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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to the application filed on 08 October 2024. Claims 1-21 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement(s) was/were submitted on 08 October 2024. The submission(s) is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statement(s) is/are being considered by the Examiner.
Priority
Acknowledgement is made of applicant’s claim for domestic priority based on an application, 371 of PCT/EP2022/059791, filed on 12 April 2022.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 1, 8, 12, 14, and 19-21 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 and 19: “wherein the fleet of vehicles” should be “wherein the fleet of autonomous vehicles”;
Claim 1, 14, and 19: “facilitate for the vehicles” should be “facilitate for the at least two vehicles”;
Claim 8: “based on the physical properties” should be “based on
Claim 12: “behaviours, and/or vice versa” should be “behaviours.”;
Claim 20: “program code means for performing the steps of claim 19 when said program is run on a computer” should be “program code method of claim 19 when said program code is run on a computer”; and
Claim 21: “performing the steps of claim 19” should be “performing the method of claim 19”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase "preferably" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d). As claims 2-18 depend on claim 1, they are similarly rejected.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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) 1-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US-20170316692-A1, hereinafter “Rusciolelli.”
Regarding claim 1, and analogous claim 19, Rusciolelli discloses A control system for controlling a fleet of autonomous vehicles which are adapted to travel along driving paths in an area (Rusciolelli, claim 11-20; FIGs. 3, 8A-8B; para. 0004: “The present invention provides a system [i.e., A control system] for conducting agricultural operations in a field [i.e., in an area] using autonomous vehicles [i.e., for controlling a fleet of autonomous vehicles] in which a collision avoidance mechanism may be provided. The system may include providing a mission plan [i.e., which are adapted to travel along driving paths] for autonomous vehicles to conduct agricultural operations, establishing a hierarchy for the vehicles, and monitoring for an event conditions indicating vehicles are traveling toward a collision with respect to one another. Upon receiving an event condition, the system may revise the mission plan to adjust a path of one of the vehicles [i.e., which are adapted to travel along driving paths] based on the hierarchy in order to avoid the collision.”);
Regarding claim 19, Rusciolelli discloses A method for controlling a fleet of autonomous vehicles which are adapted to travel along driving paths in an area (Rusciolelli, claim 1-10; para. 0014: “…a method for conducting an agricultural operation including: (a) providing a mission plan for first and second autonomous vehicles, the mission plan including first and second paths for the first and second autonomous vehicles to travel while performing first and second agricultural operations, respectively…”);
wherein the fleet of vehicles comprises at least two vehicles, each vehicle being adapted to utilize a first and a second driving behaviour when driving along a driving path (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 3, 8A-8B; para. 0007: “Each vehicle which may be used in agricultural operations, or actively involved in agricultural operations, may be placed in a hierarchy (ranked). This hierarchy may be used for conflict resolution to determine which vehicle has the right of way and which vehicle will give way.”; para. 0008: “To avoid a collision, the collision avoidance process may analyze a current pass of each vehicle and a next planned pass of each vehicle, and may compare this analysis to the current pass and next planned passes of all vehicles performing operations in the same field. If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths, the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision [i.e., each vehicle being adapted to utilize a first and a second driving behaviour when driving along a driving path]. When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies, such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision, or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass [i.e., each vehicle being adapted to utilize a first and a second driving behaviour when driving along a driving path]. If a collision avoidance maneuver is executed, it is likely that as a result the remaining portion of the mission may benefit from a re-construction and re-optimization.”),
wherein, the first driving behaviour is associated with driving closer to an edge of a road section, in relation to the second driving behaviour, which is associated with driving further away from the edge and closer to a center line of the road section (Rusciolelli, FIG. 3: field 50, paths 60, first section 64, second section 66; FIGs. 8A-8B: paths 60, collision avoidance path 232, collision 230, collision avoidance path 242, see annotated FIG. 8A, below; para. 0055: “While conducting agricultural operations in the field 50, vehicles 10, labeled “E” and “F” by way of example, may be traveling toward a collision 230 due to upcoming travels in opposite directions on adjacent rows. Either vehicle E or vehicle F, or both vehicle E and vehicle F, or another equipment in the system, may detect and report this event condition. Upon receiving this event condition, the base station may provide a revised mission plan to avoid the collision 230. The base station may apply a predetermined, established hierarchy in which vehicle E is prioritized above vehicle F. Accordingly, the base station may provide a revised mission plan in which vehicle E will give way by adjusting the path of vehicle E to a collision avoidance path 232, based on the established hierarchy, to avoid the collision 230.”),
