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 .
Application Status
Claims 1-6 are pending and have been examined in this application.
This communication is the first action on the merits.
As of the date of this action, no information disclosure statement has been filed on behalf of this case.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: Arms 28.1, and 28.2 shown in figure 1. Element 15.2 shown in figure 5.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: Arms 22.1, and 22.2, and Elongated part 45.2. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The figures show the arms labeled as elements 28.1, and 28.2, while the specification and claims refer to the arms as elements 22.1, and 22.2, these should be amended to utilize the same numbering scheme, it is believed that a similar change should be made between elements 15.2, and 45.2.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-6 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 should start with an “An”. The element numbering should be checked to ensure that the numbering is correct and applied to the right element. Claims 2-6 currently read “Unmanned aerial system for autonomous delivery and collection of products according to the 1st claim”, this should be “The unmanned aerial system for autonomous delivery and collection of products of claim 1,”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
While the claims do utilize the term “means”, the examiner does not believe that these limitations invoke 112(f) because the “means” terms is followed by the specific structure that is used to perform the “means”
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.
Claims 1-6 are 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.
Claim 1-6 are rejected as failing to define the invention in the manner required by 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
The claim(s) are narrative in form and replete with indefinite language. The structure which goes to make up the device must be clearly and positively specified. The structure must be organized and correlated in such a manner as to present a complete operative device. The claim(s) must be in one sentence form only. Note the format of the claims in the patent(s) cited.
The claims as currently written either do not appear to be consistent in their naming of the elements or the element numberings are not consistent. For instance, claim 1 states “with two arms (22.1) and (22.2)”, and “the ends of the loading hanger (22.1) and (22.1)”, it is not clear to the examiner if these are meant to be the same element because they have the same element numbering or if the element numbering is wrong and these are meant to be different elements with different element numberings. Additionally, the current wording of these limitations, and others, of having the “and” between two element number in separate parentheses creates some confusion as to whether both element numbers are meant to be applied to the preceding element, if both element numbers are desired to be applied to the preceding element, then both numbers should be placed within the parentheses.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
The best prior art of record is Sakaguchi (PGPub #2025/0002183) which does teach an unmanned aerial system for autonomous delivery and collection of products characterized in that the system is made up of at least three interconnected devices:1.-Airborne distribution and returns removal team,2.-Loading equipment3.-Returns reception and withdrawal team. and where the aerial equipment for distribution and removal of returns 1 consists of a group of drones located on the premises of a logistics operator, each drone carrying a fixing axle (21) for the transport of loads. .And where the loading equipment 2 with which the drone will distribute the products and will remove the return products and/or the empty reusable containers (33), is constituted by a loading hanger (22) with two arms (22.1) and (22.2); that the loading hanger supports the delivery (30) and pick-up (26) devices that will carry the reusable transport containers (33), all the functions of the equipment being controlled and monitored by means of a control CPU(23), aided by a built-in camera (24) with video/photography. But does not teach that the loading hanger allows any drone to transport it by means of the shaft (21) hooked to an automatic opening/closing support (20), being located at the ends of the loading hanger (22.1) and (22.1) automatic fixing shafts (25), that the camera has day/night vision; and the delivery device (30) is correctly positioned on the receiving basket (49), with the aid of position sensors (60) and (63) placed on the perimeter of the lower part of the delivery device (30) and on the support frame of the collection basket (51); and where the equipment for the reception and removal of returns is constituted by a main element consisting of a cylindrical support column (40), which will house all the necessary elements for the work of reception of products and removal of both returns and empty reusable transport containers (33), for which it has two bases (41) both in its upper and lower part that will serve as pressure fastening, pressure obtained by a height adjustment device (42) of mechanical or hydraulic type, presenting in its middle part and on the outside, a cylindrical part (52) with 3602 circular movement and inner brake (53), which has an extendable support arm (45) in two parts (45.1 and (45.2), being all the mechanisms (45.1) and (45.2) of the cylindrical support arm (45.1) and (45.2).Cylindrical part (52) with 3602 circular movement and internal brake (53), which jointly carries an extendable support arm (45) in two pieces (45.1) and (45.2), all the mechanisms of the support column (40) being controlled by a control CPU(44) and a geolocatable sensor (43) which, upon detecting the arrival of the drone, will deploy the elongated part (45.2) by means of the electric motor (50) leaving the assembly in readiness for use.
