DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
This final office action is in response to the Amendments filed on 22 October 2025, regarding application number 18/337,742.
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 .
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 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.
Response to Amendment
Claims 2-21 remain pending in the application, while claim 1 has been cancelled. Claims 2, 8 and 17 were amended in the Amendments to the Claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 7-9, filed 22 October 2025, with respect to the rejections of claims 2-7 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made further in view of newly cited reference Kullborg et al. (US 20180229373 A1).
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 9-11, with respect to the rejections of claims 8-21 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn and claims 8-21 are allowed.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 2-3, 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 20110135189 A1 and Lee hereinafter), in view of Krohne et al. (US 20170057081 A1 and Krohne hereinafter) and Kullborg et al. (US 20180229373 A1 and Kullborg hereinafter).
Regarding Claim 2
Lee teaches a system for operating industrial bots to achieve a collaborative industrial objective (see all Figs.; [0007]), the system comprising:
a remote control center (see Fig. 2, remote control station 260; [0036]-[0038] and [0055]);
a first colony comprising a first colony control center (see Figs. 2 and 8, remote controller 240; [0007] and [0036]) and a first plurality of squads (see Figs. 2 and 8 parent robots 220 and child robots 210; [0007] and [0036]), the first colony control center configured to communicate with the first plurality of squads and the remote control center (see Figs. 2 and 8, all; [0038], [0055] and [0060]);
a second colony comprising a second colony control center and a second plurality of squads (see Figs. 2 and 8, remote controller 240, parent robots 220 and child robots 210 ; [0007] and [0036]; see [0055 "The remote control station 260 remotely manages the status of multiple remote controllers 240 via a WiBro network, and notifies all the remote controllers 240 of situation information of other areas using a text messaging function, that is, SMS transmission function."]), the second colony control center configured to communicate with the second plurality of squads and the remote control center (see Figs. 2 and 8, all; [0038], [0055] and [0060]); and
each squad comprising a respective plurality of bots configured to work together autonomously to achieve a respective industrial task (see Figs. 2 and 8 parent robots 220 and child robots 210; [0008], [0038] and [0057]-[0058]), wherein each respective industrial task is performed in order to achieve the collaborative industrial objective (see Fig. 7, all; [0008] and [0057]-[0058]), each bot is configured to communicate with one or more bots within its respective squad (see Figs. 2 and 8, all; [0007], [0036]-[0038] and [0042]-[0043]).
Lee is silent regarding each bot comprises a universal platform and a payload stack, the payload stack configured to perform a subtask of the respective industrial task, the subtask being a task related to interacting with a rock face or other environmental feature of a celestial body, the payload stack being one of a plurality of interchangeable payload stacks that can attach to the universal platform.
Krohne teaches a system for operating industrial bots to achieve a collaborative industrial objective (see all Figs.; [0008]-[0013]), the system comprising:
a remote control center (see Fig. 13, task controller C and centralized database D; [0012] and [0057]);
a first colony comprising a first plurality of squads (see Fig. 12, working robots, especially robots R1-R2 on cargo deck 80 and robots R7-R11 inside fuselage section 50; [0011] and [0052]);
a second colony comprising a second plurality of squads (see Fig. 12, working robots, especially robots R4-R6 outside the fuselage; [0011] and [0052]); and
each squad comprising a respective plurality of bots configured to work together autonomously to achieve a respective industrial task (see Fig. 12, all; [0012]-[0013] and [0052]), wherein each respective industrial task is performed in order to achieve the collaborative industrial objective (see Fig. 12, all; [0012]-[0013] and [0052]), each bot is configured to communicate with one or more bots within its respective squad (see [0057]), and each bot comprises a universal platform and a payload stack (see Figs. 1-13, robot platform 10 and robot workhead 20, especially Fig. 6; [0009] and [0039]), the payload stack configured to perform a subtask of the respective industrial task, the payload stack being one of a plurality of interchangeable payload stacks that can attach to the universal platform (see the various robot workheads in Figs. 1-12; [0009]-[0016], [0052]-[0054] and [0063]).
