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 .
The following NON-FINAL Office Action is in response to Applicant’s communication filed 09/09/2025 regarding Application 19/323,841. The following is the first action on the merits.
Priority Acknowledgment
Examiner acknowledges Applicant’s claim to Provisional Application 63/451,506 with priority filing date of 03/10/2023.
Status of Claim(s)
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are currently pending and are rejected as follows.
Statutory Subject Matter with Regard to 35 U.S.C. 101
Claim(s) 1-20 have been analyzed been analyzed under the Alice/Mayo framework and determined to be statutory with regards to 35 U.S.C. 101 for the following reasons. First, under Step 1 of the Alice/Mayo framework, it must be considered whether the claims are directed to one or more of the statutory classes. In the instant case Claim(s) 1-12 is directed towards an apparatus, Claim(s) 13-17 are directed toward a product, and Claim(s) 18-20 are directed towards a method comprising at least one step. Accordingly, these claims fall under the four statutory category of invention and will be further analyzed under Step 2 of the Alice/Mayo framework. Under Step 2A, Prong One, it was considered whether the claims recite any abstract ideas. Independent claims 1, 13, and 18 were deemed to not recite any abstract ideas as the claims recited limitations that were directed towards the improvement onto a specific technology or technological environment and did not include subject matter which the courts have deemed ineligible. Therefore, the claims as currently represented are deemed allowable subject matter in view of 101. However, any changes made to Applicant’s claims to overcome any applied rejections below does not prevent a rejection under 101 should it be deemed appropriate under subsequent analysis in view of those changes.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-6, 9-10, 12-13, and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Duan (US 2023/0067130 A1)
Claim(s) 1 –
Duan discloses the following:
a work machine comprising a connectivity module, the connectivity module configured to transmit and receive a communication signal; (Duan: Paragraph 63, “In at least some embodiments, the mobile tag 201 may be held by, attached to and/or otherwise integrated into virtually any object, such as a vehicle, construction equipment, a machine, a tool, a container, an electrical and/or electronic device, an architectural element, virtually any type of asset, such as a mechanical part or component, e.g., a part of a turbine, a metal detail, a container, e.g., a box, a rack, and so on. In other examples, the mobile tag 201 may be held by, attached to and/or otherwise integrated into a robot, e.g., a self-driving robot, a self-driving car, and the like. Examples of vehicles, operator controlled and/or autonomous, may include without limitation, a forklift, a hand truck, an automobile, a bus, a truck, a train, a boat, an airplane, a shipping trailer, and the like. Examples of machines may include without limitation, manufacturing machinery, including conventional machinery, casting machinery, chemical processing machinery, electrical processing machinery, machinery monitoring and/or control equipment, lifting, positioning and/or moving machinery, e.g., overhead cranes, robotics in manufacturing, and the like. Examples of construction equipment may include without limitation, a crane, a tower crane, an excavator, a backhoe, a bulldozer, a grader, a loader, a paver, a dump truck. Examples of a tool may include without limitation, a boring tool, a cutting tool, a drilling tool, a milling tool, a turning tool, a burning and/or welding tool. Examples of a container may include without limitation, a shipping container, a trailer, a safe, a vault, a cabinet, a garage, and the like. Examples of an architectural element may include without limitation, a building, a door, a window, a lift or elevator, a shed, and the like. Examples of an electrical and/or electronic device may include without limitation, a computing device, such as a personal computer, a laptop and/or a tablet device, a communication device, such as a smart phone, a lighting device, a display device, a user interface, a control device, such as an environmental controller, a lighting controller a security system controller, and more generally office equipment, such as computers, printers, scanners, copiers, and the like.”; Paragraph 67, “FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of environments where mobile tags may operate from in accordance with various aspects described herein. Mobile tags 201 may at certain times operate within a network 501 of anchors 204 (such as described above in FIG. 7) to obtain their location as described above. However, users (or vehicles or other mobile devices) carrying a mobile tag 201 may transition to an open space 503 that is outside of the coverage of the network 501. When this occurs, the mobile tags 204 may be configured to transition to peer-to-peer communications (i.e., tag-to-tag communications) to continue to obtain location information relative to other mobile tags in the open space 503.”)
a component associated with the work machine; and (Duan: Paragraph 63, “In at least some embodiments, the mobile tag 201 may be held by, attached to and/or otherwise integrated into virtually any object, such as a vehicle, construction equipment, a machine, a tool, a container, an electrical and/or electronic device, an architectural element, virtually any type of asset, such as a mechanical part or component, e.g., a part of a turbine, a metal detail, a container, e.g., a box, a rack, and so on. In other examples, the mobile tag 201 may be held by, attached to and/or otherwise integrated into a robot, e.g., a self-driving robot, a self-driving car, and the like. Examples of vehicles, operator controlled and/or autonomous, may include without limitation, a forklift, a hand truck, an automobile, a bus, a truck, a train, a boat, an airplane, a shipping trailer, and the like. Examples of machines may include without limitation, manufacturing machinery, including conventional machinery, casting machinery, chemical processing machinery, electrical processing machinery, machinery monitoring and/or control equipment, lifting, positioning and/or moving machinery, e.g., overhead cranes, robotics in manufacturing, and the like. Examples of construction equipment may include without limitation, a crane, a tower crane, an excavator, a backhoe, a bulldozer, a grader, a loader, a paver, a dump truck. Examples of a tool may include without limitation, a boring tool, a cutting tool, a drilling tool, a milling tool, a turning tool, a burning and/or welding tool. Examples of a container may include without limitation, a shipping container, a trailer, a safe, a vault, a cabinet, a garage, and the like. Examples of an architectural element may include without limitation, a building, a door, a window, a lift or elevator, a shed, and the like. Examples of an electrical and/or electronic device may include without limitation, a computing device, such as a personal computer, a laptop and/or a tablet device, a communication device, such as a smart phone, a lighting device, a display device, a user interface, a control device, such as an environmental controller, a lighting controller a security system controller, and more generally office equipment, such as computers, printers, scanners, copiers, and the like.”; Paragraph 67, “FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of environments where mobile tags may operate from in accordance with various aspects described herein. Mobile tags 201 may at certain times operate within a network 501 of anchors 204 (such as described above in FIG. 7) to obtain their location as described above. However, users (or vehicles or other mobile devices) carrying a mobile tag 201 may transition to an open space 503 that is outside of the coverage of the network 501. When this occurs, the mobile tags 204 may be configured to transition to peer-to-peer communications (i.e., tag-to-tag communications) to continue to obtain location information relative to other mobile tags in the open space 503.”)
