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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1, 6-7, and 12 have been amended.
Claims 14-16 have been newly added.
Claims 1-16 are currently pending and addressed below.
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.
Claims 1-10, 12-14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gable (US Patent 11,091,243), hereinafter referred to as Gable, in view of Mattila et al. (US 2020/0285239), hereinafter referred to as Mattila. Gable and Mattila are considered analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of lateral thrust control for a marine vessel.
Regarding claim 1, Gable teaches:
A jet propulsion boat comprising: a boat body ("In various embodiments, the disclosed propulsion system may include one or more steerable propulsion devices rotatable to steer a marine vessel, such as an outboard drive, a stern drive, or the like." – see at least Gable: Column 4 lines 53-56);
a steering device including a steering handle operated by a driver ("FIGS. 3 and 4 exemplify two possible types of user input devices 40. FIG. 3 depicts a well-known joystick device that comprises a base 68 and a moveable handle 66 suitable for movement by an operator. Typically, the handle can be moved left and right, forward and back, as well as rotated relative to the base 68 in order to provide corresponding movement commands for the propulsion system. The operation of joystick thrust control is well known to those skilled in the art and is also describes in references incorporated herein by reference." – see at least Gable: Column 7 lines 53-62),
the steering device changing an orientation in a lateral direction of a propulsion force of the jet water stream generation device ("The parallel propulsion devices 21 and 22 are rotated in response to an operator's manipulation of the steering wheel 12, which is mechanically connected to the steering actuator 14 which rotates the propulsion devices 21 and 22, as is conventional. Mechanical connection systems 13 for transmitting rotational movement of the steering wheel 12 to the steering actuator 14 are well-known, such as steering linkage systems and or cable systems, which may include hydraulic actuated steering systems. Rotating the parallel propulsion devices 21 and 22 and effectuating thrusts thereby cause rotation of the marine vessel 10 about the effective COT 30." – see at least Gable: Column 5 lines 44-55)
in response to an operation on the steering handle ("The propulsion system 100 further includes a user-input device 40, such as a joystick or a keypad, operable by a user to provide at least a lateral steering input to command lateral movement of the marine vessel and a rotational steering input to command rotational movement of the marine vessel 10. The user steering inputs provided at the user-input device 40 are received at the controller 34 which is communicatively connected to the engine control module (ECM) 41 and 42 of each propulsion device 21 and 22, respectively. Thereby, the controller 34 can communicate instructions to each ECM 41 and 42 to effectuate a commanded magnitude of thrust and a commanded direction of thrust (forward or reverse), as is necessary to effectuate the lateral and/or rotational steering inputs commanded at the user input device 40." – see at least Gable: Column 6 lines 28-42);
an auxiliary propulsion device provided on the boat body to impart a propulsion force in a lateral direction to the boat body ("In the embodiment at FIG. 1B, the propulsion system 100 includes a lateral thruster 15A positioned at the bow and two additional lateral thrusters 15B and 15C positioned at the stern 19 of the vessel 10." – see at least Gable: Column 6 lines 5-8),
the auxiliary propulsion device including at least one of the following: a propeller shaft, an impeller and a gear mechanism ("Each lateral thruster 15 (e.g. 15A-15C) includes a fan 16 or propeller that is rotated by a bidirectional motor 17 in forward or reverse direction in order to effectuate lateral thrust in the starboard and port directions." – see at least Gable: Column 6 lines 9-12);
and a control device including a processor and a memory, the control device controlling the auxiliary propulsion device based on an operation of the steering device ("The force vectors from the propulsion devices on the port and starboard sides of the center line 33 on the stern of the marine vessel, and, where utilized, the thrust vector by the bow thruster 15, are added through normal vector analysis in order to result in the desired rotational and/or translational movement commanded at the user input device 40." – see at least Gable: Column 8 lines 61-67);
a water passage that is in a position corresponding to the auxiliary propulsion device, penetrates the boat body in the lateral direction, and allows the auxiliary propulsion device to jet an auxiliary water stream ("The propulsion system 100 includes one or more lateral thrusters 15 configured to effectuate lateral thrust on the vessel 10 in the starboard and port directions. In the example at FIG. 1A, the lateral thruster 15 is a bow thruster positioned at a bow region 11 of the vessel 10 and configured to effectuate lateral thrust on the bow 11. Bow thrusters are well-known to those skilled in the art, as are other types and locations of docking thruster systems configured to effectuate lateral thrusts on the marine vessel." – see at least Gable: Column 5 lines 56-64) (The examiner notes that Fig. 1A of Gable as show below illustrates water passage in the bow 11 of the vessel, through which the lateral thruster is able to provide an auxiliary lateral thrust).
