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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on September 24, 2025, lists the U.S. Patents US 9,577,392 B2 and US 9,715,472 B2, both to Chang. Along with the IDS, copies of US 9,715,472 B2 to Chang and US 9,577,382 B2 to Kida were submitted. However, as the ‘382 patent to Kida is not listed on the IDS and is a single digit different from the ‘392 patent to Chang, US 9,577,382 B2 to Kida appears to have been included by mistake and is not being considered for purposes of examination. As the submission of copies of U.S. patents or U.S. patent application publications is not required, US 9,577,392 B2 to Chang is being considered.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) is being considered by the examiner. The references listed therein have been considered as cited on the IDS itself.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by US 10,315,781 B2 to Zhao et al.
Regarding claim 1: Zhao teaches a system comprising:
a platform interface (shown in figs. 4-5) comprising:
a base (first barrel body 121) configured to be secured to a platform or integrated with the platform (c. 10, ℓ. 17-20), and configured to rotatably engage with a support (plug-in member 124) of a payload interface (figs. 2-3: carrying plate 11) to secure the payload interface to the platform interface (c. 11, ℓ. 62-64), the support being configured to be secured to a payload (c. 8, ℓ. 2-9: the load may be a photographic device; c. 8, ℓ. 10-23: photographic element 20 connects to the UAV through carrying plate 11 and quick release assembly 12); and
a first electrical connector (figs. 4-5: 33a) configured to engage with a second electrical connector (figs. 2-3: 1240) affixed to the support (c. 12, ℓ. 22-24: “first connector 33a may be electrically connected with the second connector 1240”), and to rotate with the second electrical connector relative to the base as the support is rotated to engage the base (c. 12, ℓ. 14-38: first connector 33a is configured to rotate relative to first barrel body 121).
Regarding claim 10: Zhao teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising the platform, wherein the platform is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (c. 7, ℓ. 59–c. 8, ℓ. 9).
Regarding claim 11: Zhao teaches a method comprising:
connecting a payload interface (figs. 2-3: including carrying plate 11) to a platform interface (shown in figs. 4-5: including first and second barrel bodies 121, 122 and connecting plate 123) comprising a platform mounting interface (connecting plate 123 or first barrel body 121) configured to be secured to a platform (c. 8, ℓ. 32-39, c. 9, ℓ. 28-53, c. 10, ℓ. 7-16: interconnection of plate 123 and barrel bodies 121, 122; c. 10, ℓ. 17-20: “four holes 31 may match with four studs 30, respectively, to fixedly connect the connecting plate 301 with the unmanned aerial vehicle”), the connecting comprising:
aligning the payload interface relative to the platform interface to engage a first electrical connector (c. 10, ℓ. 35-37, figs. 4-5: first connector 33a) of the platform interface with a second electrical connector (c. 10, ℓ. 56-58, figs. 2-3: second connector 1240) affixed to a support (c. 10, ℓ. 56-58: to plug-in member 124) of the payload interface (aligning interfaces — c. 10, ℓ. 38-55; c. 12, ℓ. 4-24), the support being configured to be secured to the payload (c. 8, ℓ. 2-23); and
rotating the support with the first and second electrical connectors relative to the platform mounting interface to engage the support with the platform mounting interface (c. 11, ℓ. 33-64: rotating plug-in member 124 relative to first barrel body 121 to lock the plug-in member onto the first barrel body; c. 12, ℓ. 14-38: rotating the plug-in member relative to the first barrel body to electrically connect first connector 33a with second connector 1240).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claim(s) 2-5 and 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 10,315,781 B2 to Zhao et al. in view of US 10,807,710 B2 to Tian et al.
Regarding claims 2 and 12: Zhao teaches the system of claim 1 and the method of claim 11.
Zhao teaches that the platform interface comprises an elastic member (41a) configured to strengthen the connection and dampen vibrations (c. 10, ℓ. 56–c. 11, ℓ. 22) but does not specifically disclose the platform interface further comprising a spring configured to bias the first electrical connector toward the second electrical connector.
