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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 7 objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 8 recites “existing agricultural controller” however the recitation should be corrected to “the existing agricultural controller” in order to improve the form of the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The claims 1, 7 and 16 recite, “expand sensing”, “detect one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” and “to control one or more expanded agricultural functions” however the steps of “detect one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” and “to control one or more expanded agricultural functions” within claims 1, 7 and 16 can cover all possible ways of performing the steps since the scope of “expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” and “expanded agricultural functions” cover all possible sensing of agricultural vehicle and agricultural implements (which are not disclosed in the applicant’s disclosure) therefore a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed would not have recognized that the inventor was in possession of the claimed invention in view of the disclosure since the disclosure does not disclose all possible ways of performing the steps as recited in claims 1, 7 and 16 (see MPEP 2163.I and II). The examiner suggests amending claims 1, 7 and 16 by reciting limitations from claims 3 and 4 with further defining “expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” and “expanded agricultural functions” to overcome the rejection above.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In Reference to Claim 1
In line 20-21 recite ”to detect one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” however because the claim do not further define as to what “expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” is or are therefore the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. For the purposes of treating the claim under prior art, the language is interpret as “at least one of: a connection status, an operational status, a wear status, or a damage status”.
In line 24-25 recite ” to control one or more expanded agricultural functions” however because the claim do not further define as to what “expanded agricultural functions” is or are therefore the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. For the purposes of treating the claim under prior art, the language is interpret as “to compensate for detected wear, damage, or misalignment”.
In Reference to Claim 7
In line 9-10 recite ”to detect one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” however because the claim do not further define as to what “expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” is or are therefore the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. For the purposes of treating the claim under prior art, the language is interpret as “at least one of: a connection status, an operational status, a wear status, or a damage status”.
In line 12-13 recite ” to control one or more expanded agricultural functions” however because the claim do not further define as to what “expanded agricultural functions” is or are therefore the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. For the purposes of treating the claim under prior art, the language is interpret as “to compensate for detected wear, damage, or misalignment”.
In Reference to Claim 16
In line 9-10 recite ”one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” however because the claim do not further define as to what “expanded agricultural assembly characteristics” is or are therefore the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. For the purposes of treating the claim under prior art, the language is interpret as “at least one of: a connection status, an operational status, a wear status, or a damage status”.
In line 12-13 recite ”one or more expanded agricultural functions” however because the claim do not further define as to what “expanded agricultural functions” is or are therefore the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. For the purposes of treating the claim under prior art, the language is interpret as “to compensate for detected wear, damage, or misalignment”.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 (as best understood) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pub No. US 2024/0183835 A1 to Henry (Henry).
In Reference to Claim 1
An agricultural assembly, comprising:
an agricultural vehicle (14) including:
one or more existing actuators (230, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92) configured to operate systems of the agricultural assembly (see at least Henry Figs 1 and 4 and paragraphs [0025]-[0026] and [0047] “In such an embodiment, wheel actuators may also be provided in operative association with the various wheels to adjust the relative positioning between the frame sections and the soil. For instance, center wheel actuators 74, 76 may be utilized to manipulate the center transport wheels 68 to establish the distance of the central frame section 26 relative to the soil while inner-wing wheel actuators 78, 82 may be used to variably position the inner-wing sections 28, 30 relative to the soil. Similarly, outer-wing wheel actuators 80, 84 may be used to variably position the outer-wing sections 32, 34 relative to the soil”, “It should be appreciated that the implement 10 may also include gauge wheels 86, 88 on the outer-wing sections 32, 34 to orient the fore-to-aft angle of the tillage implement 10 relative to the soil. In such an embodiment, gauge wheel actuators 90, 92 may be provided in operative association with the gauge wheels 86, 88 to allow the fore-to-aft angle of the implement 10 to be adjusted. As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the gauge wheels 86, 88 may correspond to the forward-most ground-engaging components of the implement 10” and “For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more wheel actuators 230 (e.g., actuators 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92 of implement 10) to move the implement frame into its raised position when it is determined that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing”); and
one or more existing sensors (118, 120) configured to monitor one or more one or more initial operating parameters of the agricultural assembly (see at least Henry Figs 1 and 4 and paragraphs [0028] ”In several embodiments, the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 may correspond to one or more surface profile sensors 118. For instance, each surface profile sensor 118 may be mounted to or supported on the implement 10, with the surface profile sensor 118 having a field of view 118A directed towards the field. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, each surface profile sensor 118 may be supported relative to the implement 10 (e.g., adjacent to the aft end 19 of the implement 10) such that the field of view 118A of the sensor 118 is directed towards an aft portion of the field disposed rearward of the implement 10 relative to the direction of travel 18 of the implement 10. As such, each surface profile sensor 118 may be configured to generate data indicative of the surface profile or contour of the portion of the field located behind or aft of the implement 10. In this regard, each surface profile sensor 118 may be configured as any suitable device, such as a LIDAR device(s), camera(s) (e.g., a stereo or 3-D camera(s)), radar sensor(s), ultrasonic sensor(s), and/or the like, that allows the sensor 118 to generate point-cloud data, image data, radar data, ultrasound data, and/or the like indicative of the surface profile of the aft portion of the field”);
