DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/12/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “a previously captured thermal image” (lines 17-19) in discussing a change in the shape of one or more areas in the thermal image has taken place. It is unclear whether the limitation “a previously captured thermal image” is the same as the one recited earlier in base claim 1 or a different previously captured thermal image. For examination purposes, the examiner has interpreted this to mean “the previously captured thermal image” of base claim 1.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “the risk for fire” on line 24. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “the shape of one or more areas” on line 17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 recites the limitations “the ambient temperature and/or humidity”, “the engine load”, “the type of crop”, “the crop humidity”, “the position of the sun”, and “the wind direction”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation “the average and/or maximum temperature” on line 20. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation “the shape of one or more areas” on line 24. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
11. Claim 2, 4-18 and 20 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Claim 3 is objected for its dependency on the rejected base claim, but would otherwise be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The prior art discloses a harvester fire alarm can warn and alarm when there is fire hazard to the agricultural harvester. However, the prior art does not explicitly disclose determine if the average and/or maximum temperature in one or more areas in the thermal image exceeds a threshold, determine if a change in the average and/or maximum temperature in one or more areas in the thermal image compared to a previously captured thermal image exceeds a threshold, determine whether a change in the shape of one or more areas in the thermal image has taken place compared to a previously captured thermal image and/or to a reference shape, and whether said change exceeds a threshold, a control unit coupled to the processing unit, and configured to execute one or more of the following actions when one or more thresholds are exceeded: give a visual and/or auditive warning signal to an operator of the agricultural harvester, modify a setting of the agricultural harvester to reduce the risk for fire and/or slow down or contain a fire, activate a fire extinguishing system in the agricultural harvester.
Claims 1, 3 and 19 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112 set forth in this Office Action. The prior art discloses a harvester fire alarm can warn and alarm when there is fire hazard to the agricultural harvester. However, the prior art does not explicitly disclose determine if the average and/or maximum temperature in one or more areas in the thermal image exceeds a threshold, determine if a change in the average and/or maximum temperature in one or more areas in the thermal image compared to a previously captured thermal image exceeds a threshold, determine whether a change in the shape of one or more areas in the thermal image has taken place compared to a previously captured thermal image and/or to a reference shape, and whether said change exceeds a threshold, a control unit coupled to the processing unit, and configured to execute one or more of the following actions when one or more thresholds are exceeded: give a visual and/or auditive warning signal to an operator of the agricultural harvester, modify a setting of the agricultural harvester to reduce the risk for fire and/or slow down or contain a fire, activate a fire extinguishing system in the agricultural harvester.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VINCENT FENG whose telephone number is (703)756-4715. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NAVID MEHDIZADEH can be reached on (571) 272-7691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VINCENT FENG/Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/NAVID Z. MEHDIZADEH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669