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 is the first office action on the merits, claims 1-17 are currently pending and addressed below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed on 03/02/2023 and 08/20/2025 has been considered. An initialed copy of the IDS is enclosed herewith.
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.
Claims 1-17, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent No. 6363632, to Stentz et al. (hereinafter Stentz), and further in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 8768580, to Mizuochi et al (hereinafter Mizuochi), and further in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 9348327, to Ishii et al (hereinafter Ishii).
Regarding claim 1, and commensurate claim 12, Stentz teaches An excavator comprising: a front work device including an arm, a boom, and a bucket; (See [Column 7, Lines 1-10 ] “With reference now to FIG. 4, the left sensor 40 and the right sensor 42 are shown positioned on either side of a boom 200 on an excavator 202 to sense a dig face 204 and a loading truck 206 positioned near the excavator 202 for receiving excavated materials. During the digging and loading cycle, the planning and control module 30 commands the left and right sensors 40 and 42 to monitor a bucket 208 associated with the boom 200 and an adjacent area 210 ‘’).
a sensor device configured to collect state information of the excavator and information related to surrounding environment; and (See [Column 5, Lines 4-14 ] “The excavation point planner 70 is connected to the excavation motion planner 82 by a lead 94. As shown, the obstacle detector 84 receives information from the right scanline processor 58 over via a connection 96. The obstacle detector 84 also receives information from the left scanline processor 54, although such connection is not illustrated. A lead 98 connects the obstacle detector 84 to the excavation motion planner 82 and the obstacle detector 84 may also be connected to the sensor motion planner 78 and the loading motion planner 80, although such connection is not shown. ‘’).Further, (See [Abstract] “a scanning sensor system operable to provide data regarding regions within an earthmoving environment including an excavation region and a loading region and a planning and control module operable to receive data from the scanning sensor system to plan a task associated with the control of the earthmoving machine while concurrently performing another task associated with control of the earthmoving machine. Any number and type of sensor systems, such as a laser rangefinder or a radar rangefinder, may be incorporated in the system depending on requirements and the capabilities of the system. The sensor systems have independently controllable fields of view, with each sensor system being capable of providing data pertaining to a different portion of the earthmoving environment.”).
a processor electrically connected to the front work device and the sensor device, wherein the processor is configured to: (See [Column 3, Lines 52-67] [Column 4, Lines 1-67])
perform a digging operation such that soil is loaded in the bucket based on a work instruction; (See [Column 9-10, Lines 63-25 ] “The loading motion planner 80 controls complex automated movement of the earthmoving machinery 22 using pre-stored instructions, including at least one parameter, that generally defines the complex automated movement. The loading motion planner 80 determines a value for each parameter during the execution of the pre-stored instructions and may include a learning algorithm which modifies the parameters based on the results of previous work cycles so that the performance of the earthmoving machine 22 more closely matches the desired results. Parameters are used as needed to define changes in the complex automated movement as a result of work that is done or changes in the earthmoving environment 26. For example, complex automated movement performed by the earthmoving machinery 22 can be affected by the movement, location, and orientation of objects around the machine. In addition, when the earthmoving machinery 22 is performing work which involves moving material from one location to another, either the starting position or the destination may change, requiring changes in the movement. The sensor system 24 which is mounted on the earthmoving machine 22 or at some location remote from the earthmoving machine 22 can be used to detect the starting and ending locations. The parameters in the instructions can be modified to maximize the efficiency of the complex automated movement. Parameters can be included in instructions, e.g., to determine when to begin movement of different linkages on the earthmoving machine 22 to obtain quick, efficient movement of the arm from when the material has been loaded until the material is deposited in the truck.”).
Stentz fails explicitly disclose, however Mizuochi discloses, calculate a zero-moment point (ZMP) of a force acting on the excavator based on mass information on at least a portion of the front work device after the digging operation has been performed; and (See [Column 3, Lines 7-11 ] “a ZMP computing means operably arranged to calculate coordinates of a ZMP by using position vectors, acceleration vectors and external force vectors at respective mass points constituting the main body, which includes the front working mechanism, and undercarriage”). Further, (See [Column 7, Lines 19- Column 9 Line 50] and [FIG.4] “Based on the balance among moments produced by the gravity, inertia force and external force, a ZMP equation can be derived as follows: .times..times..times..times..times..function..times.''
