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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the feature of “a potentiometer and an amplifier” as recited in claim 7 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
It appears that the specification does not provide sufficient support for the limitation of “the differential sensor further comprises: a potentiometer located on the PCB proximal the reference vortex MTJ sensor array configured to amplify the voltage of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array; andan amplifier configured to amplify the voltage of the signal vortex MTJ sensor array,wherein the potentiometer adjusts a gain associated with the reference vortex MTJ sensor array to balance the sensitivities of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array” as recited in claim 7.
Double Patenting
A rejection based on double patenting of the “same invention” type finds its support in the language of 35 U.S.C. 101 which states that “whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process... may obtain a patent therefor...” (Emphasis added). Thus, the term “same invention,” in this context, means an invention drawn to identical subject matter. See Miller v. Eagle Mfg. Co., 151 U.S. 186 (1894); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Ockert, 245 F.2d 467, 114 USPQ 330 (CCPA 1957).
A statutory type (35 U.S.C. 101) double patenting rejection can be overcome by canceling or amending the claims that are directed to the same invention so they are no longer coextensive in scope. The filing of a terminal disclaimer cannot overcome a double patenting rejection based upon 35 U.S.C. 101.
Claims 1-6 and 8-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as claiming the same invention as that of claims 1-19 of prior U.S. Patent No. 12,241,865. This is a statutory double patenting rejection.
Application sn#19/042,183 U.S. Patent No. 12,241,865
1. A magnetic gradiometer comprising:a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a first end and a second end separated by a length; an excitation coil encircling at least a portion of the PCB and configured to deliver an alternating current (AC) to generate an excitation magnetic field; and a differential sensor comprising: a reference magnetic tunneling junction in magnetic vortex state (vortex MTJ) sensor array proximal to the first end to generate a voltage based on the excitation magnetic field; and a signal vortex MTJ sensor array proximal to the second end to generate another voltage based on the excitation magnetic field due to a composition of a measurement target, wherein the second end of the PCB is oriented towards the measurement target, and wherein the reference vortex MTJ sensor and the signal vortex MTJ sensor are separated by a base length.
2. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein the voltage based on the excitation magnetic field and the other voltage based on the excitation magnetic field due to the composition of the measurement target each comprise an ambient signal based on an ambient magnetic field
3.The magnetic gradiometer of claim 2, wherein the differential sensor cancels a substantial amount of the ambient signal and provides an intended signal based on the composition of the measurement target as a voltage output.
4. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 3, wherein the voltage output is based on a standoff distance, wherein the standoff distance is the distance between the signal vortex MTJ sensor array and the measurement target.
5. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 4, wherein the standoff distance is 10 cm or less.
6. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein a sensitivity of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and a sensitivity of the signal vortex MTJ sensor array are balanced.
8. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein each of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array comprises at least one MTJ sensor element.
9. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array each comprises an array of 48 x 32 MTJ sensor elements.
10. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array comprises series connections within array rows and parallel connections between each of the array rows.
11. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein each of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array comprise a total of 40,000 or less MTJ sensor elements in series connections within array rows and parallel connections between each of the array rows.
12. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein the magnetic gradiometer, an individual MTJ sensor element, the reference vortex MTJ sensor, and/or the signal vortex MTJ sensor is at least substantially magnetically hysteresis free.
13. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, having a spatial resolution based on a size of the signal and reference vortex MTJ sensor arrays, a size of the excitation coil, and/or a standoff distance.
14. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein the magnetic gradiometer is configured as a probe for detecting material defects or material inhomogeneities in the measurement target.
15. A method comprising: generating a magnetic field by applying an alternating current (AC) to an excitation coil of a magnetic gradiometer;scanning the magnetic gradiometer across a body comprising at least one measurement target, wherein the magnetic gradiometer comprises:a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a first end and a second end separated by a length, wherein the second end is oriented towards one of the at least one measurement targets;an excitation coil encircling at least a portion of the PCB; anda differential sensor comprising:a reference magnetic tunneling junction in magnetic vortex state (vortex MTJ) sensor array proximal to the first end; anda signal vortex MTJ sensor array proximal to the second end, wherein the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array are separated by a base length; and generating an output voltage of the magnetic gradiometer in response to scanning the magnetic gradiometer across the body comprising that at least one measurement target, wherein the output voltage is based on a voltage generated by the reference vortex MTJ sensor array's detection of at least an excitation magnetic field and another voltage generated by the signal vortex MTJ sensor array's detection of an excitation magnetic field due to a composition of the body comprising the at least one measurement target.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the voltage generated by the reference vortex MTJ sensor array's detection of the excitation magnetic field and the other voltage generated by the signal vortex MTJ sensor array's detection of the excitation magnetic field due to the composition of the body comprising the at least one measurement target each comprise an ambient signal based on an ambient magnetic field.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the differential sensor cancels a substantial amount of the ambient signal and/or noise and provides an intended signal as a voltage output resulting from the composition of the body comprising the at least one measurement target.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein scanning the magnetic gradiometer across the body comprising the at least one measurement target further comprises: maintaining the magnetic gradiometer at a standoff distance away from the at least one measurement target; and moving the magnetic gradiometer over the body between at least two measurement targets at the standoff distance.
