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
Claims 9-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on June 10, 2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-8, in the reply filed on June 10, 2026 is acknowledged.
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) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN217339846U in view of KR102019112540A.
As to claims 1 and 2, CN217339846U discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 1 comprising a UAV body 1, wherein bottom ends of two sides of the UAV body are respectively provided with support legs 2; the UAV body comprises a spraying mechanism 3; the spraying mechanism is located at a middle position between the support legs, and comprises a spraying box 3; a partition 4 is provided inside the spraying box; a water storage chamber is provided above the partition, and a rotating drive box 5 is provided below the partition; a rotating drive assembly and a rotating pipe 10 are provided inside the rotating drive box; the rotating pipe is connected to the rotating drive assembly, and a bottom end of the rotating pipe extends out of the rotating drive box and is connected to a nozzle mechanism 9, except for a scanning mechanism and where the scanning mechanism is located on the nozzle mechanism, and the scanning mechanism comprises a plurality of sensor assemblies comprise a multispectral camera, a thermal infrared sensor, and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. See Figures 1-3 and pages 1-7. KR102019112540A discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a scanning mechanism and where the scanning mechanism is located on the nozzle mechanism, and the scanning mechanism comprises a plurality of sensor assemblies comprise a multispectral camera, a thermal infrared sensor, and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. See Figures 1-8 and pages 1-8. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a scanning mechanism and where the scanning mechanism is located on the nozzle mechanism, and the scanning mechanism comprises a plurality of sensor assemblies comprise a multispectral camera, a thermal infrared sensor, and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system in the apparatus of CN217339846U, as taught by KR102019112540A, since with such a modification the areas being treated can be monitored and the information received the nozzles can be adjusted for spraying of necessary materials.
As to claims 3-7, see Figures 1-3 and pages 1-7 of CN217339846U.
As to claim 8, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a conical nozzle or circular nozzle in the apparatus of CN217339846U, since such nozzles are well known in the spraying art and would function equally as well in the apparatus of CN217339846U.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hertzberg ‘205 and Dahlstrom ‘000 disclose UAV’s with spray nozzles.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN J GANEY whose telephone number is (571)272-4899. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5:30pm.
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STEVEN J. GANEY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3752
/STEVEN J GANEY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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