DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) filled on 06/24/2025 is being considered in the examination of this application.
Drawings
3. The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
a. Claim 5: “the implement is an interchangeable implement to perform agricultural work on a field or crops in the field”;
b. Claim 8: “the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to fly while towing the implement, and the power supply and the implement are electrically connected by a cable”.
No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
4. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Unmanned aerial vehicle including power source and power supply to supply external power from power source to an implement.
Claim Objections
5. Claims 3-4 are objected to because of the following informalities:
a. Claim 3, line 2: the limitation “first electric power” should be rewritten as --a first electric power-- such that there is sufficient antecedent basis for the limitation in the claim.
b. Claim 4, line 5: the limitation “second electric power” should be rewritten as --a second electric power-- such that there is sufficient antecedent basis for the limitation in the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
6. 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.
7. Claim 5 is 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.
8. Claim 5, lines 1-2, recites the limitation “the implement is an interchangeable implement to perform agricultural work on a field or crops in the field” which renders the claim indefinite, since the implement as recited is not required per the claimed invention. Thus, it is unclear as to exactly how the claim as currently recited is further limiting the claimed invention when the implement is not required by the claim. Accordingly, should applicant intend on claiming the implement, the implement must be either positively claimed via a direct connection with UAV or the preamble amended to recite a system that positively claims both the UAV and the implement. As a note, per the applicant’s disclosure, the implement is not recited as being encompassed by the UAV. Further clarification and appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
9. 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 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.
10. Claim(s) 1 and 5-8 and is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yajima (JP 2022020282 A), cited on the IDS filed on 06/24/2025 [see attached translational document for any reference made to the text].
11. Regarding Claim 1, Yajima discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle (Abstract and p. 2; unmanned helicopter 1 as seen in FIGS. 1-2) comprising:
a plurality of rotors (p. 2; main rotor 5 and tail rotor 6);
a power source (p. 5; power generation device 9 as seen in FIG. 6); and
a power supply to supply external power from the power source to an implement (p. 5; electric power generated by power generation device is supplied to power supply circuit 41 which supplies electric power to work equipment 30 via second cable 52 as seen in FIG. 6).
12. Regarding Claim 5, Yajima discloses the unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the implement is an interchangeable implement to perform agricultural work on a field or crops in the field (p. 2; work equipment 30 performs maintenance work on overhead ground wire 94 supported by a steel tower which is by definition on a field as seen in FIGS. 1-2, furthermore first cable 51 includes a weak link device 56 which allows or separation of work equipment 30 from helicopter 1 as seen in FIGS. 10-11, accordingly work equipment 30 is by definition interchangeable).
13. Regarding Claim 6, Yajima discloses the unnamed aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power supply includes a terminal to supply power to the implement and a terminal to conduct communication with the implement (pp. 4-5; supplying power from power supply circuit 41 to work equipment 30 via second cable 52 and supplying data from power circuit 41 to work equipment 30 via third cable 53 as seen in FIGS. 4-6, accordingly power circuit 41 must include terminals for suppling power and conducting communication with work equipment 30, furthermore power supply circuits by definition include terminals).
14. Regarding Claim 7, Yajima discloses the unnamed aerial vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising: a controller configured or programmed to control output of the external power from the power supply, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control supply of the external power according to a current operational state or a planned operational state of the implement obtained through the communication (pp. 4-7; each of the cables 52/53 is connected to flight control box 15 and control device 35 of work equipment 30, control box 15 includes a communication circuit 15f, a signal processing circuit 15g as well as the power supply circuit 41, each component of the control box 15 sends and receive data to each via wiring and internal bus 15k, signal processing circuit 15 controls operation of engine 8, the power supply circuit 41 supplies electric power to each component of the control box 15, the signal processing circuit 15g transmits/receives data to/from the work equipment 30 via cable 53, accordingly control box 15 is configured to control output of power from generation device 9, and the control box 15 is configured to control supply of power via power generation device 9 and cable 52 according to a current operation state or a planned operational state of the work equipment 30 through communication via cable 53, the current operation state such as the work equipment 30 travelling along overhead ground wire 94).
15. Regarding Claim 8, Yajima discloses the unnamed aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to fly while towing the implement, and the power supply and the implement are electrically connected by a cable (pp. 4-5; helicopter 1 configured to fly and tow work equipment as clearly seen in FIGS. 12, furthermore power generation device and work equipment 30 electrically connected via cables 52/53 as seen in FIGS. 4-6).
16. Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wake et al. (US 2021/0110724 A1), hereinafter “Wake”.
17. Regarding Claim 1, Wake discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising (Abstract and para. [0029]; drone 100 as seen in FIGS. 1-3):
a plurality of rotors (para. [0030]; rotors which include rotor blades 101);
a power source (para. [0040]; battery 502 as seen in FIG. 5); and
a power supply to supply external power from the power source to an implement (paras. [0040]; battery supplies power flight control 501 via a power supply unit).
18. Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2018/0150073 A1), hereinafter “Lee”.
29. Regarding Claim 1, Lee discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising (Abstract and para. [0029]; drone 100 as seen in FIGS. 1-2):
a plurality of rotors (para. [0030]; propellers 173);
a power source (para. [0030]; battery 195); and
a power supply to supply external power from the power source to an implement (paras. [0040] and [0090]; power supply 190 using power from battery 195 supplies power to components 120 to 190 of the UAV 100).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 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 as well as overcoming drawing objections and 112(b) rejections set forth in this office action.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Phan et al. (US 9764837 B2), Namgoong et el. (US 11161608 B2), Yoshioka et al. (US 2025/0276800 A1), Kashiwagi (Us 2025/0296682 A1), Torimoto (US 2025/0296683 A1) and Sakaguchi et al. (US 2025/0287876 A1) individually disclose an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising: a plurality of rotors; a power source; and a power supply to supply external power from the power source to an implement.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this or any earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Arfan Sinaki, whose telephone number is 571-272-7185. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Joshua J. Michener can be reached at 571-272-1467. The fax number for the organization to which this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARFAN Y. SINAKI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642