DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the initial filing filed on January 2, 2025, claim 1-13 have been examined this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 3/11/2025 has been acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 .
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) 1-2, 6-7, 9-10, and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Duivenvoorden (US 2009/0033544 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Duivenvoorden teaches a radar sensor [0011 for radar level gauge],
comprising a waveguide comprising a waveguide inner wall [0011 for hollow (inner wall) waveguide element 13],
a first portion, and a second portion separate from the first portion [0011 for first waveguide member element 15];
and a waveguide separator configured to separate the first section from the second section [0011 for hollow waveguide 13 which is non-conductively separated by a gap 14 into a first waveguide member 15 coupled to the antenna 2 and a second waveguide member 16],
wherein the waveguide separator is an element comprising a first component and a second component of different material than the first component [0009 for dielectric material may be different from or the same as that of the shaft member].
Regarding Claim 2, Duivenvoorden teaches the first component and the second component are different materials that have different RF properties [0012 for dielectric material has a higher (different) dielectric constant than the shaft member].
Regarding Claim 6, Duivenvoorden teaches the second component comprises a low- loss dielectric [0009 to minimize losses in the microwave transmission, the gap may be further filled with a dielectric material].
Regarding Claim 7, Duivenvoorden teaches the first component is connected to the second component without a gap [0012 for filled with a dielectric material 21 from the peripheral surface of the shaft member 18 up to the peripheral surface of the hollow waveguide].
Regarding Claim 9, Duivenvoorden teaches the waveguide separator is integral with the radar sensor [0009 for shaft member may comprise a shoulder portion filling the gap up to the peripheral surface].
Regarding Claim 10, Duivenvoorden teaches the radar sensor is a level sensor, a point level sensor, a flow sensor, or a pressure sensor [0011 for radar gauge for level].
Regarding Claim 12, Duivenvoorden teaches a waveguide separator [0011 for hollow waveguide 13 which is non-conductively separated by a gap 14 into a first waveguide member 15 coupled to the antenna 2 and a second waveguide member 16],
which is an element of a first component and a second component of different material than the first component [0009 for dielectric material may be different from or the same as that of the shaft member],
the waveguide separator being configured to galvanically isolate a first portion of a waveguide from a second portion of the waveguide [0007 for measurement circuitry is then, by the gap, isolated from the potential of the tank].
Regarding Claim 13, Duivenvoorden teaches at least the material of the second component is a nonconductive material to effect a potential separation of the first portion from the second portion [0007, 0012].
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.
Claims 3-5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duivenvoorden (US 2009/0033544 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Fredriksson et al (US 2019/0128728 A1).
Regarding Claim 3, Duivenvoorden fails to explicitly teach the different RF properties relate to an absorption and a radio frequency conductivity.
Fredriksson has a radar level gauge including a wave guiding structure and a cavity formed inside the wave guiding structure, and a dielectric filling member arranged at least partly within said cavity (abstract) and teaches the different RF properties relate to an absorption and a radio frequency conductivity [0052 for a microwave attenuation of at least 1 dB/centimeter making small microwave attenuation as possible].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar sensing techniques, as disclosed by Anderson, further including the attenuation calculations as taught by Fredriksson for the purpose to have as small microwave attenuation as possible at the operating frequency (Fredriksson, 0052).
Regarding Claim 4, Duivenvoorden teaches a shape of the waveguide separator is designed such that at least a part of the first component partially encloses the first portion [0011-0012]
Duivenvoorden fails to explicitly teach and the first component has better absorption properties than the second component.
Fredriksson has a radar level gauge including a wave guiding structure and a cavity formed inside the wave guiding structure, and a dielectric filling member arranged at least partly within said cavity (abstract) and teaches and the first component has better absorption properties than the second component [0026 for sleeve can then be integrated with the main body by sintering with 0052].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar sensing techniques, as disclosed by Anderson, further including the attenuation calculations as taught by Fredriksson for the purpose to have as small microwave attenuation as possible at the operating frequency (Fredriksson, 0052).
Regarding Claim 5, Duivenvoorden teaches a shape of the waveguide separator is designed such that the second component at least partially continues the waveguide inner wall at the separator [0012 for gap filled with dielectric].
Duivenvoorden fails to explicitly teach and the second component has a better conductivity than the first component.
Fredriksson has a radar level gauge including a wave guiding structure and a cavity formed inside the wave guiding structure, and a dielectric filling member arranged at least partly within said cavity (abstract) and teaches and the second component has a better conductivity than the first component [0052 for main body has lower attenuation].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar sensing techniques, as disclosed by Anderson, further including the attenuation calculations as taught by Fredriksson for the purpose to have as small microwave attenuation as possible at the operating frequency (Fredriksson, 0052).
Regarding Claim 8, Duivenvoorden fails to explicitly teach the first component and the second component are interconnected by one or more of the following ways: an adhesive bond, a weld, a thread, and/or a grouting.
Fredriksson has a radar level gauge including a wave guiding structure and a cavity formed inside the wave guiding structure, and a dielectric filling member arranged at least partly within said cavity (abstract) and teaches the first component and the second component are interconnected by one or more of the following ways: an adhesive bond, a weld, a thread, and/or a grouting [0007 for attenuating foil is fixed to a dielectric filling body with an adhesive film].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar sensing techniques, as disclosed by Anderson, further including the attenuation calculations as taught by Fredriksson for the purpose to have as small microwave attenuation as possible at the operating frequency (Fredriksson, 0052).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duivenvoorden (US 2009/0033544 A1) in view of Fredriksson et al (US 2019/0128728 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Edvardsson (US 2005/0083229 A1).
Regarding Claim 11, Duivenvoorden teaches an electronics unit with an RF component and an adapter element [0011 for measurement circuit to generate microwaves].
Duivenvoorden fails to explicitly teach wherein the adapter element is designed such that the electronics unit is located on a first side of the adapter element and the first section of the waveguide is located on an opposite second side of the adapter element, the waveguide separator abutting against the adapter element.
Edvardsson has a radar level gauge using microwaves for measuring a level of a surface of a product in a tank (abstract) and teaches wherein the adapter element is designed such that the electronics unit is located on a first side of the adapter element [0035 for circuit board containing electronic components of the radar level gauge is attached to the flanges (adapter)]
and the first section of the waveguide is located on an opposite second side of the adapter element [0034 for the antenna wave guide member 21, which is provided with flanges 22 for facing and supporting the measurement circuitry],
the waveguide separator abutting against the adapter element [0035 means of an intermediate (abut) dielectric barrier].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar sensing techniques, as disclosed by Anderson, further including the waveguide calculations as taught by Edvardsson for the purpose to have as small microwave attenuation as possible at the operating frequency (Fredriksson, 0052).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bergmann et al (US 2016/0273954 A1) has an apparatus for determining or monitoring the fill level of a fill substance located in a container in a process, comprising: a signal producing unit; an in-coupling/out-coupling unit an antenna unit.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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