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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s amendments and remarks filed on 09/03/2025. The Applicant has amended claims 1, 3, 9, and 17, cancelled claim 13 without prejudice, and added new claim 21. No new subject matter has been added. Claims 1-12, and 14-21 are currently pending and are addressed below.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 09/03/2025 has been entered. Applicant’s claim amendments have overcome the Claim Objections and 112(f) Claim Interpretation set forth in the 06/03/2025 Office Action. Claims 1-12, and 14-21 remain pending in the application.
Reply to Applicant’s Remarks
Applicant’s remarks filed 09/03/2025 have been fully considered and are addressed as follows:
Claim Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 103:
Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 103:
Applicant’s arguments (see Arguments/Remarks, filed 09/03/2025) with respect to claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered but, respectfully, are not persuasive.
Regarding the Applicant’s arguments that “Qi fails to disclose, teach or suggest at least "acquiring a current ground clearance of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods via ranging unit comprising a millimeter wave radar sensor and an ultrasonic sensor" as amended claim 1 recites.”, “Qi does not disclose or suggest "hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node," nor does it disclose "individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod" as amended claim 1 recites.”, “Applicant respectfully submits that the language "individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod" is consistent with the specification, and this feature is not disclosed, taught or suggested by Qi. Liu_1 and Liu_2 fail to cure the deficiencies of Qi. ”, “Liu_1 fails to disclose, teach or suggest the above features as amended claim 1 recites. Liu_2 also fails to disclose, teach or suggest at least "ranging unit comprising a millimeter wave radar sensor and an ultrasonic sensor,""hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node"and "individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod" as amended claim 1 recites. ”, and, “All cited references, individually or in combination, fail to teach or suggest all features recited in amended claim 1”, the arguments are moot in view of art applied to amended claim limitations. See Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 section below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1 thru 6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 206243463 U QI et al. (QI hereafter), in view of CN 110109474 A LIU et al. (LIU_474 hereafter), and further in view of US 20200079504 HIEIDA et al. (HIEIDA hereafter).
Regarding Claim 1, QI discloses A method for detecting landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a plurality of supporting vertical rods with an adjustable length (see at least QI [¶0036, Fig.1], “When the quadcopter approaches the ground, the distances between the four points and the ground are obtained to construct the terrain information of the landing position, thereby adjusting the extension and retraction of the four legs”), wherein the method comprises:
acquiring a current height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to determining that a landing instruction is received (see at least QI [¶0019], “the ultrasonic module obtains the distance parameters from the ground during the process of the aircraft landing and approaching the ground”);
controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to descend for landing (see at least QI [¶0019], “the ultrasonic module obtains the distance parameters from the ground during the process of the aircraft landing and approaching the ground, and the flight control system constructs the terrain information of the landing position according to the parameters, controls the falling parameters of the four legs, and thus adjusts the parameters of the four legs to adapt to the ground environment where the aircraft lands and lands on the ground in the best posture.”).
QI does not explicitly disclose acquiring a current ground clearance of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods via ranging unit comprising a millimeter wave radar sensor and an ultrasonic sensor,
However, HIEIDA, directed towards automatic creation of environment map, discloses acquiring a current ground clearance of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods via ranging unit comprising a millimeter wave radar sensor and an ultrasonic sensor (see at least HIEIDA [¶0027, 0054], “The three-dimensional shape information 101 of the area for creating the environmental map is acquired, [] the three-dimensional shape information is obtained by attaching and measuring a camera, a laser distance measuring sensor (LIDAR), millimeter wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, and a sensor similar thereto”, “the measuring means used by the complementary portion measurement unit 1201 is a measuring vehicle equipped with a camera, a LIDAR, millimeter wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, and an external sensor similar thereto [] The measuring vehicle may be a manned vehicle or an unmanned vehicle.”).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of HIEIDA to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of acquiring a current ground clearance of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods via ranging unit comprising a millimeter wave radar sensor and an ultrasonic sensor for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
QI does not explicitly disclose determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node;
in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal, hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands;
However, LIU_474, directed towards a rotary-wing UAV automatic balancing landing gear and control method for complex terrain, discloses determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, [] transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU“, that is, after reaching a preset height, the landing controls determine that the fuselage of the aerial vehicle is horizontal);
in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal, hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands“, that is, when it reaches a preset height node it stops, or hovers, the landing controls determine that the fuselage of the aerial vehicle is horizontal, and control the supporting rods for landing).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node, and hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands, for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 2, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The method according to claim 1, wherein the height above ground comprises a minimum value of the current ground clearances of the plurality of supporting vertical rods (see at least QI [¶0036], “four ultrasonic modules are evenly distributed on the circumference of the lower connecting plate [] and are located at the lower part of the support legs. When the quadcopter approaches the ground, the distances between the four points and the ground are obtained to construct the terrain information of the landing position.”).
