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 Status
Claims 1-15 are pending in the application and have been examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-3, 5-9, and 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baumann et al. (IDS: EP 1413461 A1) hereinafter Baumann, Kim et al. (IDS: KR 20220008136 A) hereinafter Kim, and Omohundro (US 2023/0249674 A1) hereinafter Omohundro.
Claim 1:
Baumann discloses a computer system for a vehicle comprising a vehicle body [1, 2] and a vehicle subsystem for load carrying [4; ¶1], wherein the vehicle subsystem for load carrying is configured to be increasingly tilted in relation to the vehicle body for load discharge during a tipping operation of the vehicle [¶2, rear of the vehicle can be lowered for more convenient loading or unloading], and the computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to, during the tipping operation: acquire
Baumann doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein a camera mounted on the vehicle body is configured to view a downward facing surface of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying, (the acquired data is) image data from the camera.
However, Kim discloses wherein a
Further, Omohundro discloses (the acquired data is) image data from the camera [¶43; point cloud].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann with the detection placement of Kim to provide an unobstructed position of the subsystem to measure a distance thus ensuring accuracy.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann and Kim with the camera system of Omohundro to measure a needed distance using available/known equipment.
Claim 2:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Baumann doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein at least two of the two or more laterally spaced portions of the downward facing surface of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying are associated with an end of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying that is raised during the tipping operation.
However, Kim discloses wherein at least two of the two or more laterally spaced portions of the downward facing surface of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying are associated with an end of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying that is raised during the tipping operation. [Fig. 2; 152 reads from the bottom of a raised portion of the subsystem 30]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann with the detection placement of Kim to provide an unobstructed position of the subsystem to measure a distance thus ensuring accuracy.
Claim 3:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Baumann also discloses wherein the condition indicating rollover risk comprises the lateral deflection exceeding a threshold value for deflection [¶¶11, 16; interrupted by a first or second limit value depending on environmental conditions].
Claim 5:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Baumann also discloses wherein the condition indicating rollover risk is dynamically set based on one or more of: a ground surface banking, a load mass, and a tipping angle [¶¶11, 16; first and second limit values are a function of vehicle stance].
Claim 6:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Baumann also discloses A vehicle comprising the computer system of claim 1 [Above, and Figs. 1-4; Item 1].
Claim 7:
Baumann discloses a computer-implemented method for a vehicle comprising a vehicle body [1, 2] and a vehicle subsystem for load carrying [4; ¶1], wherein the vehicle subsystem for load carrying is configured to be increasingly tilted in relation to the vehicle body for load discharge during a tipping operation of the vehicle [¶2, rear of the vehicle can be lowered for more convenient loading or unloading], and the method comprising, during the tipping operation: acquiring, by processing circuitry of a computer system,
Baumann doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein a camera mounted on the vehicle body is configured to view a downward facing surface of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying, (the acquired data is) image data from the camera.
However, Kim discloses wherein a
Further, Omohundro discloses (the acquired data is) image data from the camera [¶43; point cloud].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann with the detection placement of Kim to provide an unobstructed position of the subsystem to measure a distance thus ensuring accuracy.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann and Kim with the camera system of Omohundro to measure a needed distance using available/known equipment.
Claim 8:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7 .
Baumann doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein at least two of the two or more laterally spaced portions of the downward facing surface of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying are associated with an end of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying that is raised during the tipping operation.
However, Kim discloses wherein at least two of the two or more laterally spaced portions of the downward facing surface of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying are associated with an end of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying that is raised during the tipping operation. [Fig. 2; 152 reads from the bottom of a raised portion of the subsystem 30]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann with the detection placement of Kim to provide an unobstructed position of the subsystem to measure a distance thus ensuring accuracy.
Claim 9:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7.
Baumann also discloses wherein the condition indicating rollover risk comprises the lateral deflection exceeding a threshold value for deflection [¶¶11, 16; interrupted by a first or second limit value depending on environmental conditions].
Claim 11:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7.
Baumann also discloses wherein the condition indicating rollover risk is dynamically set based on one or more of: a ground surface banking, a load mass, and a tipping angle [¶¶11, 16; first and second limit values are a function of vehicle stance].
Claim 12:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7.
Baumann also discloses wherein the tipping interruptive action comprises issuing a warning message via an operator interface and/or inhibiting the tipping operation [¶¶11, 16; lowering to mechanical stops].
Claim 13:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7.
Baumann doesn’t explicitly disclose further comprising acquiring, by the processing circuitry, inertial data from an inertial measurement unit - IMU - which is co-located and co-oriented with the camera, and wherein the lateral deflection of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying is further estimated based on the inertial data.
However, Omohundro does disclose further comprising acquiring, by the processing circuitry, inertial data from an inertial measurement unit - IMU - which is co-located and co-oriented with the camera, and wherein the lateral deflection of the vehicle subsystem for load carrying is further estimated based on the inertial data. [¶35, 52; the camera and IMU is located on the vehicle]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann and Kim with the IMU of Omohundro to provide a redundant system for determining if the vehicle is at risk of rolling over thus increasing safety.
Claim 14:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7.
Baumann also discloses A computer program product comprising program code for performing, when executed by the processing circuitry, the method of claim 7 [Above; ¶8; a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize the claim limitations as being met by the "means of electronic control"].
Claim 15:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7.
Baumann also discloses A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the method of claim 7 [Above; ¶8; a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize the claim limitations as being met by the "means of electronic control"].
Claim(s) 4 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of Wei et al. (US 2020/0269854 A1) hereinafter Wei.
Claim 4:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7.
Baumann doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the condition indicating rollover risk comprises a change rate of the lateral deflection exceeding a threshold value for deflection rate.
However, Wei does disclose wherein the condition indicating rollover risk comprises a change rate of the lateral deflection exceeding a threshold value for deflection rate. [¶¶4-5, 8, 14]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro with the rollover risk means of Wei to provide further evaluation to ensure there is no rollover risk with the vehicle thus increasing safety.
Claim 10:
Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 7.
Baumann doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the condition indicating rollover risk comprises a change rate of the lateral deflection exceeding a threshold value for deflection rate.
However, Wei does disclose wherein the condition indicating rollover risk comprises a change rate of the lateral deflection exceeding a threshold value for deflection rate. [¶¶4-5, 8, 14]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the rollover mitigation system of Baumann, Kim, and Omohundro with the rollover risk means of Wei to provide further evaluation to ensure there is no rollover risk with the vehicle thus increasing safety.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Baldys (US 2017/0021751 A1) discloses monitoring lateral parameters of a tipper truck to stabilize the system when dumping a load.
Godwin Jr. (US 12,296,639 B1) discloses a lateral lift system for a dump truck used to stabilize based on predetermined thresholds.
Berggren (US 10,392,035 B2) discloses a vehicle which uses beams of light and a sensor to measure distances between the bottom of a vehicle and a lower surface.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KURT P LIETHEN whose telephone number is (313)446-6596. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 8 AM - 4 PM.
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KURT P. LIETHEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/KURT PHILIP LIETHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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