Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2025-07-18)

CLAIMS:
AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS

Filing Date: June 20, 2024

1\. (Cancelled)

2\. (Cancelled)

3\. (Previously Presented) A method of starting up a solar thermal rocket engine, comprising:providing a gaseous propellant to the solar thermal rocket engine via one or more propellant channels;
introducing a liquid propellant to the solar thermal rocket engine via the one or more propellant channels; and
gradually reducing a gas-to-liquid propellant ratio provided to the solar thermal rocket engine via the one or more propellant channels to ensure that the solar thermal rocket engine is maintained in an instantaneous steady state.
4\. (Previously Presented) The method of Claim 3, wherein the gas-to-liquid ratio is reduced until the gaseous propellant is no longer provided to the solar thermal rocket engine.

5\. (Cancelled)

6\. (Cancelled)

7\. (New) The method of Claim 3, further comprising:raising a temperature of the solar thermal rocket engine using an electric heater before providing the gaseous propellant to the solar thermal rocket engine.

8\. (New) The method of Claim 7, further comprising:heating absorbing materials of the solar thermal rocket engine using solar energy in response to the temperature of the solar thermal rocket engine reaching an operating temperature.

9\. (New) The method of Claim 7, wherein the solar thermal rocket engine comprises a control loop and a temperature sensor, wherein the control loop is configured to control the electric heater based on an output of the temperature sensor.

10\. (New) The method of Claim 3, wherein a rate of change of the gas-to-liquid propellant ratio is maintained below a threshold level to prevent components of the solar thermal rocket engine from rising above a threshold temperature as the gas-to-liquid propellant ratio is gradually reduced.

11\. (New) The method of Claim 3, further comprising:transitioning the solar thermal rocket engine from an electro-thermal thruster mode to a solar-thermal thruster mode in response to reaching a thermal and fluid dynamic steady state within the solar thermal rocket engine.

12\. (New) The method of Claim 3, wherein transitioning the solar thermal rocket engine from the electro-thermal thruster mode to the solar-thermal thruster mode comprises reducing power to an electric heating element and increasing concentrated light input into the solar thermal rocket engine.

13\. (New) A solar thermal rocket, comprising:a solar thermal rocket engine;
one or more propellant channels, the solar thermal rocket configured to:
provide a gaseous propellant to the solar thermal rocket engine via the one or more propellant channels,
introduce a liquid propellant to the solar thermal rocket engine via the one or more propellant channels; and
gradually reduce a gas-to-liquid propellant ratio provided to the solar thermal rocket engine via the one or more propellant channels to ensure that the solar thermal rocket engine is maintained in an instantaneous steady state.

14\. (New) The solar thermal rocket of Claim 13, wherein the gas-to-liquid ratio is reduced until the gaseous propellant is no longer provided to the solar thermal rocket engine.

15\. (New) The solar thermal rocket of Claim 13, further comprising:an electric heater configured to raise a temperature of the solar thermal rocket engine before providing the gaseous propellant to the solar thermal rocket engine.

16\. (New) The solar thermal rocket of Claim 15, wherein the solar thermal rocket engine comprises absorbing materials, the solar thermal rocket further configured to:heat the absorbing materials of the solar thermal rocket engine using solar energy in response to the temperature of the solar thermal rocket engine reaching an operating temperature.

17\. (New) The solar thermal rocket of Claim 15, wherein the solar thermal rocket engine comprises a control loop and a temperature sensor, wherein the control loop is configured to control the electric heater based on an output of the temperature sensor.

18\. (New) The solar thermal rocket of Claim 13, wherein a rate of change of the gas- to-liquid propellant ratio is maintained below a threshold level to prevent components of the solar thermal rocket engine from rising above a threshold temperature as the gas-to-liquid propellant ratio is gradually reduced.

19\. (New) The solar thermal rocket of Claim 13, wherein the solar thermal rocket is further configured to:transition the solar thermal rocket engine from an electro-thermal thruster mode to a solar-thermal thruster mode in response to reaching a thermal and fluid dynamic steady state within the solar thermal rocket engine.

