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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08 July 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues that claim 1 recites: “generate a control signal for projecting the projected object onto a projection position on the operation surface corresponding to a position of the attachment and transmit the control signal to the projection module;” and that Sano et al. is completely different from the projection position targeted in claim 1. The Examiner respectfully disagrees. Sano et al. discloses a terrain data projecting unit 508 that derives three-dimensional coordinates of each point onto which the projection device S9 projects a light beam, based on the current position and direction of the projection device S9 and also parameters (such as resolution and projection angle) of the projection device. The current position and direction of the projection device S9 are derived from the current position and direction of the shovel (paragraph [0087]). The projection device enables visualization of the relationship between the current shape of the ground surface and the shape of a target surface (paragraph [0006]). The terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC. Furthermore, the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact (paragraph [0091]). This allows the operator and workers in the vicinity of the shovel to check information monitored by the construction machine without having to look away from the workspace to check a monitor. Ito et al. is then relied upon to disclose projecting the projected object because Sano et al. only discloses a straight line as the projected object and not a projected object that is closer to the shape of the actual object. As can be seen from Fig. 5, Ito et al. discloses a peripheral image 30 about a three-dimensional contour of a working site (e.g., an uneven land) that is a peripheral working area; a projected image 40 displayed with a gradation of a color (e.g., a gradation of gray); and an image of the bucket 6 (paragraph [0056]). Once Ito et al. is combined with Sano et al., the idea of projecting the projected object onto the work surface would be feasible since Sano et al. already projects the current contact position TC onto the ground surface. Therefore, the combination of Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. meets all of the claimed limitations and the rejection is maintained.
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.
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sano et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2023/0203790) in view of Ito et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0010244).
Regarding claim 1, Sano et al. discloses a light guide system comprising: an angle sensor disposed for each of joint parts of an excavator and configured to acquire an angle of each of the joint parts of the excavator (Figs. 1 and 4; paragraph [0036] – the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment, which is an example of an attachment, and are hydraulically driven by a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, respectively – a boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6 – the excavation attachment may have a bucket tilt mechanism; paragraph [0037] – the boom angle sensor S1 detects the rotation angle of the boom 4; paragraph [0038] – the arm angle sensor S2 detects the rotation angle of the arm 5; paragraph [0039] – the bucket angle sensor S3 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6); a projection module configured to implement a projected object by using light (Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1); and a light guide device operatively connected to the angle sensor and the projection module (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0073] – the machine guidance device 50 includes functional units that perform various functions – the machine guidance device 50 includes a position calculating unit 501, a comparison unit 502, a notification unit 503, a stereo-pair image obtaining unit 504, a terrain data generating unit 505, a coordinate converting unit 506, a coordinate correcting unit 510, a terrain displaying unit 507, and a terrain data projecting unit 508; paragraph [0087] – the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of each point onto which the projection device S9 projects a light beam, based on the current position and direction of the projection device S9 and also parameters (such as resolution and projection angle) of the projection device – the current position and direction of the projection device S9 are derived from the current position and direction of the shovel – relative changes in the current position and direction of the projection device S9 may be determined based on information output from the body inclination sensor S4 and the turning angular velocity sensor S5 – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of points, including the points P1 through P3), wherein the light guide device is configured to: determine a position of an attachment attached to the excavator based on the angle of each of the joint parts of the excavator acquired by the angle sensor (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0074] – the position calculating unit 501 calculates the position of a working portion of a working portion of the end attachment – for example, the position calculating unit 501 calculates the tip position of the bucket 6, based on the current position of the shovel, the direction of the shovel, and the orientation of the attachment – the position and the direction of the shovel are calculated based on information output from the positioning device S8 – the orientation of the attachment is calculated based on information output from the boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, the bucket angle sensor S3, and the body inclination sensor S4; paragraph [0075] – the comparison unit 502 calculates a difference in height between the tip position of the bucket 6 calculated by the position calculating unit 501 and a target surface – for example, the comparison unit 502 uses plane coordinates (such as the latitude and longitude) of the tip position of the bucket 6 calculated by the position calculating unit 501 to obtain the height of the target surface by referring to pre-input design data); determine an operation surface based on workplace drawing information or operation information (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0086] – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – the thick continuous line indicates the shape of a current ground surface CP, and a long-dash short-dash line indicates the shape of a target surface TP – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of the pixels – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively – the point P1 is located at a higher (shallower) position than the target surface TP, and C1 denotes the vertical distance from the point P1 to the target surface TP – the point P2 is located on the target surface TP – the point P3 is located below (deeper