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Rusciolelli, annotated FIG. 8A
wherein the control system is configured to:
- by use of data indicative of driving status and position of the at least two vehicles (Rusciolelli, para. 0029: “The vehicle 10 includes a control system 20 for autonomously controlling the vehicle 10 and the agricultural machinery 14. The control system 20 may be in communication with numerous sensors and devices via a sensor bus 22. Sensors and devices may include, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or other position sensor 24 for accurately determining its location [i.e., by use of data indicative of…position of the at least two vehicles], a camera and/or microphone 26, proximity sensors 28 (such as radar) for detecting nearby objects, and vehicle sensors 30 for detecting various statuses of the vehicle 10 such as vehicle speed, engine speed, steering angle, pitch, roll and yaw angles, fuel level, oil pressure, tire pressures, and the like [i.e., by use of data indicative of driving status].”; para. 0031: “Referring now to FIG. 3, a diagram of an exemplar mission plan for execution in an agricultural field 50 using multiple vehicles 10 (such as vehicles “A,” “B,” “C” and “D” shown by way of example) [i.e., of the at least two vehicles] is provided in accordance with an aspect of the invention. A base station 52 may be in communication with the vehicles 10 via the long range antenna 16 when the vehicles 10 are far away from the base station 52. The base station 52 may also communicate or otherwise monitor the vehicles 10 via the short range antenna 18 with improved quality when the vehicles 10 are closer to the base station 52. The base station 52 may be where the majority of data used for mission planning and construction is stored.”),
predict if a meeting between the at least two vehicles along the road section will occur (Rusciolelli, para. 0008: “To avoid a collision, the collision avoidance process may analyze a current pass of each vehicle and a next planned pass of each vehicle, and may compare this analysis to the current pass and next planned passes of all vehicles performing operations in the same field. If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths [i.e., predict if a meeting between the at least two vehicles along the road section will occur], the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision. When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies, such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision, or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass. If a collision avoidance maneuver is executed, it is likely that as a result the remaining portion of the mission may benefit from a re-construction and re-optimization.”), and
- when it is predicted that the meeting will occur, command at least one, preferably each one, of the at least two vehicles to utilize the first driving behaviour to thereby allow and/or facilitate for the vehicles to pass each other along the road section (Rusciolelli, FIG. 8A, see annotated FIG. 8A, above; para. 0008: “To avoid a collision, the collision avoidance process may analyze a current pass of each vehicle and a next planned pass of each vehicle, and may compare this analysis to the current pass and next planned passes of all vehicles performing operations in the same field. If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths [i.e., when it is predicted that the meeting will occur], the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles [i.e., command at least one…of the at least two vehicles] involved in the potential collision. When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies, such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision [i.e., utilize the first driving behaviour to thereby allow and/or facilitate for the vehicles to pass each other along the road section], or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass. If a collision avoidance maneuver is executed, it is likely that as a result the remaining portion of the mission may benefit from a re-construction and re-optimization.”).
Regarding claim 2, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 1,
wherein commanding at least one of the at least two vehicles to utilize the first driving behaviour comprises commanding at least one of the at least two vehicles to switch from utilizing the second driving behaviour to instead utilize the first driving behaviour (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B: see annotated FIG. 8A, above; para. 0008: “To avoid a collision, the collision avoidance process may analyze a current pass of each vehicle and a next planned pass of each vehicle, and may compare this analysis to the current pass and next planned passes of all vehicles performing operations in the same field. If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths, the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision. When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies, such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision [i.e., commanding at least one of the at least two vehicles to switch from utilizing the second driving behaviour to instead utilize the first driving behaviour], or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass.).
