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 25June2026 is being considered by the examiner.
Status of Claims
Pending
1-20
103
1-20
Objected
11-12, and 14-15
Response to Amendment
This office action is responsive to the amendment filed on 24June2026. As directed by the amendment: claims 1-3, and 5-6 has (have) been amended, no claims has/have been cancelled, and new claims 11-20 has/have been added. Thus, claims 1-20 are presently pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
The amendments to the claims affected the prior scope thereby necessitating further search and consideration. The instant office action has been made FINAL.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1-10, 13, 16-17, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ramachandra US 20210018333 and Glomski US 20210088356.
Ramachandra discloses,
Claims 1 and 5; A method for assisting with a restart of at least one engine of an aircraft([0005] An aircraft system includes a display device having rendered thereon an engine relight (GUI) display for concurrently depicting an energy state of an aircraft with respect to an operating envelope region for a procedure for starting an engine of the aircraft), the method being implemented by an assistance system comprising electronic circuitry([0021] Discloses that one or more of the following avionics systems suitably configured to support operation of the aircraft which includes electrical systems), the method comprising: determining that at least one stopped engine of the aircraft has ceased operating([0002] Jet engines are susceptible to flame out and [0012] discloses restarting or relighting of an engine); of the aircraft down to a predefined target altitude below which the aircraft is at an altitude conducive to at least one attempt to restart the at least one stopped engine([0037] For example, the processing system 108 and/or FMS 116 may calculate or otherwise determine an idle descent path for the aircraft 102 initialized with the current altitude and speed, and then identify or otherwise determine a timing and/or location for when the aircraft 102 is likely to reach a boundary of a respective operating envelope region 520, 530 assuming that idle descent path); and generating a message for execution of at least one procedure for restarting the at least one stopped engine with a view to carrying out the at least one attempt to restart the at least one stopped engine when the predefined target altitude and/or a target conventional speed is reached by the aircraft([0013] As described in greater detail below, to facilitate a pilot determining how and when to attempt an engine restart, the current energy state of the aircraft is presented on a graphical user interface (GUI) display that also includes graphical representations of the operating envelope regions for the different restart procedures that may be available for the aircraft).
Claims 2 and 6; Comprising controlling the automated descent of the aircraft while at a same time applying a reduction of a conventional speed of the aircraft down to a predefined target conventional speed below which the conventional speed of the aircraft is conducive to the restart of the at least one stopped engine([0021] Discloses that one or more additional avionics systems 118 to support navigation, flight planning, and other aircraft control functions in a conventional manner and those systems include a weather system, an air traffic management system, a radar system, a traffic avoidance system, an autopilot system, an autothrust system, a flight control system, hydraulics systems, pneumatics systems, environmental systems, electrical systems, engine systems, trim systems, lighting systems, crew alerting systems, electronic checklist systems, an electronic flight bag and/or another suitable avionics system, [0022] discloses the ignition system is operated when the speed and altitude of the aircraft 102 provides sufficient air flow to enable combustion within the combustion chamber).
Claim 4; Wherein the assistance system is implemented in a guidance controller device of the aircraft([0021] the processing system 108 is also coupled to the FMS 116, which is coupled to the navigation system 114, the communications system 112, and one or more additional avionics systems 118 to support navigation, flight planning, and other aircraft control functions in a conventional manner, as well as to provide real-time data and/or information regarding the operational status of the aircraft 102 to the processing system 108).
Claim 8; An aircraft comprising the assistance system of claim 1(Aircraft 102).
Claim 9; A computer program product, comprising instructions leading to execution, by a processor, of the method of claim 5, when the instructions are executed by the processor([0017] Discloses a general purpose processor meant to execute several programs).
Claim 10; A storage medium, storing a computer program comprising instructions leading to execution, by a processor, of the method of claim 5, when the instructions are read and executed by the processor([0014] Discloses data storage elements 122, 124 that contain different programs and systems that are executed by a processing system 108).
Claim 13; Wherein the electronic circuitry is configured for controlling the automated descent of the aircraft while at a same time applying a reduction of a conventional speed of the aircraft down to a predefined target conventional speed, below which the conventional speed of the aircraft is conducive to the restart of the at least one stopped engine([0031]).
Claim 16; Wherein the electronic circuitry is configured for controlling the automated descent of the aircraft while at a same time applying a reduction of a conventional speed of the aircraft down to a predefined target conventional speed, below which the conventional speed of the aircraft is conducive to the restart of the at least one stopped engine([0031]).
Claims 17 and 19; Wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to transmit the message for execution of the at least one procedure for restarting the at least one stopped engine to a system controlling performance characteristics of the at least one stopped engine for execution of the at least one procedure for restarting the at least one stopped engine automatically([0013] As described in greater detail below, to facilitate a pilot determining how and when to attempt an engine restart, the current energy state of the aircraft is presented on a graphical user interface (GUI) display that also includes graphical representations of the operating envelope regions for the different restart procedures that may be available for the aircraft).
However, Ramachandra fails to disclose:
Claims 1 and 5; Controlling an automated descent.
Claims 3 and 7; Comprising controlling the automated descent of the aircraft based on at least one parameter from amongst: a number of stopped engines.
Glomski teaches a similar device in the same field of aircraft control.
Glomski teaches,
Claims 1 and 5; Controlling an automated descent([0032] The system and method disclosed herein provide the capability for automated control of the aircraft).
Claims 3 and 7; Comprising controlling the automated descent of the aircraft based on at least one parameter from amongst: a number of stopped engines([0032] This flight path can be designed to optimize flight endurance (e.g., time-in-air) so that the flight crew has more time to diagnose problems with one or both engines).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include controlling an automated descent, and controlling the automated as taught by Glomski, for the purpose of guiding the aircraft in case the pilots are not able to.
Claim(s) 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ramachandra US 20210018333 and Glomski US 20210088356 further in view of Wasselin US 20240003300 .
Regarding claim(s) 18 and 20, Ramachandra and Glomski discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for claim(s) 1.
However, Ramachandra and Glomski fails to disclose:
Claims 18 and 20; Wherein the system controlling performance characteristics of the at least one stopped engine comprises a full authority digital engine control system that, after the aircraft has descended to or below the predefined target altitude, automatically attempts successive restarts of the at least one stopped engine until the at least one stopped engine is restarted.
Wasselin teaches a similar device in the same field of aircraft control.
Wasselin teaches,
Claims 18 and 20; Wherein the system controlling performance characteristics of the at least one stopped engine comprises a full authority digital engine control system that, after the aircraft has descended to or below the predefined target altitude, automatically attempts successive restarts of the at least one stopped engine until the at least one stopped engine is restarted([0037] and [0057]).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the system controlling performance characteristics of the at least one stopped engine comprises a full authority digital engine control system that, after the aircraft has descended to or below the predefined target altitude, automatically attempts successive restarts of the at least one stopped engine until the at least one stopped engine is restarted as taught by Wasselin, for the purpose of restarting the engine if the pilot is incapacitated or unable to.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 11-12, and 14-15 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John Merino whose telephone number is (703)756-4721. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 11am-7pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Erin Piateski can be reached at (571) 270-7429. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/John C Merino/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/Erin M Piateski/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669
