DETAILED ACTION
The following is a Non-Final Office Action in response to communications filed on September 15th 2025. Claim 1-8 are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hodel et al. (US 2023/0134855).
Regarding Claim 1, Hodel teaches a system for controlling a work machine that includes a work equipment and a traveling device, the system comprising:
a controller for controlling the work machine (Para. [0021]… The work machine 100 also includes a machine controller 134); and a work machine operation unit for operating the work machine (Para. [0021]… The machine controller 134 may embody a machine control unit (MCU). The machine controller 134 may control one or more systems of the work machine 100), wherein the controller calculates a cumulative travel distance of the work machine (Para. [0037-0038]…the controller 146 determines one or more operating parameters of the work machine 100 to reach the desired location "L1" based on the data indicative of the position parameter of the work machine 100 and the data indicative of the desired movement path 140, 142, 144…. the operating parameter includes one or more of the desired travel distance of the work machine 100, a maximum velocity of the work machine 100, and a desired travel direction of the work machine 100. The term "desired travel distance" may correspond to a distance between the current location of the work machine 100 and the desired location),
outputs a stop command for stopping a predetermined movement of the work machine in
a case where the cumulative travel distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold (Para. [0046]… the machine operator may be able to halt the work machine
100 before travelling the desired travel distance and/or before reaching the desired location "L1". In another example, the machine operator may halt the work machine 100 after the work machine 100 has travelled the desired travel distance and/or after the work machine 100 has moved past the desired location), and initializes the cumulative travel distance in a case where a predetermined operation is performed on the work machine operation unit (Para. [0048]... The drive module 154 may receive the operating parameters, i.e., the maximum velocity, and the desired travel distance of the work machine 100 for generating the first control signal).
Regarding Claim 2, Hodel teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts the distance threshold within a predetermined range of upper and lower limit values (Para. [0073]… the controller 146 may receive the input "I3" from the machine operator for one or more of increasing the desired travel distance and decreasing the desired travel distance.)
Regarding Claim 3, Hodel teaches the system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined movement includes at least a travel movement of the traveling device (Para. [0030]… The controller 146 receives an input "I1" from the machine operator for initiating the travel of the work machine 100, such that the one or more components 116 of the work machine 100 are in alignment with the desired movement path).
Regarding claim 4, Hodel teaches the system according to claim 3, wherein the work machine operation unit includes a traveling operation unit that switches a state of a travel movement of the traveling device to one of a forward movement state, a reverse movement state, and a power disconnection state(Para. [0055].. the work machine 100 embodied as the hydraulic excavator may travel in a reverse/backward direction with respect to the machine operator seated within the operator cabin 126), and the predetermined operation includes an operation of switching a state of a travel movement of the traveling device for the traveling operation unit (Para. [0055]… the work machine 100 embodied as the hydraulic excavator may travel in a forward direction with respect to the machine operator seated within the operator cabin 126, based on a preference of the machine operator. Alternatively, when the work machine 100 is embodied as a motor grader, for example, the work machine 100 may move in the forward direction with respect to the machine operator seated within the operator cabin 126).
Regarding claim 5, Hodel teaches the system according to claim 4, wherein the work machine operation unit includes a steering operation unit that changes a travel direction of the work machine according to a ratio of a steering operation (Para. [0061]…the controller 146 determines a transition path 164 based on the determination of the first straight path 158 and the second straight path 160 for moving the work machine 100 from the first straight path 158 to the second straight path 160. More particularly, the path planning module 152 determines the transition path 164 if the angle "S1" is less than or equal to about 180 degrees. In some examples, the angle "S1" may be less than 90 degrees. It should be noted that the term "transition path" as mentioned herein merely represents a path used by the work machine 100 to reach various excavation positions. It should be noted that the work machine 100 may not perform any excavation operations when the work machine 100 is moving on such transition paths), and the predetermined operation includes an operation of changing a ratio of the steering operation to a predetermined steering threshold or more (Para. [0061]) .
Regarding claim 6, Hodel teaches the system according to claim 5, wherein the work machine operation unit includes a deceleration operation unit that changes a speed of the traveling device according to a ratio of a deceleration operation (Para. [0046]… when the semi-autonomous travel feature is activated and the work machine 100 is moving towards the desired location "L1", the machine operator may be able to accelerate or decelerate the work machine 100 to increase or decrease the maximum velocity of the work machine 100), and the predetermined operation includes an operation of changing a ratio of the deceleration operation to a predetermined deceleration threshold or more (Para. [0046]).
Regarding claim 7, Hodel teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein the work machine operation unit is disposed in a management center away from a work site to remotely operate the work machine (Para. [0019]… the input and output devices 128, 130 may be present at a base station (not shown) which may be located remotely with respect to the work machine 1.)
Regarding claim 8, Please refer to the rejection of claim 1, which is commensurate in scope.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JODI M JONES whose telephone number is (571)272-0107. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/JODI JONES/Examiner, Art Unit 3666
/ANNE MARIE ANTONUCCI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3666
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