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 Arguments
Applicant’s election of Group I in the reply filed on 13 November 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.03(a)). Claims 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner under 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. Claims 1-5 and 12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Ohrstrom et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # US 2021/0127550).
Regarding claim 1, Ohrstrom discloses a virtual assist apparatus for assisting movement of a loader (P52) carried on a tractor to position the loader relative to an associated target item (attachment 34) for mutually engaging the loader with the target item (figs 1-14, etc), the virtual assist apparatus comprising:
an imaging system operable to generate work area image data representative of an image of a work area adjacent to the tractor, wherein the work area image data comprises loader image data representative of an image of the loader and target image data representative of an image of the associated target item disposed in the work area (figs 1-14, etc);
a guidance control apparatus coupled with the imaging system (figs 1-14, etc), the guidance control apparatus comprising:
a processor device (P37, 69-70, 109, 130-133, etc);
a non-transient memory device operatively coupled with the processor device and storing the work area image data (P37, 69-70, 109, 130-133, etc); and
virtual guidance logic stored in the memory device (P37, 69-70, 109, 130-133, etc); and
a display unit operatively coupled with the guidance control apparatus and comprising a screen that is viewable by an operator of the tractor (figs 1-14, etc),
wherein the processor is operable to execute the virtual guidance logic to generate, based on the work area image data (P37, 69-70, 109, 130-133, etc):
tractor heading data representative of a tractor heading of the tractor (figs 1-12, etc), and
target alignment guidance data representative of a target approach path providing access to a target attachment feature of the target that is mutually engageable with a corresponding loader attachment feature of the loader (figs 1-12, etc),
wherein the display unit is operable to display, based on the work area image data, the target alignment guidance data, and the tractor heading data, viewable images of the tractor heading and the target approach path in a viewable image of the work area, for assisting the movement of the tractor to position the loader relative to the associated target item for mutually engaging the loader with the associated target item (figs 1-12, etc).
Regarding claim 2, Ohrstrom discloses that the imaging system is operable to generate the work area image data comprising tool carrier image data representative of an image of a tool carrier of the loader, and implement image data representative of an image of an associated implement disposed in the work area; the processor is operable to execute the virtual guidance logic to generate, based on the work area image data: tool carrier heading data representative of a tool carrier heading of the tool carrier, and implement alignment guidance data representative of an implement approach path providing access to an implement attachment feature of the associated implement that is mutually coupleable with a corresponding carrier attachment feature of the tool carrier; and the display unit is operable to display, based on the work area image data, the implement alignment guidance data, and the tool carrier heading data, viewable images of the tool carrier heading and the implement approach path in the viewable image of the work area, for assisting the movement of the loader to position the tool carrier relative to the associated implement for mutually coupling the tool carrier with the associated implement (figs 1-16, etc: tool carrier and implement can be mapped to various components of Ohrstrom).
Regarding claim 3, Ohrstrom discloses that the processor device is operable to execute the virtual guidance logic to generate the implement alignment guidance data based on the implement image data; the processor device is operable to execute the virtual guidance logic to generate the tool carrier heading data based on the tool carrier image data; the display unit is operable to display, based on the implement image data and the implement alignment guidance data, the viewable image of the implement approach path superimposed on a viewable image of the associated implement displayed on the screen;and the display unit is operable to display, based on the tool carrier image data and the tool carrier heading data, the viewable image of the tool carrier heading superimposed on a viewable image of the tool carrier displayed on the screen (figs 1-16, etc).
Regarding claim 4, Ohrstrom discloses that the processor device is operable to execute the virtual guidance logic to generate implement approach path ray data based on the implement alignment guidance data; the processor device is operable to execute the virtual guidance logic to generate tool carrier heading ray data based on the tool carrier heading data; the display unit is operable to display, based on the implement image data and the implement approach path ray data, the viewable image of the implement approach path as one or more viewable implement approach path ray images extending from the viewable image of the implement displayed on the screen; the display unit is operable to display, based on the tool carrier image data and the tool carrier heading ray data, the viewable image of the tool carrier heading as one or more viewable tool carrier heading ray images extending from the viewable image of the tool carrier displayed on the screen; and an alignment on the screen of the one or more viewable implement approach path ray images displayed on the screen with the one or more viewable tool carrier heading ray images displayed on the screen by the operator raising, lowering, and/or tilting the tool carrier and/or moving the tractor about a yaw axis of the tractor relative to the implement establishes an alignment between the carrier attachment feature of the tool carrier and the implement attachment feature of the associated implement for pre-staging mutual coupling therebetween (figs 1-16, etc).
Regarding claim 5, Ohrstrom discloses that the processor device is operable to execute the virtual guidance logic to generate implement connection completion target indicia data based on the implement alignment guidance data and the implement approach path ray data;4the processor device is operable to execute the virtual guidance logic to generate tool carrier connection completion target indicia data based on the tool carrier heading data and the tool carrier heading ray data; the display unit is operable to display, based on the implement image data and the implement connection completion target indicia data, a viewable implement connection completion target indicia image defining a position along the one or more viewable implement approach path ray images, the position being representative of an implement connection completion confirmation; the display unit is operable to display, based on the tool carrier image data and the tool carrier connection completion target indicia data, a viewable tool carrier connection completion target indicia image defining a position along the one or more viewable tool carrier heading ray images representative of a tool carrier connection completion confirmation; and a coincidence on the screen of the viewable implement connection completion target indicia image displayed on the screen with the viewable tool carrier connection completion target indicia image displayed on the screen by the operator moving the tool carrier carried on the loader of the associated tractor towards the implement is representative of a confirmation of the mutual coupling between the carrier attachment feature of the tool carrier with the implement attachment feature of the associated implement (figs 1-16, etc).
Regarding claim 11, Ohrstrom discloses that implement height and level detection and control logic stored in the memory device of the guidance control apparatus; and implement level set point data stored in the memory device of the guidance control apparatus, wherein the processor device is operable to execute the implement height and level detection and control logic to generate a level control signal based on a comparison between the implement image data and the implement level set point data, and deliver the level control signal to a vehicle controller of the tractor to actuate the one or more controlled devices of the tractor for positioning the loader to a desired level position corresponding to the implement level set point data (figs 1-16, etc; and well known in the art).
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 6-10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHELLEY CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1330. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays through Fridays.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Erin Bishop can be reached at (571) 270-3713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Shelley Chen/
Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3665
February 21, 2026