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 .
Prosecution History Summary
Claims 1-10 are pending.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (CN 117585125A).
As per claim 1, Liu teaches a bionic sailfish, comprising:
-a fish body (Liu: figure 1) mounted with pectoral fin (210) steering engines (208) at both sides of an interior of the fish body (Liu: the other pectoral fin is a mirror; pg. 5, disposed in the shell of the body), and rotation axes of output ends of the pectoral fin steering engines extending along two sides of the fish body (Liu: pg. 5, pectoral fin connecting rod 207 is connected with a central shaft and the pectoral fin steering engine disposed on the connecting rod 207 for rotation of the pectoral fins);
-pectoral fins (210) arranged on both sides of the fish body and fixedly connected to the output ends of the pectoral fin steering engines (Liu: figures 1-2; pg. 5, left and right pectoral fins have the same structure and are symmetrically distributed), longitudinal sections of the pectoral fins are spindle-shaped, and the longitudinal sections at any positions in the pectoral fins are parallel to a longitudinal central plane of the fish body (Liu: figure 1, no. 2);
-a caudal fin (403) arranged at a tail end of the fish body and connected to the fish body through a caudal fin steering engine (404); and
-a control module (308) arranged at the interior of the fish body and electrically connected to the pectoral fin steering engines and the caudal fin steering engine (Liu: pg. 5).
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As per claim 2, the sailfish of claim 1 is as described. Liu further teaches wherein front edges of the pectoral fins are tilted backwards (Liu: figure 1).
As per claim 3, the sailfish of claim 1 is as described. Liu further teaches further comprising a caudal peduncle (Liu: figure 10) connected between the caudal fin and the fish body through a caudal peduncle steering engine (401) and the caudal fin steering engine (404), respectively.
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As per claim 4, the sailfish of claim 1 is as described. Liu further teaches wherein a back of the fish body is provided with a dorsal fin (403).
As per claim 5, the sailfish of claim 4 is as described. Liu further teaches wherein the back of the fish body is provided with a wireless signal communication module (310) electrically connected to the control module, the wireless signal communication module is arranged behind the dorsal fin (Liu: pg. 5).
As per claim 6, the sailfish of claim 1 is as described. Liu further teaches wherein the fish body comprises an upper housing and a lower housing connected through bolts, and a keel connected to the upper housing through bolts, the control module being mounted above the keel (Liu: pg. 6, screws used throughout).
As per claim 7, the sailfish of claim 6 is as described. Liu further teaches further comprising a camera module (105) mounted at a bottom of a front end of the keel (104), the camera module is located in the lower housing, and the lower housing is provided with a transparent window for the camera module to photograph therethrough (Liu: figure 2).
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As per claim 8, the sailfish of claim 6 is as described. Liu further teaches further comprising a storage battery (110) further mounted below the keel, and a gyroscope (311) mounted at a front end of the keel and is electrically connected to the control module. Examiner states that while the claim states that the battery is mounted below the keel and the gyroscope is mounted at the front end of the keel, prior art shows to be on top of the keel and that is purely an aesthetic design choice since the placement of the battery and gyroscope seem to not change the invention as a whole (see MPEP 2144.04 (I)).
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As per claim 9, the sailfish of claim 1 is as described. Liu further teaches wherein a front end of the fish body is provided with a conical fish mouth (Liu: figure 1, no. 1).
As per claim 10, the sailfish of claim 9 is as described. Liu further teaches wherein the fish mouth is connected to the fish body through a thread (Liu: pg. 3; connected with a threaded manner).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yu et al. – CN 116142434A – Teaches a flagfish-like robot with a propulsion of a dorsal fin and a caudal fin.
Yu et al. – CN 102303700B – Teaches a robotic fish.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHEETAL R. PAULSON whose telephone number is (571)270-1368. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marc Jimenez can be reached at (571) 272-4530. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHEETAL R PAULSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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