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 .
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.
Joint Inventors
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 Line 8: “and each of connection positions” should be revised to “and each of the connection positions”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-8 and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Liu et al. (US Patent Pub. No. 2018/0050448 A1), herein “Liu”, in view of Tahmasebi et al. (US Patent. No. 5,279,176 A), herein “Tahmasebi”.
Regarding Claim 1, Liu discloses a live working robot (See 0007, “[…] a live working robot used for running and operation along wires of high-voltage transmission lines […]”), comprising:
a working bottom plate (See 0004, “[…] live working robot walking mechanism is used for walking on 500 kV transmission lines to work, and comprises a rectangular base […]” See also 0009, “[…] a main body […]”);
three mechanical arms disposed on the working bottom plate, wherein the three mechanical arms are disposed at intervals around a central axis of the working bottom plate, and the three mechanical arms are provided with connection portions respectively (See 0010, “[…] three walking arms installed on the main body and spaced apart from one another […]”); and
a clamping member arranged on another surface of the connection plate and configured to clamp a maintenance tool (See 0076-0079, “[…] front walking arm of the walking arms is provided with a clamping jaw […] rear walking arm of the walking arms is provided with a clamping jaw […] the clamping jaw can have effects of position limiting and protection.” See also 0087-0088, “[…] corresponding tools can be installed to the tool interface formed in the end of the working arm according to demand of the operating tasks […] fastening strain clamps, so three sets of corresponding operating tools can be provided accordingly. Each operating tool may be provided with a corresponding interface (such as being provided at the bottom of the operating tool) by which the operating tool can be connected with the tool interface formed in the end of the working arm, thus facilitating mounting and demounting.”).
But does not explicitly disclose three insulating rods, wherein the three insulating rods and the three mechanical arms are disposed in one-to-one correspondence, one end of each of the three insulating rods is connected to a respective one of the connection portions, and each of connection positions between the connection portions and the three insulating rods is adjustable;
a connection plate, wherein one surface of the connection plate is provided with three mounting members, the three mounting members are disposed at intervals around a central axis of the connection plate, the other ends of the three insulating rods are connected to the three mounting members in one-to-one correspondence, and each of the three mounting members is movably connected to a respective one of the three insulating rods.
Tahmasebi, in a similar field of endeavor, teaches three insulating rods, wherein the three insulating rods and the three mechanical arms are disposed in one-to-one correspondence, one end of each of the three insulating rods is connected to a respective one of the connection portions, and each of connection positions between the connection portions and the three insulating rods is adjustable (See Abstract, “[…] the three inextensible limbs are attached via universal joints to the platform at non-collinear points. Each of the inextensible limbs is also attached via universal joints to a two-degree-of-freedom parallel driver […] drivers move the lower ends of the limbs parallel to a fixed base and thereby provide manipulation of the platform. The actuators are mounted on the fixed base […]” Examiner notes the three inextensible limbs perform the same function as insulating rods, and are connected via universal joints that are adjustable in at least two degrees of freedom);
a connection plate, wherein one surface of the connection plate is provided with three mounting members, the three mounting members are disposed at intervals around a central axis of the connection plate, the other ends of the three insulating rods are connected to the three mounting members in one-to-one correspondence, and each of the three mounting members is movably connected to a respective one of the three insulating rods (See Abstract as referenced above. See also Fig. 5 shown below and Col. 6 Lines 37-39, “Fig. 5 shows three identical five-bar linkages […] mounted on base 32 which can be used to drive the “minimanipulator” […]” Examiner notes Fig. 5 clearly shows a connection plate, references as “base 32”, including three mounting members connected to the inextensible limbs, equally spaced around a central axis).
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In view of Tahmasebi’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include, with the live working robot with its mechanical structure including a tool interface at the end of each working arm as disclosed by Liu, a three-arm parallel manipulator arrangement including the insulating rods and mounting members attached to a connection plate, with a reasonable expectation of success, since parallel robotic architectures using multiple arms arranged around a central axis are well known for providing precise and stable manipulation of a working platform, and doing so improves positional stability, multi-axis tool control, and load balancing across a variety of robot operations.
