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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 7, 9-13, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Bohme (WO 2017008776).
Bohme teaches an aircraft, in particular a drone, for cleaning surfaces, in particular substantially flat surfaces, which are delimited in particular by a frame, comprising; at least one drive device (3-6), in particular four drive devices, a controller (paragraph 22), and a cleaning device (7), characterized in that at least one sensor (12-15) is provided on the aircraft, and in that the at least one sensor is designed to control the aircraft on the surface (paragraph 20).
With regards to claim 3, the cleaning device comprises a cleaning roller (paragraph 0048) which can be rotated by a rotating device, in particular an electric motor, and in that the rotating device is arranged inside the cleaning roller if necessary.
With regards to claim 5, the end regions, in particular the corners, of the cleaning device are rounded, and/or the cleaning device is connected to the aircraft via a shock absorber device (figure 1, element 19).
With regards to claim 7, the cleaning device comprises an ultrasonic device and/or a dry ice device for cleaning the surface to be cleaned (paragraph 29).
With regards to claim 9, the aircraft comprises a chassis (figure 2, 3), in particular a frame, wherein the chassis is designed to accommodate the at least one drive device (32-39), the payload and/or external force effects, the at least one drive device is arranged on the chassis, a safety device (46), in particular a safety housing and/or a rotor protection, is provided, the safety device essentially completely surrounds the at least one drive device, in particular the at least one rotor of the at least one drive device, the chassis is part of the safety device.
With regards to claim 10, the at least one sensor is designed to detect the surface and/or to detect the boundaries, in particular of at least part of the frame, of the surface, the at least one sensor is designed to stabilize the aircraft on the surface, the at least one sensor is configured to determine the position of the aircraft on the surface, the at least one sensor is configured to detect the distance of the aircraft from the frame, the at least one sensor is configured to detect the distance of the aircraft from the surface (paragraph 16).
With regards to claim 11, the aircraft comprises a spacing device (42, 43, 44, paragraph 56), wherein the spacing device is configured to stabilize the aircraft on the surface and/or to maintain a distance between the aircraft and the surface (distance meter 21, 22, paragraph 53), wherein the cleaning device is designed as a spacing device, and/or wherein the at least one sensor is designed as a spacing device.
With regards to claim 12, the at least one sensor is designed as a traceball, trackball, laser, lidar, time of flight, camera and/or limit switch (paragraph 20).
With regards to claim 13, wherein at least two sensors, in particular four sensors, are arranged on the aircraft, the sensors are arranged on the aircraft in such a way that the sensors are each aligned with a different part of the surface, in particular the frame of the surface, whereby, if necessary, the sensors detect the part of the surface, in particular the part of the frame, and/or the distance from the part of the surface, in particular the part of the frame of the surface, on which the sensors are aligned, the at least two sensors, in particular the four sensors, simultaneously detect the parts of the frame and/or the distance from the parts of the frame (paragraph 16).
With regards to claim 15, wherein the aircraft comprises further sensors, in particular a GPS sensor, an altimeter, a pressure meter, a movement meter, a distance meter, a temperature sensor, a touch sensor and/or a gyrometer, and/or the aircraft comprises an energy storage device (paragraph 20, the energy store paragraph 59 and battery exchange system 75-77).
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Tamkin (PGPub 2017035547).
Tamkin teaches an aircraft, in particular a drone, for cleaning surfaces, in particular substantially flat surfaces, which are delimited in particular by a frame, comprising; at least one drive device (3-4), in particular four drive devices, a controller (paragraph 0073), and a cleaning device (80), characterized in that at least one sensor (37) is provided on the aircraft, and in that the at least one sensor is designed to control the aircraft on the surface (paragraph 0073).
With regards to claim 2, wherein a holding device (paragraph 0086) is provided on the aircraft, and wherein the holding device is designed to fix the aircraft to the surface, in particular in a materially bonded and/or frictional manner, wherein the holding device comprises an adhesive tape or the holding device is designed as a suction cup.
With regards to claim 9, the aircraft comprises a chassis (figure 4), in particular a frame, wherein the chassis is designed to accommodate the at least one drive device, the payload and/or external force effects, the at least one drive device is arranged on the chassis, a safety device, in particular a safety housing and/or a rotor protection, is provided, the safety device essentially completely surrounds the at least one drive device, in particular the at least one rotor of the at least one drive device, the chassis is part of the safety device.
Claim(s) 1, 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Lee (WO 2019172700).
Lee teaches an aircraft, in particular a drone, for cleaning surfaces, in particular substantially flat surfaces, which are delimited in particular by a frame, comprising; at least one drive device (110), in particular four drive devices, a controller (400), and a cleaning device (300), characterized in that at least one sensor (paragraph 0068) is provided on the aircraft, and in that the at least one sensor is designed to control the aircraft on the surface (paragraph 0068).
