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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for domestic benefit based on parent application US continuation-in-part 17/062,821 filed on October 05, 2020; and this application’s filing date is August 14, 2023.
Claims 1 - 17 are pending in the application.
Claim 1 is independent.
Claims 5 – 12, 16, and 17 were withdrawn subject to restriction/election requirement as filed on 10/28/2025.
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.
(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, 2, 4 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Abts (US PG Pub. No. 20140225747), herein “Abts.”
Regarding claim 1,
Abts teaches a computing device for processing geospatial data associated with an irrigation system, the computing device comprising: (Par. 0007: “Typical MCUs that are used to monitor self-propelled irrigation systems include a terrestrial or satellite radio transmitter for long-range communication to internet-connected computer servers. Telemetry systems sold by irrigation system manufacturers often require electronic and programmable center pivot main panels ( or other hardware retrofits) located at the center pivot point for radio telemetry with on-farm base-station computers, running proprietary software.” Par. 0019: “…self-propelled irrigation system…; “…central computer…” Par. 0033: “…the data can include time stamps for all recorded status of monitored conditions or parameters, such as the current GPS coordinates indicating pivot arm position.” Par. 0035: “central control computer”)
a processing element in electronic communication with a memory element, the processing element configured or programmed to receive sensor data over time from one or more sensors associated with the irrigation system, (Par. 0019: “The present invention is a wireless, self-contained waterline pressure sensing device for monitoring water pressure in a self-propelled irrigation system that can be mounted at the outermost sprinkler in the irrigation system. The waterline pressure sensing device includes a water pressure sensor, processor, and short-range radio transmitter (e.g., XBee radio modules or equivalent). This invention also employs a master control unit (MCU) mounted elsewhere on the irrigation system that is equipped with a short-range radio to receive data regarding the waterline pressure status from the waterline pressure sensing device. The MCU also typically includes conventional, long-range telemetry via either terrestrial or satellite means. Changes in the monitored status of the irrigation system processed by the MCU, including waterline pressure status can be transmitted over-the-air to a remote central computer and recorded in a central database used to update website pages that display pivot status and history.”)
the sensors configured to output data corresponding to a fluid pressure within the irrigation system, receive or determine geospatial data regarding fluid pressure within the irrigation system over a plurality of geolocations, (Par. 0033: “The waterline pressure status data are, in one embodiment, event-driven whenever the MCU determines that a pivot's waterline pressure status has changed by a preset percentage of the range of the water pressure sensor. In addition, the data can include time stamps for all recorded status of monitored conditions or parameters, such as the current GPS coordinates indicating pivot arm position.”)
and output a varying electronic signal to adjust a speed of one or more towers of the irrigation system, the electronic signal varying according to the geospatial data regarding fluid pressure within the irrigation system. (Par. 0005: “…water declines must be watched carefully by monitoring waterline pressures so operators can act in a timely manner to re-nozzle sprinkler systems with smaller orifices to restore minimum pressures and adjust pivot ground speeds…” See also Par. 0006 and 0033 that teaches adjusting the speed and monitoring the pressure and speed of the pivot irrigation system.)
Regarding claim 2,
The previously cited references teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 2 depends. Abts also teaches that the processing element is further configured or programmed to output the electronic signal to decrease the speed of one or more towers in geolocations where the fluid pressure within the irrigation system is below a first threshold. (Par. 0046: “Rather, a pressure threshold for wet and dry (yes/no) status can be set for each individual pivot situation and used in step 320.” Examiner’s Note – Paragraph 0005 of Abts states that the speed will be adjusted based on pressure and it is known that if the pressure decreases the speed must decrease as claimed in the instant application.)
Regarding claim 4,
The previously cited references teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 2 depends. Abts also teaches that the electronic signal output by the processing element is received by one or more drive motors, each drive motor configured to propel one of the towers. (Par. 0043: “Such center pivot irrigation systems 10 typically have wheels 11 and motors 17 at the pivot drive towers 13. The center pivot pipe spans 18 and series of pivot drive towers 13 can add up to any desired length from the center pivot point 12 to the pivot end position 20. Another type of mechanized irrigation system moves in a lateral or linear orientation across a field. The present invention is not limited in application to the type of mechanized irrigation system (center pivot 10 or lateral move).” Par. 0008: “A more recent development by third-party vendors and adopted by some center pivot manufacturers has been to use an end-of-system MCU with a GPS (global positioning system) receiver in lieu of the mechanical encoder or resolver at the center pivot to determine pivot arm position (i.e., azimuth from the center pivot point to the outermost drive tower structure).)
