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 § 112
Claims 1-16 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the functions" in line 11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the movement" in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-5 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joon et al. (KR-10-1622719B1) (hereafter Joon) in view of Thompson (US 1,157,342) and Li et al. (CN-111895854A) (hereafter Li).
With respect to claim 1, Joon teaches a target system comprising: a carrier (10) comprising: a housing (the housing surrounding the mechanical components of (10)); at least one wheel (200) rotatably coupled to an interior of the housing; at least one gear (gear box of switching apparatus 120) coupled to the at least one wheel; a motor (actuator of switching apparatus 120) coupled (with drivetrain 130) to the at least one gear to drive the at least one wheel via the at least one gear (figure 2; and the machine translation); and a controller (the main controller 110, the secondary controller 111, the engine control unit 112, traveling body control unit 901, remote controller 20 , remote control machine 902) to activate the motor based on user input (figure 2; and the machine translation).
With respect claim 1, Joon does not teach at least one arm coupled to the carrier; and a coupling device to couple a panel to the at least one arm.
However, Thompson teaches a target shifting apparatus (title; and figures) wherein at least one arm (arms 66,67) coupled to the carrier (figure 15); and a coupling device (gripper jaw 52) to couple a panel (target 12) to the at least one arm (figure 15).
At the time of filing the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the arms and coupling device of Thompson on the apparatus of Joon in order to allow for quick removal and replacement of a target.
Joon and Thompson do not teach a sensor to detect environmental conditions external to the carrier and alter functions of the target system.
However, Li teaches a sensor to detect environmental conditions external to the carrier and alter functions of the target system (the machine translation of the specification and claims 5 and 8).
At the time of filing the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the environmental sensor of Li in the collective apparatus of Joon and Thompson in order to avoid collisions.
With respect to claim 2, Joon teaches comprising a suspension line (2), wherein the carrier hangs from the suspension line via the at least one wheel (figure 2).
With respect to claim 3, Joon teaches a transceiver communicatively coupled to the controller (traveling body control unit 901); and a remote control (20/902) device communicatively couplable to the transceiver (500) via a wireless communication protocol, the remote control device configured to transmit the input (figures 1-3; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 4, Joon teaches wherein the remote control device transmits the input to the transceiver, the input causing the controller to activate the motor to move in a first direction, move in a second direction, stop, pause, delay, reduce speed during movement, reduce acceleration during movement, increase speed during movement, increase acceleration during movement, move randomly, move in a pre-defined pattern, or combinations thereof (figures 1-3; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 5, Joon teaches the at least one wheel comprises at least two wheels, and a first wheel (200) of the at least two wheels is contrapositioned to a second wheel (311) of the at least two wheels with respect to a suspension line threaded between the first wheel and the second wheel (figure 2; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 7, Joon teaches an aperture (the aperture formed in the housing by link 312 and spring 313) defined in the housing through which a suspension line (2) is selectively engageable and disengageable with the at least one wheel (311). In addition, the system of Joon is capable of being disassembled and reassembled (disengaged/engaged). Furthermore, Thompson teaches an aperture defined in the housing through which a suspension line is selectively engageable and disengageable with the at least one wheel (figures 16-17, wherein track 48 is shown to pass through carrier 50 could be disengaged from wheels 54 by disassembling the system).
With respect to claims 8, Joon is silent with respect to the material of the housing; however, the examiner takes Official Notice that hardened steel housings are well known in the art. The artisan would have been motivated to make the housing of Joon from hardened steel in order to adequately protect the internal components and increase the service life of the apparatus.
Claim(s) 9, 11-13, and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joon et al. (KR-10-1622719B1) (hereafter Joon) in view of Decker, Jr. (US 8,777,226B1) (hereafter Decker).