Regarding Claim 2, Liu further discloses the live working robot of claim 1, wherein the connection portions are each a clamping claw (See 0076-0079 and 0087-0088 as referenced above. See also 0134, “[…] the drive reel moves towards the driven reels and the insulating rope can be tightly clamped between the drive reel and the driven reels to achieve self-locking.”); or
the connection portions are electric rotary wheels, circumferential surfaces of the electric rotary wheels are provided with grooves respectively, each of the three insulating rods is arranged within a respective one of the grooves, and each of the electric rotary wheels is configured to perform a forward rotation and a reverse rotation.
Regarding Claim 3, Liu further discloses the live working robot of claim 2, further comprising a control system, wherein the control system comprises a first control member and a second control member, the first control member is configured to control movement of the three mechanical arms, and the second control member is configured to control movement of the connection portions (See 0119-0121, “[…] the positioning structure may be controlled to move so as to drive the hook to release from the wire […] mounting mechanism may comprise a lifting speed controller which controls the power output to control the mounting (moving up) or demounting (moving down) speed of the robot […]” See also 0127, “[…] the robot hangs in position on the wire through the rolling wheels of the walking arms of the walking mechanism, the cone base may be controlled […]” Examiner notes there is a controller to lift the base of the robot using mechanisms in the arms, and another controller to control mounting and dismounting of the robot by hooking and releasing the connection portions of the limbs).
Regarding Claims 4 and 11, Liu further discloses the live working robot of claim 1 and method for maintaining a high-voltage electrical device of claim 10, wherein the working bottom plate is configured to perform a self-rotation movement (See 0149, “[…] the motor on the frame of the main body drives the pinion to rotate, and the pinion revolves around the big gear, so the frame of the main body fixedly connected with the pinion will revolve around the big gear and the supporting fork. Therefore, all parts (comprising a bearing seat carrying the supporting fork) fixedly connected with the frame of the main body will rotate around the supporting fork in the air (wherein the rotatable joint allows a relative rotation of the supporting fork relative to the bearing seat). In this way, the robot can self-rotate in the horizontal plane […]”).
Regarding Claims 5 and 12, Liu further discloses the live working robot of claim 4 and method for maintaining a high-voltage electrical device of claim 11, wherein the working bottom plate comprises a bottom plate, a driving member and a rotary plate, the driving member is arranged on the bottom plate, an output end of the driving member is connected to the rotary plate, and the three mechanical arms are disposed on the rotary plate (See 0004 and 0009-0010 as referenced above. See also 0026, “[…] the vertical telescopic movement of the walking arm is driven by a telescopic movement motor and the rotary movement of the walking arms is driven by a rotating movement motor […] each of the walking arms is independently driven by its own drive motor.” See also 0102, “[…] realizes vertical telescopic movement through a movable joint 420 and realizes rotation of at least one part thereof (such as its rotatable portion) through a rotatable joint (or rotating joint) […]”).
Regarding Claims 6 and 13, Liu does not explicitly disclose the live working robot of claim 1 and method for maintaining a high-voltage electrical device of claim 10, wherein the mounting members are each a universal joint.
Tahmasebi, in a similar field of endeavor, teaches the mounting members are each a universal joint (See Abstract as referenced above).
In view of Tahmasebi’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include, with the live working robot with its mechanical structure including a tool interface at the end of each working arm as disclosed by Liu, the mounting members to be universal joints, with a reasonable expectation of success, since universal joints are known to provide multi-directional articulation and improved freedom of movement between robotic limbs and a movable platform, thereby improving maneuverability and positional adjustment.
Regarding Claims 7 and 14, Liu does not explicitly disclose the live working robot of claim 1 and method for maintaining a high-voltage electrical device of claim 10, wherein the connection plate is in a regular triangle shape.
Tahmasebi, in a similar field of endeavor, teaches the connection plate is in a regular triangle shape (See Fig. 5 as referenced and shown above. Examiner notes base connection plate, referenced as base 32, is clearly shown in a regular triangular shape).
In view of Tahmasebi’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include, with the live working robot with its mechanical structure including a tool interface at the end of each working arm as disclosed by Liu, the connection plate to be in a regular triangle shape, with a reasonable expectation of success, since a triangular base distribution is known to provide balance structural support when attached to three separate mechanical manipulators, and is further understood as a conventional design choice in robotic systems.
