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
This Office Action is in response to the application filed on December 20, 2024. Claims 2-20 have been newly added. Thus, claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 9 and 14 are independent.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on July 11, 2025 has been considered. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. The Forms PTO-1449 are signed and attached hereto.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1, 7-10, 14, 15 and 20 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 2, 7 and 20 of copending Application No. 17/875,660 (now U.S. Patent No. 12,172,752). Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because removing inherent and/or unnecessary limitations/step would be within the level of one of ordinary skill in the art.
It is well settled that the omission of an element/limitation and its function is an obvious expedient if the remaining elements perform the same function as before. In re Karlson, 136 USPQ 184 (CCPA 1963). Also note Ex parte Rainu, 168 USPQ 375 (Bd. App. 1969). Omission of a reference element or step whose function is not needed would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Present application 18/990,777
Co-pending Application 17/875,873
now U.S. Patent No. 12,172,752
Claim 1:
the drone-load system, wherein the drone-load system comprises a drone and, a load container,
a sensor suite, and a computer processor and memory;
wherein the drone comprises a drone thruster and wherein the drone thruster is vertically oriented;
wherein the load container is secured to the drone by a suspension cable, wherein the load container comprises a load thruster, and
wherein the load thruster is to produce a thrust vector with a horizontal orientation;
a sensor suite, and a computer processor and memory, wherein the memory comprises a control module which, when executed by the computer processor, is to determine at least one of a position, orientation, or motion of the drone-load system load container based on a sensor data from the sensor suite and is to control the drone load thruster to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of the drone-load system load container.
Claim 1:
the drone-load system, wherein the drone-load system comprises a drone, a load, and a load thruster;
a sensor suite, and a computer processor and memory,
wherein the drone comprises a drone thruster, wherein the load is secured to the drone, and wherein the load thruster has a horizontal orientation;
Claim 2:
wherein the load is secured to the drone by a suspension cable and further comprising the load thruster secured proximate to the load at a terminal end of the suspension cable.
Claim 1:
wherein the load thruster has a horizontal orientation, is to produce a horizontal thrust vector,
a sensor suite, and a computer processor and memory, wherein the memory comprises a control module which, when executed by the computer processor, is to determine at least one of a position, orientation, or motion of the drone-load system based on a sensor data from the sensor suite and is to control at least the load thruster to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of at least the load in the drone-load system.
.
Claim 7:
wherein to at least one of i) to determine at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of the load container based on the sensor data from the sensor suite and
ii) to control the load thruster to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of the load container, comprises to combine the sensor data from the sensor suite in a filter.
Claim 1:
a control module which, when executed by the computer processor, is to determine at least one of a position, orientation, or motion of the drone-load system based on a sensor data from the sensor suite and
is to control at least the load thruster to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of at least the load in the drone-load system.
Claim 7:
the sensor data comprises to combine the sensor data from the sensor suite in a non-linear filter
Claim 8:
wherein the load thruster is integrated into the load container.
Claim 2:
a load thruster secured proximate to the load.
Claim 10:
controlling the load thruster to output the thrust vector with the horizontal orientation to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of the load container comprises directing the load container to a desired position
Claim 20:
to control the drone thruster by outputting the horizontal thrust vector to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of at least the load in the drone-load system comprises means to compensate for an angle or relative motion between the drone and the load to deliver the load to a target.
Claims are rejected 9, 14, 15 and 20 are rejected on the same bases as 1,
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2-6, 11-13 and 16-19 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEMETRA R SMITH-STEWART whose telephone number is (571)270-3965. The examiner can normally be reached 10am - 6pm.
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/DEMETRA R SMITH-STEWART/Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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