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 .
The present application is a 371 of PCT/EP2021/075715 filed on September 17, 2021.
An amendment was filed by the applicant on December 31, 2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-4, 7-8, 10-14 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pettersen et al. (US 10,751,872).
Pettersen et al. discloses an underwater robot for performing subsea operations, as shown in Figures 1-10, which is comprised of a series of modules or links, each defined as Part #6, that are connected to each other by means of one or more joint modules, each defined as Part #2, to allow flexural motion of said robot, as shown in Figure 1, and one or more thruster devices, defined as Part #6 or 8, for applying thrust to said robot for propulsion, for generating flexural motion of said robot, and for controlling the orientation and location of said series of modules or links of said robot, as shown in Figures 5-10. Said one or more joint modules each comprise a flexural coupling or articulated mechanical joint with at least two degrees of freedom between adjacent modules or links and no fixed pivot point, as shown in Figures 5-10. In preferred examples, said robot comprises at least three links that are joined by joint modules allowing for articulated motion, as described in lines 30-32 of column 5. Said one or more joint modules each permit relative rotation in one or more of the yaw, pitch and roll directions of said robot, and optionally permit rotation in all three of yaw, pitch and roll, as described in lines 44-46 of column 5. Said one or more joint modules may also include one or more actuators for driving articulated motion, as described in lines 48-50 of column 5. Said one or more thruster devices may include propellers, impellers, tunnel thrusters, rotatable thrusters, retractable thrusters, screws, fins, vacuum pumps, or water jets, as described in lines 43-47 of column 3. Said robot can be powered by an on-board power source such as a battery, as described in lines 61-62 of column 14. Said thruster devices can be located at least at each end of said robot, as well as at positions along the length of said robot, as shown in Figures 5-10. A diameter of said robot is substantially constant across said joint modules, where said joint modules are comprised of one or more shrouds in the form of a flexible tube structure with the same diameter as said one or more modules or links of said robot, as shown in Figures 5-10. The relative location of said one or more joint modules and thruster devices is known and/or can be calculated, and the joint angles are also known and/or can be calculated, as described in lines 45-47 of column 14.
Pettersen et al. also discloses a method for control of an underwater robot, as shown in Figures 5-10, which is comprised of the steps of controlling one or more thruster devices, defined as Part #6 or 8, in order to move an underwater robot into a required orientation or location, where said one or more thruster devices are used to generate thrust for propulsion and flexural motion in one or more joint modules, each defined as Part #2, in order to adjust the shape and configuration of said robot, as described in lines 11-41 of column 17. Said underwater robot may also include a gait pattern controller with computer program instructions for generating the undulating motion of said robot, as described in lines 7-8 of column 7.
Pettersen et al., as set forth above, discloses all of the features claimed except for the use of an underwater robot having a cross-section that fits within a diameter of less than 1 meter.
The use of an underwater robot having a specific cross-sectional diameter would be considered by one of ordinary skill in the art to be an obvious design choice based upon the required strength and the desired maximum diameter of said robot.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art, to utilize an underwater robot having a cross-section with a specific diameter, in combination with the underwater robot as disclosed by Pettersen et al. for the purpose of providing an underwater robot having a cross-section with a diameter of less than 1 meter in order to perform various subsea operations.
Claims 5-6 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pettersen et al. in view of Holmes (US 6,973,893).
Pettersen et al., as set forth above, discloses all of the features claimed except for the use of joint modules each having a cable connection and a connector interface at each end, and joint modules with shrouds that are flooded with water during operation of an underwater robot.
Holmes discloses an underwater robot, as shown in Figures 1-11, which is comprised of a plurality of submarine vessels or links, each defined as Part #2, that are connected to each other by means of passive joint modules, defined as Parts #10-12, as shown in Figure 4, in the form of couplings having no fixed pivot point and with at least two degrees of freedom to allow for flexural motion of said robot, as shown in Figure 7, and one or more thrust devices, defined as Part #4, for applying thrust to said robot for propulsion, as shown in Figure 1, for generating flexural motion of said robot, as shown in Figure 11, and for controlling the orientation and location of said plurality of submarine vessels or links, as shown in Figure 7. Said passive joint modules can also be in the form of articulated mechanical joints, defined as Parts #30-31, as shown in Figure 6, with at least two degrees of freedom. Said passive joint modules can be in the form of cables, each defined as Part #84, as shown in Figure 9. Said underwater robot is further comprised of at least one battery, as described in lines 15-16 of column 4. Said thrust devices are located at least at each end of said underwater robot, as shown in Figure 1. Further thrust devices, defined as Parts #110-113, are located at various positions along the length of said underwater robot, as shown in Figure 10. The diameter of said underwater robot is substantially constant across said passive joint modules, as shown in Figure 1. Said underwater robot is further comprised of one or more flexible curtains or shrouds, each defined as Part #115, as shown in Figures 9-10, that ensure that the diameter of said underwater robot is substantially constant across said passive joint modules. Said flexible curtains or shrouds can be flooded with water to maintain a neutral buoyancy, as shown in Figures 9-10.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art, to utilize an underwater robot with joint modules each having a cable connection and a connector interface at each end, and joint modules with shrouds that are flooded with water during operation of an underwater robot, as taught by Holmes, in combination with the underwater robot as disclosed by Pettersen et al. for the purpose of providing an underwater robot with one or more joint modules to improve the flexural motion of said robot during operation.
Claims 9 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pettersen et al. in view of Hamy (US 3,903,825).
Pettersen et al., as set forth above, discloses all of the features claimed except for the use of a signal bus to enable power transfer and/or communication between submersible vessels or links, and passive joint modules with buoyancy elements.
Hamy discloses an underwater transport system, as shown in Figures 1-27, which is comprised of a plurality of container modules, each defined as Part C, that are connected to each other by one or more coupling sleeves or passive joint modules, each defined as Part #66, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, and one or more thrust devices, each defined as Part #140, as shown in Figure 8, for applying thrust to said underwater transport system for propulsion and for generating flexural motion. One or more intermediate power modules can be interposed between two of said container modules and may receive power from a main power module, as described in lines 24-35 of column 6. Said plurality of container modules can also be configured with secondary ballast cells, defined as Parts #550 and 552, as shown in Figure 21.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art, to utilize an underwater transport system with a plurality of container modules including intermediate power modules and secondary ballast cells, as taught by Hamy, in combination with the underwater robot as disclosed by Pettersen et al. for the purpose of providing an underwater robot with means to facilitate the supply of power between adjacent modules or links, and to provide supplemental buoyancy to said underwater robot.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 LARS A OLSON whose telephone number is (571) 272-6685. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm.
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January 28, 2026
/LARS A OLSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615