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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
References submitted in the information disclosure statement filed 04/29/2025 have been considered by the examiners. See attached PTO-1449.
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 1-13, 15, 17, 21-22 and 25 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. Claim 1 recites “the or” in line 11 and 12 and throughout multiple claims. This term is indefinite and not clear what it means. All claims depend from claim 1 are also rejected because of its dependency on rejected claims
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kirkman (PCT International Publication No. WO 2014/087172 A1) (hereinafter "KIRKMAN").
As to claim 1, KIRKMAN discloses "Motion generation apparatus for a motion platform system, the apparatus comprising:". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches a motion control apparatus within a motion simulator system comprising several integrated mechanical and electrical components (p. 1, ll. 10-12). KIRKMAN discloses "a platform for supporting an occupant carrier;". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches a carrier platform 14 (p. 7, ll. 26-27).
KIRKMAN discloses “a plurality of motion control arrangements each configured to independently provide motion control to a respective portion of the platform, and each comprising i) a respective control member and ii) a respective rotatable coupling coupled between the platform and the respective said control member; and". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches four motion control apparatuses 52, 54, 56, 58, each comprising a first support 76 and a gimbal 98 (p. 8, ll. 9-14; p. 8, ll. 28-34). This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "The first support 76 includes a carriage 82... constrained to translate along an inclined path 88... of the second support 78. As shown in Figure 2b, the first support is connected by a gimbal 98 and mount 100 to a support rail 102 for the carrier platform 14" (p. 8, ll. 28-34), which demonstrates the structural coupling and independent control. See also p. 8, ll. 9-14.
KIRKMAN discloses "a plurality of actuation arrangements each configured independently to drive a respective said control member laterally in multiple lateral directions; wherein". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches linear motors 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 (p. 9, ll. 16-18; p. 13, ll. 29-31. This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "The motor 38 is therefore arranged to drive the second support 78 with a linear translational movement horizontally along the rail 60 and substantially perpendicular to a generally longitudinal direction A (Figure 1) of the simulator" (p. 9, ll. 16-18), which demonstrates independent lateral driving of the control members. See also p. 13, ll. 29-31.
KIRKMAN discloses the limitation of "at least one of the control members comprises an inclined portion, and a respective said coupling is configured to engage the respective inclined portion such that laterally driving the or each respective control member forces the or each respective coupling in a direction along an inclined path under control of the control member, to thereby impart a vertical component of drive force to a said respective portion of the platform;". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches triangular flanges 94, 96 and rails 90, 92 defining an inclined path 88 (p. 9, ll. 20-23; p. 9, ll. 23-25; p. 13, ll. 11-13). This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "The use of a sloped inclination at the inclined path 88 to transform a horizontal motion into a vertical motion increases the motion envelope and performance of the motion of the simulator 10 compared to prior systems" (p. 13, ll. 11-13), which demonstrates the conversion of lateral drive into a vertical component of force along an inclined path. See also p. 9, ll. 23-25.
KIRKMAN discloses "motion and positioning of the platform laterally and vertically with multiple degrees of freedom being determined by the combined movement and/or positioning of the control members.". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches six degrees of motion for the carrier platform 14 and body tub 12 (p. 8, ll. 11-14; p. 11, ll. 15-18). KIRKMAN's six degrees of motion are interpreted as disclosing the claimed limitation. This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "the control apparatuses 52, 54, 56, 58 are controlled by the controller 24 to apply motion with six degrees of freedom to the carrier platform 14 and body tub 12 through use of the linear motors 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50" (p. 8, ll. 11-14), which demonstrates that the combined movement of the control members determines the multi-degree-of-freedom motion and positioning of the platform. See also p. 11, ll. 15-18.
Regarding claim 27, KIRKMAN discloses "A simulator for simulating vehicular motion, comprising:". This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "The motion simulator may be a motor land vehicle simulator" (p. 6, l. 29), which demonstrates that the apparatus is a simulator for simulating vehicular motion. See also p. 13, ll. 36-39.
KIRKMAN discloses "a movable frame to support occupant seating and controls;". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches a carrier platform 14 and body tub 12 assembly (p. 7, ll. 26-27). This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "As shown in Figure 1, a racing car motion simulator 10 incorporates a single seat body tub 12 fixed on a carrier platform 14" (p. 7, ll. 26-27), which demonstrates that the frame supports the occupant seating and controls. See also p. 11, ll. 15-16.
KIRKMAN discloses "three inwardly pointing control wedges having respective inwardly and upwardly directed inclined wedge faces;". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches wedges and triangular flanges 94, 96 having inclined faces (p. 9, ll. 20-23; p. 13, ll. 19-21). This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "The use of a wedge or inclined path as in the present embodiment allows for more vertical travel, more linear motion ratio, enables less moving mass and provides a stiffer design which increases the travel and bandwidth of the system" (p. 13, ll. 19-21), which demonstrates the use of control wedges with inclined faces. See also p. 9, ll. 20-23.
KIRKMAN discloses "three couplings each i) connected to a respective fixed location on the frame by a respective rotatable joint having three degrees of rotational freedom of movement, and ii) engaged with a respective one of the inclined faces for guided relative translational movement along the face; and". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches a gimbal 98 and carriage 82 slide bearings (p. 8, ll. 33-36; p. 8, ll. 28-31). This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "The gimbal 98 allows three degrees of rotation of the mount 100 and support rail 102 relative to the carriage 82 of the first support 76 in a substantially frictionless manner" (p. 8, ll. 33-36), which demonstrates the rotatable joint having three degrees of rotational freedom of movement. See also p. 8, ll. 28-31.
KIRKMAN discloses "respective linear motors to respectively drive each of the respective wedges independently, in any desired horizontal direction;". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches linear motors 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 (p. 9, ll. 16-18). This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "The motor 38 is therefore arranged to drive the second support 78 with a linear translational movement horizontally along the rail 60 and substantially perpendicular to a generally longitudinal direction A (Figure 1) of the simulator" (p. 9, ll. 16-18), which demonstrates driving the wedges independently in horizontal directions. See also p. 13, ll. 29-31.
KIRKMAN discloses "motion of the frame with three rotational degrees of freedom and three translational degrees of freedom being controlled by operation of the linear motors.". Specifically, KIRKMAN teaches six degrees of motion for the carrier platform 14 and body tub 12 (p. 8, ll. 11-14; p. 11, ll. 15-18). This interpretation is supported by KIRKMAN's disclosure that "the control apparatuses 52, 54, 56, 58 are controlled by the controller 24 to apply motion with six degrees of freedom to the carrier platform 14 and body tub 12 through use of the linear motors 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50" (p. 8, ll. 11-14), which demonstrates that the frame's motion in all six degrees of freedom is controlled by the operation of the linear motors. See also p. 11, ll. 15-18.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 28 is 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.
Claims -13, 15, 17, 21-22 and 25 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ouyang et al. (US 2022/0219093) teaches a motion simulator with a base, platform, support assembly for simulating different motions.
Warne (US 2017/0053548) teaches a vehicle simulator with a moving system.
Ling (US patent No. 5,752,834) teaches a motion/force simulators with six or three degrees of freedom.
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/AMR A AWAD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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