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
The applicant elected Species IV, claims 22-26 with traverse.
In response to applicant argument that the species do not constate distinct inventions such as to require their subject matter to prosecuted in separate application and each species are covered by all claims 22-42.
Fist the applicant has to elect one species regardless whether all the claims are generic and future amendment has to be directed to that elected species.
Second the species in Figs 1-44 have different structures and feature that will require expanded search of different structure causing burden of search. In
addition, claims 37-46 are directed to different embodiment that has five limbs instead of four.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the Torso and shoulder must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 22-36 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.
Claims 22-36 recite the limitation “…a first limb referred as torso…” and “…Second limb as shoulder…”
Where applicant acts as his or her own lexicographer to specifically define a term of a claim contrary to its ordinary meaning, the written description must clearly redefine the claim term and set forth the uncommon definition so as to put one reasonably skilled in the art on notice that the applicant intended to so redefine that claim term. Process Control Corp. v. HydReclaim Corp., 190 F.3d 1350, 1357, 52 USPQ2d 1029, 1033 (Fed. Cir. 1999).
A limb cannot be a torso nor shoulder. A torso and a shoulder are different part than a limb, a limb cannot be referred as torso, similarly a shoulder cannot be a limb.
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.
Claim 22-24, 29-33 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Yao [CN 103303385].
Regarding claim 22: Yao shows a mobile robotic system, capable of moving, comprising N articulated structures connected to one another pairwise in series to form a loop, N being a positive integer greater than or equal to 3 (see fig 1), each articulated structure also being referred to as a quadrant, each quadrant comprising: at least two successive limbs, comprising a first limb (10, see fig 7) referred to as a torso and a last limb (LS, see markup fig 4), two successive limbs of the quadrant being connected to one another to enable at least one rotation; a quadrant end joint linking the last limb (LS) of the quadrant to the torso (10) of a next quadrant (8, see fig 4); wherein at least one quadrant of the mobile robotic system comprises at least three successive limbs: the torso (10); a second limb (9, see fig 7), referred to as a shoulder, linked to the torso (10) by a first joint (see fig 7), enabling a rotation about a first axis; and a third limb (b, see fig 3), referred to as an arm, linked to said shoulder (9) by a second joint (5), enabling a rotation about a second axis, the second axis being orthogonal to said first axis.
Regarding claim 23: Yao shows further comprising no central body on which said each quadrant is linked. (see fig 2).
Regarding claim 24: Yao shows further comprising, at said each quadrant, an actuator (13) configured to move all or part of the first joint, the second joint and the quadrant end joint.
Regarding claim 29: Yao shows wherein said at least one quadrant comprises four successive limbs: the torso (10); the shoulder (9) linked to the torso by the first joint; the arm (b, see fig 3) linked to the shoulder by the second joint (5); and a fourth limb, referred to as a forearm (LS), linked to the arm by a third joint (6), the forearm (LS) being the last limb.
Regarding claim 30: Yao shows wherein the third joint (6) is configured to enable a rotation about a third axis, the third axis being parallel to the second axis (see fig 3).
Regarding claim 31: Yao shows wherein the quadrant end joint of said at least one quadrant with four successive limbs is configured to enable a rotation about an axis of rotation.
Regarding claim 32: Yao shows wherein the axis of rotation is parallel to the second axis and the third axis (see fig 3).
Regarding claim 33: Yao shows further comprising, at said each quadrant, an actuator (12) configured to move all or part of the first joint, the second joint and the quadrant end joint (see fig 2); and wherein the actuator (12) comprises an associated motor for each joint forming the robotic system.
Regarding claim 35: Yao shows wherein the quadrant end joint of said at least one quadrant with four successive limbs is a first pivot connection linking the last limb (LS) of said at least one quadrant and the torso (10, see fig 4) of the next quadrant; or wherein the quadrant end joint of said at least one quadrant with four successive limbs comprises a pre-torso, on one hand, linked to the last limb of said at least one quadrant by a second pivot connection configured to enable the rotation about the axis of rotation and, on other hand, linked to the torso of the next quadrant by a connection with no degrees of freedom.
Regarding claim 36: Yao shows further comprising at least one locking/unlocking device configured to reversibly detach two successive quadrants; and wherein, when the quadrant end joint of said at least one quadrant with four successive limbs (9, 10, b, LS) comprises the pre-torso, said at least one quadrant and the next quadrant are configured to be reversibly detached, at the connection with no degrees of freedom linking the pre-torso (14) to the torso of the next quadrant.
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.
Claims 25 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao [CN 103303385] in view of Yim [US Pub # 2002/0043950].
Regarding claim 25 and 26: Yao does not wherein said at least one quadrant further comprises a bearing part configured to come into contact with a bearing surface.
further comprising at least one locking/unlocking device configured to reversibly detach two successive quadrants. However, Yim shows wherein said at least one quadrant further comprises a bearing part (950) configured to come into contact with a bearing surface (930).
further comprising at least one locking/unlocking device configured to reversibly detach two successive quadrants (see [0041]).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have provided the joints with bearing to reduce friction and provide the joints wit locks to control and restrict movement when its needed.
Claim 28 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao [CN 103303385] in view of Pritschow [DE 19839366]
Regarding claim 27: Yao does not explicitly show further comprising, on said at least one quadrant a connector linked to one of the limbs of said at least one quadrant, and the connector configured to receive at least one tool. However Pritschow shows least one quadrant a connector linked to one of the limbs of said at least one quadrant, and the connector (1) configured to receive at least one tool (see translation “…The platform 1 can serve as a tool or workpiece carrier of a machine. The platform 1 is articulated via three translatory drives 2 with a base element 3 connected…”).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have provided the quadrant robot with attachment platform to connect a tool to perform the desired task.
Regarding claim 28: Yao shows wherein when said at least one quadrant includes only three successive limbs, the arm is the last limb and the quadrant end, Yao does not explicitly show joint is a ball joint connection. However Pritschow shows robotic links or arms connected by ball joint (see translation “…in that the joints of the joint rods ( 7 , 8 ) of the parallelograms ( 10 to 12 ) are ball joints…”)
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have provided the quadrant robot with ball joints to provide multi direction movement and increase robot workspace.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 34 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached on 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618
Prosecution Insights