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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hollingsworth, III (US patent No. 4,879,849; hereinafter referred to as Hollingsworth).
As to claim 1, Hollingsworth teaches A fluid bearing system (figs 1-2, 4 and 6) comprising: a ride platform (platform 40); a linear motor subsystem comprising a plurality of linear motors (430 & 431 configured to provide a forward thrust to the ride platform col. 8, line 64 to col. 9, line 9 and col. 9 lines 10-61) ; a fluid support subsystem comprising a plurality of fluid conduits (428, 438, 448 and 461-464) and a pump (432); and a control system (joystick controller 241 with A/D convertor 246 and latch 24 in fig. 7)communicatively coupled to the plurality of linear motors and the pump, wherein the control system is configured to: activate the pump to direct a fluid flow from the plurality of fluid conduits, wherein the pump is configured provide a lift force to the ride platform via the plurality of fluid conduits (col. 10, lines 40-60 and col/ 9, lines 54-61).
As to claim 3, Hollingsworth teaches the fluid bearing system of claim 1, wherein the ride platform is configured to support one or more guests within an amusement park attraction (figs. 1-2).
As to claim 5, Hollingsworth teaches the fluid bearing system of claim 1, comprising one or more lateral confinement structures configured to maintain a position of the ride platform along a transverse axis (see fig. 4).
A to claim 6, Hollingsworth teaches the fluid bearing system of claim 1, comprising a track that guides the ride platform along in the direction of the forward thrust, wherein the plurality of linear motors is disposed along the track (fig. 6 and 8).
As to claim 7, Hollingsworth teaches the fluid bearing system of claim 1, wherein the fluid support subsystem and the linear motor subsystem are fixed in position relative to the ride platform (fig. 6).
As to claim 8, Hollingsworth teaches the fluid bearing system of claim 1, wherein the lift force is imparted by a pressure of the fluid flow (col. 9, lines 10-60).
As to claim 9, Hollingsworth teaches the fluid bearing system of claim 1, comprising a fluid supply (tank 421) configured to supply the fluid for the plurality of fluid conduits.
As to claim 10, Hollingsworth teaches the fluid bearing system of claim 1, comprising a catchment configured to receive the fluid after the fluid provides the lift force to the ride platform (return line filter 498).
Claims 11 and 16. Both system of claim 11 and method of claim 16 are very similar to the limitations of independent claim 1 and will be rejected similarly as the rejection of claim 1 above.
As to claim 17, Hollingsworth teaches processors activating one or more pumps to circulate the fluid (col. 8, line 61 to col. 9, line 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4, 12-15 and 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
note the reasons for indicating allowable subject matters for each of these claims are the limitations in each of these claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
DeRose et al. (US 2006/0076461) teaches system and method for self-powered wayside railway signaling and sensing.
Bloomfield et al. (US 2020/0108324) teaches hybrid ride vehicle systems and methods.
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/AMR A AWAD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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