CTNF 18/850,621 CTNF 79415 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-3 and 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon et al. (KR 20120105075, hereafter Kwon) in view of Lee. (US 7,708,222) With respect to claim 1, Kwon teaches an observation apparatus, comprising: (a floating structure (buoy 110) floating on a water surface; a floating body (balloon 120) that is filled with a gas lighter than air and floats in the air; a wire (connecting wire 121) connecting the floating structure and the floating body; and a sensor (observation unit 160) installed on the floating body or the wire. (Abstract, translation page 6, Fig. 1) Kwon does not teach the wire is a hollow wire rod, wherein the gas is replenished to the floating body through a hollow portion of the wire rod. Lee teaches an observation apparatus comprising: a floating body (tethered aerostat 10) that is filled with a gas lighter than air and floats in the air; a hollow wire rod (feed-tube 105) connecting the floating structure and the floating body; and a sensor installed on the floating body or the wire, wherein the gas is replenished to the floating body through a hollow portion of the wire rod. (col. 5, lines 62 – col. 6, line 9; col. 12, line 53 – col. 13, line 25; Figs. 1-3) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the structure of Kwon to include a hollow wire rod and the ability to replenish the gas in the floating body, as taught by Lee, in order to maintain the height of the floating body as environmental conditions change. With respect to claim 2, Kwon, as modified by Lee, teaches a regulating valve that adjusts an amount of the gas replenished to the floating body. (Lee, col. 12, line 53 – col. 13, line 25) With respect to claim 3, Kwon, as modified by Lee, teaches a plurality of sensors, wherein measurement data of the plurality of sensors is processed. (Lee, col. 12, line 53 – col. 13, line 25) Although Kwon and Lee do not explicitly discuss that the data is statistically processed to correct the measurement data, it is well-known to conduct such processing and therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include this processing in order to provide more accurate data and more precise control of the system. With respect to claim 5, Kwon teaches an observation method comprising: connecting a floating body (balloon 120) to a floating structure (buoy 110) floating on a water surface with a wire (connecting wire 121) to float the floating body in the air; and measuring with a sensor (observation unit 160) installed on the floating body or the wire. (Abstract, translation page 6, Fig. 1) Kwon does not teach the wire is a wire rod, or replenishing the floating body with a gas through a hollow portion of the wire rod. Lee teaches an observation method comprising: connecting to a floating body (tethered aerostat 10); with a hollow wire rod (feed-tube 105); measuring with a sensor installed on the floating body or the wire, and replenishing the floating body with a gas through a hollow portion of the wire rod. (col. 5, lines 62 – col. 6, line 9; col. 12, line 53 – col. 13, line 25; Figs. 1-3) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the method of Kwon to include a hollow wire rod and replenishing the gas in the floating body, as taught by Lee, in order to maintain the height of the floating body as environmental conditions change. With respect to claim 6, Kwon, as modified by Lee, teaches adjusting an amount of the gas replenished to the floating body according to a state of the floating body. (Lee, col. 12, line 53 – col. 13, line 25) 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 4 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon in view of Lee as applied above, and further in view of Sun et al. (CN 111338004, hereafter Sun) With respect to claims 4 and 7, Kwon, as modified by Lee, teaches all that is claimed, as in the above rejection, except for explicitly teaching the sensor is movable along the wire rod. Sun teaches an observation system having a floating body (balloon 1) connected to a wire (pull rope 21) and sensors (detection instruments 9) which are movable along the wire. (Abstract, translation pages 2-3, Figs. 2-6) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide Kwon, as modified by Lee, with sensors which are movable along the wire, as taught by Sun, in order to readily arrange sensors at different heights with respect to the floating body . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 5,470,032; US 2011/0192938; US 2014/0183300; US 2014/0374537; and WO 2017/095505 each teach an invention having similarities to the claimed subject matter . Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jill E Culler whose telephone number is (571)272-2159. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00. 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, Stephen Meier can be reached at 571-272-2149. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /JILL E CULLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/850,621 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/850,621 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/850,621 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/850,621 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/850,621 Page 6 Art Unit: 2853
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