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 Arguments
112 Rejections
Based on applicant’s filed amendments, the previously set forth 112 rejections have been withdrawn.
102 Rejections
Applicants’ arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 6 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Further, with respect to applicants’ arguments on page 11, the examiner respectfully disagrees. Applicants’ characterization of the controller type codes as merely being stored for menu display is too narrow. The cited system uses those codes in the context of interface/protocol conversion. Meaning that the communication is adapted to the designated controller or machine attribute it represents; therefore, the combination, as a whole, reads on the claimed invention; as the combination includes communication formats adapted to represent designated attributes specified through the input interface related to the work machine.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kowatari et al. (JP 2005-308436A) in view of Matsuo et al. (2021/0003482).
With respect to claim 1, Kowatari et al. teaches an actual machine diagnostic system (Fig. 10) comprising: an external functional element (first means; [0045]) which causes a terminal device (1) to transmit an external request signal (as Kowatari et al. teaches the first means is tasked to transmit a scanning signal, based on a pre-set configuration, to identify connected controllers; [0045] [0111]) to an actual machine communication station (i.e. an actual machine communication controller connected to a communication line 5) for which wireless communication (via wireless communication 11, Fig. 10) with the terminal device (1) is established in accordance with a designated communication format (i.e. a controller type code; [01110]) and causes the terminal device (1) to receive from the actual machine communication station (i.e. the actual machine communication controller of the requested controller type code) an external response signal (from that actual machine communication station, for example requested D(1); [0111]) regarding a communication state (i.e. a state of connection between the terminal device 1 and a specific controller of an actual machine) of an actual machine communication network (5) in a designated work machine (as each machine and its respective controller is connected to the actual machine communication network 5; [0041]) on which the actual machine communication station is mounted (as Kowatari et al. teaches in [0111-0118] a communication state, defined by an external response signal from the an actual machine communication station is connected to the communication line and if it is connected, the externally received signal is stored; if the external response signal is not received, the station is not in a communication state with terminal device 1 and nothing is saved) , wherein the designated communication format (code type) is determined in accordance with a designated attribute (i.e. an inputted machine request) designated through an input interface (i.e. a portion of a screen of the terminal device which allows input to occur; [0045]) of the terminal device (1) for a designated attribute item (a designated machine and its respective controller, as received during input and reception of the signals from the machine) regarding a work machine [0056] and is converted into an actual machine communication format (i.e. for example, if based on requested reception of a code type from D (2), the input interface converts menu items are based on the code type, such that inputted information relative to D (2) can be entered; [0059]) for acquiring information regarding a designated component of the designated work machine (i.e. as Kowatari et al. teaches this specific D (2) entered information calls for specific information necessary for maintenance processing; [0056]) by utilizing communication in the actual machine communication network (5) by the actual machine communication station (i.e. the controller of the specific machine being communicated with).
Kowatari et al. remains silent regarding the designated attribute includes at least one of: an internal attribute relating to an internal condition of the work machine, including an engine type or a work machine model; and an external attribute relating to an external condition of the work machine, including a region or country where the work machine is located or environmental regulations applicable in that region or country.
Matsuo et al teaches a similar diagnostic system that includes designated attribute representing an internal attribute relating to an internal condition of the work machine, including an engine type or a work machine model (i.e. as Matsuo et al. discloses meta data, interpreted as designated attribute data, that includes sensor data on an internal condition a work machine 11 include a make and model [0084]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the instant invention to modify the designated attribute data of Kowatari et al. to include the meta data disclosed in Matsuo et al. because Matsuo et al. teaches such a modification allows for a more comprehensive management system with a knowledge system that searches failure know-how related to a specific machine type and model [0018], thereby improving the system of Kowatari et al.
With respect to claim 6, Kowatari et al. as modified teaches in Fig. 2 an actual machine diagnostic method to be executed by application software (as Fig. 2 depicts some of the algorithmic steps performed by a terminal device 1) installed in a terminal device (1), where the method steps of claim 6 are performed during the operation of the rejected structure of claim 1.
With respect to claim 2, Kowatari et al. teaches the actual machine diagnostic system (Fig. 10) wherein the designated communication format (i.e. the controller type code) is determined in accordance with the designated attribute (as the designated attribute is determined based on the controller type code; [0059] designated through the input interface (i.e. the screen portion that allows input to occur) of the terminal device (1) for the designated attribute item (entered specifically for the respective controller of that machine) determined in accordance with the designated component (of that machine, like a pump for that machine) designated through the input interface (screen) of the terminal device (1).
With respect to claim 3, Kowatari et al. teaches the actual machine diagnostic system (Fig. 10) wherein the designated communication format (the controller type code, which details what machine is connected) is determined in accordance with the designated attribute (i.e. the component of interest in accordance to the controller type code, for example, Kowatari et al. teaches the designated communication format, D (2), designates a machine, pump, with a designated attribute, for example engine speed; [0074-77], or any designated attribute related to that machine of interest) designated through the input interface (i.e. screen) of the terminal device (1) for the designated attribute item (i.e. the pump attribute of that machine) including an internal cause attribute item (speed data, as stored in the controller 2 of the pump) regarding an internal situation of the work machine (i.e. pump) through the input interface (screen) of the terminal device (1).
With respect to claim 4, Kowatari et al. teaches the actual machine diagnostic system (Fig. 10) comprising: an internal functional element (i.e. second means; [0045]) which causes a selection menu [0045] [0057] for allowing selection of one option as the designated attribute (specific to the connected controller, 2, like for the pump) among attributes that are a plurality of options (for that pump and other respective attributes of interest for that pump as sensed by sensors associated with the pump) through the input interface (i.e. the screen of the device 1 that allows input to occur) of the terminal device (1) to be output (i.e. display) to an output interface (i.e. the portion of the screen that displays information) of the terminal device (1) for at least one designated attribute item (respective to the connected controller 2 to a specific machine, like a pump; where the designated attribute is an engine speed stored in the control 2 of the pump).
With respect to claim 5, Kowatari et al. as modified teaches an actual machine complex diagnostic system including the actual machine diagnostic system according to rejected claim 1 (as the examiner considers Fig. 10 to encompass an actual machine complex diagnostic system and the actual machine diagnostic system), and the actual machine communication station (i.e. the portion of Fig. 10 having the actual machine communication station), wherein the actual machine communication station receives the external request signal (D(1) from the actual machine diagnostic system provided in the terminal device (1), generates an internal request signal (within the terminal 1) by converting a format of the external request signal (D(1)) from the designated communication format into the actual machine communication format (so as to work within the computer environment of the terminal 1), transmits the internal request signal to a designated control unit (4) mounted on the designated work machine (for example the pump of the work machine) for controlling operation of the designated component through the actual machine communication network (i.e. the portion of Fig. 10 responsible for communication signals back and forth), receives an internal response signal (i.e. a generated internal response signal within the controller of the pump) in response to the internal request signal from the designated control unit (4) through the actual machine communication network (Fig. 10), generates an external response signal by converting a format of the internal response signal from the actual machine communication format into the designated communication format, and transmits the external response signal to the actual machine diagnostic system in accordance with the designated communication format (as the communication interfaces taught in Kowatari et al. describe the function of gateways/protocol converters, so information is reformatted appropriately to be transmitted).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Matsuo et al. (2021/0003482) which teaches a diagnostic system that monitors several machines connected to that system.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW G MARINI whose telephone number is (571)272-2676. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/MATTHEW G MARINI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
