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 .
Drawings
The drawings were received on 4/5/24 are accepted by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 2595468 to Friel et al. in view of Schoeny et al. 20200383262.
Referring to claim 1-4, Friel discloses a forage harvester comprises a grain processor (7 cracker roller assembly) for processing of a chopped crop, the grain processor being driven by a belt drive in which an endless belt (16) has a belt tension, an actuator (20, see paragraph 0022) for adjusting the belt tension in the belt drive and a control device for adjusting the actuator, the control device being configured to control the actuator based on input signals supplied to the control device with regard to a property of the crop and a stored relationship between the signal and an associated setting value of the actuator in terms of adapting the belt tension in the belt drive to the property of the crop (see paragraph 0022 the control device can modify cylinder 20 to control tension based on amount of crop) and the actuator commanded to adjust the belt tension in the belt drive based on the input signals related to the crop being processed (see paragraph 0022). Friel does not disclose the control device is configured to receive input signals taken location-specific from a stored map. Schoeny teaches density of a crop can be determined based on stored field map (see paragraph 0017). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the system disclosed by Friel to have the control device is configured to receive input signals taken location-specific from a stored map in view of the teachings of Schoeny with a reasonable expectation of success the density can be used to determine amount of crop which is used to control the tension on belt. Note claims 2-4 merely further define an alternative that was not selected ( sensor that interacts with crop downstream) and thus is not given patentable weight.
Referring to claim 5, Schoeny teaches where the input signals are taken location-specific from a stored map, this includes information relating to crop harvested in a previous harvesting process from the same location associated with the stored map (see paragraph 0045).
Referring to claim 6, Schoeny teaches the input signals relate to one or more of the crop density, moisture, proportion of grain, mechanical properties, color of the harvested crop (see paragraph 0017).
Referring to claim 7, Friel discloses the forage harvester further comprises a user interface whereby an operator can select a desired belt tension in the belt drive of the grain processor, the control device being configured to control the actuator based upon the desired belt tension (see paragraph 0022 cylinder can be set to desired pressure to have desired tension and control system can be used to control the cylinder).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7 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.
Conclusion
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 GIOVANNA WRIGHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7027. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am- 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Coy can be reached at (571) 272-5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Giovanna Wright/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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