Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 04, 2026
Application No. 18/561,139

CONTAINERIZED PLUG-IN SYSTEM FOR ROBOTICS

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Nov 15, 2023
Priority
Jun 29, 2021 — provisional 63/216,115 +1 more
Examiner
ABUELHAWA, MOHAMMED YOUSEF
Art Unit
3656
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Kinova Inc.
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
70 granted / 89 resolved
+26.7% vs TC avg
Strong +21% interview lift
Without
With
+21.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 9m
Avg Prosecution
19 currently pending
Career history
117
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.3%
-34.7% vs TC avg
§103
53.8%
+13.8% vs TC avg
§102
22.9%
-17.1% vs TC avg
§112
14.3%
-25.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 89 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/20/2026 has been entered. Response to Amendment The amendment filed on 02/20/2026, in response to the Final Office Action dated on 12/09/2025, has been received and made of record. Claims 1 and 16 have been amended. Claims 1-9, 12-13, 16-17, 19-22, 24, and 26-27 are pending in the current application. Claims 10-11, 14-15, 18, 23, 25 and 28 are cancelled. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments filed on 02/20/2026, have been fully considered. In the Arguments/Remarks: Re: Rejection of the Claims Under 35 U.S.C. 103 Applicant’s arguments, beginning on page 7 of applicant’s remarks, that the prior art of Shelton (US 2020/0405417 A1) and the Atlantic.net link teaches away from the newly amended claim 1, specifically “a container environment included in a control system of a robot arm in the non-transitory computer-readable memory of the robot, with the container environment receiving at least one container providing commands for performing at least one function of the robot arm”. Examiner submits that the arguments are rendered moot under the new grounds of rejection provided below necessitated by the applicant’s amendments. 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 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. Claims 1-9, 12-13, 16-17, 19-22, 24 and 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shelton (US 2020/0405417 A1) in view of Grigore (US 2022/0391227 A1). Regarding claim 1, Shelton teaches a system comprising: a processing unit configured to be within a robot [(see at least Fig.12, paragraph 211) “FIG. 12 illustrates a logic diagram of a control system 470 of a surgical instrument or tool in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The system 470 comprises a control circuit. The control circuit includes a microcontroller 461 comprising a processor 462 and a memory 468.”]; and a non-transitory computer-readable memory communicatively coupled to the processing unit within the robot and comprising computer-readable program instructions executable by the processing unit for [(see at least paragraph 118) “The control device 13004 includes any suitable logic control circuit adapted to perform calculations and/or operate according to a set of instructions. The control device 13004 can be configured to communicate with a remote system “RS,” either via a wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE, etc.) and/or wired connection. The remote system “RS” can include data, instructions and/or information related to the various components, algorithms, and/or operations of system 13000. The remote system “RS” can include any suitable electronic service, database, platform, cloud “C” (see FIG. 4), or the like. The control device 13004 may include a central processing unit operably connected to memory. The memory may include transitory type memory (e.g., RAM) and/or non-transitory type memory (e.g., flash media, disk media, etc.). In some exemplifications, the memory is part of, and/or operably coupled to, the remote system “RS.””]: operating movements of a robot arm with an operating system using native functions of the robot arm [(see at least paragraph 122) “A simplified functional block diagram of a system architecture 13400 of the robotic surgical system 13010 is depicted in FIG. 5. The system architecture 13400 includes a core module 13420, a surgeon master module 13430, a robotic arm module 13440, and an instrument module 13450. The core module 13420 serves as a central controller for the robotic surgical system 13000 and coordinates operations of all of the other modules 13430, 13440, 13450. For example, the core module 13420 maps control devices to the arms 13002, 13003, determines current status, performs all kinematics and frame transformations, and relays resulting movement commands. In this regard, the core module 13420 receives and analyzes data from each of the other modules 13430, 13440, 13450 in order to provide instructions or commands to the other modules 13430, 13440, 13450 for execution within the robotic surgical system 13000. Although depicted as separate modules, one or more of the modules 13420, 13430, 13440, and 13450 are a single component in other exemplifications.”]; executing a program from at least one container, the container received in a container environment included with a control system of the robot arm, the control system within the non-transitory computer-readable memory; receiving commands from the at least one container; and performing at least a function with the robot arm with the operating system using the commands from the at least one container. [(see at least paragraphs 83, 122, 202) As in 83 “Referring to FIG. 1, a computer-implemented interactive surgical system 100 includes one or more surgical systems 102 and a cloud-based system (e.g., the cloud 104 that may include a remote server 113 coupled to a storage device 105). Each surgical system 102 includes at least one surgical hub 106 in communication with the cloud 104 that may include a remote server 113. In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the surgical system 102 includes a visualization system 108, a robotic system 110, and a handheld intelligent surgical instrument 112, which are configured to communicate with one another and/or the hub 106. In some aspects, a surgical system 102 may include an M number of hubs 106, an N number of visualization systems 108, an O number of robotic systems 110, and a P number of handheld