configured to receive a drive voltage from the power interface and a high-voltage end configured to supply an intermediate voltage higher than the operating voltage (e.g., The power management circuitry includes a first voltage converter, having a low-voltage end for receiving a drive voltage from the power interface and a high-voltage end for supplying an intermediate voltage higher than the operating voltage) (Para. [0013], Fig. 1, element 31);
a capacitive energy storage arranged to be charged by the intermediate voltage (e.g., a temporary energy store arranged to be charged by the intermediate voltage) (Para. [0013]);
a second voltage converter, having an input side configured to receive an input voltage from the capacitive energy storage and an output side configured to provide the operating voltage (e.g., a second voltage converter, having a high-voltage end for receiving an input voltage from the energy store, and a low-voltage end for providing the operating voltage lower than the input voltage.) (Para. [0013], element 32);
Nilsson 1 does not specifically teach a voltage feedback circuit configured to determine an output voltage of the capacitive energy storage; and a control circuit connected to the voltage feedback circuit and configured to control the first voltage converter to charge the capacitive energy storage based on the output voltage of the capacitive energy storage.
Nilsson 2 teaches a voltage feedback circuit configured to determine an output voltage of the capacitive energy storage; and a control circuit connected to the voltage feedback circuit and configured to control the first voltage converter to charge the capacitive energy storage based on the output voltage of the capacitive energy storage (e.g., However, practically any switching converter may be used in the field device according to various embodiments of the present invention. For example, a forward converter or a flyback converter may be used) (The first converter can be flyback converter, also in ordinary skill of the art “A flyback converter is an isolated power supply that uses a transformer to store and transfer energy, making it well-suited for charging capacitive storage with voltage feedback and control”) (Para. [0049]).
Because Nilsson 2 is also directed to a loop-powered field device for determining a process variable, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Nilsson 1 and Nilsson 2 before him/her, to modify the teachings of Nilsson 1 to include the teaching of Nilsson 2 in order to charging capacitive storage with voltage feedback and control.
10. Regarding claim 2, the combination of Nilsson 1 and Nilsson 2 teaches the field device system according to claim 1, wherein Nilsson 1 teaches the control circuit is configured to control the first voltage converter to charge the capacitive energy storage to a predetermined energy level (e.g., The monitor readout also provides a possibility to optimize the duration of the measurement cycle, in order to ensure that sufficient charging of the temporary energy store can be effected between measurements. In principle, monitor readout 46 can be used to initialize the next measurement cycle as soon as the temporary energy store is sufficiently charged. Such control would make the duration of the cycle dynamic, so that it will depend on the available power, i.e. the current in the loop) (sufficiently charged is interpreted to predetermined energy level) (Para. [0047]).
11. Regarding claim 3, the combination of Nilsson 1 and Nilsson 2 teaches the field device system according to claim 1, wherein Nilsson 1 teaches the control circuit is configured to control the first voltage converter to charge the capacitive energy storage to a voltage level corresponding to the energy required for operation of the field device (e.g., The monitor readout also provides a possibility to optimize the duration of the measurement cycle, in order to ensure that sufficient charging of the temporary energy store can be effected between measurements. In principle, monitor readout 46 can be used to initialize the next measurement cycle as soon as the temporary energy store is sufficiently charged. Such control would make the duration of the cycle dynamic, so that it will depend on the available power, i.e. the current in the loop) (sufficiently charged is interpreted to voltage level corresponding to the energy required for operation of the field device) (Para. [0047]).
12. Regarding claim 7, the combination of Nilsson 1 and Nilsson 2 teaches the field device system according to claim 1, wherein Nilsson 1 teaches the second voltage converter is an up/down converter (e.g., According to this embodiment, the circuitry 30 includes a DC/DC step-up converter 31, here referred to as a boost converter, and a DC/DC step-down converter 32 connected in series. Both converters are preferably of the type that performs voltage conversion while essentially preserving the input power.) (Para. [0037])
13. Regarding claim 8, Claim 8 recites a method that implement the field device system of claim 1, with substantially the same limitations, respectively. Therefore the rejection applied to claim 1, also applies to claim 8 respectively.