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Gable does not explicitly disclose, but Mattila teaches:
a jet water stream generation device including a nozzle that jets a jet water stream from the boat body to impart a propulsion force in a front-rear direction to the boat body ("Propulsion system 200 may comprise a thruster 205 (e.g., a fixed-axle propeller) powered by an engine 202 (or motor, turbine, and the like) to generate longitudinal thrust. Various thrust sensors 212 (e.g., engine rpm, engine load, power, and the like) may estimate or measure the thrust generated by the thruster. A director 220 (e.g., a rudder, a nozzle, and the like) is configured to redirect flowing water laterally, imparting a lateral thrust to the ship. Typically, a rudder/nozzle is located immediately aft of a propeller, such that flow from the thruster passes directly past/through the director. A thruster and director may be integrated (e.g., as in a pod or water jet); for simplicity, they are illustrated herein as discrete propellers and rudders." – see at least Mattila: paragraph 0047).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gable with these above aforementioned teachings from Mattila to include a jet water stream generation device including a nozzle that jets a jet water stream from the boat body to impart a propulsion force in a front-rear direction to the boat body. At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to incorporate Mattila’s propulsion system including a thruster and a nozzle with Gable’s marine propulsion control system including lateral thrusters in order to provide longitudinal and lateral propulsion control of a marine vessel by directing the nozzle (“Thrusters and directors may be arranged laterally and/or longitudinally with respect to each other. In certain cases, a thruster and director may be integrated, as in a pod-based propeller (in which the propeller spin axis rotates about a steering axis) or a water jet (in which a nozzle directs the flow of water exiting the propeller).” – see at least Mattila: paragraph 0013). Doing so would provide the benefit of directing a jet water stream in a manner to provide a desired thrust (“Water (e.g., thrust generated by the thrust apparatus) may be directed laterally by a director, such as a rudder or a nozzle.” – see at least Mattila: paragraph 0044).
The examiner notes that, while Gable does not explicitly teach a propulsion device which includes a nozzle, this form of jet propulsion device (e.g., the aforementioned propulsion system taught by Mattila), is well known in the art. Gable teaches that many different types of well-known marine propulsion devices are usable along with the lateral bow thrusters in the manner taught by Gable (“Many different types of marine propulsion devices are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, outboard motors that are attached to the transom of a marine vessel, stern drive systems that extend in a rearward direction from the transom of a marine vessel, bow thrusters and other docking thrusters are well known to those skilled in the art. In addition to bow thrusters, certain types of docking thruster systems used in conjunction with marine vessels incorporate a plurality of propulsors that are responsive to the joystick manipulations or other control input by a marine vessel operator.” – see at least Gable: Column 1 lines 14-24). Further, Mattila teaches a bow thruster usable alongside the primary propulsion system to enhance lateral navigation (“A ship may include an optional swing-up thruster and/or tunnel thruster (e.g., as represented by bow thruster 240) to enhance lateral navigation.” – see at least Mattila: paragraph 0053). As such, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily be able to apply the bow thruster system taught by Gable with a boat having a jet water stream generation device including a nozzle, such as taught by Mattila.