Another prior art of record is Zvara (PGPub #2019/0061944) which does teach that the loading hanger allows any drone to transport it by means of the shaft (21) hooked to an automatic opening/closing support (20), being located at the ends of the loading hanger (22.1) and (22.1) automatic fixing shafts (25). But does not teach that the camera has day/night vision; and the delivery device (30) is correctly positioned on the receiving basket (49), with the aid of position sensors (60) and (63) placed on the perimeter of the lower part of the delivery device (30) and on the support frame of the collection basket (51); and where the equipment for the reception and removal of returns is constituted by a main element consisting of a cylindrical support column (40), which will house all the necessary elements for the work of reception of products and removal of both returns and empty reusable transport containers (33), for which it has two bases (41) both in its upper and lower part that will serve as pressure fastening, pressure obtained by a height adjustment device (42) of mechanical or hydraulic type, presenting in its middle part and on the outside, a cylindrical part (52) with 3602 circular movement and inner brake (53), which has an extendable support arm (45) in two parts (45.1 and (45.2), being all the mechanisms (45.1) and (45.2) of the cylindrical support arm (45.1) and (45.2).Cylindrical part (52) with 3602 circular movement and internal brake (53), which jointly carries an extendable support arm (45) in two pieces (45.1) and (45.2), all the mechanisms of the support column (40) being controlled by a control CPU(44) and a geolocatable sensor (43) which, upon detecting the arrival of the drone, will deploy the elongated part (45.2) by means of the electric motor (50) leaving the assembly in readiness for use.
Another prior art of record is Luckay (PGPub #2018/0186454) which does teach that the delivery device (30) is correctly positioned on the receiving system with the aid of position sensors; that the equipment for the reception and removal of returns is constituted by a main element consisting of a cylindrical support column (40), a cylindrical part (52) with 3602 circular movement, which has an extendable support arm (45) in two parts (45.1 and (45.2), Cylindrical part (52) with 360 circular movement, which jointly carries an extendable support arm (45) in two pieces (45.1) and (45.2), all the mechanisms of the support column (40) being controlled by a control CPU(44) and a geolocatable sensor (43) which, upon detecting the arrival of the drone, will deploy the elongated part (45.2) by means of the electric motor (50) leaving the assembly in readiness for use. But does not teach that that the camera has day/night vision; and the delivery device (30) is correctly positioned on the receiving basket (49), with the aid of position sensors (60) and (63) placed on the perimeter of the lower part of the delivery device (30) and on the support frame of the collection basket (51); which will house all the necessary elements for the work of reception of products and removal of both returns and empty reusable transport containers (33), presenting in its middle part and on the outside, for which it has two bases (41) both in its upper and lower part that will serve as pressure fastening, pressure obtained by a height adjustment device (42) of mechanical or hydraulic type, the cylindrical part (52) with an inner brake (53), being all the mechanisms (45.1) and (45.2) of the cylindrical support arm (45.1) and (45.2).Cylindrical part (52) with the internal brake (53).
Another prior art of record is Alduaiji (US #10,556,349) which does teach that that the camera has day/night vision; but does not teach that the delivery device (30) is correctly positioned on the receiving basket (49), with the aid of position sensors (60) and (63) placed on the perimeter of the lower part of the delivery device (30) and on the support frame of the collection basket (51); which will house all the necessary elements for the work of reception of products and removal of both returns and empty reusable transport containers (33), presenting in its middle part and on the outside, for which it has two bases (41) both in its upper and lower part that will serve as pressure fastening, pressure obtained by a height adjustment device (42) of mechanical or hydraulic type, the cylindrical part (52) with an inner brake (53), being all the mechanisms (45.1) and (45.2) of the cylindrical support arm (45.1) and (45.2).Cylindrical part (52) with the internal brake (53).
Additional prior arts of record include Kim (PGPub #2020/0407079), Scalabrino (US #11,713,116), Zheng (US #11,345,051), Cui (US #10,573,024), Sperinedeo (US #10,220,964), Boyd (US #10,049,589), Seki (PGPub #2025/0100681), Li (PGPub #2025/0066050), Kaneria (PGPub #2023/0418312), Kiyokami (PGPub #2023/0373665), Parraga (PGPub #2023/0331386), Carr (PGPub #2023/0044060), Kim (PGPub #2022/0357740), Sakurada (PGPub #2022/0130259), Urban (PGPub #2019/0291961), and Eck (PGPub #2019/0152701) which all teah UAV systems that can be used to move packages from one location to another but do not teach that the delivery device (30) is correctly positioned on the receiving basket (49), with the aid of position sensors (60) and (63) placed on the perimeter of the lower part of the delivery device (30) and on the support frame of the collection basket (51); which will house all the necessary elements for the work of reception of products and removal of both returns and empty reusable transport containers (33), presenting in its middle part and on the outside, for which it has two bases (41) both in its upper and lower part that will serve as pressure fastening, pressure obtained by a height adjustment device (42) of mechanical or hydraulic type, the cylindrical part (52) with an inner brake (53), being all the mechanisms (45.1) and (45.2) of the cylindrical support arm (45.1) and (45.2).Cylindrical part (52) with the internal brake (53).
It would not have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify any of the prior arts of record to teach the untaught limitations because there is no obvious motivation for the changes without the use of hindsight reconstruction. Additionally, the examiner does not believe that it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cited prior arts record to teach all of their taught limitations because doing so would require a complete redesign of the modified parts to allow them to have the claimed structure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM LAWRENCE GMOSER whose telephone number is (571)270-5083. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thu 7:00-5:00.
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/WILLIAM L GMOSER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3647