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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 4 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 4 lines 9-10, “the at least one sliding element” should be “the at least one first sliding element”.
In claim 5 line 4, “addition to” should be “in addition to”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 4 recites “each first translation set comprising at least: at least one first sliding element fixedly connected to the first component and at least one second sliding element fixedly connectable to the second component; and at least one guide bar”. This is not disclosed in the specification as filed and constitutes new matter. With reference to paragraphs [068]-[075], the application as filed discloses a first translation set(1110a or 1110b) comprising at least one first sliding element(carrier brackets 1113a,1113b)fixedly connected to the first component(1001), and at least one second sliding element(first payload brackets 1112a, 1112b)fixedly connectable to the main frame(1101, called the floating component in claim 1), not the second component(1002) as recited in claim 4. There is no disclosed first translation set with at least one first sliding element fixedly connected to the first component and at least one second sliding element fixedly connectable to the second component; and at least one guide bar as recited in amended claim 4.
Claim 4 further recites “each second translation set comprising at least: at least one third sliding element fixedly connected to the first component; at least one second guide bar, wherein the at least one third sliding element is linearly movable 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”. This is not disclosed in the specification as filed and constitutes new matter. With reference to paragraphs [070]-[080], the application as filed discloses a second translation set(1120a,1120b) comprising at least one third sliding element(assumed to be second payload brackets 1122a,1122b) fixedly connected to the main frame(1101, called the floating component in claim 1) and not to the first component as recited in claim 4. There is no disclosed third sliding element fixedly connected to the first component, allowing for the motion described in claim 4, as such the above limitations constitute new matter.
Claim 4 further recites “at least one rotatable frame constituting said floating element”, first it was assumed “floating element” was meant to reference the “floating component” of claim 1, and second this limitation is not disclosed in the application as filed and constitutes new matter. The only disclosed rotatable frames are 1123a,1123b, which are rotatably attached to the second component, and do not float relative to the second component. Further floating component of claim 1, referenced as “main frame 1101” in the specification is connected to the rotatable frame, but is a separate component from the rotatable frame and is no constituted by the rotatable frame. As such the application as filed does not teach “at least one rotatable frame constituting said floating element” which constitutes new matter.
Claims 1,2,4-12 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.
Claim 1 ends with the phrase “the LDS comprises.” It is unclear if there are additional limitations that were meant to be added to claim 1, or if the above phrase needs to be deleted. For the purposes of examination it was assumed that the above phrase was meant to be deleted, as this is what was meant to be claimed per the examiner’s best understanding of the claimed invention.
As noted above in the 112(a) rejection of claim 4, several limitations were not disclosed in the application as filed, as such there does not appear to be any first translation assembly and second translation assembly disclosed that correspond to the claimed limitations. It is unclear how applicant intends the first and second translation assemblies to be structured and arranged. For the purposes of examination claim 4 was examined as if the claimed structure aligned with the elements as recited in the application as filed, and as detailed above, as this is what was meant to be claimed per the examiner’s best understanding of the claimed invention.
Further in claim 4 there is no antecedent basis for the term “the floating element”. It appears this may be meant to reference “the floating component”.
In claim 5 it is unclear how the rotatable frame is structured and arranged, as first there is no antecedent basis for the term “the at least one guide element thereof” and there does not appear to be any disclosed structure allowing for the rotatable frame to move linearly along a guide element as claimed, as the rotatable frame(1123a,1123b) only moves linearly relative to the connected second payload brackets(1122a,1122b) which is not a disclosed guide element.
In claim 6 there is no antecedent basis for the term “the first linear translation set”, it appears this is meant to reference “the first translation set”. Further is unclear if the “one or more first payload brackets” is meant to reference either of the first or second sliding elements recited in claim 4, or a new bracket. It is further 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”. First it appears “second linear translation set” is meant to reference the “second translation set”, and secondly 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(floating component 1101), not the second component.
In claim 8 there is no antecedent basis for the term “the main frame”, it appears this may be meant to reference “the floating component”. Further 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.
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) 1,2,4-15 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 a floating 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 floating component(floating 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).
[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 second component(floating component); 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 first component(floating component); 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) constituting said floating element(connected to the floating component) 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 linear 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 linear 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 9] further comprising at least one damping subsystem(11) for damping and/or shock absorption of the carriers movement.
[claim 10] 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 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 a floating 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 floating component(floating 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).
[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 a floating 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 floating component(floating 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), 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 1/22/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Palace Museum(CN113883215) does not teach a floating component as recited in the independent claims. The examiner disagrees, as seen in figures 1-9 of Palace Museum, the floating component 13 can move along guides 9 and rails receiving block 12, independent of the first and second components.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 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