Regarding claim 2, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the control device controls the auxiliary propulsion device based on an operation of the steering device and a state of the boat body ("The force vectors from the propulsion devices on the port and starboard sides of the center line 33 on the stern of the marine vessel, and, where utilized, the thrust vector by the bow thruster 15, are added through normal vector analysis in order to result in the desired rotational and/or translational movement commanded at the user input device 40." – see at least Gable: Column 8 lines 61-67)
Regarding claim 3, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the control device drives the auxiliary propulsion device when an operation amount of the steering device is greater than a predetermined amount and the boat body is in a predetermined state ("The force vectors from the propulsion devices on the port and starboard sides of the center line 33 on the stern of the marine vessel, and, where utilized, the thrust vector by the bow thruster 15, are added through normal vector analysis in order to result in the desired rotational and/or translational movement commanded at the user input device 40. Namely, the thrust vector F1 for the first propulsion device 21, or the total thrust of the propulsion devices on the port side of the center line 33, are in the forward thrust direction to effectuate forward movement of the marine vessel. The thrust vector F2 of the starboard-side propulsion device 22, or the sum of the propulsion devices on the starboard side of the center line 33 of the marine vessel 10 are in the reverse thrust direction so as to effectuate reverse movement of the marine vessel 10. The forward thrust vector F1 and the reverse thrust vector F2 are equal in magnitude such that the translational forces cancel and only a resultant moment is effectuated in order to turn the marine vessel in the clockwise rotational direction. Here, the bow thruster 15 is not operated and remains in the off state." – see at least Gable: Column 8 line 61 - Column 9 line 14).
Regarding claim 4, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the control device controls the auxiliary propulsion device such that the orientation in the lateral direction of the propulsion force of the jet water stream generation device is same as an orientation in the lateral direction of the propulsion force of the auxiliary propulsion device ("Forward or reverse thrusts by the one or more propulsion devices 21, 22 may be effectuated and coupled with lateral thrust from the one or more lateral thrusters 15A-15C in order to impart the demanded translational or rotational movement of the vessel at the user input device 40... Since the drive angle of the propulsion devices is known to be zero, or in the centered and straight ahead position, then vector analysis can be performed and the lateral thrust needed by the one or more lateral thrusters 15A-15C can be calculated. Thereby, lateral movement in the port direction 46 and the starboard direction 48, as well as forward direction 50 and reverse direction 52, can be effectuated. In certain embodiments, the system 100 may be configured to provide translational movement in other translational directions combining forward/reverse and port/starboard thrusts. Thereby, the disclosed propulsion system 100 enables joystick control to provide lateral and rotational thrust control for mechanically linked and/or steered drives. Accordingly, steer-by-wire is not required and the controller 34 is configured to calculate thrust magnitude and direction utilizing the centered position of the marine drives in order to effectuate various rotational and translational thrusts." – see at least Gable: Column 7 lines 22-52) (The examiner notes that as described in the aforementioned cited section of Gable, the thrust force vectors can be determined and calculated as necessary by the controller 34, including both magnitude and direction of the thrust vectors, to achieve the desired steering command. In other words, the orientation or the thrust force provided by the lateral thrusters as taught by Gable may either be in the same orientation as the thrust force provided by main propulsion device, or in the opposite orientation as the thrust force provided by main propulsion device, based on the calculated thrust force vectors needed for a given maneuver).
Regarding claim 5, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the control device controls the auxiliary propulsion device such that the orientation in the lateral direction of the propulsion force of the jet water stream generation device is opposite to an orientation in the lateral direction of the propulsion force of the auxiliary propulsion device ("Forward or reverse thrusts by the one or more propulsion devices 21, 22 may be effectuated and coupled with lateral thrust from the one or more lateral thrusters 15A-15C in order to impart the demanded translational or rotational movement of the vessel at the user input device 40... Since the drive angle of the propulsion devices is known to be zero, or in the centered and straight ahead position, then vector analysis can be performed and the lateral thrust needed by the one or more lateral thrusters 15A-15C can be calculated. Thereby, lateral movement in the port direction 46 and the starboard direction 48, as well as forward direction 50 and reverse direction 52, can be effectuated. In certain embodiments, the system 100 may be configured to provide translational movement in other translational directions combining forward/reverse and port/starboard thrusts. Thereby, the disclosed propulsion system 100 enables joystick control to provide lateral and rotational thrust control for mechanically linked and/or steered drives. Accordingly, steer-by-wire is not required and the controller 34 is configured to calculate thrust magnitude and direction utilizing the centered position of the marine drives in order to effectuate various rotational and translational thrusts." – see at least Gable: Column 7 lines 22-52) (The examiner notes that as described in the aforementioned cited section of Gable, the thrust force vectors can be determined and calculated as necessary by the controller 34, including both magnitude and direction of the thrust vectors, to achieve the desired steering command. In other words, the orientation or the thrust force provided by the lateral thrusters as taught by Gable may either be in the same orientation as the thrust force provided by main propulsion device, or in the opposite orientation as the thrust force provided by main propulsion device, based on the calculated thrust force vectors needed for a given maneuver).
