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 .
Application Status
Claims 1-18 are pending in this application. All claims are eligible for examination.
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 12, “of” should be added in the last line so that the last seven words of the claim read “. . . one of said first and second ends”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-11 and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shearer et al. (US 2021/0137006 hereinafter Shearer).
With respect to claim 1, Shearer discloses an implement for an agricultural harvesting machine (in the abstract, Shearer discloses an header, which reads on an implement for an agricultural harvesting machine), said implement having first and second ends and a harvesting zone between said first and second ends (in figure 3, Shearer discloses the header with a first end towards the bottom and immediately above the number 80, although 80 is not the first end; in figure 3, Shearer also discloses the header with a second end towards the top and immediately below the 184 numeral, although the second end is just above the element 184; the harvesting zone is the space between the ends), said implement configured to travel in a forward direction to harvest a crop (in the abstract, Shearer discloses that the system is an harvester), comprising:
at least one gathering portion located in said harvesting zone (in figure 3, Shearer discloses reel 19 which reads on a gathering portion – note in applicant’s specification, paragraph 22 says that the reel gathers crop);
a control system (in figure 1, Shearer discloses control unit 300, which is responsive to inputs from sensing systems, as discloses in paragraph 130); and
one or more sensors located at said first end and configured to provide sensed information to said control system regarding at least one zone selected from the group consisting of said harvesting zone and a rear zone opposite said forward direction (in figure 3, Shearer discloses sensor system 80 which monitors any wrapping around the reel - the reel is in the harvesting zone, and the farthest apart ends of the reel are at the first or second end of the header – note in figure 2 that sensors 80 and 801 are resident on the arm 18 that is supporting the reel at the first end; in figure 3, Shearer also discloses sensors 504, 505, and 501 that are at the first end; in figure 3, Shearer also discloses sensor 701, which provide images of the rear zone that the implement has just traveled over – the bottom of these sensors 701 is at the same latitude as the first end and as such reads on being at said first end; note also that Shearer discloses sensing system 50 embedded in or on the lower side wall of the header in figure 1 and a similar shape in or on the upper sidewall).
With respect to claim 2, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 1. Shearer further discloses at least one severing portion located in said harvesting zone (in figure 3, Shearer discloses cutter bar in jagged dashed outline; in figures 1 and 2, the cutter bar is shown and labelled 23).
With respect to claim 3, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 2. Shearer further discloses said sensed information includes at least one of gathering portion information, severing portion information, crop information, and field information about a field over which said agricultural harvesting machine is traveling (in paragraph 135, Shearer discloses that the sensor 80 monitors any wrapping of crop around the reel; since the reel is part of the gathering portion, monitoring material wrapping around the reel reads on sensing gathering portion information).
With respect to claim 4, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 3. Shearer further discloses said sensed information is one or more of gathering portion information and severing portion information (in paragraph 135, Shearer discloses that the sensor 80 monitors any wrapping of crop around the reel; since the reel is part of the gathering portion, monitoring material wrapping around the reel reads on sensing gathering portion information).
With respect to claim 5, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 3. Shearer further discloses said one or more sensors provide a first image to said control system (in figure 3, Shearer discloses sensor 501, which can be a camera as disclosed in paragraph 131 – since the sensor 501 is part of the header, the space that it monitors immediately in front of it reads on the harvesting zone because the sensor is angled; also in paragraph 134, Shearer discloses that sensor 701 can be a camera; either of these sensors reads on a sensor that provides a first image to the control system).
With respect to claim 6, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 5. Shearer further discloses said first image includes a view in the direction of said second end (in figure 3, Shearer discloses that the camera 501 is angled upwards and inwards; this inward angle provides a view in the direction of the opposite end although the camera admittedly may not be angled to include a view directed at the second end).
With respect to claim 7, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 3. Shearer further discloses one or more second end sensors configured to provide sensed information to said control system (in figure 3, Shearer discloses sensor system 80 which includes 802 and monitors any wrapping around the reel; the reel is in the harvesting zone; in figure 3, Shearer also discloses sensors 504, 505, and 502 that are at the second end; in figure 3, Shearer also discloses sensor 701, which provide images of the rear zone that the implement has just traveled over – the top, unlabeled of these sensors is at the same latitude as the second end and as such reads on being at said second end).
