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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim priority based on a provisional application filed on 02/29/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/11/25 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Troutman (20090050747) and further in view of GREVE (U.S. 2019/0351343).
1. As per claims 1,21 Troutman disclosed a system comprising:
an emitter drone that is configured to fly in a three-dimensional space comprising:
one or more emitters comprising an infrared emitter, lase emitter, or both that are configured to emit signals toward a receiver drone while the emitter drone and the receiver drone move in relation to each other [A near infrared (NIR) light source 12 is mounted on the topside of the right forward wing and is aimed forward to transmit a laser to a receiver 4 on an opposing aircraft 2. The light source 12 is preferably a laser diode, including for example the SDL 6300 Series High Brightness NIR Laser Diodes. The light source 12 is under operator-control from hand-held transmitter 20 and when activated the light source 12 pulses on and off. The receiver circuit 4 (described in further detail in reference to FIG. 3) is operative to respond to the frequency of the modulated pulse bursts of infrared light from the light source 12 of another airplane 2. The light source 12 and receiver 4 are electrically connected to the power source 7. Given good agility and aim, the infrared (IR) light beam pulsing from the light source 12 on one RC plane 2 strikes the receiver 4 of another RC plane 2] (Paragraph. 0029);
a receiver drone that is configured to fly in the three-dimensional space comprising:
one or more receivers that are configured to detect an emitted signal from the emitter drone from a particular direction relative to the receiver drone [which in the present invention include the receiver 4 receiving IR radiation from a light source 12 on an opponent aircraft. The RC time constant of resistor R2 in conjunction with capacitor C1 is 5 seconds, and as such all inputs to Pin 2 of the timer T1 are ignored for a period of 5 seconds. In other words, the receiver 4 is blind to IR radiation inputs that occur less than 5 seconds after the immediately prior input. This five-second delay allows for each "hit" (i.e. IR radiation input to receiver 4 which activates servos 13, 14) to be spaced apart, and thus creates a more realistic dogfight wherein an aircraft is typically fired at over a period of time before smoke is released and the pilot escapes from the airplane] (Paragraph. 0046), and
a controller that is configured to provide a detection signal when the one or more receivers detect the emitted signal from the emitter drone [The timers T2 and T3 take in voltage at Pin 2 and generate output pulses at Pin 3 which are sent over the servos' 13, 14 control wires which connect to servo controller circuits SCC1 and SCC2. The inner mechanics of the servos 13, 14 control the position of servos 13, 14 in response to the output pulses] (Paragraph. 0051); and
However, Troutman did not disclose an indicator that provides an indication based on receiving the detection signal from the controller of the receiver drone.
In the same field of endeavor GREVE disclosed, “The infrared/light receiver 204 receives power from the processing unit 202 and sends back a “HIT” signal 202b when it detects a 38 KHz pulsed infrared signal 203a. If processing unit is not sending a “FIRE” signal 203a to the emitter/transmitter then the processing unit counts a “HIT”. If the processing unit is sending a “FIRE” signal 203a to the emitter/transmitter 203, then the processing unit ignores the signal from the infrared/light receiver 204” (Paragraph. 0045).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing was made to have incorporated The infrared/light receiver 204 receives power from the processing unit 202 and sends back a “HIT” signal 202b when it detects a 38 KHz pulsed infrared signal 203a. If processing unit is not sending a “FIRE” signal 203a to the emitter/transmitter then the processing unit counts a “HIT”. If the processing unit is sending a “FIRE” signal 203a to the emitter/transmitter 203, then the processing unit ignores the signal from the infrared/light receiver 204 as taught by GREVE in the method and system of Troutman to increase the efficiency of the drone guidance system.
2. As per claims 2,16,17 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the one or more receivers are configured to detect the emitted signal from the emitter drone only when the emitter drone is in a particular position or orientation with respect to the receiver drone (Troutman, Paragraph. 0046).
3. As per claim 3 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the controller is configured to provide the detection signal for output when the one or more receivers detect the signal from the emitter drone for more than a threshold amount of time (Troutman, Paragraph. 0046).
4. As per claim 4 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the controller is configured to provide the detection signal for output when the one or more receivers detect the signal from the emitter drone more than a threshold number of times (Troutman, Paragraph. 0049).
5. As per claim 5 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the emitted signal encodes data associated with the emitter drone or the receiver drone (Troutman, Paragraph. 0049).
6. As per claim 6 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the receiver drone comprises a filter that prevents the one or more receivers from detecting emitted signal energy from one or more directions (Troutman, Paragraph. 0026).
7. As per claim 7 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the filter comprises an aperture (Troutman, Paragraph. 0026).
8. As per claims 8,15 Troutman-GREVE disclosed a receiver kit for a receiver drone that is configured to fly in s three-dimensional space, comprising:
a housing that is configured to attach to a frame of the receiver drone (Troutman, Paragraph. 0029); one or more receivers comprising an infrared sensor that are configured to detect an emitted signal from an emitter drone from a particular direction relative to the receiver drone (Troutman, Paragraph. 0032), and a controller inside the housing that is configured to output a detection signal when the one or more receivers detect the emitted signal, wherein the receiver kit is configured to detect the emitted signal while the emitter drone and the receiver drone move in relation to each other. (GREVE, Paragraph. 0045). Claims 8 and 15 have the same motivation as claim 1.
9. As per claim 9 Troutman-GREVE disclosed comprising: one or more light elements on the housing that activate when the controller activates the detection signal (Troutman, Paragraph. 0032).
10. As per claim 10 Troutman-GREVE disclosed comprising: a transmitter inside the housing that transmits the detection signal to a remote indicator or to another drone (Troutman, Paragraph. 0046).
11. As per claim 11 Troutman-GREVE disclosed comprising: amount for removably attaching the housing to the frame of the drone (Troutman, Paragraph. 0046).
12. As per claims 12,20 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the detection signal is output to an onboard controller of the drone (Troutman, Paragraph. 0051).
13. As per claims 13 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the detection signal encodes data reflecting an extent to which the emitted electromagnetic energy was detected (Troutman, Paragraph. 0042).
14. As per claim 14 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the detection signal comprises one or more piloting instructions that are provided to the drone (Troutman, Paragraph. 0025).
15. As per claim 18 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein the receiver drone performs a simulated hit flight maneuver in response to the detection signal (Troutman, Paragraph. 0023-0024).
16. As per claim 19 Troutman-GREVE disclosed wherein providing the detection signal for output comprises transmitting the detection signal to a remote indicator of a controlling user (Troutman, Paragraph. 0025).
Response to Arguments
17. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-21 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.
Conclusion
18. 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.
19. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the
examiner should be directed to Adnan Mirza whose telephone number is (571)-272-3885.
20. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday during normal
business hours. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the
examiner’s supervisor, Faris Almatrahi can be reached on (313)-446-4821.
21. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published
applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status
information for un published applications is available through Private PAIR only. For
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/ADNAN M MIRZA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3667
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