Regarding claim 6, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the control device increases the propulsion force of the auxiliary propulsion device as an operation amount of the steering device is increased ("A user input device, such as a joystick or keypad, is manually operable by a user to provide at least lateral and rotational steering inputs to command corresponding movement of the marine vessel, and a controller is configured to control magnitude and direction of thrust by the propulsion devices and the lateral thruster to effectuate the commanded movement without requiring any steering control over the propulsion devices." – see at least Gable: Column 4 line 65 - Column 5 line 5).
Regarding claim 7, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the control device increases the propulsion force of the auxiliary propulsion device as the propulsion force of the jet water stream generation device is increased ("Forward or reverse thrusts by the one or more propulsion devices 21, 22 may be effectuated and coupled with lateral thrust from the one or more lateral thrusters 15A-15C in order to impart the demanded translational or rotational movement of the vessel at the user input device 40... Accordingly, steer-by-wire is not required and the controller 34 is configured to calculate thrust magnitude and direction utilizing the centered position of the marine drives in order to effectuate various rotational and translational thrusts." – see at least Gable: Column 7 lines 22-52).
Regarding claim 8, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
comprising a throttle operator provided on the boat body and operated by the driver to increase or decrease the propulsion force of the jet water stream generation device ("A user input device, such as a joystick or keypad, is manually operable by a user to provide at least lateral and rotational steering inputs to command corresponding movement of the marine vessel, and a controller is configured to control magnitude and direction of thrust by the propulsion devices and the lateral thruster to effectuate the commanded movement without requiring any steering control over the propulsion devices." – see at least Gable: Column 4 line 65 - Column 5 line 5) (The examiner notes that the operation of the joystick to provide a commanded movement as taught by Gable corresponds to the claimed throttle operator, wherein the commanded movement includes magnitude of commanded thrust),
wherein when the boat body is traveling, the steering device is operating in a direction of turning the boat body to one side of the lateral direction, and an operation amount of the throttle operator is equal to or less than a predetermined determination operation amount, the control device drives the auxiliary propulsion device and controls the auxiliary propulsion device such that the propulsion force of the auxiliary propulsion device acts in a direction of turning the boat body to the one side of the lateral direction ("Forward or reverse thrusts by the one or more propulsion devices 21, 22 may be effectuated and coupled with lateral thrust from the one or more lateral thrusters 15A-15C in order to impart the demanded translational or rotational movement of the vessel at the user input device 40... Accordingly, steer-by-wire is not required and the controller 34 is configured to calculate thrust magnitude and direction utilizing the centered position of the marine drives in order to effectuate various rotational and translational thrusts." – see at least Gable: Column 7 lines 22-52).
Regarding claim 9, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the control device determines whether a predetermined stabilization condition is satisfied based on the operation of the steering device ("In certain embodiments, the controller 34 may be configured to utilize yaw rate or other position information, such as from an inertial measurement unit 26 or other sensor capable of measuring rotational position of the marine vessel, as the basis for controlling thrust magnitude and forward/reverse direction. The sensed yaw rate, for example, may be used as feedback control for adjusting the thrust commands in order to effectuate the commanded rotational and/or translational movement. " – see at least Gable: Column 8 lines 44-52),
and when the stabilization condition is satisfied, the control device controls the auxiliary propulsion device such that the propulsion force of the auxiliary propulsion device acts in a direction of stabilizing an attitude of the boat body ("Namely, the controller 34 may determine an expected yaw rate associated with the lateral and/or rotational thrust command from the user input device and may compare the measured yaw rate from the IMU 26 to the expected yaw rate and adjust the thrust commands in order to reduce a difference between the measured yaw rate and the expected yaw rate." – see at least Gable: Column 8 lines 52-58).
