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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 28 May 2025 is being considered by the examiner.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-2, 6-7, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boissard (US Publication 2020/0180752 A1) in view of Dupre et al. (US Publication 2019/0118940 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Boissard teaches a sliding mode control method of an aircraft ground coordinated turning system, comprising: acquiring real-time parameters of an aircraft (Boissard: Para. 3; the speed measurement given by the inertial unit of the aircraft, a speed estimate given by an on-board GPS, or an average of the circumferential speeds of the wheels driven by the actuators of the drive device can be used); and controlling a state of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system on a composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning by a nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law based on the real-time parameters of the aircraft (Boissard: Para. 6; speed of the regulated aircraft is a measured or estimated speed of a portion of the aircraft located at a nose tip of the aircraft).
Boissard doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the state of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system comprises a steering angle of a left main wheel and a right main wheel, and a steering angle of a nose wheel; a control target of the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning is that a yaw distance of the aircraft and a yaw angle of the aircraft approach zero within a preset time; and an acquisition method of the nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law comprises: taking a derivative of the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning, and in combination with a model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system, determining a nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law; wherein system state variables of the model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system comprise a yaw distance of the aircraft, a yaw angle of the aircraft, a longitudinal velocity of the aircraft and a yaw angular velocity.
However Dupre, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the state of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system comprises a steering angle of a left main wheel and a right main wheel, and a steering angle of a nose wheel (Dupre: Para. 5-8; controlling the steering angle of the nose gear wheel; electric motors driving the wheels of the main landing gear, at different speeds and/or by applying a thrust differential between the left engine and the right engine; three separate control means each acting on one of the aforementioned lateral movement devices; control means for example consist of a tiller, a rudder bar and independent brake pedals); a control target of the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning is that a yaw distance of the aircraft and a yaw angle of the aircraft approach zero within a preset time (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170, 222; determine the current trajectory predicted over a preset distance or over a preset time interval, between the current determination moment and a time limit; corresponding to the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle); and an acquisition method of the nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law comprises: taking a derivative of the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning, and in combination with a model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system, determining a nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170; instruction orders such that the steering angle of the nose gear wheel remains in the steering angle range of the nose gear wheel, beyond which a risk of loss of adhesion of the nose gear wheel is significantly increased; adhesion coefficient are also defined, corresponding to the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle); wherein system state variables of the model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system comprise a yaw distance of the aircraft, a yaw angle of the aircraft, a longitudinal velocity of the aircraft and a yaw angular velocity (Dupre: Para. 134, 137-138; lateral trajectory refers to a trajectory described by at least one point or element of the aircraft, combining a longitudinal movement and a lateral movement; curve radius, preferably associated with speed information at that point, in particular the modulus of the speed vector at that point, and/or a yaw speed r at that point).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the aircraft wheel rotation drive device based on the nose tip speed (Boissard: Para. 6) with the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170) with a reasonable expectation of success because keeping the steering angle of the nose gear wheel within an angle range to decrease the risk of slipping (Dupre: Para. 152).
Regarding claim 2, Boissard teaches the sliding mode control method of an aircraft ground coordinated turning system according to claim 1, ………. ; and the aircraft trajectory tracking coordinate system comprises an inertial reference coordinate system, an aircraft-body-fixed coordinate system and a coordinate system defined by a desired trajectory (Boissard: Para. 13, Fig. 1; trajectory of the centre of gravity, as well as the trajectory of the auxiliary landing gear).
Boissard doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system, the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning and the nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law are all determined based on an aircraft trajectory tracking coordinate system.
However Dupre, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system, the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning and the nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law are all determined based on an aircraft trajectory tracking coordinate system (Dupre: Para. 153; a curve representative of the current trajectory of the aircraft, and at least one limit curve representative of a limit trajectory able to be achieved by at least one element of the aircraft by actuating at least one lateral movement device).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the aircraft wheel rotation drive device based on the nose tip speed (Boissard: Para. 6) with the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170) with a reasonable expectation of success because keeping the steering angle of the nose gear wheel within an angle range to decrease the risk of slipping (Dupre: Para. 152).
Regarding claim 6, Boissard teaches a sliding mode control system of an aircraft ground coordinated turning system, comprising: an acquisition module, configured to acquire real-time parameters of an aircraft (Boissard: Para. 3; the speed measurement given by the inertial unit of the aircraft, a speed estimate given by an on-board GPS, or an average of the circumferential speeds of the wheels driven by the actuators of the drive device can be used); a control module, configured to control a state of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system on a composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning by a nose-wheel- main-wheel coordinated turning control law based on the real-time parameters of the aircraft (Boissard: Para. 6; speed of the regulated aircraft is a measured or estimated speed of a portion of the aircraft located at a nose tip of the aircraft).