19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: detecting, by the magnetic gradiometer, at least one of a material defect or a material inhomogeneity in the body when the output voltage provided by the magnetic gradiometer at the at least one measurement target differs from a baseline.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the output voltage fluctuates when the excitation magnetic field of the at least one measurement target is disrupted by at least one of the material defect or material inhomogeneity that changes a magnetic composition of the at least one measurement target from the composition of the body.
1. A magnetic gradiometer comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a first end and a second end separated by a length; an excitation coil encircling at least a portion of the PCB and configured to deliver an alternating current (AC) to generate an excitation magnetic field; and a differential sensor comprising: a reference magnetic tunneling junction in magnetic vortex state (vortex MTJ) sensor array proximal to the first end to generate a voltage based on the excitation magnetic field; and a signal vortex MTJ sensor array proximal to the second end to generate another voltage based on the excitation magnetic field due to a composition of a measurement target, wherein the second end of the PCB is oriented towards the measurement target, and wherein the reference vortex MTJ sensor and the signal vortex MTJ sensor are separated by a base length.
2. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein the voltage based on the excitation magnetic field and the other voltage based on the excitation magnetic field due to the composition of the measurement target each comprise an ambient signal based on an ambient magnetic field.
3. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 2, wherein the differential sensor cancels a substantial amount of the ambient signal and provides an intended signal based on the composition of the measurement target as a voltage output.
4. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 3, wherein the voltage output is based on a standoff distance, wherein the standoff distance is the distance between the signal vortex MTJ sensor array and the measurement target.
5. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 4, wherein the standoff distance is 10 cm or less.
6. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein a sensitivity of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and a sensitivity of the signal vortex MTJ sensor array are balanced.
7. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein each of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array comprises at least one MTJ sensor element.
8. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array each comprises an array of 48×32 MTJ sensor elements.
9. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array comprises series connections within array rows and parallel connections between each of the array rows.
10. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein each of the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array comprise a total of 40,000 or less MTJ sensor elements in series connections within array rows and parallel connections between each of the array rows.
11. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein the magnetic gradiometer, an individual MTJ sensor element, the reference vortex MTJ sensor, and/or the signal vortex MTJ sensor is at least substantially magnetically hysteresis free.
12. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, having a spatial resolution based on a size of the signal and reference vortex MTJ sensor arrays, a size of the excitation coil, and/or a standoff distance.
13. The magnetic gradiometer of claim 1, wherein the magnetic gradiometer is configured as a probe for detecting material defects or material inhomogeneities in the measurement target.
14. A method comprising, generating a magnetic field by applying an alternating current (AC) to an excitation coil of a magnetic gradiometer; scanning the magnetic gradiometer across a body comprising at least one measurement target, wherein the magnetic gradiometer comprises: a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a first end and a second end separated by a length, wherein the second end is oriented towards one of the at least one measurement targets; an excitation coil encircling at least a portion of the PCB; and a differential sensor comprising: a reference magnetic tunneling junction in magnetic vortex state (vortex MTJ) sensor array proximal to the first end; and a signal vortex MTJ sensor array proximal to the second end, wherein the reference vortex MTJ sensor array and the signal vortex MTJ sensor array are separated by a base length; and generating an output voltage of the magnetic gradiometer in response to scanning the magnetic gradiometer across the body comprising that at least one measurement target, wherein the output voltage is based on a voltage generated by the reference vortex MTJ sensor array's detection of at least an excitation magnetic field and another voltage generated by the signal vortex MTJ sensor array's detection of an excitation magnetic field due to a composition of the body comprising the at least one measurement target.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the voltage generated by the reference vortex MTJ sensor array's detection of the excitation magnetic field and the other voltage generated by the signal vortex MTJ sensor array's detection of the excitation magnetic field due to the composition of the body comprising the at least one measurement target each comprise an ambient signal based on an ambient magnetic field.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the differential sensor cancels a substantial amount of the ambient signal and/or noise and provides an intended signal as a voltage output resulting from the composition of the body comprising the at least one measurement target.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein scanning the magnetic gradiometer across the body comprising the at least one measurement target further comprises: maintaining the magnetic gradiometer at a standoff distance away from the at least one measurement target; and moving the magnetic gradiometer over the body between at least two measurement targets at the standoff distance.
18. The method of claim 14, further comprising: detecting, by the magnetic gradiometer, at least one of a material defect or a material inhomogeneity in the body when the output voltage provided by the magnetic gradiometer at the at least one measurement target differs from a baseline.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the output voltage fluctuates when the excitation magnetic field of the at least one measurement target is disrupted by at least one of the material defect or material inhomogeneity that changes a magnetic composition of the at least one measurement target from the composition of the body.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Goodman et al (Pat# 5,321,361) disclose Apparatus And Method For Detecting Magnetically Detectable Plastic Pipe And Other Sources Of Magnetic Fields From A Distance Using A Vertically Aligned Gradiometer On A Horizontal Support
Forster (Pat# 3,982,179) discloses Magnetic Gradient Detector With Means For Adjusting The Parallelism Of The Sensors.
Ferguson (Pat# 2,996,663) discloses Magnetic Field Gradiometer.
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/VINH P NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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