DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits.
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 (IDS) submitted on 7/26/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-3, 8 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (US20050273224) in view of Kishihata (JP2008254641).
Claim 1.
Ito teaches the following limitations:
A water jet propulsion boat comprising: (Ito – [0023] The watercraft 10)
a hull; a drive source in the hull; (Ito – [0023] hull 11)
a jet propulsion mechanism to generate a propulsive force for the hull by ejecting a jet of water with a driving force from the driving source; (Ito – [0054] The watercraft 10 can also include a propulsion device configured to convert power output from the crankshaft 21 of the engine 20 into thrust for propelling the watercraft 10)
a jet stream changer to change at least one of a jet stream direction or a jet stream force of the jet of water from the jet propulsion mechanism; (Ito – [0059] The jet pump 47 can also include a steering nozzle 48 attached to the downstream end of the discharge port 4)
Ito does not explicitly teach the following limitations: a tilt detector to output a detection signal according to a tilt angle of the hull; a controller configured or programmed to execute: an angle difference calculation to calculate an angle difference between the tilt angle of the hull and a target angle of the hull for a bow-up attitude based on the detection signal from the tilt detector; and a feedback process to reduce the angle difference by changing at least one of the jet stream direction or the jet stream force by the jet stream changer. However, Kishihata teaches:
a tilt detector to output a detection signal according to a tilt angle of the hull; and (Kishihata – [0002] In order to efficiently generate thrust, watercraft equipped with outboard motors, such as motorboats, are provided with tilt angle detection means for detecting the tilt of the outboard motor relative to the vertical direction)
a controller configured or programmed to execute: an angle difference calculation to calculate an angle difference between the tilt angle of the hull and a target angle of the hull for a bow-up attitude based on the detection signal from the tilt detector; (Kishihata – [0058] In the present invention, the tilt angle θo of the outboard motor is detected using an acceleration sensor 307 attached to a PTT controller 304 provided inside the outboard motor. The pitch angle of the hull is calculated using equation (1) or (1)' from this tilt angle θo, the trim angle θt detected by the trim angle sensor, and the known setting angle θI. The PTT motor 301 is controlled in accordance with the deviation between the calculated pitch angle and the target pitch angle, thereby performing pitch angle target tracking control to converge the pitch angle of the hull to the target value.)
and a feedback process to reduce the angle difference by changing at least one of the jet stream direction or the jet stream force by the jet stream changer. (Kishihata – [0031] when the difference between the maximum and minimum instantaneous values of the pitch angle calculated within a set fixed period of time exceeds a set value, and trim down control means which, when jumping motion of the hull is detected by the jumping motion detection means, performs trim down control to reduce the trim angle until the jumping motion is no longer detected.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ito with Kishihata in order to efficiently generate thrust. (Kishihata – [0002])
Claim 2.
The combination of Ito and Kishihata teaches the water jet propulsion boat according to claim 1, and Ito further teaches:
wherein the controller is configured or programmed to execute an angular velocity calculation to calculate an angular velocity of the tilt angle of the hull based on the detection signal from the tilt detector; (Ito – [0111] At the step 132, the CPU determines whether or not a change angular velocity of the throttle opening is less than a change angular velocity of the auto cruise control releasable opening.)
and in the feedback process, at least one of the jet stream direction or the jet stream force is changed by the jet stream changer according to the angular velocity of the tilt angle. (Ito – [0111] If the change angular velocity of the throttle opening is less than the auto cruise control releasable opening change angular velocity, then the CPU determines "YES" at the step 132, and the program goes to a step 134 with the speed set mode maintained. If the change angular velocity of the throttle opening is greater than the auto cruise control releasable opening change angular velocity, then the CPU determines "NO," and the program goes to a step 142.)
Claim 3.
The combination of Ito and Kishihata teaches the water jet propulsion boat according to claim 2, and Kishihata further teaches:
The water jet propulsion boat according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to increase, in the feedback process, a rate of change of at least one of the jet stream direction or the jet stream force by the jet stream changer as the angular velocity of the tilt angle increases. (Kishihata – [0003] Therefore, the control device performs trim-up control to increase the trim angle of the outboard motor (the angle of inclination of the outboard motor relative to the hull) in order to return the propeller central axis to a horizontal direction.)
See claim 1 for a statement of obviousness rationale.
Claim 8.
The combination of Ito and Kishihata teaches the water jet propulsion boat according to claim 1, and Kishihata further teaches:
wherein the jet stream changer includes a jet stream force changer to change the jet stream force of the jet of water from the jet propulsion mechanism; and the controller is configured or programmed to executes in the feedback process, a jet stream force control mode to change the jet stream force by the jet stream force changer to reduce the angle difference. (Kishihata – [0010] Furthermore, when the bow hits the water surface after passing through the state shown in Figure 10(C), the thrust is directed diagonally downward, so the control device controls the trim angle of the outboard motor to reduce the thrust to return it to a horizontal direction, causing the bow to sink further. As a result, the control acts in a direction that exacerbates the hull bouncing phenomenon.)
See claim 1 for a statement of obviousness rationale.
Claim 16.
The combination of Ito and Kishihata teaches the water jet propulsion boat according to claim 1, and Kishihata further teaches:
wherein the controller is configured or programmed to start the feedback process based on the detection signal from the tilt detector if the tilt angle of the hull reaches a trigger angle smaller than the target angle. (Kishihata – [0018] The target pitch angle tracking control means is preferably configured to perform control so as to converge the pitch angle to the target value even when the ship is accelerating.)