Regarding claim 10, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the stabilization condition includes a condition that a yaw rate of the boat body exceeds an allowable range set based on the operation of the steering device ("In certain embodiments, the controller 34 may be configured to utilize yaw rate or other position information, such as from an inertial measurement unit 26 or other sensor capable of measuring rotational position of the marine vessel, as the basis for controlling thrust magnitude and forward/reverse direction. The sensed yaw rate, for example, may be used as feedback control for adjusting the thrust commands in order to effectuate the commanded rotational and/or translational movement. " – see at least Gable: Column 8 lines 44-52),
and when the stabilization condition is satisfied, the control device drives the auxiliary propulsion device and controls the auxiliary propulsion device such that the yaw rate of the boat body falls within the allowable range ("Namely, the controller 34 may determine an expected yaw rate associated with the lateral and/or rotational thrust command from the user input device and may compare the measured yaw rate from the IMU 26 to the expected yaw rate and adjust the thrust commands in order to reduce a difference between the measured yaw rate and the expected yaw rate." – see at least Gable: Column 8 lines 52-58)
Regarding claim 12, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the steering handle is pivotally operated in the lateral direction from a predetermined neutral position ("FIGS. 3 and 4 exemplify two possible types of user input devices 40. FIG. 3 depicts a well-known joystick device that comprises a base 68 and a moveable handle 66 suitable for movement by an operator. Typically, the handle can be moved left and right, forward and back, as well as rotated relative to the base 68 in order to provide corresponding movement commands for the propulsion system. The operation of joystick thrust control is well known to those skilled in the art and is also describes in references incorporated herein by reference." – see at least Gable: Column 7 lines 53-62),
and includes a sensor that detects an operation direction and an operation amount of the steering handle, and the control device controls the auxiliary propulsion device based on a detection result of the sensor ("The propulsion system 100 further includes a user-input device 40, such as a joystick or a keypad, operable by a user to provide at least a lateral steering input to command lateral movement of the marine vessel and a rotational steering input to command rotational movement of the marine vessel 10. The user steering inputs provided at the user-input device 40 are received at the controller 34 which is communicatively connected to the engine control module (ECM) 41 and 42 of each propulsion device 21 and 22, respectively. Thereby, the controller 34 can communicate instructions to each ECM 41 and 42 to effectuate a commanded magnitude of thrust and a commanded direction of thrust (forward or reverse), as is necessary to effectuate the lateral and/or rotational steering inputs commanded at the user input device 40." – see at least Gable: Column 6 lines 28-42).
Regarding claim 13, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the control device switches a control mode of the jet water stream generation device between a plurality of modes ("In certain embodiment, the illuminable ring 80 may also be controlled to indicate that the at least one marine drive 21, 22 is within the range of the centered steering position so as to indicate that the joystick control mode is enabled. For example, the entire illuminable ring 80 may illuminate, such as turn green, once the propulsion devices 21, 22 reach the centered steering position. In certain embodiments, the illumination of the illuminable ring 80 may continue while the joystick control mode is enabled." – see at least Gable: Column 10 lines 33-41),
and controls the auxiliary propulsion device based on the operation of the steering device and a type of the control mode of the jet water stream generation device ("The force vectors from the propulsion devices on the port and starboard sides of the center line 33 on the stern of the marine vessel, and, where utilized, the thrust vector by the bow thruster 15, are added through normal vector analysis in order to result in the desired rotational and/or translational movement commanded at the user input device 40." – see at least Gable: Column 8 lines 61-67).