Regarding claim 3, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 2,
wherein switching from utilizing the second driving behaviour to instead utilize the first driving behaviour is configured to be performed at any position along the road section (Rusciolelli, para. 0008: “If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths [i.e., configured to be performed at any position along the road section], the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision [i.e., switching from utilizing the second driving behaviour to instead utilize the first driving behaviour].”; para. 0042: “One or more mission revisions 156 may be provided by the system from time to time to update one or more portions of the mission plan 150 (such as specific paths for specific vehicles) [i.e., configured to be performed at any position along the road section] and/or to replace all of the mission plan 150. Mission revisions 156 may typically be provided, for example, upon receiving an event condition being tracked in the event log 154. Mission revisions 156 may typically adjust paths of one or more vehicles 10 to resolve event conditions being monitored, though mission revisions 156 may be provided for other reasons.”).
Regarding claim 4, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 3, further configured to:
- estimate a first required transition path along the road section for switching between the second driving behaviour to the first driving behaviour, wherein the first required transition path is estimated by use of a vehicle model which is based on physical properties of the at least one vehicle (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0029: “The vehicle 10 includes a control system 20 for autonomously controlling the vehicle 10 and the agricultural machinery 14. The control system 20 may be in communication with numerous sensors and devices via a sensor bus 22. Sensors and devices may include, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or other position sensor 24 for accurately determining its location, a camera and/or microphone 26, proximity sensors 28 (such as radar) for detecting nearby objects, and vehicle sensors 30 for detecting various statuses of the vehicle 10 such as vehicle speed, engine speed, steering angle, pitch, roll and yaw angles, fuel level, oil pressure, tire pressures, and the like [i.e., the first required transition path is estimated by use of a vehicle model which is based on physical properties of the at least one vehicle].”; para. 0042: “One or more mission revisions 156 may be provided by the system from time to time to update one or more portions of the mission plan 150 (such as specific paths for specific vehicles) and/or to replace all of the mission plan 150. Mission revisions 156 may typically be provided, for example, upon receiving an event condition being tracked in the event log 154. Mission revisions 156 may typically adjust paths of one or more vehicles 10 to resolve event conditions being monitored, though mission revisions 156 may be provided for other reasons.”; para. 0049: “If an event condition has been reported, the process may proceed to block 188 in which a revised mission plan may be provided. The revised mission plan may adjust the path of one or more of the vehicles 10 to resolve the event condition [i.e., estimate a first required transition path along the road section for switching between the second driving behaviour to the first driving behaviour].”).
Regarding claim 5, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 2,
wherein switching from utilizing the second driving behaviour to instead utilize the first driving behaviour is configured to be performed at a predetermined position along the road section (Rusciolelli, para. 0042: “One or more mission revisions 156 may be provided by the system from time to time to update one or more portions of the mission plan 150 (such as specific paths for specific vehicles) and/or to replace all of the mission plan 150. Mission revisions 156 may typically be provided, for example, upon receiving an event condition being tracked in the event log 154 [i.e., configured to be performed at a predetermined position along the road section]. Mission revisions 156 may typically adjust paths of one or more vehicles 10 to resolve event conditions being monitored, though mission revisions 156 may be provided for other reasons.”; para. 0049: “If an event condition has been reported [i.e., configured to be performed at a predetermined position along the road section], the process may proceed to block 188 in which a revised mission plan may be provided. The revised mission plan may adjust the path of one or more of the vehicles 10 to resolve the event condition [i.e., switching from utilizing the second driving behaviour to instead utilize the first driving behaviour].”).
