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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2 and 3 recite the limitation "the load" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination, it is assumed that this load is a predicted load versus the current load.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hitachi Koki KK (WO 2017/154524 A1), hereinafter Hitachi.
Regarding claims 1, Hitachi discloses a mowing machine (1, fig. 1, line 296 on page 8), comprising:
a memory (microcomputer, wherein a microcomputer has a memory, lines 285-289 on page 7);
a processor coupled to the memory (microcomputer, wherein a microcomputer has a processor, lines 285-289 on page 7); and
a mowing machine main body (main body cover 2, fig. 1, line 237 on page 6) including a drive motor configured (16a and 16b, fig. 2, lines 297-300 on page 8) to drive a movement mechanism (12a and 13b, fig. 2, lines 297-300 on page 8) and a cutting blade motor (30, fig. 3, lines 297-300 on page 8) configured to drive a cutting blade (35, fig. 3, lines 297-300 on page 8) configured to cut grass (lines 78-80),
wherein the processor is configured to:
acquire information related to a state of grass growth (379-412 and 468-483, wherein the load is detected and then the path planned to limit the load) in a mowing target region (mowing area 290, line 46),
predict a load that will be applied to the cutting blade motor at a time of cutting the grass based on the acquired information related to the state of grass growth (lines 345-366),
set a travel path based on the predicted load, and control driving of the drive motor such that the mowing machine main body travels along the set travel path (lines 345-366).
Regarding claims 2, Hitachi further discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set the travel path such that an accumulated value of the load does not exceed a predetermined threshold value (lines 109-111 and 468-483, wherein the load is detected and then the path planned to limit the load).
Regarding claims 3, Hitachi further discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set the travel path such that a maximum value of the load does not exceed a predetermined threshold value (lines 109-111 and 468-483, wherein the load is detected and then the path planned to limit the load).
Regarding claims 4, Hitachi further discloses wherein the processor is further configured to set an initial travel path relative to the mowing target region (lines 416-426), and to set the travel path by correcting the initial travel path based on the predicted load (lines 468-483, wherein the load is detected and then the path planned to limit the load).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jennifer A Railey whose telephone number is (571)270-7353. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (8-4).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tara Schimpf can be reached at (571) 270-7741. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JENNIFER A RAILEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3676
/Nicole Coy/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672