Boissard doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the state of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system comprises a steering angle of a left main wheel and a right main wheel, and a steering angle of a nose wheel; a control target of the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning is that a yaw distance of the aircraft and a yaw angle of the aircraft approach zero within a preset time; and an acquisition method of the nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law comprises: taking a derivative of the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning, and in combination with a model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system, determining a nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law; wherein system state variables of the model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system comprise a yaw distance of the aircraft, a yaw angle of the aircraft, a longitudinal velocity of the aircraft and a yaw angular velocity.
However Dupre, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the state of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system comprises a steering angle of a left main wheel and a right main wheel, and a steering angle of a nose wheel (Dupre: Para. 5-8; controlling the steering angle of the nose gear wheel; electric motors driving the wheels of the main landing gear, at different speeds and/or by applying a thrust differential between the left engine and the right engine; three separate control means each acting on one of the aforementioned lateral movement devices; control means for example consist of a tiller, a rudder bar and independent brake pedals); a control target of the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning is that a yaw distance of the aircraft and a yaw angle of the aircraft approach zero within a preset time (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170, 222; determine the current trajectory predicted over a preset distance or over a preset time interval, between the current determination moment and a time limit; corresponding to the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle); and an acquisition method of the nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law comprises: taking a derivative of the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning, and in combination with a model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system, determining a nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170; instruction orders such that the steering angle of the nose gear wheel remains in the steering angle range of the nose gear wheel, beyond which a risk of loss of adhesion of the nose gear wheel is significantly increased; adhesion coefficient are also defined, corresponding to the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle); wherein system state variables of the model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system comprise a yaw distance of the aircraft, a yaw angle of the aircraft, a longitudinal velocity of the aircraft and a yaw angular velocity (Dupre: Para. 134, 137-138; lateral trajectory refers to a trajectory described by at least one point or element of the aircraft, combining a longitudinal movement and a lateral movement; curve radius, preferably associated with speed information at that point, in particular the modulus of the speed vector at that point, and/or a yaw speed r at that point).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the aircraft wheel rotation drive device based on the nose tip speed (Boissard: Para. 6) with the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170) with a reasonable expectation of success because keeping the steering angle of the nose gear wheel within an angle range to decrease the risk of slipping (Dupre: Para. 152).
Regarding claim 7, Boissard teaches the sliding mode control system of an aircraft ground coordinated turning system according to claim 6, …….. ; and the aircraft trajectory tracking coordinate system comprises an inertial reference coordinate system, an aircraft-body-fixed coordinate system and a coordinate system defined by a desired trajectory (Boissard: Para. 13, Fig. 1; trajectory of the centre of gravity, as well as the trajectory of the auxiliary landing gear).
Boissard doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system, the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning and the nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law are all determined based on an aircraft trajectory tracking coordinate system.
However Dupre, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the model of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system, the composite sliding mode surface for nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning and the nose-wheel-main-wheel coordinated turning control law are all determined based on an aircraft trajectory tracking coordinate system (Dupre: Para. 153; a curve representative of the current trajectory of the aircraft, and at least one limit curve representative of a limit trajectory able to be achieved by at least one element of the aircraft by actuating at least one lateral movement device).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the aircraft wheel rotation drive device based on the nose tip speed (Boissard: Para. 6) with the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170) with a reasonable expectation of success because keeping the steering angle of the nose gear wheel within an angle range to decrease the risk of slipping (Dupre: Para. 152).
Regarding claim 10, Boissard teaches an aircraft ground coordinated turning system, comprising a controller and a body of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system (Boissard: Para. 12; left main landing gear and a right main landing gear, and an auxiliary landing gear located at a nose tip of the aircraft; the main landing gears are equipped with a rotating wheel drive system, with a rotating drive actuator (e. g. outer wheels) on each main landing gear).
Boissard doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the controller controls the body of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system according to the sliding mode control method of an aircraft ground coordinated turning system according to claim 1.
However Dupre, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the controller controls the body of the aircraft ground coordinated turning system according to the sliding mode control method of an aircraft ground coordinated turning system according to claim 1 (Dupre: Para. 7-8; three separate control means each acting on one of the aforementioned lateral movement devices; tiller is a control wheel whose rotation makes it possible to cause a corresponding modification of the steering angle of the wheel).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the aircraft wheel rotation drive device based on the nose tip speed (Boissard: Para. 6) with the derivative of the lateral force relative to the sideslip angle (Dupre: Para. 152, 155, 170) with a reasonable expectation of success because keeping the steering angle of the nose gear wheel within an angle range to decrease the risk of slipping (Dupre: Para. 152).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 8-9 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA E LINHARDT whose telephone number is (571) 272-8325. The examiner can normally be reached on M-TR, M-F: 8am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Angela Ortiz can be reached on (571) 272-1206. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/L.E.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3663
/ANGELA Y ORTIZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3663
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