DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the response filed 17 Jan 2025 and the Information Disclosure Statement filed 22 Apr 2025. Claim 1 is pending. Claim 1 is independent.
Notice of 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 22 Apr 2025 is acknowledged. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 1 directed to the same invention as that of claim 1 of commonly assigned U.S. Patent 12,235,368. Under 35 U.S.C. 101, more than one patent may not be issued on the same invention.
The USPTO may not institute a derivation proceeding in the absence of a timely filed petition. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office normally will not institute a derivation proceeding between applications or a patent and an application having common ownership (see 37 CFR 42.411). The applicant should amend or cancel claims such that the reference and the instant application no longer contain claims directed to the same invention.
Nonstatutory Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claim 1 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,774,602 in view of McGraw, et al, U.S. Patent 7,418,343
Claim 1 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,150,357: in view of McGraw, et al, U.S. Patent 7,418,343
19029010: Present Applications
11,774,602:
Patent
11,150,357:
Patent
Rationale
1. A distributed navigation system comprising: a plurality of navigation platforms,
each navigation platform having a universal navigation processor configured to communicate with other universal navigation processors over distribution channels in a communication network;
one or more relative navigation systems, in communication with the universal navigation processors, configured to provide source information to the navigation platforms;
one or more navigation filters provided on one or more of the universal navigation processors, each navigation filter configured to process the source information, wherein at least one of the one or more navigation filters is configured to apply at least one statistical model to determine and provide an estimate of the quality and an estimate of the integrity of the source information;
an anchor navigation node disposed on one or more of the plurality of navigation platforms configured to form one or more anchor navigation platforms,
the anchor navigation node including an inertial navigation system, a clock, and one or more absolute navigation systems and configured to determine navigation information based on the inertial navigation system, the clock, the one or more absolute navigation systems and the source information,
the one or more anchor navigation platforms configured to provide the navigation information over the distribution channels to the other navigation platforms in the communication network;
a navigation processor system in communication with each of the universal navigation processors in the communications network configured to provide software updates or program code to the universal navigation processors; and a graphical user interface configured to display the navigation information to a user and permit the user to review and control the navigation information.
1. A distributed navigation system comprising: a plurality of navigation platforms,
each navigation platform having a universal navigation processor configured to communicate with other universal navigation processors over distribution channels in a communication network;
one or more relative navigation systems, in communication with the universal navigation processors, configured to provide source information to the navigation platforms;
one or more navigation filters provided on one or more of the universal navigation processors, each navigation filter configured to process the source information, wherein at least one of the one or more navigation filters is configured to apply at least one statistical model to determine and provide an estimate of the quality and an estimate of the integrity of the source information;
an anchor navigation node disposed on one or more of the plurality of navigation platforms configured to form one or more anchor navigation platforms,
the anchor navigation node including an inertial navigation system, a clock, and one or more absolute navigation systems and configured to determine navigation information based on the inertial navigation system, the clock, the one or more absolute navigation systems and the source information,
the one or more anchor navigation platforms configured to provide the navigation information over the distribution channels to the other navigation platforms in the communication network;
a navigation processor system in communication with each of the universal navigation processors in the communications network configured to provide software updates or program code to the universal navigation processors; and a graphical user interface configured to display the navigation information to a user and permit the user to review and control the navigation information,
wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display a modification generated autonomously by an anchor navigation platform.
1. A distributed navigation system architecture comprising: a plurality of navigation platforms,
each navigation platform having a universal navigation processor configured to communicate with other universal navigation processors over distribution channels in a communication network;
one or more relative navigation systems, in communication with the universal navigation processors, configured to provide source information to the navigation platforms;
an anchor navigation node disposed on one or more of the plurality of navigation platforms configured to form one or more anchor navigation platforms,
the anchor navigation node including an inertial navigation system, a clock, and one or more absolute navigation systems and configured to determine navigation information based on the inertial navigation system, the clock, the one or more absolute navigation systems and optionally the source information,
the one or more anchor navigation platforms configured to provide the navigation information over the distribution channels to the other navigation platforms in the communication network; and a navigation processor system in communication with each of the universal navigation processors in the communications network and configured to provide software updates or program code to the universal navigation processors, wherein one or more of the universal navigation processors include a navigation filter configured to process the source information, and
wherein the navigation filter is a navigation filter system configured to apply at least one statistical model to determine and provide an estimate of the quality and an estimate of the integrity of the source information
in order to determine the navigation information for the one or more navigation platforms.
McGraw, et al, U.S. Patent 7,418,343
Teaches any elements not explicitly anticipated by prior patents.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DONALD H.B. BRASWELL whose telephone number is (469)295-9119. The examiner can normally be reached on 7-5 Central Time (Dallas).
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/Donald HB Braswell/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2825
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