Regarding claim 6, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 1, further configured to:
- by use of the data indicative of driving status and position, determine when the meeting has occurred (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0008: “A collision could occur, for example, if vehicles are travelling in opposite directions on the same path or adjacent paths [i.e., by use of the data indicative of driving status and position]. This condition can be analyzed when a mission is constructed, and may also be run in real time as there may be problems which cause deviations from the initial mission plan. As the mission is updated and re-optimized due to deviations, the collision avoidance process may be executed again. To avoid a collision, the collision avoidance process may analyze a current pass of each vehicle and a next planned pass of each vehicle, and may compare this analysis to the current pass and next planned passes of all vehicles performing operations in the same field. If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths, the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision. When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies, such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision, or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass. If a collision avoidance maneuver is executed, it is likely that as a result the remaining portion of the mission may benefit from a re-construction and re-optimization [i.e., determine when the meeting has occurred].”), and therefrom:
- command the at least one of the at least two vehicles to switch from utilizing the first driving behaviour to instead utilize the second driving behaviour (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0050: “To avoid a collision, the collision avoidance process may analyze a current pass of each vehicle and a next planned pass of each vehicle, and may compare this analysis to the current pass and next planned passes of all vehicles performing operations in the same field. If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths, the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision. When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies, such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision [i.e., command the at least one of the at least two vehicles to switch from utilizing the first driving behaviour to instead utilize the second driving behaviour], or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass. Having provided a mission revision to resolve the event condition and having verified collision avoidance, the process may return again to block 184 for receiving progress information, then decision block 186 for determining if an event condition has been reported.”).
Regarding claim 7, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 6,
wherein switching from utilizing the first driving behaviour to instead utilize the second driving behaviour is configured to be performed at any position along the road section (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0008: “If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths [i.e., configured to be performed at any position along the road section], the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision [i.e., switching from utilizing the first driving behaviour to instead utilize the second driving behaviour].”; para. 0042: “One or more mission revisions 156 may be provided by the system from time to time to update one or more portions of the mission plan 150 (such as specific paths for specific vehicles) [i.e., configured to be performed at any position along the road section] and/or to replace all of the mission plan 150. Mission revisions 156 may typically be provided, for example, upon receiving an event condition being tracked in the event log 154. Mission revisions 156 may typically adjust paths of one or more vehicles 10 to resolve event conditions being monitored, though mission revisions 156 may be provided for other reasons.”).
Regarding claim 8, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 7, further configured to:
- estimate a second required transition path along the road section for switching between the first driving behaviour to the second driving behaviour (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0008: “If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths, the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision [i.e., estimate a second required transition path along the road section for switching between the first driving behaviour to the second driving behaviour]. When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies, such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision, or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass. If a collision avoidance maneuver is executed, it is likely that as a result the remaining portion of the mission may benefit from a re-construction and re-optimization.”),
wherein the second required transition path is estimated by use of a vehicle model which is based on the physical properties of the at least one vehicle (Rusciolelli, para. 0029: “The vehicle 10 includes a control system 20 for autonomously controlling the vehicle 10 and the agricultural machinery 14. The control system 20 may be in communication with numerous sensors and devices via a sensor bus 22. Sensors and devices may include, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or other position sensor 24 for accurately determining its location, a camera and/or microphone 26, proximity sensors 28 (such as radar) for detecting nearby objects, and vehicle sensors 30 for detecting various statuses of the vehicle 10 such as vehicle speed, engine speed, steering angle, pitch, roll and yaw angles, fuel level, oil pressure, tire pressures, and the like [i.e., the second required transition path is estimated by use of a vehicle model which is based on the physical properties of the at least one vehicle].”).
Regarding claim 9, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 6,
wherein switching from utilizing the first driving behaviour to instead utilize the second driving behaviour is configured to be performed at a predetermined position along the road section (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0042: “One or more mission revisions 156 may be provided by the system from time to time to update one or more portions of the mission plan 150 (such as specific paths for specific vehicles) and/or to replace all of the mission plan 150. Mission revisions 156 may typically be provided, for example, upon receiving an event condition being tracked in the event log 154 [i.e., configured to be performed at a predetermined position along the road section]. Mission revisions 156 may typically adjust paths of one or more vehicles 10 to resolve event conditions being monitored, though mission revisions 156 may be provided for other reasons.”; para. 0049: “If an event condition has been reported [i.e., configured to be performed at a predetermined position along the road section], the process may proceed to block 188 in which a revised mission plan may be provided. The revised mission plan may adjust the path of one or more of the vehicles 10 to resolve the event condition [i.e., switching from utilizing the first driving behaviour to instead utilize the second driving behaviour].”).
