Appeal No. 96-4183
Application 08/235,625
We now turn to the rejections of the pending claims
based on the use of Kent as the primary reference.
Kent discloses a transducer for coupling an acoustic
signal to a borehole drilling string during drilling. A sensor
is mounted in the borehole in a sub-unit 38 which is adapted to
generate an electrical measure of data relating to the operation
of drill bit 40 such as fluid pressure or temperature (Col. 3,
lines 7-10). The output from this sensor modulates an acoustic
transmitter and the resultant acoustic wave is propagated toward
the earth’s surface along the drill string 35 (Col. 3, lines 6-
28) where it is received by a receiver mounted in a sub unit 32
at the earth’s surface. As such Kent does not disclose the
steps of both transmitting signals and receiving signals at the
drill collar, as recited in claim 7.
The examiner argues, in effect, that although Kent
depicts the transmitter 37 and receiver 32 mounted at the earth’s
surface, this does not detract from the teaching of mounting
receivers on drill collars for receiving acoustic energy.
(Answer at page 11). The examiner has presented no convincing
argument why this is so, and none is apparent to us. Clearly,
Kent does not disclose, teach or suggest both transmitting
signals and receiving signals at the collar. We have again
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