.times..times..time- s..times..times. ##EQU00001## where, r.sub.zmp: ZMP position vector, m.sub.i: mass at an i.sup.th mass point, r.sub.i: position vector at the i.sup.th mass point, r''.sub.i: acceleration vector (including gravitational acceleration) applied to the i.sup.th mass point, M.sub.j: j.sup.th external moment, sk: position vector at the k.sup.th acting point of external force, Fk: k.sup.th external force vector. It is to be noted that each vector is a three-dimensional vector having X-component, Y-component and Z-component.The first term in the left side of the above equation (1) represents the sum of moments (radii: r.sub.i-r.sub.zmp) about the ZMP 70 (see FIG. 3), which are produced by acceleration components (which include gravitational accelerations) applied at the respective mass points m.sub.i. The second term in the left side of the above equation (1) represents the sum of external moments M.sub.3 acting on the working machine 1. The third term in the left side of the above equation (1) represents the sum of moments (radii: sk-r.sub.zmp) about the ZMP 70, which are produced by external forces F.sub.k (the acting point of the k.sup.th external force vector F.sub.k is represented by sk).The equation (1) describes that the sum of the moments (radii: r.sub.i-r.sub.zmp) about the ZMP 70, which are produced by the acceleration components (which include gravitational accelerations) applied at the respective mass points m.sub.i, the sum of external moments M.sub.j, and the sum of the moments (radii: sk-r.sub.zmp) about the ZMP 70, which are produced by the external forces F.sub.k (the acting point of the k.sup.th external vector F.sub.k is represented by sk), are balancing. The ZMP 70 on the ground surface 30 can be calculated by the ZMP equation expressed as equation (1). When the object is at rest and only the gravity is acting, the ZMP equation can be expressed by:.times..times..times..times..times..function..times. ##EQU00002## and therefore, the ZMP coincides with a projected point of the static center of gravity on the ground surface. The ZMP can, accordingly, be dealt with as the projected point of the center of gravity with a dynamic state and a static state being taken in consideration, and the use of the ZMP as an index makes it possible to commonly deal with both cases where an object is at rest and where the object undergoing motion. <Computing Unit>
To compute ZMP coordinates and stability as described above, the computing unit 60g illustrated in FIG. 2 is primarily provided with function blocks of a linkage computing means 60a, ZMP computing means 60b, stability computing means 60c, blade ground-contact determination means 60d, jack-up determination means 60e, and lateral external force computing means 60f. The individual function blocks that make up the computing unit 60g can be realized by a software logic that the respective functions are incorporated in the program for driving the computing unit 60g.
About the functions of the respective function blocks, a description will hereinafter be made with reference to FIGS. 1 through 4.<Linkage Computing Means>Detection values of the posture sensor 3b, swing angle sensor 3s, boom angle sensor 40a, arm angle sensor 41a, bucket angle sensor 42a, undercarriage acceleration sensor 2a, upperstructure acceleration sensor 3a, boom acceleration sensor 10a, arm acceleration sensor 12a and pin force sensors 43a,44a, which are shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 and are arranged at the various parts of the working machine 1, are fed to the linkage computing means 60a.At the linkage computing means 60a in the computing unit 60g, kinematic calculations are sequentially performed by using a value of the posture sensor 3b shown in FIG. 1 and arranged on the upperstructure 3 and detection values of the swing angle sensor 3s, boom angle sensor 40a, arm angle sensor 41a and bucket angle sensor 42a shown in FIG. 1 and arranged at the various parts of the working machine 1. The position vectors r2,r3,r10,r12 at the respective mass points 2P, 3P, 10P, 12P shown in FIG. 3, the acceleration vectors r''2,r''3,r''10,r''12 at the respective mass points as calculated from the results of detection at the undercarriage acceleration sensor 2a, upperstructure acceleration sensor 3a, boom acceleration sensor 10a and arm acceleration sensor 12a, the position vectors s43,s44,s46 at the acting point 46 of lateral external force, and the respective external force vectors F43,F44,F46 acting on the pins 43,44 are then converted to values based on the machine reference coordinate system (O-XYZ). It is to be noted that as a method for the kinematic calculations, the method described, for example, in a non-patent document, YOSHIKAWA, Tsuneo: "Robotto Seigyo Kisoron (Fundamentals of Robot Control)", in Japanese, Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. (1988) can be used. <ZMP Computing Means> At the ZMP computing means 60b in the computing unit 60g as shown in FIG. 2, the coordinates of the ZMP 70 as illustrated in FIG. 4(a) or 4(b) are calculated by using the position vectors, acceleration vectors and external force vectors at the respective mass points, said vectors having been converted to the machine reference coordinate system. Assuming that the z-axis coordinate of the ZMP is located on the ground surface 30 in the first embodiment because the origin O of the machine reference coordinate system is set at the point where the undercarriage 2 and the ground surface 30 are in contact to each other, r.sub.zmpz=0. Further, no substantial external force or external force moment generally acts on parts other than the bucket 23 in the working machine 1. By hence ignoring effects of external forces or external force moments acting on the parts other than the bucket 23, the external moment M is deemed to be 0 (M=0). By solving the equation (1) under such conditions, the X-coordinate r.sub.zmpx of the ZMP 70 is calculated as follows .times..times..times..times..times..function..times.''