Regarding Claims 8 and 15, Liu does not explicitly disclose the live working robot of claim 1 and method for maintaining a high-voltage electrical device of claim 10, wherein the mechanical arms are each a six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm.
Tahmasebi, in a similar field of endeavor, teaches the mechanical arms are each a six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm (See Abstract as referenced above and also, “A Six-Degree-of-Freedom Parallel-Manipulator having three inextensible limbs […]”).
In view of Tahmasebi’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include, with the live working robot with its mechanical structure including a tool interface at the end of each working arm as disclosed by Liu, the mechanical arms to each have six-degrees-of-freedom, with a reasonable expectation of success, since six-degree-of-freedom manipulators are conventionally used to achieve precise spatial positioning and orientation control of robotic tooling, and increases the dexterity and range of motion of the robot during various operations.
Regarding Claim 10, Liu further discloses a method for maintaining a high-voltage electrical device, wherein, based on the live working robot of claim 3, the method for maintaining a high-voltage electrical device comprises following steps:
placing the maintenance tool within the clamping member, and locking the clamping member by using a locking member (See 0076-0079 and 0087-0088 as referenced above. See also 0134, “[…] the drive reel moves towards the driven reels and the insulating rope can be tightly clamped between the drive reel and the driven reels to achieve self-locking.”);
placing the live working robot onto a lifting platform, and moving, through the lifting platform, the live working robot around the high-voltage electrical device (See 0119-0121 as referenced above);
operating the first control member and the second control member to control movement states of the mechanical arms and movement states of the connection portions, so that the maintenance tool performs a maintenance on the high-voltage electrical device (See 0119-0121 and 0127 as referenced above); and
after the maintenance is completed, operating the first control member and the second control member again to keep the maintenance tool away from the high-voltage electrical device (See 0054, “[…] the walking arm can, by its movement relative to the wire (such as rotary or translational movement), enable the portion at its end (having the rolling wheel) to be released/detached from the wire (i.e. to be in the offline state) so as to avoid the obstacle installed on the wire, and can return onto the wire (i.e. be back to the online state) after surmounting (or bypassing) the obstacle […]” Examiner notes the robot clearly possesses the ability to be kept away from an object).
Claims 9 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Liu et al. (US Patent Pub. No. 2018/0050448 A1), in view of Tahmasebi et al. (US Patent. No. 5,279,176 A) as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Paquin et al. (CA Patent Pub. No. 3 030 734 C), herein “Paquin”.
Regarding Claims 9 and 16, Liu in view of Tahmasebi does not explicitly teach the live working robot of claim 1 and method for maintaining a high-voltage electrical device of claim 10, further comprising a surveillance camera, wherein the surveillance camera is arranged on the connection plate, and the surveillance camera and the clamping member are located on a same surface of the connection plate.
Paquin, in a similar field of endeavor, teaches a surveillance camera, wherein the surveillance camera is arranged on the connection plate, and the surveillance camera and the clamping member are located on a same surface of the connection plate (See 002, “Camera systems fall into two types, ones where the camera system is fixed so as to observe key portions of the working space and ones where the camera system is mounted to a robotic arm.” See also 009, “[…] camera's body can have parallel top and bottom sides and adapted to be fastened to a robotic arm end and to an end effector with its image sensor and optics extending sideways in the body […]”).
In view of Paquin’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include, with the live working robot with its mechanical structure including a tool interface at the end of each working arm and a three-arm parallel manipulator arrangement as taught by Liu in view of Tahmasebi, a surveillance camera located on the connection plate, with a reasonable expectation of success, since camera systems mounted onto robotic structures are conventionally used to improve operational visibility, positioning accuracy, and safety through remote manipulation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Shum (US Patent No. 4,407,625 A), which teaches an automatic robotic structure carrying three mechanical arms connected to a fixed support
Ootani (CN Patent Pub. No. 117337227 A), published January 2nd, 2024, which teaches a robot provided with drive links and parallel connecting rods attached to a support mechanism
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bryant Tang whose telephone number is (571)270-0145. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 CST.
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/BRYANT TANG/Examiner, Art Unit 3658
/JASON HOLLOWAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3658
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