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
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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-4, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayashi (US 11772941) in view of Coats (US Pub 2009/0259400).
Regarding claim 1, Hayashi discloses a system for displaying a peripheral image of a work vehicle including a vehicle body (display peripheral images of work vehicle body and worksite; figs. 1-9; col. 1, lines 42 to col. 2, lines 24; col. 3, lines 19-25), and front wheels that are attached so as to be steerable to a front end part of the vehicle body (figs. 1-9; col. 4, lines 15-21), the system comprising:
a steering angle sensor (col. 2, lines 40-45) configured to detect a steering angle of the front wheel (col. 2, lines 40-45; col. 4, lines 15-21);
a plurality of cameras that are provided on the vehicle body to image in different directions (col. 3, lines 19-25);
a display (48, fig. 2) device (abstract; col. 1, lines 42-63; col. 5, lines 51; col. 8, lines 30-49); and
a processor, wherein the processor selects any one of images captured by the plurality of cameras, and outputs a signal for playing the selected image on the display device (col. 9, lines 3 to col. 10, lines 24).
Hayashi discloses a system for displaying a peripheral image, but did not particularly recite the limitation, “….processor selects any one of images captured by the plurality of cameras based on the steering angle of the front wheel…”.
However, Coats discloses a system for displaying a peripheral image of a work vehicle including a vehicle body (display peripheral images of work vehicle body and worksite; figs. 1-9; sec 0019, 0021, 0026, 0034-0037), the system comprising:
a processor (30, 40; figs. 2&4; sec 0033), wherein the processor selects any one of images captured (sec 0042 and table 6) by a plurality of cameras (sec 0034, 0042) based on a steering angle of a front wheel (sec 0042 and table 6), and outputs a signal for playing the selected image on the display device (sec 0042 and table 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Hayashi to include a processor, wherein the processor selects any one of images captured by a plurality of cameras, based on a steering angle of a front wheel, and outputs a signal for playing the selected image on the display device. Such a modification Hayashi by Coasts will provide improved collision avoidance because a wider angle of viewing obstacles around blinds spots and other areas that Hayashi may have missed since Hayashi does not account for obstacles on the right side and under the carriage of the vehicle as taught by (see Coats sec 0004).
Regarding claim 2, Coasts teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of cameras include a first camera (sec 0034, 0042) that is provided at the front end part of the vehicle body and images a left front side of the work vehicle (sec 0034, 0042), and
a second camera (sec 0034, 0042) that is provided at the front end part of the vehicle body and images a right front side of the work vehicle (sec 0034, 0042), and
the processor (30, 40; figs. 2&4; sec 0033) selects either one of an image captured by the first camera or an image captured by the second camera based on the detected steering angle of the front wheel (sec 0042 and table 6).
Regarding claim 3, Coasts teaches the system according to claim 2, wherein:
the processor (sec 0034, 0042) selects either one of the image captured by the first camera or the image captured by the second camera, by comparing the steering angle of the front wheels with a threshold value (sec 0042 and table 6; see steering angle on neutral, neither on the right or on the left), and
the threshold value is different from a steering angle of the work vehicle during straight moving (forward movement and steering in neutral implies moving straight; sec 0042 and table 6).
Regarding claim 4, Coasts teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein:
the work vehicle includes a power transmission device configured to switch between forward movement and rearward movement, and the processor, in a case where a command signal to switch the power transmission device to forward movement is received (sec 0042 and table 6; see steering angle on neutral, neither on the right or on the left inplies transmission is switched between forward movement and rearward movement),
selects any one of the images captured by the plurality of cameras based on the steering angle of the front wheel (sec 0042 and table 6; see steering angle on neutral, neither on the right or on the left).
Regarding claim 8, Hayashi discloses work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body (display peripheral images of work vehicle body and worksite; figs. 1-9; col. 1, lines 42 to col. 2, lines 24; col. 3, lines 19-25),
front wheels that are attached so as to be steerable to a front end part of the vehicle body (figs. 1-9; col. 4, lines 15-21);
a cab (13, fig. 1; col. 3, lines 66 to col. 4, lines 6) that is supported by the vehicle body to be disposed on a rear side of the front wheel (13, fig. 1);
a steering angle sensor (col. 2, lines 40-45) configured to detect a steering angle of the front wheel (col. 2, lines 40-45; col. 4, lines 15-21);
a plurality of cameras that are provided on the vehicle body to image in different directions (col. 3, lines 19-25);
a display (48, fig. 2) device that is provided in the cab (abstract; col. 1, lines 42-63; col. 5, lines 51; col. 8, lines 30-49); and
a processor, wherein the processor selects any one of images captured by the plurality of cameras and outputs a signal for displaying the selected image on the display device (col. 9, lines 3 to col. 10, lines 24).
Hayashi discloses a system for displaying a peripheral image, but did not particularly recite the limitation, “….processor selects any one of images captured by the plurality of cameras based on the steering angle of the front wheel…”.
However, Coats discloses a system for displaying a peripheral image of a work vehicle including a vehicle body (display peripheral images of work vehicle body and worksite; figs. 1-9; sec 0019, 0021, 0026, 0034-0037), the system comprising:
a processor (30, 40; figs. 2&4; sec 0033), wherein the processor selects any one of images captured (sec 0042 and table 6) by a plurality of cameras (sec 0034, 0042) based on a steering angle of a front wheel (sec 0042 and table 6), and outputs a signal for displaying the selected image on the display device (sec 0042 and table 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Hayashi to include a processor, wherein the processor selects any one of images captured by a plurality of cameras, based on a steering angle of a front wheel, and outputs a signal for playing the selected image on the display device. Such a modification Hayashi by Coasts will provide improved collision avoidance because a wider angle of viewing obstacles around blinds spots and other areas that Hayashi may have missed since Hayashi does not account for obstacles on the right side and under the carriage of the vehicle as taught by (See Coats sec 0004).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 5 the system according to claim 1, wherein:
the work vehicle includes a parking brake, and in a case where a command signal for releasing the parking brake is received, the processor selects any one of the images captured by the plurality of cameras based on the steering angle of the front wheel.
Claim 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein:
the vehicle body of the work vehicle includes a rear vehicle body and a front vehicle body that is swingably coupled to the rear vehicle body,
the system further comprises an articulation angle sensor configured to detect an articulation angle of the front vehicle body with respect to the rear vehicle body, and
the processor selects any one of the images captured by the plurality of cameras based on a sum of the steering angle and the articulation angle.
Claim 7. A method for displaying a peripheral image of a work vehicle including a vehicle body, front wheels that are attached so as to be steerable to a front end part of the vehicle body, a steering angle sensor configured to detect a steering angle of the front wheel, a plurality of cameras that are provided on the vehicle body to image in different directions, and a display device, the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring the steering angle of the front wheels detected by the steering angle sensor;
selecting any one of images captured by the plurality of cameras based on the steering angle of the front wheel; and
outputting a signal for displaying the selected image on the display device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See the prior art below.
US 20160257252 A1
US 10421400 B2
US 20180027179 A1
US 20200231210 A1
JP 2017046277 A
EP 3272586 B1
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RONNIE MANCHO whose telephone number is (571)272-6984. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs.
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/RONNIE M MANCHO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3657