than) the target surface (TP), and C3 denotes the vertical distance from the point P3 to the target surface TP; without knowing the workplace drawing information the appropriate light beams would not be able to be displayed properly); and generate a control signal for projecting the projected object onto a projection position on the operation surface corresponding to a position of the attachment and transmit the control signal to the projection module (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0073] – the machine guidance device 50 includes functional units that perform various functions – the machine guidance device 50 includes a position calculating unit 501, a comparison unit 502, a notification unit 503, a stereo-pair image obtaining unit 504, a terrain data generating unit 505, a coordinate converting unit 506, a coordinate correcting unit 510, a terrain displaying unit 507, and a terrain data projecting unit 508; paragraph [0087] – the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of each point onto which the projection device S9 projects a light beam, based on the current position and direction of the projection device S9 and also parameters (such as resolution and projection angle) of the projection device – the current position and direction of the projection device S9 are derived from the current position and direction of the shovel – relative changes in the current position and direction of the projection device S9 may be determined based on information output from the body inclination sensor S4 and the turning angular velocity sensor S5 – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of points, including the points P1 through P3), and wherein the projection module implements the projected object onto the projection position on the operation surface based on the received control signal (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0073] – the machine guidance device 50 includes functional units that perform various functions – the machine guidance device 50 includes a position calculating unit 501, a comparison unit 502, a notification unit 503, a stereo-pair image obtaining unit 504, a terrain data generating unit 505, a coordinate converting unit 506, a coordinate correcting unit 510, a terrain displaying unit 507, and a terrain data projecting unit 508; paragraph [0087] – the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of each point onto which the projection device S9 projects a light beam, based on the current position and direction of the projection device S9 and also parameters (such as resolution and projection angle) of the projection device – the current position and direction of the projection device S9 are derived from the current position and direction of the shovel – relative changes in the current position and direction of the projection device S9 may be determined based on information output from the body inclination sensor S4 and the turning angular velocity sensor S5 – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of points, including the points P1 through P3). However, Sano et al. fails to explicitly disclose projecting the projected object. Sano et al. only discloses a straight line as the projected object and not an object that this closer to the shape of the actual object.
Referring to the Ito et al. reference, Ito et al. discloses a construction machine provided with an attachment having a lead end attachment, the construction machine comprising: projecting the projected object (Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have had projected the projected object in the actual shape of the object as disclosed by Ito et al. in the system disclosed by Sano et al. in order to make it easier for an operator to manipulate an attachment to approach a target position in a peripheral working area (that is a target working site).
Regarding claim 2, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claim 1 including that wherein the light guide device is further configured to: determine the type of the attachment attached to the excavator (Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image); and determine a shape of the projected object based on the determined type of the attachment (Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 3, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 1 and 2 including that wherein the light guide device is further configured to determine the projection position as a position at which the attachment is vertically projected onto the operation surface, and wherein the shape of the projected object is a shape when the attachment is vertically projected onto the operation surface (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 4, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 1-3 including that wherein the light guide device is configured to: include information on the projection position and the shape of the projected object in the control signal; and transmit the control signal to the projection module, and wherein the projection module is configured to implement the projected object at the projection position by using light with a first wavelength preset therein (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0085] – further, the machine guidance device 50 may control the projection device S9 to irradiate points on the current ground surface with light having colors – the colors are set in accordance with the vertical distances between points on the ground surface and corresponding points on a target surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of pixels - points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0089] – in accordance with the vertical distance from each of the points to the target surface, the terrain data projecting unit 508 sets the color and illuminance of a light beam irradiated to a corresponding point – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 set the color to green when the vertical distance is zero – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the positive direction (as the point becomes shallower than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to blue – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the negative direction (as the point becomes deeper than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to red; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0055] – the projected image is calculated (generated) by the display control section 201 and displayed with a gradation of a color in accordance with the distance information (step S7 shown in Fig. 4); paragraph [0057] – the projected image 40 is displayed with, for example, a gradation of gray in accordance with distance information concerning a distance between the bucket 6 and a ground lying in an area where the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30, the ground existing in the working site – for instance, the projected image 40 is displayed darker in color as the distance between the bucket 6 and the ground deceases, that is, as the bucket 6 approaches the ground; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 5, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 1-3 including that wherein the light guide device is configured to: determine a second wavelength of light for implementing the projected object; include information on the second wavelength, the projection position, and the shape of the projected object in the control signal; and transmit the control signal to the projection module, and wherein the projection module is configured to implement the projected object at the projection position by using the light with the second wavelength (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0085] – further, the machine guidance device 50 may control the projection device S9 to irradiate points on the current ground surface with light having colors – the colors are set in accordance with the vertical distances between points on the ground surface and corresponding points on a target surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of pixels - points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0089] – in accordance with the vertical distance from each of the points to the target surface, the terrain data projecting unit 508 sets the color and illuminance of a light beam irradiated to a corresponding point – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 set the color to green when the vertical distance is zero – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the positive direction (as the point becomes shallower than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to blue – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the negative direction (as the point becomes deeper than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to red; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0055] – the projected image is calculated (generated) by the display control section 201 and displayed with a gradation of a color in accordance with the distance information (step S7 shown in Fig. 4); paragraph [0057] – the projected image 40 is displayed with, for example, a gradation of gray in accordance with distance information concerning a distance between the bucket 6 and a ground lying in an area where the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30, the ground existing in the working site – for instance, the projected image 40 is displayed darker in color as the distance between the bucket 6 and the ground deceases, that is, as the bucket 6 approaches the ground; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 6, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 1-3 including that wherein the light guide device is configured to: determine an operation position at which the attachment is to operate based on the workplace drawing information or the operation information; include information on the operation position, the projection position, and the shape of the projected object in the control signal; and transmit the control signal to the projection module, and wherein the projection module is configured to: implement the projected object at the projection position by using light with a preset first wavelength; and implement the projected object at the operation position by using light with a preset third wavelength (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0085] – further, the machine guidance device 50 may control the projection device S9 to irradiate points on the current ground surface with light having colors – the colors are set in accordance with the vertical distances between points on the ground surface and corresponding points on a target surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of pixels - points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0089] – in accordance with the vertical distance from each of the points to the target surface, the terrain data projecting unit 508 sets the color and illuminance of a light beam irradiated to a corresponding point – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 set the color to green when the vertical distance is zero – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the positive direction (as the point becomes shallower than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to blue – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the negative direction (as the point becomes deeper than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to red; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0055] – the projected image is calculated (generated) by the display control section 201 and displayed with a gradation of a color in accordance with the distance information (step S7 shown in Fig. 4); paragraph [0057] – the projected image 40 is displayed with, for example, a gradation of gray in accordance with distance information concerning a distance between the bucket 6 and a ground lying in an area where the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30, the ground existing in the working site – for instance, the projected image 40 is displayed darker in color as the distance between the bucket 6 and the ground deceases, that is, as the bucket 6 approaches the ground; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 7, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claim 1 including that the light guide system further comprises: an image capturing module configured to acquire image data of a periphery of the excavator, wherein the light guide device is further configured to display image data acquired by the image capturing module on a preset screen (Sano et al.: Figs. 2 and 3; paragraph [0052] – the display device D3 displays image information in response to a command from the machine guidance device 50 – the display device D3 is a liquid crystal display directly connected to the machine guidance device 50; paragraph [0063] – the display device D3 obtains information output from the stereo camera S6 via the machine guidance device 50; Ito et al.: Figs. 13 and 14; paragraph [0039] – the peripheral contour detecting device 14 includes, for example, a distance image sensor (a distance image camera) which can acquire a distance image having distance information in each pixel – adoptable to detect the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area; paragraph [0046] – the peripheral contour information generation section 202 generates three-dimensional contour information (peripheral contour information) of the peripheral working area based on the three-dimensional contour (the peripheral contour) of the peripheral working area detecting by the peripheral contour detecting device 14 as in step S4 shown in Fig. 4; paragraph [0083] – details of the remote operation assisting monitor will be described in the fifth and sixth embodiments – the configuration adopted in the embodiments also make it easier for the operator to instinctively grasp approaching of a leading end attachment to a target position in an uneven, land, a building or the like in a peripheral working area, i.e., a target working site; paragraph [0084] – a display device 120 is not arranged in an operating room 10 of the hydraulic excavator, but is arranged in a remote location on an outside of the operating room 10).
