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 .
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 5-9, 13, 15-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kozlenko et al. (US 2021/0276733), hereinafter Kozlenko, in view of Smith (US 2011/0234160), hereinafter Smith.
As to claims 5 and 20, Kozlenko discloses in figure 1, a system, comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle [vehicle (200); in figure 2 and also see ¶0039] including: a propulsion mechanism [it is implicit that the vehicle has propulsion system’ see ¶0017 and the battery is located inside the unmanned vehicle]; and a battery coupled to a bottom portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle that includes one or more conducting contacts extending through an enclosure of the battery [see figure 2 and also ¶0017 and ¶0044]; and a docking station [docking station (100)] that includes one or more electrical contact [element (130)]
Kozlenko does not disclose explicitly, pogo pins configured to contact the one or more conducting contacts of the battery to charge the battery when the unmanned aerial vehicle is docked on the docking station.
Smith discloses in figure 1, pogo pins [pins (90)] configured to contact the one or more conducting contacts of the battery to charge the battery when the unmanned aerial vehicle is docked on the docking station [see Abstract, ¶0015-0016].
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to use pogo electrical contacts in Kozlenko’s apparatus as taught by Smith in order to reliably and safely provide charging current. .
As to claim 6, Kozlenko in combination with Smith discloses, wherein the one or more conducting contacts are configured to compressibly engage the one or more pogo pins of the docking station to establish an electrical connection between the battery and a battery charger disposed in an interior space of the docking station [Kozlenko discloses electrical charging contacts (130) and electrical contacted with the UMV to charge the battery; Smith discloses pogo electrical contacts ].
As to claim 7, Kozlenko discloses in figure 1, wherein the one or more pogo pins are located on a landing surface of the docking station; and wherein the one or more conducting contacts are located on a portion of the enclosure of the battery that is configured to contact the landing surface [Kozlenko discloses electrical charging contacts on the docking station and ; Smith discloses pogo electrical contacts ].
As to claim 8, Kozlenko discloses in figure 1, wherein the one or more conducting contacts are located within apertures of the enclosure extending through a thickness of a wall of the enclosure; and wherein the one or more conducting contacts are substantially flush with an exterior surface of the enclosure [the electrical charging contacts (130) located on the extended part of the docking station and the extended part flush within the interior docking station].
As to claim 9, Kozlenko discloses in figures 1-5, wherein the one or more conducting contacts include at least one substantially linear array of conducting contacts disposed in at least one substantially linear array of apertures of the enclosure [the electrical contacts (130) are disclosed].
As to claim 13, Kozlenko discloses in figures 1- 5, wherein the battery includes a control [circuit (500) is located on the docking station external to the battery; see ¶0058] disposed along an exterior surface of the enclosure; and wherein the control is electrically coupled to one or more power modules located within the enclosure of the battery.
As to claim 15, Kozlenko discloses in figures 1-5, wherein the enclosure forms an interior space of the battery that houses one or more power modules configured to power the unmanned aerial vehicle; and wherein the one or more power modules are configured to electrically couple with a battery charger of the docking station via the one or more conducting contacts contacting the one or more pogo pins [the battery of Kozlenko electrically charged by the docking system power supply. Smith discloses pogo pins].
As to claim 16, Kozlenko discloses in figures 1-5, wherein the enclosure includes a substantially planar surface configured to contact a substantially planar landing surface of the docking station when the unmanned aerial vehicle is docked on the docking station; and wherein the one or more conducting contacts are disposed on the substantially planar surface of the enclosure along a longitudinal axis of the battery [noted that the extending arm (110) provides landing area for UMV and provides charging contacts (130) to charge the UMV battery].
As to claim 17, Kozlenko discloses in figures 1-5 wherein the one or more conducting contacts are coupled to a printed circuit board assembly that is disposed in an interior cavity of the enclosure and mounted to an interior surface of the enclosure [it is implicit that the extending arm (110) contains circuit board that contains the charging contacts].