Regarding claim 14, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the water passage is provided in a front part of the boat body ("The propulsion system 100 includes one or more lateral thrusters 15 configured to effectuate lateral thrust on the vessel 10 in the starboard and port directions. In the example at FIG. 1A, the lateral thruster 15 is a bow thruster positioned at a bow region 11 of the vessel 10 and configured to effectuate lateral thrust on the bow 11. Bow thrusters are well-known to those skilled in the art, as are other types and locations of docking thruster systems configured to effectuate lateral thrusts on the marine vessel." – see at least Gable: Column 5 lines 56-64).
Regarding claim 16, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable further teaches:
wherein the auxiliary propulsion device further includes a motor and switches an orientation of the auxiliary water stream by switching a rotation direction of the motor between a forward rotation and a backward rotation ("Each lateral thruster 15 (e.g. 15A-15C) includes a fan 16 or propeller that is rotated by a bidirectional motor 17 in forward or reverse direction in order to effectuate lateral thrust in the starboard and port directions." – see at least Gable: Column 6 lines 9-12).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gable in view of Mattila, further in view of Hamada et al. (US 2023/0418309), hereinafter referred to as Hamada. Hamada is considered analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of lateral thrust control for a marine vessel.
Regarding claim 11, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable does not explicitly disclose, but Hamada teaches:
wherein the stabilization condition includes a condition that a roll angle or a roll rate of the boat body exceeds a predetermined allowable range ("The controller 132 executes the roll angle reduction process to reduce the roll angle of the hull 200 based on the detection result of the roll angle in S130. Specifically, the controller 132 determines whether or not the detected roll angle is equal to or larger than a reference angle (e.g., about 5 deg or more) (S140), and if the controller determines that the roll angle is equal to or larger than the reference angle (S140: Yes), the controller 132 executes the roll angle reduction process (S150)." – see at least Hamada: paragraph 0036),
and when the stabilization condition is satisfied, the control device drives the auxiliary propulsion device and controls the auxiliary propulsion device ("For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the boat 10 moves laterally in the leftward direction and the roll angle is equal to or larger than the reference angle, the outputs of the outboard motor 110 and the bow thruster 120 (propulsion forces F1, F2) are lowered to reduce the propulsion force F3L in the leftward direction. This reduces the force F4R that tilts the hull 200 to the right and thus reduces the roll angle of the hull 200 in a rightward rotation." – see at least Hamada: paragraph 0042)
such that the roll angle or the roll rate exceeding the allowable range falls within the allowable range ("The controller 132 reduces the outputs of the outboard motor 110 and the bow thruster 120 as the detected roll angle (or the angle difference of the roll angle with respect to the reference angle) becomes larger, so as to reduce the acceleration of the lateral movement of the hull 200 and reduce or prevent the occurrence of the roll of the hull 200. Thus, the output adjustment process is able to adjust the output of the outboard motor 110 or the like at the time of lateral movement, thus reducing the roll angle of the hull 200 at the time of lateral movement." – see at least Hamada: paragraph 0042).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gable with these above aforementioned teachings from Hamada such that the stabilization condition includes a condition that a roll angle or a roll rate of the boat body exceeds a predetermined allowable range, and when the stabilization condition is satisfied, the control device drives the auxiliary propulsion device and controls the auxiliary propulsion device such that the roll angle or the roll rate exceeding the allowable range falls within the allowable range. At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to incorporate Hamada’s output adjustment process for a lateral bow thruster with Gable’s marine propulsion control system in order to control boat movement using a combination of a lateral bow thruster and a main propulsion device (“The boat operation control device 130 sets a target value of the propulsion force of each outboard motor 110 and the bow thruster 120 in accordance with the operation amount of the joystick 216 by the user, and controls each propeller (specifically, the ECU of each propeller) to generate an individual target propulsion force. Specifically, the boat operation control device 130 communicates with the bow ECU 126, the left ECU 116L, and the right ECU 116R via a communication line 150 in the hull 200. The controller 132 is connected to a gyro sensor 136 and a global positioning system (GPS) sensor 138. The controller 132 acquires the attitude and current position of the boat 10 based on respective detection signals of the gyro sensor 136 and the GPS sensor 138.” – see at least Hamada: paragraph 0027). Doing so would provide the benefit of reducing the roll angle of the marine vessel during lateral movement (“Thus, the attitude control process is able to control the left and right trim tabs 222 during lateral movement, thus reducing the roll angle of the hull 200 during lateral movement.” – see at least Hamada: paragraph 0040).
