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 .
Double Patenting
Claims 1-14, 16-49 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-14, 16-26, 53-75 of copending Application No. 19/138,007. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented claims 1-14, 16-49 have the same limitations are claims 1-14, 16-26, 53-75 except they are written as method claims, the method in the preamble of claims do 1-14, 16-49 not contain any additional method steps that will be distinguished from the apparatus claims 1-14, 16-26, 53-75 in the co-pending application 19/138,007. The method is inherent in the apparatus claims, for example claim 1 of current applications recites “…A method of operating a robot, comprising: operating a robot that comprises: a body assembly that comprises a frame formed of at least one body joint assembly…”
the method of operating the robot is inherent since the robot apparatus is operable or operated by the user.
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 27-38 and 49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwaguchi [US Pub # 2019/0240832].
Regarding claim 27: Kwaguchi shows a method of operating a robot ([0580]), comprising: operating a robot that comprises a body assembly (see fig 37) that comprises a frame (1, 2, 3) formed of at least one body joint assembly (13); at least one pair of joint linear actuators (14, 15) that form the at least one body joint, the at least one pair of joint linear actuators (14, 15) configured to operate in combination to adjust the at least one body joint assembly (13) in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation, wherein the body assembly comprises: a torso assembly (1,3), the torso assembly comprising: at least a portion of the frame (1,2,3); at least one upper body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly; and at least one pair of upper body linear actuators (14, 15) of the at least one pair of joint linear actuators, the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the upper body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation; a base assembly (4), the base assembly comprising: at least another portion of the frame; at least one lower body joint assembly (22, 22, 41, 41) of the at least one body joint assembly; and at least one pair of lower body linear actuators (45, 46) of the at least one pair of joint linear actuators, the pair of lower body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the lower body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation; and operating a first motor controller (14M, 15M, see fig 24) communicably coupled to each upper body linear actuator of the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators; and operating a second motor (24M, 25M, see fig 57) controller communicably coupled to each lower body linear actuator of the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators (24, 25).
Regarding claim 28: Kwaguchi shows wherein the base assembly (4) is coupled to the torso assembly.
Regarding claim 29: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least one upper body joint assembly comprises at least six upper body joint assemblies (13, 13, 36, 36, 27, 18), with each of the at least six upper body joint assemblies comprising a pair of upper body linear actuators (14, 15).
Regarding claim 30: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least six upper body joint assemblies comprise: a first shoulder joint assembly (13), a second shoulder joint assembly (13), a first wrist joint assembly (36), a second wrist joint assembly (36), a neck joint assembly, (27) and a torso joint assembly (18).
Regarding claim 31: Kwaguchi shows wherein each of the first and second shoulder joint assemblies (13, 13) comprises a pair of upper body linear actuators (14, 15) configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective shoulder joint assembly in two degrees of shoulder freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of shoulder (13) freedom comprising roll and yaw (see fig 45).
Regarding claim 32: Kwaguchi shows wherein the torso joint assembly (18) comprises a pair of upper body linear actuators (20, 21) configured to operate in combination to adjust the torso joint assembly in two degrees of torso freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of torso freedom comprising roll and pitch (see fig 38).
Regarding claim 33: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises at least four lower body joint assemblies (22, 22, 41, 41), with each of the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprising a pair of lower body linear actuators.
Regarding claim 34: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprise: a first ankle joint assembly (41), a second ankle joint assembly (41), a first hip joint assembly (22), and a second hip joint assembly (22).
Regarding claim 35: Kwaguchi shows wherein each of the first and second ankle joint assemblies (41, 41) comprises a pair of lower body linear actuators (45, 46) configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective ankle joint assembly (41, 41) in two degrees of ankle freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of ankle freedom comprising roll and pitch (Fig 53).
Regarding claim 36: Kwaguchi shows wherein each of the first and second hip joint assemblies (22, 22) comprises a pair of lower body linear actuators (24, 25) configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective hip joint assembly in two degrees of hip freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of hip freedom comprising roll and pitch.
Regarding claim 37: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises a first thigh assembly and a second thigh assembly (10, 10).
Regarding claim 38: Kwaguchi shows wherein each of the first thigh assembly and the second thigh assembly comprises: a pair of lower body linear actuators (24, 25); and a thigh linear actuator (23) positioned with the pair of lower body linear actuators (24, 25) and configured to adjust, in combination with the pair of lower body linear actuators, the respective first or second thigh assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.
