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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/27/2025 and 03/20/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Application on 01/27/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 18-19 are 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.
Claims 18-19 depend on cancelled claim 1. For the purpose of examination, this claims will be interpreted as depending upon claim 17.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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.
Claim(s) 17-28, and 30-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nicolaysen et al. (WO 2018/019468 A1).
With regards to claim 17:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 1 below) a subsea control module (20, 30) for controlling one or more subsea devices (2), the subsea control module comprising:
a housing (21, 31) that includes a first connection interface (28a, 28b) with one or more first connectors for connecting to one or more supply lines (40, 5a) outside the housing;
a second connection interface (22, 32) that includes one or more second connectors for connecting to at least one first subsea device (2) outside the housing;
at least one backup connector (22a, 32a; see page 10, lines 24-33, backup/redundancy connections) in a third connection interface (22a, 32a) for connecting to a second subsea device (2) outside the housing; and
one or more controllers (25, 26, 35, 36) inside the housing (21, 31) for controlling the first subsea device (2) and second subsea device (2) outside the housing (since this subsea control module (20, 30) comprises lifting handle 27, 37 used by a ROV, so it is configured to be connected to difference subsea devices, page 9, lines 25-28), the one or more controllers (25, 26, 35, 36) configured to connect to the first subsea device (2) and second subsea device (2) via at least one of:
the one or more second connectors (22a, 32a) in the second connection interface (2a, 2b); and
the backup connector (22a, 32a, the connection of the control module to the subsea device is done directly through the connectors 22a and also through the backup/redundant connection provided through the third connection interface (22a, 32a)) in the third connection interface.
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Fig. 1
With regards to claim 18:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the one or more controllers comprise a plurality of controllers (25, 26, 35, 36), the plurality of controllers including at least one first controller (26) connectable to at least one first subsea device (2) solely via the second connector (22) in the second connection interface; and at least one second controller connectable to the second subsea device solely via the backup connector (22a) in the third connection interface.
With regards to claim 19:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the one or more controllers comprise at least one controller connectable to the first subsea device and the second subsea device via at least one of:
the second connector in the second connection interface, or the backup connector in the third connection interface; and
a switch arrangement (not shown) configured to disconnect the at least one controller (26) from the second connector (22) in the second connection interface and connecting the at least one controller to the backup connector (22a).
With regards to claim 20:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the housing (21, 31) further includes a top side and a bottom side, and the first connection interface (28a, 28b) is located at the top side of the housing.
With regards to claim 21:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 20, wherein the second connection interface (22, 32) is located at the bottom side of the housing.
With regards to claim 22:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the first connection interface (28a, 28b) and the second connection interface (22, 32) are located spaced apart from each other.
With regards to claim 23:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the third connection interface (22a, 32a) is spaced apart from the first connection interface (28a, 28b) and the second connection interface (2a, 2b).
With regards to claim 24:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the one or more controllers is an electric controller or a hydraulic controller.
With regards to claim 25:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the one or more second connectors in the second connection interface are connectable to one or more first subsea devices and the backup connector is connectable to a second subsea device (since this subsea control module (20, 30) comprises lifting handle 27, 37 used by a ROV, so it is configured to be connected to difference subsea devices, page 9, lines 25-28).
With regards to claim 26:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 25, wherein the second subsea device is a replacement for the first subsea device (backup/redundancy).
With regards to claim 27:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the first subsea device and the second subsea device is an actuator (electric/hydraulic actuators).
With regards to claim 28:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17, wherein the backup connector is an ROV operated electrical connector or a hydraulic connector.
With regards to claim 30:
In making and/or using the device of Nicolaysen et al., one would necessarily perform the method of controlling one or more subsea devices, the method comprising:
providing a subsea control module (20, 30) that includes a housing (21, 31), the housing comprising:
a first connection interface (28a, 28b) that includes one or more first connectors for connecting to one or more supply lines (40, 5a) outside the housing;
a second connection interface (22, 32) that includes one or more second connectors for connecting to at least one first subsea device (2) outside the housing;
at least one backup connector (22a, 32a) in a third connection interface for connecting to at least one second subsea device outside the housing; and
one or more controllers (25, 26, 35, 36) inside the housing for controlling the at least one first subsea device outside the housing,
the one or more controllers configured to connect to the at least one first subsea device and second subsea device via at least one of:
the one or more second connectors in the second connection interface;
the backup connector in the third connection interface;
connecting the one or more first connectors in the first connection interface to one or more supply lines outside the housing;
connecting the one or more second connectors in second connection interface to at least one first subsea device outside the housing;
connecting the at least one backup connector in the third connection interface to a second subsea device outside the housing;
connecting the one or more controllers to the first subsea device and second subsea device via at least one of the second connectors in the second connection interface; and
the backup connector in the third connection interface; and
using the one or more controllers inside the housing to control the first subsea device and second subsea device outside the housing.
With regards to claim 31:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the method as recited in claim 30, further comprising:
connecting the one or more controllers inside the housing to the first subsea device via the second connector in the second connection interface;
installing the second subsea device; and
connecting the one or more controllers inside the housing to the second subsea device via the backup connector in the third connection interface.
With regards to claim 32:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the method as recited in claim 31, wherein the second subsea device comprises a replacement for the first subsea device.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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.
Claim(s) 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nicolaysen et al., as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Salen et al. (US 2014/0305656).
With regards to claim 29:
Nicolaysen et al. discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 17.
Nicolaysen et al. does not disclose the one or more second connectors (22) in the second connection interface and the backup connector (22a) are wet mate electrical connectors.
Salen et al. discloses (see [0022]) the subsea electronic modules may be connected by wet mate connectors. Wet mate connectors can be connected and disconnected under water, for example using an ROV.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the subsea control module of Nicolaysen et al. to make one or more second connectors (22) in the second connection interface and the backup connector (22a) are wet mate electrical connectors as taught by Salen et al. to provide the connectors to be connected/disconnected under water.
Nicolaysen et al., as modified, discloses the subsea control module as recited in claim 29.
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 Minh Le, whose telephone number is 571-270-3805. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881 or Craig 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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/MINH Q LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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