The examiner notes that the bow thruster as taught by Hamada corresponds to the claimed auxiliary propulsion device (“The bow thruster 120 is provided at a bow 204 of the hull 200. The bow thruster 120 is a propeller to apply a propulsion force to the hull 200 in the left-right direction. The bow thruster 120 includes an electric motor 122 and the propeller 114. In the vicinity of the bow 204 of the hull 200, a through hole 206 penetrating the hull 200 in the left-right direction is provided at a location lower than the water surface W. The bow thruster 120 is provided in the through hole 206 and is rotatable around a left-right rotation axis.” – see at least Hamada: paragraph 0024).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gable in view of Mattila, further in view of Gillman et al. (US 2005/0204985), hereinafter referred to as Gillman. Gillman is considered analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of lateral thrust control for a marine vessel.
Regarding claim 15, Gable in view of Mattila teaches all of the elements of the current invention as stated above. Gable does not explicitly disclose, but Gillman teaches:
comprising a turn assistant switch for switching whether or not to drive the auxiliary propulsion device, wherein the drive of the auxiliary propulsion device is determined based on an operation of the turn assistant switch ("If bow thruster switches are used for the transducers 38, then if the shaft 18 moves to left a certain minimum design distance, a left side bow thruster switch 38 will be engaged, thereby sending a signal to a bow thruster control system or a bow thruster actuator and initiating a bow thrusting action in one direction. If a right side bow thruster switch 38 is engaged by the shaft 18 moving to the right, then another bow thrusting action will be initiated, which may or may not be in a different direction for when the left side bow thruster switch is engaged." – see at least Gillman: paragraph 0018).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gable with these above aforementioned teachings from Gillman to further comprise a turn assistant switch for switching whether or not to drive the auxiliary propulsion device, wherein the drive of the auxiliary propulsion device is determined based on an operation of the turn assistant switch. At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to incorporate Gillman’s bow thruster switches with Gable’s marine propulsion control system in order to allow control of when a lateral bow thruster system is activated (“The transducer 94 may be a "3-position" switch. In one embodiment, when the shaft is in a "neutral" position, that is when no operator force is exerted on the hand wheel 14, the 3-position switch 94 may be configured to also be in a "neutral" position or "off" position, and with the bow thruster in an inactivated state.” – see at least Gillman: paragraph 0021). Doing so would provide the benefit of activating the bow thruster only when the switch is in a predefined position (“If the minimum design force is applied in a downward direction 86 on the hand wheel 14, then the 3-position switch 94 may be switched into a first position which initiates a bow thrusting action in one direction. If a minimum of force is applied in upward direction 90 on the hand wheel 14, the 3-position switch 94 may be switched into a second position which initiates a bow thrusting action in a different direction.” – see at least Gillman: paragraph 0021).
The examiner notes that the bow thruster as taught by Gillman corresponds to the claimed auxiliary propulsion device (“To help minimize the effects of yaw on the control of the watercraft, devices known as bow thrusters have come into use. Basically, these bow thrusters operate on the principle of creating a force to counteract the unwanted lateral swinging of the bow of the boat, to thereby stabilize the lateral position of the bow. One such conventional bow thruster involves the disposition of a motorized propeller beneath the water line adjacent the bow of a boat, whereby rotation of the propeller blade in one direction or another creates a thrust in a direction dictated by rotational blade pitch direction. The thrust is used to move the bow of the watercraft in the opposite direction of unwanted yaw, thereby canceling the same.” – see at least Gillman: paragraph 0002).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 23 March 2026 have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection based on the teachings of the newly relied upon reference by Gable, in view of the additional references by Mattila, Hamada, and Gillman, which have been introduced to address the amended claims.
