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 . Claims 1-7 are pending.
Response to Arguments
The objection to Claim 7 is withdrawn.
The remainder of Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, and 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujimoto (US 2013/0030660) in view of Goto (JP 6686520). All reference is to Fujimoto unless otherwise indicated.
Regarding Claim 1 (Currently Amended), Fujimoto teaches a screen transition control system for sequentially displaying items of information on a work vehicle, the screen transition control system comprising:
an operation signal processor [fig. 4 @P] configured to generate operation data based on at least one particular operation [¶0092, “When the aforesaid display switching switch 40 is briefly pressed, the display is performed in a transition display mode such that set screens corresponding to a plurality of set information items are displayed in sequence on the set information display region 36B of the display 36 at each brief press. When the display switching switch 40 is pressed for a long time in the transition display mode, then a move is made to an information change mode, allowing changing of the set information”] of an operation member [figs. 3 and 4 @40];
a display panel [fig. 4 @36] configured to display as a selected screen [selected setting screen] an information display screen [¶0097, “The setting screen generating means 56 generates a setting screen (a screen image) to be displayed on the display 36 by the setting screen displaying means 54. In the setting screen generating means 56, an hour meter, a trip meter, a fuel consumption meter, an oil meter, a PTO meter, a speed change response setting screen, a DPF setting screen, a speed change mode setting screen, a speed change pedal setting screen, a cruise setting screen, and a setting screen are displayed as the set screens”] selected from among a plurality of information display screens in a screen set [fig. 7(a) – (k)];
a screen manager [fig. 4 @56] configured to provide a screen identifier manager [fig. 4 @54] with a screen identifier [serial number] assigned to the selected screen [¶0106, “the setting screen generating means 56 assigns a serial number or the like to the set screens as illustrated in FIG. 7(a) through FIG. 7(k)”]; and
a display instruction generator [¶0106, “ … setting screen generating means 56 … incrementally counts a display count value each time the display switching switch 40 is pressed briefly and performs a process for identifying a setting screen of a serial number corresponding to the display count value”, construed as the display instruction]
configured to generate, based on the screen identifier [serial number] from the screen identifier manager and the operation data [fig. 4 @40 presses], a display instruction [combination of serial number and display count value] including information to be displayed, and wherein
the screen manager [fig. 4 @56] is further configured to provide the display panel [fig. 4 @36] with a display signal [construed as ¶0106 display means] for displaying an information display screen determined based on the display instruction [¶0106, “the setting screen displaying means 54 generates the set screens as illustrated in FIG. 7(a) through FIG. 7(k) and displays the same on the display 36”]
Fujimoto does not teach each information display screen of the plurality of information display screens is assigned with a screen identifier and the plurality of information display screens are divided into a plurality of groups assigned with a group identifier; a screen manager configured to provide a screen identifier manager with the group identifier assigned to a group of the plurality of groups comprising the selected screen and the screen identifier assigned to the selected screen; and a display instruction generator configured to: receive the operation data from the operation signal processor, receive the group identifier and the screen identifier from the screen identifier manager, and generate, based on the group identifier, the screen identifier, and the operation data, a display instruction including information to be displayed, and output the display instruction to the screen manager, wherein the screen manager is further configured to: receive the display instruction including the information to be displayed from the display instruction generator, determine the information display screen to be displayed as the selected screen based on the display instruction including the information to be displayed, generate a display signal to display the selected screen, and provide the display panel with the display signal to display the selected screen
Goto teaches each information display screen [fig. 5 @I1] of the plurality of information display screens [fig. 4 @I1-I12] is assigned with a screen identifier [¶0050, “The instrument diagram window I1 is arranged at the top of the window and displays a title (“PID control 1” in FIG. 5) for identifying the internal instrument”], and
the plurality of information display screens [fig. 4 @101] are divided into a plurality of groups [figs 10-14] assigned with a group identifier [figs. 10-14 @103-107];
a screen manager [fig. 2 @36, ¶0054, “the display control unit 361 causes the display unit 34 to display the composite screen corresponding to the data of the composite screen (step S6)”] configured to provide a screen identifier manager [part of screen manager 36] with the group identifier assigned to a group of the plurality of groups comprising the selected screen [construed as the composite screen of fig. 7] and the screen identifier assigned to the selected screen [¶0055, “FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example of the composite screen on the display unit 34 when the instrument view window I1 is selected”];
a display instruction generator [fig. 2 @351] configured to:
receive the operation data from the operation signal processor [fig. 2 @371, ¶0047, “The instrument diagram display screen generation unit 351 reads the latest state information received via the first communication unit 32 from the state information storage unit 371, generates information to be displayed as an instrument diagram window for each internal instrument, and displays the information”],
receive the group identifier and the screen identifier from the screen identifier manager [¶0055, “FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example of the composite screen on the display unit 34 when the instrument view window I1 is selected”], and
generate, based on the group identifier, the screen identifier, and the operation data, a display instruction including information to be displayed [¶0054, “the display control unit 361 causes the display unit 34 to display the composite screen corresponding to the data of the composite screen (step S6)”], and
output the display instruction to the screen manager [fig. 2 @36], wherein the screen manager is further configured to:
receive the display instruction including the information to be displayed from the display instruction generator, determine the information display screen to be displayed as the selected screen based on the display instruction including the information to be displayed, generate a display signal to display the selected screen, and provide the display panel with the display signal to display the selected screen [¶0054, “the display control unit 361 causes the display unit 34 to display the composite screen corresponding to the data of the composite screen (step S6)”]
Before the application was filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the concept of dividing a plurality of display screens into a plurality of display groups, as taught by Goto, into the control system taught by Fujimoto in order to automatically control the display of multiple monitoring systems in a manner that allows a user to select the desired presentation of data and easily provide control signals based on the displayed data.
