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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to the application filed on November 28, 2023. Claims 1-20 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
Priority
Request for priority to Provisional App. No. 63/429,143 dated May 9, 2025 is acknowledged. Examiner notes Applicant may be requested to perfect one or more of the claims in the situation where applied prior art has priority falling between the filing date of the non-provisional application the date of the provisional application. No action by Applicant is requested at this time.
Claim Objections
Claims 2, 4, 8, 14, 15, and 19 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 indicates that the actuator comprises a type of actuator rather than that the actuator is the actuator type;
Each of claims 4 and 8 indicates that the sensor comprises a type of sensor rather than that the sensor is the type of sensor;
Each of claims 14 and 15 recite and. instead of “and,”;
Claim 19 should include “and” before the final limitation;
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 20 recites wherein the controller is configured to apply a first weight to the signals from the first sensor in response to first sensed data and is configured to apply a second weight to the signals from the first sensor in response to second sensed data different than the first sensed data and depends from claim 19 which indicates that there is sensed data derived from two different sensors which are weighted differently. It is unclear whether the second sensed data pertains to data from the first sensor or second sensor. For purposes of this Action, Examiner is interpreting it as pertaining to the second sensor.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis 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.
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)(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 1-5, 9, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Pub. No. 2022/0400600 (hereinafter, “Mollick”).
Regarding claim 1, Mollick discloses A tractor three-point hitch control system (see at least Fig. 2C, Fig. 8, [0230]-[0231], and [0237]) comprising:
a tractor having a main body and a three-point hitch coupled to the main body (see at least []; ), the three-point hitch comprising:
a first holding arm (see at least Fig. 2C, Fig. 8, [0230]-[0231], and [0237]; two bottom-lift-arms 16. One of the bottom-lift-arms is considered the first holding arm);
a second holding arm (see at least Fig. 2C, Fig. 8, [0230]-[0231], and [0237]; two bottom-lift-arms 16. One of the bottom-lift-arms is considered the second holding arm); and
a top link (see at least Fig. 2C, Fig. 8, [0230]-[0231], and [0237]; the top link arm 14 is considered the top link);
a first actuator to raise and lower the first holding arm (see at least Fig. 2C, Fig. 8, [0230]-[0231], and [0237]; two implement actuators 1. The implement actuator that corresponds to the first holding arm is considered the first actuator);
a second actuator to raise and lower the second holding arm independent of raising and lowering the first holding arm (see at least Fig. 2C, Fig. 8, [0230]-[0231], and [0237]; two implement actuators 1. The implement actuator that corresponds to the second holding arm is considered the second actuator); and
a controller to output control signals to the first actuator and the second actuator to adjust an orientation of the first holding arm relative to the second holding arm (see at least [0230]; a controller 68 may be used to pivot the three-point connected implement).
Regarding claim 2, Mollick discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Additionally, Mollick discloses wherein the first actuator comprises an actuator selected from a group of actuators consisting of:
hydraulic valves and cylinders, and electric motor, pneumatic valves, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders (see at least Fig. 11-14 and [0242]; hydraulic linear actuator cylinders with pneumatic cylinders may be used).
Regarding claim 3, Mollick discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Additionally, Mollick discloses further comprising
a sensor to output sensor signals indicating ground interaction of an implement attached to the first holding arm and the second holding arm (see at least [0004]-[0005], [0017]-[0018], [0043], [0230], and [0234]; the positional sensors may may be used by the controller to raise and lower the implement relative to the ground),
wherein the controller is configured to output control signals to the first actuator and the second actuator to adjust the orientation of the first holding arm relative to the second holding arm based on the sensor signals (see at least [0004]-[0005] and [0017]-[0018]; when the implement is raised, adjustment of the holding arms may be initiated via the controller).
Regarding claim 4, Mollick discloses all of the limitations of claim 3. Additionally, Mollick discloses wherein the sensor comprises a sensor selected from a group of sensors consisting of: a pressure sensor; a force sensor; a position sensor; and a vision sensor (see at least Fig. 6A, [0234]; a relationship sensor may be used to detect the relative position of the implements and tractor).
Regarding claim 5, Mollick discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Additionally, Mollick discloses wherein the first actuator comprises a first cylinder-piston assembly having a first end portion coupled to the main body and a second end portion pivotably coupled to first holding arm (see at least Fig. 2C, Fig. 8, [0230]-[0231], and [0237]; two cylinder-piston arrangements connect the implement to the tractor).