20\. (New) The solar thermal rocket of Claim 13, wherein transitioning the solar thermal rocket engine from the electro-thermal thruster mode to the solar-thermal thruster mode comprises reducing power to an electric heating element and increasing concentrated light input into the solar thermal rocket engine.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 9 June 2025 has been entered. Claim(s) 3-4 and 7-20 remain pending in this application. Claim(s) 1-2 and 5-6 have been cancelled.  Claim(s) 7-20 are new.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 and 7-20 are allowed.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The limitations “gradually reducing a gas-to-liquid propellant ratio provided to the solar thermal rocket engine via the one or more propellant channels to ensure that the solar thermal rocket engine is maintained in an instantaneous steady state” along with the remaining limitations of Claim 3 are not taught or fairly suggested in the prior art of record.
Kokorich (U.S. Pre-grant Publication 2020/00283174) shows a solar thermal rocket that utilizes propellant in different phases (Paragraphs 0004) but is silent regarding gradually reducing a gas-to-liquid propellant ratio provided to the solar thermal rocket engine via the one or more propellant channels to ensure that the solar thermal rocket engine is maintained in an instantaneous steady state.
Claims 4 and 7-12 depend from Claim 3 and necessarily include the allowable subject matter discussed above and therefore are allowed.
The limitations “gradually reducing a gas-to-liquid propellant ratio provided to the solar thermal rocket engine via the one or more propellant channels to ensure that the solar thermal rocket engine is maintained in an instantaneous steady state” along with the remaining limitations of Claim 7 are not taught or fairly suggested in the prior art of record for substantially the same reasons as discussed above.
Claims 14-20 depend from Claim 13 and necessarily include the allowable subject matter discussed above and therefore are allowed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKSNew Claims 7-20 have been added and Claims 2, 5, and 6 have been cancelled, without prejudice or disclaimer. Upon the entry of the amendments, Claims 3, 4, and 7-20 will be pending in this application. New Claims 7-20 are supported, for example, by ¶¶ [0116]-[0122] and FIGs. 11A and 11B of the originally filed specification, hereinafter "Specification." As such, the claim amendments do not introduce new matter. Entry of the amendments is respectfully requested.Applicant respectfully traverses the rejections, the characterizations of the pending claims, and any implicit and/or explicit reliance on Official Notice. Applicant respectfully requests reconsideration of the application in view of the above amendment and remarks set forth below.Allowable Subiect Matter Applicant acknowledges with appreciation the Examiner's indication that Claims 3 and 4 are allowed.Discussion of Objection to the Claims The Examiner objected to Claim 6 for an informality. In order to expedite the prosecution of this application and without agreeing with the merits of the grounds of the objection, Applicant has cancelled Claim 6. Withdrawal of the objection is respectfully requested.Discussion of Rejection of Claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) Claims 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kudija, Jr. et al.(U.S. Patent No. 6,594,984, hereinafter "Kudija").Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Anflo et al.(U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2018/0298846, hereinafter "Anflo").As discussed above, Claims 3 and 4 have been allowed. In order to expedite the prosecution of this application and without agreeing with the merits of the grounds of the rejection, Applicant has cancelled Claims 2, 5, and 6. Thus, Applicant respectfully submits that all of the rejections have been addressed.New independent Claim 13 includes similar features to independent Claim 3, and thus, Applicant respectfully submits that Claim 13 is allowable for at least the same reasons. New Claims 7-12 and 14-20 depend from one of base Claims 1 and 13, and further define additional technical features. In view of the patentability of their base claim, and in further view of the additional technical features, Applicant respectfully submits that the dependent claims are patentable over the cited references. Furthermore, Applicant does not necessarily agree with the characterization of the cited references made by the Examiner in rejecting the dependent claims.CONCLUSIONApplicant respectfully submits that the claims are in condition for allowance. Unless otherwise noted, any remarks in support of patentability of one claim should not be imputed to any other claim, even if similar terminology is used. Any remarks referring to only a portion of a claim should not be understood to base patentability on that portion alone or to imply that the limitation discussed is essential or critical. Rather, patentability rests on each claim taken as a whole; it is the combination of features or acts recited in a claim that distinguishes it over the art of record.Applicant respectfully traverses each rejection and each assertion regarding what the prior art shows or teaches, even if not expressly discussed herein. Applicant does not concede that the cited references are prior art to this application and reserves the right to disqualify any of the cited references as prior art. Applicant may not have presented all arguments concerning how the applied references do not render the claims anticipated or obvious, or how the references cannot be properly combined or modified in view of their deficiencies. Accordingly, Applicant reserves the right to later present additional arguments of patentability-for example, to later contest whether a proper motivation or suggestion exists to combine or modify any of the applied references.For the foregoing reasons, the rejections set forth in the outstanding Office Action are inapplicable to the present claims. Accordingly, issuance of a Notice of Allowance is requested.The undersigned has made a good faith effort to respond to all rejections in the case and to place the claims in condition for immediate allowance. Nevertheless, if any undeveloped issues remain or if any issues require clarification, please call Applicant's attorney, Philip Nelson at (949) 721-6383 to resolve such issue(s) promptly.No Disclaimers or Disavowals Although the present communication may include alterations to the application or claims, or characterizations of claim scope or referenced art, Applicant is not conceding in this application that previously pending claims are not patentable. Rather, any alterations or characterizations are being made to facilitate expeditious prosecution of this application. Applicant reserves the right to pursue at a later date any previously pending or other broader or narrower claims that capture any subject matter supported by the present disclosure, including subject matter found to be specifically disclaimed herein or by any prior prosecution. Accordingly, reviewers of this or any parent, child or related prosecution history shall not reasonably infer that Applicant has made any disclaimers or disavowals of any subject matter supported by the present application.Please charge any additional fees, including any fees for additional extension of time, or credit overpayment to Deposit Account No. 11-1410.Respectfully submitted, KNOBBE, MARTENS, OLSON & BEAR, LLPDated: June 9, 2025