.times.''.times..ti- mes..times..times..times..times..times.''.times..times. ##EQU00003## Likewise, the Y-coordinate r.sub.zmpy of the ZMP 70 is calculated as follows: .times..times..times..times..times..function
..times.''.times.''.times..ti- mes..times..times..times..times..times.''.times..times. ##EQU00004##
In the equations (3) and (4), m is the mass at each mass point 2P, 3P, 10P or 12P shown in FIG. 3, and the masses m2, m3, m10, m12 at the respective mass points are substituted for m. r'' is an acceleration at each mass point, and the accelerations r''2, r''3, r''10, r''12 are substituted for r''. s indicates a position vector at each one of the pins 43,44 as the acting points of external forces and the acting point 46 of lateral external force on the bucket 23, and s43,s44,s46 are substituted for s.F represents an external force vector applied to each one of the pins 43, 44 as the acting points of external forces and the acting point of lateral external force on the bucket 23, and F43,F44,F46 are substituted for F.As has been described above, the ZMP computing means 60b can calculate the coordinates of the ZMP 70 by using the detection values of the respective sensors arranged at the various parts of the working machine 1..”).
Ishii further discloses, obtain a work trajectory for processing the soil loaded in the bucket by using the ZMP and the information related to surrounding environment. (See [Column 15, lines 55- Column 16, Lines 50 ] “(103) When the ZMP 70 is present in an region on the sufficiently inner side of the support polygon L formed by the work machine 1 and the ground surface 30 as described above, there is almost no possibility that the work machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 may overturn so that the work machine 1 can perform work safely. The ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f in the first embodiment calculates a support polygon L formed by the points where the work machine 1 is grounded on the ground surface 30. The ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f sets a normal region J where the possibility of tipping is sufficiently low and an tipping warning region N where the possibility of tipping is higher. The ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f determines stability based on whether the ZMP 70 is located in the normal region J or the tipping warning region N. When the travel base 2 erectly stands on the ground surface 30, the support polygon L substantially coincides with the planar shape of the travel base 2. Accordingly, when the planar shape of the travel base 2 is rectangular, the support polygon L has a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 8. More specifically, when a crawler is provided as the travel base 2, the support polygon L has a quadrangular shape including a front boundary on the line connecting the center points of left and right sprockets, a rear boundary on the line connecting the center points of left and right idlers, and left and right boundaries on the outer ends of left and right track links. Incidentally, the front and rear boundaries may be replaced by grounded points of a frontmost lower roller and a rearmost lower roller.On the other hand, the work machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a blade 18. When the blade 18 is grounded on the ground surface 30, the support polygon L expands to include the blade bottom portion. In addition, in a jack-up motion in which the bucket 23 is pressed onto the ground surface to lift up the travel base 2, the support polygon L is made into a polygon formed by the two endpoints on the grounded side of the travel base 2 and the grounded points of the bucket 23. Since the shape of the support polygon L changes discontinuously in accordance with the grounded state of the work machine 1 in this manner, the ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f monitors the grounded state of the work machine 1 and sets the support polygon L in accordance with the grounded state.For the evaluation of stability, a boundary K between the normal region J and the tipping warning region N is set on the inner side of the support polygon L. Specifically, the boundary K is set on a polygon obtained by reducing the support polygon L on the center point side in accordance with a ratio decided with a safety factor or on a polygon obtained by moving the support polygon L inward by a length decided with the safety factor. When the ZMP 70 is located in the normal region J, determination is made that the work machine 1 is sufficiently high in stability. On the other hand, when the ZMP 70 is located in the tipping warning region N, determination is made that there is a possibility that the work machine may overturn. As described above, when the ZMP is located within the normal region J, determination is made that the work machine is “stable”, and this determination result is outputted from the stability determining unit 60d (Step S75). On the other hand, when the ZMP is located within the tipping warning region N, determination is made that there is a high possibility that a part of the travel base may float up. The mechanical energy is calculated (Step S73) and the stability is determined based on the mechanical energy (Step S74). That is, the mechanical energy may be calculated in an earlier stage as the tipping warning region N is larger. The dimensions of the tipping warning region N may be decided in consideration of the estimated error of the ZMP locus, and so on.”).
Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii, are analogous art because they are in the same field of endeavor, excavator systems. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Stentz to incorporate the teachings of Mizuochi, and Ishii because incorporating the ZMP features will aid in the operations of Stentz in order to avoid of the excavator tipping during operations.
Regarding claim 2, and commensurate claim 13, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 1 and further disclose, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain a rotation trajectory for at least a portion of the front work device based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment; (See [Column 4-6, Lines 60-25 ] “The planning and control module 30 is shown to further include a sensor motion planner 78, a loading motion planner 80, an excavation planner 82, and an obstacle detector 84 which are shown connected together in that data or information may be shared between the planners 78, 80, and 82. The sensor motion planner 78 is connected to the sensors 40 and 42 by a lead 86. The object recognizer 66 provides information to both the load point planner 68 and the loading motion planner 80 over connections 88 and 90, respectively. Likewise, the load point planner 68 also provides data to the loading motion planner 80 over a connection 92. The excavation point planner 70 is connected to the excavation motion planner 82 by a lead 94. As shown, the obstacle detector 84 receives information from the right scanline processor 58 over via a connection 96. The obstacle detector 84 also receives information from the left scanline processor 54, although such connection is not illustrated. A lead 98 connects the obstacle detector 84 to the excavation motion planner 82 and the obstacle detector 84 may also be connected to the sensor motion planner 78 and the loading motion planner 80, although such connection is not shown.The load point planner 68 is used to plan a sequence of dump points for loading soil into a truck bed of a truck. The excavation point planner 70 is used to plan a sequence of dig points for eroding a face within the earthmoving environment 26. The loading motion planner 80 controls the dumping of a bucket of soil of the earthmoving machinery 22 into a truck and also controls the return of the earthmoving machinery 22 to dig more soil in the earthmoving environment 26. The excavation motion planner 82 controls the earthmoving machinery 22 during digging at a specific location within the earthmoving environment 26.”).
Stentz fails explicitly disclose, however Ishii discloses, obtain the work trajectory using the rotation trajectory and the ZMP; (See [Column 11, Lines 5-25] “ In this case, the point for changing over the inclination and the inclination are set suitably so that the acceleration at the sudden stop time can be suppressed to be low while keeping the braking distance comparatively short.The configuration of the calculation unit 60z will be described below with reference to FIG.<Calculation Unit>The calculation unit 60z is constituted by a stabilization control calculation unit 60a for calculating a motion limit needed for stabilization in accordance with signals imported from each sensor and the user setting input unit 55 provided in the work machine 1, and a command value generating unit 60i for correcting a command value to each drive actuator based on an output from the stabilization control calculation unit 60a.<Stabilization Control Calculation Unit>The stabilization control calculation unit 60a calculates a motion limit to prevent tipping in spite of a sudden stop. Here, the sudden stop means an operation in which the control lever in the operating state is instantaneously brought back to the stop command position. The aforementioned operation may be performed for dealing with a sudden and unexpected obstacle, warning, etc. or due to an operational error etc. In such a case, the velocity decreases rapidly and the stable state of the work machine 1 deteriorates easily due to inertia occurring at that time. A method in which some avoidance motion is taken in the instable state may be considered as a method for dealing with the case where the stable state has deteriorated. However, the motion different from a motion intended by the operator gives a feeling of wrongness to the operator, and there is a risk that damage may be caused to workers or substances in the surroundings.”). Further, (See [column 17, lines 30-45] “In the case of this example, stability is determined based on Equation (3) using KE′ in place of KE, and “stable” or “instable” is outputted as a determination result of the stability determining unit. The safety factor is reflected on the calculation of kinetic energy in this manner. Thus, the velocity can be adjusted easily based on the safety factor.Incidentally, the safety factor may be set at a predetermined value in advance, or may be a value that can be changed in accordance with the skill level of the operator operating the work machine ”).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Stentz to incorporate the teachings of Ishii for the same motivation reasons in claim 1.