Regarding Claim 3, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The method according to claim 1, wherein the height above ground further comprises a ground clearance acquired by a ranging unit located at a bottom of the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle (see at least QI [¶0034, Fig.1, Fig.3], “the four ultrasonic modules 6 are evenly distributed on the circumference of the connecting frame 1 and are located at the lower part of the landing gear”).
Regarding Claim 4, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The method according to claim 1, LIU_474 further discloses wherein the preset height node is a half of a maximum length of the supporting vertical rod (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands“, that is, the preset height can be set to be a required value, e.g., half of the maximum landing support length.).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of the preset height node is a half of a maximum length of the supporting vertical rod for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 5, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The method according to claim 1, LIU_474 further discloses further comprising: determining whether the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than a preset height (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands”);
in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to continue to land to enable the height above ground to be less than the preset height (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047]); and
in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047]).
determining whether the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than a preset height.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to continue to land to enable the height above ground to be less than the preset height; and in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 6, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The method according to claim 1, LIU_474 further discloses further comprising: adjusting the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle to make the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not horizontal (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands”, the error corresponds to the deviation from horizontal).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of adjusting the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle to make the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not horizontal for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 8, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The method according to claim 3, wherein adjusting the length of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal comprises:
taking the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod as a first adjustment value, and controlling a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value (see at least QI [¶0036], “four ultrasonic modules are evenly distributed on the circumference of the lower connecting plate [] and are located at the lower part of the support legs. When the quadcopter approaches the ground, the distances between the four points and the ground are obtained to construct the terrain information of the landing position, thereby adjusting the extension and retraction of the four legs so that the quadcopter lands on the ground in the best posture.”).
Claims 9 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 206243463 U QI et al. (QI hereafter), in view of CN 110109474 A LIU et al. (LIU_474 hereafter).
Regarding Claim 9, QI discloses An electronic device, comprising:
at least one processor (see at least QI [¶0042], “the flight control system 5 includes an STM32F407RGT6 processor”); and
a memory communicatively connected with the at least one processor (see at least QI [¶0042], “the flight control system 5 includes an STM32F407RGT6 processor”, the STM32F407RGT6 processor is an ARM Cortex-type with integrated memory); wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute a plurality of operations, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a plurality of supporting vertical rods with an adjustable length, and the plurality of operations comprise:
acquiring a current ground clearance of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods (see at least QI [¶0036], “When the quadcopter approaches the ground, the distances between the four points and the ground are obtained to construct the terrain information of the landing position”);
acquiring a current height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to determining that a landing instruction is received (see at least QI [¶0019], “the ultrasonic module obtains the distance parameters from the ground during the process of the aircraft landing and approaching the ground”);
controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to descend for landing (see at least QI [¶0019], “the ultrasonic module obtains the distance parameters from the ground during the process of the aircraft landing and approaching the ground, and the flight control system constructs the terrain information of the landing position according to the parameters, controls the falling parameters of the four legs, and thus adjusts the parameters of the four legs to adapt to the ground environment where the aircraft lands and lands on the ground in the best posture.”).
QI does not explicitly disclose determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node;
in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal, hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands;
However, LIU_474, directed towards a rotary-wing UAV automatic balancing landing gear and control method for complex terrain, discloses determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, [] transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU“, that is, after reaching a preset height, the landing controls determine that the fuselage of the aerial vehicle is horizontal);
in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal, hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands“, that is, when it reaches a preset height node it stops, or hovers, the landing controls determine that the fuselage of the aerial vehicle is horizontal, and control the supporting rods for landing).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node, and hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands, for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 10, QI and LIU_474, in combination, disclose The electronic device according to claim 9, LIU_474 further discloses wherein the plurality of operations further comprise:
determining whether the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than a preset height (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands”);
in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to continue to land to enable the height above ground to be less than the preset height (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047]); and
in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047]).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to continue to land to enable the height above ground to be less than the preset height; and in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 11, QI and LIU_474, in combination, disclose The electronic device according to claim 9, LIU_474 further discloses wherein the plurality of operations further comprise:
adjusting the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle to make the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not horizontal (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands”, the error corresponds to the deviation from horizontal).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of adjusting the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle to make the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not horizontal for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over QI and LIU_474, in combination, as applied to claim 11 above, further in view of CN106672216A LIU et al. (LIU_216 hereafter).
