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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Claim 19 recites that the predetermined current value is relayed to ground-based personnel. The specification mentions real-time digital telemetry of the operational status of the boom deployment but does not adequately provide structural support for relaying this information to ground-based personnel.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 2 recites the function of the deployer but fails to structurally limit the claim upon which it depends. Claim 3 recites an inherent result of the structure in claim 1 but does not further limit claim 1. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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.
Claim(s) 1 – 5 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hensley et al. (US 11,292,616).
Regarding claim 1, Hensley et al. discloses a deployer for storing and deploying a boom (110-a and Abstract), the deployer comprising: a motor (290); a drum (112) having a circular cross section, the boom stowed in a stowed cross sectional configuration and wrapped around the drum (Fig. 2A), a first end of the boom attached to the drum (Fig. 2A); the motor attached to the drum for rotating the drum; and a tensioning mechanism (900 and 920) for applying radially inward directed forces on the folded and wrapped boom while the motor rotates the drum for deploying the boom from the deployer (col. 5, lines 19 – 28).
Regarding claim 2, Hensley et al. discloses the deployer for mounting on a satellite, the boom for extending from the satellite and for supporting sensors or antennas (col. 4, lines 41 – 51).
Regarding claim 3, Hensley et al. discloses that the radially inward forces limit blooming of the boom during deployment from the deployer (col. 5, lines 19 – 28).
Regarding claim 4, Hensley et al. discloses a transition guide (static contoured support device 910) disposed at a location after the boom leaves the drum, wherein the transition guide defines an opening therein through which the boom passes, and wherein a shape of the opening transitions the boom from the stowed cross-sectional shape to a deployed cross-sectional shape.
Regarding claim 5, Hensley et al. discloses that the deployed cross-sectional shape comprises one of a C-shaped cross-section (Fig. 3A), a rectangular cross-section, and an oblong cross-section.
Regarding claim 9, Hensley et al. discloses a sensor (830-a) for determining a status of boom deployment and wherein boom deployment is controlled responsive to the sensor.
Claim(s) 1, 3 – 8, 14, 16, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Murphey et al. (US 2020/0267029).
Regarding claim 1, Murphey et al. discloses a deployer (120) for storing and deploying a boom (Abstract), the deployer comprising: a motor (601); a drum (121) having a circular cross section, the boom stowed in a stowed cross sectional configuration and wrapped around the drum, a first end of the boom attached to the drum (Fig. 2); the motor attached to the drum for rotating the drum; and a tensioning mechanism (103) for applying radially inward directed forces on the folded and wrapped boom while the motor rotates the drum for deploying the boom from the deployer (claim 13, Murphey et al.).
Regarding claim 3, Murphy et al. discloses that the radially inward forces limit blooming of the boom during deployment from the deployer (inherent).
Regarding claim 4, Murphey et al. discloses a transition guide (root end guide, Fig. 8A) disposed at a location after the boom leaves the drum, wherein the transition guide defines an opening therein through which the boom passes, and wherein a shape of the opening transitions the boom from the stowed cross-sectional shape to a deployed cross-sectional shape (paragraph [0127]).
Regarding claim 5, Murphey et al. discloses that the deployed cross-sectional shape comprises one of a C-shaped cross-section, a rectangular cross-section, and an oblong cross-section (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Murphey et al. discloses that the motor (601) is disposed within the drum (121), and wherein a motor shaft (613) extension extends into a hollow protrusion (hollow protrusion is shown in Fig. 6B, within which the motor shaft resides) extending from the drum, and wherein the motor shaft is received within and coupled to the hollow protrusion, such that the motor shaft and the hollow protrusion are concentric and rotation of the motor shaft extension rotates the drum.
Regarding claim 7, Murphey et al. discloses a sleeve (603) encircling the motor, the drum encircling the sleeve (Fig. 6A), further comprising bearings (661) disposed between the sleeve and the drum such that the drum rotates around the sleeve.
Regarding claim 8, Murphey et al. discloses that the sleeve is rigidly attached to a deployer structural member (631a, 631b) and the motor is rigidly attached to the sleeve.
Regarding 14, Murphey et al. discloses that the drum further comprises a primary drum component (121), a secondary drum component (603), and a first (631a) and a second (631b) drum cheek, the secondary component for attaching to the primary component such that the drum presents the circular cross section, the first and second drum cheeks disposed on opposing circular faces of the drum for retaining the boom on the drum between the first and second drum cheeks (Figs. 6B and 2), and wherein fasteners (671) secure the secondary drum component to the primary drum component with the first end of the boom disposed between the primary drum component and the secondary drum component.
Regarding claim 16, Murphey et al. discloses a microprocessor for controlling boom deployment responsive to a plurality of sensors (paragraph [0138] teaches a computer code, which comprises a microprocessor, controlling the boom deployer; the computer code would inherently comprise a sensor for boom deployment since it is able to control the deployer).
Regarding claim 20, Murphey et al. discloses a deployer (120) for storing and deploying a boom, the deployer comprising: a motor (601); a drum (121) having a circular cross section, the boom stowed in a stowed cross-sectional configuration and wrapped around the drum (Fig. 2), a first end of the boom attached to the drum such that the boom enjoys limited movement relative to the drum; a motor shaft (613) coupled to the drum for rotating the drum; a sleeve (603) encircling the motor, the drum encircling the sleeve (Fig. 6A), the sleeve rigidly attached to a deployer structural member (631a, 631b), the motor rigidly attached to the sleeve; bearings (661) disposed between the sleeve and the drum such that the drum rotates around the sleeve; a transition guide (root end guide, Fig. 8A) disposed at a location after the boom leaves the drum, wherein the transition guide defines an opening therein through which the boom passes, and wherein a shape of the opening transitions the boom from the stowed cross-sectional shape to a deployed cross-sectional shape (paragraph [0127]); a tensioning mechanism (103) for applying radially inward directed forces on the folded and wrapped boom (claim 13, Murphey et al.) while the motor rotates the drum for deploying the boom from the deployer; sensors for tracking drum deployment, motor rotation, and motor current; and a microprocessor for controlling boom deployment responsive to the sensors (paragraph [0138] teaches a computer code, which comprises a microprocessor, controlling the boom deployer; the computer code would inherently comprise a sensor for boom deployment since it is able to control the deployer).
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.
Claim(s) 17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murphey et al. in view of Menard et al. (CA 3070985).
Regarding claim 17, Murphey et al. fails to teach that the plurality of sensors comprises an infrared sensor for monitoring boom deployment by tracking drum rotation, a motor sensor for tracking motor rotation, and a power supply current sensor for measuring motor current. However, Menard et al. discloses a motor for an actuator having an infrared sensor for monitoring and tracking motor rotation and a current sensor for measuring motor current (paragraph [00119]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed, with reasonable expectation of success, to use the sensors taught by Menard et al. in the boom deployment system of Murphey et al. in order to limit or prevent damage to the system caused by failure of the motor.
Regarding claim 18, Murphey et al. as modified by Menard et al. discloses that motor rotation is halted responsive to a measured motor current value reaching or exceeding a predetermined maximum motor current value (paragraph [00119], Menard et al.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 – 13 and 15 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
McGinnis (US 4,866893) – Extensible mast
Daton-Lovett (US 2019/0103650) – Antenna assembly and related methods
Turse et al. (US 2022/0042309) – Boom deployer devices, systems, and methods
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/VALENTINA XAVIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642