an agricultural implement (10) coupled with the agricultural vehicle (14), the agricultural implement (10) configured to perform an agricultural operation (see at least Henry Figs 1 and 4 and paragraphs [0019] “Referring now to FIG. 1, a top view of one embodiment of an agricultural implement 10 is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. As shown, the implement 10 is configured as a multi-wing disk ripper. However, in other embodiments, the implement 10 may have any other suitable implement configuration, such as by being configured as any other suitable tillage implement (e.g., a cultivator) or other implement (e.g., a planter, seeder, and/or the like)”);
an existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation) in communication with the agricultural vehicle (14) and the agricultural implement (10) (see at least Henry Figs 1 and 4 and paragraphs [0042] “It should be appreciated that, in several embodiments, the controller 202 may correspond to an existing controller of the agricultural implement 10 and/or of the work vehicle 14 to which the implement 10 is coupled. However, it should be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the controller 202 may instead correspond to a separate processing device. For instance, in one embodiment, the controller 202 may form all or part of a separate plug-in module that may be installed within the agricultural implement 10 (and/or the associated work vehicle 14) to allow for the disclosed system and method to be implemented without requiring additional software to be uploaded onto existing control devices of the agricultural implement 10”), wherein:
the one or more existing sensors (118, 120) and the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation) configured to detect one or more initial agricultural characteristics (normal operation as shown in Fig.2) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-2 and 4 and paragraphs [0029], [0043] “It should be appreciated that, while the implement 10 is shown as only including or being associated with one surface profile sensor 118, the implement 10 may include or be associated with any other suitable number of surface profile sensors 118, such as two or more surface profile sensors 118. For instance, in one embodiment, the number of soil profile sensors 118 may be selected such that the sensor(s) collectively has(have) a field of view that extends across the width of the implement 10 in the lateral direction L1 and, thus, allows surface profile data to be collected at every field location positioned aft of a given disc 50 of the implement 10. Further, in alternative embodiments, the surface profile sensor(s) 118 may be supported at any other suitable location on the implement 10 and/or the work vehicle 14 towing the implement 10 such that the field of view 118A of the sensor 118 is directed towards the aft portion of the field behind the implement 10” and “In some embodiments, the controller 202 may include a communications module or interface 208 to allow for the controller 202 to communicate with any of the various other system components described herein. For instance, the controller 202 may, in several embodiments, be configured to receive data from one or more sensors of the agricultural implement 10 that is used to detect one or more parameters associated with the operating condition of the discs 50 of the implement 10. Particularly, the controller 202 may be in communication with one or more field profile sensors 118, 120 (e.g., one or more surface profile sensors 118 and/or one or more seedbed profile sensors 120) configured to detect one or more parameters associated with or indicative of the field profile (e.g., the surface profile and/or the seedbed profile) at a location aft of the implement 10, which can be used to determine or infer the operating condition of the discs 50. In one embodiment, the controller 202 may be communicatively coupled to the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 via any suitable connection, such as a wired or wireless connection, to allow data to be transmitted from the sensor(s) 118, 120 to the controller 202”); and
the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation) and the one or more existing actuators (230, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92) configured to control one or more initial agricultural assembly functions (normal operation as shown in Fig.2) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-2 and 4 and paragraphs [0026], [0033] “It should be appreciated that the implement 10 may also include gauge wheels 86, 88 on the outer-wing sections 32, 34 to orient the fore-to-aft angle of the tillage implement 10 relative to the soil. In such an embodiment, gauge wheel actuators 90, 92 may be provided in operative association with the gauge wheels 86, 88 to allow the fore-to-aft angle of the implement 10 to be adjusted. As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the gauge wheels 86, 88 may correspond to the forward-most ground-engaging components of the implement 10”, “During normal operating conditions for the discs 50 (e.g., when the discs 50 are not damaged or missing), the discs 50 will generally work the soil such that a known or expected field profile will be located immediately behind the implement 10. Specifically, under normal operating conditions, the working of the soil by the discs 50 generally results in both a surface profile across the field surface and a seedbed profile across the seedbed located beneath the field surface that has uniform pattern. For instance, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary field profile (which could represent a surface profile of the field and/or a seedbed profile of the field) created by a number of discs 50 during normal operating conditions. As shown, the field profile (indicated by solid line 150) generally has a uniform pattern (e.g., sinusoidal pattern) defined relative to a plane extending along the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10 and a vertical direction V1 of the implement 10, with the vertical direction V1 extending perpendicular to both the direction of travel 18 and the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10. This uniform pattern across the lateral width of the implement 10 generally defines a baseline field profile (e.g., a baseline surface profile or a baseline seedbed profile) during normal operating conditions of the discs 50”) and
a refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) configured to expand sensing and function a capabilities of the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0041] “As shown, the system 200 includes a controller 202 configured to electronically control the operation of one or more components of the agricultural implement 10 and/or the associated work vehicle 14 configured to tow the agricultural implement 10. In general, the controller 202 may comprise any suitable processor-based device known in the art, such as a computing device or any suitable combination of computing devices. Thus, in several embodiments, the controller 202 may include one or more processor(s) 204, and associated memory device(s) 206 configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions. As used herein, the term “processor” refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic circuit (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits”), wherein:
the one or more existing sensors (118, 120), the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to detect one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics different than the one or more initial agricultural characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0033], [0044] and [0051]-[0052] “During normal operating conditions for the discs 50 (e.g., when the discs 50 are not damaged or missing), the discs 50 will generally work the soil such that a known or expected field profile will be located immediately behind the implement 10. Specifically, under normal operating conditions, the working of the soil by the discs 50 generally results in both a surface profile across the field surface and a seedbed profile across the seedbed located beneath the field surface that has uniform pattern. For instance, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary field profile (which could represent a surface profile of the field and/or a seedbed profile of the field) created by a number of discs 50 during normal operating conditions. As shown, the field profile (indicated by solid line 150) generally has a uniform pattern (e.g., sinusoidal pattern) defined relative to a plane extending along the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10 and a vertical direction V1 of the implement 10, with the vertical direction V1 extending perpendicular to both the direction of travel 18 and the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10. This uniform pattern across the lateral width of the implement 10 generally defines a baseline field profile (e.g., a baseline surface profile or a baseline seedbed profile) during normal operating conditions of the discs 50”, “As indicated above, the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 may be installed or otherwise positioned relative to the implement 10 to capture data (e.g., point-cloud data, image data, radar data, ultrasound data, and/or the like) indicative of the field profile of an aft portion of the field, which, in turn, is indicative of the operating condition of the discs 50, such as whether a given disc 50 is damaged or missing. Thus, in several embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to monitor the operating condition of the discs 50 based on the data received from the sensor(s) 118, 120. For example, the controller 202 may be configured to analyze/process the received data to monitor the field profile detected across the aft portion of the field relative to an expected or baseline field profile. For instance, the controller 202 may include one or more suitable algorithms stored within its memory 206 that, when executed by the processor 204, allow the controller 202 to infer the operating condition of one or more discs 50 based on the comparison between the detected or measured field profile and the expected or baseline field profile of the field. Specifically, as indicated above, the shape or dimensions of the measured field profile within each lane 154 aligned with a given disc 50 may be compared to the shape or dimensions of the expected or baseline field profile to determine or infer the operating condition of the respective disc 50”, “As shown in FIG. 8, at (302), the method 300 may include receiving data indicative of a field profile of an aft portion of a field located rearward of a plurality of discs of an agricultural implement relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement. For instance, as indicated above, the controller 202 may receive data indicative of a field profile of the aft portion of the field rearward of the discs 50 of an agricultural implement 10 relative to a direction of travel 18 of the implement 10, such as by receiving such data from a surface profile sensor(s) 118 associated with the surface profile of the field and/or data from a seedbed profile sensor(s) 120 associated with the seedbed profile of the field” and “Moreover, at (304), the method 300 may include analyzing the field profile of the aft portion of the field to determine an operating condition of one or more of the plurality of discs. For instance, as described above, the controller 202 may compare the measured field profile of the aft portion of the field to a baseline field profile to determine whether one or more discs 50 are damaged or missing”); and
the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition), and the one or more existing actuators (230, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92) are configured to control one or more expanded agricultural functions (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0047] and [0053] “In further embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to perform one or more implement-related control actions based on the determination of the operating condition of the discs 50. Specifically, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more components of the agricultural implement 10 based on the determination that one of the discs 50 is damaged or missing. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more wheel actuators 230 (e.g., actuators 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92 of implement 10) to move the implement frame into its raised position when it is determined that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing” and “Additionally, at (306), the method 300 may include initiating a control action based on the determined operating condition of one or more of the plurality of discs. For instance, as indicated above, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may provide an indication of the operating condition to the operator, such as by controlling the operation of the user interface 212 to display information indicating that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing. In addition to such operator notifications or as an alternative thereto, the controller 202 may be configured to identify a location at which the damaged or missing disc 50 was initially detected, such as by mapping or georeferencing the location. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to execute one or more implement-based or vehicle-based control actions, such as by controlling the operation of an actuator 230 of the implement 10 to adjust the penetration depth of the discs 50 or by bringing the implement 10 to a stop by controlling the operation of the associated work vehicle 14”).