With regards to claim 2, wherein a holding device (200) is provided on the aircraft, and wherein the holding device is designed to fix the aircraft to the surface, in particular in a materially bonded and/or frictional manner, wherein the holding device comprises an adhesive tape or the holding device is designed as a suction cup.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Pardell (WO 2015150529).
Pardell teaches an aircraft, in particular a drone, for cleaning surfaces, in particular substantially flat surfaces, which are delimited in particular by a frame, comprising; at least one drive device (1.4), in particular four drive devices, a controller (1.6), and a cleaning device (1.11), characterized in that at least one sensor (1.11.1.1) is provided on the aircraft, and in that the at least one sensor is designed to control the aircraft on the surface (paragraph 0056).
With regards to claim 4, the cleaning device comprises a substantially plate-shaped cleaning cloth, the cleaning cloth is pivotably connected to the aircraft via a connecting device, in particular an eccentric (page 9, lines 17-20).
With regards to claim 8, the cleaning device comprises a sliding device (1.11.1), and the sliding device projects beyond the cleaning device, in particular in its end regions, so that the cleaning device is arranged at a distance from the surface to be cleaned during cleaning and in particular only the cleaning threads and/or the cleaning strips of the cleaning device come into contact with the surface to be cleaned.
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.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bohme (‘776), Tamkin (‘547), Lee (‘700) or Pardell (‘529) all in view of Peng (CN 202526075).
Bohme, Tamkin, Lee or Pardell teach all the essential elements of the claimed invention however fail to teach that the cleaning device comprises cleaning strips arranged on the cleaning device. Peng teaches a cleaning roller device for a window comprising cleaning strips (3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cleaning device of Bohme, Tamkin, Lee or Pardell so that they comprise cleaning strips as taught by Peng to further assist in removing debris from window to ensure a thorough cleaning.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bohme (‘776), Tamkin (‘547), Lee (‘700) or Pardell (‘529).
Bohme, Tamkin, Lee or Pardell teach all the essential elements of the claimed invention however fail to teach the weight of the aircraft. While the references do not discuss a particular weight for the aircraft, one of skill in the art would by routine experimentation find the optimum weight of the aircraft. It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art to make the weight of the references so that it is between 50-250 grams as claimed to optimize performance of the aircraft.
Claim(s) 16-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bohme (‘776),
Bohme teaches all the essential elements of the claimed invention however fails to teach the method for using the aircraft cleaner. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bohme so that is it used in the manner as claimed; (1) arranging, in particular manually stopping, the deactivated, in particular switched off, aircraft on the surface, activating, in particular switching on, the aircraft, so that at least one drive device of the aircraft is activated, in particular at least one rotor of the drive device is set in rotation, releasing the activated aircraft, whereby the aircraft then independently cleans the area (claim 16); (2) movement of the aircraft on the surface is controlled and/or regulated by a controller, and in that data from a sensor connected to the controller is processed by the controller for control purposes, wherein the frame of the surface, in particular the frame of the door or the frame of the window, is detected by the sensor, and/or wherein the position of the aircraft on the surface is detected by the sensor (claim 17), (3) the movement of the aircraft on the surface is changed if the distance from the boundaries, in particular from at least part of the frame, of the surface falls below a predefined value, and/or in that the direction of movement of the aircraft on the surface is reversed if the distance from the boundaries, in particular from at least part of the frame, of the surface falls below a predefined value, and/or in that the movement of the aircraft on the surface is changed if the at least one sensor abuts at least part of the frame of the surface (claim 18); (4) in that the aircraft is controlled by the controller in such a way that a holding device arranged on the aircraft is pressed against the surface, so that the aircraft is fixed to the surface, in particular when the cleaning of the area is finished, and/or when the capacity of the energy storage device is less than 20%, less than 15% or less than 10%, and/or when a malfunction is detected by a controller, and the aircraft is deactivated, in particular switched off, when the aircraft is fixed to the surface via the holding device, so that the drive device, in particular the rotation of the at least one rotor of the drive device, is stopped (claim 19); (5) rotating the cleaning roller by the rotating device, so that the top of the cleaning roller is moved towards the surface, in particular in a first direction, when the aircraft ascends along the surface, so that the ascent of the aircraft is supported by the rotation of the cleaning roller, rotating the cleaning roller by the rotating device, so that the top of the cleaning roller is moved opposite to the first direction when the aircraft descends along the surface, so that the descent of the aircraft is supported by the rotation of the cleaning roller (claim 20); (6) wherein the aircraft, in particular the controller, is controlled wirelessly by a transmitting device, in particular a computer, preferably a smartphone and/or a tablet (claim 21) and (7) the aircraft (1) is designed according to claim 1 (claim 22). The Bohme reference teaches all the structure elements necessary to make operate in the manner as claimed, but just fails to actually teach the method for using. Thus, using this claimed method with the Bohme aircraft will ensure that the aircraft cleaning device will properly clean the windows.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAY LYNN KARLS whose telephone number is (571)272-1268. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th (6am-5pm).
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/SHAY KARLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723