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 (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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 6-7, 12-13, 17-20, 22, 24, 27 and 29-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wagner et al. (2021/0055730).
Regarding claims 1, 12, 13, 22 and 29, Wagner et al. discloses an electrically operated agricultural planting implement and method including a data communication and control system comprising:
One or more electronic components (49) associated with the implement (14) and configured to perform at least one agricultural function
A generator to generate electric power and supply said electric power to the one or more electronic components (pgph 0025)
A control unit (32, 34, 38, 48) configured to allow for bidirectional data communication (Figure 2) and control between the control unit and the agricultural planting implement (14)
Wherein the data communication and control between the control unit and the agricultural planting implement is performed via a wireless connection (pgph 0030)
Wherein the control unit is capable of being remote (wireless is capable) from the agricultural planting implement (pgph 0030) and the agricultural vehicle such that it is not mounted on the agricultural implement or the agricultural vehicle (pgph 0034 – discloses remote control from another vehicle)
Wherein the electric power is used to power the one or more electronic components, and the implement and components are operated without the need for hydraulic connection between the implement and a tow vehicle (pgph 0036)
Regarding claim 3, Wagner discloses that the power is controlled/distributed by a control module (pgph 0025).
Regarding claims 4 and 27, the generator is operatively connected to and driven by a power take off of the agricultural vehicle (pgph 0025).
Regarding claims 6-7 and 24, Wagner discloses a toolbar wherein the control units are located in a busbar (pgph 0026 discloses “grouped into working sets” which communicate with other control units – reads on generic “busbar” language).
Regarding claims 17 and 30, Wagner discloses that the control unit comprises a user interface for operating aspects of the implement and providing output for the user to view (pgph 0026).
Regarding claims 18 and 31, Wagner discloses that the control unit comprises one or more control units wherein the one or more control units are mobile devices such that the user can remotely control/operate the implement via the one or more control units (pgph 0026-0027).
Regarding claims 19-20 and 32-33, Wagner discloses health/status monitoring (sensors ) and allows for diagnosis of machine conditions viewable on a monitor (pgph 0025).
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) 2, 8-11, 21, 25-26 and 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wagner et al. (2021/0055730) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Thurow et al. (2013/0211628).
Regarding claims 2, 8, 21 and 25, Wagner discloses the invention as described above. Wagner discloses a metering system for delivering product to the ground but fails to disclose a row unit with seed metering. Like Wagner, Thurow also discloses an electronic control system for an agricultural implement and its actuators. Unlike Wagner, Thurow discloses that the electronic system can be used to control a seed metering mechanism. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the control system of Wagner to monitor and control row unit seed meters as taught by Thurow as it would be combining prior art devices according to known methods to obtain predictable results (KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 USPQ2d 1385 (2007)).
Regarding claims 9-10 and 25-26, the combination discloses a planting implement including row units and a generator for providing electric energy to implements through a “working set”/busbar on the toolbar. This setup would inherently include conductive elements to transfer power from the generator through the working sets to the implements.
Regarding claims 11 and 28, the combination discloses that the control system can control electrical elements independently (pgph 0025).
Claim(s) 5, 14-16 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wagner et al. (2021/0055730) as applied to claim 12 above and further in view of Official Notice.
Regarding claims 5 and 23, Wagner discloses a control module and generator for supplying electric power/voltage to components of the system but fails to specifically disclose stepping up/down the voltage before supplying the power to electronic components. The examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known in the art for generators/controls to step up/down voltage when supplying it to electronic components such that the correct voltage is supplied to different elements depending on their need/rating to prevent damage to components and to ensure the components function properly. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize a voltage step up/down system in Wagner before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to ensure proper operation of all of the electrical components.
Regarding claims 14-16, the combination discloses the invention as described above including a wireless connection that includes satellites but fails to specifically describe wifi or a cellular connection. The examiner takes Official notice that wifi and cellular connections are old and well known in the art of wireless connections. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize cellular and or wifi connections in the combination to transmit data.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lund et al. (9,585,301) also discloses a seeder with electronic components and a generator.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jamie L McGowan whose telephone number is (571)272-5064. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 9:00-5:00 CST.
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/JAMIE L MCGOWAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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