In Reference to Claim 2
The agricultural assembly of claim 1 (see rejection to claim 1 above), wherein the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) is configured to select an expanded agricultural assembly characteristic profile (as shown in Fig. 3) to complete at least one of: detect the one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics; control the one or more expanded agricultural functions; or initiate a calibration routine for any of the one or more existing sensors upon detection of one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 3
The agricultural assembly of claim 1 (see rejection to claim 1 above), wherein the one or more existing sensors (118, 120), the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to monitor a status of the agricultural implement (10), including at least one of: a connection status, an operational status, a wear status, or a damage status (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 4
The agricultural assembly of claim 1 (see rejection to claim 1 above), wherein the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to control the agricultural implement (10) to compensate for detected wear, damage, or misalignment of the implement (#50 of #10) indicated by the one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 5
The agricultural assembly of claim 1 (see rejection to claim 1 above), wherein the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to: provide predictive maintenance alerts for the agricultural assembly upon detection of one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 4, 18, 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 6
The agricultural assembly of claim 1 (see rejection to claim 1 above), wherein the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to: detect unintended detachment (missing) of the agricultural implement (#50 of #10) upon detection of one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 7
A refinement controller comprising:
a sensor interface (208) configured for interconnection with one or more existing sensors (118, 120) of an agricultural assembly (see at least Henry Figs 1 and 4 and paragraphs [0028], [0043] ”In several embodiments, the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 may correspond to one or more surface profile sensors 118. For instance, each surface profile sensor 118 may be mounted to or supported on the implement 10, with the surface profile sensor 118 having a field of view 118A directed towards the field. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, each surface profile sensor 118 may be supported relative to the implement 10 (e.g., adjacent to the aft end 19 of the implement 10) such that the field of view 118A of the sensor 118 is directed towards an aft portion of the field disposed rearward of the implement 10 relative to the direction of travel 18 of the implement 10. As such, each surface profile sensor 118 may be configured to generate data indicative of the surface profile or contour of the portion of the field located behind or aft of the implement 10. In this regard, each surface profile sensor 118 may be configured as any suitable device, such as a LIDAR device(s), camera(s) (e.g., a stereo or 3-D camera(s)), radar sensor(s), ultrasonic sensor(s), and/or the like, that allows the sensor 118 to generate point-cloud data, image data, radar data, ultrasound data, and/or the like indicative of the surface profile of the aft portion of the field” and “In some embodiments, the controller 202 may include a communications module or interface 208 to allow for the controller 202 to communicate with any of the various other system components described herein. For instance, the controller 202 may, in several embodiments, be configured to receive data from one or more sensors of the agricultural implement 10 that is used to detect one or more parameters associated with the operating condition of the discs 50 of the implement 10. Particularly, the controller 202 may be in communication with one or more field profile sensors 118, 120 (e.g., one or more surface profile sensors 118 and/or one or more seedbed profile sensors 120) configured to detect one or more parameters associated with or indicative of the field profile (e.g., the surface profile and/or the seedbed profile) at a location aft of the implement 10, which can be used to determine or infer the operating condition of the discs 50. In one embodiment, the controller 202 may be communicatively coupled to the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 via any suitable connection, such as a wired or wireless connection, to allow data to be transmitted from the sensor(s) 118, 120 to the controller 202”);
an actuator interface (208) configured for connection to one or more existing actuators (230, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92) of the agricultural assembly (see at least Henry Figs 1 and 4 and paragraphs [0025]-[0026], [0043] and [0047] “In such an embodiment, wheel actuators may also be provided in operative association with the various wheels to adjust the relative positioning between the frame sections and the soil. For instance, center wheel actuators 74, 76 may be utilized to manipulate the center transport wheels 68 to establish the distance of the central frame section 26 relative to the soil while inner-wing wheel actuators 78, 82 may be used to variably position the inner-wing sections 28, 30 relative to the soil. Similarly, outer-wing wheel actuators 80, 84 may be used to variably position the outer-wing sections 32, 34 relative to the soil”, “It should be appreciated that the implement 10 may also include gauge wheels 86, 88 on the outer-wing sections 32, 34 to orient the fore-to-aft angle of the tillage implement 10 relative to the soil. In such an embodiment, gauge wheel actuators 90, 92 may be provided in operative association with the gauge wheels 86, 88 to allow the fore-to-aft angle of the implement 10 to be adjusted. As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the gauge wheels 86, 88 may correspond to the forward-most ground-engaging components of the implement 10”, “In some embodiments, the controller 202 may include a communications module or interface 208 to allow for the controller 202 to communicate with any of the various other system components described herein” and “For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more wheel actuators 230 (e.g., actuators 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92 of implement 10) to move the implement frame into its raised position when it is determined that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing”); and
a refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) configured to expand sensing and function a capabilities of an existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0041] “As shown, the system 200 includes a controller 202 configured to electronically control the operation of one or more components of the agricultural implement 10 and/or the associated work vehicle 14 configured to tow the agricultural implement 10. In general, the controller 202 may comprise any suitable processor-based device known in the art, such as a computing device or any suitable combination of computing devices. Thus, in several embodiments, the controller 202 may include one or more processor(s) 204, and associated memory device(s) 206 configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions. As used herein, the term “processor” refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic circuit (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits”), wherein:
