DETAILED ACTION
Application Status
Claims 1-2 and 5-19 are pending and have been examined in this application.
Note, the claims have been renumbered by the examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on 10/07/2024 has been reviewed and considered.
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(u) because the different views are not numbered in consecutive Arabic numerals, starting with 1. The different views must be numbered in consecutive Arabic numerals, starting with 1, independent of the numbering of the sheets and, if possible, in the order in which they appear on the drawing sheet(s) (see 37 C.F.R. 1.84 (u)).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
The numbering of claims is not in accordance with 37 CFR 1.126 which requires the original numbering of the claims to be preserved throughout the prosecution. When claims are canceled, the remaining claims must not be renumbered. When new claims are presented, they must be numbered consecutively beginning with the number next following the highest numbered claims previously presented (whether entered or not).
Misnumbered claim 3 been renumbered 5.
Misnumbered claim 4 been renumbered 6.
Misnumbered claim 5 been renumbered 7.
Misnumbered claim 6 been renumbered 8.
Misnumbered claim 7 been renumbered 9.
Misnumbered claim 8 been renumbered 10.
Misnumbered claim 9 been renumbered 11.
Misnumbered claim 10 been renumbered 12.
Misnumbered claim 11 been renumbered 13.
Misnumbered claim 12 been renumbered 14.
Misnumbered claim 13 been renumbered 15.
Misnumbered claim 14 been renumbered 16.
Misnumbered claim 15 been renumbered 17.
Misnumbered claim 16 been renumbered 18.
Misnumbered claim 17 been renumbered 19.
Misnumbered claim 18 been renumbered 20.
Misnumbered claim 19 been renumbered 21.
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.
Claim 13 is 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.
In claim 13, the term, “the stern threshold” lacks proper antecedent basis.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 5-12, and 14-19 allowed.
Claim 13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, the closest prior art made of record is Von (US 20110146555 A1). Von discloses: an air supported vessel comprising a V-shaped hull (see abstract) with a starboard keel part and a port keel part and V-shaped bow having an outer bow bearing surface where the V-shaped hull has at least one air supported chamber (22, Fig. 8) in a part of the V-shaped hull’s length below a waterline wherein the air supported chamber is delimited by an air supported chamber ceiling. Von is silent in teaching at least: the starboard keel part with a starboard keel line and the port keel part with a port keel line have greater draft than the V-shaped bow with the bow base line at the starboard transverse step and the port transverse step. Suggestions to modify Von to arrive at the claimed invention were not reasonably found in the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and discloses vehicles that are at least partially supported by a cushion of air in general.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew D Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-6087. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri. (7:30 - 5:00 EST).
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, John Olszewski can be reached at (571) 272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW D LEE/Examiner, Art Unit 3617
/JOHN OLSZEWSKI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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