With respect to claim 8, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 7. Shearer further discloses said second end sensors provide a second image to said control system (in figure 3, Shearer discloses sensor 502, which can be a camera as disclosed in paragraph 131 – since the sensor 502 is part of the header, the space that it monitors immediately in front of it reads on the harvesting zone because the sensor is angled; also in paragraph 134, Shearer discloses that sensor 701 can be a camera; either of these sensors reads on a sensor that provides a second image to the control system)
With respect to claim 9, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 8. Shearer further discloses said second image includes a view in the direction of said first end (in figure 3, Shearer discloses that the camera 502 is angled downwards and inwards; this inward angle provides a view in the direction of the opposite end although the camera admittedly may not be angled to include a view directed at the first end).
With respect to claim 10, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 7. Shearer further discloses said first end sensors and said second end sensors are in-line with said harvesting zone (in figure 3, Shearer discloses that the sensors 801 and 802 that make up the reel sensor 80 are clearly in line with the harvesting zone; the cameras 501 and 502 are also in line with the harvesting zone because that zone is defined as including the space between the two sides of the header, and the cameras are at the ends of those sides).
With respect to claim 11, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 1. Shearer further discloses one or more intermediate sensors configured to provide sensed information to said control system (in figure 3, Shearer discloses unmarked sensors positioned at the back of the header; in figure 4, these unmarked sensors are labelled as 601, 603, 604, and 605 and are cameras, as taught in paragraphs 132 and 133).
With respect to claim 13, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 11. Shearer further discloses an intermediate sensor support and wherein said intermediate sensor is located on said intermediate sensor support (in figure 4 and paragraph 133, Shearer discloses sensor support 602 on which at least sensors 603, 604, and 605 are mounted).
With respect to claim 14, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 1. Shearer further discloses a first end sensor support and wherein said first end sensor is located on said first end support (in figures 2, Shearer discloses that sensors 501, 505, and 504 disposed on support 502, as described in paragraph 131; support 502 reads on a first end support).
With respect to claim 15, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 1. Shearer further discloses said one or more first end sensors are selected from the group consisting of long range terahertz radar, FMCW radar, micro radar, narrow band radar, UWB radar, ground penetrating radar, an ultra-sonic sensor, a thermal camera, a visible camera, a stereo camera, a structured light, LiDAR, a laser vibrometer, an infrared NMR camera, an infrared SWIR camera, an infrared terahertz sensor, a far infrared sensor, a sonar sensor, and combinations thereof (in paragraph 131, Shearer discloses that the sensors 501 and 502 are cameras, which read on a visible camera; in paragraph 131, Shearer discloses that the sensor 505 can be an ultrasonic sensor, which is part of the list of possible sensors of this claim; in paragraph 135, Shearer discloses that sensor 801 generates a laser beam, which reads on a structured light generally).
With respect to claim 16, Shearer discloses an implement for an agricultural harvesting machine (in the abstract, Shearer discloses an header, which reads on an implement for an agricultural harvesting machine), said implement having first and second ends, a harvesting zone between said first and second ends, and at least one intermediate location between said first and second ends (in figure 3, Shearer discloses the header with a first end towards the bottom and immediately above the number 80, although 80 is not the first end; in figure 3, Shearer also discloses the header with a second end towards the top and immediately below the 184 numeral, although the second end is just above the element 184; the harvesting zone is the space between the ends; in figure 3, Shearer discloses that there is space between the ends, which includes an infinite number of locations any of which reads on an intermediate location), comprising:
at least one gathering portion located in said harvesting zone (in figure 3, Shearer discloses reel 19 which reads on a gathering portion – note in applicant’s specification, paragraph 22 says that the reel gathers crop);
at least one severing portion located in said harvesting zone (in figure 3, Shearer discloses cutter bar in jagged dashed outline; in figures 1 and 2, the cutter bar is shown and labelled 23);
a control system (in figure 1, Shearer discloses control unit 300, which is responsive to inputs from sensing systems, as discloses in paragraph 130); and
at least one sensor configured to provide at least one image to said control system (in figure 3, Shearer discloses sensor 501, which can be a camera as disclosed in paragraph 131 – since the sensor 501 is part of the header, the space that it monitors immediately in front of it reads on the harvesting zone because the sensor is angled; also in paragraph 134, Shearer discloses that sensor 701 can be a camera; either of these sensors reads on a sensor that provides a first image to the control system);
wherein said at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of:
at least one sensor located at said first end configured to provide a first image in the direction of said second end, said first image providing a view in the direction of said second end of at least a portion of at least one of said harvesting zone and a rear zone opposite said forward direction end (in figure 3, Shearer discloses that the camera 501 is angled upwards and inwards; this inward angle provides a view in the direction of the opposite end although the camera admittedly may not be angled to include a view directed at the second end);
at least one sensor located at said second end configured to provide a second image in the direction of said first end, said second image providing a view in the direction of said first end of at least a portion of at least one of said harvesting zone and said rear zone opposite said forward direction (in figure 3, Shearer discloses that the camera 502 is angled downwards and inwards; this inward angle provides a view in the direction of the opposite end although the camera admittedly may not be angled to include a view directed at the first end); and
at least one intermediate sensor located at said intermediate location configured to provide a third image, said third image providing a view in the direction of one or more of said first end and said second end of at least a portion of at least one of said harvesting zone and said rear zone opposite said forward direction (because this claim has been written in the alternative, the limitations of the claim can be met without showing prior art that reads on this clause).