Regarding claim 8, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 1 and 7 including that wherein the preset screen includes at least one of a screen provided in an operator seat of the excavator and a screen provided to an operator who remotely operates the excavator (Sano et al.: Figs. 2 and 3; paragraph [0052] – the display device D3 displays image information in response to a command from the machine guidance device 50 – the display device D3 is a liquid crystal display directly connected to the machine guidance device 50; paragraph [0063] – the display device D3 obtains information output from the stereo camera S6 via the machine guidance device 50; Ito et al.: Figs. 13 and 14; paragraph [0039] – the peripheral contour detecting device 14 includes, for example, a distance image sensor (a distance image camera) which can acquire a distance image having distance information in each pixel – adoptable to detect the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area; paragraph [0046] – the peripheral contour information generation section 202 generates three-dimensional contour information (peripheral contour information) of the peripheral working area based on the three-dimensional contour (the peripheral contour) of the peripheral working area detecting by the peripheral contour detecting device 14 as in step S4 shown in Fig. 4; paragraph [0083] – details of the remote operation assisting monitor will be described in the fifth and sixth embodiments – the configuration adopted in the embodiments also make it easier for the operator to instinctively grasp approaching of a leading end attachment to a target position in an uneven, land, a building or the like in a peripheral working area, i.e., a target working site; paragraph [0084] – a display device 120 is not arranged in an operating room 10 of the hydraulic excavator, but is arranged in a remote location on an outside of the operating room 10).
Regarding claim 9, Sano et al. discloses a method of providing a light guide to an excavator by a light guide system, the method comprising: acquiring an angle of each of joint parts of the excavator (Figs. 1 and 4; paragraph [0036] – the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment, which is an example of an attachment, and are hydraulically driven by a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, respectively – a boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6 – the excavation attachment may have a bucket tilt mechanism; paragraph [0037] – the boom angle sensor S1 detects the rotation angle of the boom 4; paragraph [0038] – the arm angle sensor S2 detects the rotation angle of the arm 5; paragraph [0039] – the bucket angle sensor S3 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6); determining a position of the attachment attached to the excavator based on the angle of each of the joint parts of the excavator (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0074] – the position calculating unit 501 calculates the position of a working portion of a working portion of the end attachment – for example, the position calculating unit 501 calculates the tip position of the bucket 6, based on the current position of the shovel, the direction of the shovel, and the orientation of the attachment – the position and the direction of the shovel are calculated based on information output from the positioning device S8 – the orientation of the attachment is calculated based on information output from the boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, the bucket angle sensor S3, and the body inclination sensor S4; paragraph [0075] – the comparison unit 502 calculates a difference in height between the tip position of the bucket 6 calculated by the position calculating unit 501 and a target surface – for example, the comparison unit 502 uses plane coordinates (such as the latitude and longitude) of the tip position of the bucket 6 calculated by the position calculating unit 501 to obtain the height of the target surface by referring to pre-input design data); determining an operation surface based on workplace drawing information or operation information (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0086] – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – the thick continuous line indicates the shape of a current ground surface CP, and a long-dash short-dash line indicates the shape of a target surface TP – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of the pixels – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively – the point P1 is located at a higher (shallower) position than the target surface TP, and C1 denotes the vertical distance from the point P1 to the target surface TP – the point P2 is located on the target surface TP – the point P3 is located below (deeper than) the target surface (TP), and C3 denotes the vertical distance from the point P3 to the target surface TP; without knowing the workplace drawing information the appropriate light beams would not be able to be displayed properly); and implementing the projected object at a projection position on an operation surface corresponding to the position of the attachment (Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1). However, Sano et al. failed to disclose determining the type of attachment attached to the excavator; and determining a shape of a projected object based on the determined type of the attachment.
Referring to the Ito et al. reference, Ito et al. discloses a method for operating a construction machine provided with an attachment having a lead end attachment, the method comprising: determining the type of attachment attached to the excavator (Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image); and determining a shape of a projected object based on the determined type of the attachment (Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have had projected the projected object in the actual shape of the object as disclosed by Ito et al. in the method disclosed by Sano et al. in order to make it easier for an operator to manipulate an attachment to approach a target position in a peripheral working area (that is a target working site).
