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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. The term “cam” is not limited to cameras; the term commonly refers to a projection on a rotating part of machinery in the art. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. If a satisfactory title is not supplied by the applicant, the examiner may, at the time of allowance, change the title by an examiner' s amendment. See MPEP § 1302.04(a).
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.
Claims 1-3, 8-11, 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bertino (US 20180263198 A1) in view of Meyers (US 20220132736 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Bertino discloses a cleaning system comprising:
at least two cleaning sieves (screens 6, see fig. 6, a screen 6 is shown under each cleaning element of a double rotating cleaning set 7) for separating grain kernels from grain chaff,
at least two clean grain collectors (the left and right halves of collecting gutter 17, see fig. 7, 37-41, paragraph 0067 discloses two segments), arranged below respective cleaning sieves (6, 6) of the at least two cleaning sieves for receiving the separated grain kernels therefrom,
a clean grain transporter (two elevators 18), coupled to the at least two grain collectors and arranged to receive the separated grain kernels from the at least two grain collectors and transport the grain kernels towards a grain storage (dumper 19), the clean grain transporter being configured to simultaneously facilitate transport of a first crop stream comprising grain kernels coming from a first one (see fig. 39, the left segment of 17) of the at least two clean grain collectors and a second crop stream comprising grain kernels coming from a second one (see fig. 39, the right segment of 17) of the at least two clean grain collectors.
Bertino does not disclose a camera system configured to capture an image of a sample of the grain kernels in the first crop stream and an image of a sample of the grain kernels in the second crop stream.
In the same field of endeavor, Meyers discloses a combine harvester having a camera system (camera 56) configured to capture an image of a sample of clean grain kernels in a crop stream of a clean grain elevator (clean grain elevator 52) so that grain losses may be accurately and consistently determined (paragraph 0052).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the clean grain elevators (18) of Bertino with a camera system so that a camera is attached to each elevator, as disclosed by Meyers, so that grain losses may be determined accurately and consistently.
Regarding claim 2, Bertino, of the resultant combination, discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clean grain transporter is arranged such that the first and second crop streams are physically separated at least up to a point where the images of the samples are captured (see fig. 6, 37-41, the grain streams from screens 6 are separate until they reach dumper 19).
Regarding claim 3, the resultant combination discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera system comprises two separate cameras, a first one of the two separate cameras being arranged to capture the image of the sample of the grain kernels in the first crop stream and a second one of the two separate cameras being arranged to capture the image of the sample of the grain kernels in the second crop stream (one of ordinary skill would provide each elevator with a camera, as established above in claim 1).
Regarding claim 8, Bertino, of the resultant combination, discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clean grain transporter comprises a clean grain elevator (elevators 18).
Regarding claim 9, Bertino, of the resultant combination, discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the clean grain transporter comprises at least two augers (helical transporters 174), arranged between respective ones of the at least two clean grain collectors (17) and the clean grain elevator (18).
Regarding claim 10, Bertino, of the resultant combination, discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least two augers (174) are coupled to respective separate grain inlets (177) of the clean grain elevator (18).
Regarding claim 11, Bertino, of the resultant combination, discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the clean grain elevator comprises a left-side grain entrance (177) and a right-side grain entrance (177), each grain entrance being coupled to a respective one of the at least two augers (174, 174).
Regarding claim 13, Meyers, of the resultant combination, disclose the cleaning system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a controller (controller architecture 16) operatively coupled to the camera system (56) and the at least two cleaning sieves, the controller being configured to adapt an operational setting of a first cleaning sieve of the at least two cleaning sieves in dependence of the image of the sample of the grain kernels in the first crop stream and to adapt an operational setting of a second cleaning sieve of the at least two cleaning sieves in dependence of the image of the sample of the grain kernels in the second crop stream (paragraphs 0026, 0056).
Regarding claim 14, Bertino, of the resultant combination, discloses a combine harvester (agricultural motor vehicle, paragraph 0001) comprising the cleaning system as claimed in claim 1.
