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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on April 19, 2023, October 4, 2023 and November 6, 2023 have been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-5 and 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bordes et al (FR 3055419; cited in the IDS; hereinafter Bordes) in view of Beiro et al (US 11,608,169; hereinafter Beiro)
Regarding claim 1, Bordes discloses an apparatus (see figure 1) comprising: a deployment device (32) releasably attached to a power line device (20) at one or more points, wherein the power line device (20) is configured to connect (22) onto an electrical power line and/or a splice on the electrical power line (see figure 5); the deployment device (32) configured to be selectively and releasably coupled to an unmanned aerial vehicle (31); and at least one attachment line (35) connecting the deployment device (32 to the unmanned aerial vehicle (31); but Bordes lacks a support frame configured to be selectively and releasably coupled to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); and at least one attachment line connecting the deployment device to the support frame. Beiro teaches an apparatus (see figure 2) comprising: a deployment device (30); a support frame (24) configured to be selectively and releasably coupled to an unmanned aerial vehicle (12); and at least one attachment line (26) connecting the deployment device (30) to the unmanned aerial vehicle (12; see figure 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add to Bordes’ apparatus with a support frame configured to be selectively and releasably coupled to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); and at least one attachment line connecting the deployment device to the support frame as taught by Beiro to provide a more stable connection between the deployment device and the unmanned aerial vehicle.
Regarding claim 2, Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the power line device (20) comprises a spring- loaded latch (see figures 3 and 4)
Regarding claim 3, Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the spring-loaded latch (see figures 3 and 4) is configured to connect the power line device onto the electrical power line and/or the splice based on a thrust movement upon the electrical power line (see figures 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 4, Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the at least one attachment line (35) comprises two attachment lines; but Bordes lacks the least one attachment line comprises three attachment lines. Beiro teaches the apparatus wherein the at least one attachment line (26) comprises three attachment lines (see figure 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the at least one attachment line comprises three attachment lines as taught by Beiro to provide a more stable connection between the deployment device and the unmanned aerial vehicle.
Regarding claim 5, Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the at least one attachment line (35) comprises flexible dielectric connection lines (see figure 1).
Regarding claim 9, Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the deployment device (32) comprises at least one guide rod (67; see figure 3).
Regarding claim 10, Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the at least one guide rod (67; see figure 3) comprises a weight at a distal end of the guide rod, weighted material within the guide rod, or a combination thereof (see figure 3).
Regarding claim 11, the modified Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the support frame (as taught by Beiro) further comprises a plurality of flexible dielectric support lines (26; as taught by Beiro).
Regarding claim 12, the modified Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein a length of each of the flexible dielectric support lines (26; as taught by Beiro) is based on an electromagnetic field of the electrical power line (see figure 1; column 6 lines 15-44).
Regarding claim 13, Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein a length of each of the flexible dielectric support lines (26) is adapted to be selected based on a voltage of the electrical power line (see figure 1; paragraph 0035).
Regarding claim 14, the modified Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the apparatus comprises a nonconductive payload system (NPS; see figure 1).
Regarding claim 15, the modified Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), wherein the NPS comprises an upper frame, the lower frame, and the attachment lines (as taught by Beiro).
Regarding claim 16, Bordes discloses the apparatus (see figure 1), further comprising the UAV (31).
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 17-20 are allowed.
Claims 6-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance: The primary reasons for the indication of the allowability of claims 6-8 and 17-20 are:
Regarding claims 6-8, the prior art does not teach or fairly suggest in combination with the other claimed limitations the apparatus, wherein the deployment device comprises: a mounting adapter; one or more supports; an installation adapter affixed to at least one support of the one or more supports via the mounting adapter, wherein the installation adapter comprises a hot stick attachment point; and a pair of guide rods attached to the at least one support of the one or more supports via a guide rod attachment bracket, wherein the deployment device is configured to attach to a power line device by the hot stick attachment point on the installation adapter and a corresponding attachment point on the power line device.
Regarding claims 17-19, the prior art does not teach or fairly suggest in combination with the other claimed limitations a deployment device comprising: one or more supports; an installation adapter affixed to at least one support of the one or more supports via the mounting adapter, wherein the installation adapter comprises a hot stick attachment point; and a pair of guide rods attached to the at least one support of the one or more supports via a guide rod attachment bracket, wherein the deployment device is configured to attach to a power line device by the hot stick attachment point on the installation adapter and a corresponding attachment point on the power line device, and wherein the power line device is configured to connect onto an energized electrical power line and/or a splice on the electrical power line.
Regarding claim 20, Olivers discloses a method comprising: attaching a power line device to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) via a deployment device, wherein the deployment device comprises guide rods that extend below the power line device and is connected to the UAV via a nonconductive payload system (NPS), wherein the power line device comprises a spring-loaded latch and is adapted to attach onto an energized electrical power line and/or a splice on the energized electrical power line; piloting the UAV to a first position adjacent to and at an altitude that is higher than an energized electrical power line and/or a splice on the energized electrical power line upon which it is desired to attach the power line device at an installation location; piloting the UAV to a second position from the first position based on determining that at least a portion of the guide rods is approximately abutting at or substantially near a desired installation location for the power line device, wherein the at least the portion of the guide rods is close to a distal end of the guide rods and is below the power line device; reducing the altitude of the UAV to drop the power line device onto the energized electrical power line and/or the splice to engage a spring-loaded latch such that the power line device is latched onto the energized electrical power line and/or the splice by the spring-loaded latch; and increasing the altitude of the UAV to separate the power line device from the deployment device.
These limitations are found in claims 6-8 and 20, and are neither disclosed nor taught by the prior art of record, alone or in combination.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Davis et al (US 10,186,348), Beiro (US 12,441,493 and US 11,952,119), Liang et al (US 12,235,644), Wabnegger et al (US 11,358,717), Lavoie et al (US 11,368,002), Groninga et al (US 11,518,512) and Johansen et al (US 12,046,887) disclose a mounting device.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Angel R. Estrada at telephone number (571) 272-1973. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30am -5:00pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. Hayman can be reached on (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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April 3, 2026
/ANGEL R ESTRADA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841