Patent Application 18266532 - IOT-BASED GROUNDWATER MONITORING SYSTEM USING - Rejection
Patent Application 18266532 - IOT-BASED GROUNDWATER MONITORING SYSTEM USING
Title: IOT-BASED GROUNDWATER MONITORING SYSTEM USING LIDAR SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
Application Information
- Invention Title: IOT-BASED GROUNDWATER MONITORING SYSTEM USING LIDAR SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
- Application Number: 18266532
- Submission Date: 2025-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Effective Filing Date: 2023-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Filing Date: 2023-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- National Class: 356
- National Sub-Class: 342000
- Examiner Employee Number: 82844
- Art Unit: 2877
- Tech Center: 2800
Rejection Summary
- 102 Rejections: 1
- 103 Rejections: 2
Cited Patents
The following patents were cited in the rejection:
Office Action Text
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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
With respect to claims 4 and 5, certain phrases are unclear or lack antecedent basis. Claim 4 discloses “as a management object” is unclear. Is it describing each groundwater well “as a management object” or some other meaning. Claim 5 discloses “pre-received condition information” which is unclear. There is no generally understood meaning to “pre-received.” Additionally, the phrase “the LiDAR sensing device (100) where a malfunction occurs” lacks antecedent basis since it was never before claimed or implied that there was any LiDAR sensing malfunction. Clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Biffert U.S. Patent #10,996,687.
With respect to claim 1, Biffert discloses a flood control system comprising:
One or more LIDAR sensing devices each installed on the upper periphery of a groundwater well to measure a groundwater level and thus transmit data values including the measured groundwater level to the outside (abstract, Col.5, l 21-53)
A management device for receiving the data values form the LiDAR sensing devices and storing and managing the received data values (Col.6, l 32-50, central computer)
Wherein each LiDAR sensing device comprises: a GPS sensor for recording position information, based on satellite signals (Col.5, l 43-46)
A measuring sensor for emitting a laser beam vertically and downwardly to measure the groundwater level and thus produce groundwater level information (Col.8, l 15-25, Figure 4, laser beam is inherent to LiDAR, Col.5, l 33-35)
A memory for integrating the position information and the groundwater level information with each other as one data value and storing the data value (Col.6, l 42-50, wherein the one data value = topographical information)
A communication part for transmitting the stored data value to the outside (Col.7, l 33-39)
A power supply part for supplying the power for the operation thereof (Col.7, l 51-55)
With respect to claim 4 and 5, Biffert discloses all of the limitations as applied to claim 1 above. In addition, Biffert discloses:
The management device is configured to produce condition information representing current groundwater level of each groundwater well as a management object or the changes in groundwater level, based on the position information and the groundwater level information included in the received data value, and thus output the produced condition information (Col.6, l 42- Col.7, l 10, management object = flow of water or volume of water, output = control system)
The management device comparedly analyze pre-received condition information and currently received condition information to specify the groundwater well where changes in groundwater level exceeding a predetermined range occur and the LiDAR sensing device where a malfunction occurs and outputs the position of the specified groundwater well and the position of the specified LiDAR sensing device (Col.11, l 33-42, pre-received condition information = conditions prior to closing, Col.11, l 43-58, pre-received condition information = topographical information)
It should be noted that the limitations of claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 USC 112, 2nd above due to clarity issues. These claims are being interpreted to the best of the examiner’s ability as described above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biffert U.S. Patent #10,996,687 in view of Singer et al. U.S. Patent #2014/0009302.
With respect to claim 2, Biffert discloses all of the limitations as applied to claim 1 above. However, Biffert fails to disclose the LiDAR sensing device comprises a cylindrical body with an insertion groove formed on the bottom thereof to insert the upper periphery of the groundwater well and a display panel disposed on top thereof so that the LiDAR sensing device is disposed to form the cap on the upper periphery of the groundwater well.
Singer discloses a wellhead water level sensor comprising:
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A sensing device comprises a cylindrical body with an insertion groove formed on the bottom thereof to insert the upper periphery of the groundwater well so that the sensing device is disposed to form the cap on the upper periphery of the groundwater well (Figure 1, Figure 2, sensing device = 100, groundwater well = 40, insertion groove = marked on figure 2 below in bold yellow highlight)
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However, Singer and Biffert fail to disclose a display panel on the top of the sensing device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to format the LiDAR sensing device of Biffert into a well cap as in Singer in order to leave the sensing device in place while keeping the well protected.
Additionally, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include a display on the well cap in order to test or monitor the device without unnecessarily opening the well. It is well known in the art to provide displays on the top of underground sensors as evidenced by U.S. Patent #4,586,033 and U.S. Patent #4,827,246.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biffert U.S. Patent #10,996,687 in view of Yeong KR101651376.
Biffert discloses all of the limitations as applied to claim 1 above. However, Biffert fails to disclose a protection casing as claimed .
Yeong discloses a flange assembly for deep well development comprising:
A protection casing having trapezoidal slant surfaces adapted to form the shape of a square pyramid, each slant surface being configured to have an openable and closable ventilation hole formed thereon and be rotatable around the bottom end fixed to the ground to thus protect the upper end periphery of the groundwater well that are exposed to the ground from the outside (Figure 2 and 3, highlighted text in translation provided)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to use the protective casing of Yeong to protect the fragile components of the sensing device of Biffert since protection of electronic components, especially when primarily used outside, is well known in the art for longevity and accuracy of the device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REBECCA CAROLE BRYANT whose telephone number is (571)272-9787. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 12-4 pm.
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/REBECCA C BRYANT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877