intelligent surgical instruments 112, where M, N, O, and P are integers greater than or equal to one.” As in 202 “It is to be appreciated that the computer system 210 includes software that acts as an intermediary between users and the basic computer resources described in a suitable operating environment. Such software includes an operating system. The operating system, which can be stored on the disk storage, acts to control and allocate resources of the computer system. System applications take advantage of the management of resources by the operating system through program modules and program data stored either in the system memory or on the disk storage. It is to be appreciated that various components described herein can be implemented with various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.”] Examiner notes it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that cloud-based systems utilize the use of containers to improve efficiency and execute faster startup times within the cloud infrastructure. (see Atlantic.net article https://www.atlantic.net/vps-hosting/containers-cloud-computing/) Furthermore, Grigore further teaches the use and implantation of containers within a robot system. [(see at least paragraphs 16,55) As in 16 “In still another embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes running an automation in a web browser at runtime, by a computing system. The web browser is located in an operating system session, a VM, or a container of the cloud-based system. The automation is configured to cause the web browser to send one or more requests to a local RPA extension process of a client computing system.” As in 55 “the automation is designed and packaged to be executed by RPA robots executing in a VM, container, or operating system session without modifying the automation package for a specific platform. In other words, the same package can be run in a VMware® VM, a Linux® container, or a Windows® session, for example, without modifying the package. RPA robots may be designed for a specific target platform and deployed thereon, but a common format may be used for running automations. For instance, the workflow may be described in XAML or some other format that the RPA robots on each platform may be designed to read and execute in compiled machine code (e.g., digital link libraries (DLLs)). This may provide code obfuscation and security, as well as potentially make the automation run faster.”] It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the use and implementation of containers as disclosed/suggested by Grigore within the cloud system disclosed/suggested by Shelton in order to optimize the task/command execution for robots working within the cloud-based system. Regarding claim 2, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for operating movements of the robot arm in six degrees of freedom of movement. [(see at least Fig.4A, paragraph 163) “FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplification of a robotic arm 13120 and a tool assembly 13130 releasably coupled to the robotic arm 13120. The robotic arm 13120 can support and move the associated tool assembly 13130 along one or more mechanical degrees of freedom (e.g., all six Cartesian degrees of freedom, five or fewer Cartesian degrees of freedom, etc.).”] Regarding claim 3, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for receiving and storing the at least one container. [(see at least paragraph 160) “In various aspects, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to receive a first user input from a console and to receive a second user input from a mobile wireless control module for controlling a function of a robotic surgical tool, as described herein.”] Regarding claim 4, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for receiving and storing the at least one container as a third-party container. [(see at least paragraph 202) “It is to be appreciated that the computer system 210 includes software that acts as an intermediary between users and the basic computer resources described in a suitable operating environment. Such software includes an operating system. The operating system, which can be stored on the disk storage, acts to control and allocate resources of the computer system. System applications take advantage of the management of resources by the operating system through program modules and program data stored either in the system memory or on the disk storage. It is to be appreciated that various components described herein can be implemented with various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.”] Regarding claim 5, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for executing the program from a plurality of at least one container concurrently. [(see at least paragraphs 118, 202, 402) As in 402 “Also, although various operational flow diagrams are presented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently.”] Regarding claim 6, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for controlling the execution of the programs of the plurality of containers as a function of performance capacity of the operating system. [(see at least paragraph 202) “The operating system, which can be stored on the disk storage, acts to control and allocate resources of the computer system. System applications take advantage of the management of resources by the operating system through program modules and program data stored either in the system memory or on the disk storage. It is to be appreciated that various components described herein can be implemented with various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.”] Regarding claim 7, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for receiving the commands from the at least one container as associated with a tool and/or a peripheral. [(see at least paragraph 146) “A robotic hub can include a situational awareness module, which can be configured to synthesize data from multiple sources to determine an appropriate response to a surgical event. For example, a situational awareness module can determine the type of surgical procedure, step in the surgical procedure, type of tissue, and/or tissue characteristics, as further described herein. Moreover, such a module can recommend a particular course of action or possible choices to the robotic system