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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
PRIOR to Paragraph [0001]: A paragraph should be provided listed any pending foreign applications and their status.
Paragraph [0010], line 2: The article – a – should replace the article “the” as this is the first mention of the pipeline.
Paragraph [0047], line 2: The conjunction – and – should be inserted after the “semicolon.”
Paragraph [0048], line 2: A – period – should replace the “semicolon.”
Paragraph [0057], line 3: A – period – should replace the “semicolon” at the end of the paragraph.
Paragraph [0058], line 3: A – period – should replace the “semicolon” at the end of the paragraph.
Paragraph [0059], line 3: A – period – should replace the “semicolon” at the end of the paragraph.
Paragraph [0060], line 2: The article – a – should replace the article “the” as this is the first mention of the pipeline.
Paragraph [0061], line 5: The term “said” should be deleted as it is redundant in view of the use of the article “the.”
Paragraph [0062], line 5: The term – uses – should replace the term “use.”
Paragraph [0062], line 7: The term “said” should be deleted.
Paragraph [0063], line 1: The term – uses – should replace the term “use.”
Paragraph [0063], line 4: The term “said” should be deleted; and the article – the – should be inserted prior to the term “oil.”
Paragraph [0067], line 1: The term “said” should be deleted.
Paragraph [0067], line 2: The term – For – has been misspelled.
Paragraph [0069], line 4: A – space – should be inserted between the term “carrier” and the reference numeral “107.”
Paragraph [0071], line 5: The phrase – , as shown in FIG. 4 – should be inserted after reference numeral “601.”
Paragraph [0071], line 8: The phrase – , as shown in FIG. 6 – should be inserted after reference numeral “401.”
Paragraph [0072], lines 1 and 3: The term – tools – should replace the term “tool” as there are at least two tools (103, 105) forming the valve opening and closing tool.
Paragraph [0072], line 2: The term – carriers – should replace the term “carrier” as there are at least two carriers (104, 106) disclosed in the invention.
Paragraph [0073], line 1: Perhaps the article “The” should be corrected to read – Each – as there are multiple tool plates (703).
Paragraph [0073], line 2: The phrase – (as shown in FIGs. 3 and 5) – should be inserted after reference numeral “702”; and the article “the” should be replace with the term – each --.
Paragraph [0074], line 3: The article – the – should be inserted prior to the term “distribution.”
Paragraph [0075], line 2: The phrase – , as shown in FIGs. 13-14 – should be inserted after reference numeral “506.”
Paragraph [0075], line 4: Reference numeral – 506 – should be inserted after the term “magnet.”
Paragraph [0076], line 1: Reference numeral – 506 – should be inserted after the term “magnet.”
Paragraph [0080], line 2: The article – an – should be inserted prior to the term “oil.”
Paragraph [0080], line 3: The article – the – should be inserted prior to the term “oil.”
Paragraph [0080], line 8: The article “the” should be deleted.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-10 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.
Re claim 1, claim lines 1 and 6: It is unclear how the term “smart” it to be interpreted. The term “smart” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “smart” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Specifically, it is unclear if s computer controlled robot is deemed to be a smart robot or is does the term “smart” indicative of something else.
Re claim 1, claim lines 11-12: The claim recites an oil sampling robot and some structure of the robot. The claim also then recites that the auxiliary sampling tool is connected to a pipeline, which is suggestive that the pipeline is part of the oil sampling robot. This is confusing as terms, such as “adapted to” have not been used to recite the connection. Thus, it is unclear how the pipeline is a structure of the robot.
Re claim 4, claim lines 2-3: The phrase “the gripper support” lacks antecedent basis. This limitation was previously claimed in claim 2.
Re claim 5, claim line 4: The phrase “the electromagnet” lacks antecedent basis. This limitation was previously claimed in claim 2.
Re claim 5, claim line 5: The phrase “the valve tool fixing pins” lacks antecedent basis. This limitation was previously claimed in claim 2.
Re claim 8, claim line 2: The phrase “the valve opening and closing tool carrier” lacks antecedent basis. This limitation was previously claimed in claim 6.
Re claim 9, claim line 3: It is unclear how the invention can have a “third permanent magnet” without first reciting a first and second permanent magnet.
Re claim 10, claim line 2: The phrases “the third permanent magnet” and “the auxiliary sampling tool plate” lack antecedent basis. These limitations were previously claimed in claim 9.
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 1, 4, and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 112109092 (Ying et al.) in view of CN 214844155 U (Wang et al.).
With respect to the limitations of claim 1, Ying et al. disclose an oil sampling robot, comprising a smart mobile component (movable chassis (1) for autonomous movement), wherein the robot further comprises a robot arm grasping member and auxiliary sampling components (sample reservoir (52)), and auxiliary sampling platform components;
the robot arm grasping member comprises a robot arm body (3) and a robot gripper unit (screwing mechanism (4)), and the robot gripper unit (4) is mounted at one end of the robot arm body (3) (Figure 1), and another end of the robot arm body is fixedly mounted on the smart mobile component (arm (3) is mounted to a rotary table (2), which is attached to the chassis (11) - Figure 1);
the auxiliary sampling components (1) comprise sample bottles (sample reservoir (52) is functionally equivalent to a sample bottle(s) for collecting sampled oil) and a valve opening and closing tool (screwing mechanism (4) is utilized to open and close oil taking valve of transformer), the robot gripper unit is arranged with a second gripping portion matched with the valve opening and closing tool (screwing mechanism (4) is utilized to open and close oil taking valve of transformer); and
the sampling platform components (oil taking mechanism (5)) comprise an auxiliary sampling tool connected with a pipeline (transformer containing oil is functionally equivalent as a pipeline for containing a material to be sampled), the pipeline is arranged with a pipeline valve (oil taking valve is provided on the transformer), the auxiliary sampling tool comprises an auxiliary valve (oil taking port (51)), an auxiliary sampling piping component (soft oil extracting pipe (53)), and an auxiliary sampling piping component support (brackets for securing the soft oil extracting pipe (53) to the mechanical arm (3) of the sampling robot), the auxiliary sampling piping component (53) is fixedly arranged on the auxiliary sampling piping component support (supporting brackets are utilized to fixedly arrange the extracting pipe to the mechanical arm of the robot), the auxiliary valve (51) is connected with the auxiliary sampling piping component (53) (oil taking port (52) is connected with the soft oil extracting pipe (53)), and an outlet of the pipeline valve is in communication with an inlet of the auxiliary sampling piping component (outlet of the oil taking valve located on the transformer is in communication with an inlet of the soft oil extracting pipe (53)). Ying et al. fail to disclose that the robot gripper unit is arranged with a first gripping portion matched with the sample bottles.
