DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/29/2024 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim US 20200300598 in view of AlGhazi US 12336955 in view of Gilkison US 20040093953.
As to claim 1, Kim teaches “A contact sensor module (Abstract) comprising: a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors (Figure 2, 112) in a thin film shape (Figure 2, the pressure sensors are aligned in a linear fashion along a thin substrate) mounted on a surface of the base unit at a tip end of the base unit (Figure 2, 116 is the base unit in which the sensors fit into) in a state inclined so as to approach a central axis of the base unit along a first direction from a base end side toward a tip end side of the base unit (Figure 2, the sensors 112 approach a center axis of the contact sensor. When aligned against the cover 102, the center axis at at the tip of the contact sensor); a cover having flexibility and attached to the base unit so as to cover the tip end of the base unit (Figure 2, 102).” Kim does not teach that the shape is columnar.
AlGhazi teaches “a base unit with columnar shape (Figure 21).”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to combine the teachings of AlGhazi with Kim. Both are related to contact pressure sensors which involve a focused point of contact against a surface, commonly a ground surface. Both utilize pressure sensors to identify the load. Having a columnar shape is critical to the performance and method of using the contact sensors in both prior arts since the elements are pressed into a ground surface.
The prior arts do not teach an intermediate member, which appears to act as a cushion between the base element and cover element.
Gilkison teaches “and a hollow intermediate member formed to be harder than the cover and disposed between the tip end of the base unit and the cover (figure 2, 14 acts an intermediate between 32 and 12); wherein the intermediate member is formed such that an outer wall surface of the intermediate member is in close contact with an inner wall surface of the cover (Figure 2 shows the concept of one element fitting into another element, such as 34 being inserted into 32. This type of connection is known, and would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore one of ordinary skill in the art could apply this type of connection to various elements in the contact sensor system), and an inner wall surface of the intermediate member is in contact with the plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors, with a gap formed between the intermediate member and the surface of the base unit (Figure 2 shows the concept of one element fitting into another element, such as 34 being inserted into 32. This type of connection is known, and would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore one of ordinary skill in the art could apply this type of connection to various elements in the contact sensor system).”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to combine the teachings of Gilkison with AlGhazi and Kim. It can be seen between AGhazi and Kim that columnar shaped contact sensors are widely used and those involves covers. Those prior arts are missing an intermediate member and Gilkison shows a pressure sensing probe that has a base, intermediate member and cover. These elements connect together in a manner that is claimed. Although there are slight differences as to which components connect to adjacent components in the prior arts verses the instant application, specifically the base member fitting into the intermediate member and the intermediate member fitting into the cover, Gilkison teaches the concept of the intermediate member fitting into the cover. Based on this, one of ordinary skill in the art could have modified the prior art to arrive at a cover in which the intermediate member fits into the cover while the base elements fits into the intermediate member. This aids in creating a secure connection between elements.
As to claim 9, Kim teaches “A flying robot with the contact sensor module according to claim 1mounted on a tip of a leg (Figure 7 shows the contact sensor attached to the tip of a leg of a robot. As to whether the robot flies is not discussed, but it is known to have robots that can fly, such as drones).”
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim US 20200300598 in view of AlGhazi US 12336955 in view of Gilkison US 20040093953 and in further view of Lee US 20130144437.
As to claim 2, the prior arts do not teach the inclination angle of the sensors.
Lee teaches “wherein the plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors are mounted on the surface of the base unit such that an inclination angle thereof with respect to the central axis of the base unit is 45 degrees (Figure 1).”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to combine the teachings of Kim with Gilkison and AlGhazi and Kim. Having the sensors at angle often aid in measurement accuracy and enhancing durability since direct contact with a surface can potentially damage them.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are 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. Claim 2 teaches the specific inclination of the pressure sensors, and the specification provides criticality for this feature. The prior arts fail to teach this. Claims 3 and 4 are directed towards the design of the intermediate member, which is not taught by the prior arts. Claims 5-8 depend from claim 4.
Conclusion
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/TARUN SINHA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855