As to claim 18, Kozlenko discloses in figures 1-5, wherein the printed circuit board assembly is electrically coupled to one or more power modules disposed in the interior cavity; and wherein the printed circuit board assembly is electrically coupled to a control of the battery configured to control a state of the battery [it is implicit that the control circuit is electrically connected to the power source of the UMV].
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kozlenko et al. (US 2021/0276733), hereinafter Kozlenko, in view of Smith (US 2011/0234160), hereinafter Smith, in view of CN112234290, hereinafter 290’.
As to claim 10, Kozlenko discloses in figures 1-5, wherein the enclosure of the battery includes: an upper portion having a contact surface configured to contact the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a lower portion coupled to the upper portion and having a bottom surface configured to contact the docking station, wherein the one or more conducting contacts are located on the bottom surface [noted that the battery housing (240) has lower and bottom parts and the interior part hosts battery].
Neither Kozlenko nor Smith discloses magnetically couple to an underside of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
290’ discloses in figure 1, magnetically couple to an underside of the unmanned aerial vehicle [the upper and lower portions (2) and (4); magnetic connecting is used to connect the bottom and the cover box of the battery].
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to use magnetically connections to connect the upper and lower battery of the battery housing of the UMV of Kozlenko as taught by Smith in order to provide waterproof housing.
As to claim 11, Kozlenko in combination with 290’ discloses, wherein the bottom surface of the lower portion is substantially parallel to the contact surface of the upper portion; and wherein the lower portion is complimentary in shape to a landing surface of the docking station [see figure 1 of Kozlenko the docking station has box like structure and the top and the bottom portions are parallel].
As to claim 12. Kozlenko in combination with 290’ discloses, wherein the upper portion includes an engagement region configured to mechanically and electrically engage the unmanned aerial vehicle to transfer power from the battery to the unmanned aerial vehicle [Kozlenko discloses the extending arm (110) incorporates electrical/charging contacts that engage with unmanned aerial vehicle to charge the battery or unmanned aerial vehicle].
Claims 14 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kozlenko et al. (US 2021/0276733), hereinafter Kozlenko, in view of Smith (US 2011/0234160), hereinafter Smith, in view of Cox, IV et al. (US 2022/0377990), hereinafter Cox.
As to claim 14, Kozlenko discloses all of the claim limitations except, wherein the battery includes a light configured to visually indicate a status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the battery, or both; and wherein the light is disposed on the exterior surface of the enclosure adjacent to the control.
Cox discloses in figure 1, wherein the battery includes a light configured to visually indicate a status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the battery, or both; and wherein the light is disposed on the exterior surface of the enclosure adjacent to the control [see ¶044; status indicator such as LEDs are used to indicated battery or electric motor status].
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to use LED elements in Kozlenko’s apparatus as taught by Cox in order to allow the unmanned vehicle properly aliened.
As to claim 19, Kozlenko in combination with Cox discloses, wherein the printed circuit board assembly is electrically coupled to one or more light emitting diodes of the battery that are configured to receive power from the one or more power modules and visually indicate a status of the battery [LEDs are discloses and it is implicit that the LEDs are connected to the circuit element/board to function properly; see ¶0044].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
For Claim 1:primarily, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest in the claimed combination: an enclosure configured to removably couple, both structurally and electrically, to an underside of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the enclosure having: an upper portion configured to magnetically couple to the underside of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a lower portion coupled to the upper portion and configured to contact a landing surface of a docking station of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the lower portion is complimentary in shape to the landing surface; an interior space formed and at least partially surrounded by the upper portion and the lower portion; one or more power modules arranged substantially within the interior space; one or more light emitting diodes disposed on the enclosure and configured to visually indicate a status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the battery, or both; and one or more conducting contacts disposed on the lower portion of the enclosure and configured to compressibly engage one or more pogo pins of the docking station to charge the one or more power modules.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL BERHANU whose telephone number is (571)272-8430. The examiner can normally be reached M_F.
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/SAMUEL BERHANU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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