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 .
This application has been examined. Claims 1-20 are pending.
The prior art submitted on 4/28/25 has been considered.
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 16-18, 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.
As per claims 16-18, it is unclear what statutory categories the claims belong to, are they “a system”, “an apparatus” or “a method” claim. For example, claim 16, the preamble is “a robotic arm”, however, in line 5, recites “the method comprising”. Applicant cannot mix two statutory categories in a same claim. 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 1-4, and 14-20, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 107890678 A (applicant’s submitted IDS translated document).
As per claim 1, CN 107890678 discloses a robotic arm control method, the method being performed by a controller of a robotic arm
and a three-dimensional object being placed at any position other than an end on the robotic arm (see at least the abstract disclose entertainment robot continuous ball throwing and catching), and the method comprising:
controlling the robotic arm to throw the three-dimensional object; acquiring a first control signal (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose throwing robot is a humanoid robot and throws the ball from the left side);
controlling, based on the first control signal, the robotic arm to catch the thrown three-dimensional object, the robotic arm catching the three-dimensional object at any position other than the end; acquiring a second control signal (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose the balls throw from the left side can be received by the bowls on the right side. The throwing robot is a humanoid robot and throw the ball through the right and left hands); and controlling the robotic arm based on the second control signal, to maintain the three-dimensional object in a force balance state at any position other than the end (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose it is possible to throw the ball out while achieving the swing, and it is also possible to ensure that the ball will not bounce out after the ball is received).
As per claim 2, CN 107890678 discloses the robotic arm comprises a first arm, and the controlling the robotic arm to throw the three-dimensional object comprises: controlling the first arm to throw the three-dimensional object (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose throwing robot is a humanoid robot and throws the ball from the left side); the controlling, based on the first control signal, the robotic arm to catch the thrown three-dimensional object comprises controlling, based on the first control signal, the first arm to catch the thrown three-dimensional object (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose the balls throw from the left side can be received by the bowls on the right side. The throwing robot is a humanoid robot and throw the ball through the right and left hands); and the controlling the robotic arm based on the second control signal, to maintain the three-dimensional object in a force balance state at any position other than the end comprises controlling the first arm based on the second control signal, to maintain the three-dimensional object in the force balance state at any position other than the end (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose it is possible to throw the ball out while achieving the swing, and it is also possible to ensure that the ball will not bounce out after the ball is received).
As per claim 3, CN 107890678 discloses the robotic arm comprises a first arm and a second arm that move independently of each other (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose the throwing robot is a humanoid robot and throws the ball through the right and left hands), the controlling the robotic arm to throw the three-dimensional object comprises: controlling the first arm to throw the three-dimensional object (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose throwing robot is a humanoid robot and throws the ball from the left side); the controlling, based on the first control signal, the robotic arm to catch the thrown three-dimensional object comprises controlling, based on the first control signal, the second arm to catch the thrown three-dimensional object (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose the balls throw from the left side can be received by the bowls on the right side. The throwing robot is a humanoid robot and throw the ball through the right and left hands); and the controlling the robotic arm based on the second control signal, to maintain the three-dimensional object in a force balance state at any position other than the end comprises controlling the second arm based on the second control signal, to maintain the three-dimensional object in the force balance state at any position other than the end (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose it is possible to throw the ball out while achieving the swing, and it is also possible to ensure that the ball will not bounce out after the ball is received).
As per claim 4, CN 107890678 discloses acquiring motion trajectory information of the three-dimensional object, the motion trajectory information being a parabolic trajectory of the three-dimensional object after the three-dimensional object is separated from the robotic arm, and the first control signal being determined according to a first actual posture of the robotic arm and the motion trajectory information of the three-dimensional object (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose the mechanism of the throwing ball robot mainly consists of a gear transmission mechanism and an oscillating follower cam mechanism. The rotation of the motor is transmitted to the left and right cams through two pairs of bevel gears, and the follower cam mechanism is oscillated).
As per claim 14, CN 107890678 discloses acquiring a grasp control signal; and controlling, based on the grasp control signal, the end of the robotic arm to grasp the thrown three-dimensional object, the grasped three-dimensional object being in the force balance state (see at least page 4, “detailed description” disclose with a certain angle, the ball thrown by two left and right arms can be received by the other side, sot that the operation of throwing the ball can be simulated).
As per claim 15, CN 107890678 discloses acquiring motion trajectory information of the three-dimensional object, the motion trajectory information being a parabolic trajectory of the three-dimensional object after the three-dimensional object is separated the robotic arm, the grasp control signal being determined according to a first actual posture of the robotic arm
and the motion trajectory information of the three-dimensional object (see at least page 4, “detailed description” discloses the mechanism of the throwing ball robot mainly consists of a gear transmission mechanism and an oscillating follower cam mechanism. The rotation of the motor is transmitted to the left and right cams through two pairs of bevel gears, and the follower cam mechanism is oscillated).
Claims 16-18, are robotic arm corresponding to method claims 1-3 above. Therefore, they are rejected for the same rationales set forth as above.
Claims 19-20 are non-transitory computer-readable storage medium claims corresponding to method claims 1-2 above. Therefore, they are rejected for the same rationales set forth as above.
Claims 5-13, 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
. Chou et al. (10576620)
. Blankespoor et al. (US 2018/0162469 A1)
. Schinkel et al. (US 2017/0305507 A1)
. Bewley et al. (US 2012/0215355 A1)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DALENA TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-6968. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ADAM MOTT can be reached at 571-270-5376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DALENA TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3657
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