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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/19/26 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 4-8 and 13 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 4 lines 5-6, there is no antecedent basis for the term “the main frame constituting said intermediate component”. It appears that the claim is reciting that the intermediate component comprises a main frame.
In claim 5 it is unclear how the rotatable frame is structured and arranged, as there does not appear to be any disclosed structure allowing for the rotatable frame to move linearly along the guide bar as claimed, as the rotatable frame(1123a,1123b) only moves linearly relative to the connected second payload brackets(1122a,1122b) and not along the guide bar as recited in the claim.
In claim 6 it is unclear how the first component is to be connectable to the payload, as claim 1 recites that the first component is connectable to the carrier, while the second component is connectable to the payload.
In claim 7 there is no antecedent basis for the term “the at least one second sliding element of each second linear translation set” as the second translation set of claim 4 only recites a third sliding element, not a second sliding element as recited in claim 7. Further the second payload brackets disclosed in the specification, 1122a, 1122b, are fixedly connectable to the main frame(intermediate component 1101), not the second component.
In claim 8 it is unclear how the main frame and brackets are structured and arranged so that the brackets are “slidably inserted also through the brackets of the main frame”, i.e. slidably inserted through themselves.
In claim 13, line 19, it is unclear if the step of “providing at least one damping subsystem for damping and/or shock absorption of the carrier’s movements” is meant to refer to the step in lines 3 and 4 of claim 13, which also recites “providing… at least one damping subsystem”. It is unclear if the damping subsystem recited in line 19 of claim 13 is meant to be the same damping subsystem found earlier in the claim, or a separate damping subsystem. For the purposes of examination it was assumed that only a single damping subsystem was being referenced as this is what was meant to be claimed per the examiner’s best understanding of the claimed invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1,2,4-8,11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by The Palace Museum (CN113883215A).
[claim 1] The Palace Museum teaches a passive stabilization system (PSS)(fig 1) for stabilizing a payload(attachable to plate 2) being carried by a carrier(attachable to plate 1), the PSS comprising at least: a linear displacement subsystem (LDS)(fig 1), comprising a first component(plate 1) fixedly connectable to the carrier at one side thereof and a second component(plate 2) fixedly connectable to a payload at another side thereof, such that the LDS is located between the payload and carrier, wherein the LDS further comprising an intermediate component(13) interposed between the first component and the second component, and mechanically linked therewith in a manner allowing each of the first component or second component to independently perform a lateral linear movement along at least one of the X and Y axes without entailing corresponding movement of the intermediate component(intermediate component can move along guides 9 and rails receiving block 12, independent of the first and second components), thereby allowing the LDS to enable a three-dimensional (3D) linear displacement of the payload with respect to the carrier, while reducing responsive relative angular movements of the payload with respect to the carrier, for maintaining a stable relative angular orientation of the payload in respect to the carrier(ABS), the LDS comprises at least one damping subsystem(11) for damping and/or shock absorption of the carriers movement wherein the damping subsystem comprises one or more dampers(11) located between the first component and the second component of the PSS(fig 3) connected to the carrier and the payload, respectively.
[claim 2] wherein the LDS is configured for separate per-axis linear movement(along each of the XY and Z axes) of the payload along three linear orthogonal axes of the LDS coordinate system XYZ.
[claim 4] In view of the claim interpretations in the above 112(a) rejection, wherein the LDS comprises at least: (i) a first translation assembly having at least one first translation set, each first translation set comprising at least: at least one first sliding element(guide rail receiving block 12) fixedly connected to the first component and at least one second sliding element(12) fixedly connectable to the main frame constituting said intermediate component(13); and at least one guide bar(8), wherein the at least one first sliding element is linearly moveable along the guide bar in parallel to the x-axis for translating force vectors Fx parallel to the x-axis exerted in the x- axis direction into linear sliding movements of the at least one first sliding element fixedly connected to the first component, in parallel to the x-axis direction, thereby enabling linear movement of the carrier in parallel to the x-axis; (ii) a second translation assembly having at least one second translation set, each second translation set comprising at least: at least one third sliding element(6) fixedly connected to the main frame; at least one second guide bar(lead screw 8 in fig 5), wherein the at least one third sliding element is linearly moveable along the at least one second guide bar in parallel to the y-axis, for translating force vectors Fy exerted in the y-axis direction into linear sliding movements of the at least one third sliding element, in parallel to the y-axis; and at least one rotatable frame(16) mounted to the at least one second guide bar of the second translation set such that force vectors Fz exerted in the z-axis direction are translated into rotation movement of the at least one rotatable frame(16) which causes linear movement of the payload at least in parallel to z-axis direction.
