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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Election/Restrictions
Claim 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/25/25.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, corresponding to claims 1-15, in the reply filed on 8/25/25 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagumo Tatsuo (JP 3097759), hereinafter: “Nagumo”. The English translation provided to be referenced hereinafter.
Nagumo teaches:
Regarding Claim 1
A conveyor system(Fig 1-3) for an attraction in an amusement park(P[0001]), the conveyor system comprising:
a bus bar(8) configured to provide power(P[0011]);
a conveyor(12) configured to move relative to the bus bar(P[0007]-P[0008], P[0011]); and
an animated element assembly(3) configured to be transported by the conveyor to move relative to the bus bar(P[0007]-P[0009], P[0011]), wherein the animated element assembly comprises:
a bus bar arm(6) that is configured to contact and move along the bus bar as the animated element assembly is transported by the conveyor(P[0014]); and
a powered component(51) that is configured to receive the power from the bus bar via the bus bar arm(P[0016]).
Regarding Claim 2
wherein the animated element assembly comprises a housing with an appearance of an animal or a character(Fig 3-4).
Regarding Claim 3
wherein the bus bar extends along an entirety of the conveyor(Fig 3).
Regarding Claim 5
wherein the powered component comprises an actuator, a light emitter, or a speaker(51 is an actuator/motor; P[0013]).
Regarding Claim 6
wherein the powered component comprises an actuator(P[0013]) that is configured to drive one portion of the animated element assembly to move relative to another portion of the animated element assembly(P[0013]).
Regarding Claim 7
wherein the animated element assembly comprises processing circuitry(P[0020]) that is configured to execute a programmed sequence to control the powered component to perform a show(the processing circuitry of P[0020] is structurally capable of performing the function claimed).
Regarding Claim 8
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive an indication of the programmed sequence via a communication line of the bus bar(P[0020]).
Regarding Claim 9
comprising a central controller that is configured to selectively enable and block a flow of electrical current through the bus bar to selectively enable and block delivery of the power through the bus bar(“opening/closing of a power supply”; P[0020]).
Regarding Claim 10
comprising an additional animated element assembly(3; Fig 2-3) configured to be transported by the conveyor to move relative to the bus bar(P[0007]-P[0009], P[0011]; Fig 2-3), wherein the additional animated element assembly comprises:
an additional bus bar arm(6) that is configured to contact and move along the bus bar as the additional animated element assembly is transported by the conveyor(P[0014]); and
an additional powered component(51) that is configured to receive the power from the bus bar via the additional bus bar arm(P[0016]).
Regarding Claim 11
A conveyor system(Fig 1-3) for an attraction in an amusement park(P[0001]), the conveyor system comprising:
a bus bar(8) configured to provide power(P[0011]);
a conveyor(12) configured to move relative to the bus bar(P[0007]-P[0008], P[0011]); and
a plurality animated element assemblies(3) configured to be transported by the conveyor(P[0007]-P[0009], P[0011]), wherein each animated element assembly of the plurality of animated element assemblies comprises:
a bus bar arm(6) that is configured to contact and move along the bus bar as the animated element assembly is transported by the conveyor(P[0014]); and
a powered component(51) that is configured to receive the power from the bus bar via the bus bar arm(P[0016]).; and
a controller configured to control the power through the bus bar to turn on and off the plurality of animated element assemblies(“opening/closing of a power supply”; P[0020]).
Regarding Claim 12
wherein at least one animated element assembly of the plurality of animated element assemblies is devoid of a power storage component(no power storage element disclosed in P[0006]-P[0021]).
Regarding Claim 13
wherein the powered component comprises an actuator, a light emitter, or a speaker(51 is an actuator/motor; P[0013]).
Regarding Claim 14
wherein the powered component comprises an actuator(P[0013]) that is configured to drive one portion of the respective animated element assembly to move relative to another portion of the respective animated element assembly(P[0013]).
Regarding Claim 15
wherein at least one animated element assembly of the plurality of animated element assemblies comprises processing circuitry(P[0020]) that is configured to execute programmed sequences to control the powered component to perform a show(the processing circuitry of P[0020] is structurally capable of performing the function claimed).
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.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagumo in view of Casey et al. (US 20080070709), hereinafter: “Casey”.
Regarding Claim 4
Nagumo teaches:
The conveyor system of claim 1(see rejection of claim 1 above)
Nagumo fails to teach:
wherein the animated element assembly comprises a power storage component that is configured to receive the power from the bus bar via the bus bar arm and to store the power for subsequent use by the powered component
Casey teaches:
An analogous conveyor system(12) for an attraction in an amusement park(P[0012]) wherein an animated element(14) assembly comprises a power storage component(P[0017]) that is configured to receive the power from a bus bar via a bus bar arm(P[0017], P[0022]) and to store the power for subsequent use by the powered component(P[0017], P[0022]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Nagumo to incorporate the teachings of Casey by including a power storage component to be able to provide power to the animate element when power from the bus bar is not available(P[0017]).
Conclusion
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 20180297486 A1
HOWARD; DEREK LEE et al.
US 20200265604 A1
Lin; Yu-Jen et al.
US 20260233120 A1
Wadsworth; Michael Lee et al.
US 4635560 A
Ballantyne; W. John
US 7094157 B2
Fromyer; Stephen F. et al.
US 6095926 A
Hettema; Philip D. et al.
US 5623878 A
Baxter; Anthony W. et al.
US 9011197 B2
Smoot; Lanny S. et al.
US 6520830 B1
Vollmar; Mark E. et al.
US 10300793 B2
Staunton; Darragh et al.
The above references are cited for teaching conveyor systems/animated elements with features similar to that of the instant invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN P WOLCOTT whose telephone number is (571)272-9837. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00am-4:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas Weiss can be reached at 571-270-1775. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN P WOLCOTT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