Regarding Claim 21, QI and LIU_474, in combination, disclose The electronic device according to claim 11, but do not explicitly disclose wherein adjusting the length of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal comprises:
taking the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keeping the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged; and
taking a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and controlling a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value.
However, LIU_216, directed towards a method for controlling the landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle, discloses taking the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keeping the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged (see at least LIU_216 [¶0009], “the UAV adjusts the telescopic lengths of the N landing gears according to the N distances specifically including: taking the minimum value Dmin among the N distances as a reference”); and
taking a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and controlling a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value. (see at least LIU_216 [¶0009], “calculating N-1 differences between the remaining N-1 distances and the minimum value Dmin, and adjusting the telescopic lengths of the remaining N-1 landing gears according to the N-1 differences; or, calculating the telescopic ratios of the N landing gears according to the N distances and the distance threshold range, and controlling the telescopic lengths of the N landing gears according to the telescopic ratios.”).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_216 to modify QI and LIU_474, in combination,, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of taking the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keeping the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged; and taking a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and controlling a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value, for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Claims 12, 14 – 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 206243463 U QI et al. (QI hereafter), in view of CN 110109474 A LIU et al. (LIU_474 hereafter), and further in view of US 20200079504 HIEIDA et al. (HIEIDA hereafter).
Regarding Claim 12, QI discloses An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
a fuselage (see at least QI [¶0034], “the utility model includes: a connecting frame”);
a plurality of supporting vertical rods with an adjustable length (see at least QI [¶0035], “The landing gear 3 comprises four legs 31 evenly distributed on the periphery of the connecting frame, each leg 31 has at least two degrees of freedom”);
a plurality of supporting bars being installed outside the fuselage, the other ends of the plurality of supporting bars being respectively connected with a supporting vertical rod, and the supporting vertical rod being a controllable telescopic rod (see at least QI [¶0035, 0036], “The landing gear 3 comprises four legs 31 evenly distributed on the periphery of the connecting frame, each leg 31 has at least two degrees of freedom, []. The fixing frame 21 is arranged on the connecting frame 1, and the fixing frame 21 is a hollow structure, and is staggered with any one of the legs 31”, “four ultrasonic modules 6 are evenly distributed on the circumference of the lower connecting plate 12 [] and are located at the lower part of the support legs 31. When the quadcopter approaches the ground, the distances between the four points and the ground are obtained to construct the terrain information of the landing position, thereby adjusting the extension and retraction of the four legs 6 so that the quadcopter lands on the ground in the best posture.”);
a motor, the motor being configured to control the supporting vertical rod to extend or contract (see at least QI [¶0038 – 0040, Fig.5 – Fig.7], “As shown in Figure 5, any support leg 31 includes a pair of support plates 32, a first mechanical joint 33, a second mechanical joint 34 and a support rod 35.”, “As shown in Figure 6, the first mechanical joint 33 includes a first servo 331”, “As shown in Figure 7, the second mechanical joint 34 includes a second servo 341”).
a flight control system, the flight control system being configured to execute a method for detecting landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle (see at least QI [¶0019], “the ultrasonic module obtains the distance parameters from the ground during the process of the aircraft landing and approaching the ground, and the flight control system constructs the terrain information of the landing position according to the parameters, controls the falling parameters of the four legs, and thus adjusts the parameters of the four legs to adapt to the ground environment where the aircraft lands and lands on the ground in the best posture.”); and
a power supply, the power supply being configured to be accommodated in the fuselage and to provide power for the motor, the ranging unit and the flight control system (see at least QI [¶0034], “the utility model includes: a connecting frame 1, four rotor assemblies 2, a landing gear 3, a battery 4, a flight control system 5 and four ultrasonic modules 6. []; the battery 4 is used to supply power to the flight control system and each rotor assembly; the four ultrasonic modules 6 are evenly distributed on the circumference of the connecting frame 1 and are located at the lower part of the landing gear, and are all connected to the flight control system 5.”);
wherein the flight control system is configured to:
acquire a current ground clearance of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods (see at least QI [¶0036], “When the quadcopter approaches the ground, the distances between the four points and the ground are obtained to construct the terrain information of the landing position”);
acquire a current height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to determining that a landing instruction is received (see at least QI [¶0019], “the ultrasonic module obtains the distance parameters from the ground during the process of the aircraft landing and approaching the ground”);
and control the unmanned aerial vehicle to descend for landing (see at least QI [¶0019], “the ultrasonic module obtains the distance parameters from the ground during the process of the aircraft landing and approaching the ground, and the flight control system constructs the terrain information of the landing position according to the parameters, controls the falling parameters of the four legs, and thus adjusts the parameters of the four legs to adapt to the ground environment where the aircraft lands and lands on the ground in the best posture.”).
