DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This action is in response to the application filed 3 March 2025 which is a Continuation of application 18/214,440 now US Patent 12,263,937 filed 26 June 2023, which is a Continuation of application 17/478,550 now US Patent 11,724,799 filed 17 September 2021. 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 10 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 10 and 20 recite “further comprises a fuselage with comprising” which should be corrected to “further comprises a fuselage with”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Frolov et al. (US 2018/0354617).
- Regarding Claim 1. Frolov discloses an aircraft (5100, fig. 51) having a controllable center of gravity (“(CG) position control system” [0162]), the aircraft (5100) comprising:
a blended wing body (illustrated by the figures) comprising at least a propulsor (5130) located on an upper surface at an aftmost point of the blended wing body (illustrated by fig. 51);
a first tank (5140) located within the blended wing body and configured to store a first portion of a ballast (“ballast fluid” [0162]);
a second tank (5140, fig. 51 illustrates 4 total tanks) configured to store a second portion of the ballast, located within the blended wing body and disposed substantially aft of the first tank (fig. 51 illustrates two fore tanks and two aft tanks);
at least a pipe (5145) configured to provide fluidic communication between the first tank and the second tank (5140, “interconnected via pipes” [0162]);
at least a pump (“pumps” [0162]) configured to pump the ballast bidirectionally between the first tank and the second tank by way of the at least a pipe (5145, “transferred through pipes using pumps and thus shift the aircraft CG in the direction of the fluid transfer” [0162], whichever direction the fluid is transferred shifts the CG in that direction inherently); and
a controller (“control system” [0162]) in communication with the at least a pump (inherently required for the CG control system to function) and configured to;
receive a pump data signal from the at least a pump indicating a performance of the at least a pump (this is inherently required within the system of Frolov to ensure the CG is controlled dynamically as disclosed by [0162]); and
transmit a pump command signal effecting the performance of the at least a pump as a function of the pump data signal, wherein the controller is further configured to control at least a longitudinal ballast ratio of the first portion of the ballast relative the second portion of the ballast and affect an aircraft center of gravity (“shift the aircraft CG” [0162]; inherently, the controller communicates with the pump to move the ballast as required to alter the CG).
- Regarding Claim 2. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 1, wherein the ballast comprises a consumable ballast (“fuel” [0162]).
- Regarding Claim 3. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 1, wherein the ballast comprises a non-consumable ballast (“water” [0162]).
- Regarding Claim 4. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 1, wherein the ballast comprises a fuel for the aircraft (5100 “fuel” [0162]).
- Regarding Claim 5. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a third tank located within a first wing of the aircraft and a fourth tank located within a second wing of the aircraft (fig. 51 illustrates four total tanks, two forward, two aft and two in the first and two in the second wings of the aircraft).
- Regarding Claim 6. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to control a lateral ballast ratio of the third tank and the fourth tank (“dynamic adjustment of the aircraft CG position on the ground or in flight” [0162], inherently required for proper flight control to be maintained).
- Regarding Claim 7. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control a ballast ratio as a function of inflight changes to a center of gravity of the aircraft (“dynamic adjustment of the aircraft CG position on the ground or in flight” [0162], inherently required for proper flight control to be maintained).
- Regarding Claim 8. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 7, wherein the inflight changes to the center of gravity of the aircraft results from a change in a cargo or a payload of the (“dynamic adjustment of the aircraft CG position on the ground or in flight” [0162], inherently required for proper flight control to be maintained as the aircraft burns off fuel which is considered a form or payload).
- Regarding Claim 9. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 1, wherein the ballast comprises an effluent (‘water” [0162], effluent is equivalent to water).
- Regarding Claim 10. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 1, wherein the blended wing body further comprises a fuselage (202, fig. 2) with a semi-monocoque construction (“modular fuselage includes a pod” [0010], the pod is equivalent to a semi-monocoque construction fuselage).
- Regarding Claim 11. Frolov discloses a method of controlling a center of gravity (“(CG) position control system” [0162]), an aircraft (5100), the method comprising:
storing, using a first tank (5140) located within a blended wing body of the aircraft (illustrated by fig. 51), a first portion of a ballast (“ballast fluid” [0162]), wherein the blended wing body comprises at least a propulsor (5130) located on an upper surface at an aftmost point of the blended wing body (illustrated by fig. 51);
storing, using a second tank (5140, fig. 51 illustrates 4 tanks) located within the blended wing body and disposed substantially aft of the first tank, a second portion of the ballast (“ballast fluid” [0162]);
providing, using at least a pipe (5145), fluidic communication between the first tank and the second tank (5140, “interconnected via pipes” [0162]);
receiving, using a controller (“control system” [0162]) in communication with at least a pump (“pumps” [0162]), a pump data signal indicating a performance of the at least a pump (this is inherently required within the system of Frolov to ensure the CG is controlled dynamically as disclosed by [0162]);
transmitting, using the controller, a pump command signal effecting the performance of the at least a pump as a function of the pump data signal (this is inherently required within the system of Frolov to ensure the CG is controlled dynamically as disclosed by [0162]);
pumping, using the at least a pump, the ballast bidirectionally between the first tank and the second tank by way of the at least a pipe (5145, “shift the aircraft CG” [0162]; inherently, the controller communicates with the pump to move the ballast as required to alter the CG); and
controlling, using the controller a longitudinal ballast ratio of the first portion of the ballast relative the second portion of the ballast and affect an aircraft center of gravity (“dynamic adjustment of the aircraft CG position on the ground or in flight” [0162]).
- Regarding Claim 12. Frolov discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the ballast comprises a consumable ballast (see claim 2).
- Regarding Claim 13. Frolov discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the ballast comprises a non-consumable ballast (see claim 3).
- Regarding Claim 14. Frolov discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the ballast comprises a fuel for the aircraft (see claim 4).
- Regarding Claim 15. Frolov discloses the method of claim 11, the aircraft further comprising a third tank located within a first wing of the aircraft and a fourth tank located within a second wing of the aircraft (see claim 5).
- Regarding Claim 16. Frolov discloses the he method of claim 15, the method further comprising, controlling, user the controller, a lateral ballast ratio of the third tank and the fourth tank (see claim 6).
- Regarding Claim 17. Frolov discloses the aircraft of claim 11, the method further comprising, controlling, using the controller, a ballast ratio as a function of inflight changes to a center of gravity of the aircraft (see claim 7).
- Regarding Claim 18. Frolov discloses the method of claim 17, wherein the inflight changes to the center of gravity of the aircraft results from a change in a cargo or a payload of the aircraft (see claim 8).
- Regarding Claim 19. Frolov discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the ballast comprises an effluent (see claim 9).
- Regarding Claim 20. Frolov discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the blended wing body further comprises a fuselage with comprising a semi-monocoque construction (see claim 10).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon but considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYE W ABELL whose telephone number is (303) 297-4408. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 0700-1500 CST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Collins can be reached on 571-272-6886. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TYE WILLIAM ABELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3644 10 December 2025