Regarding claim 10, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 1,
wherein the second driving behavior for at least one of the at least two vehicles is a default driving behaviour (Rusciolelli, para. 0004: “The system may include providing a mission plan for autonomous vehicles to conduct agricultural operations, establishing a hierarchy for the vehicles [i.e., default driving behaviour], and monitoring for an event conditions indicating vehicles are traveling toward a collision with respect to one another. Upon receiving an event condition, the system may revise the mission plan to adjust a path of one of the vehicles based on the hierarchy in order to avoid the collision.”; para. 0007: “This hierarchy may be used for conflict resolution to determine which vehicle has the right of way and which vehicle will give way [i.e., the second driving behavior for at least one of the at least two vehicles is a default driving behaviour].”; para. 0008: “When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies [i.e., the second driving behavior for at least one of the at least two vehicles is a default driving behaviour], such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision, or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass.”).
Regarding claim 11, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 1,
wherein at least one of the first and second driving behaviours is associated with predetermined driving paths in the area (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 3 and 8A-8B; para. 0014: “…a method for conducting an agricultural operation including: (a) providing a mission plan for first and second autonomous vehicles, the mission plan including first and second paths for the first and second autonomous vehicles to travel while performing first and second agricultural operations, respectively [i.e., predetermined driving paths in the area]…(c) monitoring for an event condition reported by at least one of the first and second autonomous vehicles, the event condition being a detection of the first and second autonomous vehicles traveling toward a collision with respect to one another; and (d) upon receiving the event condition, providing a revised mission plan for the second autonomous vehicle in which the revised mission plan adjusts the second path of the second autonomous vehicle based on the hierarchy to avoid the collision [i.e., at least one of the first and second driving behaviours is associated with].”).
Regarding claim 12, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 11,
wherein the predetermined driving paths comprise predetermined switching paths between the first and second driving behaviours, and/or vice versa (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0055: “Upon receiving this event condition, the base station may provide a revised mission plan to avoid the collision 230. The base station may apply a predetermined, established hierarchy in which vehicle E is prioritized above vehicle F. Accordingly, the base station may provide a revised mission plan in which vehicle E will give way by adjusting the path of vehicle E to a collision avoidance path 232 [i.e., predetermined driving paths comprise predetermined switching paths between the first and second driving behaviours, and/or vice versa], based on the established hierarchy, to avoid the collision 230.”; para. 0056: “Upon receiving this event condition, the base station may provide a revised mission plan to avoid the obstacle 240 by adjusting the path of vehicle F to an obstacle avoidance path 242. However, the obstacle avoidance path 242 may cause vehicle F travel toward a collision 244 due to travels in opposite directions on adjacent rows. Consequently, the base station may include in the revised mission plan a collision avoidance path 246 for vehicle E [i.e., predetermined driving paths comprise predetermined switching paths between the first and second driving behaviours, and/or vice versa].”).
