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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Nomura et al. (US 2017/0058489 A1 and Nomura hereinafter.)
As to claim 1, A working vehicle comprising:
a plurality of working units that operate on hydraulic pressure;
a driving unit that drives the working units;
a battery;
a main controller;
a sub-controller;
a plurality of operation levers; and
a lock lever,
wherein the main controller is operable when a set time has elapsed in a state where no input operation has been performed from a time when the lock lever was raised and operations of the working units via the operation levers were disabled, to stop supplying of power from the battery to the driving unit by turning off a relay via the sub-controller.
(As to claim 1, Nomura teaches (fig.1, para. [0020] a working vehicle 1 comprising:
a plurality of working units 5 (hydraulic actuators 5E, 5F, 5G, fig.1, para. [0023]) that operate on hydraulic pressure (see para. [0040]);
a driving unit [engine 15] (fig.1, para. [0037], [0038], [0039], [0040]) that drives the working units [hydraulic actuators 5E, 5F, 5G] (fig.1, para. [0023], [0073]-[0074]);
a battery 18 (fig.3, para. [0042]);
a main controller [Engine control unit ECU 31] (FIG.3, para. [0037], [0042] & [0050]);
a sub-controller [vehicle controller 36] (see fig.3, para. [0030]);
a plurality of operation levers 10 (see fig.2, para’s [0029], [0035] & [0040]); and
a lock lever 13 (see figs.1, 2, 3, para. [0031], [0032] & [0033]),
wherein the main controller [Engine control unit ECU 31] (figs.3, 6) is operable such as operating the engine 15 (see fig.6, step 21, para. [0050], [0044], [0088]) when a set time has elapsed ([predetermined time elapsed], see step 28, fig.6) in a state where no input operation has been performed ([sit-down sensor 9A OFF], (see step 27, fig.6, para. [0092] & fig.3) from a time when the lock lever was raised (see step 26-YES, fig.6) and operations of the working units [hydraulic actuators 5E, 5F, 5G] via the operation levers 10 (see fig.2, para’s [0029], [0035] & [0040]) were disabled such as prohibited (when lock liver 13 is locked (raised), see para. [0032]/[0108]), to stop supplying of power from the battery 18 (fig.3, & Nomura teaching non-conduction with the battery 18 switched in accordance with OFF/open of the ACC relay 26, see para. [0110]) to the driving unit [engine 15] by turning off a relay [ACC relay 26 OFF] (see step 25, fig.6, & fig.3), see Nomura teaching “engine stop/conduction OFF state”, para’s [0094], [0100]) via the sub-controller [vehicle controller 36] (OFF/open of the ACC relay 26 is performed by the vehicle controller 36, see para. [0109], fig.3).
As to claim 2, The working vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main controller is operable when the lock lever has been lowered and a start switch has been pressed, to turn on the relay via the sub-controller to start supplying power from the battery to the driving unit, starts operation of the driving unit in a state where a passcode has been authenticated, and enables the working units to be operated by the operation levers.
(As to claim 2, Nomura teaches (fig.1, para. [0020] a working vehicle 1, wherein the main controller [Engine control unit ECU 31] is operable (see para’s [0050], [0051], fig.3) when the lock lever 13 has been lowered (see fig.5, step 9, Yes) and a start switch [power sw 12] has been pressed (see step 11, fig.5, & 3), to turn on the relay [ACC relay 26] (see step 12, fig.5) via the sub-controller [vehicle controller 36] to start supplying power from the battery 18 to the driving unit [Engine 15], starts operation of the driving unit [engine 15] (Nomura teaches “ON of the ACC relay 26 is performed by vehicle controller 36, see para. [0109], and Nomura also teaches “conduction of the battery 18 is switched in accordance with ON of the ACC relay 26”, see para. [0110]) in a state where a passcode [ID code] has been authenticated (via 37, 41, see figs.3-4 and step 1, Yes, figs.5, para’s [0055] thru para. [0064], [0078], [0079], [0080], [0081], [0082] & [0109]), and enables (permits) the working units [hydraulic actuators 5E, 5F, 5G] to be operated by the operation levers 10 (see fig.2, para’s [0029], [0032], [0035]).
As to claim 3, The working vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the main controller is operable when there has been an input operation in a period before the set time is reached, to keep the relay in an on-state.
(As to claim 3, Nomura teaches (fig.1, para. [0020] a working vehicle 1, wherein the main controller [Engine control unit ECU 31] is operable (see para’s [0050], [0051], fig.3) when there has been an input operation [C relay 22 ON] (see para. 0044], fig.3) or [power sw 12 pressed] (see fig.3, fig.5, step 3, Yes, para’s [0082], [0073] & [0030]) in a period before the set time is reached (before predetermined time steps 5, 6, fig.5), to keep the ACC relay 26 in an ON state (see step 4, fig.5, para. [0082])).
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Prior art of record (JP 6411935 related pub. JP 2016196759) teaches a construction machine 1 (see figs.1-7, description of embodiments).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTONY M PAUL whose telephone number is (571)270-1608. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am to 4 pm.
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/ANTONY M PAUL/
Primary Examiner of Art Unit 2846