Kullborg teaches a system for operating an industrial bot (see all Figs.; [0006]), the system comprising:
each bot comprises a universal platform and a payload stack (see Figs. 1-4, vehicle 3, vehicle arm 18 and platform 1, the vehicle 3 and/or vehicle arm correspond to the claimed universal platform while the platform 1 corresponds to the claimed payload stack; [0005]-[0007 "A vehicle with a regular vehicle arm can be used, and there is thus no need for any changes to the vehicle that is to carry the platform or purchase of new specially adopted vehicles. Different kinds of industrial robots can be included in the platform as needed."], [0008] and [0030 "In FIG. 1 a platform 1 according to one embodiment is illustrated when carried and lifted up from the ground by an autonomous vehicle 3."]), the payload stack configured to perform a subtask of the respective industrial task, the subtask being a task related to interacting with a rock face or other environmental feature of a celestial body (see Fig. 2, all; [0008 "The platform can be used for tasks such as charging, cleaning, mounting or attaching construction details, maintenance of ventilation etc. at difficult-to-access and unsafe locations. Further application areas may be mines, tunnels..."], [0033 "The platform 1 is further arranged with one tool holder 10, two magazines 25 with detonators and primers, and two hose reels 11 with hoses. One magazine 25 and one hose reel 11 with hose are designated for each industrial robot 2. The platform 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is arranged for a charging application where the industrial robots 2 will prepare a site in the mine with explosives, a very dangerous task that at present is performed by humans."] and [0035 "The platform 1 is particularly suitable for use when dangerous tasks should be performed. Several tasks in a mine are dangerous, for example a charging process when explosives are arranged, that today is done manually by hand. This process can now be performed by the industrial robots 2 of the platform 1."]), the payload stack being one of a plurality of interchangeable payload stacks that can attach to the universal platform (see [0007 "A vehicle with a regular vehicle arm can be used, and there is thus no need for any changes to the vehicle that is to carry the platform or purchase of new specially adopted vehicles. Different kinds of industrial robots can be included in the platform as needed."] and [0032 "The vehicle arm 18 may be forked or may have any other kind of arrangement such that the outermost part of the vehicle arm 18, e.g. the fork or forks, can be attached to the platform 1 in order to carry the platform 1 to the working site 4. At the working site 4 the vehicle 3 may simply put down the platform 1, withdraw the vehicle arm 18 such that the forks or other arrangement is removed from the platform 1, and drive away from the working site 4. The vehicle 3 may e.g. drive away to a safer place than the working site 4, to a parking place or to deploy another platform 1. Thus, the vehicle 3 and its vehicle arm 18 are totally removable from the platform 1 without any manual intervention."]-[0035]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the bots of the system of Lee to include a universal platform and a payload stack configured to perform a subtask of the respective industrial task and being one of a plurality of interchangeable payload stacks that can attach to the universal platform, as taught by Krohne, in order to make the bots freely and flexibly configurable so they may be employed in a multi-tasking environment in an efficient manner.
It further would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the bots of the system of Lee to perform a task related to interacting with a rock face or other environmental feature of a celestial body, as taught by Kullborg, in order to prepare a mine with explosives in an automated manner, thereby eliminating the risk of performing the task by humans.
Regarding Claim 3
Modified Lee teaches the system of Claim 2 (as discussed above in claim 2),
Lee further teaches wherein one or more bots of the first plurality of squads is configured to autonomously communicate directly with one or more other bots of the first plurality of squads (see Figs. 2 and 8, all; [0007], [0036]-[0038] and [0042]-[0043]).
Krohne additionally teaches wherein one or more bots of the first plurality of squads is configured to autonomously communicate directly with one or more other bots of the first plurality of squads (see [0057]).
Regarding Claim 5
Modified Lee teaches the system of Claim 2 (as discussed above in claim 2),
Lee further teaches wherein the first colony is located in a first geographical site (see Fig. 2, all; [0037]-[0038], [0055] and [0057]-[0058]) and the second colony is located in a second geographical site different from the first geographical site (see Fig. 2, all; [0037]-[0038], [0055] and [0057]-[0058]).
Regarding Claim 7
Modified Lee teaches the system of Claim 2 (as discussed above in claim 2),
Lee further teaches wherein the collaborative industrial objective comprises disaster recovery (see Fig. 2, all; [0037]-[0038] and [0057]-[0058]).
Krohne additionally teaches wherein the collaborative industrial objective comprises construction or manufacturing (see Fig. 12, all; [0002] and [0052]).
