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 Amendments/Arguments
1. Applicant's arguments filed 20 April 2026 have been fully considered but are not persuasive. The amended claims are not allowable at least because they introduce new matter not originally disclosed in the specification.
The new limitations are disclosed by at least Bernhardt as detailed in the rejection below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
2. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
3. Claims 1-10 and 14-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The original specification fails to disclose the following limitations of the newly amended claims: “a power coupling configured to permit hydraulic or electrical power and communications to be transferred back and forth between said mobile power unit and said implement”.
The original specification discloses a power coupling configured to permit hydraulic or electrical power to be transferred from said mobile power unit to said implement (P41, 62, 66, claims 12-13), and the power coupling configured to permit communications to be transferred back and forth between said mobile power unit and said implement (P35, etc). However, the original specification fails to disclose the power coupling configured to permit hydraulic or electrical power to be transferred back and forth between said mobile power unit and said implement (i.e. transferred to said mobile power unit from said implement).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
5. Claims 1-10 and 14-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bernhardt et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2002/0157841) in view of Blackwell et al. (U.S. Patent # 10,111,373; see also corresponding Patent Application Publication 2015/0105965).
Regarding claim 1, Bernhardt discloses an autonomous (claims 17, 21, 23, etc) agricultural system (figs, P2, 8, 27, 30, etc) comprising:
a mobile power unit (figs, etc) including a power supply (inherently required for agricultural vehicle and implement to operate as disclosed in at least P4-5, 31, 33, 48-49);
an implement releasably (figs 1-2, P15, 25, etc) secured to said mobile power unit (figs 1-2, etc); and
a connection assembly for facilitating connection between said implement and said mobile power unit, wherein said connection assembly includes a hitch point at which said implement is secured to said mobile power unit, wherein said connection assembly is configured such that a position of said hitch point is adjustable (figs 1-2, P16, etc),
wherein said mobile power unit is configured to transport said implement (figs 1-3, etc), and wherein said mobile power unit is further configured to provide power from said power supply to said implement (P31, 33, 48-49, etc),
wherein the connection assembly comprises a power coupling configured to permit hydraulic or electrical power and communications to be transferred back and forth between said mobile power unit and said hitch for said implement (P31, 33, 42-43, 45, 25, 49, claims 1, 3-4, 16-17, 21-22, 25-26, etc: hydraulic or electrical power transferred from said mobile power unit to said implement though hitch/coupling; and communications transferred back and forth between said mobile power unit and said hitch for said implement. And according to the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim, transferring power and communications back and forth between said mobile power unit and said hitch for said implement necessarily includes transferring power and communications back and forth between said mobile power unit and said implement, because said hitch is between said power unit and said implement. Further, “configured to permit hydraulic or electrical power and communications to be transferred back and forth between said mobile power unit and said implement” may be a statement of intended use.)
See P31: “Hitch 16 includes six adjustable length coupling elements 56, which are arranged in the form of a hexapod, and which are double acting hydraulic cylinders or electro-mechanical repositioning elements [power coupling transfers power to implement through hitch/coupling]. Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the six coupling elements 56 includes an integral force sensor 54 and a position or length sensor 58. Sensors 58 may length measurement sensors [power coupling transfers sensor communications between hitch/coupling for implement and power unit]”,
and P42: “The ECU 52 receives sensed value signals from the rotary angle sensor 41, from the coupling unit 30 and the rotary angle sensor 44 of the rotary mechanism 20. The ECU 52 also receives signals from six force sensors 54 and from the length sensors 58 integrated into each of the six coupling elements 56” [power coupling transfers sensor communications between hitch/coupling for implement and power unit],
and P43: “The ECU 52 transmits control signals to a proportional valve unit 60 which controls the six coupling elements 56 and which controls the blocking cylinder 42. Changing the length of the coupling elements 56 controls the position and orientation of the coupling frame 18” [power coupling transfers control communications between power unit and hitch/coupling for implement]).
Bernhardt does not explicitly disclose the power supply.
In the same field of endeavor, Blackwell discloses the power supply (abstract, P17-19, 62, etc). Blackwell also discloses a power coupling configured to permit hydraulic or electrical power and communications to be transferred from said mobile power unit to said implement, and communications to be transferred back and forth between said mobile power unit and said implement (P126, 17, 80, 95, 97, 114, 121, etc).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Bernhardt to use a power supply, as taught by Blackwell, in order to enable operation of the agricultural vehicle and implement as disclosed in at least P4-5, 31, 33, 48-49, with predictable results.
Regarding claim 2, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said connection assembly is configured such that a position of said hitch point is vertically adjustable (figs 1-2, P16, etc).
Regarding claim 3, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said connection assembly is configured such that a position of said hitch point is laterally adjustable (figs 1-2, P16, etc).
Regarding claim 4, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said connection assembly is configured such that a position of said hitch point is longitudinally adjustable (figs 1-2, P16, etc).
Regarding claim 5, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said connection assembly comprise an articulated coupling (figs 1-2, P16, etc).
Regarding claim 6, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said mobile power unit and said implement are configured to rotate with respect to each other about a vertical axis extending through a vertical pivot of said articulated coupling (figs 1-2, P16, etc).
Regarding claim 7, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said connection assembly comprises a steering mechanism to steer said autonomous agricultural system (figs 1-3, P4-5, etc).
Regarding claim 8, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that the steering mechanism comprises an electric linear actuator (Blackwell col 14: 13-15, col 12: 27-30, etc: electric linear actuator in combination with disclosed steering mechanisms).
Regarding claim 9, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that the steering mechanism comprises one or more steering cylinders configured to steer said autonomous agricultural system (figs 1-3, P4-5, etc).
Regarding claim 10, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that the one or more steering cylinders comprise hydraulic cylinders (figs 1-3, P4-5, etc).
Regarding claim 12, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that the power coupling comprises an electric cou
pler configured to transfer electric power between said mobile power unit and said implement (P31, 48-49, etc).
Regarding claim 13, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that the power coupling comprises a hydraulic coupler configured to hydraulic electric power between said mobile power unit and said implement (P31, 33, 48-49, etc).
Regarding claim 14, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said mobile power unit is configured to transport said implement by pulling said implement (figs 1-2, etc).
Regarding claim 15, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said mobile power unit is configured to transport said implement by pushing said implement (Blackwell figs 37-39, 49, 53, 59, col 6: 60 – col 7: 1, col 8: 11-46, etc).
Regarding claim 16, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that wherein said mobile power unit is autonomously controlled based on a location-determining element associated with said mobile power unit (P25, 49, claim 16, etc; Blackwell abstract, col 21: 48-50, col 22: 20-33, claims 18-19).
Regarding claim 17, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said implement is an agricultural implement configured to modify the ground soil (figs, P2, 8, 27, 30, etc: plow).
Regarding claim 18, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said implement is an agricultural implement configured to apply material into or onto the ground soil (Blackwell col 8: 18-36, claim 1, etc).
Regarding claim 19, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said implement is an agricultural implement configured to harvest crop from the ground soil (Blackwell P16, etc).
Regarding claim 20, Bernhardt in view of Blackwell further discloses that said power supply comprises an electric generator or one or more batteries (Blackwell abstract, P17-19, 62, etc).
Conclusion
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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.
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/Shelley Chen/
Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3665
June 12, 2026
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