[claim 5] wherein the at least one rotatable frame (16) of each second translation set is also linearly movable along the at least one guide bar thereof, such that the at least one rotatable frame translates Fz exerted forces in the z-axis direction into linear movement of the payload in parallel to the x-axis direction in addition to linear movement in parallel to the z-axis(fig 1).
[claim 6] wherein the at least one first sliding element of the first translation set comprises one or more first payload brackets(brackets mounting ends of upper lead screw 8) fixedly connectable to the first component, which is connectable to the payload.
[claim 7] wherein the at least one second sliding element of each second translation set comprises one or more second payload brackets(10) fixedly connectable to the second component, which is connectable to the payload.
[claim 8] further comprising the main frame(13) comprising brackets(12,6) connected thereto, which are slidably inserted also through the brackets of the main frame.
[claim 11] wherein the PSS is located externally to the payload(fig 1, PSS would be external to a payload placed on plate 2).
[claim 12] wherein the PSS is located remotely from a center of mass (COM) of the payload and/or off-axis from the COM axis of the payload(fig 1, PSS would be remote to the COM of a payload placed on plate 2).
[claim 13] The Palace Museum further teaches a method for stabilizing a payload carried by a carrier, the method comprising at least: providing a passive stabilization system (PSS)(fig 1) comprising at least a linear displacement subsystem (LDS) and at least one damping subsystem(11), wherein the LDS is configured to enable three-dimensional (3D) linear displacement of the payload; the LDS comprising a first component(plate 1) fixedly connectable to the carrier at one side thereof and a second component(plate 2) fixedly connectable to a payload at another side thereof, such that the LDS is located between the payload and carrier, wherein the LDS further comprising an intermediate component(13) interposed between the first component and the second component, and mechanically linked therewith in a manner allowing each of the first component or second component to independently perform a lateral linear movement along at least one of the X and Y axes without entailing corresponding movement of the intermediate component(intermediate component can move along guides 9 and rails receiving block 12, independent of the first and second components) connecting the PSS at one side thereof to the carrier via said first component and at another side thereof to a payload via said second component, or vice versa, such that the PSS is located between the carrier and the payload; damping movements of the carrier by the at least one damping subsystem; and reducing rotation of the payload in respect to the carrier by using the LDS(ABS), and providing at least one damping subsystem(11) for damping and/or shock absorption of the carrier’s movements, wherein the damping subsystem comprises one or more dampers(11) connected between the first component and the second component of the PSS connected to the carrier and the payload, respectively.
[claim 14] The Palace Museum teaches a passive stabilization system (PSS)(fig 1) for stabilizing a payload(attachable to plate 2) being carried by a carrier(attachable to plate 1), the PSS comprising at least: a linear displacement subsystem (LDS)(fig 1), comprising a first component(1) fixedly connectable to the carrier at one side thereof and a second component(2) fixedly connectable to a payload at another side thereof, such that the LDS is located between the payload and the carrier; wherein the LDS further comprising an intermediate component(13) interposed between the first component and the second component, and mechanically linked therewith in a manner allowing each of the first component or second component to independently perform a lateral linear movement along at least one of the X and Y axes without entailing corresponding movement of the intermediate component(intermediate component can move along guides 9 and rails receiving block 12, independent of the first and second components) and a damping subsystem(11) comprising one or more dampers(11) connected between the first component and the second component of the PSS connected to the carrier and the payload, respectively, wherein the damping subsystem is located and configured to damp movements of the carrier and the LDS is configured to reduce angular movements of the payload in respect to the carrier by enabling only a three-dimensional (3D) linear displacement of the payload in respect to the carrier, for maintaining a stable relative angular orientation of the payload in respect to the carrier(ABS).
[claim 15] wherein the LDS is configured for separate per-axis linear movement(along each of the XY and Z axes) of the payload along three linear orthogonal axes of the LDS coordinate system XYZ.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/19/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the damping subsystem connecting the first plate and the second plate) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). The claims merely recite that the damping subsystem is “connected between the first component and the second component”. As seen in figures 1c and 3 of the present application, the damping subsystem(200) is only connected to the first component(1001), and connected between the first component and the second component as recited in the claims. With regards to the prior art, Palace Museum CN113883215A teaches a damping subsystem(11), which as seen in figure 1, is located between the first component(1) and the second component(2) as recited in the claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRADLEY H DUCKWORTH whose telephone number is (571)272-2304. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at 5712724979. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRADLEY DUCKWORTH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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