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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 9/23/2025 and 3/6/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
(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.
Claims 1, 5-9, 12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xie (CN219707167U), henceforth referred to as Xie.
Regarding claim 1, Xie discloses a robot apparatus comprising a main body (Figure 13: robot comprising a main body), a main hinge positioned at a lower part of the main body (Figures 4 and 13: first pivot 323 positioned at a lower portion of the main body), a main link member having a center part coupled to the main hinge and configured to pivot about the center part (Figures 3 and 4: first arm 32 comprises a center part configured to couple and pivot about first pivot 323), a plurality of sub-link members coupled at both sides of the main link member (Figure 3: second arms 36 coupled at both sides of first arm 32), and a first wheel and a second wheel connected to each of the plurality of sub-link members (Figure 3: first and second wheels 42C and 42D coupled to respective second arms 36), wherein each of the plurality of sub-link members is connected to a first hinge member and a second hinge member at positions spaced apart from the main link member at the lower part of the main body (Figures 3 and 10: second arms 36 are connected to first and second respective hinges 363 spaced apart from first arm 32), and is configured to pivot about the first hinge member and the second hinge member according to movements of the first wheel and the second wheel (Figures 3 and 10: second arms 36 pivot about first and second hinges 363 according to movement of wheels 42C and 42D).
Regarding claim 5, Xie discloses each of the first wheel and the second wheel is a differential wheel comprising a wheel body and a plurality of sub-wheels arranged at both sides of the wheel body (Figure 3: wheels 42C and 42D comprise wheel frames 103 and sub-wheels arranged on all sides of the wheel body).
Regarding claim 6, Xie discloses the wheel body comprises connecting members coupleable to each of the plurality of sub-link members via holes formed at each of the plurality of sub-link members (Figures 10 and 11: wheel frames 103 comprise connecting members 38, which connect with second arms 36 via fastening holes).
Regarding claim 7, Xie discloses a third wheel and a fourth wheel fixed at positions spaced apart from the first wheel and the second wheel at the lower part of the main body (Figure 13: third and fourth wheels 42A and B are spaced apart at the lower part of the main body).
Regarding claim 8, Xie discloses each of the third wheel and the fourth wheel is a differential wheel comprising a wheel body and a plurality of sub-wheels arranged at both sides of the wheel body (Figure 6: wheels 42 comprise a wheel body and plurality of sub-wheels arranged around the main wheel body).
Regarding claim 9, Xie discloses the first hinge member comprises a plurality of first hinge parts arranged opposite to each other at a first position which is spaced apart from the main link member at the lower part of the main body (Figure 10: first hinge assembly comprises a plurality of hinge arms 369 arranged opposite to each other, and spaced apart from first arm 32), and a first connecting part that connects the plurality of first hinge parts to a first sub-link member (Figure 6: hinge 363 connects hinge arms 369 to second arm 36), wherein the first sub-link member, which is one of the plurality of sub-link members, is positioned between the plurality of first hinge parts (Figure 10: arm 36 is disposed between hinge arms 369), and the second hinge member comprises a plurality of second hinge parts arranged opposite to each other at a second position which is spaced apart from the main link member at the lower part of the main body (Figure 10: second hinge assembly comprises a plurality of hinge arms 369 arranged opposite to each other, and spaced apart from first arm 32), and a second connecting part that connects the plurality of second hinge parts to a second sub-link member (Figure 6: hinge 363 connects hinge arms 369 to second arm 36), wherein the second sub-link member, which is the other of the plurality of sub-link members, is positioned between the plurality of second hinge parts (Figure 10: arm 36 is disposed between hinge arms 369).
Regarding claim 12, Xie discloses additional link members between the main link member and the plurality of sub-link members, wherein the main link member positioned closer to a ground surface than the plurality of sub-link members (Figure 3: link members 38 connect first arm 32 and second arms 36, wherein first arm 32 is disposed lower than second arms 36).
Regarding claim 14, Xie discloses a robot apparatus comprising: a main body (Figure 13: robot comprising a main body), a first wheel and a second wheel positioned at a lower part of the main body (Figure 13: first and second wheels 42C and 42D positioned at a lower part of the main body), a main hinge positioned between the first wheel and the second wheel (Figures 3 and 4: hinge 323 positioned between wheels 42C and 42D), a main link suspension having a central part coupled to the main hinge and configured to pivot about the central part (Figures 3 and 4: first arm 32 comprises a center part configured to couple and pivot about first pivot 323), a first sub-link suspension mounted on the first wheel (Figure 3: first second arm 36 is connected to wheel 42C), and comprising a first hinge that connects the first sub-link suspension to the lower part of the main body (Figures 10 and 11: first hinge 365 connects arm 36 to frame 10), a second sub-link suspension mounted on the second wheel, coupled to a second opposing side of the main link suspension (Figure 3: second second arm 36 is connected to wheel 42D and opposing side of first link 32), and comprising a second hinge that connects the second sub-link suspension to the lower part of the main body (Figures 10 and 11: second hinge 365 connects arm 36 to frame 10), wherein a hinge axis of the first hinge is positioned closer to the central part of the main link suspension than a rotation axis of the first wheel, and wherein a hinge axis of the second hinge is positioned closer to the central part of the main link suspension than a rotation axis of the second wheel (Figure 3: hinge axes of first and second hinges are closer to the center of first arm 32, than rotation axes of wheels 42C and 42D).
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 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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xie in view of Wang (CN-108393894-A), henceforth referred to as Wang.
Regarding claim 11, Xie does not teach a humanoid device mounted on the main body. Wang discloses a humanoid device mounted on the main body (Figure 1: humanoid device mounted on main frame 1). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the robot of Xie, with the humanoid device shape of Wang, as it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to make the device mounted on the robot frame of whatever form was desired or expedient. A change in form or shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art, absent any showing of unexpected results. In re Dailey et al., 149 USPQ 47.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 10, and 13 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the “plurality of sub-link members comprises a slot, the main link member comprises a protruding part corresponding to the slot, each of the plurality of sub-link members is connected to the main link member based on the protruding part being inserted into the slot, and the slot is configured to allow displacement of the protruding part according to movement of the plurality of sub-link members” as found in dependent claim 2, are not found in prior art, nor are an obvious combination of prior art. Further, the “end parts of the main link member comprise slots, one end part of each of the plurality of sub-link members comprises a hole, the plurality of sub-link members is coupled to the main link member via a connecting part that passes through the hole and the slots, and each of the slots is configured to allow displacement of the connecting part which is connected to the hole, according to movement of the plurality of sub-link members” as found in dependent claim 4, are not found in prior art, nor is an obvious combination of prior art. Further, the “sub-additional link members between the additional link members and the main link member, wherein a region where the additional link members and the sub-additional link members meet is positioned closer to the ground surface than a region where the main link member is positioned” as found in dependent claim 13, are not found in prior art, nor is an obvious combination of prior art. Xie and Wang, alone or in combination, do not teach the aforementioned claim limitations, nor would be obvious to combine with other prior art to teach the limitations.
Cited Prior Art not Relied Upon
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure includes Kim (KR-20090003576-A), which discloses a suspension assembly with hinged arms.
Conclusion
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/MATTHEW JAMES O'NEILL/Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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