Regarding claim 3, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 2 and Stentz further disclose, wherein the processor is configured to obtain the work trajectory to follow the rotation trajectory in a minimum time. (See [Column 8, Lines 63-65] “The refined planner 304 chooses dig points that meet geometric constraints such as reachability and collisions and which locally optimizes a cost function which includes volume, energy, and time.”).
Regarding claim 4, and commensurate claim 14, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 1 and further disclose, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain a dumping position where a tip of the bucket is to be located based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment; obtain a dumping trajectory for at least a portion of the front work device such that the soil is loaded at the dumping position; operation of loading the soil stored in the bucket into a loading container according to the work trajectory. (See [Column 9, Lines 34-51 ] “corresponds to or is representative of the load 352 distributed within the truck bed 350 is typically acquired or constructed by using the sensor system 24. The load map 354 may include cells 356 and a typical load map 354 may contain on the order of 500 cells 356. The load map 354 is processed or smoothed using a simple Gaussian filter to eliminate any noise picked up by the sensor system 24. The smoothed load map appears as a template 358 which is shown in FIG. 10. The template 358 is an ideal distribution pattern of the material or soil distribution within the receptacle or dump truck bed 350. Various shapes may be chosen for template 358 and the height data may be preprogrammed in the digital computer or calculated interactively based on user input. The template 358 for the desired load distribution may also vary from a simple pattern to a more complex pattern. The template 358 is then used to determine where to dump a load of material to evenly load the dump truck bed 350.”).
Stentz fails explicitly disclose, however Ishii discloses, obtain the dumping trajectory using the rotation trajectory and the ZMP; (See [Column 11, Lines 5-25] “ In this case, the point for changing over the inclination and the inclination are set suitably so that the acceleration at the sudden stop time can be suppressed to be low while keeping the braking distance comparatively short.The configuration of the calculation unit 60z will be described below with reference to FIG.<Calculation Unit>The calculation unit 60z is constituted by a stabilization control calculation unit 60a for calculating a motion limit needed for stabilization in accordance with signals imported from each sensor and the user setting input unit 55 provided in the work machine 1, and a command value generating unit 60i for correcting a command value to each drive actuator based on an output from the stabilization control calculation unit 60a.<Stabilization Control Calculation Unit>The stabilization control calculation unit 60a calculates a motion limit to prevent tipping in spite of a sudden stop. Here, the sudden stop means an operation in which the control lever in the operating state is instantaneously brought back to the stop command position. The aforementioned operation may be performed for dealing with a sudden and unexpected obstacle, warning, etc. or due to an operational error etc. In such a case, the velocity decreases rapidly and the stable state of the work machine 1 deteriorates easily due to inertia occurring at that time. A method in which some avoidance motion is taken in the instable state may be considered as a method for dealing with the case where the stable state has deteriorated. However, the motion different from a motion intended by the operator gives a feeling of wrongness to the operator, and there is a risk that damage may be caused to workers or substances in the surroundings.”). Further, (See [column 17, lines 30-45] “In the case of this example, stability is determined based on Equation (3) using KE′ in place of KE, and “stable” or “instable” is outputted as a determination result of the stability determining unit. The safety factor is reflected on the calculation of kinetic energy in this manner. Thus, the velocity can be adjusted easily based on the safety factor.Incidentally, the safety factor may be set at a predetermined value in advance, or may be a value that can be changed in accordance with the skill level of the operator operating the work machine ”).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Stentz to incorporate the teachings of Ishii for the same motivation reasons in claim 1.
Regarding claim 5, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 4 and Stentz further disclose, wherein the processor is configured to obtain the work trajectory to follow the dumping trajectory in a minimum time. (See [Column 8, Lines 63-65] “The refined planner 304 chooses dig points that meet geometric constraints such as reachability and collisions and which locally optimizes a cost function which includes volume, energy, and time.”).
Regarding claim 6, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 4 and further disclose, wherein the processor is configured to control at least a portion of the front working device such that a position of the tip of the bucket is maintained at the dumping position while the dumping operation is performed. (See [Column 12, Lines 4-7] “ The scanning sensors 40 and 42 being panning to the angles provided from the lookup table during a digging or dumping operation in order for the trigger angle to be reached”).