Tian teaches a quick release connection in a UAV (shown in figs. 4a-4c) for both electrical and mechanical connection (c. 5, ℓ. 44-50), comprising
a platform interface (first connection device 1, shown also in fig. 1a) configured to be secured to a platform or integrated with the platform (c. 10, ℓ. 44-57: at tail rod base 3), and configured to engage with a payload interface (second connection device 2, shown also in fig. 1b) configured to be secured to a payload (c. 10, ℓ. 44-57: to tail rod detachable device 4);
the platform interface having a first electrical connector (first electrical plug part 13) configured to engage with a second electrical connector (second electrical plug part 24) of the payload interface (shown in fig. 2),
wherein the platform interface further comprises a spring (c. 8, ℓ. 33-35: elastic part 25 may be a spring or other elastic components) configured to bias the first electrical connector toward the second electrical connector (c. 8, ℓ. 16-63: elastic part 25 is biased to exert an elastic force on casing tube 22 to return to an initial locked position and “due to the elastic force of the elastic part 25, the casing tube 22 is unable to move or rotate without the external force”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the system and method of Zhao to further comprise a spring configured to bias the first electrical connector toward the second electrical connector, using the teachings of Tian, for the purpose of biasing the connection to maintain the mechanical and electrical connection, to further secure the connection.
Regarding claims 3 and 13: Zhao, as modified, provides the system of claim 2 and the method of claim 12, wherein (all citations to Zhao) the platform interface comprises one or more first recesses (sliding slot 11b) configured to receive and receiving one or more detents (protruding bars 41b) of the support (124) to engage the support with the base (Zhao c. 11, ℓ. 40-48: “when the at least one protruding bar 41b is located in the sliding slot 11b, the plug-in member 124 may be locked on the first barrel body 121 by rotating the first barrel body 121 along a first direction (and hence the at least one protruding bar 41b may slide in the sliding slot 11b along the first direction)”).
Regarding claims 4 and 14: Zhao, as modified, provides the system of claim 3 and the method of claim 13 (all citations to Zhao), wherein the platform interface comprises a platform mounting interface (Zhao first barrel body 121) affixed to the base (123) and comprising the one or more first recesses (fig. 5: sliding slot 11b is formed in first barrel body 121),
wherein the one or more first recesses are recesses in the platform mounting interface (as shown in fig. 5: sliding slot 11b is formed in first barrel body 121).
Regarding claims 5 and 15: Zhao, as modified, provides the system of claim 3 and the method of claim 14 (all citations to Zhao), wherein:
the platform interface comprises one or more tabs (strip-shaped protrusions 11a) sized to enter respective one or more alignment slots in the support (fig. 3: slot between bars 41b) to align the payload interface with the platform interface (figs. 3-4: when bars 41b enter passages 113, protrusions 11a enter the space between bars 41b); and
the one or more first recesses (11b) are recesses in the one or more tabs (c. 9, ℓ. 10-17: “sliding slot 11b may be formed between the three strip-shaped protrusions 11a and an end face of the horizontal end 1213 of the side plate”; see also figs. 4-5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 and 16-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Zhao teaches one or more tabs, strip-shaped protrusions 11a, sized to enter respective one or more alignment slots between protruding bars 41b and one or more first recesses, sliding slots 11b, configured to receive and receiving one or more detents, protruding bars 41b. However, Zhao does not disclose, in addition to these elements, a pocket on at least one of the protruding bars 41b which engages with at least one of the strip-shaped protrusions 11a upon rotation of the support.
Zhao teaches a first electrical connector 33a supported on an end face 1231 of connecting plate 123 which engages a second electrical connector 1240 in an axial direction. Zhao discloses second stopping bosses 32a which abut portion 1221 of first stopping boss 122a to limit rotation, however this interface will not disengage in response to the first electrical connector 33a counteracting a spring bias, or in response to movement in the axial direction corresponding to counteracting a spring bias acting on the first electrical connector 33a toward second electrical connector 1240.
Zhao also discloses screws 33 which prevent rotation between second barrel body 122 and the connecting plate 123 by engaging threaded holes 211 in the second barrel body 122. These screws would disengage with an axial movement, but in response to a rotation of the screw; the threaded connection would not disengage in response to action or counteraction of a spring bias and there would be no reason for a modification to do so.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 9,280,038 B1 to Pan teaches a UAV payload mount having electrical connectors. US 11,794,930 B1 to McGann et al. teaches a UAV with quick-release connections for providing mechanical and electrical connections without the need for a separate cable.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Richard Green whose telephone number is (571)270-5380. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 11:00 to 7:00.
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/Richard Green/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3647
1 Elsewhere in Zhao, reference “123” is used for the connecting plate and “30” for the four studs.