In particular, the amended claims add limitations which recite that the auxiliary propulsion device includes at least one of a propeller shaft, an impeller, and a gear mechanism, and a water passage that is in a position corresponding to the auxiliary propulsion device, penetrates the boat body in the lateral direction, and allows the auxiliary propulsion device to jet an auxiliary water stream. The examiner acknowledges that while the previous applied prior art teaches relevant aspects of the claimed invention, as set forth in further detail in the Non-Final Rejection filed 29 December 2025, the previously applied primary reference by Ikegaya et al. (US 2023/0139789) does not explicitly teach each of the limitations of the amended independent claims.
To address the Applicant’s Response, the examiner has introduced the reference by Gable which teaches the amended claims more closely. In particular, as set forth in further detail above in the section for claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103, Gable teaches the use of lateral thrusters (e.g., a bow thruster) arranged in the front portion of a marine vessel (i.e., the bow) to generate starboard and/or port thrust on the marine vessel (see at least Gable: Column 3 lines 1-5). The amendments further add that the jet water stream generation device include a nozzle that jets a jet water stream from the boat body to impart a propulsion force in a front-rear direction to the boat body. While the primary reference by Gable does not explicitly teach this type of jet propulsion device which includes a nozzle, this feature is well known in the art and may be readily combined with a lateral bow thruster system, such as taught by the reference by Mattila as set forth in further detail above. Additional references by Hamada and Gillman are applied as necessary to address the newly presented combination of features described in the dependent claims, as set forth in further detail above. As such, the claims are considered to be fully taught by the applied prior art, and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103.
The auxiliary propulsion device as recited in the amended claims is considered to be a well-known feature in the art. As described in further detail above, each of the applied references by Gable, Mattila, Hamada, and Gillman teach a bow thruster system for providing lateral thrust forces which correspond to the claimed auxiliary propulsion device including a water passage that is in a position corresponding to the auxiliary propulsion device, which penetrates the boat body in the lateral direction, and allows the auxiliary propulsion device to jet an auxiliary water stream. Further, while not relied upon to reject the claims, the following prior art references are considered to provide additional relevant teachings regarding similar lateral thrust systems:
Suzuki (US 2009/0111339) teaches in at least paragraphs 0045 and 0061-0062 a jet boat including a bow thruster installed on the front portion of the hull for generating a lateral thrust that crosses a longitudinal axis of the hull at a right angle, which is used in combination with primary water jet propulsion units to smoothly turn a boat while it is moving at high speeds and to enhance control turning accuracy.
Gruenwald (US Patent 6,325,010) teaches in at least Column 3 lines 51-62 a method of vessel propulsion with coordinated bow propulsion, including improved steering and handling provided by a bow-thruster mechanism which is integrally combined with the normal steering mechanism of the boat and automatically called into operation when specific gear shift lever placement or rudder positioning parameters are met.
Aron (US Patent 6,009,822) teaches in at least Column 3 lines 42-50 and Column 5 lines 37-39 a bow/stern thruster system including a gearbox and a tunnel running transversely across the bow or stern of the vessel which serves as an auxiliary steering aide for a boat or other waterborne vessel.
Stallings (US 2007/0028824) teaches in at least paragraphs 0014, 0035, and 0042 a boat control system including a bow thruster installation, along with longitudinal and lateral stern side thrusters, to steer and propel a boat.
As per the pending rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), the amendments to the claims have addressed the pending issues related to indefiniteness and use of relative terminology in the claim language. As such, the pending rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been withdrawn.
The amendments to the claims further resolve the pending issues related to informalities in the claim language. As such, the pending objection of claim 1 has been withdrawn.
Further, in view of the amendments to the claims, the claim language is no longer considered to invoke claim interpretation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f), as each element which previously invoked claimed interpretation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) is now coupled with sufficient structure to achieve the claimed functions.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/D.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3667
/TUAN C TO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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