Regarding claim 7, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 4 and further disclose, wherein the processor is configured to obtain the dumping position based on a state of the soil loaded in the loading container. (See [Column 7, Lines 19-59] “The planning and control module 30 is also capable of operating the left sensor 40 and the right sensor 42 independently to improve efficiency. For example, as the excavator 202 swings toward the dump truck 206, the right sensor 42 retrogrades (i.e., pans in the opposite direction) to scan the dig face 204 to provide data for planning the next portion of the excavation. At the same time, the left sensor 40 scans the area 210 around the dump truck 206. The sensors 40 and 42 provide current information to the planning and control module 30 which determines an appropriate location 212 within the dump truck 206 to unload the bucket 208, even if the dump truck 206 moved since the last loading cycle. While the bucket 208 is being unloaded, the right sensor 42 scans the area near and to the right of the bucket 208 to prepare for rotating toward the dig face 204. As the excavator 202 rotates to the right, the right sensor 42 pans ahead toward the dig face 204 to collect and provide information for obstacle detection. When the excavator 202 begins to rotate toward the dig face 204 after unloading, the left sensor 40 retrogrades to view the distribution of soil in the dump truck 206 to determine the location in the bed to unload the next bucket of material. As the bucket 208 arrives near the dig face 204, the right sensor 42 scans the dig face 204. Once the left sensor 40 completes its scan of the dump truck 206, the planning and control module 30 commands the left sensor 40 to also scan the dig face 204. The steps in the excavating process are repeated as outlined above until the dump truck 206 is filled or the excavation is completed. The planning and control module 30 uses information provided by the left and the right sensors 40 and 42 to determine whether operations should be halted such as when the dump truck 206 is filled, the excavation is complete, or an obstacle is detected. The information is also used to navigate movement of the earthmoving machinery 22. The perception algorithm processor 28, which is connected to the sensor system 24, receives information from the sensor system 24 and uses this information to recognize objects to derive their location, size, and orientation within the earthmoving environment 26. The sensors 40 and 42 provide range data for a full 360 degrees within the earthmoving environment and such data is updated at a high rate.”).
Regarding claim 8, and commensurate claim 15, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 1 and further disclose, wherein the processor is configured to:
process the soil based on the work trajectory; monitor a collision between the at least a portion of the front work device and an obstacle based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment while the soil is being processed; and update the work trajectory when a collision between the at least a portion of the front work device and the obstacle is detected. (See [Column 10-11, Lines 63-22] “The obstacle detector 84 uses sensor data and a prediction of the earthmoving machinery's 22 future state to determine if there is an obstacle in the proposed path of motion. If there is, the obstacle detector 84 plans a path around the obstacle, executes the planned motion, and returns control to the planning and control module 30, such as performing a loading operation or an excavation operation. It is important for the sensor system 24 to scan far enough ahead of the earthmoving machinery's 22 motion, and for the prediction to be far enough in the future, for the earthmoving machinery 22 to have enough time and space to come to a complete stop or to move around the obstacle. The look-ahead distance is a function of the velocity of the earthmoving machinery 22. The prediction of the earthmoving machinery's 22 location is determined using simplified models of the earthmoving machinery's 22 closed loop dynamic behavior. The sensor system 24 provides the obstacle detector 84 with data concerning the earthmoving environment 26 in the form of range data. The range data is processed to create a grid based elevation map. The map is centered on the earthmoving machinery 22 and is constructed prior to each movement of the earthmoving machinery 22. Each grid within the elevation map contains the height of the highest data point that falls within the cell and the elevation map provides a conservative estimate of the height of the earthmoving environment 26 at any point near the earthmoving machinery 22.”).
