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 Objections
Claims 11 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 11 lines 5 and claim 14 line 2 the word “drive” is mis-spelled “drvie”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7, 10-14 and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Willcox (8,678,940).
As to claim 1, Willcox discloses a carousel type amusement park ride system which clearly operates by the claimed method.
“Controlling, via one or more processors, a first rotation motor to drive rotation of a first figure relative to at least one rotatable platform” is met by the ride control system and the drive system for the sub-turntable 120 (col. 5 lines 15-48 and other places); and
“controlling, via the one or more processors, a first lift motor to lift the first figure relative to the at least one rotatable platform” is met by the ride control system and the vertical translation motion assembly 130 (col. 5 lines 49+ and other places);
Regarding claim 2, Willcox further teaches:
“controlling, via one or more processors, a second rotation motor to drive rotation of a second figure relative to the at least one rotatable platform” is met by the ride control system and the drive system for the sub-turntable 140 (col. 5 lines 15-48 and other places); and
“controlling, via the one or more processors, a second lift motor to lift the second figure relative to the at least one rotatable platform” is met by the ride control system and the vertical translation motion assembly associated with sub turntable 140 (col. 5 lines 49+ and other places);
As to claim 3 and 4, Willcox teaches “via the one or more processors, a first drive assembly to drive rotation of the first rotatable platform about a first rotational axis” and “controlling, via the one or more processors, second drive assembly to drive rotation of the second rotatable platform about
As to claim 7, Willcox teaches throughout the specification that “one or more processors, the first rotation motor, the first lift motor, or both such that at least one of a lift rate, a lift height, a rotation rate, or a rotational direction for the first figure varies during a carousel ride operation”. Willcox teach that the height and direction can change through the use.
As to claim 10, Willcox teaches that “the first lift motor to apply force from below the first figure relative to a vertical axis to lift the first figure along the vertical axis and relative to the at least one rotatable platform” is shown in figures 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b.
As to claim 11, Willcox discloses a carousel type amusement park ride system which clearly operates by the claimed method.
“a first drive assembly to drive rotation of a first rotatable platform about a first rotational axis” is met by primary turntable assembly 110, primary drive mechanism, primary turntable 112 and the ride control system (Col. 5 lines 3-15)
“controlling, via the one or more processors, a second drive assembly to drive rotation of a second rotatable platform about a second rotational axis, wherein the second rotatable platform is positioned within an opening formed in the first rotatable platform” is met by secondary turn table assembly 120 and related elements (Col. 5 lines 16-34); and
“controlling, via the one or more processors, a first lift motor to lift a first figure relative to at least the second rotatable platform, wherein the first figure is positioned over the second rotatable platform” is described in Col 5 lines 48-61).
As to claim 12, Willcox further teaches “controlling, via the one or more processors, a first rotation motor to drive rotation of the first figure relative to at least the second rotatable platform” in Col. 4 and 5.
Regarding claim 13, Willcox further teaches “controlling, via the one or more processors, a second lift motor to lift a second figure relative to at least the second rotatable platform, wherein the second figure is positioned over the second rotatable platform” is met by sub-turntable assemblies 140 or 150 and related elements.
As to claim 17 Willcox clearly discloses “A method for operating a drive system for a carousel ride system, the method comprising: controlling, via one or more processors, a first drive assembly to drive rotation of a first rotatable platform about a first rotational axis; and controlling, via the one or more processors, a plurality of rotation motors to independently rotate a plurality of figures relative to the first rotatable platform.” This is clearly shown in figure 1-5 and described in Cols. 4 and 5
As to claims 18 and 19, Willcox clearly illustrates “controlling, via the one or more processors, a plurality of lift motors to independently lift the plurality of figures relative to the first rotatable platform”, “controlling, via the one or more processors, a second drive assembly to drive rotation of a second rotatable platform about a second rotational axis” is clearly shown in figure 1-5 and described in Cols. 4 and 5
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 8, 9, 15, 16 and 20 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN J FLYNN whose telephone number is (571)272-1915. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-4 M-F.
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/NATHAN J FLYNN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2421