DETAILED ACTION
Responsive to the claims filed June 20, 2024. Claims 1-19 are pending. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Anderson (US 2010/0063673).
As per claim 1, Anderson teaches a sensing system for a mobile agricultural machine, the sensing system comprising:
one or more sensors to sense an environment around the agricultural machine to output sensing data (see at least fig 3, paragraph [0045][ sensor system 310]); and
a processor configured or programmed to detect an object in a search region around the agricultural machine based on the sensing data and change a pattern of the search region for the detection of the object in accordance with an area in which the agricultural machine is located (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051]; sensor system detects objects around vehicle and can change to and use different sensors based on the environment around the vehicle).
As per claim 2¸ Anderson teaches wherein the processor is configured or programmed to cause the pattern of the search region to be different between a case where the agricultural machine is located in a first area of a field and a case where the agricultural machine is located in a second area of the field, the second area being closer to an outer boundary of the field than the first area (see at least paragraphs [0051,0058]).
As per claim 3, Anderson teaches wherein the second area includes an embankment edge (non-functional descriptive language, however, see at least paragraphs [0028, 0055]).
As per claim 4, Anderson teaches wherein the search region includes a lateral search region including a region on a lateral side of the agricultural machine; and the processor is configured or programmed to cause the lateral search region to have a greater length in a longitudinal direction in the case where the agricultural machine is located in the second area than in the case where the agricultural machine is located in the first area (see at least paragraph [0060]).
As per claim 5, Anderson teaches wherein the processor is configured or programmed to cause the pattern of the search region to be different between a case where the agricultural machine is located on a bridge and a case where the agricultural machine is located on a predetermined road other than the bridge (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 6, Anderson teaches wherein the agricultural machine includes a work vehicle with a front wheel; and the processor is configured or programmed to set the search region to include a region closer to an outer edge of a front portion of the front wheel in the case where the agricultural machine is located on the bridge than in the case where the agricultural machine is located on the predetermined road (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 7, Anderson teaches wherein the processor is configured or programmed to cause the pattern of the search region to be different between a case where the agricultural machine is located on a road which is adjacent to a water path and a case where the agricultural machine is located on a road which is not adjacent to a water path (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 8, Anderson teaches wherein the search region includes a lateral search region including a region on a lateral side of the agricultural machine; and the processor is configured or programmed to cause the lateral search region to have a greater length in a longitudinal direction in the case where the agricultural machine is located on the road which is adjacent to the water path than in the case where the agricultural machine is located on the road which is not adjacent to the water path (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 9¸ Anderson teaches wherein the processor is configured or programmed to cause the pattern of the search region to be different between a case where the agricultural machine is located at an entrance of a barn and a case where the agricultural machine is located in a third area other than the entrance of the barn (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 10, wherein the search region includes a lateral search region including a region on a lateral side of the agricultural machine; and the processor is configured or programmed to cause the lateral search region to have a greater length in a longitudinal direction in the case where the agricultural machine is located at the entrance of the barn than in the case where the agricultural machine is located in the third area (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 11, wherein the processor is configured or programmed to cause the pattern of the search region to be different between a case where the agricultural machine is located in a fourth area of the field and a case where the agricultural machine is located in a fifth area of the field, the fifth area being closer to a ridge or crop-planting area of the field than the fourth area (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 12, Anderson teaches wherein the processor is configured or programmed to cause the pattern of the search region to be different between a case where the agricultural machine is located at a position where the agricultural machine is to be loaded onto a carrier and a case where the agricultural machine is not located at the position where the agricultural machine is to be loaded onto the carrier (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 13, Anderson teaches wherein the agricultural machine includes a work vehicle and an implement connected with the work vehicle; and the processor is configured or programmed to change the pattern of the search region in accordance with the implement connected with the work vehicle (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 14, Anderson teaches wherein a plurality of types of implements with different sizes are connectable with the work vehicle; and the processor is configured or programmed to change the pattern of the search region in accordance with a size of the implement connected with the work vehicle (see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 15, Anderson teaches wherein a positional relationship between the work vehicle and the implement connected with the work vehicle is changeable; and the processor is configured or programmed to change the pattern of the search region in accordance with a change in the positional relationship between the work vehicle and the implement(see at least paragraphs [0045, 0051, 0058]).
As per claim 16, Anderson teaches a position sensor to detect a position of the agricultural machine to output position data; and a storage to store map data concerning an area in which the agricultural machine travels; wherein the processor is configured or programmed to determine the area in which the agricultural machine is located based on the position data and the map data (see at least paragraph [0066]).
Claims 17-19 contain similar limitations as the claims above and therefore are rejected under similar rationale.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ramsey Refai whose telephone number is (313)446-4867. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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RAMSEY REFAI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3664
/RAMSEY REFAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3664