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 January 20, 2026. Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-18, and 20-23 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) were submitted on April 29, 2024 and July 30, 2025. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-18, and 20-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The new matter includes:
Claim 1 recites the fiducial marker having encoded thereon information from which spatial orientation of the fiducial marker is derived. The only paragraphs pertaining to this limitation is found at [0024] and [0029] of the original disclosure. These paragraph indicates that the spatial orientation is indicated by the fiducial marker, as shown in Fig. 2. However, the orientation is derived via the appearance of the fiducial marker rather than information encoded thereon. Additionally and as a separate feature, information may be encoded on the fiducial marker. Examiner failed to find any disclosure pertaining to spatial information being encoded on a fiducial marker. Therefore, this limitation is considered new matter.
Each of claims 1, 8, and 15 recites the set of sensors generating signals responsive to energy emitted by the fiducial markers. The only recitation of energy is found at [0025] of the original disclosure and pertains only to the type of sensor used to detect the fiducial marker. Examiner failed to find any disclosure pertaining to a fiducial marker emitting energy. Therefore, the limitation is considered new matter.
All other limitations deriving from those recited above are likewise new matter for at least the reasons recited above.
Allowable Subject Matter
All pending claims are allowable over the prior art pending the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(a). Examiner will provide reasons for indicating allowable subject matter after one or more claims is in a state of allowance.
Additional Relevant Art (Previously of Record)
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:
a. U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0060815 which pertains to a loading machine using a visual reference system.
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 TIFFANY P YOUNG whose telephone number is (313)446-6575. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6:30 AM- 4:30 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Erin Bishop can be reached at (571) 270-3713. 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