DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits of application 19044926.
Claims 1-12 are pending.
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, 3, 5-9, 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hartland WO 2024161139, and further in view of Wolfel US 11993354.
Claim 1, Hartland discloses a subsea system for the subsea transfer of a plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes, [see figs. 1-5; Abstract]. He does not disclose an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) [100] comprising a power source and a propulsion system, wherein the power source [120] comprises a plurality of rechargeable batteries [136] and one or more hydrogen fuel cells [132]. Wolfel discloses these limitations [see figs. 1-6; Abstract]. Thus, it 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 to have modified Hartland with Wolfel to have a node deployment system wherein the AUV can travel long distances without needing to surface for refueling.
Claim 3, Hartland discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not disclose wherein the hydrogen fuel cells are configured for a primary power source and the rechargeable battery cells are configured for a secondary power source. Wolfel discloses these limitations [see figs. 5-6; col. 5 line 37- col. 6 line 50]. Thus, it 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 to have modified Hartland with Wolfel to have the above said power configuration for redundancy purposes.
Claim 5, Hartland discloses an AUV [101] garage [0046; fig. 3a] configured to be raised to and lowered from a surface platform and the seabed, wherein the AUV garage is configured to hold the AUV. See figs. 3-4
Claim 6, Hartland discloses a skid [211] configured to be removably attached to the AUV [201], wherein the skid is configured to hold a plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes, wherein the skid comprises a variable buoyancy system [215] (VBS). See figs. 2a-c [0038].
Claim 7, Hartland discloses the VBS [215] comprises a plurality of pipes and a positive displacement pump, wherein the VBS is configured to control a buoyancy of the skid [211] based on a payload of the skid. See figs. 2a-c [0038].
Claim 8, Hartland discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, he does not disclose a power source [120] comprises a plurality of rechargeable batteries [136] and one or more hydrogen fuel cells [132]; and a propulsion system configured to propel and steer the AUV [100] while travelling underwater, Wolfel discloses those limitations. However, Hartland does disclose wherein the propulsion system comprises a plurality of thrusters, wherein the AUV is configured to hold a plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes, wherein the AUV is configured to move each of the plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes to and from the seabed by a manipulator arm. [see figs 5a-d; 0060]. Thus, it 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 to have modified Hartland with Wolfel to have the said configuration for node delivery.
Claim 9, Hartland discloses a plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes on or near the seabed, comprising deploying an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from a surface platform, and deploying an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) from the surface platform to assist communications from the AUV to the surface platform; and automatically deploying the plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes at a pre-plot position for each of the plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes [see figs. 4-5] He does not disclose wherein the AUV comprises a power source that comprises a plurality of rechargeable batteries and one or more hydrogen fuel cells. Wolfel discloses this in [figs 1-6; Abstract] Thus, it 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 to have modified Hartland with Wolfel to have a node deployment system wherein the AUV can travel long distances without needing to surface for refueling.
Claim 11, Hartland discloses the AUV [201] is coupled to a node skid [211] comprising the plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes. See fig. 2
Claim 12, Hartland discloses a system for the deployment of a plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes from the seabed [Abstract], comprising: a surface platform [300]; one or more autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)[101/511]; one or more unmanned surface vehicle (USVs) [521]; and a plurality of ocean bottom seismic nodes. See figs 4-5 [0060-0061]
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hartland WO 2024161139, and further in view of Wolfel US 11993354 and Potter US 7183742.
Claim 4, Hartland and wolfel discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1, they do not disclose one or more pressure chambers comprising pressurized hydrogen (H2) and pressurized oxygen (02). Potter discloses Unmanned Underwater Vehicle fuel cell Powered charging system and method with a plurality of tanks [chambers] some used for buoyance [pressurized oxygen] and some used for fuel for a fuel cell [pressurized hydrogen] see cols. 4-5 and claim 6. Thus, it 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 to have modified Hartland and Wolfel with Potter in order to have fuel storage means for AUV.
Claim(s) 2 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hartland WO 2024161139, and further in view of Wolfel US 11993354 and Dame US 20060071630.
Claims 2 and 10, , Hartland and wolfel discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1/9, they do not disclose the limitations of the power source is configured to switch between the fuel cells and the rechargeable batteries. Dame discloses a hybrid power system for manned or unmanned underwater vehicles wherein there are multiple operating modes wherein a fuel cell and batteries are used for propulsion via switching. [See figs. 1-2 and claim 1]. Thus, it 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 to have modified Hartland and Wolfel with Dame to provide switching capabilities between power sources for the AUV during propulsion for redundancy.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Because they relevant to seismic surveying and autonomous underwater unmanned vehicles.
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/JOVON E HAYES/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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