based on the synthesized data. In various instances, a sensor system encompassing a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the robotic system can provide data, images, and/or other information to the situational awareness module. Such a situational awareness module can be incorporated into a control unit, such as the control unit 13004, for example. In various instances, the situational awareness module can obtain data and/or information from a non-robotic surgical hub and/or a cloud, such as the surgical hub 106 (FIG. 1), the surgical hub 206 (FIG. 10), the cloud 104 (FIG. 1), and/or the cloud 204 (FIG. 9), for example.”] Regarding claim 8, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for performing at least the function with the robot arm and with the tool and/or peripheral. [(see at least paragraphs 118, 148) As in 148 “For example, a robotic surgical system can use one or more surgical tools during the surgical procedure. Additionally, one or more handheld instruments can also be used during the surgical procedure. One or more of the surgical devices can include a sensor. For example, multiple sensors can be positioned around the surgical site and/or the operating room. A sensor system including the one or more sensors can be configured to detect one or more conditions at the surgical site. For example, data from the sensor system can determine if a surgical tool mounted to the surgical robot is being used and/or if a feature of the surgical tool should be activated. More specifically, a sensor system can detect if an electrosurgical device is positioned in abutting contact with tissue, for example. As another example, a sensor system can detect if a suctioning element of a surgical tool is applying a sufficient suctioning force to fluid at the surgical site.”] Regarding claim 9, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for performing at least the function with the robot arm and with the tool and/or peripheral, the function including a combination of the native functions and at least one function of the tool and/or peripheral. [(see at least paragraphs 118,162) As in 162 “In various instances, one or more sensors are attached to each robotic arm of a robotic surgical system. The one or more sensors are configured to sense a force applied to the surrounding tissue during the operation of the robotic arm. Such forces can include, for example, a holding force, a retracting force, and/or a dragging force. The sensor from each robotic arm is configured to communicate the magnitude and direction of the detected force to a control unit of the robotic surgical system. The control unit is configured to analyze the communicated forces and set limits for maximum loads to avoid causing trauma to the tissue in a surgical site. For example, the control unit may minimize the holding force applied by a first robotic arm if the retracting or dragging force applied by a second robotic arm increases.”] Regarding claim 12, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for receiving commands from the at least one container, the commands being received from cloud computing and/or an artificial intelligence network. [(see at least paragraph 118) “The control device 13004 includes any suitable logic control circuit adapted to perform calculations and/or operate according to a set of instructions. The control device 13004 can be configured to communicate with a remote system “RS,” either via a wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE, etc.) and/or wired connection. The remote system “RS” can include data, instructions and/or information related to the various components, algorithms, and/or operations of system 13000. The remote system “RS” can include any suitable electronic service, database, platform, cloud “C” (see FIG. 4), or the like. The control device 13004 may include a central processing unit operably connected to memory.”] Regarding claim 13, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for performing at least a function with the robot arm with the operating system using the commands from the at least one container while limiting the function to native function capability of the robot arm. [(see at least paragraphs 118, 381) As in 381 “For example, a control algorithm could be executed to limit motion of the robotic arms 9152a-9152e or linkages thereof in one or more directions. As such, position, proximity or other suitable sensors (could be similar to mounted sensor assemblies 20180) mounted on the robotic surgical assembly 20030 can provide data to the base unit control circuit to stop arm motions in a certain direction when the data indicates that the arm motion exceeds a certain limit or threshold. This way, the base unit control circuit can prevent the stop-cock valve from injuring the patient. Additionally, the base unit control circuit can be situationally aware to facilitate such a control algorithm. For example, information about the particular surgical procedure being performed and/or input information from operating room staff can be used to inform the positioning of the patient relative to the surgical platform and robotic surgical assembly 20030 during performance of the surgical procedure. This information may help the surgical robots involved in executing the procedure to set control limits on robotic motions.”] Regarding claim 16, Shelton teaches a robot system comprising: a robot arm [(see at least paragraph 113) “With reference to FIG. 4, the robotic surgical system 13000 includes robotic arms 13002, 13003”]; a robot controller system including a processing unit within the robot system; and a non-transitory computer-readable memory communicatively coupled to the processing unit and within the robot system, the non-transitory computer-readable memory comprising computer-readable program instructions executable by the processing unit for operating [(see at least paragraphs 98, 118) As in 98 “Referring now to FIG. 3, a hub 106 is depicted in communication with a visualization system 108, a robotic system 110, and a handheld intelligent surgical instrument 112. The hub 106 includes a hub display 135, an imaging module 138, a generator module 140, a communication module 130, a processor module 132, and a storage array 134. In certain aspects, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the hub 