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 .
Response to Amendments
The amendment filed October 10th, 2025 has been entered. Claims 21, 27-29, 31-33 and 36 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome each and every objection and 112(b) rejections previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed April 10th, 2025.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 21, 27-29, 31-33 and 36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Bruin (WO 2018/108227) in view of Burchat (US 2019/0133363), Gentry et al. (US 9,527,605) and Giorgi et al. (US 2019/0102730).
Regarding claim 21, De Bruin ‘227 teaches (figure B) a directed delivery system for delivery of an item, the directed delivery system comprising:
a drone carrying an item/good for delivery to a GPS location (Pg. 2 No. 1; a point on the Earth has a GPS location identified by its latitude, longitude and sometimes altitude));
a receptacle to receive the item/good, the receptacle located at the GPS location (clearly shown in the figure below),
a plurality of containers/flats, the plurality of containers/flats each including a lock and each spaced at a distance from the receptacle in substantially a vertical plane (clearly seen in the figure below) (Pg. 2 No. 4; pipe/conduit is installed outside flats/containers; flats are at different levels and have windows (3); flats have access doors which are locked using locks);
at least two of the plurality of containers/flats spaced along a conduit at a distance from each other in substantially the vertical plane (clearly seen in the figure below);
the conduit extending between the receptable and the plurality of containers/flats and in communication with the receptacle (clearly seen in the figure below),
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but it is silent about the directed delivery system comprising:
a plurality of location tags disposed about a perimeter of the receptacle;
the drone being in visual or electronic communication with the plurality of location tags such that the drone aligns with the receptacle and releases the item into the receptacle.
Burchat ‘363 teaches (figures 1-23) a funnel/receptacle (30) extending out from building (1) to meet and align with UAV (15) wherein the funnel/receptacle (30) has a square opening defined in a clear shape by location points/tags (32) disposed about a perimeter of the funnel/receptacle (clearly seen in figure 1) (Para 0076),
wherein location points/tags (32) assist to align UAV (15) with the location where the delivery is to be made and the UAV (15) uses its internal sensor to “see” the defined shape and in response to corrections as to height and alignment sent to the control unit lowers into position to carry package (20) directly overhead of funnel (30) (Para 0086-0087).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified De Bruin ‘227 to incorporate the teachings of Burchat ‘363 to configure the directed delivery system comprising:
a plurality of location tags disposed about a perimeter of the receptacle;
the drone being in visual or electronic communication with the plurality of location tags such that the drone aligns with the receptacle and releases the item into the receptacle.
One of ordinary skill in art would recognize that doing so would safely and accurately deliver the item at the GPS location.
Modified De Bruin ‘227 is silent about the directed delivery system comprising:
the conduit in communication with the plurality of containers, the conduit including a spiral arrangement that directs the item from the receptacle to the plurality of containers
the conduit;
one or more gates disposed along the conduit, each of the one or more gates controlled between an open configuration and a closed configuration to direct the item into a corresponding one of the plurality of containers; and
wherein once the item is directed to a delivery point located within the one of the plurality of containers an intended recipient of the item may receive the item from the delivery point.
Gentry et al. ‘605 teaches (figure 5A) a system (500) comprising a package transfer system (510) for transferring packages/items from the UAV (105) using gravity comprising a spiral conduit (clearly seen in figure 5A; the tube curves and in spiral in form) in communication with the platform (115) and a package locker storage system/containers (515) wherein conduit comprises one or more gates (525) to direct packages to the locker storage system (515), and wherein the delivery point is within the package locker storage system/containers (Col. 6 Lines 49-67; Col. 7 Lines 1-13; gates are opened/controlled to direct packages to the locker storage system/containers).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified De Bruin ‘227 to incorporate the teachings of Gentry et al. ‘605 to configure the directed delivery system comprising:
the conduit in communication with the plurality of containers, the conduit including a spiral arrangement that directs the item from the receptacle to the plurality of containers
the conduit;
one or more gates disposed along the conduit, each of the one or more gates controlled between an open configuration and a closed configuration to direct the item into a corresponding one of the plurality of containers; and
wherein once the item is directed to a delivery point located within the one of the plurality of containers an intended recipient of the item may receive the item from the delivery point.
One of ordinary skill in art would recognize that doing so would directly deliver the packages to the container.
Modified De Bruin ‘227 is silent about the directed delivery system comprising:
each of the one or more gates electronically controlled between an open configuration and a closed configuration based on recipient-specified input.
Giorgi et al. ‘730 teaches (figure 1) a system (100) includes a drone device (102), a local M2M subsystem (116) and one or more communication networks (104), wherein the M2M subsystem (116) comprise two or more communicatively coupled M2M devices, including at least a barrier control device (110) and a local M2M management device (112), configured to exchange information, wherein the user’s mailbox, front door, back door, second story window and the like can be designated as possible delivery locations and electrically opened and closed at the control of the local M2M management device/recipient (112) wherein M2M management device employ wireless communication technologies to facilitate wired and wireless radio communications between the devices (Para 0031, 0034, 0045; M2M management device directs drone device to drop a package to a specific location by opening corresponding door).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified De Bruin ‘227 to incorporate the teachings of Giorgi et al. ‘730 to configure the directed delivery system comprising:
each of the one or more gates electronically controlled between an open configuration and a closed configuration based on recipient-specified input.
One of ordinary skill in art would recognize that doing so would remotely control the delivery of an item.
Regarding claim 27, modified De Bruin ‘227 teaches (figure B) the directed delivery system wherein the receptacle is substantially funnel shaped and the substantially funnel shape directs the item into the conduit (clearly seen in the figure above).
Regarding claim 28, modified De Bruin ‘227 teaches (figure B) the directed delivery system wherein the one of the plurality of containers/flats, where the item is directed, is locked and is unlocked by the intended recipient with a physical or electronic key (locks are locked and unlocked either via a physical key or wirelessly/electronic key).
Regarding claim 29, modified De Bruin ‘227 teaches (figure B) the directed delivery system wherein the one of the plurality of containers/flats, wherein the item is directed, is located inside a building where the intended recipient can retrieve the item (Pg. 2 No. 4).
Regarding claim 31, modified De Bruin ‘227 teaches (figure B) the directed delivery system wherein the one or more gates are controlled wirelessly to direct the item to the delivery point (as modified by Giorgi et al. ‘730).
Regarding claim 32, modified De Bruin ‘227 teaches (figure B) the directed delivery system wherein one of the one or more gates is configured in an open position to direct the item into the one of the plurality of containers (when gate opens the only entrance would be to the container).
Regarding claim 33, modified De Bruin ‘227 teaches (figure B) the directed delivery system wherein the conduit includes a solid, mesh or wire wall (walls are physical structure which are either solid, meshed or wired).
Regarding claim 36, modified De Bruin ‘227 teaches (figure B) the directed delivery system wherein the one of the plurality of containers is an apartment (Pg. 2 No. 4).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed October 10th, 2025, with respect to the amended claim 21 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made as explained in the rejection above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASHESH DANGOL whose telephone number is (303)297-4455. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 0730-0530 MT.
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/ASHESH DANGOL/Examiner, Art Unit 3642