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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hasegawa (US Pub. No. 2019/094404, cited by applicant).
Regarding claims 1-12, Hasegawa teaches a method for setting temperature compensation for a plurality of proximity sensors of the same kind, each including a memory, the method comprising the steps of:
S1) arranging the plurality of proximity sensors in a temperature control chamber (para. 92);
S2) capturing an output signal of each of the plurality of proximity sensors at different temperatures (para. 105-106);
S3) based on the output signal captured, determining for each of the plurality of proximity sensors an individual correction as a function of a temperature, the individual correction serves for determining a corrected output signal, which has a reduced drift with regard to temperature changes (para. 35-37); and
S4) storing for each of the plurality of proximity sensors information on the individual correction determined in the memory (para. 37);
wherein in the step S1 the output signal is captured for each of the plurality of proximity sensors in an absence of a target altering magnetic field produced by a proximity sensor (Fig. 7, the calibration process is performed during the proximity sensors are placed in a thermal chamber without any target object) [claim 2];
wherein in step S3 for determining the individual correction an influence of a presence of a target is taken into account by adjusting the output signal captured based on separate measurements of at least one proximity sensor of the same kind, in which measurements the output signal is captured in the presence of a target (para. 35) [claim 3];
wherein the separate measurements are made under outside temperature of the control chamber (para. 35) [claim 4];
wherein each of the plurality of proximity sensors measures an actual temperature by means of a temperature probe in a proximity sensor (para. 42-44) [claim 5];
wherein each of the plurality of proximity sensors includes a resonant circuit and is configured to detect a target based on a damping of a resonant circuit, wherein in step S3 for determining the individual correction an influence of a presence of a target is taken into account based on separate measurements of at least one proximity sensor of the same kind, in which a damping resistance in the presence and in an absence of the target is determined at least at one specific temperature (para. 38-39) [claim 6];
wherein each of the plurality of proximity sensors comprises a computing component (Fig. 3, item 32) for determining the corrected output signal based on the information stored in step S4 (para. 41) [claim 7];
wherein the computing part component is part of the ASIC (para. 33-34) [claim 8];
wherein for exposing the plurality of proximity sensors to different temperatures in step S2, a setpoint temperature in the temperature control chamber satisfied: the setpoint temperature is maintained at a constant level (para. 105) [claim 9];
wherein the plurality of proximity sensors is arranged on a carrier equipment (310) which includes a communication component (312) for communication with a computer system arranged outside of the temperature control chamber (Fig. 7) [claim 10];
wherein each of the plurality of proximity sensors includes at least one of the following: a sensing coil arranged in a head portion of a proximity sensor (16) and configured to produce a magnetic field (para. 55) [claim 11]; and
prior to step S1, a manufacture process, in which the plurality of proximity sensors of the same kinds are produced in the same way, so that they include the same components and have the same dimensions (implicit steps to obtain a plurality of proximity sensors) [claim 12].
Conclusion
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MINH Q. PHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2852
/MINH Q PHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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