the one or more existing sensors (118, 120), the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to detect one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0044] and [0051]-[0052] “As indicated above, the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 may be installed or otherwise positioned relative to the implement 10 to capture data (e.g., point-cloud data, image data, radar data, ultrasound data, and/or the like) indicative of the field profile of an aft portion of the field, which, in turn, is indicative of the operating condition of the discs 50, such as whether a given disc 50 is damaged or missing. Thus, in several embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to monitor the operating condition of the discs 50 based on the data received from the sensor(s) 118, 120. For example, the controller 202 may be configured to analyze/process the received data to monitor the field profile detected across the aft portion of the field relative to an expected or baseline field profile. For instance, the controller 202 may include one or more suitable algorithms stored within its memory 206 that, when executed by the processor 204, allow the controller 202 to infer the operating condition of one or more discs 50 based on the comparison between the detected or measured field profile and the expected or baseline field profile of the field. Specifically, as indicated above, the shape or dimensions of the measured field profile within each lane 154 aligned with a given disc 50 may be compared to the shape or dimensions of the expected or baseline field profile to determine or infer the operating condition of the respective disc 50”, “As shown in FIG. 8, at (302), the method 300 may include receiving data indicative of a field profile of an aft portion of a field located rearward of a plurality of discs of an agricultural implement relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement. For instance, as indicated above, the controller 202 may receive data indicative of a field profile of the aft portion of the field rearward of the discs 50 of an agricultural implement 10 relative to a direction of travel 18 of the implement 10, such as by receiving such data from a surface profile sensor(s) 118 associated with the surface profile of the field and/or data from a seedbed profile sensor(s) 120 associated with the seedbed profile of the field” and “Moreover, at (304), the method 300 may include analyzing the field profile of the aft portion of the field to determine an operating condition of one or more of the plurality of discs. For instance, as described above, the controller 202 may compare the measured field profile of the aft portion of the field to a baseline field profile to determine whether one or more discs 50 are damaged or missing”); and
the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition), and the one or more existing actuators (230, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92) are configured to control one or more expanded agricultural functions (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0047] and [0053] “In further embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to perform one or more implement-related control actions based on the determination of the operating condition of the discs 50. Specifically, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more components of the agricultural implement 10 based on the determination that one of the discs 50 is damaged or missing. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more wheel actuators 230 (e.g., actuators 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92 of implement 10) to move the implement frame into its raised position when it is determined that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing” and “Additionally, at (306), the method 300 may include initiating a control action based on the determined operating condition of one or more of the plurality of discs. For instance, as indicated above, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may provide an indication of the operating condition to the operator, such as by controlling the operation of the user interface 212 to display information indicating that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing. In addition to such operator notifications or as an alternative thereto, the controller 202 may be configured to identify a location at which the damaged or missing disc 50 was initially detected, such as by mapping or georeferencing the location. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to execute one or more implement-based or vehicle-based control actions, such as by controlling the operation of an actuator 230 of the implement 10 to adjust the penetration depth of the discs 50 or by bringing the implement 10 to a stop by controlling the operation of the associated work vehicle 14”).
In Reference to Claim 8
The refinement controller of claim 7 (see rejection to claim 7 above), wherein the one or more existing sensors (118, 120) are configured to monitor one or more initial agricultural characteristics of the agricultural assembly (see at least Henry Figs 1 and 4 and paragraphs [0028] ”In several embodiments, the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 may correspond to one or more surface profile sensors 118. For instance, each surface profile sensor 118 may be mounted to or supported on the implement 10, with the surface profile sensor 118 having a field of view 118A directed towards the field. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, each surface profile sensor 118 may be supported relative to the implement 10 (e.g., adjacent to the aft end 19 of the implement 10) such that the field of view 118A of the sensor 118 is directed towards an aft portion of the field disposed rearward of the implement 10 relative to the direction of travel 18 of the implement 10. As such, each surface profile sensor 118 may be configured to generate data indicative of the surface profile or contour of the portion of the field located behind or aft of the implement 10. In this regard, each surface profile sensor 118 may be configured as any suitable device, such as a LIDAR device(s), camera(s) (e.g., a stereo or 3-D camera(s)), radar sensor(s), ultrasonic sensor(s), and/or the like, that allows the sensor 118 to generate point-cloud data, image data, radar data, ultrasound data, and/or the like indicative of the surface profile of the aft portion of the field”),
wherein the one or more initial agricultural characteristics (normal operation) of the agricultural assembly are different than the one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0033], [0044] “During normal operating conditions for the discs 50 (e.g., when the discs 50 are not damaged or missing), the discs 50 will generally work the soil such that a known or expected field profile will be located immediately behind the implement 10. Specifically, under normal operating conditions, the working of the soil by the discs 50 generally results in both a surface profile across the field surface and a seedbed profile across the seedbed located beneath the field surface that has uniform pattern. For instance, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary field profile (which could represent a surface profile of the field and/or a seedbed profile of the field) created by a number of discs 50 during normal operating conditions. As shown, the field profile (indicated by solid line 150) generally has a uniform pattern (e.g., sinusoidal pattern) defined relative to a plane extending along the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10 and a vertical direction V1 of the implement 10, with the vertical direction V1 extending perpendicular to both the direction of travel 18 and the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10. This uniform pattern across the lateral width of the implement 10 generally defines a baseline field profile (e.g., a baseline surface profile or a baseline seedbed profile) during normal operating conditions of the discs 50”, “As indicated above, the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 may be installed or otherwise positioned relative to the implement 10 to capture data (e.g., point-cloud data, image data, radar data, ultrasound data, and/or the like) indicative of the field profile of an aft portion of the field, which, in turn, is indicative of the operating condition of the discs 50, such as whether a given disc 50 is damaged or missing. Thus, in several embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to monitor the operating condition of the discs 50 based on the data received from the sensor(s) 118, 120. For example, the controller 202 may be configured to analyze/process the received data to monitor the field profile detected across the aft portion of the field relative to an expected or baseline field profile. For instance, the controller 202 may include one or more suitable algorithms stored within its memory 206 that, when executed by the processor 204, allow the controller 202 to infer the operating condition of one or more discs 50 based on the comparison between the detected or measured field profile and the expected or baseline field profile of the field. Specifically, as indicated above, the shape or dimensions of the measured field profile within each lane 154 aligned with a given disc 50 may be compared to the shape or dimensions of the expected or baseline field profile to determine or infer the operating condition of the respective disc 50”).