Kullborg additionally teaches wherein the industrial objective comprises construction, demolition and fuel production (see Fig. 2, all; [0008 "The platform can be used for tasks such as charging, cleaning, mounting or attaching construction details, maintenance of ventilation etc. at difficult-to-access and unsafe locations. Further application areas may be mines, tunnels, plant constructions, unhealthy or dangerous production environments including high sulfur content oil wells, heavy work, maintenance and construction work at heights, or above ground level (change the bulbs in street lights, tasks in warehouses etc. with high stacking heights), airplane de-icing, airplane inspection etc."], [0033 "The platform 1 is further arranged with one tool holder 10, two magazines 25 with detonators and primers, and two hose reels 11 with hoses. One magazine 25 and one hose reel 11 with hose are designated for each industrial robot 2. The platform 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is arranged for a charging application where the industrial robots 2 will prepare a site in the mine with explosives, a very dangerous task that at present is performed by humans."] and [0035 "The platform 1 is particularly suitable for use when dangerous tasks should be performed. Several tasks in a mine are dangerous, for example a charging process when explosives are arranged, that today is done manually by hand. This process can now be performed by the industrial robots 2 of the platform 1."]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (as modified by Krohne and Kullborg) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Tschirschnitz et al. (US 20190049931 A1 and Tschirschnitz hereinafter).
Regarding Claim 4
Modified Lee teaches the system of Claim 2 (as discussed above in claim 2),
Lee is silent regarding wherein one or more bots of the first plurality of squads is configured to autonomously communicate with one or more bots of the second plurality of squads.
Tschirschnitz teaches a system for operating industrial bots to achieve a collaborative industrial objective (see all Figs.; especially Fig. 1; [0017]), the system comprising:
a first colony comprising a first plurality of squads (see Fig. 1, first swarm 105 and second swarm 110; [0025]-[0026]),
a second colony comprising a second plurality of squads (see Fig. 1, third swarm 115 and fourth swarm 120; [0025]-[0026]),
each squad comprising a respective plurality of bots configured to work together autonomously to achieve a respective industrial task (see [0019], [0029] and [0034]),
wherein each respective industrial task is performed in order to achieve the collaborative industrial objective (see [0029] and [0034]), each bot is configured to communicate with one or more bots within its respective squad (see Fig. 1, intra-swarm communication channels 145; [0026]),
wherein one or more bots of the first plurality of squads is configured to autonomously communicate with one or more bots of the second plurality of squads (see Fig. 1, inter-swarm communication channels 150; [0026]-[0029]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify the bots of the first plurality of squads of the system of modified Lee to be configured to autonomously communicate with one or more bots of the second plurality of squads, as taught by Tschirschnitz, in order to build a real-time, energy efficient, robust system with bot-to-bot coordination to accomplish a task.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (as modified by Krohne and Kullborg) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Gudat et al. (US 20070129869 A1 and Gudat hereinafter) .
Regarding Claim 6
Modified Lee teaches the system of Claim 2 (as discussed above in claim 2),
Lee is silent regarding wherein the collaborative industrial objective comprises mining.
Kullborg teaches wherein the industrial objective comprises mining (see Fig. 2, all; [0008 "The platform can be used for tasks such as charging, cleaning, mounting or attaching construction details, maintenance of ventilation etc. at difficult-to-access and unsafe locations. Further application areas may be mines, tunnels...."], [0033 "The platform 1 is further arranged with one tool holder 10, two magazines 25 with detonators and primers, and two hose reels 11 with hoses. One magazine 25 and one hose reel 11 with hose are designated for each industrial robot 2. The platform 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is arranged for a charging application where the industrial robots 2 will prepare a site in the mine with explosives, a very dangerous task that at present is performed by humans."] and [0035 "The platform 1 is particularly suitable for use when dangerous tasks should be performed. Several tasks in a mine are dangerous, for example a charging process when explosives are arranged, that today is done manually by hand. This process can now be performed by the industrial robots 2 of the platform 1."]).
Gudat teaches a system for operating industrial bots to achieve a collaborative industrial objective (see all Figs.; [0006] and [0014]-[0015]), the system comprising:
a first colony comprising a first plurality of squads (see Fig. 1, work machines 12; [0006] and [0014]-[0015]),
each squad comprising a respective plurality of bots configured to work together autonomously to achieve a respective industrial task (see [0014]-[0015], [0020]-[0021], [0023] and [0033]-[0037]), wherein each respective industrial task is performed in order to achieve the collaborative industrial objective (see [0014], [0020]-[0021], [0023] and [0034]-[0037]), each bot is configured to communicate with one or more bots within its respective squad (see Figs. 1-2, all; [0006]-[0009] and [0016]),
wherein the collaborative industrial objective comprises mining (see Fig. 1, all; [0014]-[0015], [0020]-[0021] and [0023]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify the system of modified Lee to carry out a mining industrial objective, as taught by Kullborg and Gudat, in order to efficiently alter the geography of a worksite.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-21 are allowed.
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 TANNER LUKE CULLEN whose telephone number is (303)297-4384. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30 MT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khoi Tran can be reached on (571)272-6919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TANNER L CULLEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3656
/KHOI H TRAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3656