DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1 and 14 are independent.
3. The IDS submitted on 3/21/2025 has been considered.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Dependent claim 13 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
5. Claims 14-20 recite limitations of claim 1 and dependent claim 13; therefore, Claims 14-20 would also be allowable over the prior art.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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 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.
7. 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.
8. Claim 1-3, 5-9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hager (US Patent 10,718,098) in view of Rossow (US Patent 6,343,237).
As regarding claim 1, Hager discloses A compact utility loader (CUL) configured for connection to and operation of a variety of attachments, the CUL comprising:
a frame [FIGS 1-4 and col. 3 lines 17-30; lift frame 102];
a platform coupled to the frame near a bottom rear of the frame and configured to support a standing user of the CUL [FIG. 4 and col. 7 lines 57-65; platform 202];
a pair of loader arms [FIGS 1-4 and col. 3 lines 17-30; lift frame 102];
a first track or wheel and a second track or wheel positioned on opposite sides of the frame [col. 6 lines 31-49; tracks 116]; and
a user interface and control system (UICS) comprising a joystick [FIG. 11 and col. 11 lines 14-36; a joystick 172], a graphic display [FIG. 11 col. 12 lines 5-13; a visual alert indicator display 182], and a plurality of user input buttons [FIG. 11 and col. 11 lines 1-36; switches and pressable thumb-actuated rocker switch],
wherein the user input buttons are associated with the graphic display [col. 11 lines 30-34 and col. 12 lines 2-13; pressing thumb-actuated rocker switch may raise a visual alert],
wherein the joystick is configured to control movement of the loader arms and attachments [FIG. 11 and col. 11 lines 14-36],
wherein the joystick includes one or more auxiliary control elements for controlling hydraulic functionality of the attachments [FIG. 11, col. 10 lines 3-21 and col. 11 lines 14-36; a joystick 172 controlling hydraulic actuators 154].
Hager does not explicitly disclose that the graphic display is configured to present a plurality of menu screens. However, Rossow discloses it [FIG. 5B and col. 6 line 56 thru col. 7 line 12; display screen 94].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the effective filing of the invention to modify Hager’s compact utility loader display comprise Rossow’s display in order to provide more information such as virtual gauges of the utility loader.
As regarding claim 2, Hager and Rossow further disclose The CUL of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary control elements include one or more buttons or switches that enable the user to select between forward and reverse hydraulic flow to the attachments [Hager FIG. 11, col. 10 lines 3-21 and col. 11 lines 14-36; a joystick 172 controlling hydraulic actuators 154].
As regarding claim 3, Hager and Rossow further disclose The CUL of claim 2, wherein the UICS includes a continuous mode input mechanism configured to allow the user to lock in the forward or reverse hydraulic flow to the attachment so the auxiliary control elements do not need to be continuously actuated by the user [Hager FIG. 11 and col. 11 lines 14-36 || Rossow col. 6 lines 39-46].
As regarding claim 5, Hager and Rossow further disclose The CUL of claim 1, wherein the graphic display is configured to display an auxiliary hydraulic icon indicating whether hydraulic functionality of the attachment is activated [Rossow FIGS. 7A&7B and col. 7 line 56 thru col. 8 line 4; loader started indicating hydraulic functionality activated].
As regarding claim 6, Hager and Rossow further disclose The CUL of claim 1, wherein the user input buttons are configured for navigation of the menu screens [Rossow FIG. 5B and col. 6 line 56 thru col. 7 line 12; corresponding buttons 96-102 to access menu driven commands].
As regarding claim 7, Hager and Rossow further disclose The CUL of claim 6, wherein the user input buttons are positioned immediately below the graphic display [Rossow FIG. 5B; start button below the display screen 94].
As regarding claim 8, Hager and Rossow further disclose The CUL of claim 1, wherein the plurality of menu screens includes a settings screen, a service screen, and a machine specifications screen [Rossow FIG. 5B and col. 6 line 56 thru col. 7 line 12; display screen 94 displaying a plurality information about the loader].
As regarding claim 9, Hager and Rossow further disclose The CUL of claim 1, wherein the graphic display is configured to display at least the engine speed, engine temperature, engine hours, and battery voltage [Rossow FIG. 13C and hour meter 82 of FIG. 5A].
As regarding claim 11, Hager and Rossow further disclose The CUL of claim 1, wherein the UICS is configured to require a passcode to unlock one or more functions of the CUL [Rossow col. 7 lines 34-54; password required].
9. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hager (US Patent 10,718,098) in view of Rossow (US Patent 6,343,237) and further in view of Singh (US PG Pub. 2016/0108602).
As regardinc claim 4, Hager and Rossow do not explicitly disclose that the joystick is configured to selectively activate floating of the attachment to follow contours of a ground surface during movement of the CUL. However, Singh discloses it [para. 24].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the effective filing of the invention to modify Hager and Rossow’s joystick to further comprise Singh’s joystick as an alternative input device in order to provide more flexibility for the input device in controlling movement of the attachment of the loader.
10. Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hager (US Patent 10,718,098) in view of Rossow (US Patent 6,343,237) and further in view of Spitaels (US PG Pub. 2010/0250160).
As regardinc claim 10, Hager and Rossow disclose The CUL of claim 1, wherein the graphic display is configured to display [Rossow FIG. 5B and col. 6 line 56 thru col. 7 line 12; display screen 94].
Hager and Rossow do not explicitly disclose that the graphic display is configured to display at least the machine serial number, software version, and language. However, Spitaels discloses it [para. 53].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the effective filing of the invention to modify Hager and Rossow’s display to further comprise Spitaels’ display in order to provide more system information of a device to a user.
11. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hager (US Patent 10,718,098) in view of Rossow (US Patent 6,343,237) and further in view of Ingalls (US PG Pub. 2013/0212367).
As regardinc claim 12, Hager and Rossow disclose The CUL of claim 11, wherein the passcode is prompted by the graphic display and entered via the user input buttons [Rossow col. 7 lines 34-54; password required].
Hager and Rossow do not explicitly disclose that the passcode is a four-digit numeric code. However, Ingalls discloses it [para. 51].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the effective filing of the invention to modify Hager and Rossow’s passcode to further comprise Ingalls’ four-digit passcode as an alternative low-entropy passcode that is easier for the user to remember.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THONG P TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-7905. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30AM - 5:30PM.
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/THONG TRUONG/
Examiner, Art Unit 2433
/JEFFREY C PWU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2433
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