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 .
39.
(New) The OPM according to claim 37, wherein said controller is configured to determine
said calibration error by:
processing said plurality of detector measurements to determine a plurality of magnetic field
measurements; and
comparing said plurality of magnetic field measurements with said set of known magnetic
fields wherein said controller is configured to adjust said processing to reduce said calibration
error.
40.
(New) The OPM according to claim 39, wherein said processing comprises fitting an ideal
function to each said set, where said magnetic field measurement is extracted using said fitted ideal function, wherein said controller is configured to adjust one or more parameter of said fitting.
41.
(New) The OPM according to claim 40, wherein said processing comprises truncating said
mcasurement data.
Claim Objections
Claim 37 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 37 further recites:
“generate a calibration circuitry control signal configured to drive said calibration circuitry to sequentially to generate a set of known magnetic fields with predefined frequencies.”
The phrase “to sequentially to generate” contains an apparent grammatical error due to the duplicated term “to.” Applicant is required to clarify the intended language.
Change: “having a plurality frequencies” to - -having a plurality of frequencies. - -
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.
Claims 37 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 37 recites “calibration circuitry configured to generate magnetic fields having a plurality frequencies across said vapor chamber.” The limitation is unclear because it is not apparent what is meant by magnetic fields having “a plurality frequencies across” the vapor chamber. In particular, it is unclear whether “across said vapor chamber” refers to a spatial distribution of the magnetic fields across the vapor chamber, whether the magnetic fields are generated at a plurality of different frequencies, or whether some other relationship between the frequencies and the vapor chamber is intended.
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 37-56 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Knappe et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2018/0313908 A1).
With respect to claim 37, Knappe et al. discloses an optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) (see the magnetometers 3 shown in Fig. 1) having a vapor chamber (para 0003, lines 8-11), a light source (para 0003, lines 7-8).
configured to supply light to said vapor chamber (para 0003, lines 8-11), a detector positioned to measure light emitted from said vapor chamber , and comprising:
calibration circuitry configured to generate magnetic fields having a plurality frequencies across said vapor chamber (para 0024, lines 1-10); and
a controller operatively coupled to the calibration circuitry and configured to, in a calibration
mode: generate a calibration circuitry control signal configured to drive said
calibration (1A and 1B showing non-target magnetic fields shown in Fig. 1)
circuitry to sequentially to generate a set of known magnetic fields with predefined frequencies
receive, from said detector, a plurality of detector measurements (para 0022, lines 1-9), each
measurement corresponding to a known magnetic field of said set (para 0023, lines 1-7);
determine a calibration error of said OPM using said set of known magnetic fields and
said plurality of detector measurements (para 0021, lines 10-19).
With respect to claim 38, Knappe et al. discloses the OMP according to claim 37, wherein said controller is configured to adjust one or more operational parameter of said OPM to reduce said calibration error (see abstract, lines 1-2; measure and adjust several parameters of a magnetic imaging array), the one or more operational parameter comprising one or more parameter of said light source (para 0066, lines 1-9), and/or one or more parameter of said detector (para 0023, lines 1-7).
With respect to claim 42, Knappe et al. discloses the OMP according to claim 37, comprising a housing hosting at least said vapor chamber, said calibration circuitry, said light source, and said detector (para 0066, lines 1-14).
With respect to claim 43, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 37, wherein said controller is configured to: receive calibration parameters from a memory (para 0025, lines 4-9);
generate said calibration circuitry control signal using said calibration parameters (see abstract, lines 1-2; measure and adjust several parameters of a magnetic imaging array).
With respect to claim 44, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 38, wherein said controller is configured to: extract, for each of said plurality of detector measurements, a resonance frequency; and determine a magnetic field measurement from said resonance frequency (para 0024, lines 3-7).
With respect to claim 45, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 44, wherein when said OPM is in said calibration mode (para 0023, lines 1-7), said controller is configured to iteratively perform generation and measurement of known magnetic fields (para 0024, lines 1-7), and adjustment of said one or more operational parameter of said magnetometer and/or to perform adjustment of processing of detector measurements until said calibration error is below a threshold (para 0025, lines 4-9).
With respect to claim 46, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 44, wherein said controller is configured to: control a modulation signal (para 0024, lines 1-10);
extract, for each of said plurality of detector measurements, said resonance frequency,
using said modulation signal (para 0024, lines 1-10).
With respect to claim 47, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 46, wherein said modulation signal is a signal configured to modulate a frequency of light emitted by said light source (para 0003, lines 1-11); or is a signal configured to modulate a frequency of microwaves emitted by a microwave antenna (see abstract, lines 10-14).
With respect to claim 48, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 37, wherein said controller is configured to determine a calibration error for each of said set of known magnetic fields by comparison with a corresponding magnetic field measurement (para 0021, lines 10-19).
With respect to claim 49, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 37, wherein said predefined frequencies are distributed within a calibration magnetic signal bandwidth (para 0025, lines 4-9); and wherein said calibration magnetic signal bandwidth corresponds to a desired measurement bandwidth of said OPM (para 0012, lines 3-12).
With respect to claim 50, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 49, wherein said calibration circuitry comprises at least one element providing an additional function, wherein, when said at least one element is driven to provide said additional function, magnetic fields generated are outside said calibration magnetic signal bandwidth (para 0021, lines 1-12).
With respect to claim 51, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 49, wherein said magnetic fields generated are of frequencies above 1kHz or above 3kHz (para 0027, lines 6-15); and
said measurement bandwidth of said OPM includes frequencies below 1kHz (para 0027, lines 6-15).
With respect to claim 52, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 50, wherein said at least one element comprises one or more of: heating circuitry configured to control temperature of said vapor chamber; and microwave antenna circuitry configured to generate microwaves to induce magnetic resonance within said vapor chamber (para 0021, lines 1-19).
With respect to claim 53, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 37, wherein said calibration circuitry is adjacent to said vapor chamber without magnetically shielding material therebetween (para 0003, lines 7-11).
With respect to claim 54, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 37, wherein said set of known magnetic fields comprise pulses having one or more of a known time and a known duration (para 0021, lines 1-5); wherein said controller is configured to extract, for one or more pulse, a corresponding detector measurement, using said known time and/or known duration (para 0023, lines 1-7).
With respect to claim 55, Knappe et al. discloses the OPM according to claim 37, wherein said set of known magnetic fields have higher amplitude than fields to be measured by said OPM (para 0024, lines 4-8).
With respect to claim 56, Knappe et al. discloses a method of optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) calibration to be performed in the field (para 0024, lines 1-10) comprising:
driving calibration circuitry of the OPM to sequentially generate a set of known magnetic
fields with predefined frequencies (para 0027, lines 6-15)
receiving, from a detector of the OPM, a plurality of detector measurements, each
measurement corresponding to a known magnetic field of said set (para 0021, lines 1-12).
determining a calibration error of said OPM using said set of known magnetic fields and
said plurality of detector measurements (para 0021, lines 10-19).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARHANA AKHTER HOQUE whose telephone number is (571)270-7543. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm.
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/FARHANA A HOQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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