106 further includes a smoke evacuation module 126 and/or a suction/irrigation module 128.”]: an operating system performing native functions of the robot arm, and a container environment for at least one container, the container environment included with a control system of the robot arm, the control system within the non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the at least one container is executable to send commands from the at least one container, and wherein the robot arm performs at least a function using the commands from the at least one container. [(see at least paragraphs 83, 122, 202) As in 83 “Referring to FIG. 1, a computer-implemented interactive surgical system 100 includes one or more surgical systems 102 and a cloud-based system (e.g., the cloud 104 that may include a remote server 113 coupled to a storage device 105). Each surgical system 102 includes at least one surgical hub 106 in communication with the cloud 104 that may include a remote server 113. In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the surgical system 102 includes a visualization system 108, a robotic system 110, and a handheld intelligent surgical instrument 112, which are configured to communicate with one another and/or the hub 106. In some aspects, a surgical system 102 may include an M number of hubs 106, an N number of visualization systems 108, an O number of robotic systems 110, and a P number of handheld intelligent surgical instruments 112, where M, N, O, and P are integers greater than or equal to one.” As in 202 “It is to be appreciated that the computer system 210 includes software that acts as an intermediary between users and the basic computer resources described in a suitable operating environment. Such software includes an operating system. The operating system, which can be stored on the disk storage, acts to control and allocate resources of the computer system. System applications take advantage of the management of resources by the operating system through program modules and program data stored either in the system memory or on the disk storage. It is to be appreciated that various components described herein can be implemented with various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.”] Examiner notes it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that cloud-based systems utilize the use of containers to improve efficiency and execute faster startup times within the cloud infrastructure. (see Atlantic.net article https://www.atlantic.net/vps-hosting/containers-cloud-computing/) Furthermore, Grigore further teaches the use and implantation of containers within a robot system. [(see at least paragraphs 16,55) As in 16 “In still another embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes running an automation in a web browser at runtime, by a computing system. The web browser is located in an operating system session, a VM, or a container of the cloud-based system. The automation is configured to cause the web browser to send one or more requests to a local RPA extension process of a client computing system.” As in 55 “the automation is designed and packaged to be executed by RPA robots executing in a VM, container, or operating system session without modifying the automation package for a specific platform. In other words, the same package can be run in a VMware® VM, a Linux® container, or a Windows® session, for example, without modifying the package. RPA robots may be designed for a specific target platform and deployed thereon, but a common format may be used for running automations. For instance, the workflow may be described in XAML or some other format that the RPA robots on each platform may be designed to read and execute in compiled machine code (e.g., digital link libraries (DLLs)). This may provide code obfuscation and security, as well as potentially make the automation run faster.”] It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the use and implementation of containers as disclosed/suggested by Grigore within the cloud system disclosed/suggested by Shelton in order to optimize the task/command execution for robots working within the cloud-based system. Regarding claim 17, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the robot arm is a serial mechanism having a working end displaceable in at least six degrees of freedom of movement. [(see at least Fig.4A, paragraph 163) “FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplification of a robotic arm 13120 and a tool assembly 13130 releasably coupled to the robotic arm 13120. The robotic arm 13120 can support and move the associated tool assembly 13130 along one or more mechanical degrees of freedom (e.g., all six Cartesian degrees of freedom, five or fewer Cartesian degrees of freedom, etc.).”] Regarding claim 19, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for executing the program from a plurality of at least one container concurrently. [(see at least paragraphs 118, 202, 402) As in 402 “Also, although various operational flow diagrams are presented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently.”] Regarding claim 20, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for controlling the execution of the programs of the plurality of containers as a function of performance capacity of the operating system. [(see at least paragraph 202) “The operating system, which can be stored on the disk storage, acts to control and allocate resources of the computer system. System applications take advantage of the management of resources by the operating system through program modules and program data stored either in the system memory or on the disk storage. It is to be appreciated that various components described herein can be implemented with various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.”] Regarding claim 21, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for receiving the commands from the at least one container as associated with a tool and/or a peripheral. [(see at least paragraph 146) “A robotic hub can include a situational awareness module, which can be configured to synthesize data from multiple sources to determine an appropriate response to a surgical event. For example, a situational awareness module can determine the type of surgical procedure, step in the surgical procedure, type of