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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to application filed on 7/14/2025. Claim(s) 1-20 is/are pending.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “608”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim(s) 3 recite(s) the limitation "the elevation difference of the slope parameter ". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim(s), and thus, the claim(s) is/are indefinite. Claim 2 recites “an elevation difference between the first reference point and the second reference point”, but this is not the same and cannot be inferred to be “the elevation difference of the slope parameter”, as recited in claim 3. See MPEP 2173.05(e).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-20 are pending and allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for allowance: there is no prior art alone or in combination that discloses or teaches all the limitations of Applicant's claimed invention, including, and in combination with other recited limitations,
generating, by the processing unit, guidance information indicative of adjustments required to align the attachment with the slope parameter that is calculated (claim(s) 1),
the processing unit configured to generate guidance information indicative of adjustments required to align an attachment of the construction vehicle with the slope parameter that is calculated (claim(s) 8),
generating, by the processing unit, guidance information indicative of adjustments required to align the bucket with the slope parameter and the cross-slope parameter that are calculated (claim(s) 16).
The closest prior art of record includes the following:
Regarding claim 1, Nishi (US 20200173148 A1) teaches A method comprising:
positioning an attachment of a construction vehicle at a first reference point on a terrain (“FIG. 1 is a side view of a shovel (excavator) according to an embodiment of the present invention…A bucket 6 serving as an end attachment is attached to the end of the arm 5.”, [0023], “as illustrated in FIG. 6, the operator causes a tooth tip of the bucket 6 to coincide with a first point P1 of a formed slope SL (step ST2).”, [0082]);
obtaining, by a location sensor, first location data indicative of a first geographic position and first elevation of the first reference point (“The controller 30 calculate the position of the tooth tip of the bucket 6 as the coordinates of the first point P1, using the output of the posture sensor.”, [0082]);
monitoring movement of the construction vehicle away from the first reference point while measuring a horizontal distance moved and a change in elevation from the first elevation (“the operator moves the tooth tip of the bucket 6 to the second point P2 of the formed slope SL (step ST4).”, [0084], “The machine guidance device 50 calculates information on the positional relationship between two points, such as a horizontal distance X, a vertical distance Z, a straight-line distance L, and a slope angle θ between the first point P1 and the second point P2”, [0086], Fig. 6);
calculating, by a processing unit, a slope parameter based on the change in elevation and the horizontal distance moved from the first reference point (see “The machine guidance device 50 calculates…a slope angle θ between the first point P1 and the second point P2”, [0086], Fig. 6);
generating, by the processing unit, guidance information indicative of (“the machine guidance device 50 outputs a control command including numerical information such as the calculated horizontal distance X, vertical distance Z, straight-line distance L, and slope angle θ and information on icons each corresponding to one of the numerical information items to the display device D3.”, [0086]); and
outputting the guidance information to an operator interface for real-time feedback on adjustment of positions of the attachment or to a control system for automatic adjustment of the attachment (“In response to receiving the control command, the display device D3 displays numerical values such as the horizontal distance X, the vertical distance Z, the straight-line distance L, and the slope angle θ together with the icons serving as their respective corresponding graphics. This makes it possible for the operator to easily determine whether the slope SL is formed with a desired accuracy by looking at the display device D3 during work or after work.”, [0086]).
Regarding claim 8, Nishi (US 20200173148 A1) teaches A machine guidance system comprising:
a location sensor (“bucket angle sensor S3 constitute a posture sensor”, [0028], Fig. 1) configured to obtain geographic position and elevation data for at least two reference points on a terrain while onboard a construction vehicle (“FIG. 1 is a side view of a shovel (excavator) according to an embodiment of the present invention…A bucket 6 serving as an end attachment is attached to the end of the arm 5.”, [0023], “The controller 30 calculate the position of the tooth tip of the bucket 6 as the coordinates of the first point P1, using the output of the posture sensor.”, [0082], “The controller 30 can calculate the position of the tooth tip of the bucket 6 as the coordinates of the second point P2, using the output of the posture sensor.”, [0084], “The machine guidance device 50 calculates information on the positional relationship between two points, such as a horizontal distance X, a vertical distance Z, a straight-line distance L, and a slope angle θ between the first point P1 and the second point P2”, [0086], Fig. 6); and
a processing unit (“controller 30”, Fig. 1) electrically coupled to the location sensor and configured to calculate a slope parameter based on an elevation difference and horizontal distance between the at least two reference points (“The machine guidance device 50 calculates information on the positional relationship between two points, such as a horizontal distance X, a vertical distance Z, a straight-line distance L, and a slope angle θ between the first point P1 and the second point P2”, [0086], Fig. 6), the processing unit configured to generate guidance information indicative of (“the machine guidance device 50 outputs a control command including numerical information such as the calculated horizontal distance X, vertical distance Z, straight-line distance L, and slope angle θ and information on icons each corresponding to one of the numerical information items to the display device D3.”, [0086]), the processing unit configured to output the guidance information to an operator interface or a control system (“In response to receiving the control command, the display device D3 displays numerical values such as the horizontal distance X, the vertical distance Z, the straight-line distance L, and the slope angle θ together with the icons serving as their respective corresponding graphics. This makes it possible for the operator to easily determine whether the slope SL is formed with a desired accuracy by looking at the display device D3 during work or after work.”, [0086]).