Claim 17.
The combination of Ito and Kishihata teaches the water jet propulsion boat according to claim 1, and Kishihata further teaches the water jet propulsion boat according to claim 1:
further comprising: a steering device on the hull and including a display; wherein the controller is configured or programmed to cause the display to display tilt-related information according to the tilt angle of the hull based on the detection signal from the tilt detector. (Kishihata – [0046] The remote control unit 4 is also provided with a mode selection switch 401 that is operated by the driver to select either the automatic control mode or the manual mode as the operating mode, a PTT switch 402 that is operated by the driver to move the outboard motor in the trim-up and trim-down directions when the manual mode is selected, and a display 403 that displays the current trim angle and operating mode.; [0071] The present invention also provides thrust leveling control means for controlling the trim angle so as to maintain the direction in which the thrust of the outboard motors acts horizontally)
Claim 18.
Ito teaches the following limitations:
A method of maintaining a bow-up attitude of a water jet propulsion boat including a hull and a jet propulsion mechanism to generate a propulsive force of the hull by ejecting a jet of water, the method comprising: (Ito – [0023] hull 11; [0054] The watercraft 10 can also include a propulsion device configured to convert power output from the crankshaft 21 of the engine 20 into thrust for propelling the watercraft 10)
Ito does not explicitly teach the following limitations: calculating an angle difference between a tilt angle of the hull in an upper-lower direction and a target angle of the hull in the bow-up attitude and reducing the angle difference in a feedback process by changing at least one of a jet stream direction or a jet stream force of the jet of water from the jet propulsion mechanism However, Kishihata teaches:
calculating an angle difference between a tilt angle of the hull in an upper-lower direction and a target angle of the hull in the bow-up attitude; (Kishihata – [0058] In the present invention, the tilt angle θo of the outboard motor is detected using an acceleration sensor 307 attached to a PTT controller 304 provided inside the outboard motor. The pitch angle of the hull is calculated using equation (1) or (1)' from this tilt angle θo, the trim angle θt detected by the trim angle sensor, and the known setting angle θI. The PTT motor 301 is controlled in accordance with the deviation between the calculated pitch angle and the target pitch angle, thereby performing pitch angle target tracking control to converge the pitch angle of the hull to the target value.)
and reducing the angle difference in a feedback process by changing at least one of a jet stream direction or a jet stream force of the jet of water from the jet propulsion mechanism. (Kishihata – [0031] when the difference between the maximum and minimum instantaneous values of the pitch angle calculated within a set fixed period of time exceeds a set value, and trim down control means which, when jumping motion of the hull is detected by the jumping motion detection means, performs trim down control to reduce the trim angle until the jumping motion is no longer detected.
See claim 1 for a statement of obviousness rationale.
Claim 19.
The combination of Ito and Kishihata teaches the method of maintaining a bow-up attitude of a water jet propulsion boat according to claim 18, and Ito further teaches the method of maintaining a bow-up attitude of a water jet propulsion boat according to claim 18 further comprising:
calculating an angular velocity of the tilt angle of the hull; (Ito – [0111] At the step 132, the CPU determines whether or not a change angular velocity of the throttle opening is less than a change angular velocity of the auto cruise control releasable opening.) wherein the feedback process, at least one of the jet stream direction or the jet stream force is changed according to the angular velocity of the tilt angle. (Ito – [0111] If the change angular velocity of the throttle opening is less than the auto cruise control releasable opening change angular velocity, then the CPU determines "YES" at the step 132, and the program goes to a step 134 with the speed set mode maintained. If the change angular velocity of the throttle opening is greater than the auto cruise control releasable opening change angular velocity, then the CPU determines "NO," and the program goes to a step 142.)
Claim 20.
The combination of Ito and Kishihata teaches the method of maintaining a bow-up attitude of a water jet propulsion boat according to claim 19, and Kishihata further teaches the method of maintaining a bow-up attitude of a water jet propulsion boat according to claim 19:
wherein in the feedback process, a rate of change of at least one of the jet stream direction or the jet stream force is increased as the angular velocity of the tilt angle increases. (Kishihata – [0003] Therefore, the control device performs trim-up control to increase the trim angle of the outboard motor (the angle of inclination of the outboard motor relative to the hull) in order to return the propeller central axis to a horizontal direction.)
See claim 1 for a statement of obviousness rationale.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 9-15 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Claims 4-7 and 9-15 are objected for its dependency on the rejected base claim, but would otherwise be allowable if rewritten to include all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The allowable subject matter found in the claim that have not been found to have been adequately taught or disclosed in the prior art found at this time are all the limitations as specifically claimed.
Specifically, the prior art Ito (US20050273224) fails to teach a jet stream changer includes a direction changer to change the jet stream direction of the jet of water from the jet propulsion mechanism; and the controller is configured or programmed to execute, in the feedback process, a jet stream direction control mode to change the jet stream direction with the direction changer to reduce the angle difference. Additionally, the prior art Ito (US20050273224) fails to teach a steering device on the hull; wherein the jet stream force changer is operable to change the jet stream force according to an operation by the steering device to change the jet stream force; and the jet stream force control mode includes a first jet stream force control mode to reduce the angle difference while allowing a change in the jet stream force according to the operation by the steering device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VINCENT FENG whose telephone number is (703)756-4715. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM - 5:00PM.
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/VINCENT FENG/Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/NAVID Z. MEHDIZADEH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669
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