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 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shearer in view of Christiansen et al. (US 2025/0098581 hereinafter Christiansen).
With respect to claim 11, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 10. While Shearer has previously been shown to read on all of the limitations of claim 11, Christiansen also discloses one or more intermediate sensors configured to provide sensed information to said control system (in the abstract and figure 1, Christiansen discloses camera 31 and infrared camera 29 which monitor at least a portion of – which renders obvious the entirety of – an header).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the instant invention to modify Shearer by adding the camera and infrared camera for monitoring as taught by Christiansen with the motivation to “reduce the workload of an operator . . . or for monitoring implements where an operator is not present, e.g. for automated machines” (Christiansen, paragraph 4).
With respect to claim 12, Shearer in view of Christiansen discloses the limitations of claim 11. Shearer in view of Christiansen further discloses said one or more intermediate sensors provide a third image to said control system wherein said third image includes a view in the direction of at least one said first and second ends (in the abstract, Christiansen renders obvious monitoring the entire header by a pair of cameras, which reads on providing an image that includes a view in the direction of at least one of the ends).
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shearer in view of Hunt et al. (US 20240122109 hereinafter Hunt).
With respect to claim 17, Shearer discloses the limitations of claim 16. In the discussion of claim 16, Shearer further was shown to disclose said at least one [first end] sensor located at said first end and said at least one [second end] sensor located at said second end. Shearer does not disclose at least one intermediate sensor located at said intermediate location configured to provide a third image, said third image providing a view in the direction of one or more of said first end and said second end of at least a portion of at least one of said harvesting zone and said rear zone opposite said forward direction.
However, Hunt discloses at least one intermediate sensor located at said intermediate location configured to provide a third image, said third image providing a view in the direction of one or more of said first end and said second end of at least a portion of at least one of said harvesting zone and said rear zone opposite said forward direction (as shown in figure 3, Hunt discloses cameras 230 that are mounted in what applicant’s claims define as an intermediate location and image at least one of the first or second ends – note in particular how the field of vision of the outer cameras intersect the side walls).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the instant invention to combine the upper sensors of Hunt with the header of Shearer because each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. The predictable result of the combination is an header with more sensors to collect data that can be used to optimize the machine’s performance (see MPEP 2143(I)(A)).
With respect to claim 18, Shearer in view of Hunt discloses the limitations of claim 17. Shearer in view of Hunt further discloses said agricultural harvesting machine is a combine harvester (in paragraph 127, Shearer discloses that the machine to which the header is attached is a combine harvester).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hunt et al. (US 20230025352) discloses sensors mounted on an agricultural header that can sense the field either in front of or behind an header, as shown in figures 3 and 4 respectively.
Zhang et al. (CN 221178491 U hereinafter Zhang) discloses an agricultural vehicle that has camera 310 analyzing crop that is flowing through an header that is directly beneath the camera 310, as shown in figure 1.
Deruyter et al. (US 2024/0155975) discloses a sensor 202 that monitors a reel in a combine harvester’s header, as shown in figures 2 and 3 as well as paragraph 60.
Barther et al. (US 2020/0068804) discloses a crop stream detector 12 that scans to the sidewalls of an header, as shown in figure 2.
Hunt, II et al. (Us 2024/0357968) discloses sensors on a combine header, as shown in figure 2.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS JAMES MEISLAHN whose telephone number is (703)756-1925. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:30 EST M-Th, M-F.
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/DOUGLAS J MEISLAHN/Examiner, Art Unit 3671
/JOSEPH M ROCCA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3671