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 .
Application Status
Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined in this application.
This communication is the first action on merits.
Information disclosure statement was filed and reviewed by examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 10 and 15 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.
In claims 10 and 15, the recited limitation “if the remaining operational range is not sufficient” is indefinite. This limitation recites an “if” statement which is under the broadest reasonable interpretation it’s not necessitated in the claim. Examiner suggest amending the limitation to recite “when the remaining operational range is not sufficient”.
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 1-15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al (US 20200019189 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Chen discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle (see at least [abstract]) comprising: a plurality of vehicle actuators (see at least [0140-0141] and [Fig. 1]), a control system and a physical user interface (see at least [0034], [0065], [0161], and [0149]), the control system including a processor and a memory (see at least [0083] and [0136]), the control system being configured to store flight plan instructions in the memory (see at least [0136] and [0254]), wherein the flight plan instructions, when executed by the processor, cause control signals to be sent to the vehicle actuators to carry out a flight plan (see at least [0137], [0163], [0174], [0190], and [0234]), and the physical user interface being connected to the control system (see at least [0065], [0190], and [0230-0234]), and including a control element (see at least [0065], [0190], and [0234]), wherein activation of the control element by a user causes the processor to execute at least a portion of the flight plan instructions corresponding to at least a segment of the flight plan (see at least [0065], [0190], and [0234]).
With respect to claim 2, Chen discloses wherein the physical user interface includes only a single control element and/or wherein activation of the control element requires a single action (see at least [0168]).
With respect to claim 3, Chen discloses herein the control element is a push- button (see at least [0168]).
With respect to claim 4, Chen discloses wherein the flight plan comprises a first flight segment and a second flight segment (see at least 0157] and [0234]), and wherein, after the first flight segment has been completed, the activation of the control element causes the processor to execute a portion of the flight plan instructions corresponding to the second flight segment (see at least 0157] and [0234]).
With respect to claim 5, Chen discloses a sensing unit configured to record at least one parameter while carrying out the first flight segment (see at least [0161-0162]), and wherein the processor is configured to modify a portion of the flight plan instructions associated with the second flight segment according to the recorded at least one parameter (see at least [0161-0162] and [0166]).
With respect to claim 6, Chen discloses wherein the vehicle is further configured to transport a payload (see at least [0141]).
With respect to claim 7, Chen discloses wherein activation of the control element by a user causes the vehicle to fly to a base location (see at least [0160]).
With respect to claim 8, Chen discloses wherein the vehicle further comprises a main body including the physical user interface (see at least [0065] and [0190]).
With respect to claim 9, Chen discloses wherein the vehicle, before executing at least a portion of the flight plan instructions, is configured to verify whether it has sufficient remaining operational range to perform at least an associated segment of the flight plan (see at least [0153] and [0184-0186]).
With respect to claim 10, Chen discloses wherein the processor is configured to modify at least a portion of the flight plan instructions to reach a destination location if the remaining operational range is not sufficient to complete the associated segment of the flight plan executing an stored portion of the flight plan instructions (see at least [0153] and [0184-0186]).
With respect to claim 11, Chen discloses a method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (see at least [abstract]), the method comprising: loading a flight plan into a memory of the vehicle (see at least [0136] and [0254]); executing a first segment of the flight plan (see at least [0137], [0163], [0174], [0190], and [0234]); receiving a user input through a physical user interface incorporated in the unmanned aerial vehicle after executing the first segment (see at least [0065], [0190], and [0234]); and in response to the user input, initiating at least a further segment of the flight plan (see at least [0065], [0190], and [0234]).
With respect to claim 12, Chen discloses wherein the vehicle executes at least a segment of the flight plan autonomously (see at least [0162] and [0168]).
With respect to claim 13, Chen discloses wherein the first segment of the flight plan ends in a payload delivery location or in a payload pick up location. (see at least [0141]).
With respect to claim 14, Chen discloses recording at least one flying parameter or atmospheric parameter while executing the first segment of the flight plan (see at least [0161-0162], [0166], and [0246]), and autonomously modifying the further segment of the flight plan according to the recorded parameter (see at least [0161-0162], [0166], and [0246]).
With respect to claim 15, Chen discloses wherein before executing at least a segment of the flight plan, the method further comprises: verifying whether the unmanned aerial vehicle has sufficient remaining operational range to carry out the segment of the flight plan (see at least [0153] and [0184-0186]), and if the remaining operational range is not sufficient to complete the segment, modifying at least a portion of the loaded flight plan to reach a destination location (see at least [0153] and [0184-0186]).
With respect to claim 18, Chen discloses wherein activation of the control element requires a single action (see at least [0168]).
With respect to claim 19, Chen discloses wherein the physical user interface includes only a single control element (see at least [0168]).
With respect to claim 20, Chen discloses wherein the physical user interface is a single push-button (see at least [0168]).
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 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.
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (US 20200019189 A1) in view of Singh et al (US 2020020284 A1).
With respect to claim 16, Chen do not specifically disclose wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a main lifting body configured to store a payload in an interior space of the main lifting body.
Singh teaches wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a main lifting body configured to store a payload in an interior space of the main lifting body (see at least [0024], [055-0056] and [0064]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified Chen, with a reasonable expectation of success to incorporate the teachings of Singh wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a main lifting body configured to store a payload in an interior space of the main lifting body. This would be done to improve package delivery and increase efficiency of package delivery (see Singh para 0002).
With respect to claim 17, Chen do not specifically disclose wherein the main lifting body has an openable lid.
Singh teaches wherein the main lifting body has an openable lid (see at least [0024], [055-0056] and [0064]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified Chen, with a reasonable expectation of success to incorporate the teachings of Singh wherein the main lifting body has an openable lid. This would be done to improve package delivery and increase efficiency of package delivery (see Singh para 0002).
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDALLA A KHALED whose telephone number is (571)272-9174. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8:00 Am-5:00, every other Friday 8:00A-5:00AM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faris Almatrahi can be reached on (313) 446-4821. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDALLA A KHALED/Examiner, Art Unit 3667
