DETAILED ACTION
The Examiner acknowledges Claims 1-14 have been amended and Claims 15-20 have been added.
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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 6 depends from Claim 1 and Claim 20 depends from Claim 2 that only require “a yaw control thruster” thus “each thruster” would be indefinite.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the safe operating window". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 UK Patent # 2,573,796 to Vestas Wind Systems.
Regarding claim 1, Vestas teaches in Figures 2 and 13, a wind turbine tower installation apparatus (10) (Page 16, Line 3) for installing a tower (Page 16, Lines 22-23) comprising a plurality of longitudinally stackable sections (Page 16, Lines 22-23), wherein the apparatus (10) comprises: a frame (15) (Page 20, Line 6) comprising: a guide (12) [gripper (Page 27, Line 23)] for positioning the apparatus (10) on an installed tower portion (Page 16, Lines 22-23), a platform (12, Fig 3c) for supporting wind turbine components (Page 27, Lines 22-30) on the frame (15), and a mechanism (112) [actuator (Page 27, Line 24)] for transversely positioning the supported wind turbine component (Page 16, Lines 22-23) in alignment with the tower (Page 36, Lines 31-32); a lifting mechanism (3) [crane (Page 26, Line 25)] for moving the apparatus (10) longitudinally up and down the installed tower portion (Page 16, Lines 35-36); and a yaw control thruster (20) (Page 20, Line 6) mounted to the frame (15) and configured to provide a counter acting force (Page 32, Line 12) to rotational wind loads (Page 32, Line 12) in use.
Regarding claim 2, Vestas teaches in Figure 6b, the thruster (20) comprises a rotor [propeller type thruster (Page 34, Line 23)].
Regarding claim 3, Vestas teaches in Figure 6b, the thruster (20) further comprises a shroud (21) [radial cowling (Page 34, Line 22)], the rotor (Page 34, Line 23) being rotatably mounted within the shroud (21).
Regarding claim 4, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the thruster (20) is mounted at a transverse end of the frame (15).
Regarding claim 5, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the frame (15) comprises first and second side beams (Page 27, Line 30), configured to extend along opposing sides of the tower (Figure 13), and wherein a pair of spaced apart yaw control thrusters (20) are mounted to adjacent ends of the first and second side beams (Page 27, Line 30) of the frame (15).
Regarding claim 6, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the thruster (20) is pivotally connected [with hinges (Page 22, Line 21)] to the frame (15).
Regarding claim 7, Vestas teaches a yaw control thruster controller (Page 23, Line 15) configured to receive data from at least one yaw control sensor (Page 24, Line 29) and provide control signals (Page 25, Lines 8-13) to the yaw control thruster (Page 25, Line 8).
Regarding claim 8, Vestas teaches in Figure 4, the at least one yaw control sensor (Page 24, Line 29) includes at least one motion reference unit (55) [orientation sensor (Page 25, Line 15)] connected to the frame (15) of the apparatus (10).
Regarding claim 9, Vestas teaches the controller receives (Page 32, Lines 11-12) forward weather estimation data [ambient wind (Page 31, Line 9) and cross wind (Page 31, Line 14)].
Regarding claim 15, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the thruster (20) is mounted at a transverse end of the frame (15).
Regarding claim 16, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the thruster (20) is mounted at a transverse end of the frame (15).
Regarding claim 17, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the frame (15) comprises first and second side beams (Page 27, Line 30), configured to extend along opposing sides of the tower (Figure 13), and wherein a pair of spaced apart yaw control thrusters (20) are mounted to adjacent ends of the first and second side beams (Page 27, Line 30) of the frame (15).
Regarding claim 18, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the frame (15) comprises first and second side beams (Page 27, Line 30), configured to extend along opposing sides of the tower (Figure 13), and wherein a pair of spaced apart yaw control thrusters (20) are mounted to adjacent ends of the first and second side beams (Page 27, Line 30) of the frame (15).
Regarding claim 19, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the frame (15) comprises first and second side beams (Page 27, Line 30), configured to extend along opposing sides of the tower (Figure 13), and wherein a pair of spaced apart yaw control thrusters (20) are mounted to adjacent ends of the first and second side beams (Page 27, Line 30) of the frame (15).
Regarding claim 20, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the thruster (20) is pivotally connected [with hinges (Page 22, Line 21)] to the frame (15).
Regarding claim 10, Vestas teaches in Figures 2 and 13, a method (Page 16, Line 3) of erecting [lifting (Page 16, Line 3)] a wind turbine tower (Page 16, Line 22), the method comprising the steps of: installing a tower section (Page 16, Lines 22-23); attaching a movable installation apparatus (10) (Page 16, Line 3 and Page 20, Line 3) to the installed tower section (Page 16, Lines 22-23) for supporting and positioning subsequent tower sections (Page 37, Lines 14-15); detecting wind loading (Page 33, Line 7) on the movable installation apparatus (10); and applying counter-acting thrust (Page 33, Lines 15-16) to the movable installation apparatus (10) to compensate for yaw loads (Page 33, Line 10) caused by the wind loading (Page 33, Line 7).
Regarding claim 11, Vestas teaches in Figure 2, the counter-acting thrust (Page 33, Lines 15-16) is applied via a thruster (20) (Page 20, Line 6) mounted to the movable installation apparatus (Page 16, Line 3).
Regarding claim 12, Vestas teaches in Figure 15, the method comprises counter-acting rotation (Page 30, Line 12-16) of the movable installation apparatus (Page 16, Line 3) about the axis of the installed tower (Page 30, Line 18).
Regarding claim 13, Vestas teaches the method comprises using weather forecast data [ambient wind (Page 31, Line 9) and cross wind (Page 31, Line 14)] to enhance the yaw load compensation (Page 33, Lines 15-16).
Regarding claim 14, Vestas teaches the method further comprises modifying the safe operating window [the method carried out automatically (Page 25, Line 13)] of the movable installation apparatus (Page 16, Line 3) based upon yaw load compensation (Page 33, Lines 15-16).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW J TRIGGS whose telephone number is (571)270-3657. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6am-2pm EST.
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, Brian Mattei can be reached at (571) 270-3238. 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.
/ANDREW J TRIGGS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635