Regarding claim 13, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 11,
wherein at least the second driving behaviours for the at least two vehicles are associated with respective predetermined driving paths in opposite directions along the road section (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0055: “Referring now to FIG. 8A, an exemplar diagram illustrating a possible collision due to vehicles traveling in opposite directions in adjacent paths [i.e., associated with respective predetermined driving paths in opposite directions along the road section] with subsequent collision avoidance is provided in accordance with an aspect of the invention. While conducting agricultural operations in the field 50, vehicles 10, labeled “E” and “F” by way of example, may be traveling toward a collision 230 due to upcoming travels in opposite directions on adjacent rows. Either vehicle E or vehicle F, or both vehicle E and vehicle F, or another equipment in the system, may detect and report this event condition. Upon receiving this event condition, the base station may provide a revised mission plan to avoid the collision 230 [i.e., at least the second driving behaviours for the at least two vehicles].”), and
wherein the predetermined driving paths in opposite directions along the road section are at least partly overlapping driving paths so that a meeting of the at least two vehicles is not possible (Rusciolelli, para. 0055: “While conducting agricultural operations in the field 50, vehicles 10, labeled “E” and “F” by way of example, may be traveling toward a collision 230 due to upcoming travels in opposite directions on adjacent rows. Either vehicle E or vehicle F, or both vehicle E and vehicle F, or another equipment in the system, may detect and report this event condition. Upon receiving this event condition, the base station may provide a revised mission plan to avoid the collision 230 [i.e., predetermined driving paths in opposite directions along the road section are at least partly overlapping driving paths so that a meeting of the at least two vehicles is not possible].”).
Regarding claim 14, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 1,
further configured to determine a point in time and/or a position at which the at least one vehicle should initiate utilization of the first driving behaviour to thereby allow and/or facilitate for the vehicles to pass each other along the road section (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 8A-8B; para. 0055: “Referring now to FIG. 8A, an exemplar diagram illustrating a possible collision due to vehicles traveling in opposite directions in adjacent paths with subsequent collision avoidance is provided in accordance with an aspect of the invention. While conducting agricultural operations in the field 50, vehicles 10, labeled “E” and “F” by way of example, may be traveling toward a collision 230 due to upcoming travels in opposite directions on adjacent rows. Either vehicle E or vehicle F, or both vehicle E and vehicle F, or another equipment in the system, may detect and report this event condition. Upon receiving this event condition, the base station may provide a revised mission plan to avoid the collision 230. The base station may apply a predetermined, established hierarchy in which vehicle E is prioritized above vehicle F. Accordingly, the base station may provide a revised mission plan in which vehicle E will give way by adjusting the path of vehicle E to a collision avoidance path 232, based on the established hierarchy, to avoid the collision 230.”),
wherein the point in time and/or the position is determined by comparing an estimated time period until the meeting will occur with a predetermined time period value (Rusciolelli, para. 0044: “The mission plan may be created based on the data structures 110 and the program 112 described above with respect to FIG. 4. This may be accomplished, for example, in a back office/base station by running a number of simulations to optimize the operation based on a set of weights, constraints and priorities (such as with respect to time [i.e., point in time and/or the position is determined by comparing an estimated time period until the meeting will occur with a predetermined time period value], available equipment, cost, and so forth) which may be set by an operator.”; para. 0045: “Next, in block 182, the mission plan is transmitted to the vehicles 10 required to complete the mission plan at the appropriate times [i.e., a predetermined time period value].”; para. 0051: “The base station may make this determination by applying one or more factors, including comparing progress information received from the vehicles 10 to the current mission plan [i.e., point in time and/or the position is determined by comparing an estimated time period until the meeting will occur with a predetermined time period value], monitoring a completion time and/or monitoring for mission reports from the vehicles 10.”).
Regarding claim 15, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 14,
wherein the predetermined time period value corresponds to a time period for switching between the second and the first driving behaviours (Rusciolelli, para. 0052: “Finally, in block 208, the mission plan may be communicated to the vehicles 10 and/or other equipment for mission execution and deployment of equipment at designated times [i.e., a time period for switching between the second and the first driving behaviours], as indicated by block 180 of FIG. 5.”; para. 0054: “However, in a preferred aspect, a highest probability mission revision is communicated quickly to affected vehicles 10 to ensure timely resolution of an event condition.”).
