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 .
DETAIL ACTION
Notice to Applicant(s)
This office action is response to the amendment filed on September 30, 2025. Claims 1-20 are still pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bruemmer et al. (2016/0357193).
As per claim 1, Bruemmer et al. discloses a method for determining and/or improving a position estimation of a vehicle (see figure 1, item 120) which includes the steps of (a) determining at least three distances of the vehicle from at least three signal generators, wherein the respective distance is a distance between the vehicle and one of the at least three signal generators each (see at least figure 1, item 130; paragraph 0044); and wherein the at least three signal generators each comprise a predetermined position with respect to a moving coordinate system (see figure 1; paragraph 0026); and wherein the moving coordinate system is a coordinate system with respect to which the position of a stationary object can change due to a movement of the coordinate origin (see figure 1; paragraph 0050); (b) determining and/or improving the position estimation of the vehicle by using the at least three determined distances of the vehicle from the at least three signal generators and the predetermined positions of the at least three signal generators with respect to the moving coordinate system (see at least the abstract; paragraphs 0027, 0039); wherein step (a) includes the steps of emitting a transmit signal from the vehicle to the at least three signal generators (see at least paragraph 0050); and receiving a response signal from the at least three signal generators by the vehicle (see at least paragraph 0051); and wherein determining the at least three distances of the vehicle from the at least three signal generators is performed based on the received response signal (see at least figure 6; paragraph 0054); and wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed by the vehicle (see at least figure 5).
As per claim 2, Bruemmer et al. discloses that the at least three signal generators each comprise a predetermined and invariable position with respect to the moving coordinate system (see at least figures 1 and 4).
As per claim 3, Bruemmer et al. discloses that a moving object comprises a predetermined and invariable position with respect to the moving coordinate system and wherein a movement of the moving coordinate system corresponds to a physical movement of the object (see at least figures 1 and 4).
As per claim 4, Bruemmer et al. discloses that step (a) additionally comprises acquiring GPS information about the position of the moving object, and wherein step (b) comprises determining and/or improving the position estimation of the vehicle by using the GPS information (see at least figure 4).
As per claim 5, Bruemmer et al. discloses that the position estimation is a position estimation with respect to the moving coordinate system or with respect to an absolute coordinate system, wherein the absolute coordinate system is at least approximately an inertial system (see at least claims 7 and 34).
As per claim 6, Bruemmer et al. discloses that the method comprises an additional step (c) wherein step (c) comprises determining GPS information about the position of the vehicle; and determining and/or improving the position estimation of the vehicle by using the GPS information about the position of the vehicle (see at least figure 4; paragraphs 0057-0063).
As per claims 7 and 8, Bruemmer et al. inherently discloses the limitations of these claims in at least figures 1 and 4.
As per claim 9, Bruemmer et al. discloses that the method comprises an additional step (d), wherein step (d) comprises navigating the vehicle based on the position estimation (see at least the abstract).
As per claims 10 and 11, Bruemmer et al. discloses the limications of these claims in at least paragraphs 0044, 0056, 0060 and 0066.
As per claim 12, Bruemmer et al. discloses that step (d) comprises fully automated take-off and/or landing on the moving object (see at least figure 1 and 4).
As per claim 13, Bruemmer et al. discloses that the moving object is an oil or gas platform (see at least figures 1, 3, 4).
As per claim 14, Bruemmer et al. discloses that the at least three signal generators comprise at least one of a radio beacon (see at least the abstract and figure 1).
As per claim 15, Bruemmer et al. discloses that the vehicle is a drone (see at least figure 1 and 4).
With respect to claims 16-20, the limitations of these claims have been noted in the rejections above. They are therefore considered rejected as set forth above.
Remarks
All claims are rejected.
Applicant's arguments filed on September 30, 2025 have been fully considered and they are deemed to be persuasive. Thus, the new ground of rejection has been set forth as above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAN QUANG NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571) 272-6966. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Thursday from 7:00am to 5:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter Nolan, can be reached at 570-270-7016.
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October 29, 2025
/TAN Q NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661