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
Currently claims 1-20 are pending and claims 15-20 are withdrawn.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 15-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/24/2026.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: safety switch status determination unit in claims 1 and 10.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stewart (U.S. 11,326,867).
With respect to claim 1, Stewart discloses an irrigation system (title, figure 1) comprising:
a plurality of towers (figure 1, towers 106), at least a portion of the towers including a successive one of a plurality of safety switches (figure 3, switches 316), each safety switch being either closed or open (paragraph 0010), the safety switch of each tower electrically connected to at least one safety switch of another tower (column 6 rows 63-68; essentially the switches are closed and are opened when the towers are no longer in alignment thus removing the resistance to the line the switches are located on); a safety switch status determination unit (detection circuitry 320) configured to:
determine a status of the safety switches (column 6 row 63-column 7 row 28, where the determination of the status of the safety switches being open changes the voltage in the line which the detection circuit then detects indicating that there is a misalignment of the system), and
output an electronic safety switch status signal whose level or data value varies according to whether all of the safety switches are closed or one of the safety switches is open (column 2 rows 48-58, where the detection circuit sends out a digital signal based on the voltage, where the voltage is reflective of the safety switch being open or now, as disclosed in column 6 rows 63-column 7 row 28); and
a controller (502 has display controller 517 associated with it, further having the indicator circuitry 426 which indicates from the signal, what tower is misaligned, column 11 row 63-column 12 to 10) configured to:
receive an indication of an irrigation system fault (column 13 row 55 through column 14 row 14, where the electronic device 502, its display 517, has a processor 503 that is configured to identify a misaligned wheeled irrigation tower based on a voltage, being the voltage received from the detection circuit),
cease operation of the irrigation system (such that the pump is deactivated and fluid no longer flows, column 17 rows 30-35, as well as the disclosed above stopping of the towers movement due to the misalignment),
instruct the safety switch status determination unit to determine the status of the safety switches,
receive the safety switch status signal,
perform at least one of the following steps if the safety switch status signal indicates that all of the safety switches are closed (the safety switches are closed during normal operation and when the towers are aligned):
transmit externally, display locally, or both, a message indicating that the irrigation system had a shutdown, but is no longer in an unsafe condition and can now be restarted,
restart operation of the irrigation system (column 5 rows 43-46, discloses that the closed switches would indicate normal operation, and upon alignment with the system the motors are energized and the alignment bar is then attached to the pivot center, column 16 rows 20-30, column 16 rows 40-65 further discloses the alignment of the system and the application of power to the pivot center via the safety switches 916), and
transmit externally, or display locally, or both, a message or indication that the irrigation system had a shutdown and has been restarted.
With respect to claims 2 and 10, Stewart discloses the controller ((502 has display controller 517 associated with it, further having the indicator circuitry 426) is further configured to perform the following steps if the safety switch status signal indicates that one of the safety switches is open: determine an identification of, a position of, or a distance to, the open safety switch (as the tower and its switch is identified, column 12 rows 40-55 and column 6 row 63-column 7 row 10, where the identified misaligned wheeled irrigation tower 108 is identified based off of the voltage) , and transmit externally, display locally, or both, a message indicating the identification of, the position of, or the distance to, the tower that has the open safety switch (column 7 rows 45-55). With respect to claim 10, Steward further discloses a switch cable including a plurality of sections that electrically connect the controller to a first safety switch and the safety switches to one another, or a return cable electrically connecting the safety switch at one of a plurality of outer towers to the controller (column 8 rows 20-38, discloses the return line that the voltage is applied to with the connected switches, further connected to the center pivot irrigation system and the detection circuitry, connected then to the controller),
detect whether a voltage of a second value is present on the other of the switch cable or the return cable (detected voltage of the return line), and output the safety switch status signal whose level or data value varies according to whether the voltage is present on the other of the switch cable or the return cable (column 8 rows 20-38 and column 16 rows 43-65).
With respect to claim 8, Stewart discloses the safety switch status determination unit includes an ohmmeter to measure an electrical resistance of a safety switch circuit including the switches (column 8 rows 40-55, discloses measuring the test resistance, understood that measuring resistance is done by an ohmmeter), a switch cable including a plurality of sections that electrically connect the controller to a first safety switch and the safety switches to one another (figure 2, the line connected to all the switches shown), and a return cable (return line 924) electrically connecting the safety switch at one of a plurality of outer towers to the controller (see figure 9, understood running between the towers along with the main line)), and output the safety switch status signal whose level or data value varies according to the measured resistance (as the measured voltage is taken into account with the measured test resistance, column 8 rows 40-55).
With respect to claim 9, Stewart discloses the safety switch status determination unit is configured to apply a voltage of a first value to one of a switch cable including a plurality of sections that electrically connect the controller to a first safety switch and the safety switches to one another, or a return cable electrically connecting the safety switch at one of a plurality of outer towers to the controller (column 8 rows 20-38, discloses the return line that the voltage is applied to with the connected switches, further connected to the center pivot irrigation system and the detection circuitry, connected then to the controller),
detect whether a voltage of a second value is present on the other of the switch cable or the return cable (detected voltage of the return line), and output the safety switch status signal whose level or data value varies according to whether the voltage is present on the other of the switch cable or the return cable (column 8 rows 20-38 and column 16 rows 43-65).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 and 11-14 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claims 3 and 11, the prior art disclose the use of a single resistor in the circuity of the safety switch, and fails to disclose the safety switch status determination unit itself include “a safety switch circuit load, a reference load, a first resistor, and a second resistor electrically connected to one another to form a bridge circuit, a voltage source configured to output a varying voltage to the bridge circuit, and a voltmeter configured to measure a differential voltage from a first point between the safety switch circuit load and the first resistor to a second point between the reference load and the second resistor, wherein the level or data value of the safety switch status signal varies according to a level of the differential voltage.”
Regarding claim 5 and 12, the prior art fails to disclose “the safety switch status determination unit includes a time domain reflectometry (TDR) unit electrically connected to a safety switch circuit including the switches, a switch cable including a plurality of sections that electrically connect the controller to a first safety switch and the safety switches to one another, and a return cable electrically connecting the safety switch at one of a plurality of outer towers to the controller, the TDR unit to output an electronic TDR signal to the safety switch circuit and receive a reflection of the TDR signal and the level or data value of the safety switch status signal varies according to a period of time between the outputting of the TDR signal and the reception of its reflection.”
With respect to claim 6 and 13, the prior art fails to disclose “the safety switch status determination unit includes: a charge signal generator electrically connected to a safety switch circuit including the switches, a switch cable including a plurality of sections that electrically connect the controller to a first safety switch and the safety switches to one another, and a return cable electrically connecting the safety switch at one of a plurality of outer towers to the controller, the charge signal generator configured to output an electronic charge signal to the safety switch circuit, and a comparator electrically connected to the safety switch circuit and configured to output an electronic comparator signal whose level or data value changes when a voltage on the safety switch circuit increases to a particular value.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH A GREENLUND whose telephone number is (571)272-0397. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur Hall can be reached at 571-270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH A GREENLUND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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