Regarding claim 16, Rusciolelli discloses The control system according to claim 1,
wherein the second driving behaviour is further associated with a higher driving speed in relation to the first driving behaviour (Rusciolelli, para. 0038: “The data structures 110 may also include data structures which may receive user input for generating mission plans (such as via the I/O terminal 106) including, for example, an operation selection field 140, weights 142 and constraints 144 [i.e., second driving behaviour is further associated with a higher driving speed in relation to the first driving behaviour].”; para. 0040: “The constraints 144 could include, for example: requiring a maximum speed while performing a field operation (such as harvesting, planting, tillage or unloading on-the-go) (“Speed 1”); requiring a maximum speed during headland turns (areas at each end of the field) (“Speed 2”); requiring a maximum harvest loss limit (“Loss”); requiring a maximum force exertion (“G1”) and/or maximum force duration (“G2”) for motion of the vehicles 10 (such as for management of a power hop or working on rough ground); requiring a minimum turning radius on headlands (“Turn”); requiring a maximum power/torque limit (“Power”); and so forth [i.e., second driving behaviour is further associated with a higher driving speed in relation to the first driving behaviour].”).
Regarding claim 17, Rusciolelli discloses An autonomous vehicle which is adapted to travel autonomously along driving paths in an area, and wherein the autonomous vehicle is adapted to utilize a first and a second driving behaviour when driving along a driving path (Rusciolelli, FIGs. 3, 8A-8B; para. 0004: “The present invention provides a system for conducting agricultural operations in a field [i.e., in an area] using autonomous vehicles [i.e., An autonomous vehicle] in which a collision avoidance mechanism may be provided. The system may include providing a mission plan for autonomous vehicles [i.e., which is adapted to travel autonomously along driving paths] to conduct agricultural operations, establishing a hierarchy for the vehicles, and monitoring for an event conditions indicating vehicles are traveling toward a collision with respect to one another. Upon receiving an event condition, the system may revise the mission plan to adjust a path of one of the vehicles [i.e., which is adapted to travel autonomously along driving paths] based on the hierarchy in order to avoid the collision.”; para. 0007: “Each vehicle which may be used in agricultural operations, or actively involved in agricultural operations, may be placed in a hierarchy (ranked). This hierarchy may be used for conflict resolution to determine which vehicle has the right of way and which vehicle will give way.”; para. 0008: “To avoid a collision, the collision avoidance process may analyze a current pass of each vehicle and a next planned pass of each vehicle, and may compare this analysis to the current pass and next planned passes of all vehicles performing operations in the same field. If it discovers that any vehicles may pass in opposite directions on the same or adjacent paths, the collision avoidance process may re-plan the path for one of the vehicles involved in the potential collision [i.e., wherein the autonomous vehicle is adapted to utilize a first and a second driving behaviour when driving along a driving path]. When a potential collision is identified, a vehicle with a lower rank in the hierarchy may execute one of several possible avoidance strategies, such as moving to a new path/pass that will avoid the collision, or stopping and waiting at the end of a current pass [i.e., wherein the autonomous vehicle is adapted to utilize a first and a second driving behaviour when driving along a driving path]. If a collision avoidance maneuver is executed, it is likely that as a result the remaining portion of the mission may benefit from a re-construction and re-optimization.”),
wherein the first driving behaviour is associated with driving closer to an edge of a road section, in relation to the second driving behaviour, which is associated with driving further away from the edge and closer to a center line of the road section (Rusciolelli, FIG. 3: field 50, paths 60, first section 64, second section 66; FIGs. 8A-8B: paths 60, collision avoidance path 232, collision 230, collision avoidance path 242, see annotated FIG. 8A, above; para. 0055: “While conducting agricultural operations in the field 50, vehicles 10, labeled “E” and “F” by way of example, may be traveling toward a collision 230 due to upcoming travels in opposite directions on adjacent rows. Either vehicle E or vehicle F, or both vehicle E and vehicle F, or another equipment in the system, may detect and report this event condition. Upon receiving this event condition, the base station may provide a revised mission plan to avoid the collision 230. The base station may apply a predetermined, established hierarchy in which vehicle E is prioritized above vehicle F. Accordingly, the base station may provide a revised mission plan in which vehicle E will give way by adjusting the path of vehicle E to a collision avoidance path 232, based on the established hierarchy, to avoid the collision 230.”), and
wherein the autonomous vehicle is further adapted to receive driving commands from a control system according to claim 1 (Rusciolelli, para. 0029: “The vehicle 10 includes a control system 20 for autonomously controlling the vehicle 10 [i.e., the autonomous vehicle] and the agricultural machinery 14.”; para. 0030: “The drive system 36 may allow for general operation of the vehicle 10 by the control system 20 without the physical presence of a human operator, such as braking, accelerating, steering, shifting, and the like [i.e., adapted to receive driving commands from a control system according to claim 1].”).
