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 .
The application relates to a Foreign Prior Art (with Certified Patent Document) IN-202421070746 filed on Sep. 19, 2024.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moiddin (20210015025) in view of Johnson (20200329631).
With regard to claim 1, Moiddin discloses a work machine for irrigation (a work machine comprises a sapling planting apparatus, see Fig.1), the work machine comprising:
a chassis including ground-engaging elements to support the chassis on a ground (the work machine 100 includes a chassis 102, ground engaging supports 104, see [0048]+);
a hydrating module coupled to the chassis, the hydrating module having a hydrating fluid storage tank, a fluid delivery member fluidly coupled to the hydrating fluid storage tank, a drive mechanism configured to move the fluid delivery member relative to the chassis, and a hydrating control unit (the sapling hydrating system 400 which includes a water tank, and a controller 180, see [0049]+); and
a sensor in communication with the hydrating control unit (a sensing module 305 such as a vehicle speed, horizontal displacement sensor, position/proximity sensor, vertical displacement sensor, obstruction detection sensor, and etc., see, [0051]+),
wherein the hydrating control unit, upon receiving the signal, controls a position of the fluid delivery member to maintain a non-relative motion with respect to a sapling on the ground and deliver a predetermined amount of a hydrating fluid to the sapling (the controller 180 provides commands or instruction and/or receive information about direction and flow of hydrating fluid to and from the hydrating fluid storage tank to a position respect to a sapling on the ground with amount of hydrating fluid, see [0051]-[0055]+) .
Moidding fails to teach the sensor observes the ground.
Johson discloses a system and method for controlling the operation of seed planning (see the abstract). The system comprises a sensor which senses the ground, a controller which controls toolbar for fertilizers, and actuators applied on the ground for seed planning, see [0016]+ & [0024]+.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Moidding by including the sensor for observes the ground as taught by Johson for improving the irrigating the sapling.
With regard to claim 2, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 1, wherein a propulsion system is coupled to the chassis at a front end and the fluid delivery member is coupled to the chassis at a rear end (see [0048]+).
With regard to claim 3, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 1, wherein the sensor is coupled to the chassis forward or rearward of the fluid delivery member (the pump and pump controller for providing the direction and flow of hydrating fluid, see [0051]+).
With regard to claim 4, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a camera to identify an entity (camera 560, see [0051]+).
With regard to claim 5, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 4, wherein the signal comprises a position of the entity with respect to the chassis (the controller actuates the conveying unit motor upon receipt of proximity sensor input singal with including tag information for each individual sapling, see [0053]+).
With regard to claim 6, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 4, wherein the entity comprises a sapling (see [0053]+).
With regard to claim 7, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 1, wherein the fluid delivery member comprises a plurality of nozzles to distribute the hydrating fluid (valves and solenoids, see [0051]+).
With regard to claim 8, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 1, wherein the hydrating control unit is configured to steer the work machine according to a pre-determined path (providing a travel path for sapling, see [0065]+).
With regard to claim 9, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 8, wherein the pre-determined path comprises a recorded path that was recorded during an earlier operation of the work machine (record information from a tag reader and process the information as the sapling is planted, see [0053]+).
With regard to claim 10, Moiddin teaches that the work machine of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a belt (the scissor mechanism uses spring-extensions, belt system, etc., see [0069]+).
With regard to claim 11, Moiddin discloses a system for irrigating a silviculture field, the system comprising:
a chassis including ground-engaging elements to support the chassis on a ground (the work machine 100 includes a chassis 102, ground engaging supports 104, see [0048]+);
a hydrating module coupled to the chassis, the hydrating module having a hydrating fluid storage tank, a fluid delivery member fluidly coupled to the hydrating fluid storage tank, a drive mechanism configured to move the fluid delivery member relative to the chassis, and a hydrating control unit (the sapling hydrating system 400 which includes a water tank, and a controller 180, see [0049]+); and
a sensor in communication with the hydrating control unit (a sensing module 305 such as a vehicle speed, horizontal displacement sensor, position/proximity sensor, vertical displacement sensor, obstruction detection sensor, and etc., see, [0051]+),
wherein the hydrating control unit, upon receiving the signal, controls a position of the fluid delivery member to maintain a non-relative motion with respect to a sapling on the ground and deliver a predetermined amount of a hydrating fluid to the sapling (the controller 180 provides commands or instruction and/or receive information about direction and flow of hydrating fluid to and from the hydrating fluid storage tank to a position respect to a sapling on the ground with amount of hydrating fluid, see [0051]-[0055]+) .
Moidding fails to teach the sensor observes the ground.
Johson discloses a system and method for controlling the operation of seed planning (see the abstract). The system comprises a sensor which senses the ground, a controller which controls toolbar for fertilizers, and actuators applied on the ground for seed planning, see [0016]+ & [0024]+.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Moidding by including the sensor for observes the ground as taught by Johson for improving the irrigating the sapling.
With regard to claim 12, Moiddin teaches that the system of claim 11, wherein a propulsion system is coupled to the chassis at a front end and the fluid delivery member is coupled to the chassis at a rear end (see [0048]+).
With regard to claim 13, Moiddin teaches that the system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is coupled to the chassis forward or rearward of the fluid delivery member (the pump and pump controller for providing the direction and flow of hydrating fluid, see [0051]+).
With regard to claim 14, Moiddin teaches that the system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a camera to identify an entity (camera 560, see [0051]+).
With regard to claim 15, Moiddin teaches that the system of claim 14, wherein the signal comprises a position of the entity with respect to the chassis (the controller actuates the conveying unit motor upon receipt of proximity sensor input singal with including tag information for each individual sapling, see [0053]+).
With regard to claim 16, Moiddin teaches that the system of claim 14, wherein the entity comprises a sapling (see [0053]+).
With regard to claim 17, Moiddin teaches that the system of claim 11, wherein the fluid delivery member comprises a plurality of nozzles to distribute the hydrating fluid (valves and solenoids, see [0051]+).
With regard to claim 18, Moiddin teaches that the system according to claim 11, wherein the hydrating control unit is configured to steer the work machine according to a pre-determined path (providing a travel path for sapling, see [0065]+).
With regard to claim 19, Moiddin teaches that the system according to claim 18, wherein the pre-determined path comprises a recorded path that was recorded during an earlier operation of the work machine (record information from a tag reader and process the information as the sapling is planted, see [0053]+).
With regard to claim 20, Moiddin teaches that the system according to claim 11, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a belt (the scissor mechanism uses spring-extensions, belt system, etc., see [0069]+).
Prior Arts Cited
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Bettin (6748884) discloses a fertilizer system that emplys an indendent hydraulic motor and veriable speed pump to deliver the selected application rate from the convenience of the operator’s cab (see the abstract).
Conclusion
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NGA X. NGUYEN
Examiner
Art Unit 3662
/NGA X NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662
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