DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-11, and 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lowe (US 12275318 B2) in view of Raptopoulos (US 20140032034 A1).
Re Claim 1: Lowe discloses
a base station for receiving a drone, the base station comprising:
a cabinet (fig 1: 102, col 30 ll 55: an enclosure (body) 102) comprising a parking plate (fig 2: 106) and one or more walls forming an enclosure for one or more internal components of the base station, the parking plate configured to receive the drone (col 30 ll 58+: a cradle 106 that is configured to receive (accommodate) the UAV 10.);
a temperature sensor (fig 53a: 246, col 57 ll 36: one or more temperature sensors) carried within the enclosure, the temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature within the enclosure; and
a temperature regulator configured to regulate the temperature within the enclosure to maintain the temperature of a plurality of battery packs charged at the plurality of chargers within a temperature range (col 1 ll 41: a temperature control system that is connected to the cradle and which is configured to vary temperature of the power source of the UAV.).
However, Lowe does not disclose a plurality of chargers carried within the enclosure, each charger configured to provide power to a battery pack being charged at the charger.
Raptopoulos however discloses a plurality of chargers carried within the enclosure, each charger configured to provide power to a battery pack being charged at the charger (p11: "stores and charges the plurality of batteries" and p13: "comprises a charger capable of charging batteries").
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinarily skill in the art to incorporate Raptopoulos’ teaching in the apparatus of Lowe for the purpose of aggregating multiple chargers inside the climate-controlled enclosure of Lowe so that the system can maintain a surplus of fully charged batteries ready for immediate deployment. This is a simple combination of known elements (multiple charging docks + a protective enclosure) yielding the predictable result of increased operational uptime and logistical efficiency.
Re Claim 3: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the base station of claim 1, further comprising a battery pack carrier (Raptopoulos: p12: a robotic system for changing batteries) carried within an enclosure, the battery pack carrier configured to carry a battery pack to the drone (Raptopoulos: p12: changing batteries of the one or more unmanned delivery vehicles).
Re Claims 4 and 14: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the base station of claim 1 and the method of claim 11, wherein the temperature regulator is an air mover (col2 ll 3: first air circulator, col2 ll 11: second air circulator).
Re Claims 5 and 15: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the base station of claim 1 and the method of claim 11, wherein the base station comprises a battery pack carrier (Raptopoulos: p12: a robotic system for changing batteries) configured to swap battery packs between the plurality of chargers and the drone (Raptopoulos: p12: changing batteries of the one or more unmanned delivery vehicles).
Re Claims 6 and 16: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the base station of claim 1 and the method of claim 11, wherein each charger comprises a power port (Lowe: fig 69-71: 414, col 60 ll 58: electrical connector 414) and
each charger comprises a battery latch configured to mechanically hold a battery pack in place with the charger and the power port (the physical reality of automated electrical connections necessitates a mechanism to secure the components. Raptopoulos describes a robotic system for changing batteries and ground stations that store and charge them autonomously. When a battery is inserted into a charger by a robotic system, a mechanical friction fit, locking tab, or structural latch is an inherent requirement. Without a latching mechanism, the battery would become unseated due to vibrations, thermal expansion, or gravitational forces during the extended charging cycle. Furthermore, the use of latches in battery docking stations is a basic, universally known element in electrical engineering. Replacing or supplementing Lowe's electrical connector with a mechanical latch, as implied by the secure, unattended charging needs of Raptopoulos's automated battery banks, is an obvious modification.) configured to provide power to the battery pack being charged.
Re Claims 7 and 17: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the base station of claim 1 and the method of claim 11, wherein the parking plate further comprises a shutter configured to protect the enclosure, and the shutter openable to provide access to the plurality of chargers (fig 6: 104, col 67 ll 49: opening and closure of the (front) door 104, col 4 ll 12: a (front) door that is movably connected to the enclosure such that the door is repositionable between a closed position and an open position).