In Reference to Claim 9
The refinement controller of claim 7 (see rejection to claim 7 above), wherein the one or more existing actuators (230, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92) configured to control one or more existing actuators configured to operate one or more initial agricultural assembly functions (see at least Henry Figs 1 and 4 and paragraphs [0025]-[0026] and [0047] “In such an embodiment, wheel actuators may also be provided in operative association with the various wheels to adjust the relative positioning between the frame sections and the soil. For instance, center wheel actuators 74, 76 may be utilized to manipulate the center transport wheels 68 to establish the distance of the central frame section 26 relative to the soil while inner-wing wheel actuators 78, 82 may be used to variably position the inner-wing sections 28, 30 relative to the soil. Similarly, outer-wing wheel actuators 80, 84 may be used to variably position the outer-wing sections 32, 34 relative to the soil”, “It should be appreciated that the implement 10 may also include gauge wheels 86, 88 on the outer-wing sections 32, 34 to orient the fore-to-aft angle of the tillage implement 10 relative to the soil. In such an embodiment, gauge wheel actuators 90, 92 may be provided in operative association with the gauge wheels 86, 88 to allow the fore-to-aft angle of the implement 10 to be adjusted. As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the gauge wheels 86, 88 may correspond to the forward-most ground-engaging components of the implement 10” and “For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more wheel actuators 230 (e.g., actuators 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92 of implement 10) to move the implement frame into its raised position when it is determined that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing”)
In Reference to Claim 10
The refinement controller of claim 7 (see rejection to claim 7 above), wherein the agricultural assembly includes one or more of an agricultural vehicle (14) or an agricultural implement (10) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 31, 41).
In Reference to Claim 11
The refinement controller of claim 10 (see rejection to claim 10 above), wherein the agricultural vehicle (14), includes one or more of a tractor, combine, truck, or prime mover, and wherein the agricultural implement (10) includes one or more of a planter, seeder, sprayer boom, cultivator, tillage implement, spreader, harvester head, mower, swather, auxiliary water tanks, weights or grain cart (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 18-20).
In Reference to Claim 12
The refinement controller of claim 10 (see rejection to claim 10 above), wherein the one or more existing sensors (118, 120), the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to monitor a status of the agricultural implement (10), including at least one of: a connection status, an operational status, a wear status, or a damage status (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 13
The refinement controller of claim 10 (see rejection to claim 10 above), wherein the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to control the agricultural implement (10) to compensate for detected wear, damage, or misalignment of the implement (#50 of #10) indicated by the one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 14
The refinement controller of claim 7 (see rejection to claim 7 above), wherein the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) is configured to select an expanded agricultural assembly characteristic profile (as shown in Fig. 3) to complete at least one of: detect the one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics; select an expanded agricultural assembly function profile to control the one or more expanded agricultural functions; initiate a calibration routine for any of the one or more existing sensors upon detection of one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics; or initiate an alert to an operator interface upon detection of one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 15
The refinement controller of claim 7 (see rejection to claim 7 above), wherein the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) are configured to automatically adjust operation parameters of the agricultural assembly upon detection of one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics, and wherein the operation parameters include one or more of agricultural vehicle speed, perception system, agricultural steering, implement speed, implement height, or implement power (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0047] and [0053] “In further embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to perform one or more implement-related control actions based on the determination of the operating condition of the discs 50. Specifically, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more components of the agricultural implement 10 based on the determination that one of the discs 50 is damaged or missing. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more wheel actuators 230 (e.g., actuators 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92 of implement 10) to move the implement frame into its raised position when it is determined that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing” and “Additionally, at (306), the method 300 may include initiating a control action based on the determined operating condition of one or more of the plurality of discs. For instance, as indicated above, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may provide an indication of the operating condition to the operator, such as by controlling the operation of the user interface 212 to display information indicating that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing. In addition to such operator notifications or as an alternative thereto, the controller 202 may be configured to identify a location at which the damaged or missing disc 50 was initially detected, such as by mapping or georeferencing the location. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to execute one or more implement-based or vehicle-based control actions, such as by controlling the operation of an actuator 230 of the implement 10 to adjust the penetration depth of the discs 50 or by bringing the implement 10 to a stop by controlling the operation of the associated work vehicle 14”).
