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.
(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.
Claims 1-7, 9, 12-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Panak (US 2015/0308777).
Regarding claim 1, Panak discloses a measurement adapter (Par. 0012; Fig. 1), comprising: a body 11;
a first attachment interface coupled with the body and configured to attach the measurement adapter to a barrel of a firearm (not labelled clearly seen in Fig. 4);
a second attachment interface coupled with the body and configured to attach the measurement adapter to a firearm accessory (Fig. 2, 4; Par. 0014: “Preferably, the compression nozzle 27 includes threads on its outer circumference for attachment of the optional flash suppressor 13”),
wherein a channel 16 extends between the first attachment interface and the second attachment interface through the body (Fig. 2, Fig. 4); and
a third attachment interface coupled with the body and configured to attach the measurement adapter to a sensing device (Fig. 4; Par. 0016), wherein the third attachment interface is further configured to provide a sensor 23 of the sensing device access to the channel, the sensor being configured to sense characteristics associated with the firearm accessory (Par. 0017).
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Regarding claim 2, Panak further discloses wherein the sensing device 23 is attached to the third attachment interface, and wherein the sensor is positioned partially within or adjacent to the channel based at least in part on the sensing device being attached to the third attachment interface (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Panak further discloses wherein the sensor 23 is configured to measure pressure in the channel, to measure temperature in the channel, or both (Par. 0013: “a pressure sensor 23”).
Regarding claim 4, Panak further discloses the first attachment interface comprises a threaded surface that bounds a hole in the first attachment interface, the threaded surface being configured to couple with threads of the barrel, and the second attachment interface comprises a threaded shaft configured to couple with threads of the firearm accessory (as seen in Fig. 4; Par. 0014).
Regarding claim 5, Panak further discloses wherein a non-threaded hole extends through the threaded shaft of the second attachment interface, and wherein at least a portion of the channel comprises the non-threaded hole (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6, Panak further discloses wherein the channel is configured to provide a passage from a bore of the barrel to a bore of the firearm accessory when the barrel and the firearm accessory are attached to the measurement adapter (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, Panak further discloses wherein: a diameter of the channel is greater than or equal to a diameter of the bore of the barrel (Fig. 4), and the diameter of the channel is less than or equal to a diameter of the bore of the firearm accessory (Fig. 4; channel has multiple diameters; see portion attached to firearm accessory).
Regarding claim 9, Panak further discloses wherein the third attachment interface is positioned closer to the first attachment interface than the second attachment interface (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 12, Panak further discloses wherein a hole at a bottom of the third attachment interface extends to a side of the channel (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 13, Panak further discloses wherein the hole at the bottom of the third attachment interface is coupled with an aperture in the side of the channel, a diameter of the aperture being based at least in part on a diameter of the channel (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, Panak further discloses a method, comprising: attaching a barrel of a firearm to a first attachment interface of a measurement adapter, a firearm accessory to a second attachment interface of the measurement adapter, and a sensing device comprising a sensor to a third attachment interface of the measurement adapter that provides the sensor access to a channel formed by the measurement adapter between a bore of the barrel and a bore of the firearm accessory; and firing, after the barrel, the firearm accessory, and the sensor are attached to the measurement adapter, a projectile through the firearm, wherein one or more characteristics of the channel are sensed by the sensor based at least in part on the projectile being fired through the firearm (see rejection of claim 1 above).
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Regarding claim 15, Panak further discloses measuring, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the channel being sensed, values for the one or more characteristics of the channel; and determining, based at least in part on measuring the values for the one or more characteristics of the channel, values for one or more characteristics of the firearm accessory (Par. 0013, 0017).
Regarding claim 16, Panak further discloses wherein the one or more characteristics of the channel comprises pressure characteristics, temperature characteristics, or both (Par. 0013: “a pressure sensor 23”).
Regarding claim 17, Panak further discloses measuring, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the channel being sensed, a duration of time the firearm accessory holds pressure (Par. 0016-0017; Via microprocessor 28).
Regarding claim 18, Panak further discloses measuring, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the channel being sensed, a first pressure spike in the firearm accessory, a second pressure spike in the firearm accessory after the first pressure spike in the firearm accessory, or both (applicant should note that Pressure sensor 23 would sense pressure spikes).
Regarding claim 20, Panak discloses a system, comprising: a firearm comprising a barrel; a firearm accessory 13; a sensing device 23; and a measurement adapter, comprising: a body 11,a first attachment interface coupled with the body and configured to attach the measurement adapter to the barrel of the firearm, a second attachment interface coupled with the body and configured to attach the measurement adapter to the firearm accessory, wherein a channel 16 extends between the first attachment interface and the second attachment interface through the body, the channel being configured to provide a passage from a bore of the barrel to a bore of the firearm accessory, and a third attachment interface coupled with the body and configured to attach the measurement adapter to the sensing device, wherein the third attachment interface is configured to provide a sensor of the sensing device access to the channel (Fig. 4; see rejection of claim 1 above).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 8, 10, 11 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Panak in view of Xu et al (US 2025/0102388) [hereinafter Xu].
Regarding claims 8, 10, 11 and 19, Panak fails to expressly disclose wherein threads of the third attachment interface are configured to couple with threads of the sensing device comprising the sensor.
Xu teaches that it is known in the art of sensor connections to provide a threaded connection to a sensor 100 (Par. 0023: “As other non-limiting examples, the apparatus (100) may be a pressure switch, a temperature sensor, a combined temperature and pressure sensor”; Fig. 1).
Applicant should note that "when a patent claims a structure already known in the prior art that is altered by the mere substitution of one element for another known in the field, the combination must do more than yield predictable results." KSR at 1395 (citing United States v. Adams 383 US 39, 50-51 (1966)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified Panak such that wherein threads of the third attachment interface are configured to couple with threads of the sensing device comprising the sensor, in view of Xu, because the substitution of one known attachment interface for another would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention. The replacement would be expected to yield a sensor attached to a sensing device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA E FREEMAN whose telephone number is (303)297-4269. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM - 5PM MST M-F.
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/JOSHUA E FREEMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641