DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. The specification, the abstract and the drawings are all acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 of this title, 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.
4. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPN 11,658,601 to Asai, and in view of USPN 6,873,134 to Canter.
As to claim 1, Asai teaches a system comprising: a pair of electronic boards consisting of a first electronic board (fig. 2: “7”) and a second electronic board (fig. 2: “23”) connected to one another for constant communication therebetween with the first electronic board having a central computer and the second electronic board having an integrated circuit(col. 5: lines 62 – col. 6: lines 7); a motor controller (fig. 2: “30”) for controlling at least one motor with the first electronic board directing the operation thereof(col. 5: lines 8-20); a temperature control system for controlling the interior temperature with the temperature control system having one heater controller (fig. 1: “15” is a heat exchanger to control heat) and one temperature monitor (col. 4: lines 56-60”) with the second electronic board (fig. 2: “23”) directing the operation thereof;
Asai does not teach an integrated avionics unit for use in spacecraft and a power control system for regulating the power of the spacecraft with the power control system having a power regulator and a cell balancer with the second electronic board directing the operation.
Canter teaches an integrated avionics unit for use in spacecraft and a power control system for regulating the power of the spacecraft with the power control system having a power regulator (fig. 2, col. 1: lines 12-22) and a cell balancer (col. 6: lines 3-14) with the second electronic board directing the operation.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Canter into Asai
since Asai suggests a motor control system and Canter suggests the beneficial use of a power control system and a cell balancer in the analogous art of motor/motive power control technology.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Canter teaches a power control system and a cell balancer which can be used to improve the motor control system disclosed by Asai.
5. Claims 2-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPN 11,658,601 to Asai in view of USPN 6,873,134 to Canter, and further in view of USPN 10,868,867 to Binder.
As to claim 2, Asai in view of Canter teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 1.
Asai in view of Canter does not teach an apparatus wherein the integrated circuit includes an inertial measurement unit.
Binder teaches an apparatus wherein the integrated circuit(col. 148: lines 53-61) includes an inertial measurement unit(col. 21: lines 9-11).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Binder into Asai in view of Canter since Asai in view of Canter suggests a motor control system and Binder suggests the beneficial use of the integrated circuit including an inertial measurement unit in the analogous art of electronics/motor control technology.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Binder teaches the integrated circuit including an inertial measurement unit which can be used to improve the motor control system disclosed by Asai in view of Canter.
As to claim 3, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit wherein the power control system is incorporated into the integrated circuit(Binder col. 148: lines 53 – col. 149: lines 14).
As to claim 4, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit further comprising: a module with the first electronic circuit board (Asai fig. 2: “23”) and the motor controller (Asai fig. 2: “30”) being incorporated into the module(Binder col. 149: lines 10-14).
As to claim 5, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 4, wherein the module includes a wi-fi interface(Binder col. 149: lines 42-43).
As to claim 6. Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 5, wherein the motor controller includes a motor(Asai fig. 2: “1”, “2”) multiplexer(Binder col. 12: lines 55).
As to claim 7, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 6, wherein the integrated circuit includes the motor(Asai fig. 2: “1”, “2”) multiplexer (Binder col. 12: lines 55).
As to claim 8, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 4, wherein the spacecraft includes at least one sensor and the integrated circuit includes an Ethernet switch for coupling the sensor thereto(Binder col. 147: lines 12-15).
As to claim 9, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 4 wherein the cell balancer (Canter col. 2: lines 40-56) is incorporated into the integrated circuit(Binder col. 148: lines 53-61).
As to claim 10, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 1, wherein the spacecraft includes a battery pack and the integrated circuit monitors the battery pack(Canter col. 1: lines 50-55).
As to claim 11, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 1, wherein the spacecraft includes at least one camera and the central computer monitors the at least one camera(Binder col. 150: lines 32-33).
As to claim 12. Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 1. It is obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to use a hold down release mechanism in computer controls and industrial control applications because it is common knowledge and widely used in computer controls and industrial control applications.
As to claim 13, Asai in view of Canter and Binder teaches the integrated avionics unit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit includes a processor selected from the group consisting of a watchdog processor and housekeeper processor(Binder col. 156: lines 35-47).
6. Claims 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPN 11,658,601 to Asai in view of USPN 6,873,134 to Canter, and further in view of USPN 8,353,481 to Rosen.
As to claim 14, Asai teaches a system comprising: a body having a motor(col. 2: lines 37-47), a sensor and a power source for powering the motor and the sensor and the power source being mounted thereon and an integrated avionics unit having a module (fig. 2 & col. 4: lines 56 – 67 wherein apparatus and method are taught for a motor control system ) and an integrated circuit with the module having a central computer (fig. 2: “23 – host controller”) and a motor controller (fig. 2: “7”) for controlling the motor (fig. 2: “1”, “2”) and the integrated circuit having a temperature monitoring system for monitoring the temperature wherein the module and the integrated circuit are connected to one another for constant communication therebetween and wherein the central computer (fig. 2: “23 – host controller”) communicates with the sensor(col. 4: lines 65 – col. 5: lines 3).
Asai does not teach a power regulator having a cell balancer for regulating the power of the power source and a spacecraft with a lander interface.
Canter teaches a power regulator having a cell balancer for regulating the power of the power source(col. 2: lines 40-56 & col. 6: lines 3-14).
Rosen teaches a spacecraft with a lander interface(col. 9: lines 43-50).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Canter and Rosen into Asai since Asai teaches a motor control system and Canter teaches the power regulator which can be used in the spacecraft disclosed by Rosen in the analogous art of motor/motive power control technology used in the spacecraft.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Asai and Canter teaches a motive power system which can be used to improve the spacecraft disclosed by Rosen.
As to claim 15, Asai in view of Canter and Rosen teaches the spacecraft of claim 14, further comprising: a plurality of heaters for heating at least one of the motor, the sensor, and the power source(col. 4: lines 15-28 wherein apparatus and method are taught for heat exchanging and temperature controls); wherein the integrated circuit include a heater controller with the heater controller being separate from the temperature monitoring system therein(Asai col. 4: lines 56-67)
As to claim 16, Asai in view of Canter and Rosen teaches the spacecraft of claim 14, wherein the spacecraft body includes a payload(Rosen col. 4: lines 35-37).
As to claim 17, Asai in view of Canter and Rosen teaches the spacecraft of claim 14, It is obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to use a hold down release mechanism in computer controls and industrial control applications because it is common knowledge and widely used in computer controls and industrial control applications.
As to claim 18, it is rejected as the same reason as claim 13.
As to claim 19, it is obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to use a solar panel assembly for providing power to the power source because solar panel is widely used in all kinds of applications.
As to claim 20, Asai in view of Canter and Rosen teaches the spacecraft of claim 19, wherein the power source is a battery pack(Canter col. 5: lines 6-8).
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 8,528,689 to Uryu discloses a motor control system.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S LUO whose telephone number is (571)270-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
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/DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846