tissue, and/or tissue characteristics, as further described herein. Moreover, such a module can recommend a particular course of action or possible choices to the robotic system based on the synthesized data. In various instances, a sensor system encompassing a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the robotic system can provide data, images, and/or other information to the situational awareness module. Such a situational awareness module can be incorporated into a control unit, such as the control unit 13004, for example. In various instances, the situational awareness module can obtain data and/or information from a non-robotic surgical hub and/or a cloud, such as the surgical hub 106 (FIG. 1), the surgical hub 206 (FIG. 10), the cloud 104 (FIG. 1), and/or the cloud 204 (FIG. 9), for example.”] Regarding claim 22, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for performing at least the function with the robot arm and with the tool and/or peripheral. [(see at least paragraphs 118, 148) As in 148 “For example, a robotic surgical system can use one or more surgical tools during the surgical procedure. Additionally, one or more handheld instruments can also be used during the surgical procedure. One or more of the surgical devices can include a sensor. For example, multiple sensors can be positioned around the surgical site and/or the operating room. A sensor system including the one or more sensors can be configured to detect one or more conditions at the surgical site. For example, data from the sensor system can determine if a surgical tool mounted to the surgical robot is being used and/or if a feature of the surgical tool should be activated. More specifically, a sensor system can detect if an electrosurgical device is positioned in abutting contact with tissue, for example. As another example, a sensor system can detect if a suctioning element of a surgical tool is applying a sufficient suctioning force to fluid at the surgical site.”] Regarding claim 24, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches including the tool and/or peripheral. [(see at least paragraph 148)] Regarding claim 26, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for receiving commands from the at least one container, the commands being received from cloud computing and/or an artificial intelligence network. [(see at least paragraph 118) “The control device 13004 includes any suitable logic control circuit adapted to perform calculations and/or operate according to a set of instructions. The control device 13004 can be configured to communicate with a remote system “RS,” either via a wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE, etc.) and/or wired connection. The remote system “RS” can include data, instructions and/or information related to the various components, algorithms, and/or operations of system 13000. The remote system “RS” can include any suitable electronic service, database, platform, cloud “C” (see FIG. 4), or the like. The control device 13004 may include a central processing unit operably connected to memory.”] Regarding claim 27, In the above combination of references, Shelton further teaches wherein the computer-readable program instructions are executable for performing at least a function with the robot arm with the operating system using the commands from the at least one container while limiting the function to native function capability of the robot arm. [(see at least paragraphs 118, 381) As in 381 “For example, a control algorithm could be executed to limit motion of the robotic arms 9152a-9152e or linkages thereof in one or more directions. As such, position, proximity or other suitable sensors (could be similar to mounted sensor assemblies 20180) mounted on the robotic surgical assembly 20030 can provide data to the base unit control circuit to stop arm motions in a certain direction when the data indicates that the arm motion exceeds a certain limit or threshold. This way, the base unit control circuit can prevent the stop-cock valve from injuring the patient. Additionally, the base unit control circuit can be situationally aware to facilitate such a control algorithm. For example, information about the particular surgical procedure being performed and/or input information from operating room staff can be used to inform the positioning of the patient relative to the surgical platform and robotic surgical assembly 20030 during performance of the surgical procedure. This information may help the surgical robots involved in executing the procedure to set control limits on robotic motions.”] The Examiner has cited particular paragraphs or columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested of the Applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. See MPEP 2141.02 [R-07.2015] VI. A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed Invention. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert, denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984). See also MPEP §2123. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. (US 2022/0105630 A1) Kim - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUGMENTING AND SHARING ROBOT INTELLIGENCE BASED ON CONTAINER Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED YOUSEF ABUELHAWA whose telephone number is (571)272-3219. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00 with flex. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wade Miles can be reached at 571-270-7777. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /MOHAMMED YOUSEF ABUELHAWA/Examiner, Art Unit 3656 /WADE MILES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3656
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Prosecution Timeline

Show 2 earlier events
Aug 20, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Aug 20, 2025
Response Filed
Dec 09, 2025
Final Rejection mailed — §103
Jan 09, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Feb 09, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Feb 20, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Mar 05, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jul 15, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+21.0%)
2y 9m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 89 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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