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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to the application filed on September 11, 2025. Claims 21-40 are pending. Claims 21 and 34 are independent.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/01/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 21-40 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-5 and 7-20 of U.S. Patent No. US 12443202 B1. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the limitations in the above indicated claims of the instant application are anticipated by the respective claimed limitations in the above indicated claims of U.S. Patent No. US 12443202 B1. See the claim anticipation mapping below with all matching elements of the claim limitations appear in bold while non-matching elements of the claim limitations are not bolded.
Instant Application 19/325,829
Claims 21-40
U.S. Patent No. US 12443202 B1
Claims 1-5 and 7-20
Independent Claims:
21. A portable ground control station, the portable ground control station comprising:
1. A portable ground control station, the portable ground control station comprising:
a graphical processing unit, the graphical processing unit comprising a first plurality of cores;
a graphical processing unit, the graphical processing unit comprising a first plurality of cores;
a general-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor comprising a second plurality of processor cores;
a general-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor comprising a second plurality of processor cores;
a radiofrequency (RF) control channel device comprising a plurality of
radiofrequency (RF) control channels, wherein each radio frequency control channel
is configured to control an unmanned arial vehicle (UAV);
a radiofrequency (RF) control channel device comprising a plurality of
radiofrequency (RF) control channels, wherein each radio frequency control channel
is configured to control an unmanned arial vehicle (UAV);
one or more display interface outputs communicatively connected to a plurality of displays;
one or more display interface outputs communicatively connected to a plurality of displays;
a binary unit system (BUS) connecting the graphical processing unit to the general-purpose processor;
a binary unit system (BUS) connecting the graphical processing unit to the general-purpose processor
a first memory partition communicatively connected to at least a first core of the first plurality of cores and the second plurality of cores; and
a first memory partition communicatively connected to at least a first core of the first plurality of cores and the second plurality of cores, …
a modular network interface, wherein:
the modular network interface comprises a first network device configured to
communicate with the UAV and a second network device configured to
communicate with a terrestrial device; and
the at least a first core is further configured to communicate the transmission data with a terrestrial device.
11. The portable ground control station of claim 1, wherein:
the portable ground control station further comprising a modular network interface, the modular network interface comprising a first network device configured to communicate with an aerial device and a second network device configured to communicate with a terrestrial device; and
the at least a first core is further configured to communicate the transmission data with a terrestrial device.
34. A portable ground control station, the portable ground control station comprising:
16. A portable ground control station, the portable ground control station comprising:
a graphical processing unit, the graphical processing unit comprising a first plurality of processor cores;
a graphical processing unit, the graphical processing unit comprising a first plurality of processor cores;
a general-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor comprising a second plurality of processor cores;
a general-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor comprising a second plurality of processor cores;
a plurality of radiofrequency (RF) control channels, wherein each channel is configured to control an unmanned arial vehicle (UAV);
a plurality of radiofrequency (RF) control channels, wherein each channel is configured to control an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
one or more display interface outputs communicatively connected to a plurality of displays;
one or more display interface outputs communicatively connected to a plurality of displays;
a binary unit system (BUS) connecting the graphical processing unit to the general-purpose processor;
a binary unit system (BUS) connecting the graphical processing unit to the general-purpose processor;
a first memory partition communicatively connected to at least a first core of the first plurality of cores and the second plurality of cores, the memory containing instructions configuring the at least a first core to:
select an RF control channel
of the plurality of RF control
channels;
receive transmission data
from a UAV;
convert the transmission
data from a first data protocol to a
second data protocol and;
communicate the
transmission data to a terrestrial
device; and
and a first memory partition communicatively connected to at least a first core of the first plurality of cores and the second plurality of cores, the first memory partition containing instructions configuring the at least a first core to:
generate a first operating environment on the at least a core;
select an RF control channel of the plurality of RF control channels;
receive transmission data
from a UAV;
convert the transmission
data from a first data protocol to a
second data protocol and;
communicate the
transmission data to a terrestrial
device.
a modular network interface, wherein:
the modular network interface comprises a first network device configured to
communicate with the UAV and a second network device configured to
communicate with the terrestrial device.
11. The portable ground control station of claim 1, wherein:
the portable ground control station further comprising a modular network interface, the modular network interface comprising a first network device configured to communicate with an aerial device and a second network device configured to communicate with a terrestrial device; and
the at least a first core is further configured to communicate the transmission data with a terrestrial device.
Dependent Claims:
22. The portable ground control station of claim 21, wherein the general-purpose processor further comprises a reduced instruction set computer.
2. The portable ground control station of claim 1, wherein the general-purpose processor further comprises a reduced instruction set computer.
23. The portable ground control station of claim 21, the portable ground control station further comprises a second memory partition communicatively connected to at least a second core of the first plurality of cores and the second plurality of cores.
3. The portable ground control station of claim 1, the portable ground control station further comprising a second memory partition communicatively connected to at least a second core of the first plurality of cores and the second plurality of cores, …
24. The portable ground control station of claim 23, wherein the one or more display interface outputs comprise:
a first display interface output configured to transmit a first datum associated with the first operating environment; and
a second display interface output configured to transmit a second datum associated with the second operating environment.
