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
1. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/27/2025 and is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. According, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objection
2. Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 19, line 2, “at least one of the” should be changed to --- at least one of --.
Examiner Notes
3. Examiner cites particular paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
5. Claims 1-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hasegawa et al. (US-20190094404; hereinafter “Hasegawa”).
Regarding claim 1, Hasegawa discloses an inductive proximity sensor (a proximity sensor 1 in Figs. 1-5) for detecting a proximity of an external object (see abstract), comprising: a sensing part including a sensor coil (a detection coil 16) for generating a magnetic field (see [0055]), the sensing part being arranged inside a front portion of a housing (a casing 6 in Fig. 2); a first temperature sensor (an external temperature sensor 44 in Fig. 2) arranged at the sensing part and configured to provide a first temperature signal (see Fig. 3); at least a second temperature sensor (an internal temperature sensor 44 in Fig. 2) arranged at a distance from the first temperature sensor and configured to provide a second temperature signal (see Fig. 3); and an evaluation part (32, 34, 42 in Fig. 3) configured to provide a primary detection signal based on detected variations of the magnetic field caused by the external object (claim 1), wherein the evaluation part is configured to correct the primary detection signal based on at least the first and second temperature signals in order to provide an output detection signal which is related to the proximity of the external object and compensated for a temperature change (see [0035]).
Regarding claim 2, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensing part includes a recess in which the first temperature sensor is arranged (see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensing part includes a carrier on which the sensing coil is arranged (18 in Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein a carrier of the sensing part is ring-shaped to form a recess (8 and 16 in Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 5, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, further including a circuit board which is arranged inside the housing and which includes a protrusion extending into a recess of the sensing part, the first temperature sensor being arranged on the protrusion (see Figs. 1-3 and 7).
Regarding claim 6, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, further including a circuit board which is arranged inside the housing, at least one selected of the group of the first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor and at least a part of the evaluation part being arranged on the circuit board (38 in Figs. 1-3 and 7).
Regarding claim 7, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second temperature sensor is arranged inside a rearward portion of the housing adjoining the front portion (see Figs. 1-3 and 7).
Regarding claim 8, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second temperature sensor is part of an ASIC (see [0053]).
Regarding claim 9, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second temperature sensor has a minimum distance to the first temperature sensor of at least half of a maximum diameter of the housing (see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 10, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation part is configured to correct the primary detection signal in digital form (see [0035, 37, 66-68, 76]).
Regarding claim 11, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation part is configured to provide the output detection signal by applying a correction factor to the primary detection signal, wherein the correction factor is determined as a function of the first and second temperature signals (see [0035, 37, 66-68, 76]).
Regarding claim 12, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation part is configured to provide the output detection signal by applying a correction factor to the primary detection signal, wherein the correction factor is determined as a function of the first and second temperature signals and the primary detection signal (see [0035, 37, 66-68, 76]).
Regarding claim 13, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation part is configured to provide the output detection signal as digital data or in analogue form of a voltage output or a current output (see [0040]).
Regarding claim 14, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation part is configured to produce the primary detection signal by adjusting an input signal in dependence on the first temperature signal or on the second temperature signal (see [0035, 37, 66-68, 76]).
Regarding claim 15, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation part is arranged in the housing (see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 16, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation part comprises a memory in which first correction parameters are stored, the first correction parameters defining a first linear relationship between a difference between the temperatures determined by the first and second temperature sensors and a correction factor applied to the primary detection signal (see [0011, 35, 66] and claim 1]).
Regarding claim 17, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation part is configured to correct the primary detection signal as a function of the first and second temperature signals and the primary detection signal in order to provide an output detection signal which is compensated for a temperature change and a change in a distance between the inductive proximity sensor and the external object (see [0035, 37, 66-68, 76]). Regarding claim 19, Hasegawa discloses the inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, which is configured to determine at least one of the the absence or presence of the external object within an operating distance of the inductive proximity sensor, and the distance to the external object when located within the operating distance (see at least in [0011, 35-37]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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 of this title, 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.
7. Claims 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasegawa in view of Brault et al. (US Pat. 5895441; hereinafter “Brault”).
Regarding claim 20, Hasegawa discloses a method of testing an inductive proximity sensor according to claim 1, except explicitly specifying wherein a test object to be detected is placed in front of the inductive proximity sensor, the latter is switched on and an output detection signal provided by the inductive proximity sensor in its warm-up phase is compared with a wanted signal.
Brault discloses an inductive proximity sensor wherein a test object to be detected is placed in front of the inductive proximity sensor (Col. 1, lines 37-46), the latter is switched on and an output detection signal provided by the inductive proximity sensor in its warm-up phase is compared with a wanted signal (Col. 1, lines 61-65).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the proximity sensor of Hasegawa by having a test object to be detected is placed in front of the inductive proximity sensor, the latter is switched on and a output detection signal provided by the inductive proximity sensor in its warm-up phase is compared with a wanted signal, as taught by Brault in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
Regarding claim 21, Hasegawa and Brault disclose the method according to claim 20, Brault further teaches wherein a distance between the test object and the inductive proximity sensor is changed during the warm-up phase of the proximity sensor (see Col. 1, lines 37-46).
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claim 18 is 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.
Prior Art of Record
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Worreth (US Pub. 20230366743) discloses a measuring device for determining a process variable of a medium, comprising: a housing, wherein the housing comprises a housing body, wherein the housing body has an inner surface; a temperature measuring apparatus, wherein the temperature measuring apparatus comprises a first temperature sensor, wherein the first temperature sensor is configured to determine a first temperature value, wherein the temperature measuring apparatus comprises an evaluation circuit, wherein the evaluation circuit is configured to determine a medium temperature as a function of the first temperature value; a rigid printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board has a resilient printed circuit board component, wherein the first temperature sensor is arranged on the printed circuit board component, wherein the printed circuit board component at least partially touches the inner surface of the housing body. (see specification for more details).
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANG LE whose telephone number is (571)272-9349. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday 7:30AM-5:00PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached on (571) 272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THANG X LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
9/28/2026
