DETAILED ACTION
Remarks
This non-final office action is in response to the application filled on 01/16/2025. Claims 1-20 are canceled. Claims 21-40 are pending and examined below.
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 .
Priority
This application is continuation of application No. 17/666,748, filed on Feb. 8, 2022, now Pat. No. 12,252,224, which is a continuation of application No. 16/855,604, filed on Apr. 22, 2020, now Pat. No. 11,247,753, which is a continuation of application No. 15/887,372, filed on Feb. 2, 2018, now Pat. No. 10,671 ,073. Provisional application No. 62/459,295, filed on Feb. 15, 2017.
Information Disclosure Statement
As of date of this action, IDS filled has been annotated and considered.
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(s) 21-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 21 (and similarly claim 33 and 39), which recites “reduce a number of corrective actions” line 15 the specification lacks written description. Submitted specification describes, auto-heading, tracking algorithm and correct position and heading error, see at least [0021] of PGPub of submitted specification. [0034] describes how much corrective action to take. [0036] describes life of power transmission mechanism can be increase and noise transmitted to vessel can be optimized by reducing recurring error, see at least [0036], where “the life of the power transmission mechanisms 13, 15 of the propulsion devices 12, 14 can be increased and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) transmitted to the vessel 10 can be optimized by reducing the effects that recurring errors caused by rough water conditions have on the frequency of the propulsion system's corrective control actions.”. The submitted specification does not describe reduce a number of corrective actions.
Dependent claim(s) 22-32, 34-38 and 40 is/are also rejected because they do not resolve their parent deficiencies.
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.
Claim(s) 21-40 is/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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 21 (and similarly claim 33 and 39), which recites “reduce a number of corrective actions” line 15 is not clear. Submitted specification describe life of power transmission mechanism can be increase and noise transmitted to vessel can be optimized by reducing recurring error. From the recited claim language, it is not clear reduce a number of corrective actions is referring reducing recurring errors or something else.
Also, recites “parameters generated without the measurements made by the one or more sensors” line 16 is not clear. Based on submitted specification and recited claim language, parameters are determined based on condition of the body of water. Condition of the body of water is determined based on measurements which is received via sensors. It is not clear what is referred by without the measurements made by the sensors. Is it referring the parameters are calculated without additional sensor data, sensor data is received only for measurements related to the marine vessel? or something else?
Dependent claim(s) 22-32, 34-38 and 40 is/are also rejected because they do not resolve their parent deficiencies.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOHANA TANJU KHAYER whose telephone number is (408)918-7597. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday, 7 am-5.30 pm, PT.
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/SOHANA TANJU KHAYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3657
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