Regarding claim 9, Mollick discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Additionally, Mollick discloses further comprising
a global positioning satellite (GPS) antenna to output signals indicating geographic coordinates of the tractor (see at least Fig. 6A, [0230], and [0234]; a GPS laser guidance system having antennas 76, 78, 80, and 82 may be used which sends and receives GPS information to and from a base station),
wherein the controller is configured to output control signals to the first actuator and the second actuator to adjust the orientation of the first holding arm relative to the second holding arm based on the geographic coordinates (see at least Fig. 6A, [0230], and [0234]; the controller 68 controls the orientation of the three point hitch by adjusting the holding arms based at least on the sensor information from relationship sensors 61 and based on the relative orientation of the tractor and the three point hitch and based on the laser guidance system information).
Regarding claim 17, Mollick discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Additionally, Mollick discloses further comprising:
a first sensor (see at least Fig. 6A and [0234]; one of relationship sensors 61); and
a second sensor (see at least Fig. 6A and [0234]; the other of relationship sensors 61),
wherein the controller is configured to output the control signals to the first actuator and the second actuator to adjust the orientation of the first holding arm relative to the second holding arm based upon signals from the first sensor in response to first sensed data (see at least Fig. 6A, [0230], and [0234]; the controller 68 controls the orientation of the three point hitch by adjusting the holding arms based at least on the sensor information from relationship sensors 61), and
wherein the controller is configured to output the control signals to the first actuator and the second actuator to adjust the orientation of the first holding arm relative to the second holding arm based upon signals from the second sensor in response to second sensed data (see at least Fig. 6A, [0230], and [0234]; the controller 68 controls the orientation of the three point hitch by adjusting the holding arms based at least on the sensor information from relationship sensors 61 and based on the relative orientation of the tractor and the three point hitch).
Regarding claim 18, Mollick discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Additionally, Mollick discloses further comprising:
a first sensor (see at least Fig. 6A and [0234]; one of relationship sensors 61); and
a second sensor (see at least Fig. 6A and [0234]; the other of relationship sensors 61),
wherein the controller is configured to output the control signals to the first actuator and the second actuator to adjust the orientation of the first holding arm relative to the second holding arm based upon signals from the first sensor in response to a first implement connected to the tractor (see at least Fig. 6A, [0230], and [0234]; the controller 68 controls the orientation of the three point hitch by adjusting the holding arms based at least on the sensor information from relationship sensors 61), and
wherein the controller is configured to output the control signals to the first actuator and the second actuator to adjust the orientation of the first holding arm relative to the second holding arm based upon signals from the second sensor in response to a second, connected to the tractor (see at least Fig. 6A, [0230], and [0234]; the controller 68 controls the orientation of the three point hitch by adjusting the holding arms based at least on the sensor information from relationship sensors 61 and based on the relative orientation of the tractor and the three point hitch).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6-8, 10-16, and 19-20 are objected to as depending from a rejected claim and would be found allowable if re-written in independent form, including all intervening claims, and after the above objections and/or rejections are remedied. Examiner notes that a more detailed reasons for allowability will be provided after one or more claims is found to be in a state of allowance, if needed.
Examiner’s reasons for indicating allowable subject matter: Claims 6-8 and 10-12 require sensing the ground (slope or obstacle) and controlling the relative position of the first and second arms based on the sensed slope or obstacle, claims 13-16 pertain to the system having the ability to switch between a manual automated mode and an autonomous mode, and claims 19-20 pertain to weighted sensor data. The primary reference, Mollick, fails to disclose each of these limitations.
Regarding claims 6-8 and 10-12, the closest secondary reference includes U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0017075 (hereinafter, “Beaujot”). Beaujot discloses individually controlling portions of the machine implement based on terrain changes including changes in slope and obstacles. However, the control arms adjustable in Beaujot are not connected to the tractor and are not part of the hitch which prevents modification of Mollick with Beaujot.
Regarding claims 13-16, Examiner has failed to find prior art which includes an automated manual control of the control arms. Instead, Examiner has found that the changing between manual and autonomous modes results in the user directly moving the implements rather than the implements moving automatically based on user input; see at least Mollick at [0003] and [0017].
Regarding claims 19-20, Examiner has failed to find any prior art pertaining to weighting sensor data of the two control arms or equivalent which may be used to modify Mollick.
Additional Relevant Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and may be found on the accompanying PTO-892 Notice of References Cited:
U.S. Pub. No. 2017/0181368 which pertains to adjustment of a tractor and implement based on the slope of the ground where the tractor is adjusted and the implement is not separately controlled.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIFFANY P YOUNG whose telephone number is (313)446-6575. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6:30 AM- 4:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helal Algahaim can be reached at (571) 270-5227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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TIFFANY YOUNG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3666
/TIFFANY P YOUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3666
/HELAL A ALGAHAIM/SPE , Art Unit 3666