Regarding claim 49: Kwaguchi shows, wherein the robot is a humanoid robot.
Claims 46-47 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwaguchi [US Pub # 2019/0240832] in view of Endo [US Pub # 2005/0113973]
Regarding claims 46-47: Kwaguchi does not explicitly disclose further comprising a brain that comprises one or more hardware processors, one or more memory modules, and one or more sensors. wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one inertial measurement unit, and at least one image sensor. However Endo shows a brain that comprises one or more hardware processors ([0155]), one or more memory modules, and one or more sensors ([0155]). wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one inertial measurement unit, and at least one image sensor ([0209], lines 4-7)
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have provided the humanoid robot with sensors and memory to record and store information to provide better function and operation.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1-14, 16-20, and 26, 39-43 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwaguchi [US Pub # 2019/0240832] in view of Lee [KR 102333782].
Regarding claim 1: Kwaguchi shows a method of operating a robot ([0580]), comprising: operating a body assembly that comprises a frame (1, 2, 3, 4) formed of at least one body joint assembly (13); and at least one pair of joint linear actuators (14, 15) that form the at least one body joint, the at least one pair of joint linear actuators (14, 15) configured to operate in combination to adjust the at least one body joint assembly (13) in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation, Kwaguchi does not explicitly disclose wherein each of the joint linear actuators comprises a quasi-direct drive (QDD) linear actuator. However Lee teaches wherein the joint linear actuators comprises a quasi-direct drive (QDD) linear actuator (see translated claim 8 “… The motor and the differential gear unit to form a quasi-direct drive (QDD) actuator, characterized in that the reduction ratio of the motor and the differential gear unit is set in the range of 1:10 to 1:100 A two-way remote control method of a robot device…”).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have used QDD actuators to have high torque output with low backlash and high backdrivability,
Regarding claim 2: Kwaguchi shows wherein the body assembly comprises a torso assembly (1,3), the torso assembly comprising: at least a portion of the frame (1, 2, 3); at least one upper body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly (13); and at least one pair of upper body linear actuators (14, 15) of the at least one pair of joint linear actuators (14, 15), the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators (14, 15) configured to operate in combination to adjust the upper body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.
Regarding claim 3: Kwaguchi shows wherein the body assembly comprises a base assembly (4), the base assembly comprising: at least another portion of the frame (1, 2, 3, 4); at least one lower body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly (13); and at least one pair of lower body linear actuators (14, 15) of the at least one pair of joint linear actuators (14, 15), the pair of lower body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the lower body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.
Regarding claim 4: Kwaguchi shows wherein the base assembly (4) is coupled to the torso assembly.
Regarding claim 5: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least one upper body joint assembly comprises at least six upper body joint assemblies (13, 13, 36, 36, 27, 18), with each of the at least six upper body joint assemblies comprising a pair of upper body linear actuators (14, 15)
Regarding claim 6: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least six upper body joint assemblies comprise: a first shoulder joint assembly (13), a second shoulder joint assembly (13), a first wrist joint assembly (36), a second wrist joint assembly (36), a neck joint assembly, (27) and a torso joint assembly (18).
Regarding claim 7: Kwaguchi shows wherein each of the first and second shoulder joint assemblies (13, 13) comprises a pair of upper body linear actuators (14, 15) configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective shoulder joint assembly in two degrees of shoulder freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of shoulder (13) freedom comprising roll and yaw (see fig 45).
Regarding claim 8: Kwaguchi shows wherein the torso joint assembly (18) comprises a pair of upper body linear actuators (20, 21) configured to operate in combination to adjust the torso joint assembly in two degrees of torso freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of torso freedom comprising roll and pitch (see fig 38).
Regarding claim 9: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises at least four lower body joint assemblies (22, 22, 41, 41), with each of the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprising a pair of lower body linear actuators.
Regarding claim 10: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprise: a first ankle joint assembly (41), a second ankle joint assembly (41), a first hip joint assembly (22), and a second hip joint assembly (22).
Regarding claim 11: Kwaguchi shows wherein each of the first and second ankle joint assemblies (41, 41) comprises a pair of lower body linear actuators (45, 46) configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective ankle joint assembly (41, 41) in two degrees of ankle freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of ankle freedom comprising roll and pitch (Fig 53).
