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 .
Contents of this rejection:
35 U.S.C. 101 interpretation explanation
Prior Art rejections
References cited but not relied upon
Claim Interpretation - 35 USC § 101
The present claims are compliant with 35 U.S.C. 101 because they are integrated into a practical application. Specifically, the last limitation of the independent claims takes the result of the identification step and transmits a signal to the control system of the actual refuse collection vehicle to adjust operating parameters, where the dependent claims define these operating parameters as physical actuations such as braking, steering, and using a refuse container grabber.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lacaze US20210024068).
Regarding claim 1, Lacaze discloses a system for controlling an operation of a refuse collection vehicle (Abstract discloses that the invention being presented here automates the functions of the driver of the garbage truck. It involves a waste collection truck designed to follow routes to collect waste using a human to pick up the bins with refuse or other material comprising a truck that includes a drive-by-wire kit, a database storing the collection routes, a mechanism for detecting the position of the human which collects the waste bins and empties them on the back of the truck and a control mechanism that follows the assigned route and speeds or slows down the truck as to minimize the distance that the human will need to walk to empty the trash in the back of the waste collection truck. In addition, robots will replace the human workers who empty the bins), the system comprising:
at least one first sensor coupled to the refuse collection vehicle and configured to detect objects on one or more sides of the refuse collection vehicle during an approach (P54 discloses the sensor detects the location of the workers (203) and their progress in the work being performed such as when they are near the refuse bins (202). The sensors also detect the refuse bins as well as driving obstacles);
at least one second sensor configured to detect a position of the refuse collection vehicle during the approach (P52 discloses the autonomous driver is aware of the sensors (100) and the collection routes and this leads to the human detection of the waste); and
one or more processors configured to:
receive an object data from the at least one first sensor (See limitations above);
receive a positional data from the at least one second sensor (See limitations above);
identify a refuse container and a position of the refuse container relative to the position of the refuse collection vehicle based at least on the object data and the positional data (P48 discloses this waste collection truck system, the humans collecting the bins are replaced with robotic systems. These robotic systems un-dock from the autonomous waste collections truck, search for the refuse bins, grab the bins, transport them to the truck, empty the bins, return the bin to the original location which could possibly be the original pose, and finally returns to the truck and docks. This 1) identifies the refuse container; and 2) finds it based on the relative position from the collection vehicle because it un-docks from the truck, travels to the location of the bin, and then travels back);
responsive to identifying the refuse container and the position, plan a collection trajectory (See limitation above) and
transmit a first instruction to a control system of the refuse collection vehicle to adjust at least one operating parameter of the refuse collection vehicle to operate the refuse collection vehicle along the collection trajectory (P36 teaches EO camera stands for electro-optical sensor and they are electronic detectors that convert light, or a change in the light, into an electronic signal. They are used in many industrial and consumer applications such as lamps that turn on automatically in response to darkness, position sensors that activate when an object interrupts a light beam, flash detection to synchronize one photography flash to another, and photoelectric sensors that can detect the distance, absence, or presence of an object. See further P42. P48 discloses this waste collection truck system, the humans collecting the bins are replaced with robotic systems. These robotic systems un-dock from the autonomous waste collections truck, search for the refuse bins, grab the bins, transport them to the truck, empty the bins, return the bin to the original location which could possibly be the original pose, and finally returns to the truck and docks).
Regarding claim 2, Lacaze further discloses wherein the at least one first sensors is at least one of a visible light camera, and infrared camera, a LiDAR sensor, a radar sensor, and a time-of-flight camera (P34 discloses LADAR refers to Light Detection and Ranging and it is also referred to as LIDAR. It is a surveying method that measures distance to a target by illuminating the target with pulsed laser light and measuring the reflected pulsed with a sensor. The differences in laser return times and wavelengths are used to make 3-D representations of the target that is desired to examine).
Regarding claim 3, Lacaze further discloses wherein the at least one operating parameter is one of a braking amount, a steering angle, an acceleration amount, a gear engagement, a suspension stiffness, and a refuse container grabber actuation (P48 discloses these robotic systems un-dock from the autonomous waste collections truck, search for the refuse bins, grab the bins, transport them to the truck, empty the bins, return the bin to the original location which could possibly be the original pose, and finally returns to the truck and docks).
Regarding claim 4, Lacaze further discloses:
responsive to identifying the refuse container and transmitting the first instruction to the control system of the refuse collection vehicle to adjust the at least one operating parameter of the refuse collection vehicle during the approach, transmit a second instruction to cause actuation of an engagement assembly to engage the refuse container (As discussed above, the truck has robotic arms that grab the bins);
responsive to receiving an indication of an engagement of the refuse container with the engagement assembly, update a database based at least on the positional data and the indication of the engagement of the refuse container with the engagement assembly (P2 discloses that there is a database for the vehicle to follow a route, and as above, part of this route is to pick up and refuse in the bin. This means that to follow the route the database has to account for following the route. The engagement assembly is at least initially coupled to the refuse collection vehicle because it has to un-dock).
Regarding claims 5-7, the rejections above discuss LiDAR systems and a grabber.
The rest of the claims are mirror claims and rejected for the same reasons as above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments are fully considered, but deemed unpersuasive. Regarding the new amendments for the independent claims, these are taught by Lacaze:
identify a refuse container and a position of the refuse container relative to the position of the refuse collection vehicle based at least on the object data and the positional data (P48 discloses this waste collection truck system, the humans collecting the bins are replaced with robotic systems. These robotic systems un-dock from the autonomous waste collections truck, search for the refuse bins, grab the bins, transport them to the truck, empty the bins, return the bin to the original location which could possibly be the original pose, and finally returns to the truck and docks. This 1) identifies the refuse container; and 2) finds it based on the relative position from the collection vehicle because it un-docks from the truck, travels to the location of the bin, and then travels back);
responsive to identifying the refuse container and the position, plan a collection trajectory (See limitation above) and
transmit a first instruction to a control system of the refuse collection vehicle to adjust at least one operating parameter of the refuse collection vehicle to operate the refuse collection vehicle along the collection trajectory (P36 teaches EO camera stands for electro-optical sensor and they are electronic detectors that convert light, or a change in the light, into an electronic signal. They are used in many industrial and consumer applications such as lamps that turn on automatically in response to darkness, position sensors that activate when an object interrupts a light beam, flash detection to synchronize one photography flash to another, and photoelectric sensors that can detect the distance, absence, or presence of an object. See further P42. P48 discloses this waste collection truck system, the humans collecting the bins are replaced with robotic systems. These robotic systems un-dock from the autonomous waste collections truck, search for the refuse bins, grab the bins, transport them to the truck, empty the bins, return the bin to the original location which could possibly be the original pose, and finally returns to the truck and docks).
Regarding the engagement assembly, P2 discloses that there is a database for the vehicle to follow a route, and as above, part of this route is to pick up and refuse in the bin. This means that to follow the route the database has to account for following the route. The engagement assembly is at least initially coupled to the refuse collection vehicle because it has to un-dock. Moreover, the system is continually updated based on new position information so that the vehicle can actually locate the collection bin.
Prior Art Cited but not Relied Upon
US20250284292A1 which discloses a system can include one or more processing circuits to detect a presence of a refuse can, determine a position of the refuse can with respect to a refuse collection vehicle, generate a trajectory that includes at least one path for the refuse collection vehicle to traverse to align the refuse collection vehicle with the refuse can, and present a user interface.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARYAN E WEISENFELD whose telephone number is (571)272-6602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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ARYAN E. WEISENFELD
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3689
/ARYAN E WEISENFELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663