4. The portable ground control station of claim 3, wherein the one or more display interface outputs comprise:
a first display interface output configured to transmit a first datum associated with the first operating environment; and
a second display interface output configured to transmit a second datum associated with the second operating environment.
25. The portable ground control station of claim 21, wherein receiving the transmission data from the UAV comprises converting the transmission data from a first data protocol to a second data protocol.
5. The portable ground control station of claim 1, wherein receiving the transmission data from the UAV comprises converting the transmission data from a first data protocol to a second data protocol.
26. The ground control station of claim 21, wherein the RF control channel device comprises a first RF channel of the plurality of RF control channels communicatively connected to a first control transmitter and a second RF channel of the plurality of RF control channels communicatively connected to a second control transmitter.
7. The ground control station of claim 1, wherein the RF control channel device comprises a first RF channel of the plurality of RF control channels communicatively connected to a first control transmitter and a second RF channel of the plurality of RF control channels communicatively connected to a second control transmitter.
27. The ground control station of claim 26, wherein the first control transmitter uses a first data protocol, and the second control transmitter uses a second data protocol that differs from the first data protocol.
8. The ground control station of claim 7, wherein the first control transmitter uses a first data protocol, and the second control transmitter uses a second data protocol that differs from the first data protocol.
28. The ground control station of claim 27, wherein the first control transmitter transmits to a first UAV and the second control transmitter transmits to a second UAV.
9. The ground control station of claim 7, wherein the first control transmitter transmits to a first UAV and the second control transmitter transmits to a second UAV.
29. The portable ground control station of claim 21, wherein the first memory partition comprises a boot partition.
10. The portable ground control station of claim 1, wherein the first memory partition comprises a boot partition.
30. The portable ground control station of claim 21, wherein receiving the transmission data from the UAV comprises:
receiving a modulated carrier signal from the UAV; and
converting the modulated carrier signal into the transmission data.
12. The portable ground control station of claim 1, wherein receiving the transmission data from the UAV comprises:
receiving a modulated carrier signal from the UAV; and
converting the modulated carrier signal into the transmission data.
31. The portable ground control station of claim 21, further comprising a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) communicatively connected to the BUS.
13. The portable ground control station of claim 1, further comprising a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) communicatively connected to the BUS.
32. The portable ground control station of claim 31, further comprising a second partition, wherein the FPGA is configured to divide the BUS into a first BUS communicatively connected to the first partition and a second BUS communicatively connected to the second partition.
14. The portable ground control station of claim 13, further comprising a second memory partition, wherein the FPGA is configured to divide the BUS into a first BUS communicatively connected to the first memory partition and a second BUS communicatively connected to the second memory partition.
33. The portable ground control station of claim 32, wherein the FPGA is configured to modulate the at least a flight command into a radio frequency signal.
15. The portable ground control station of claim 13, wherein the FPGA is configured to modulate the at least a flight command into a radio frequency signal.
35. The portable ground control station of claim 34, wherein the portable ground control station serves as a participating node between the UAV and the terrestrial device.
17. The portable ground control station of claim 16, wherein the portable ground control station serves as a participating node between the UAV and the terrestrial device.
36. The portable ground control station of claim 34, further comprising a field- programmable gate array (FPGA) communicatively connected to the BUS.
18. The portable ground control station of claim 16, further comprising a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) communicatively connected to the BUS.
37. The portable ground control station of claim 36, further comprising a second partition, wherein the FPGA is configured to divide the BUS into a first BUS communicatively connected to the first partition and a second BUS communicatively connected to the second partition.
19. The portable ground control station of claim 18, further comprising a second memory partition, wherein the FPGA is configured to divide the BUS into a first BUS communicatively connected to the first memory partition and a second BUS communicatively connected to the second memory partition.
38. The portable ground control station of claim 37, wherein the FPGA is configured to modulate the at least a flight command into a radio frequency signal.
15. The portable ground control station of claim 13, wherein the FPGA is configured to modulate the at least a flight command into a radio frequency signal.
39. The portable ground control station of claim 37, wherein the one or more display interface outputs comprises:
a first display interface output configured to transmit a first datum associated with the first operating environment; and
a second display interface output configured to transmit a second datum associated with the second operating environment.
20. The portable ground control station of claim 19, wherein the one or more display interface outputs comprises:
a first display interface output configured to transmit a first datum associated with the first operating environment; and
a second display interface output configured to transmit a second datum associated with the second operating environment.
40. The portable ground control station of claim 34, wherein receiving the transmission data from the UAV comprises:
receiving a modulated carrier signal from the UAV; and
converting the modulated carrier signal into the transmission data.
12. The portable ground control station of claim 1, wherein receiving the transmission data from the UAV comprises:
receiving a modulated carrier signal from the UAV; and
converting the modulated carrier signal into the transmission data.
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because both inventions are directed to a portable ground control station comprising a modular network interface comprising a first network device. The difference between the claims at issue is that in US 12443202 B1, the first network device is configured to communicate with an aerial device instead of a UAV such that these two differences can be interpreted as minor differences in scope but still an obvious variant. As such a double patenting rejection is warranted here.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the attached form PTO-892.
Conclusion
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/P.Y.N./Examiner, Art Unit 3661
July 15, 2026
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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