Regarding claim 11, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claim 9 including that wherein the implementing of the projected object at the projection position on the operation surface comprises determining the projection position as a position at which the attachment is vertically projected onto the operation surface, and wherein the determining of the shape of the projected object comprises determining the shape of the projected object as a shape when the attachment is vertically projected onto the operation surface (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 12, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 9 and 11 including that wherein the implementing of the projected object at the projection position on the operation surface comprises: transmitting, by a light guide device, a control signal including information on the projection position and the shape of the projected object to a projection module; and implementing, by the projection module, the projected object at the projection position by using light with a first wavelength preset therein (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0085] – further, the machine guidance device 50 may control the projection device S9 to irradiate points on the current ground surface with light having colors – the colors are set in accordance with the vertical distances between points on the ground surface and corresponding points on a target surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of pixels - points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0089] – in accordance with the vertical distance from each of the points to the target surface, the terrain data projecting unit 508 sets the color and illuminance of a light beam irradiated to a corresponding point – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 set the color to green when the vertical distance is zero – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the positive direction (as the point becomes shallower than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to blue – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the negative direction (as the point becomes deeper than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to red; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0055] – the projected image is calculated (generated) by the display control section 201 and displayed with a gradation of a color in accordance with the distance information (step S7 shown in Fig. 4); paragraph [0057] – the projected image 40 is displayed with, for example, a gradation of gray in accordance with distance information concerning a distance between the bucket 6 and a ground lying in an area where the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30, the ground existing in the working site – for instance, the projected image 40 is displayed darker in color as the distance between the bucket 6 and the ground deceases, that is, as the bucket 6 approaches the ground; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 13, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 9 and 11 including that wherein the implementing of the projected object at the projection position on the operation surface comprises: determining a second wavelength of light for implementing the projected object; transmitting, by a light guide device, a control signal including information on the second wavelength, the projection position, and the shape of the projected object to a projection module; and implementing, by the projection module, the projected object at the projection position by using the light with the second wavelength (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0085] – further, the machine guidance device 50 may control the projection device S9 to irradiate points on the current ground surface with light having colors – the colors are set in accordance with the vertical distances between points on the ground surface and corresponding points on a target surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of pixels - points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0089] – in accordance with the vertical distance from each of the points to the target surface, the terrain data projecting unit 508 sets the color and illuminance of a light beam irradiated to a corresponding point – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 set the color to green when the vertical distance is zero – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the positive direction (as the point becomes shallower than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to blue – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the negative direction (as the point becomes deeper than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to red; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0055] – the projected image is calculated (generated) by the display control section 201 and displayed with a gradation of a color in accordance with the distance information (step S7 shown in Fig. 4); paragraph [0057] – the projected image 40 is displayed with, for example, a gradation of gray in accordance with distance information concerning a distance between the bucket 6 and a ground lying in an area where the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30, the ground existing in the working site – for instance, the projected image 40 is displayed darker in color as the distance between the bucket 6 and the ground deceases, that is, as the bucket 6 approaches the ground; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 14, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 9 and 11 including that the method further comprises: determining an operation position at which the attachment is to operate based on the workplace drawing information or the operation information, wherein the implementing of the projected object at the projection position on the operation surface comprises: transmitting, by a light guide device, a control signal including information on the operation position, the projection position, and the shape of the projected object to a projection module; and implementing, by the projection module, the projected object at the projection position by using light with a preset first wavelength and implementing the projected object at the operation position by using light with a preset third wavelength (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0085] – further, the machine guidance device 50 may control the projection device S9 to irradiate points on the current ground surface with light having colors – the colors are set in accordance with the vertical distances between points on the ground surface and corresponding points on a target surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of pixels - points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0089] – in accordance with the vertical distance from each of the points to the target surface, the terrain data projecting unit 508 sets the color and illuminance of a light beam irradiated to a corresponding point – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 set the color to green when the vertical distance is zero – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the positive direction (as the point becomes shallower than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to blue – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the negative direction (as the point becomes deeper than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to red; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0055] – the projected image is calculated (generated) by the display control section 201 and displayed with a gradation of a color in accordance with the distance information (step S7 shown in Fig. 4); paragraph [0057] – the projected image 40 is displayed with, for example, a gradation of gray in accordance with distance information concerning a distance between the bucket 6 and a ground lying in an area where the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30, the ground existing in the working site – for instance, the projected image 40 is displayed darker in color as the distance between the bucket 6 and the ground deceases, that is, as the bucket 6 approaches the ground; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 15, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claim 9 including that the method further comprises: acquiring image data of a periphery of the excavator; and displaying the acquired image data on a preset screen (Sano et al.: Figs. 2 and 3; paragraph [0052] – the display device D3 displays image information in response to a command from the machine guidance device 50 – the display device D3 is a liquid crystal display directly connected to the machine guidance device 50; paragraph [0063] – the display device D3 obtains information output from the stereo camera S6 via the machine guidance device 50; Ito et al.: Figs. 13 and 14; paragraph [0039] – the peripheral contour detecting device 14 includes, for example, a distance image sensor (a distance image camera) which can acquire a distance image having distance information in each pixel – adoptable to detect the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area; paragraph [0046] – the peripheral contour information generation section 202 generates three-dimensional contour information (peripheral contour information) of the peripheral working area based on the three-dimensional contour (the peripheral contour) of the peripheral working area detecting by the peripheral contour detecting device 14 as in step S4 shown in Fig. 4; paragraph [0083] – details of the remote operation assisting monitor will be described in the fifth and sixth embodiments – the configuration adopted in the embodiments also make it easier for the operator to instinctively grasp approaching of a leading end attachment to a target position in an uneven, land, a building or the like in a peripheral working area, i.e., a target working site; paragraph [0084] – a display device 120 is not arranged in an operating room 10 of the hydraulic excavator, but is arranged in a remote location on an outside of the operating room 10).
Regarding claim 16, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claims 9 and 15 including that wherein the preset screen includes at least one of a screen provided in an operator seat of the excavator and a screen provided to an operator who remotely operates the excavator (Sano et al.: Figs. 2 and 3; paragraph [0052] – the display device D3 displays image information in response to a command from the machine guidance device 50 – the display device D3 is a liquid crystal display directly connected to the machine guidance device 50; paragraph [0063] – the display device D3 obtains information output from the stereo camera S6 via the machine guidance device 50; Ito et al.: Figs. 13 and 14; paragraph [0039] – the peripheral contour detecting device 14 includes, for example, a distance image sensor (a distance image camera) which can acquire a distance image having distance information in each pixel – adoptable to detect the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area; paragraph [0046] – the peripheral contour information generation section 202 generates three-dimensional contour information (peripheral contour information) of the peripheral working area based on the three-dimensional contour (the peripheral contour) of the peripheral working area detecting by the peripheral contour detecting device 14 as in step S4 shown in Fig. 4; paragraph [0083] – details of the remote operation assisting monitor will be described in the fifth and sixth embodiments – the configuration adopted in the embodiments also make it easier for the operator to instinctively grasp approaching of a leading end attachment to a target position in an uneven, land, a building or the like in a peripheral working area, i.e., a target working site; paragraph [0084] – a display device 120 is not arranged in an operating room 10 of the hydraulic excavator, but is arranged in a remote location on an outside of the operating room 10).
Regarding claim 17, Sano et al. discloses an excavator comprising: an angle sensor disposed for each of joint parts of the excavator and configured to acquire an angle of each of the joint parts of the excavator (Figs. 1 and 4; paragraph [0036] – the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment, which is an example of an attachment, and are hydraulically driven by a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, respectively – a boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6 – the excavation attachment may have a bucket tilt mechanism; paragraph [0037] – the boom angle sensor S1 detects the rotation angle of the boom 4; paragraph [0038] – the arm angle sensor S2 detects the rotation angle of the arm 5; paragraph [0039] – the bucket angle sensor S3 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6); a projection module configured to implement a projected object by using light (Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1); and a processor operatively connected to the angle sensor and the projection module (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0073] – the machine guidance device 50 includes functional units that perform various functions – the machine guidance device 50 includes a position calculating unit 501, a comparison unit 502, a notification unit 503, a stereo-pair image obtaining unit 504, a terrain data generating unit 505, a coordinate converting unit 506, a coordinate correcting unit 