Wang et al. disclose a sampling device for detecting water quality comprising a sampling platform (1), a plurality of sampling bottles (2), a sampling hand (3), and a control device (4). The sampling hand comprises a chassis (31), a clamping jaw (32), and a mechanical arm (33). The clamping jaw is provided to open and close around a sample bottle to allow the sample to collected within the bottle. Modifying Ying et al. to provide the robot gripper unit with a first gripper portion matched to sample bottles would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a means of allowing smaller sampling to occur with is easier to handle.
With respect to the limitation of claim 4, the combination (Ying et al.) further disclose that the oil sampling robot comprises a vison camera (3-D camera (6)) located on the chassis. The combination fails to disclose that the camera is mounted to the robot gripper unit (4); however, the Examiner argues that placement of the camera on the gripper unit is well within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a suitable alternative to the chassis as the gripper unit is closer to the valve being manipulated.
With respect to the limitations of claim 6, the combination (Ying et al.) further disclose a tool carrier (rotary table (2)) and valve opening and closing tool carrier, wherein the tool carrier is fixedly arranged on the smart mobile component, and the valve opening and closing tool carrier is fixedly arranged on the tool carrier (Ying et al. disclose that the chassis (1) is fixedly attached to the rotary table (2) that is fixedly attached to a mechanical arm (3) that carries the screw mechanism (4) for opening and closing a valve).
With respect to the limitation of claim 7, the combination discloses a plurality of sample bottles, which can be designated as clean-up bottles or sampling bottles. Designating bottles to a specific functionality is well within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art of invention at the time of filing the invention.
Claims 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 112109092 (Ying et al.) in view of CN 214844155 U (Wang et al.) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of JP 2002-264061 (Makoto et al.).
With respect to the limitation of claim 8, the combination discloses all of the limitations of the base claim, but fail to disclose that the valve opening and closing tool carrier comprises a permanent magnet and a base.
Makoto et al. disclose a mobile working robot utilizing a filter paper tool holder (10) for holding a filter paper tool (9) (Figure 12). A collar (9b) is made of magnetic material; and the holder (10) includes a magnet (10a) at a portion of the filter paper tool (9), which is in contact with the collar/flange (9b). The filter paper tool holder (10) is attached to the robot body, as shown in Figure 1. Modifying the combination to provide a tool carrier comprising a base and a magnet would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a means of securing the tool carrier to the robot while also allowing simple removable of the carrier if needed.
With respect to the limitation of claim 10, the combination discloses all of the limitations of the base claim, but fail to disclose the third permanent magnet fixedly arranged on the auxiliary sampling tool plate is plural in number.
Makoto et al. disclose a mobile working robot utilizing a filter paper tool holder (10) for holding a filter paper tool (9) (Figure 12). A collar (9b) is made of magnetic material; and the holder (10) includes a magnet (10a) at a portion of the filter paper tool (9), which is in contact with the collar/flange (9b). Multiple filter paper tool holder (10) each having a magnet are attached to the robot body, as shown in Figure 1. Modifying the combination to provide a tool carrier comprising a plurality of magnets would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a means of securing the tool carrier to the robot while also allowing simple removable of the carrier if needed.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Prior art was not relied upon to reject claims 2-3, 5, and 9 because the prior art of record fail to teach and/or make obvious the following limitations:
Claims 2-3: Providing an oil sampling robot comprising a robot gripper unit comprising a gripper support providing on a side with an electromagnet and valve tool fixing pins in combination with all of the remaining limitations of the claims and all of the limitations of the base claim.
Claim 5: Providing an oil sampling robot, whereby the valve opening and closing tool comprises a valve opening and closing tool plate and valve fixing pins, the valve opening and closing tool plate is provided with a magnetic material mating with the electromagnet, the valve opening and closing tool plate is provided with mounting holes corresponding to the valve tool fixing pins, and the valve fixing pins are mounted on the valve opening and closing tool plate and arranged to fit distribution of valve holes in combination with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 9: Providing an oil sampling robot, comprising an e auxiliary sampling platform component further comprises an oil sampling bottle carrier, an auxiliary sampling tool plate, and a third permanent magnet, the auxiliary sampling piping component support is fixedly arranged on one side of the auxiliary sampling tool plate, and the third permanent magnet is fixedly arranged on another side of the auxiliary sampling tool plate opposite to the auxiliary sampling piping component support in combination with all of the remaining limitations of the claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The prior art of record disclose various robots that perform sampling functions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL SEAN LARKIN whose telephone number is 571-272-2198. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM.
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, Laura Sweeney can be reached at 571-272-2160. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL S LARKIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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