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: US3988620 McDavid 10/26/1976
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 1-8, 11-14, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D1.
With regards to claims 1 and 18, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of a hydrophone (column 1, lines 17-23) , comprising: a hermetically sealed (column 7, line 64) device body defining an interior void (Fig. 9) and a central longitudinal axis (generally indicated by Fig. 9: 16A) and comprising a first electrically conductive (10) enclosure and a second electrically conductive (24) enclosure disposed on opposite sides of an electrically insulative member (34), wherein each electrically conductive enclosure comprises a flat portion (Fig. 9: 10 & 24) oriented orthogonal to the central longitudinal axis (Fig. 9: 16A), and wherein electrically conductive surfaces (10 & 24) of the exterior of the device body are symmetrical about a plane (Fig. 9) that passes through the electrically insulative member (34) in a direction orthogonal to the central longitudinal axis (FIG. 9: 16A); a first piezoelectric element (16) fixedly attached to the flat portion of the first electrically conductive (10) enclosure with its positive electrode (Fig. 10: 16+) electrically coupled to the first electrically conductive (10) enclosure and its negative electrode (16-) facing the interior void; and a second piezoelectric element (26) fixedly attached to the flat portion of the second (24) electrically conductive enclosure with its negative electrode (Fig. 10: 26-) electrically coupled to the second electrically conductive (24) enclosure and its positive electrode (26+) facing the interior void; wherein the negative electrode (16-) of the first piezoelectric element (16) is electrically coupled to the second electrically conductive (24) enclosure and the positive electrode (26+) of the second piezoelectric element (26) is electrically coupled to the first electrically conductive (10) enclosure.
With regards to claim 2, the D1 reference discloses the flat portions of the electrically conductive enclosures (Fig. 9: 10 &24) are disposed at opposite ends of the central longitudinal axis.
With regards to claims 3 and 14, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of discs 10 & 24 (FIG. 1).
With regards to claim 4, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of an electrically insulative member (34) comprises an open cylinder (FIG. 2).
With regards to claims 5, 6, and 17, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of brass (column 3, lines 17-27).
With regards to claims 7 and 8, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of wires (FIG. 2: 32 & 36).
With regards to claim 11, the D1 reference discloses the utilization conductive adhesive (74).
With regards to claims 12 and 19, the D1 reference discloses the insulative ring (34) is plastic (column 8, lines 14-15).
With regards to claim 13, the D1 reference discloses the utilization of a seismic streamer (Fig. 15).
With regards to claim 18, the D1 reference discloses a negative electrode of the first piezoelectric element faces an interior of the sensing element; and a positive electrode of the second piezoelectric element faces the interior of the sensing element
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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 10, 15, 16, and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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
Prosecution Insights