QI does not explicitly disclose a plurality of ranging units, the plurality of ranging units being respectively installed below the plurality of supporting bars, and each ranging unit comprising a millimeter-wave radar sensor and a ultrasonic sensor, and being configured to detect a distance between the corresponding supporting vertical rod and a detection target,
However, HIEIDA discloses a plurality of ranging units, the plurality of ranging units being respectively installed below the plurality of supporting bars, and each ranging unit comprising a millimeter-wave radar sensor and a ultrasonic sensor, and being configured to detect a distance between the corresponding supporting vertical rod and a detection target (see at least HIEIDA [¶0027, 0054], “The three-dimensional shape information 101 of the area for creating the environmental map is acquired, [] the three-dimensional shape information is obtained by attaching and measuring a camera, a laser distance measuring sensor (LIDAR), millimeter wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, and a sensor similar thereto”, “the measuring means used by the complementary portion measurement unit 1201 is a measuring vehicle equipped with a camera, a LIDAR, millimeter wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, and an external sensor similar thereto [] The measuring vehicle may be a manned vehicle or an unmanned vehicle.”).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of HIEIDA to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of a plurality of ranging units, the plurality of ranging units being respectively installed below the plurality of supporting bars, and each ranging unit comprising a millimeter-wave radar sensor and a ultrasonic sensor, and being configured to detect a distance between the corresponding supporting vertical rod and a detection target for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
QI does not explicitly disclose determine whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node;
in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal, hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands;
However, LIU_474, directed towards a rotary-wing UAV automatic balancing landing gear and control method for complex terrain, discloses determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, [] transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU“, that is, after reaching a preset height, the landing controls determine that the fuselage of the aerial vehicle is horizontal);
in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal, hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands“, that is, when it reaches a preset height node it stops, or hovers, the landing controls determine that the fuselage of the aerial vehicle is horizontal, and control the supporting rods for landing).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal in response to determining that the current height above ground reaches a preset height node, and hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle at the preset height node and individually adjusting a length of each of the plurality of supporting vertical rods according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands, for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 14, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the height above ground comprises a minimum value of the current ground clearances of the plurality of supporting vertical rods (see at least QI [¶0036], “four ultrasonic modules are evenly distributed on the circumference of the lower connecting plate [] and are located at the lower part of the support legs. When the quadcopter approaches the ground, the distances between the four points and the ground are obtained to construct the terrain information of the landing position.”).
Regarding Claim 15, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the height above ground further comprises a ground clearance acquired by the ranging unit located at a bottom of the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle (see at least QI [¶0034, Fig.1, Fig.3], “the four ultrasonic modules 6 are evenly distributed on the circumference of the connecting frame 1 and are located at the lower part of the landing gear”).
Regarding Claim 16, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, LIU_474 further discloses wherein the preset height node is a half of a maximum length of the supporting vertical rod (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands“, that is, the preset height can be set to be a required value, e.g., half of the maximum landing support length.).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of the preset height node is a half of a maximum length of the supporting vertical rod for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 17, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, LIU_474 further discloses wherein the flight control system is further configured to:
determine whether the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than a preset height (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands”);
in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not less than the preset height, control the unmanned aerial vehicle to continue to land to enable the height above ground to be less than the preset height (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047]);
in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than the preset height, control the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047]).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to continue to land to enable the height above ground to be less than the preset height; and in response to determining that the height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle is less than the preset height, controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 18, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, LIU_474 further discloses the flight control system further is configured to: adjust the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle to make the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not horizontal (see at least LIU_474 [¶0047], “When landing, the ultrasonic ranging module stops landing when it reaches 100CM from the ground, starts the control device, and transmits the information of the vertical distance from the ground measured by each ultrasonic ranging module to the CPU, and controls the upper servo or lower servo through the servo drive board, changes the angle between the upper landing leg and the fuselage fixing frame, and keeps the lower landing leg perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the bottom ends of the four lower landing legs are equidistant from their corresponding landing points, ensuring that the error is within the set value, and then lands”, the error corresponds to the deviation from horizontal).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_474 to modify QI, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of adjusting the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle to make the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal in response to determining that the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is not horizontal for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 20, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the flight control system further is configured to:
take the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod as a first adjustment value, and control a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value (see at least QI [¶0036], “four ultrasonic modules are evenly distributed on the circumference of the lower connecting plate [] and are located at the lower part of the support legs. When the quadcopter approaches the ground, the distances between the four points and the ground are obtained to construct the terrain information of the landing position, thereby adjusting the extension and retraction of the four legs so that the quadcopter lands on the ground in the best posture.”).
