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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 09/14/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 8, filed 09/14/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 USC 103 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 in view of Reinhard et al. (EP 1374823), with publication date: 2004-01-02 and Glebe (US 6,405,985).
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) 1-4, 7-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gentry (US 9,387,928), Reinhard et al. (EP 1374823), with publication date: 2004-01-02 (attached is the human translation) and Glebe (US 6,405,985).
Regarding claim 1, Gentry discloses a landing pad (The system 100 can comprise an elevated landing platform 115 to enable one or more UAVs 105 to land, Col. 2, lines 58-59), comprising:
a first body comprising: a pad portion (115, fig. 1A); and a first coupling portion with a mounting portion configured for mounting to a position to be mounted connected to the pad portion (the pad 115 is couple to streetlight 110 with the coupling unit, fig. 1A);
Gentry discloses a landing pad (115, fig. 2)mount on the lamp pole to charge any drone (The docking station 102 portion (with the landing pad 115) of the system 100 is shown as installed on a conventional pole-mounted street light 110, Col. 2, lines 51-53). Gentry further discloses that the mounting portion dispose below a center of a bottom of the pad portion (fig. 1A shows that the pad 115 is mounting in the middle over the street light). However, Gentry is silent about the mounting assembly.
Reinhard discloses a second coupling portion connected to the mounting portion, the second coupling portion configured for coupling with the first coupling portion (the coupling devices 22 and 38 are configured to connect with each other, fig. 3, paragraph [0013]).
an elastic component (44, fig. 3) disposed between the first coupling portion (first disc 22, fig. 3) and the second coupling portion (second disc 38, fig. 3) (the toothed disks are biased axially away from each other by spring means arranged between them. For example, a helical compression spring or a disk spring can be arranged between the toothed disks, paragraph [0006]); and a fastening component configured for combination of the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion (Screwed onto the threaded section 28 of the hinge bolt 24 is a nut 48 connected in the form of a rotary handle 46 by means of which the two toothed disks 22 and 38 can be clamped against one another, paragraph [0013]), and the elastic component, wherein, when the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are loosened, an angle rotatable state of the landing pad allows rotation with respect to the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion, such that the first body and the second body are rotatable with respect to each other (a helical compression spring or a disk spring can be arranged between the toothed disks. This ensures that the toothed disks automatically come apart axially when the clamping screw is loosened, so that the parts connected to one another by the joint can be pivoted relative to one another, paragraph [0006]), wherein the pad portion is angularly adjustable relative to the mounting portion while the mounting portion remains mounted to the position to be mounted (paragraph [0009]),
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry’s drone landing system to include a mounting assembly as taught by Reinhard, in order to have a facilitate angular adjustment while providing positive and secure locking of the pad at a selected angular position.
Reinhard does discloses the mounting assembly where the holding rail can be angularly adjustable with the support, however, Reinhard does not explicitly disclose the holding portion is position able horizontally when the position to be mounted is inclined.
Glebe discloses an adjustable horizontal surface with the mounting equipment (abstract). Glebe further discloses the holding surface is position able horizontally when the position to be mounted is inclined (support plate 62 is position able at a predetermined orientation angle 70 relative to the back plate 52. This allows support plate 62 to be positioned in a substantially horizontal orientation, for example, parallel to the deck of the boat when back plate 52 is attached to the hull 54 of the boat despite the fact that the hull may be oriented at an angle to the deck, fig. 5, Col. 4, lines 63-67).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry’s drone landing system in view of Reinhard to include the variation of installing the mounting assembly as taught by Glebe, in order to provide a substantially horizontal support surface irrespective of the orientation of the mounting location.
Regarding claim 2, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of the claim 1. Reinhard further discloses wherein the first coupling portion, and the second coupling portion comprise gears (the toothed rings (30) of the toothed discs (22, 38) clamped against each other engage with each other, claim 1, tooth rings are equating as the gears).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry’s drone landing system to include a mounting assembly as taught by Reinhard, in order to have a facilitate angular adjustment while providing positive and secure locking of the pad at a selected angular position.
Regarding claim 3, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of the claim 1. Reinhard further discloses wherein the elastic component is a spring (the spring device 44, claim 6).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry’s drone landing system to include a mounting assembly as taught by Reinhard, in order to have a facilitate angular adjustment while providing positive and secure locking of the pad at a selected angular position.