In Reference to Claim 16
A method for expanding sensing and functional characteristics of an existing agricultural system of an agricultural assembly, the method comprising:
detecting, with one or more existing sensors (118, 120) and an existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), one or more initial agricultural characteristics of the agricultural assembly (see at least Henry Figs. 1-2 and 4 and paragraphs [0029], [0043] “It should be appreciated that, while the implement 10 is shown as only including or being associated with one surface profile sensor 118, the implement 10 may include or be associated with any other suitable number of surface profile sensors 118, such as two or more surface profile sensors 118. For instance, in one embodiment, the number of soil profile sensors 118 may be selected such that the sensor(s) collectively has(have) a field of view that extends across the width of the implement 10 in the lateral direction L1 and, thus, allows surface profile data to be collected at every field location positioned aft of a given disc 50 of the implement 10. Further, in alternative embodiments, the surface profile sensor(s) 118 may be supported at any other suitable location on the implement 10 and/or the work vehicle 14 towing the implement 10 such that the field of view 118A of the sensor 118 is directed towards the aft portion of the field behind the implement 10” and “In some embodiments, the controller 202 may include a communications module or interface 208 to allow for the controller 202 to communicate with any of the various other system components described herein. For instance, the controller 202 may, in several embodiments, be configured to receive data from one or more sensors of the agricultural implement 10 that is used to detect one or more parameters associated with the operating condition of the discs 50 of the implement 10. Particularly, the controller 202 may be in communication with one or more field profile sensors 118, 120 (e.g., one or more surface profile sensors 118 and/or one or more seedbed profile sensors 120) configured to detect one or more parameters associated with or indicative of the field profile (e.g., the surface profile and/or the seedbed profile) at a location aft of the implement 10, which can be used to determine or infer the operating condition of the discs 50. In one embodiment, the controller 202 may be communicatively coupled to the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 via any suitable connection, such as a wired or wireless connection, to allow data to be transmitted from the sensor(s) 118, 120 to the controller 202”)
controlling, with one or more existing actuators (230, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92) and the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), one or more initial agricultural assembly functions (normal operation as shown in Fig.2) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-2 and 4 and paragraphs [0026], [0033] “It should be appreciated that the implement 10 may also include gauge wheels 86, 88 on the outer-wing sections 32, 34 to orient the fore-to-aft angle of the tillage implement 10 relative to the soil. In such an embodiment, gauge wheel actuators 90, 92 may be provided in operative association with the gauge wheels 86, 88 to allow the fore-to-aft angle of the implement 10 to be adjusted. As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the gauge wheels 86, 88 may correspond to the forward-most ground-engaging components of the implement 10”, “During normal operating conditions for the discs 50 (e.g., when the discs 50 are not damaged or missing), the discs 50 will generally work the soil such that a known or expected field profile will be located immediately behind the implement 10. Specifically, under normal operating conditions, the working of the soil by the discs 50 generally results in both a surface profile across the field surface and a seedbed profile across the seedbed located beneath the field surface that has uniform pattern. For instance, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary field profile (which could represent a surface profile of the field and/or a seedbed profile of the field) created by a number of discs 50 during normal operating conditions. As shown, the field profile (indicated by solid line 150) generally has a uniform pattern (e.g., sinusoidal pattern) defined relative to a plane extending along the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10 and a vertical direction V1 of the implement 10, with the vertical direction V1 extending perpendicular to both the direction of travel 18 and the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10. This uniform pattern across the lateral width of the implement 10 generally defines a baseline field profile (e.g., a baseline surface profile or a baseline seedbed profile) during normal operating conditions of the discs 50”);
detecting, with the one or more existing sensors (118), the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and a refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition), one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0033], [0044] and [0051]-[0052] “During normal operating conditions for the discs 50 (e.g., when the discs 50 are not damaged or missing), the discs 50 will generally work the soil such that a known or expected field profile will be located immediately behind the implement 10. Specifically, under normal operating conditions, the working of the soil by the discs 50 generally results in both a surface profile across the field surface and a seedbed profile across the seedbed located beneath the field surface that has uniform pattern. For instance, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary field profile (which could represent a surface profile of the field and/or a seedbed profile of the field) created by a number of discs 50 during normal operating conditions. As shown, the field profile (indicated by solid line 150) generally has a uniform pattern (e.g., sinusoidal pattern) defined relative to a plane extending along the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10 and a vertical direction V1 of the implement 10, with the vertical direction V1 extending perpendicular to both the direction of travel 18 and the lateral direction L1 of the implement 10. This uniform pattern across the lateral width of the implement 10 generally defines a baseline field profile (e.g., a baseline surface profile or a baseline seedbed profile) during normal operating conditions of the discs 50”, “As indicated above, the field profile sensor(s) 118, 120 may be installed or otherwise positioned relative to the implement 10 