With respect to claim 9, Joon teaches a target carrier comprising: a carrier (10) comprising: a housing (the housing surrounding the mechanical components of (10)); at least one wheel (200) rotatably coupled to an interior of the housing; at least one gear (gear box of switching apparatus 120) coupled to the at least one wheel; a motor (actuator of switching apparatus 120) coupled (with drivetrain 130) to the at least one gear to drive the at least one wheel via the at least one gear (figure 2; and the machine translation); and a controller (the main controller 110, the secondary controller 111, the engine control unit 112, traveling body control unit 901, remote controller 20, remote control machine 902) to activate the motor based on user input (figure 2; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 9, Joon does not teach a sensor to detect user presence and alter the movement of the target carrier.
However, Decker does teach a sensor to detect user presence and alter the movement of the target carrier (figures; and column 8, lines 20-29).
At the time of filing the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize sensor and movement control of Decker on the apparatus of Joon in order to automatically move the target of Joon into position when the user’s position is detected.
With respect to claims 11-12, Joon teaches a transceiver communicatively coupled to the controller (traveling body control unit 901); the transceiver configured to communicate with a remote control device via a wireless communication protocol, the remote control device transmitting the input to the controller via the transceiver (machine translation); and a remote control (20/902) device communicatively couplable to the transceiver (500) via a wireless communication protocol, the remote control device configured to transmit the input (figures 1-3; and the machine translation); and wherein the remote control device transmits the input to the transceiver, the input causing the controller to activate the motor to move in a first direction, move in a second direction, stop, pause, delay, reduce speed during movement, reduce acceleration during movement, increase speed during movement, increase acceleration during movement, move randomly, move in a pre-defined pattern, or combinations thereof (figures 1-3; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 13, Joon teaches the at least one wheel comprises at least two wheels, and a first wheel (200) of the at least two wheels is contrapositioned to a second wheel (311) of the at least two wheels with respect to a suspension line threaded between the first wheel and the second wheel (figure 2; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 15, Joon teaches an aperture (the aperture formed in the housing by link 312 and spring 313) defined in the housing through which a suspension line (2) is selectively engageable and disengageable with the at least one wheel (311). In addition, the system of Joon is capable of being disassembled and reassembled (disengaged/engaged).
With respect to claims 16, Joon is silent with respect to the material of the housing; however, the examiner takes Official Notice that hardened steel housings are well known in the art. The artisan would have been motivated to make the housing of Joon from hardened steel in order to adequately protect the internal components and increase the service life of the apparatus.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joon and Decker as applied to claim 9, and further in view of Thompson (US 1,157,342).
With respect to claim 10, Joon and Decker do not teach at least one arm coupled to the carrier; and a coupling device to couple a panel to the at least one arm.
However, Thompson teaches a target shifting apparatus (title; and figures) wherein at least one arm (arms 66,67) coupled to the carrier (figure 15); and a coupling device (gripper jaw 52) to couple a panel (target 12) to the at least one arm (figure 15).
At the time of filing the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the arms and coupling device of Thompson on the collective apparatus of Joon and Decker in order to allow for quick removal and replacement of a target.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-20 are allowed.
Claims 6 and 14 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/2/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The examiner agrees that Joon and Thompson do not teach the newly added limitations to claims 1 and 19. However, newly cited references Li and Decker respectively teach the newly added limitations as set forth in the obviousness rejections above.
Claim 12 requires “causing the controller to activate the motor to move in a first direction, move in a second direction, stop, pause, delay, reduce speed during movement, reduce acceleration during movement, increase speed during movement, increase acceleration during movement, move randomly, move in a pre-defined pattern, or combinations thereof”. (emphasis added by the examiner). Accordingly, claim 12 is open to only one of the claimed functions and does not positively require pause, delay, move randomly, and move in a pre-defined pattern. Thus, the teachings of controlling deceleration-acceleration and forward-reverse direction in Joon meet the language of the instant claim 12.
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 KILEY SHAWN STONER whose telephone number is (571)272-1183. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday.
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/KILEY S STONER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735