Regarding claim 16, Nishi (US 20200173148 A1) teaches A method comprising:
positioning a bucket of a construction vehicle at a first reference point on a terrain (“FIG. 1 is a side view of a shovel (excavator) according to an embodiment of the present invention…A bucket 6 serving as an end attachment is attached to the end of the arm 5.”, [0023], “as illustrated in FIG. 6, the operator causes a tooth tip of the bucket 6 to coincide with a first point P1 of a formed slope SL (step ST2).”, [0082]);
obtaining, by a location sensor, first location data indicative of a first geographic position and first elevation of the first reference point (“The controller 30 calculate the position of the tooth tip of the bucket 6 as the coordinates of the first point P1, using the output of the posture sensor.”, [0082]);
positioning the bucket at a second reference point on the terrain (“the operator moves the tooth tip of the bucket 6 to the second point P2 of the formed slope SL (step ST4).”, [0084]);
obtaining, by the location sensor, second location data indicative of a second geographic position and second elevation of the second reference point (“The controller 30 can calculate the position of the tooth tip of the bucket 6 as the coordinates of the second point P2, using the output of the posture sensor.”, [0084]);
calculating, by a processing unit, a slope parameter along a slope direction based on a first elevation difference and a horizontal distance between the first reference point and the second reference point (“The machine guidance device 50 calculates information on the positional relationship between two points, such as a horizontal distance X, a vertical distance Z, a straight-line distance L, and a slope angle θ between the first point P1 and the second point P2”, [0086], Fig. 6);
generating, by the processing unit, guidance information indicative of (“the machine guidance device 50 outputs a control command including numerical information such as the calculated horizontal distance X, vertical distance Z, straight-line distance L, and slope angle θ and information on icons each corresponding to one of the numerical information items to the display device D3.”, [0086]); and
outputting the guidance information to an operator interface for real-time feedback on adjustment of positions of the bucket or to a control system for automatic adjustment of the bucket (“In response to receiving the control command, the display device D3 displays numerical values such as the horizontal distance X, the vertical distance Z, the straight-line distance L, and the slope angle θ together with the icons serving as their respective corresponding graphics. This makes it possible for the operator to easily determine whether the slope SL is formed with a desired accuracy by looking at the display device D3 during work or after work.”, [0086]).
Regarding claim 16, Smith (US 20190226176 A1) teaches
calculating, by the processing unit, a cross-slope parameter based on a second elevation difference perpendicular to the slope direction (“Method 600 may include a step of determining an orientation of work implement 38 (Step 610). Controller 74 may determine an orientation of work implement 38 by monitoring a height of work implement 38 above ground surface, a tilt position of work implement 38, and/or a cross-slope position work implement 38…Controller 74 may combine the determined lengths with geometric, trigonometric, and/or kinematic equations representing the geometry of machine 10 to determine the height, lift position, and/or cross-slope position of work implement 38.”, [0043], Fig. 2B, Fig. 6);
generating, by the processing unit, guidance information indicative of (“Method 600 may include a step of generating valve control signals corresponding to the determined new orientation of work implement 38 (Step 616). In step 616, controller 74 may generate control signals for one or more of valves 86, 88, 90 associated with one or more of lift actuators 40, tilt actuators 42, and/or cross-slope actuators 66, respectively.”, [0045], Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Nishi with the teachings of Smith such that the method of Nishi such that the processing unit is further configured to calculate a cross-slope parameter based on a second elevation difference perpendicular to the slope direction, as suggested by Smith, with a reasonable expectation of success. The motivation for doing so would be to “allow work implement 38 to have a cross-slope in the side-to-side direction B of machine 10, i.e. in a direction generally perpendicular to a travel direction A of machine 10” [0026], as taught by Smith.
Regarding claims 1 and 8, and similarly claim 16, Nishi does not teach the “guidance information” is “indicative of adjustments required to align the attachment with the slope parameter that is calculated”. Rather, Nishi teaches generating guidance information such that “the operator to easily determine whether the slope SL is formed with a desired accuracy by looking at the display device D3 during work or after work” [0086].
Further regarding claim 16, Smith does not teach the “guidance information” is “indicative of adjustments required to align the bucket with the cross-slope parameter that are calculated”. Rather, Smith teaches generating guidance information for “controlling one or more of lift, tilt, and/or cross-slope valves 86, 88, 90 to orient work implement 38 according to the determined orientation (Step 618). In step 618, controller 74 may adjust the flow of, for example, hydraulic fluid to or from one or more of lift actuators 40, tilt actuators 42, and/or cross-slope actuators 66 by controlling one or more of lift, tilt, and/or cross-slope valves 86, 88, 90 to orient work implement 38.” [0086].
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure: See Notice of References Cited.
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/AMELIA VORCE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3666
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