to capture data (e.g., point-cloud data, image data, radar data, ultrasound data, and/or the like) indicative of the field profile of an aft portion of the field, which, in turn, is indicative of the operating condition of the discs 50, such as whether a given disc 50 is damaged or missing. Thus, in several embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to monitor the operating condition of the discs 50 based on the data received from the sensor(s) 118, 120. For example, the controller 202 may be configured to analyze/process the received data to monitor the field profile detected across the aft portion of the field relative to an expected or baseline field profile. For instance, the controller 202 may include one or more suitable algorithms stored within its memory 206 that, when executed by the processor 204, allow the controller 202 to infer the operating condition of one or more discs 50 based on the comparison between the detected or measured field profile and the expected or baseline field profile of the field. Specifically, as indicated above, the shape or dimensions of the measured field profile within each lane 154 aligned with a given disc 50 may be compared to the shape or dimensions of the expected or baseline field profile to determine or infer the operating condition of the respective disc 50”, “As shown in FIG. 8, at (302), the method 300 may include receiving data indicative of a field profile of an aft portion of a field located rearward of a plurality of discs of an agricultural implement relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement. For instance, as indicated above, the controller 202 may receive data indicative of a field profile of the aft portion of the field rearward of the discs 50 of an agricultural implement 10 relative to a direction of travel 18 of the implement 10, such as by receiving such data from a surface profile sensor(s) 118 associated with the surface profile of the field and/or data from a seedbed profile sensor(s) 120 associated with the seedbed profile of the field” and “Moreover, at (304), the method 300 may include analyzing the field profile of the aft portion of the field to determine an operating condition of one or more of the plurality of discs. For instance, as described above, the controller 202 may compare the measured field profile of the aft portion of the field to a baseline field profile to determine whether one or more discs 50 are damaged or missing”); and
controlling, with the one or more existing actuators (230, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92), the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition), one or more expanded agricultural functions (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs [0047] and [0053] “In further embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to perform one or more implement-related control actions based on the determination of the operating condition of the discs 50. Specifically, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more components of the agricultural implement 10 based on the determination that one of the discs 50 is damaged or missing. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the controller 202 may be configured to control one or more wheel actuators 230 (e.g., actuators 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90, 92 of implement 10) to move the implement frame into its raised position when it is determined that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing” and “Additionally, at (306), the method 300 may include initiating a control action based on the determined operating condition of one or more of the plurality of discs. For instance, as indicated above, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may provide an indication of the operating condition to the operator, such as by controlling the operation of the user interface 212 to display information indicating that one or more of the discs 50 is damaged or missing. In addition to such operator notifications or as an alternative thereto, the controller 202 may be configured to identify a location at which the damaged or missing disc 50 was initially detected, such as by mapping or georeferencing the location. Moreover, in some embodiments, the controller 202 may be configured to execute one or more implement-based or vehicle-based control actions, such as by controlling the operation of an actuator 230 of the implement 10 to adjust the penetration depth of the discs 50 or by bringing the implement 10 to a stop by controlling the operation of the associated work vehicle 14”).
In Reference to Claim 17
The method of claim 16 (see rejection to claim 16 above), wherein the agricultural assembly comprises one or more of an agricultural vehicle (14) or an agricultural implement (10) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 31, 41).
In Reference to Claim 18
The method of claim 17 (see rejection to claim 17 above), comprising: determining, with the one or more sensors (118, 120), the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) a status of the agricultural implement (10) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 19
The method of claim 17 (see rejection to claim 17 above), comprising: adjusting, with the refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition) and the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), one or more operating parameters based on the one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
In Reference to Claim 20
The method of claim 16 (see rejection to claim 16 above), wherein detecting, with the one or more existing sensors (118, 120), the existing agricultural controller (#202 part that detects and performs the normal operation), and a refinement controller (#202 part that detects and performs the abnormal operation such as damaged or missing condition), one or more expanded agricultural assembly characteristics comprises: selecting an expanded agricultural assembly characteristic profile (as shown in Fig. 3) (see at least Henry Figs. 1-5 and paragraphs 37-38, 44-48 and 51-53).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pub No. US 2025/0008874 A1 to Townsend (Townsend) teaches to determining alignment issues or damaged implement and adjusting the implement based on determination.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON DONGPA LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-3525. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Aniss Chad can be reached at (571) 270-3832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRANDON D LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662 June 11, 2026
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