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 .
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.
Examiner's Note.
Examiner has cited particular paragraphs and/or columns and line numbers and/or figures in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
The Examiner notes that it has been held that a recitation that a structural element is "adapted to", “configured to”, “capable of”, “arranged to”, “intended to”, "so as" or “operable to” perform a function does not limit the claim to a particular structure and thus only requires the ability to so perform the function. (See In re Hutchison, 69 USPQ 138. See also, MPEP 2111.04) As such, under the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims and the prior art, the recitations of "adapted to", “configured to”, “capable of”, “arranged to”, “intended to”, "so as" or “operable to” will be deemed met by an element in the prior art capable of performing the function recited in connection with "adapted to", “configured to”, “capable of”, “arranged to”, “intended to”, "so as" or “operable to”.
The Examiner has cited particular paragraphs or columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested of the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. SEE MPEP 2141.02 [R-07.2015] VI. PRIOR ART MUST BE CONSIDERED IN ITS ENTIRETY, INCLUDING DISCLOSURES THAT TEACH AWAY FROM THE CLAIMS: A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed invention. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert, denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984). See also MPEP §2123.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 4, 5 and 7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
The term “to be” is not a positive limitation inasmuch as the term is in future tense and implies a change in condition in the future. This does not serve to limit the structure in the present tense. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: (thereto). Appropriate correction is required. Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: typographical error (a period at the end of one limitation and no other punctuation marks at the end of the other limitations). Appropriate correction is required.
The above are only examples of such informalities. The Applicant is required to review the entire claims and correct all such informalities.
Reference of prior art
Zhang et al. (CN 111038744, Active capture type spacecraft docking system).
Oda et al. (JP 2004330943, ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE JOINT MECHANISM, SPACECRAFT WITH THE SAME, AND CONTROL METHOD).
Yuan et al. (CN 205854540, Surround device of arresting space debris).
Yuan et al. (CN 108372941, Space debris capturing device with energy absorption function). Hereinafter Yuan-1.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang and further in view of Oda.
Re claim 1 Referring to the figures and the Detailed Description, Zhang discloses:
A capturing system that captures an object to be captured existing in an outer space, the capturing system (figs. 1-5) comprising: a supporting body attached to a spacecraft moving in the outer space (items 221, 21); and
a plurality of deployable rods configured to be radially deployed from the supporting body, each of the deployable rods comprising a gripping mechanism attached thereto and configured to be coupled to a portion of the object to be captured (items 22, 225); wherein
each of the gripping mechanisms includes: a first link pivotable about a first axis provided at a tip end of each of the plurality of deployable rods, and configured to be deployed to a position spaced away from the supporting body (one side of items 225); and
a second link pivotable about the first axis or a second axis disposed in a vicinity of the first axis, and configured to change an angle with respect to the first link (the other one of items 225).
However Zhang fails to teach as disclosed by Oda: an annular opening (item 70).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add the Oda teachings of a hook coupled to the UAV body assembly into the Zhang, to support flight control.
Re claim 4 Referring to the figures and the Detailed Description, Zhang, as modified above, discloses: The capturing system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of deployable rods comprises at least three of the deployable rods, and wherein at least three of the deployable rods are configured to be radially deployed in different directions from the supporting body (Zhang the deployable three rods of items 22 connected to items 222, 223 and 224 are configured to be radially deployed in different directions from the supporting body).
Claim(s) 2 and 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang and further in view of Oda and further in view of Yuan.
Re claim 2 Referring to the figures and the Detailed Description, Zhang, as modified above, fails to teach as disclosed by Yuan: The capturing system according to claim 1, wherein each of the gripping mechanisms includes a third link pivotable about a third axis provided at a tip end of each of the second links, and configured to change an angle with respect to the second link.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add the Yuan teachings of each of the gripping mechanisms includes a third link pivotable about a third axis provided at a tip end of each of the second links, and configured to change an angle with respect to the second link to the UAV body assembly into the Zhang, as modified above, for better gripping and control of the capturing system.
Re claim 5 Referring to the figures and the Detailed Description, Zhang, as modified above, discloses: A capturing method of capturing an object to be captured existing in an outer space, the method comprising: A) providing a capturing system according to claim 1, B) radially deploying the plurality of deployable rods from the supporting body of the capturing system; and C) coupling the gripping mechanism attached to each of the plurality of deployable rods to the object to be captured, wherein step C) includes: C1) causing each of the first links of the gripping mechanism to abut on the annular opening portion of the object to be captured by pivoting each of the first links about an axis provided at the tip end of each of the plurality of deployable rods and deploying each of the first links to the position spaced away from the supporting body, when the spacecraft approaches the object to be captured; C2) inserting the second link of the gripping mechanism into an inside of the annular opening portion by setting an angle of the second link with respect to the first link to an obtuse angle, when the first link abuts on the annular opening portion; and C3) gripping the annular opening portion by sandwiching the annular opening portion between the first link and the second link by setting the angle of the second link with respect to the first link to an acute angle, after the second link is inserted into the inside of the annular opening portion.
Re claim 6 Referring to the figures and the Detailed Description, Zhang, as modified above, discloses: The capturing method according to claim 5, wherein, in step C1), each of the first links is disposed on the same imaginary plane by pivoting each of the first links about the axis and deploying each of the first links to the position spaced away from the supporting body.
Re claim 7 Referring to the figures and the Detailed Description, Zhang, as modified above, discloses: The capturing method according to claim 5, wherein step C) includes bringing a center position of the supporting body close to a center position of the annular opening portion of the object to be captured by a guide structure having a substantially conical shape formed by each of the second links forming an obtuse angle attitude with respect to the first link.
(Claims 5-7 are similar in scope to Claims 1-2; therefore, Claims 5-7 are rejected under the same rationale as Claims 1-2).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang and further in view of Oda and further in view of Yuan and further in view of Yuan-1.
Re claim 3 Referring to the figures and the Detailed Description, Zhang, as modified above, fails to teach as disclosed by Yuan-1: The capturing system according to claim 1, wherein: the supporting body is attached to the spacecraft via a robot arm (a robot arm is well known in the art to increase the flexibility of the capturing system), and the capturing system further comprises a buffer mechanism provided either at a connection part between the supporting body and the robot arm or inside the robot arm (item 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add the Yuan-1 teachings of the capturing system further comprises a buffer mechanism provided either at a connection part between the supporting body and the robot arm or inside the robot arm into the Zhang, as modified above, to include a vibration and impact energy absorption .
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MEDHAT BADAWI whose telephone number is (571)270-5983. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri during office hours. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JOSHUA MICHENER can be reached on 571-272-1467. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MEDHAT BADAWI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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