Regarding claim 18, Rusciolelli discloses The autonomous vehicle according to claim 17,
further adapted to transmit data indicative of its driving status and position to the control system during driving (Rusciolelli, para. 0029: “The vehicle 10 includes a control system 20 for autonomously controlling the vehicle 10 and the agricultural machinery 14. The control system 20 may be in communication with numerous sensors and devices via a sensor bus 22. Sensors and devices may include, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or other position sensor 24 for accurately determining its location [i.e., adapted to transmit data indicative of its driving…position to the control system during driving], a camera and/or microphone 26, proximity sensors 28 (such as radar) for detecting nearby objects, and vehicle sensors 30 for detecting various statuses of the vehicle 10 such as vehicle speed, engine speed, steering angle, pitch, roll and yaw angles, fuel level, oil pressure, tire pressures, and the like [i.e., adapted to transmit data indicative of its driving status…to the control system during driving].”).
Regarding claim 20, Rusciolelli discloses A computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of claim 19 when said program is run on a computer (Rusciolelli, para. 0015: “Another aspect may provide a system for managing an agricultural operation, the system including a processor executing a program stored in a non-transient medium operable to: (a) provide a mission plan for first and second autonomous vehicles, the mission plan including first and second paths for the first and second autonomous vehicles to travel while performing first and second agricultural operations, respectively…”).
Regarding claim 21, Rusciolelli discloses A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program code for performing the steps of claim 19 when said program code is run on a computer (Rusciolelli, para. 0015: “Another aspect may provide a system for managing an agricultural operation, the system including a processor executing a program stored in a non-transient medium operable to: (a) provide a mission plan for first and second autonomous vehicles, the mission plan including first and second paths for the first and second autonomous vehicles to travel while performing first and second agricultural operations, respectively…”).
Additional Relevant Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US-20160176397-A1 (2016-06-23) | “Arrangements related to mitigating risk for an autonomous vehicle with respect to oncoming objects are described. An oncoming object in an external environment of the autonomous vehicle can be detected. It can be determined whether the oncoming object exhibits a hazardous behavior. Responsive to determining that the oncoming object exhibits a hazardous behavior, an altered travel route for the autonomous vehicle while maintaining safe operation of the autonomous vehicle can be determined. At least a portion of the altered travel route can safely violate a traffic rule. The autonomous vehicle can be caused to implement the altered travel route.” Relevant to claim(s) 1 and 19.
US-20240294191-A1 (2024-09-05) | Generally relevant to the art.
US-20230230475-A1 (2023-07-20) | “The vehicle coordination assembly is configured to determine respective paths for each vehicle to arrive at their respective destinations and determine trajectory control commands for each vehicle to traverse their respective paths whilst optimizing a predetermined objective and avoiding active interactions of two or more of the vehicles occurring in any shared areas of the paths.” Relevant to claim(s) 1 and 19.
FR-3096016-A1 (2020-11-20) | “The invention relates to a method of avoiding collision of a vehicle (1) with an obstacle (2) traveling in the opposite direction on a roadway (70), the method comprising the following steps: - a step of receiving an alert indicating the presence of the obstacle (2) on the roadway (70), - a step of acquiring an environment of said vehicle (1), - a step of determining the presence of a target (31a, 31b) traveling on the roadway (70), in the environment of the vehicle (1), - a step of securing the vehicle (1) behind said target (31a, 31b).” Relevant to claim(s) 1 and 19.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Leah N Miller whose telephone number is (703)756-1933. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8:30am - 5:30pm ET.
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/L.N.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3666
/HELAL A ALGAHAIM/SPE , Art Unit 3666