510, a terrain displaying unit 507, and a terrain data projecting unit 508; paragraph [0087] – the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of each point onto which the projection device S9 projects a light beam, based on the current position and direction of the projection device S9 and also parameters (such as resolution and projection angle) of the projection device – the current position and direction of the projection device S9 are derived from the current position and direction of the shovel – relative changes in the current position and direction of the projection device S9 may be determined based on information output from the body inclination sensor S4 and the turning angular velocity sensor S5 – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of points, including the points P1 through P3), wherein the processor is configured to: determine a position of an attachment attached to the excavator based on the angle of each of the joint parts of the excavator acquired by the angle sensor (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0074] – the position calculating unit 501 calculates the position of a working portion of a working portion of the end attachment – for example, the position calculating unit 501 calculates the tip position of the bucket 6, based on the current position of the shovel, the direction of the shovel, and the orientation of the attachment – the position and the direction of the shovel are calculated based on information output from the positioning device S8 – the orientation of the attachment is calculated based on information output from the boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, the bucket angle sensor S3, and the body inclination sensor S4; paragraph [0075] – the comparison unit 502 calculates a difference in height between the tip position of the bucket 6 calculated by the position calculating unit 501 and a target surface – for example, the comparison unit 502 uses plane coordinates (such as the latitude and longitude) of the tip position of the bucket 6 calculated by the position calculating unit 501 to obtain the height of the target surface by referring to pre-input design data); determine an operation surface based on workplace drawing information or operation information (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0086] – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – the thick continuous line indicates the shape of a current ground surface CP, and a long-dash short-dash line indicates the shape of a target surface TP – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of the pixels – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively – the point P1 is located at a higher (shallower) position than the target surface TP, and C1 denotes the vertical distance from the point P1 to the target surface TP – the point P2 is located on the target surface TP – the point P3 is located below (deeper than) the target surface (TP), and C3 denotes the vertical distance from the point P3 to the target surface TP; without knowing the workplace drawing information the appropriate light beams would not be able to be displayed properly); and generate a control signal for projecting the projected object onto a projection position on the operation surface corresponding to a position of the attachment and transmit the control signal to the projection module (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0073] – the machine guidance device 50 includes functional units that perform various functions – the machine guidance device 50 includes a position calculating unit 501, a comparison unit 502, a notification unit 503, a stereo-pair image obtaining unit 504, a terrain data generating unit 505, a coordinate converting unit 506, a coordinate correcting unit 510, a terrain displaying unit 507, and a terrain data projecting unit 508; paragraph [0087] – the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of each point onto which the projection device S9 projects a light beam, based on the current position and direction of the projection device S9 and also parameters (such as resolution and projection angle) of the projection device – the current position and direction of the projection device S9 are derived from the current position and direction of the shovel – relative changes in the current position and direction of the projection device S9 may be determined based on information output from the body inclination sensor S4 and the turning angular velocity sensor S5 – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of points, including the points P1 through P3), and wherein the projection module implements the projected object onto the projection position on the operation surface based on the received control signal (Figs. 1 and 3-5; paragraph [0073] – the machine guidance device 50 includes functional units that perform various functions – the machine guidance device 50 includes a position calculating unit 501, a comparison unit 502, a notification unit 503, a stereo-pair image obtaining unit 504, a terrain data generating unit 505, a coordinate converting unit 506, a coordinate correcting unit 510, a terrain displaying unit 507, and a terrain data projecting unit 508; paragraph [0087] – the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of each point onto which the projection device S9 projects a light beam, based on the current position and direction of the projection device S9 and also parameters (such as resolution and projection angle) of the projection device – the current position and direction of the projection device S9 are derived from the current position and direction of the shovel – relative changes in the current position and direction of the projection device S9 may be determined based on information output from the body inclination sensor S4 and the turning angular velocity sensor S5 – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 derives three-dimensional coordinates of points, including the points P1 through P3). However, Sano et al. fails to explicitly disclose projecting the projected object. Sano et al. only discloses a straight line as the projected object and not an object that this closer to the shape of the actual object.
Referring to the Ito et al. reference, Ito et al. discloses a construction machine provided with an attachment having a lead end attachment, the construction machine comprising: projecting the projected object (Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have had projected the projected object in the actual shape of the object as disclosed by Ito et al. in the system disclosed by Sano et al. in order to make it easier for an operator to manipulate an attachment to approach a target position in a peripheral working area (that is a target working site).