Regarding claim 9, and commensurate claim 16, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 4 and further disclose, Stentz fails explicitly disclose, however Ishii discloses, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain a repulsion force and a contraction force for a portion of the work trajectory where the collision with an obstacle occurs; obtain a collision avoidance point based on the repulsion force and the contraction force; and update the work trajectory based on the collision avoidance point. (See [Column 11, Lines 61-66 ] “As shown in FIG. 4, the stabilization control calculation unit 60a has functional blocks of a velocity estimating unit 60b, a sudden stop behavior predicting unit 60c, a stability determining unit 60d and a motion limit deciding unit 60h. The details of the respective functional blocks will be described below. ”). Further, (See [column 15, lines 1-17] “A ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f calculates the locus of ZMP 70 using position vector loci and acceleration vector loci of respective mass points converted into the machine reference coordinate system by the link calculation unit 60e (Step S71), and performs stability evaluation (Step S72). Assuming that the Z-coordinate of the ZMP is located on the ground surface 30 in the embodiment because the origin O of the machine reference coordinate system is set at the point where the travel base 2 and the ground surface 30 are in contact with each other, r.sub.zmpz=0. On the other hand, almost no external force or external force moment usually acts on portions other than the bucket 23 in the work machine 1 so that the influence of the external force or the external force moment can be ignored, and the external force moment M can be regarded as 0 (M=0). The Equation (1) is solved under such conditions, and the X-coordinate r.sub.zmpx of the ZMP 70 is calculated by the follow Equation (11).”). Further, (See [column 4, lines 21-54] “The ZMP (Zero Moment Point) coordinates are coordinates of a point of application in which a normal component of a floor reaction force applied to and distributed all over the portion where a structure is grounded on the ground surface is regarded as a component applied to a certain point. In addition, a ZMP stability determination creterion is based on the d'Alembert's principle, in which the ZMP coordinates are used as an evaluation index for determining the stability of the structure. When the ZMP coordinates exist inside a support polygon drawn by surrounding the grounded portion of the structure so as not to be concave (convex hull), it is determined that the structure is stably grounded on the ground surface. When the ZMP coordinates exist on a side of the support polygon, it is determined that the grounded portion of the structure is partially on the boundary where the grounded portion is about to float up from the ground surface. According to the ZMP stabilization determination rule, the stability of the structure can be evaluated in a quantitative way, while the existence of the possibility of tipping can be determined accurately. On the other hand, as for the mechanical energy, the structure is regarded as an inverted pendulum having a support on the support polygon when a part of the structure floats up. When the center of gravity in the structure arrives on a vertical line from the rotational center (ZMP) thereof, the structure overturns due to its own action of gravity. By use of this fact, whether the sum of the potential energy and the kinetic energy of the structure exceeds the potential energy at the highest point or not is calculated so that it can be determined whether the structure whose grounded portion partially floats up from the ground surface will overturn or not. In this manner, by use of these methods, it is possible to accurately determine the stability and the possibility of tipping of the work machine.”). Further, (See [Column 15, lines 55 – Column 16, lines 16]
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Stentz to incorporate the teachings of Ishii for the same motivation reasons in claim 1.
Regarding claim 10, and commensurate claim 17, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 1 and further disclose, wherein the processor is configured to: obtaining a return trajectory for the front work device based on the state information of the excavator and the information related to surrounding environment; (See [Column 4-6, Lines 60-25 ] “The planning and control module 30 is shown to further include a sensor motion planner 78, a loading motion planner 80, an excavation planner 82, and an obstacle detector 84 which are shown connected together in that data or information may be shared between the planners 78, 80, and 82. The sensor motion planner 78 is connected to the sensors 40 and 42 by a lead 86. The object recognizer 66 provides information to both the load point planner 68 and the loading motion planner 80 over connections 88 and 90, respectively. Likewise, the load point planner 68 also provides data to the loading motion planner 80 over a connection 92. The excavation point planner 70 is connected to the excavation motion planner 82 by a lead 94. As shown, the obstacle detector 84 receives information from the right scanline processor 58 over via a connection 96. The obstacle detector 84 also receives information from the left scanline processor 54, although such connection is not illustrated. A lead 98 connects the obstacle detector 84 to the excavation motion planner 82 and the obstacle detector 84 may also be connected to the sensor motion planner 78 and the loading motion planner 80, although such connection is not shown. The load point planner 68 is used to plan a sequence of dump points for loading soil into a truck bed of a truck. The excavation point planner 70 is used to plan a sequence of dig points for eroding a face within the earthmoving environment 26. The loading motion planner 80 controls the dumping of a bucket of soil of the earthmoving machinery 22 into a truck and also controls the return of the earthmoving machinery 22 to dig more soil in the earthmoving environment 26. The excavation motion planner 82 controls the earthmoving machinery 22 during digging at a specific location within the earthmoving environment 26.”).