Regarding claim 13,
The previously cited references teach the limitations of claim 1 which claim 13 depends. Abts also teaches that the processing element is further configured or programmed to, instead of output the varying electronic signal to adjust the speed of one or more towers of the irrigation system, output the varying electronic signal to adjust a flow rate of a plurality of pumps that maintain the fluid pressure within the irrigation system. (Par. 0004: “Typical systems irrigate over 100 acres to as high as 600 acres. In practice, each center pivot system is designed to deliver a certain flow rate of water (typically expressed in gallons per minute per acre) at a specific waterline pressure uniformly and precisely over the entire field served by the irrigation system.” Par. 0005: “Loss of design water pressure can occur from a plethora of causes, but in the western com belt and the high plains area, where the majority of center pivots are used, a primary cause of pressure loss is the seasonal drop in well water pumping levels that gradually causes a decrease in water pressure and resulting system water flow. In a single irrigation season, these gradual declines in water delivery capacity can require replacing the nozzles of the water discharge (sprinkler) devices to restore a minimum waterline pressure at the new, reduced rate of flow.”)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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. Reasons for allowance will be held in abeyance pending final recitation of the claims. The prior art does not disclose: the processing element is further configured or programmed to output the electronic signal to increase the speed of one or more towers in geolocations where the fluid pressure within the irrigation system is above a second threshold.
Claims 14 and 15 are 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 (claims 1 and 13). Reasons for allowance will be held in abeyance pending final recitation of the claims. The prior art does not disclose the elements of claims 1 and 13, and the elements of: the processing element is further configured or programmed to output the electronic signal to adjust the pumps to increase the fluid pressure in geolocations where the fluid pressure within the irrigation system is below a first threshold. And for claim 15: wherein the processing element is further configured or programmed to output the electronic signal to adjust the pumps to decrease the fluid pressure in geolocations where the fluid pressure within the irrigation system is above a second threshold. See prior art Ravishankar cited below as related to claims 14 and 15.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Thompson et al. (US PG Pub. No. 20140263708) teaches a multi-section applicator having variable-rate sections. Thompson is related to the instant application by adjusting parameters of the movable irrigation system wherein the parameters are speed, pressure (flow rates) and certain areas of the field(s). Abstract and paragraph 0002 teaches: “ the applicator controller can be configured to receive speed information and position information of the apparatus, to receive the flow rate information, to determine application rate information of the substance for each section using the speed and position information, and the coverage map, and to provide the flow command to each metering device using the application rate and flow rate information.” Thus the speed of each section, and pressure and position are related. However, Thompson discloses in claim 1, the flow rate is changed based on the speed, rather than changing the speed based on pressure (or flow rate).
Ravishankar (US PG Pub. No. 20140312141) is related to the instant application and teaches portions of elements of claims 14 and 15. Ravishankar teaches in paragraph 0031: “…the controller transmits a control signal to the sprinkler head to control or regulate the water pressure of the sprinkler head, based on the distance x1 that the sprinkler head needs to spray in the direction defined by angular position .theta.1. Distance x2, which reaches a corner of the area covered by water sprayed by the sprinkler head, is greater than distance x1. Thus, the controller transmits another control signal to the sprinkler head to increase the water pressure of the sprinkler head based on the longer distance x2 that the sprinkler head needs to spray in the direction defined by angular position .theta.2. In like manner, the controller transmits control signals to the sprinkler head to increase or decrease the water pressure of the sprinkler head based on the distances x3 and x4 that the sprinkler head needs to spray in the respective directions defined by angular positions .theta.3 and .theta.4.” Ravishankar relates the adjustable pressure to certain areas needing the pressure as cited above in Par. 0031 and shown in figure 2. However, the required increase or decrease in pressure is only related to the areas needing more or less pressure. The adjustment of pressure as taught in Ravishankar is not associated with a resultant increase or decrease in pressure due to the geolocation such as a hill, valley, or slope, but rather only to an area that requires more pressure for an even distribution of fluid.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAD G ERDMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0177. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 7am - 3pm or 4pm EST..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAD G ERDMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116