14. Regarding claim 9-10, as to claim 9-10, applicant is directed to the citation for claim 2-3, respectively above.
15. Regarding claim 14, the combination of Nilsson 1 and Nilsson 2 teaches the method of claim 8, wherein Nilsson 1 further teaches A computer program product comprising program code for performing, when executed by a processor device (e.g., The microwave unit 13 can comprise a microwave controller 14, a microwave emitter/receiver 15, and a signal transfer medium 18 connecting the emitter/receiver 13 to the controller 14. The controller 14 is connected to the processing circuitry 16 by a data bus 20, and is adapted to generate a microwave signal in accordance with control data from the processing circuitry 16. The controller 14 can comprise a transmitter, a receiver, a circulator and any control circuitry required to manage these components) (controller in general includes memory, processor, and computer program code) (Para. [0031]).
16. Regarding claim 15, the combination of Nilsson 1 and Nilsson 2 teaches the method of claim 8, wherein Nilsson 1 further teaches A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor device, cause the processor device to perform the method of claim 8 (e.g., The microwave unit 13 can comprise a microwave controller 14, a microwave emitter/receiver 15, and a signal transfer medium 18 connecting the emitter/receiver 13 to the controller 14. The controller 14 is connected to the processing circuitry 16 by a data bus 20, and is adapted to generate a microwave signal in accordance with control data from the processing circuitry 16. The controller 14 can comprise a transmitter, a receiver, a circulator and any control circuitry required to manage these components) (controller in general includes memory, processor, and computer program code) (Para. [0031]).
17. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nilsson (Hereinafter known as “Nilsson 1”) (Pub: 2011/0093129) in view of Nilsson (Hereinafter known as “Nilsson 2”) (Pub: 2012/0162003), and further in view of MacDonald (Pub: 2019/0006855).
18. Regarding claim 6, the combination of Nilsson 1 and Nilsson 2 teaches the field device system according to claim 1 but does not specifically teach wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the rate of charge of the capacitive energy storage by controlling a duty cycle of the first voltage converter.
MacDonald teaches wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the rate of charge of the capacitive energy storage by controlling a duty cycle of the first voltage converter (e.g., In particular, the controller 50 changes the duty cycle of a switching circuit of the power switch 70 using the converter 45 to adjust a charge current, and therefore adjusting the charge rate according to the selected charging mode) (Para. [0049]).
Because MacDonald is also directed to a converter that receives a source of power from a power source, and outputs the source of power to the battery, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Nilsson 1, Nilsson 2 and MacDonald before him/her, to modify the combined teachings of Nilsson 1, and Nilsson 2 to include the teaching of MacDonald in order to adjust a charge current, and therefore adjusting the charge rate according to the selected charging mode (Para. [0049]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
disclosure.
Nyberg (Pub: 2016/0341767) disclose a field device for determining a process variable and providing a measurement signal indicative of the process variable to a remote location via a two-wire current loop. The field device comprises a measurement device for determining the process variable; a current control device electrically connected in series with the measurement device and controllable by the measurement device to provide the measurement signal to the two-wire current loop; and voltage regulation circuitry electrically connected in series with the current control device and the measurement device for controlling a voltage across the current control device towards a desired voltage by varying a voltage across the voltage regulation circuitry (Abstract).
Nilsson (Pub: 2010/0123614) disclose a power management circuitry arranged to provide regulated operating power to a sensor for detecting a process variable, the power management circuitry comprising a DC-DC converter having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a reference terminal connected to an electrical reference point, wherein a first voltage level at the input terminal and a second voltage level at the output terminal relates to a reference voltage level at the electrical reference point, and an energy storage capacitor connected between the input and output terminals of the DC-DC converter (Para. [0019]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIGNESHKUMAR C PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-0698. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth M. Lo can be reached at (571)272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIGNESHKUMAR C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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