and perform a return operation of returning the bucket to a digging point according to the work trajectory. (See [Column 4-6, Lines 60-25 ] “The planning and control module 30 is shown to further include a sensor motion planner 78, a loading motion planner 80, an excavation planner 82, and an obstacle detector 84 which are shown connected together in that data or information may be shared between the planners 78, 80, and 82. The sensor motion planner 78 is connected to the sensors 40 and 42 by a lead 86. The object recognizer 66 provides information to both the load point planner 68 and the loading motion planner 80 over connections 88 and 90, respectively. Likewise, the load point planner 68 also provides data to the loading motion planner 80 over a connection 92. The excavation point planner 70 is connected to the excavation motion planner 82 by a lead 94. As shown, the obstacle detector 84 receives information from the right scanline processor 58 over via a connection 96. The obstacle detector 84 also receives information from the left scanline processor 54, although such connection is not illustrated. A lead 98 connects the obstacle detector 84 to the excavation motion planner 82 and the obstacle detector 84 may also be connected to the sensor motion planner 78 and the loading motion planner 80, although such connection is not shown. The load point planner 68 is used to plan a sequence of dump points for loading soil into a truck bed of a truck. The excavation point planner 70 is used to plan a sequence of dig points for eroding a face within the earthmoving environment 26. The loading motion planner 80 controls the dumping of a bucket of soil of the earthmoving machinery 22 into a truck and also controls the return of the earthmoving machinery 22 to dig more soil in the earthmoving environment 26. The excavation motion planner 82 controls the earthmoving machinery 22 during digging at a specific location within the earthmoving environment 26.”).
Stentz fails explicitly disclose, however Ishii discloses, recalculate a ZMP (Zero-moment Point) of the force acting on the excavator based on the mass information of the at least a portion of the front work device; obtain the work trajectory using the return trajectory and the recalculated ZMP; (See [Column 16, Lines 50 - Coulmn 16, Line 16] “(Next, with reference to FIG. 8, description will be made about calculation of stability and determination of an tipping possibility based on region determination performed by the ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f based on the locus of the ZMP 70.When the ZMP 70 is present in an region on the sufficiently inner side of the support polygon L formed by the work machine 1 and the ground surface 30 as described above, there is almost no possibility that the work machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 may overturn so that the work machine 1 can perform work safely. The ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f in the first embodiment calculates a support polygon L formed by the points where the work machine 1 is grounded on the ground surface 30. The ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f sets a normal region J where the possibility of tipping is sufficiently low and an tipping warning region N where the possibility of tipping is higher. The ZMP calculation/evaluation unit 60f determines stability based on whether the ZMP 70 is located in the normal region J or the tipping warning region N. When the travel base 2 erectly stands on the ground surface 30, the support polygon L substantially coincides with the planar shape of the travel base 2. Accordingly, when the planar shape of the travel base 2 is rectangular, the support polygon L has a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 8. More specifically, when a crawler is provided as the travel base 2, the support polygon L has a quadrangular shape including a front boundary on the line connecting the center points of left and right sprockets, a rear boundary on the line connecting the center points of left and right idlers, and left and right boundaries on the outer ends of left and right track links. Incidentally, the front and rear boundaries may be replaced by grounded points of a frontmost lower roller and a rearmost lower roller..”).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Stentz to incorporate the teachings of Ishii for the same motivation reasons in claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, Stentz as modified by Mizuochi, and Ishii disclose the claimed features of claim 1 and further disclose, Stentz fails explicitly disclose, however Mizuochi discloses, wherein the mass information includes weight measurement information of the bucket. (See [Column 23-24, Lines 65-14 ] “By sequentially performing kinematic calculations with respective detection values of the posture sensor 3b, swing angle sensor 3s, boom angle sensor 40a, arm angle sensor 41a, bucket angle sensor 42a, offset angle sensor 48a, undercarriage acceleration sensor 2a, upperstructure acceleration sensor 3a, boom acceleration sensor 10a, arm acceleration sensor 12a and pin force sensors 43a,44a, which are arranged at the various parts of the working machine 1b as shown in FIG. 13, and the lateral external force vector F46, position vectors r2, r3, r10, r12 at the respective mass points, acceleration vectors r''2,r''3,r''10,r''12 at the respective mass points, position vectors s43, s44 at the respective acting points of external forces and respective external force vectors F43,F44,F46 are then converted to values based on the machine reference coordinate system (O-XYZ).”).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Stentz to incorporate the teachings of Mizuochi for the same motivation reasons in claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Wesam Almadhrhi whose telephone number is (571) 270-3844. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30 AM - 5PM Mon-Fri Eastern Alt Fri.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anne Antonucci can be reached on (313) 446-6519. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WESAM NMN ALMADHRHI/Examiner, Art Unit 3666
/ANNE MARIE ANTONUCCI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3666