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 § 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, 2, 4-10, 13-15, and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2021/151916 in view of WO 2011/108924.
Regarding claim 1, WO ‘916 teaches a service vehicle, 201, for inspection of crops stored within an automated storage and retrieval system, see page 15, line 30 through page 16, line 3, wherein the automated storage and retrieval system comprises:
a plurality of goods holders, 106, for holding crops,
a storage section, 104, configured for storing goods holders in a plurality of columns, 105, wherein the service vehicle, 201, is movable above the storage section, see figure 1:
a yoke, 401, see page 12, lines 10-12 and a reel configured for raising and lowering the yoke, see page 12, lines 5-8.
WO ‘916 does not teach irrigation equipment for irrigating crops that is raised and lowered.
WO ‘924 teaches a method and apparatus for performing operations at a plant factory and teaches a carriage, 5, which is moved along beams 3 and 4. The carriage is provided with a lifting device, 7, to move a cable, 11, up and down. At the end of the cable is a nozzle, 13, the cable is connected to a water tank, 10.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the irrigation equipment taught by WO ‘924 with the service vehicle taught by WO ‘916 in order to achieve the predictable result of enabling automatic irrigation of crops stored within a columns within a large storage and retrieval system.
Regarding claim 2, WO ‘016 teaches:
Inspection equipment for inspecting crops held by a good holder, see page 15, line 30 through page 16, line 3, wherein the yoke is further configured to hold the inspection equipment, see page 12, lines 10-12.
Regarding claim 4, WO ‘924 teaches:
a water tank, 10, and a nozzle, 13, in fluid communication with the water tank.
Regarding claim 5, the WO ‘916 reference teaches the inspection equipment comprises a camera, see page 15, line 30 through page 16, line 3.
Regarding claim 6, the WO ‘916 reference teaches the reel comprises one or more lines, 402.
Regarding claim 7, the WO ‘916 reference teaches the yoke comprises a guiding device, 605, configured for guiding the yoke in the storage section.
Regarding claim 8, the WO ‘916 reference teaches the service vehicle comprises a first set of wheels, 403, and a second set of wheels, 404, for moving the service vehicle, 201, along a rail system, 108, arranged above the storage section, 104, of the automated storage and retrieval system.
Regarding claim 9, the WO ‘916 teaches an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the automated storage and retrieval system comprises:
a service vehicle, 201, according to claim 1,
a plurality of goods holders, 106, for holding crops, and
a storage section, 104, configured to arrange the plurality of goods holders in a plurality of columns.
Regarding claim 10, WO ‘916 teaches the rail system comprises:
a first set of parallel rails, 110, extending in a first direction, and
a second set of parallel rails, 111, extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
Regarding claim 13, WO ‘916 teaches the automated storage and retrieval system comprises:
a remotely operated vehicle, 201, 301. configured to move laterally in the first direction and the second direction above the storage section, wherein the remotely operated vehicle, 201, 301, comprises a gripping device, 606, configured to grab and lift a goods holder, 106, and,
a control system configured to monitor and control wirelessly the remotely operated vehicle, see abstract.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of WO ‘916 and WO ‘924 teaches a method for irrigating crops stored in an automated storage and retrieval system using a service vehicle, 201, according to claim 2,
wherein the method comprises:
moving the service vehicle, 201, to position a yoke, 401, above a target column of the storage section, 104, through which target column a target goods holder, 106, can be reached,
lowering the yoke, 401, to a target depth through the target column, and
irrigating, see WO ‘924 figure 2, and optionally inspecting the crop held by the target goods holder, 106, see claim 14 or WO ‘916.
Regarding claim 15, the combination of WO ‘916 and WO ‘924 teaches the method for irrigating crops in an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the method comprises:
moving the remotely operated vehicle, 201, 301, to position the gripping device above a target column of the storage section, through which target column a target goods holder can be reached,
retrieving the target goods holder by means of a gripping device, see abstract of WO ‘916.
WO ‘924 teaches the claimed service vehicle, 5, as described above.
It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to bring the remotely operated vehicle to the service vehicle in order to achieve the predictable result of enabling the service vehicle to irrigate crops held by the remotely operated vehicle.
Regarding claim 21, WO ‘916 teaches a camera, 607, 608, and 609, for inspecting, the camera being held by a good holders, see page 15, line 30 through page 16, line 3.
Claims 11, 12, 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over WO 2021/151916 in view of WO 2011/108924 and further in view of US 2023/0127239.
The applied reference has a common assignee and inventor with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2).
Regarding claim 11, WO ‘916 teaches an automated storage and retrieval system, but does not teach the storage section comprises a plurality of horizontally extending goods holder supporting frameworks distributed with vertical offsets.
