Detailed Action
The following is a non-final rejection made in response to preliminarily amended claims received on April 3rd 2025. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
(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.
The claims cited in this section are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Pub. No. 2008/0034951 (hereinafter referred to as “GROBER” or “the reference”).
Regarding claims 21 and 26, Grober teaches a firearm support (shown in Figs. 1 and 2a), comprising:
a housing (via shock absorbing system 55);
two or more legs (60) pivotally coupled with and extending from the housing (via joints 67);
a column (via center post 54) coupled with and movable with respect to the housing;
a firearm mount (8) and configured to support a firearm and coupled to a distal end of the column opposite the housing; and
a electric remote controller (via control box 40 which may be either hard wired or wireless) operably coupled with the housing, wherein the remote controller is configured to adjust a height of the column in response to an operator input, causing the column to extend or retract with respect to the housing (see Fig. 2a and para. [0048]1).
Regarding claims 24 and 25, Grober teaches that the housing is attached between and supported by the two or more legs, wherein the legs extend from opposite sides of the housing (see Figs. 1 and 2a).
Regarding claims 29 and 34, Grober teaches a firearm support, comprising:
a housing (via shock absorbing system 55);
two or more support legs (60) coupled with and supporting the housing (via joints 67);
actuation means (via linear actuators, discussed in para. [0035]) for extending and retracting a firearm mount (8) coupled to the actuation means relative to the housing (see Figs. 1 and 2a); and
an electric remote controller (via control box 40 which may be either hard wired or wireless) configured to control the actuation means to move the firearm mount relative to the housing in response to an operator input, thereby changing an elevation of a firearm supported on the firearm mount (see Fig. 2a and para. [0048]1).
Regarding claims 30 and 35, Grober teaches that the actuation means comprises hydraulic or electric means (para. [0035] states “Linear actuators 60 can be any variety of actuators which include but are not limited to hydraulic actuators, ball screw actuators, magnetic actuators, rams, jack screws or other actuating mechanisms.” Ball screw actuators and magnetic actuators are well known electric actuators) and the remote controller is configured to adjust a height of the firearm mount by activating the hydraulic means (the position of the mounted gun may be affected by a joystick positioned on the control device).
Regarding claim 36, Grober teaches a method of adjusting a firearm, the method comprising:
mounting the firearm on a firearm mount of a firearm support (see Figs. 1 and 2a), the firearm support comprising:
a linear actuator (60) comprising a cylinder and a rod configured to extend and retract with respect to the cylinder, the firearm mount attached to an end of the rod and configured to support the firearm (the linear actuators support a firearm mount, shown in Figs. 1 and 2a);
two or more legs coupled to and extending from the linear actuator (the actuators form the legs; see Figs. 1 and 2a); and
a remote controller (40) operable to move the rod with respect to the cylinder; and
actuating the linear actuator by operating the remote controller, causing the rod to be extended or retracted with respect to the cylinder, changing an elevation of the firearm supported on the firearm mount (see para. [0048]).
Regarding claim 37, Grober teaches that the actuating comprises actuating the linear actuator while in an aiming position (see para. [0018]; “This method continues to allow the gunner hands-on and/or remote controlled aiming adjustments”).
Regarding claims 39 and 40, Grober teaches that the remote controller is an electric remote controller (via control box 40 which may be either hard wired or wireless), and actuating the linear actuator comprises controlling, through the remote controller, the linear actuator (see para. [0018]; “This method continues to allow the gunner hands-on and/or remote controlled aiming adjustments”); and
the linear actuator is an electric linear actuator and actuating the electric linear actuator comprises controlling, through the remote controller, the electric linear actuator (para. [0035] states “Linear actuators 60 can be any variety of actuators which include but are not limited to hydraulic actuators, ball screw actuators, magnetic actuators, rams, jack screws or other actuating mechanisms.” Ball screw actuators and magnetic actuators are well known electric actuators).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 22, 23, 27, 28, 31-33, and 38 are 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.
Conclusion
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/Samir Abdosh/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641
1 “The control box 40, which can also be referred to as an OCU or operator control unit, contains a hard wired and/or wireless capability via antenna 45, to communicate with the stabilizing mount, camera, sensors and/or weapon. Control may include one or more of a joystick 44, control wheels, switches and other control interfaces. A display screen 41 provides the operator with one means of situational awareness which can connect to the camera 20, or other cameras or sensors which can include cameras, ladar, infrared sensors, acoustic sensors or other sensor systems. The gunner can free gun and be hands-on with the weapon and simultaneously viewing camera and sensor data. If the exterior environment becomes too hostile, the operator can move inside the vehicle and use the control box 40 to receive pictures and data to locate, identify, track and engage targets.”