DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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 Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending .
Claim Interpretation
The claim elements do not invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).
References
D1: US20190317200 VIKLUND 2019-10-17
D2: US6643221 Hsu et al. 2003-11-04
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 102
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, 4-6, 10, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D1.
With regards to claim 1, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of an apparatus comprising: an acoustic element (3) arranged within an assembly (1); one or more chambers (5) disposed along a first set of sides (see Figs. 1 & 4: element 4) of the assembly that are configured to attenuate (Abstract: damping structure 5) acoustic energy according to at least a first coefficient; and one or more acoustic transmission regions (11) disposed within a second set of sides of the assembly (Figs. 1, 3 & 4) that attenuate acoustic energy according to a second coefficient (¶ 0052), wherein: the one or more chambers (5) attenuate acoustic energy that propagates from directions that correspond to locations of the first set of sides (4) of the assembly according to the at least first attenuation coefficient, and acoustic energy that propagates from directions that correspond to locations of the second set of sides (11) of the assembly pass through the second set of sides of the assembly toward the acoustic element according to the second coefficient (¶ 0052).
With regards to claims 4-6, 10, and 11, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of an acoustic element transmits pulses of sound energy more efficiently through the assembly along the locations that correspond to the second set of sides (11) of the assembly than the locations of the assembly that correspond to the first set of sides (4) of the assembly (¶ 0052).
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
Claims 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over D1 as applied to claims 1, 4-6, 10, and 11 above, and further in combination with D2.
The difference between the D1 reference and claims 2, 8, and 9 is that the claim recites the utilization of a set of geometric features disposed in the one or more chambers, wherein a portion of the geometric features support structural integrity of the one or more chambers when the assembly is exposed to a wellbore environment. The D2 reference teaches that it was well known in the art to utilize a set of geometric features (column 10, lines 15-20: particles) disposed (column 9, line 61-column 10, line 19) in the one or more chambers (1006), wherein a portion of the geometric features support structural integrity of the one or more chambers when the assembly is exposed to a wellbore (Abstract and column 1, lines 35-45) environment. It would have been obvious to modify the D1 reference to utilize particles as motivated by the D2 reference to enable the D1 system to provide additional damping (column 10, lines 15-20).
With regards to claim 3, the D2 reference discloses the particles have a shape that corresponds to a curve (column 11, lines 25-30).
With regards to claims 7 and 14, the D2 reference discloses the particles can be fluid saturated, gas or liquid (column 11, lines 3-25).
With regards to claims 12, 15, 16, and 17, the D2 reference discloses analyzing data (Abstract, FIG. 1: processor).
With regards to claims 13 and 20, the D2 reference discloses the device is directional (column 6, lines 23-47).
With regards to claim 18, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of an acoustic element transmits pulses of sound energy more efficiently through the assembly along the locations that correspond to the second set of sides (11) of the assembly than the locations of the assembly that correspond to the first set of sides (4) of the assembly (¶ 0052).
With regards to claim 19, the D2 reference discloses analyzing data associated with the sensed reflections (Abstract).
Also in view of 550 U.S. 398, 401 (2007), the aforementioned combination of familiar elements according to known methods as shown above is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results.
Examiner Note
Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record in the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. However, any citation to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33, 216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)). Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dan Pihulic whose telephone number is 571-272-6977. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Helal Algahaim, can be reached on 571-270-5227.
/Daniel Pihulic/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3645
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