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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, including claims 1-3, 5-10 and 12-20, in the reply filed on 10 February 2026 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 19 October 2023 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-10, and 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication 2012/0012022 by Bormann et al (Bormann) in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication 2022/0065597 by Carr et al (Carr).
Regarding claim 1, Bormann discloses an anti-torpedo system (See at least Title, Figure 1, and Paragraphs 0015 & 0018) comprising: a combat management system (See at least Paragraph 0012) including a sonar system configured to determine the current position and track of a torpedo (See at least Figure 1 and Paragraph 0015); a plurality of munitions each adapted to be launched and then enter a body of water (Element 10, clearly understood), each of the munitions including an energetic payload (See at least Paragraphs 0011 and 0013), a programmable fuze configured to detonate the payload (See at least Paragraphs 0010 and 0021), an ogive portion (See at least Figure 1, element 10, clearly illustrated), an auto-fuze setting system, configured to set initiation time of the programmable fuze of each munition (See at least Paragraphs 0010 and 0021); and a gun management system configured to aim and fire the munitions, based on the current position and track of the torpedo, so as to cause each fired munition to arrive at or within a threshold distance of the torpedo and to cause detonation of the payload (See at least Paragraphs 0018-0021).
Bormann does not disclose a water drag reduction element within or on the ogive portion that is configured to vaporize water at a water entry location of the corresponding munition.
Carr, a related prior art reference, discloses a water drag reduction element within or on the ogive portion, wherein the water drag reduction element is configured to vaporize water at a water entry location of the corresponding munition (See at least Paragraphs 0117-0122).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the noted teachings of Bormann with the noted teachings of Carr. The suggestion/ motivation for doing so would have been to reduce damage or shock to the components of the projectile assembly upon entry into the water as clearly taught by Carr.
Bormann as modified by Carr discloses the claimed invention except for the caliber of the munitions being between 12.7mm and 40mm. It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have the caliber of the munitions be in the range of 12.7mm to 40mm, since applicant has not disclosed that the specified caliber range solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with a variety of other sized munitions.
Regarding claim 2, Bormann further discloses wherein the gun management system comprises: at least one gun barrel (7, See at least Figure 1); a fire control system configured to fire the munitions from said at least one gun barrel (6); and an aiming system configured to control aiming direction of the at least one gun barrel (See at least Paragraphs 0019-0020).
Regarding claim 3, Bormann further discloses wherein the combat management system comprises a target acquisition system (See at least Paragraph 0018).
Regarding claim 5, Carr further discloses wherein at least one of the water drag reduction elements is a supercavitating surface feature on an outer surface of the ogive portion, arranged to vaporize the water at the water entry location of the corresponding munition (See at least Figure 16, clearly illustrated and Paragraph 0122).
Regarding claim 6, Carr further discloses wherein at least one of the water drag reduction elements comprises a gas generator, or a shaped charge, within the ogive portion and arranged to provide energetic displacement of the water at the water entry location of the corresponding munition, prior to the corresponding munition entering the water at the water entry location (See at least Figures 14-15, clearly illustrated and Paragraphs 0119-0121).
Regarding claim 7, Carr further discloses wherein the plurality of munitions includes a first munition and a second munition, the anti-torpedo system being configured to co-ordinate detonation of the energetic payload in the first munition and the energetic payload in the second munition to establish a co-ordinated explosive event to neutralize the torpedo (See at least Paragraphs 0083-0088).
Regarding claim 8, Bormann further discloses wherein at least one of the programmable fuzes is adapted to trigger detonation of the corresponding energetic payload in accordance with one or more of: after a predetermined time period after entering the water; upon detection of a target sonar signature; upon detection of a target magnetic signature; upon detection of a target electric field signature; at a predetermined pressure under the water surface; at a predetermined depth under the water surface; at a predetermined speed-of-sound in water; or upon impact with said torpedo under the water surface (See at least Paragraphs 0020-0021).
Regarding claim 9, Bormann further discloses wherein the combat management is operably linked to a target deconfliction system configured to determine that an identified target is a torpedo (See at least Paragraphs 0008-0021, stated in the reference that the system can be deployed against a swimmer, underwater object, torpedo, or incoming boat with varied objectives; therefore, it is understood that there is discernment to allow the system to function properly as indicated).
Regarding claim 10, Bormann further discloses wherein at least one of the munitions is a direct fire munition (See at least Figure 1).
Regarding claim 12, Bormann further discloses wherein the sonar system includes one or more hull-mounted sensors (Elements 4 and 5, See at least Figure 1, clearly illustrated and Paragraphs 0008-0010).
Regarding claim 13, Bormann further discloses wherein the track of the torpedo includes depth and trajectory of the torpedo (See at least Paragraph 0012).
Regarding claim 14, Bormann further discloses wherein the gun management system is configured to cause: aiming of the one or more gun barrels, based on a location, a depth, and the track of the torpedo; and activation of the fire control system to fire the munitions to cause at least first and second fired munitions to each arrive at or within the threshold distance of the torpedo and to cause detonation of the corresponding energetic payloads, so as to provide a co-ordinated explosive event (See at least Paragraphs 0008-0021).
Regarding claim 15, Carr further discloses wherein at least one of the water drag reduction elements causes water at a water entry location of the corresponding munition to change to a more gaseous state prior to the corresponding munition entering the water (See at least Figures 14-15, clearly illustrated and Paragraphs 0119-0121).
Regarding claim 16, Carr further discloses wherein at least one of the water drag reduction elements comprises a gas generator or shaped charge configured to introduce bubbles at a water entry location of the corresponding munition prior to the corresponding munition entering the water (See at least Figures 14-15, clearly illustrated and Paragraphs 0119-0121).
Regarding claim 17, Carr further discloses wherein the co-ordinated explosive event includes one or both of the first and second munitions receiving a co-ordinating data signal (See at least Paragraphs 0083-0088).
Regarding claim 18, Carr further discloses wherein at least one of programmable fuzes is adapted to trigger detonation of the corresponding energetic payload in accordance with a co-ordinating data signal, to cause a co-ordinated explosive event that includes detonation of two or more of the munitions (See at least Paragraphs 0083-0088).
Regarding claim 19, Bormann as modified by Carr discloses an anti-torpedo system comprising: a combat management system including a sonar system configured to determine the current position and track of a torpedo; a plurality of munitions each adapted to be launched and then enter a body of water, each of the munitions having a caliber in the range of 12.7mm to 40mm and including an energetic payload, a programmable fuze configured to detonate the payload, an ogive portion, and a water drag reduction element within or on the ogive portion, wherein the water drag reduction element is configured to vaporize water at a water entry location of the corresponding munition; an auto-fuze setting system, configured to set initiation time of the programmable fuze of each munition; and a gun management system configured to aim and fire the munitions, based on the current position and track of the torpedo; wherein the auto-fuze setting system and/or gun management system is/are further configured to cause a co-ordinated explosive event that includes detonation of two or more of the munitions, at or within a threshold distance of the torpedo (See previous rejections, all aspects addressed above).
Regarding claim 20, Carr further discloses wherein the co-ordinated explosive event includes one or both of first and second munitions of the plurality receiving a co-ordinating data signal (See at least Paragraphs 0083-0088).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892 Form for a listing of applicable prior art references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN C WEBER whose telephone number is (571)270-5377. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM EST.
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/Jonathan C Weber/Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 3641
JONATHAN C. WEBER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3641