US ‘239 teaches an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the storage section comprises a plurality of horizontally extending goods holder supporting frameworks, 401, distributed with vertical offsets, ΔdV,
wherein the plurality of horizontal goods holder supporting frameworks, 401, comprises:
a first goods holder supporting framework, 401a, and
at least one second goods holder supporting framework, 401b-n arranged beneath and extending parallel to the first goods holder supporting framework, see figure 6,
wherein each of the first and the at least one second goods holder supporting frameworks comprises at least one goods holder support, 402, see figure 6 and paragraph 0083.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the horizontal good holder supporting frameworks taught by US ‘239 with the automated storage system taught by WO ‘916 in order to enable goods holders stored at lower levels to be easily reached without the need for digging, see 0029 and 0030.
Regarding claim 12, WO ‘916 teaches the automated storage and retrieval system according to -claim 9, but does not teach the claimed storage towers.
US ‘239 teaches an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the storage section comprises:
a plurality of storage towers for storing goods holders and configured for movement in at least one of the first direction and the second direction, see figure 22 reproduced below, and
at least one column void, 805, defined by the space between two or more of the plurality of storage towers, the at least one column void having a footprint corresponding to an area of a yoke, and
wherein the at least one column void can be repositioned within the storage section via movement in at least one of the first direction and the second direction of at least one of the storage towers, see paragraph 0151.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the storage towers taught by US ‘239 with the automated storage system taught by WO ‘916 in order to enable goods holders stored at lower levels to be easily reached without the need for digging, see 0029 and 0030.
Regarding claim 16, WO ‘916 does not teach the method steps of claim 16, but US ‘239 does.
US ‘239 teaches a method,
wherein the storage section comprises a plurality of horizontally extending goods holder supporting frameworks, 401, distributed with vertical offsets, ΔdV,
wherein the plurality of horizontal goods holder supporting frameworks, 401, comprises:
a first goods holder supporting framework, 401a, and
at least one second goods holder supporting framework, 401b-n, arranged beneath and extending parallel to the first goods holder supporting framework (701a),
wherein each of the first and the at least one second goods holder supporting frameworks comprises at least one goods holder support, 402,
wherein each goods holder support, 402, comprises a plurality of goods holder storage spaces, 404, and displays at least one hole, 403, with an opening size being at least a maximum horizontal cross section of the goods holder, 106, to be stored, and
wherein the at least one hole, 403, of the first goods holder supporting framework, 401a, are aligned vertically with the at least one hole, 403, of the at least one second goods holder supporting framework, 401b-n, see figure 14, and
wherein the goods holder supports are horizontally displaceable relative to each other, wherein the method further comprises:
where necessary, displacing the goods holder support, 402, on which the target goods holder is supported to position the target goods holder in vertical alignment with the target column, see claim 9.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the method associated with the horizontal good holder supporting frameworks taught by US ‘239 with the automated storage system taught by WO ‘916 in order to enable goods holders stored at lower levels to be easily reached without the need for digging, see 0029 and 0030.
Regarding claim 17 WO ‘916 does not teach the method steps of claim 17, but US ‘239 does.
US ‘239 teaches a method, wherein the storage section comprises:
a plurality of storage towers for storing goods holders and configured for movement in at least one of the first direction and the second direction, and
at least one column void, 805, defined by the space between two or more of the plurality of storage towers, the at least one column void having a footprint corresponding to an area of a yoke, and
wherein the at least one column void can be repositioned within the storage section via movement in at least one of the first direction and the second direction of at least one of the storage towers,
wherein the method further comprises:
moving one or several storage towers in a first direction and/or a second direction to reposition the at least one column void into vertical alignment with the target column and adjacent the storage tower in which a target goods holder is stored, see figure 22, reproduced above and claim 9.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to combine the method associated with the storage towers taught by US ‘239 with the automated storage system taught by WO ‘916 in order to enable goods holders stored at lower levels to be easily reached without the need for digging, see 0029 and 0030.
Regarding claim 18, US ‘239 further teaches:
each goods holder support, 402, comprises a plurality of goods holder storage spaces, 404, and displays at least one hole, 403, with an opening size being at least a maximum horizontal cross section of the goods holder to be stored, and
wherein the at least one hole, 403, of the first goods holder supporting framework, 401a, is aligned vertically with the at least one hole, 403, of the at least one second goods holder supporting framework, 401b-n, see figure 14.
Regarding claim 19, US ‘239 teaches the goods holder supports are horizontally displaceable relative to each other, see paragraph 0088.
Regarding claim 20, US ‘239 teaches: where necessary, and if the goods holder support on which the target goods holder is supported is not the uppermost goods holder support, displacing the above goods holder support, or each of the above goods holder supports, to position the at least one hole in vertical alignment with the target column, see paragraph 0129.
This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C.102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B); or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement. See generally MPEP § 717.02.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art cited on the PTO-892 and not relied upon are included to show additional examples of automated storage and retrieval systems similar to the applicant’s claimed invention. For example, US 2024/008425 is a teaching of a robotic farming system similar to the claimed invention, US 2021/0213311 teaches an automated storage and retrieval system that includes a robotic vehicle with a water tank.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAITLIN S JOERGER whose telephone number is (571)272-6938. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5 (CST).
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, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at (571)270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KAITLIN S JOERGER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
7 October 2026
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