Regarding Claim 3 (Original), Fujimoto in view of Goto teaches the screen transition control system according to Claim 2, wherein: the plurality of groups [fig. 7(a) – (k)] comprises
a prioritized group comprising a plurality of prioritized screens [fig. 7(a) – (k)] prioritized at a start of the screen transition control system [construed as the screens that are displayed when the system is in the fig. 6 Transition Display Mode],
and one of the plurality of prioritized screens [fig. 7(h) a speed change mode setting screen] that has been selected as the selected screen allows selection of an operation mode [¶0095, “speed change mode information for setting the speed change state of the stepless speed change device 8”] for the work vehicle.
Regarding Claim 4 (Original), Fujimoto in view of Goto teaches the screen transition control system according to Claim 1, wherein: the at least one particular operation comprises
a first particular operation [fig. 4 @40 long press] and a second particular operation [fig. 4 @40 short press] both on a single selected screen [fig. 8(e)], and
the first particular operation [fig. 4 @40 long press] causes the display panel to display a first selected screen [fig. 8 after <Long Press>], and
the second particular operation [fig. 4 @40 short press] causes the display panel to display a second selected screen [fig. 8 after <Short Press>] different from the first selected screen.
Regarding Claim 5 (Original), Fujimoto in view of Goto teaches the screen transition control system according to Claim 4, wherein:
the operation member is a single push switch [¶0091, “ … a push-switch style display switching switch 40”], and
the screen transition control system discriminates between the first particular operation [¶0092, “ … When the display switching switch 40 is pressed for a long time (for example, a period of time of at least five seconds) in the transition display mode, then a move is made to an information change mode”] and
the second particular operation [¶0092, “ … When the aforesaid display switching switch 40 is briefly pressed (for example, pressed only for a period of time less than five seconds)”], based on a length of time [>5 seconds or <5 seconds] during which the operation member is pressed.
Regarding Claim 6 (Original), Fujimoto in view of Goto teaches the screen transition control system according to Claim 1, wherein:
the screen identifier manager [fig. 4 @54] and the display instruction generator [fig. 4 @56] are included in a control unit [fig. 4 @50] connected to a group of sensors [fig. 4 @S] and a group of devices [fig. 4 @57 and 58], and
the display panel [fig. 4 @36] and the screen manager [fig. 4 @56] are included in an operation meter panel unit [¶0090, “As shown in FIG. 3, a meter panel MP is arranged at a front position of the steering wheel 21”] connected to the control unit [fig. 4 @50] in such a manner as to be capable of exchanging data with the control unit.
Regarding Claim 7 (Currently Amended), Fujimoto in view of Goto teaches a work vehicle [figs. 1 and 3] comprising
the screen transition control system according to Claim 1.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujimoto in view of Goto and Jahns (US 2021/0237573). All reference is to Fujimoto unless otherwise indicated.
Regarding Claim 2 (Currently Amended), Fujimoto in view of Goto teaches the screen transition control system according to Claim 1
Fujimoto in view of Goto does not teach the plurality of information display screens is divided into a plurality of groups according to a purpose of display, each of the plurality of groups comprises a plurality of information display screens assigned with a group identifier
Jahns teaches the plurality of information display screens [fig. 3 @302, 304, 306, 312]is divided into a plurality of groups [fig. 3 @information density, favorites and contextual] according to a purpose of display [reduce driver eye strain],
each of the plurality of groups comprises a plurality of information display screens assigned with a group identifier [¶0037], “FIGS. 4A-B show illustrations of an example instrument cluster 106 shown in the first minimized content view 302”]
Before the application was filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the concept of grouping a plurality of display screen into display screens of particular purpose, as taught by Jahns, into the control system taught by Fujimoto in view of Goto in order to associate particular display screen with a particular position of a control dial.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Douglas Wilson whose telephone number is (571)272-5640. The examiner can normally be reached 1100-1800 EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Patrick Edouard can be reached at 571-272-7603. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Douglas Wilson/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622