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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a non-final Office Action on the merits in response to communications filed by Applicant on March 12, 2025. Claims 1-20 are currently pending and examined below.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on is/are being considered by the examiner.
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 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.
(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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al. US2022/0055229 (Kim“”).
Regarding claim(s) 1, 16, 20. Kim discloses a motor-drivable two degrees of freedom joint (FIGS. 4 to 8B, the finger mechanism 100 having two degrees of freedom of the MCP joint is explained in detail. Here, in the finger mechanism 100, the finger is bent and unfolded, or moves from side to side.) comprising:
a first input element that rotates around a first axis; a second input element that rotates around the first axis, wherein the second input element is spaced apart from the first input element along the first axis, wherein the second input element can rotate independent from the first input element ([0071, FIG. 5, a first point {circle around (1)} of the frame 41 is rotatably connected with the base 10, a second point {circle around (2)} is connected to the first actuator, and a third point {circle around (3)} is connected to the second actuator.]);
an intermediate link that is disposed between the first and second input elements along the first axis, wherein the intermediate link rotates around the first axis, wherein the intermediate link defines a second axis that is orthogonal to and offset from the first axis ([0071], the movement of the first knuckle 20 with two degrees of freedom, the frame 51 moves all directions with respect to the base 10, and thus a universal joint may be used to connect the first point {circle around (1)} with the base 10.);
an output link that is mounted on the intermediate link and rotates around the second axis of the intermediate link; a first driving rod, configured as a two force member, that is coupled between the first input element and the output link; and a second driving rod, configured as a two force member, that is coupled between the second input element and the output link (Fig. 5 and F8a see the two links).
Regarding claim(s) 2. Kim discloses wherein rotation of the input elements in the same amount around the first axis causes the intermediate link and output element to rotate only about the first axis, and rotation of the input elements in different amounts around the first axis causes the output element to rotate about at least the second axis.
Regarding claim(s) 3. Kim discloses wherein said joint is operatively connected between a first limb segment and a second limb segment to provide relative rotational movement of the first and second limb segments in two degrees of freedom ([0073] Accordingly, the frame 41 of the first joint connected to the base 10 and the first driving part 30, rotates around the X axis with respect to the base 10 (Grasping), when the first and second actuators move the frame 41 equally (Δd.sub.1=Δd.sub.2) as illustrated in FIG. 6. In contrast, the frame 41 of the first joint rotates around the Y axis with respect to the base 10 (Ab/adduction), when the first and second actuators move the frame 41 unequally (Δd.sub.1≠Δd.sub.2) as illustrated in FIG. 6.).
Regarding claim(s) 4. Kim discloses wherein the first and second driving rods are coupled to the output link at opposite ends of a line through the second axis (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 5. Kim discloses wherein the first flange is closer to the first axis than is the second flange (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 6. Kim discloses wherein the first and second driving rods are disposed between the first and second input elements (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 9. Kim discloses a first motor connected to drive the first input element (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 10. Kim discloses wherein the second input element is selectively disconnected from the first input element (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 11. Kim discloses further comprising a first motor connected to drive the first input element and a second motor connected to drive the second input element (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 12. Kim discloses further comprising a motor controller processor that is configured by computer-executable instructions to implement a method comprising: receiving a target sequence of rotary movements for the output link; translating the target sequence of rotary movements to a sequence of motor commands for the first and second motors; and rotating the output link around at least one of the first and second axes by driving the first and second motors according to the sequence of motor commands ([0068] Here, the first and second actuators respectively include motors 31 and 32, ball screws 33 and 34 rotated by the motors, moving slides 35 and 36 combined with the ball screws 33 and 34 to move up and down by the rotation of the ball screw. Thus, the first knuckle 20 may rotate around the X axis or around the Y axis, by the combination of the movements of the first and second actuators.).
Regarding claim(s) 13. Kim discloses wherein the first and second motors are brushless permanent magnet motors (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 14. Kim discloses further comprising first and second rotary encoders, which are associated with the respective first and second motors for closed-loop control of the motors (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 15. Kim discloses wherein the first and second input elements are selectably disconnectable from the output link to allow free rotation of the intermediate link around the first axis (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 17. Kim discloses further comprising starting with the first input element and the second input element aligned to each other (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 18. Kim discloses further comprising rotating the first input element to an extreme position that is at least 360 degrees out of alignment from the second input element (fig. 4-fig. 9 and associated texts).
Regarding claim(s) 19. Kim discloses wherein when the first link and the second link are aligned to each other, the output link is in a neutral position with respect to the second axis, wherein at the extreme position of the first link, the output link is rotated +/−40 degrees from the neutral position around the second axis ([0075] Here, for the equivalent movement, the first point {circle around (1)}, the second point {circle around (2)} and the third point {circle around (3)} may form an imaginary isosceles triangle, and a line between the second point and the third point may form a base of the imaginary isosceles triangle.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRUC M DO whose telephone number is (571)270-5962. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-6PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ramón Mercado, Ph.D. can be reached on (571) 270-5744. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRUC M DO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3658
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