Regarding claim 18, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claim 17 including that wherein the processor is further configured to: determine the type of the attachment attached to the excavator (Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image); determine the projection position as a position at which the attachment is vertically projected onto the operation surface, and determine the shape of the projected object being a shape when the attachment is vertically projected onto the operation surface (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 19, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claim 17 including that wherein the processor is configured to: include information on the projection position and the shape of the projected object in the control signal and transmit the control signal to the projection module, and wherein the projection module is configured to implement the projected object at the projection position by using light with a first wavelength preset therein (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0085] – further, the machine guidance device 50 may control the projection device S9 to irradiate points on the current ground surface with light having colors – the colors are set in accordance with the vertical distances between points on the ground surface and corresponding points on a target surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of pixels - points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0089] – in accordance with the vertical distance from each of the points to the target surface, the terrain data projecting unit 508 sets the color and illuminance of a light beam irradiated to a corresponding point – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 set the color to green when the vertical distance is zero – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the positive direction (as the point becomes shallower than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to blue – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the negative direction (as the point becomes deeper than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to red; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0055] – the projected image is calculated (generated) by the display control section 201 and displayed with a gradation of a color in accordance with the distance information (step S7 shown in Fig. 4); paragraph [0057] – the projected image 40 is displayed with, for example, a gradation of gray in accordance with distance information concerning a distance between the bucket 6 and a ground lying in an area where the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30, the ground existing in the working site – for instance, the projected image 40 is displayed darker in color as the distance between the bucket 6 and the ground deceases, that is, as the bucket 6 approaches the ground; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Regarding claim 20, Sano et al. in view of Ito et al. discloses all of the limitations as previously discussed with respect to claim 17 including that wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a second wavelength of light for implementing the projected object; include information on the second wavelength, the projection position, and the shape of the projected object in the control signal; and transmit the control signal to the projection module, and wherein the projection module is configured to implement the projected object at the projection position by using the light with the second wavelength (Sano et al.: Figs. 1, 4, and 5; paragraph [0046] – the projection device S9 is a device that projects light onto the ground surface; paragraph [0085] – further, the machine guidance device 50 may control the projection device S9 to irradiate points on the current ground surface with light having colors – the colors are set in accordance with the vertical distances between points on the ground surface and corresponding points on a target surface; paragraph [0086] – the projection device S9 is configured to project light onto the ground surface in front of the shovel – Fig. 4 illustrates the visualization process when excavation work is performed – in the excavation work, a target surface is set below the current ground surface – a dot-hatched area PR of Fig. 4 indicates a projection range of the projection device S9 – light beams L1 through L3 are part of light beams, among the number of light beams corresponding to the number of pixels - points P1, P2, and P3 are points on the ground surface CP onto which the light beams L1, L2, and L3 are projected, respectively; paragraph [0089] – in accordance with the vertical distance from each of the points to the target surface, the terrain data projecting unit 508 sets the color and illuminance of a light beam irradiated to a corresponding point – in the example of Fig. 4, the terrain data projecting unit 508 set the color to green when the vertical distance is zero – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the positive direction (as the point becomes shallower than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to blue – as the vertical distance from a point increases in the negative direction (as the point becomes deeper than the target surface TP), the color is set closer to red; paragraph [0091] – further, the terrain data projecting unit 508 may also project a target ground contact position TC – the target ground contact position TC is, for example, a position on the ground surface with which the tip of the bucket 6 is expected to make contact – Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the target ground contact position TC is projected in the area PR1; Ito et al.: Figs. 3-5; paragraph [0051] – the attachment relevant information is calculated based on the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0055] – the projected image is calculated (generated) by the display control section 201 and displayed with a gradation of a color in accordance with the distance information (step S7 shown in Fig. 4); paragraph [0057] – the projected image 40 is displayed with, for example, a gradation of gray in accordance with distance information concerning a distance between the bucket 6 and a ground lying in an area where the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30, the ground existing in the working site – for instance, the projected image 40 is displayed darker in color as the distance between the bucket 6 and the ground deceases, that is, as the bucket 6 approaches the ground; paragraph [0058] – the display control section 201 calculates a position at which the projected image 40 is superimposed on the peripheral image 30 for display based on the projection direction, the shape information of the leading end attachment, the attachment positional information, and the three-dimensional contour information; paragraph [0093] – the attachment relevant information is information concerning an image obtained by superimposing the peripheral image about the three-dimensional contour of the peripheral working area and the projected image about the leading end attachment which is projected to the peripheral image in the projection direction – for example, in addition to the image about the leading end attachment (such as a bucket 6 or the nibbler 54), an image based on shape information concerning at least one member among the boom 4, the arm 5, the boom 51, the first arm 52, and the second arm 53 may be projected to the peripheral image).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/HEATHER R JONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2481
September 15, 2026
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