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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to communications filed on 11/26/2025. Claims 1, 8 & 15 have been amended. Claim 6 has been canceled and claim 21 has been newly added. No other claims have been amended, added, or canceled. Accordingly, claims 1-5 & 7-21 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/26/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant's representative argues, in substance, that CN116430316 ("316") does not teach and/or disclose: (A) tilt the radar device such that a titling angle of the radar device is one of a plurality of discrete angles each corresponding to one of the predefined speed ranges.
In response to (A) examiner respectfully disagrees. Examiner contends that applicant's representative employs broad language and as such the examiner reserves the right to interpret the claims broadly. Initially the examiner would like to point out that the term corresponding, simply, means comparable and/or 'according to'. The examiner contends that 316's disclosure of an ACC radar adjusting method and system of detecting the pitching angle according to the vehicle speed (as disclosed directly in the Abstract); along with the ACC radar pitching angle being adjusted according to the self-vehicle pitching angle and the vehicle speed, among other factors (see Description at least pg. 6) reads on the instantly contested limitation.
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 1-5 & 7- 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN116430316A (hereinafter 316).
316 discloses:
1: A system for operating a radar device of a mobile machine, the system comprising:
an actuator operably coupled between the radar device and an exterior of the mobile machine (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1; vehicle with radar, automatically adjusting the angle of the radar, pitch adjustment mechanism); and
a controller configured to: receive an input indicative of a ground speed of the mobile machine (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; detecting the vehicle speed); and
control, based on the input, the actuator to tilt the radar device with respect to a ground plane to alter a field of view of the radar device, wherein the ground speed is within a speed range of a plurality of predefined speed ranges, and a tilting angle of the radar device is one of a plurality of discrete angles each corresponding to one of the predefined speed ranges (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; vehicle with radar, automatically adjusting the angle of the radar based on road surface type/angle—uphill, ramp etc.).
2: wherein the field of view is a vertical field of view spanning between a first field extent and a second field extent to define a vertical viewing angle in a vertical plane extending along a length of the mobile machine (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; vehicle with radar and automatically adjusting the angle of the radar based on road surface).
3: wherein the input includes a first signal indicative of an initial ground speed of the mobile machine and a second signal indicative of a current ground speed of the mobile machine, and wherein, if the initial ground speed is less than a predefined low-speed threshold and the current ground speed is greater than a predefined high-speed threshold, controlling the actuator to tilt the radar device includes tilting the radar device upward with respect to the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; vehicle with radar and automatically adjusting the angle of the radar based on road surface and vehicle speed).
4: if the initial ground speed is greater than the predefined high-speed threshold and the current ground speed is less than the predefined low-speed threshold, controlling the actuator to tilt the radar device includes tilting the radar device downward with respect to the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; vehicle with radar and automatically adjusting the angle of the radar based on road surface and vehicle speed).
5: further including a spring extending from a mount of the radar device to a body of the radar device, wherein the spring is configured to bias the radar device towards a default tilt corresponding to a stationary state of the mobile machine relative to the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; vehicle with radar and automatically adjusting the angle of the radar based on road surface and vehicle speed).
6: wherein the actuator is an electronic actuator (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; vehicle with radar and automatically adjusting the angle of the radar, pitch adjustment mechanism).
7: wherein tilting the radar device upward with respect to the ground plane prevents the field of view of the radar device from intersecting the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; vehicle with radar and automatically adjusting the angle of the radar, pitch adjustment mechanism adjusting relative to slope of road and field of view of radar/vehicle).
8: A mobile machine, comprising: an exterior; a perception device having a field of view; and a system for operating the perception device of the mobile machine, the system including: an actuator operably coupled between the perception device and the exterior; and a controller configured to: receive an input indicative of a ground speed of the mobile machine; and control, based on the input, the actuator to tilt the perception device with respect to a ground plane to alter the field of view of the perception device, wherein the ground speed is within a speed range of a plurality of predefined speed ranges, and a tilting angle of the perception device is one of a plurality of discrete angles each corresponding to one of the predefined speed ranges (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 1).
9: wherein the field of view is a vertical field of view spanning between a first field extent and a second field extent to define a vertical viewing angle in a vertical plane extending along a length of the mobile machine (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 2).
10: wherein the input includes a first signal indicative of an initial ground speed of the mobile machine and a second signal indicative of a current ground speed of the mobile machine, and wherein, if the initial ground speed is less than a predefined low-speed threshold and the current ground speed is greater than a predefined high-speed threshold, controlling the actuator to tilt the perception device includes tilting the perception device upward with respect to the ground plane to prevent the field of view of the perception device from intersecting the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 3).
11: wherein if the initial ground speed is greater than the predefined high-speed threshold and the current ground speed is less than the predefined low-speed threshold, controlling the actuator to tilt the perception device includes tilting the perception device downward with respect to the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 4).
12: wherein the system further includes a spring extending from a mount of the perception device to a body of the perception device, wherein the spring is configured to bias the perception device towards a default tilt corresponding to a stationary state of the mobile machine relative to the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 5).
13: wherein the actuator is an electronic actuator (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 6).
14: wherein the perception device includes a radar device (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 1).
15: A method of operating a perception device of a mobile machine, the method comprising; receiving, by a controller, an input indicative of a ground speed of the mobile machine; and controlling, by the controller, an actuator operably coupled between the perception device and an exterior of the mobile machine, based on the input, to tilt the perception device with respect to a ground plane to alter a field of view of the perception device, wherein the ground speed is within a speed range of a plurality of predefined speed ranges, and a tilting angle of the perception device is one of a plurality of discrete angles each corresponding to one of the predefined speed ranges (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 1).
16: wherein the field of view is a vertical field of view spanning between a first field extent and a second field extent to define a vertical viewing angle in a vertical plane extending along a length of the mobile machine (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 2).
17: wherein the input includes a first signal indicative of an initial ground speed of the mobile machine and a second signal indicative of a current ground speed of the mobile machine, wherein controlling the actuator based on the input includes: actuating, if the initial ground speed is less than a predefined low-speed threshold and the current ground speed is greater than a predefined high-speed threshold, the actuator in a manner to tilt the perception device upward with respect to the ground plane to prevent the field of view of the perception device from intersecting the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 3).
18: wherein controlling the actuator based on the input includes: actuating, if the initial ground speed is greater than the predefined high-speed threshold and the current ground speed is less than the predefined low-speed threshold, the actuator in a manner to tilt the perception device downward with respect to the ground plane (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 4).
19: wherein the actuator is an electronic actuator (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 6).
20: wherein the perception device includes a radar device (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3; see claim 1).
21: wherein the tilting angle is proportional to the ground speed (see 316 at least fig. 1- 6 and in particular fig. 1-3 and Description; ACC radar adjusting method and system of detecting the pitching angle according to the vehicle speed).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MACEEH ANWARI whose telephone number is 571-272-7591. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 7:30-5:00 PM ES.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Angela Ortiz can be reached on 571-272-1206. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MACEEH ANWARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663