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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/26/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure does not commence on a separate sheet in accordance with 37 CFR 1.52(b)(4) and 1.72(b). A new abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text.
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hanson et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0370252 A1; hereinafter Hanson) in view of Hansen et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0356806 A1; hereinafter Hansen).
Regarding claim 1, Hanson discloses:
A sensor assembly for collecting data (sensor system to collect external environmental data, see at least [0074]) at a predetermined location (unmanned vehicle loaded with mission track with location, see at least [0141]) in a body of water (unmanned vehicle 100 capable of operating on surface of water, see at least [0051]), the sensor assembly comprising:
a buoyant base configured to float on a water surface (buoyancy system of unmanned vehicle varies buoyancy to submerge or re-surface, see at least [0082]);
a plurality of sensors arranged on the buoyant base and configured to collect environmental data (sensor system may comprise a variable set of sensors and collects external environmental data, see at least [0074]);
a propulsion system configured to move the sensor assembly to a predetermined location (propulsion system 400 to propel unmanned vehicle on surface of water, see at least [0077]; each unmanned vehicle is loaded with a mission location to proceed to specified location, see at least [0141]); and
a control system comprising a GPS unit (mission execution control and tracking includes GPS tracking, see at least [0125]),
Hanson does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the control unit is configured to control the propulsion system to maintain the sensor assembly at the predetermined location in the body of water.
However, Hansen teaches:
wherein the control unit is configured to control the propulsion system to maintain the sensor assembly at the predetermined location in the body of water (maintain its position automatically based on a GPS and propulsion system, see at least [0016])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the unmanned vehicle and control on water disclosed by Hanson by adding the maintaining a position taught by Hansen with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to avoid uncontrollable drift (see [0067]) and anchor a vehicle in place during extreme weather (see [0073]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Hanson and Hansen teaches the elements above and Hanson further discloses:
the propulsion system comprises a sail (additional form of propulsion may be supplied by a retractable hard sail, see at least [0098]).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Hanson and Hansen teaches the elements above and Hanson further discloses:
the plurality of sensors measure at least one of wave height, wave slope, wave direction, wind speed, wind direction, surface current speed, surface current speed direction, humidity, or solar irradiance (sensors for wind speed and direction, see at least [0111])
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Hanson and Hansen teaches the elements above and Hanson further discloses:
the plurality of sensors measure at least one of surface water temperature, surface air temperature, surface air pressure, or salinity (pressure sensors monitor ambient pressure outside the sealed hull, see at least [0016]) *Examiner sets forth that when the vehicle is floating on the surface of the water, the pressure outside the hull is the surface air pressure
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Hanson and Hansen teaches the elements above and Hanson further discloses:
a solar panel for generating energy (payload deck may carry solar panels for electrical recharge, see at least [0095])
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Hanson and Hansen teaches the elements above and Hanson further discloses:
a hydroturbine for generating energy (power supplies for vehicle may include turbine 520, see at least [0079]).
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hanson in view of Hansen and further in view of Previsic et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0155069 A1; hereinafter Previsic).
Regarding claim 7, Hanson discloses:
A measurement swarm for collecting data (sensor system to collect external environmental data, see at least [0074]) at a predetermined location (in a swarm, each unmanned vehicle is loaded with a mission track including a location, see at least [0141]), the measurement swarm comprising:
a plurality of sensor assemblies (swarm includes groups of unmanned vehicles, see at least [0141]), each sensor assembly comprising:
a buoyant base configured to float on a water surface (buoyancy system of unmanned vehicle varies buoyancy to submerge or re-surface, see at least [0082]);
a plurality of sensors arranged on the buoyant base and configured to collect environmental data (sensor system may comprise a variable set of sensors and collects external environmental data, see at least [0074]);
a propulsion system configured to move the sensor assembly to a predetermined location (propulsion system 400 to propel unmanned vehicle on surface of water, see at least [0077]; each unmanned vehicle is loaded with a mission location to proceed to specified location, see at least [0141]); and
a control unit comprising a GPS unit (mission execution control and tracking includes GPS tracking, see at least [0125])
a control system in communication with the plurality of sensor assemblies to receive the collected data and to analyze the data (detect and analyze wave activity, see at least [0110]; off-board system connected on a network communicates with systems to send and receive data and digital signals, see at least [0115]).
Hanson does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the control unit is configured to control the propulsion system to maintain the sensor assembly at the predetermined location in the body of water
predict wave patterns
However, Hansen teaches:
wherein the control unit is configured to control the propulsion system to maintain the sensor assembly at the predetermined location in the body of water (maintain its position automatically based on a GPS and propulsion system, see at least [0016])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the unmanned vehicle and control on water disclosed by Hanson by adding the maintaining a position taught by Hansen with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to avoid uncontrollable drift (see [0067]) and anchor a vehicle in place during extreme weather (see [0073]).
Additionally, Previsic teaches:
a control system in communication with the plurality of sensor assemblies to receive the collected data and to analyze the data to predict wave patterns (using multiple buoy measurements for forecasting and wave-prediction, see at least [0057])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the unmanned vehicle and control on water disclosed by Hanson and the maintaining a position taught by Hansen by adding the multiple buoy wave prediction taught by Previsic with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification “to maximize wave-prediction accuracy” (see [0057]) and “to optimize the motion response of a floating or submersed system” (see [0032]).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Hanson, Hansen, and Previsic teaches the elements above and Hanson further discloses:
the plurality of sensor assemblies are in communication with one another (unmanned vehicles coordinate with each other, see at least [0050]).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Hanson, Hansen, and Previsic teaches the elements above and Hanson further discloses:
the plurality of sensor assemblies communicate with a base station that transmits data to the control system (on board mission control system may accept signals from of board mission control system 1700 enabling mission control logic, see at least [0114]; unmanned vehicle multi-mode swarm includes coordinated on-bard and off-board control, see at least [0138]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shreve et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0060417 A1) teaches predicting wave motion of the sea using sensor carrying devices.
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/H.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3662
/DALE W HILGENDORF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662