Regarding claim 12: Kwaguchi shows wherein each of the first and second hip joint assemblies (22, 22) comprises a pair of lower body linear actuators (24, 25) configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective hip joint assembly in two degrees of hip freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of hip freedom comprising roll and pitch.
Regarding claim 13: Kwaguchi shows wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises a first thigh assembly and a second thigh assembly (10, 10).
Regarding claim 14: Kwaguchi shows wherein each of the first thigh assembly and the second thigh assembly comprises: a pair of lower body linear actuators (24, 25); and a thigh linear actuator (23) positioned with the pair of lower body linear actuators (24, 25) and configured to adjust, in combination with the pair of lower body linear actuators, the respective first or second thigh assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.
Regarding claims 16-18: Kwaguchi does not show wherein the QDD linear actuator comprises a low gear ratio QDD linear actuator.wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises a gear ratio of between 10:1 and 50:1. wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises at least one screw configured to facilitate a speed reduction. However Lee teaches a low gear ratio QDD linear actuator. wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises a gear ratio of between 10:1 and 50:1. wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises at least one screw configured to facilitate a speed reduction (see translation claim 8)
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have used QDD actuators to have high torque output with low backlash and high backdrivability,
Regarding claim 19: Kwaguchi operating a first motor controller (14M, 15M, see fig 24) communicably coupled to each upper body linear actuator of the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators; and a second motor (24M, 25M, see fig 57) controller communicably coupled to each lower body linear actuator of the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators (24, 25).
Regarding claim 20: Kwaguchi does not show wherein each of the first and second motor controllers comprises a direct current (DC) motor controller. However Lee show teaches the QDD actuators comprises a direct current (DC) motor controller ( QDD are inherently use DC power).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have used QDD actuators to have high torque output with low backlash and high backdrivability,
Regarding claim 26: Kwaguchi wherein the robot is a humanoid robot (see fig 1).
Regarding claims 39-42: Kwaguchi does not show The robot of claim wherein the QDD linear actuator comprises a low gear ratio QDD linear actuator. wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises a gear ratio of between 10:1 and 50:1. wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises at least one screw configured to facilitate a speed reduction. However Lee teaches a low gear ratio QDD linear actuator. wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises a gear ratio of between 10:1 and 50:1. wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises at least one screw configured to facilitate a speed reduction (see translation claim 8)
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have used QDD actuators to have high torque output with low backlash and high backdrivability,
Regarding claim 43: Kwaguchi does not show wherein each of the first and second motor controllers comprises a direct current (DC) motor controller. However Lee show teaches the QDD actuators comprises a direct current (DC) motor controller ( QDD are inherently use DC power).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have used QDD actuators to have high torque output with low backlash and high backdrivability,
Claims 23, 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwaguchi [US Pub # 2019/0240832] in view of Lee [KR 102333782] in further Endo [US Pub # 2005/0113973].
Regarding claims 23-24: Kwaguchi does not explicitly disclose further comprising a brain that comprises one or more hardware processors, one or more memory modules, and one or more sensors. wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one inertial measurement unit, and at least one image sensor. However Endo shows a brain that comprises one or more hardware processors ([0155]), one or more memory modules, and one or more sensors ([0155]). wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one inertial measurement unit, and at least one image sensor ([0209], lines 4-7)
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have provided the humanoid robot with sensors and memory to record and store information to provide better function and operation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21, 22, 25, 44,45, 48 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.
The prior art of the records fails to show the first motor controller is configured to operate, based on a first signal, the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators in combination to adjust the at least one upper body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation; or the second motor controller is configured to operate, based on a second signal, the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators in combination to adjust the at least one lower body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.
The prior arts of the record also failed to shows the brain is configured to perform operations, comprising: detecting, with the at least one image sensor, an obstacle proximate to the body assembly; generating, with the at least one inertial measurement unit, at least one signal; providing the at least one signal to a motor controller coupled to the at least one pair of joint linear actuators; and operating, based on the at least one signal, the at least one pair of joint linear actuators with the motor controller to adjust the at least one body joint assembly.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. For example US Pat # 10, 144,464 shows humanoid robot with multiple actuators and torso, and frame portions lower and upper actuators.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached on 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618