Regarding claim 4, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of the claim 1. Reinhard further discloses wherein the fastening component comprises a screw and a nut (claim 3) .
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry’s drone landing system to include a mounting assembly as taught by Reinhard, in order to have a facilitate angular adjustment while providing positive and secure locking of the pad at a selected angular position.
Regarding claim 7, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of the claim 1. Gentry further discloses wherein the first body further comprising: a securing component disposed on the pad portion, the securing component configured for fastening the drone on the pad portion (Col. 5, lines 36-40)
Regarding claim 8, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of the claim 1. Reinhard further discloses wherein the second body further comprising: an auxiliary plate disposed between the mounting portion and the second coupling portion (33 is connected to the plate 14, fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry’s drone landing system to include a mounting assembly as taught by Reinhard, in order to have a facilitate angular adjustment while providing positive and secure locking of the pad at a selected angular position.
Regarding claim 9, Gentry discloses a street light: comprising: a pole portion; a lamp portion connected to the pole portion (490 connected to the pole, fig. 4C); and the landing pad according to claim 1 mounted on the lamp portion through the mounting portion (see the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 10, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the street light of the claim 8, Gentry further discloses the street light further comprising: a storage space below the lamp portion, the storage space provided for the drone (Col. 6, lines 62-66).
Regarding claim 11, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses a landing pad using method, comprising: mounting the landing pad according to claim 1 on a lamp portion of a street light (Col. 2, lines 51-53). However, Gentry is silent about the mounting bracket.
Reinhard discloses leveling the holding portion at an angle rotatable state and fastening the fastening component such that the landing pad is at a fixed state (paragraph [0005] where the pivot movement means the rotational movement. It can be adjusted through the spring and fixed through fasteners).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry’s drone landing system to include a mounting assembly as taught by Reinhard, in order to have a facilitate angular adjustment while providing positive and secure locking of the pad at a selected angular position.
Regarding claim 12, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of claim 10, Gentry further discloses the landing pad further comprising landing the drone on the leveled pad portion (the leveled surface 115, fig. 1A).
Regrading claim 13, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of claim 10, Gentry further discloses charging the drone with the landing pad (the landing pad 115 has the charging station 205 in the pad, fig. 2D).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gentry (US 9,387,928), Reinhard et al. (EP 1374823), with publication date: 2004-01-02 and Glebe (US 6,405,985) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hanmin et al. (CN106786866A), herein after Hanmin.
Regarding claim 5, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of claim 1. However, they are silent about wherein the pad portion functions as a solar panel.
Hanmin discloses wherein the pad portion is functioned as a solar panel (The solar streetlamp is used for charging the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the charging system, Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe to include solar power supply system as taught by Hanmin, in order to have the a sustainable, decentralized, and cost-effective infrastructure for autonomous drone charging.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gentry (US 9,387,928), Reinhard et al. (EP 1374823), with publication date: 2004-01-02 and Glebe (US 6,405,985) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Carpenter (US 2019/0028903).
Regarding claim 6, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of the claim 1. Gentry further discloses the battery can be charged through the charging station (205, fig. 2A). However, Gentry, Reinhard and Glebe are silent about a wireless charging device disposed in or under the pad portion.
Carpenter discloses the drone pad with the wireless charging functionality ((Attached to or integrated with the base portion might be a sub-platform 415, which might comprise a recharger system, which might include, but is not limited to, an inductive charging system (wireless), paragraph [0112])).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry to include a wireless charging function in the pad as taught by Carpenter, in order to charge the drone wirelessly and have significant advantages over physical plug-in systems, primarily through enhanced weather resistance, reduced wear and tear, and universal compatibility.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gentry (US 9,387,928), Reinhard et al. (EP 1374823), with publication date: 2004-01-02 and Glebe (US 6,405,985) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Filipovic et al. (US 11,492,114), herein after.
Regarding claim 14, Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe discloses the landing pad of claim 11. However, they are silent about charging the street light with the landing pad.
Filipovic discloses street pole with the charging station to charge the drone and lamp connected to the charging station (Col. 1, lines 58-61, fig. 16).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Gentry in view of Reinhard and Glebe to include a charging station to charge the street lamp through landing pad as taught by Filipovic, in order to conveniently charge the lamp with drone, improved safety, and the ability to leverage existing infrastructure for broader smart city applications.
Conclusion
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SADIA . KOUSAR
Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/SADIA KOUSAR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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