Re Claims 8 and 18: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the base station of claim 1 and the method of claim 11, wherein the parking plate includes a landing surface and a component-carrying surface opposing the landing surface, and the component- carrying surface is facing the enclosure (Lowe's structural architecture involves an enclosure with an "outer housing that defines a roof section and an inner housing". The roof section or the upper horizontal plane of the extended cradle functionally operates as the "landing surface" where the drone interfaces with the station. The inner housing, which Lowe describes as providing a "mounting surface for various components of the base station 100 including, for example, electrical components, actuators, and the like," serves exactly as the "component-carrying surface". This inner housing opposes the exterior landing surface and faces the internal cavity/enclosure.).
Re Claims 9 and19: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the base station of claim 8 and the method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of the chargers are carried on the component-carrying surface (Lowe details that electrical components and the charging hub are mounted in relation to this inner housing structure. Integrating the plurality of chargers (derived from the teachings of Raptopoulos) onto this inner, component-carrying surface of Lowe's base station is the most logical and spatially efficient arrangement.).
Re Claims 10 and 20: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the base station of claim 1 and the method of claim 11, wherein the temperature regulator includes a cooling component and a heating component (col27 ll 4+: the base station may be configured to cool the power source of the UAV (e.g., when the base station and the UAV are used in hot environments) or heat the power source of the UAV (e.g., when the base station and the UAV are used in cold environments).).
Re Claim 11: Lowe discloses a method for regulating temperature of drone battery packs, the method comprising:
enclosing a charger carried within an enclosure (fig 1: 102, col 30 ll 55: an enclosure (body) 102) formed from a parking plate (fig 2: 106) and one or more walls of a base station that is configured to receive a drone (col 30 ll 58+: a cradle 106 that is configured to receive (accommodate) the UAV 10.);
measuring a temperature within the enclosure of the base station using a temperature sensor (fig 53a: 246, col 57 ll 36: one or more temperature sensors) carried within the enclosure; and
regulating, using a temperature regulator, the temperature with the enclosure to maintain the temperature of a plurality of battery packs charged at the plurality of chargers within a temperature range (col 1 ll 41: a temperature control system that is connected to the cradle and which is configured to vary temperature of the power source of the UAV.).
However, Lowe does not disclose plurality of chargers providing power to a battery pack that is being charged one of the charger.
Raptopoulos however discloses plurality of chargers providing power to a battery pack that is being charged one of the charger (p11: "stores and charges the plurality of batteries" and p13: "comprises a charger capable of charging batteries").
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinarily skill in the art to incorporate Raptopoulos’ teaching in the method of Lowe for the purpose of aggregating multiple chargers inside the climate-controlled enclosure of Lowe so that the system can maintain a surplus of fully charged batteries ready for immediate deployment. This is a simple combination of known elements (multiple charging docks + a protective enclosure) yielding the predictable result of increased operational uptime and logistical efficiency.
Re Claim 13: Lowe modified by Raptopoulos discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising performing a battery swap for the drone (Raptopoulos: p12: a robotic system for changing batteries, changing batteries of the one or more unmanned delivery vehicles).
Claim(s) 2 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lowe (US 12275318 B2) modified by Raptopoulos (US 20140032034 A1) in view of Official Notice.
Re Claims 2 and 12: Lowe modified by RAPTOPOULOS discloses the base station of claim 1 and the method of claim 11.
However, Lowe modified by RAPTOPOULOS does NOT disclose that each charger further comprises a vertical sensor to determine that a battery pack has contacted a bracket, and a horizontal sensor to determine that the battery pack has slid into position to be charged.
It is noted that Raptopoulos teaches a "robotic system for changing batteries”. Official Notice is taken that In the fields of mechatronics, robotics, and automated material handling, the utilization of limit switches, optical sensors, or proximity sensors across multiple axes (X, Y, Z, or horizontal/vertical) to confirm the correct seating and alignment of a payload is notoriously well-known. An automated robotic arm cannot successfully complete a blind insertion of a battery into a charging port without sensor feedback to confirm the terminal limits of its kinematic path.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinarily skill in the art to incorporate Official Notice in the apparatus of Lowe modified by RAPTOPOULOS for the purpose of safeguarding against mechanical jamming, misalignment, or electrical arcing during the automated swap.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAE W KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-5971. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30AM-5:30PM.
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/TAE W KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 2876
/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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