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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II, Claim 3, drawn to an operation control system of a working vehicle and Species B drawn to Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6 in the reply filed on 01/12/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1, 2, 4, and 5 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Inventions/Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/12/2026.
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 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:
the “memory unit” in claim 3, which is defined at least in Par. [0012, 0015, 0016, 0038, 0048, 0052-0066, 0069, 0075-0077, 0080-0082] of the instant specification and
the “control unit” in claim 3, which is defined at least in Par. [0009-0011, 0016-0017, 0038, 0041-0044, 0048, 0052-0066, 0069, 0075-0077, 0080-0082] of the instant specification.
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
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN114809148.
Regarding claim 3, CN114809148 discloses:
an operation control system of a working vehicle (At least where CN114809148 discloses at the “Disclosure of the Invention” section an “automatic control system and method of an excavating loader based on return control”), including:
an arm (At least where CN114809148 discloses a “movable arm”);
a bucket mounted on the arm (At least where CN114809148 discloses a “loading bucket”);
a control unit (At least where CN114809148 discloses an “automatic control system/electronic control module, 11”);
a memory unit (At least where CN114809148 discloses “electronic control module, 11/memory button, 2/automatic control system”);
a first angle sensor that measures an angle of the bucket (At least where CN114809148 discloses an “angle sensor of the loading bucket rod”); and
a third angle sensor that measures an angle of the arm (At least where CN114809148 discloses an “angle sensor of the loading movable arm”), wherein the memory unit stores an angle at a target position of the bucket as first angle information (At least where CN114809148 discloses the “temporary preset target value of the loading bucket rod), and
an angle of the arm at the target position as third angle information (At least where CN114809148 discloses the “temporary preset target value” of the loading arm angle), and
the control unit moves the arm such that the angle of the arm becomes a value of the angle stored as the third angle information (At least where CN114809148 discloses that the “memory button 2 is pressed, the electronic control module 11 stores the current angle value of the loading boom and the current angle value of the loading arm, and uses the current angle value of the loading arm and the current angle value of the loading arm as a temporary preset target value , as shown in fig. 4, the execution temporary button on the operation handle 5 is pressed, the electronic control module 11 determines the difference between the current angle value of the loading boom and the current angle value of the loading arm and the temporary preset target value, calculates and outputs control signals of the loading boom proportional solenoid valve 10 and the loading arm proportional solenoid valve 7, and drives the loading boom cylinder 9 and the loading arm cylinder 8, so that the angle values of the loading boom and the loading arm tend to the temporary preset target value.”; via the execution temporary button procedure where the arm moves to the temporary preset target angle value), and
moves the bucket such that the angle of the bucket becomes a value of the angle stored as the first angle information (At least where CN114809148 discloses “In the invention, by setting a memory button, when the memory button is pressed down, an electric control module can store the current angle value of the loading movable arm and the angle value of the loading bucket rod and takes the current angle value of the loading movable arm and the angle value of the loading bucket rod as a temporary preset target value, and then an execution temporary button on an operating handle is pressed down, the electric control module judges the difference between the current angle value of the loading movable arm and the angle value of the loading bucket rod and the temporary preset target value, calculates and outputs control signals of a proportional electromagnetic valve of the loading movable arm and a proportional electromagnetic valve of the loading bucket rod, and drives an oil cylinder of the loading movable arm and an oil cylinder of the loading bucket rod to enable the angle value of the loading movable arm and the angle value of the loading bucket rod to tend to the temporary preset target value. By setting the memory button and the temporary preset target value, the temporary preset target value of the loader-digger can be set according to the actual working condition, and the angle of the loading movable arm and the angle of the loading bucket rod are controlled to approach the temporary preset target value.”; via the execution temporary button procedure where the bucket moves to the temporary preset target angle value).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brodie Follman whose telephone number is (571)270-1169. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-4:30pm EST M-F.
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/BRODIE J FOLLMAN/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669