Regarding claim 15, Bertino discloses a method for operating a cleaning system of an agricultural vehicle, said method comprising:
a first cleaning sieve (6) of at least two cleaning sieves (see fig. 6, a screen 6 is shown under each cleaning element of a double rotating cleaning set 7) of the cleaning system for separating grain kernels from grain chaff in a first crop stream being transported by a clean grain transporter (two elevators 18) that is (i) coupled to a first grain collector (the left half of collecting gutter 17, see fig. 7, 37-41, paragraph 0067 discloses two segments) arranged below the first cleaning sieve, and (ii) arranged to receive separated grain kernels from the first grain collector and transport the grain kernels towards a grain storage (dumper 19), and
a second cleaning sieve of the at least two cleaning of the grain kernels in a second crop stream being transported by the clean grain transporter that is (i) coupled to a second grain collector (the right half of collecting gutter 17, see fig. 7, 37-41, paragraph 0067 discloses two segments) arranged below the second cleaning sieve, and (ii) arranged to receive separated grain kernels from the second grain collector and transport the grain kernels towards the grain storage (19).
Bertino does not disclose adapting an operational setting of each sieve in dependence on an image of a sample of the grain kernels in each crop stream.
In the same field of endeavor, Meyers discloses adjusting an operation setting of a sieve in dependence on an image of a sample of the grain kernels in a crop stream (paragraph 0026, 0052, 0056) to support optimization of combine harvester operation (paragraph 0057).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the method of Bertino with adapting an operational setting of each sieve in dependence on an image of a sample of the grain kernels in each crop stream, as disclosed by Meyers, to optimize operation of the combine harvester.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bertino (US 20180263198 A1) in view of Meyers (US 20220132736 A1), and further in view of Leshem (WO 2020222159 A1).
Regarding claim 7 the resultant combination discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 1.
The combination does not disclose wherein the camera system comprises a line scan camera.
In the same field of endeavor, Leshem discloses a camera (207) that may be a line scan camera, wherein the camera is beneficial to analyze a large number of grains (paragraph 0062).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the resultant combination with a line scan camera, as disclosed by Leshem, to analyze a large quantity of clean grains.
Claims 1, 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Farley (US 20140200057 A1) in view of Meyers (US 20220132736 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Farley discloses a cleaning system comprising:
at least two cleaning sieves (44, 46) for separating grain kernels from grain chaff,
at least two clean grain collectors (22, 40), arranged below respective cleaning sieves of the at least two cleaning sieves for receiving the separated grain kernels therefrom,
a clean grain transporter (78), coupled to the at least two grain collectors and arranged to receive the separated grain kernels from the at least two grain collectors and transport the grain kernels towards a grain storage (80), the clean grain transporter being configured to simultaneously facilitate transport of a first crop stream comprising grain kernels coming from a first one of the at least two clean grain collectors and a second crop stream comprising grain kernels coming from a second one of the at least two clean grain collectors,
Farley does not disclose a camera system configured to capture an image of a sample of the grain kernels in the first crop stream and an image of a sample of the grain kernels in the second crop stream.
In the same field of endeavor, Meyers discloses a combine harvester having a camera system (camera 56) configured to capture an image of a sample of clean grain kernels in a crop stream of a clean grain elevator (clean grain elevator 52) so that grain losses may be accurately and consistently determined (paragraph 0052).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the clean grain elevator of Farley with a camera system, as disclosed by Meyers, so that grain losses may be determined accurately and consistently.
Regarding claim 4, Meyers, of the resultant combination, discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera system comprises a single camera (56) arranged to capture the images of the samples of the grain kernels in the first and the second crop streams.
Regarding claim 5, Meyers, of the resultant combination, discloses the cleaning system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the camera system (56) is arranged to simultaneously capture the images of the samples of the grain kernels in the first and the second crop streams (the two crop streams are combined at the base of elevator 78 of Farley).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 12 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20210400871 A1 discloses a line scan camera integrated with a grain elevator of a combine harvester.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADELINE RUNCO whose telephone number is (469)295-9123. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4:30 M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Rocca can be reached at 5712728971. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.I.R./ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
/JOSEPH M ROCCA/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3671