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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I in the reply filed on July 13, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the Groups have a similar subject matter and separate searches would likely identify the same references. This is not found persuasive because the claims in Group II refer to the method of making the sensor array system and a search for the claims in Group I will not necessarily address this subject matter so an additional search would be required. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 13-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Honeker et al. (US 10,961,819, hereafter Honeker)
With respect to claim 1, Honeker teaches a downhole sensor array system, comprising: a tube encapsulation cable (TEC) (electric cable 40); and a downhole sensor array disposed within the TEC, the downhole sensor array comprising: one or more temperature sensors (sensors 44); one or more pressure sensors (sensors 44); and one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) (circuit board 241). (col. 8, lines 26-50, col. 11, lines 27-60, Figs. 1A-2C)
With respect to claim 3, Honeker teaches the downhole sensor array further comprises one or more additional sensors (sensors 44), the one or more additional sensors comprising an inclination sensor, an acoustic sensor, a density sensor, a viscosity sensor, a permittivity sensor, a conductivity sensor, a pH sensor, a flow rate sensor, a water cut sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, or a combination thereof. (col. 8, lines 26-50)
With respect to claim 4, Honeker teaches one or more measurements from the one or more temperature sensors, the one or more pressure sensors, the one or more PCBs, and the one or more additional sensors are collected along a length of a well. (col. 8, lines 26-50)
With respect to claim 5, Honeker teaches the one or more measurements are received by a controller. (col. 8, lines 26-50, col. 11, lines 27-60)
With respect to claim 7, Honeker teaches a gauge carrier coupled to a downhole end of the downhole sensor array system, wherein the gauge carrier is coupled to a production tubing disposed in a well. (col. 8, lines 26-50, col. 11, lines 27-60)
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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Honeker in view of Dufour et al. (WO 2023/183375, hereafter Dufour)
With respect to claim 2, Honeker teaches all that is claimed, as in the above rejection, except for explicitly teaching wherein the one or more temperature sensors and the one or more PCBs include 3-axis vibration sensors.
Dufour teaches a downhole measurement system wherein the sensor array includes multiaxis vibration sensors. (par. 46)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the structure of Honeker to include vibration sensors, a taught by Dufour, in order to monitor the vibrations of the reservoir to aid in determining flowrate of fluid within the reservoir or other properties related to the flow of fluid within the reservoir.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Honeker
With respect to claim 6. Honeker teaches the downhole sensor array system is configured to be deployed in: a first volume of the well, wherein the first volume is defined by a production tubing of the well; a second volume of the well, wherein the second volume is defined by a casing of the well and the production tubing of the well, the casing annularly surrounding the production tubing. (col. 7, lines 53-62) Although Honeker does not explicitly discuss the system to be deployed in cement, wherein the cement annularly surrounds the casing and cements the casing in place, one having ordinary skill in the art would find this to be an obvious alternative location in order to receive sensor data from a different location in the wellbore.
With respect to claim 8, although Honeker does not explicitly discuss a fluid identification sensor coupled to a downhole end of the downhole sensor array system, one having ordinary skill in the art would find this to be an obvious type of sensor to include in order to monitor this type of information.
With respect to claims 9-11, although Honeker does not explicitly teach wherein the TEC is coupled to a boss of the downhole sensor array, the boss comprising: one or more seals; one or more seal bosses; an annular channel; and a pressure channel, wherein the TEC is coupled to the downhole sensor array via a crimp, a weld, or an O-ring and wherein the boss is coupled to a pressure sensor of the one or more pressure sensors via a compression seal, the compression seal comprising a seal channel, these are all typical constructional details and therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to include these details in order to properly attach and protect the sensors.
With respect to claim 12, although Honeker does not explicitly discuss a diameter of the TEC, Honeker teaches that it can be used in relatively small production tubing (col. 7, lines 53-62) and therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide a TEC with a relatively small diameter which could be optimized through routine experimentation.
With respect to claim 18, Honeker teaches a method of downhole measurement collection, comprising: deploying a downhole sensor array system into a well, the downhole sensor array system comprising: a tube encapsulation cable (TEC) (electric cable 40); and a downhole sensor array housed within the TEC, the downhole sensor array comprising: one or more temperature sensors (sensors 44); one or more pressure sensors (sensors 44); and one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) (circuit board 241); collecting data along a length of a well using the downhole sensor array system; and receiving data collected from the downhole sensor array system at a controller. (col. 8, lines 26-50, col. 11, lines 27-60, Figs. 1A-2C)
Although Honeker does not explicitly discuss a diameter of the TEC, Honeker teaches that it can be used in relatively small production tubing (col. 7, lines 53-62) and therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide a TEC with a relatively small diameter which could be optimized through routine experimentation.
With respect to claim 19, although Honeker does not explicitly discuss wherein the controller controls deploying of the downhole sensor array system into the well via a stuffing box, this is a conventional apparatus and therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include this structure to provide predictable advantages.
With respect to claim 20, Honeker teaches deploying the downhole sensor array system into: a first volume of the well, wherein the first volume is defined by a production tubing of the well; and a second volume of a well, wherein the second volume is defined by a casing of the well and the production tubing of the well, the casing annularly surrounding the production tubing. (col. 7, lines 53-62) Although Honeker does not explicitly discuss the system to be deployed in cement, wherein the cement annularly surrounds the casing and cements the casing in place, one having ordinary skill in the art would find this to be an obvious alternative location in order to receive sensor data from a different location in the wellbore.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 9,447,677; US 9,874,084; US 10,408,039; and US 11,180,983 each teach an invention having obvious similarities to the claimed subject matter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jill E Culler whose telephone number is (571)272-2159. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00.
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/JILL E CULLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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