Claims 7 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, as applied to claims 1 and 12 above, and further in view of CN106672216A LIU et al. (LIU_216 hereafter).
Regarding Claim 7, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The method according to claim 2, but do not explicitly disclose wherein adjusting the length of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal comprises:
taking the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keeping the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged; and
taking a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and controlling a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value.
However, LIU_216, directed towards a method for controlling the landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle, discloses taking the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keeping the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged (see at least LIU_216 [¶0009], “the UAV adjusts the telescopic lengths of the N landing gears according to the N distances specifically including: taking the minimum value Dmin among the N distances as a reference”); and
taking a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and controlling a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value.
(see at least LIU_216 [¶0009], “calculating N-1 differences between the remaining N-1 distances and the minimum value Dmin, and adjusting the telescopic lengths of the remaining N-1 landing gears according to the N-1 differences; or, calculating the telescopic ratios of the N landing gears according to the N distances and the distance threshold range, and controlling the telescopic lengths of the N landing gears according to the telescopic ratios.”).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_216 to modify QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of taking the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keeping the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged; and taking a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and controlling a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value, for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Regarding Claim 19, QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, disclose The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 14, but do not explicitly disclose wherein the flight control system is further configured to:
take the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keep the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged; and
take a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and control a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value.
However, LIU_216 discloses take the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keep the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged (see at least LIU_216 [¶0009], “the UAV adjusts the telescopic lengths of the N landing gears according to the N distances specifically including: taking the minimum value Dmin among the N distances as a reference”); and
take a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and control a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value (see at least LIU_216 [¶0009], “calculating N-1 differences between the remaining N-1 distances and the minimum value Dmin, and adjusting the telescopic lengths of the remaining N-1 landing gears according to the N-1 differences; or, calculating the telescopic ratios of the N landing gears according to the N distances and the distance threshold range, and controlling the telescopic lengths of the N landing gears according to the telescopic ratios.”).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have considered the teachings of LIU_216 to modify QI, LIU_474 and HIEIDA, in combination, with a reasonable expectation of success, to use the technique of taking the supporting vertical rod with the height above ground as a first supporting vertical rod and keeping the length of the first supporting vertical rod unchanged; and taking a difference between the ground clearance of one other supporting vertical rod except the first supporting vertical rod and the height above ground as a first adjustment value, and controlling a motor to adjust the corresponding supporting vertical rod according to the first adjustment value, for the purpose of a safer landing procedure and control of landing legs position and range to ensure the UAV remains horizontal on uneven terrain. This can allow safer landing, reduce the risk of tipping over, damage to UAV or cargo, and ensure the position of the UAV is ready for takeoff.
Conclusion
Examiner notes that the fundamentals of the rejection are based on the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim language. Any reference to specific figures, column, line and paragraphs should not be considered limiting in any way. The entire cited reference(s), as well as any secondary teaching reference(s), are considered to provide relevant disclosure relating to the claimed invention. Applicant is kindly invited to consider the reference(s) as a whole. References are to be interpreted as by one of ordinary skill in the art rather than as by a novice. See MPEP 2141. Therefore, the relevant inquiry when interpreting a reference is not what the reference expressly discloses on its face but what the reference would teach or suggest to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Examiner encourages Applicant to fill out and submit form PTO-SB-439 to allow internet communications in accordance with 37 CFR 1.33 (MPEP 502.03). Should the need arise to perfect applicant-proposed or examiner’s amendments, authorization for e-mail correspondence would have already been authorized and would save time.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Neit J. Nieves Flores whose telephone number is (703)756-5864. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0930-1800 AST.
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/Neit J. Nieves Flores/
Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3664
/RACHID BENDIDI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3664