an electronic tag, wherein the electronic tag is associated with the component and an identifier of the component, wherein the electronic tag is configured to: (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”)
receive an indication of the component and the identifier; and (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”)
transmit the communication signal to the connectivity module of the work machine, wherein the communication signal is associated with the identifier. (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 111, “In at least some embodiments the communication frame 660 may include one or more supplemental information fields, e.g., including information related to one or more of the other fields, such as the object identification and/or type field 661 and/or the certification and/or qualification field(s) 662. Supplemental information may include time values, e.g., duration and/or expiration of a certificate and/or qualification and/or a rank of an operator mobile tag and/or an equipment category, make, model, restriction, and the like of an equipment mobile tag. It is further envisioned that in at least some embodiments, the tag communication frame 660 may include one or more other fields 664 that may contain other information that may be related to one or more of the object type, identity, certification, qualification. Alternatively or in addition, the other fields may be unrelated to the object and/or any of the other object and/or certification and/or qualification requirement fields 661, 662, 663.”; “Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”; Paragraph 93, “In one embodiment, the coverage determination of step 610 may be performed by the mobile tag 201 by comparing its location to a look-up table (or database) of sub-coverage areas in the network 501 (not shown in FIG. 10). If the mobile tag 201 has instrumentation to reasonably determine where it is located within the network 501, such location information may be sufficient for the mobile tag 201 to determine from a look-up table (or database) whether it is in an area of the network 501 where it has sufficient access to one or more anchors 204 to safely transition to a network communications mode, or whether it should transition to an adjusted peer-to-peer communications mode as depicted FIG. 13. The look-up table (or database) may be provided by one or more anchors at a previous time when the mobile tag 201 was located in the network 501 and operating in a network communications mode or from another source (e.g., mobile tag 201 paired with a communication device such as a smartphone that may communication with a server of the network 501 via a cellular network or other communication means). In another embodiment, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to receive one or more messages from one or more anchors 204 transmitting its location in the network 501, which the mobile tag 201 may then compare to the look-up table (or database) to determine if it is in a location that supports a safe transition to a network communications mode.”)
Claim(s) 2 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan further discloses the following:
wherein the work machine is a lift device. (Duan: Paragraph 63, “In at least some embodiments, the mobile tag 201 may be held by, attached to and/or otherwise integrated into virtually any object, such as a vehicle, construction equipment, a machine, a tool, a container, an electrical and/or electronic device, an architectural element, virtually any type of asset, such as a mechanical part or component, e.g., a part of a turbine, a metal detail, a container, e.g., a box, a rack, and so on. In other examples, the mobile tag 201 may be held by, attached to and/or otherwise integrated into a robot, e.g., a self-driving robot, a self-driving car, and the like. Examples of vehicles, operator controlled and/or autonomous, may include without limitation, a forklift, a hand truck, an automobile, a bus, a truck, a train, a boat, an airplane, a shipping trailer, and the like. Examples of machines may include without limitation, manufacturing machinery, including conventional machinery, casting machinery, chemical processing machinery, electrical processing machinery, machinery monitoring and/or control equipment, lifting, positioning and/or moving machinery, e.g., overhead cranes, robotics in manufacturing, and the like. Examples of construction equipment may include without limitation, a crane, a tower crane, an excavator, a backhoe, a bulldozer, a grader, a loader, a paver, a dump truck. Examples of a tool may include without limitation, a boring tool, a cutting tool, a drilling tool, a milling tool, a turning tool, a burning and/or welding tool. Examples of a container may include without limitation, a shipping container, a trailer, a safe, a vault, a cabinet, a garage, and the like. Examples of an architectural element may include without limitation, a building, a door, a window, a lift or elevator, a shed, and the like. Examples of an electrical and/or electronic device may include without limitation, a computing device, such as a personal computer, a laptop and/or a tablet device, a communication device, such as a smart phone, a lighting device, a display device, a user interface, a control device, such as an environmental controller, a lighting controller a security system controller, and more generally office equipment, such as computers, printers, scanners, copiers, and the like.”)
Claim(s) 3 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan further discloses the following:
wherein the component is at least one of an axle, a filter, a wheel, a hand tool, a power tool, a boom instrument, a lanyard, and a sensor. (Duan: Paragraph 62, “Sharing location information of the mobile tags 201 enables the server and/or other devices such as the anchors 204 and other mobile tags 201 to track at step 310 movement and location of the mobile tags 201 and detect and perform mitigation procedures at step 312. For example, mobile tags 201 may be configured to detect issues such as proximity violations and/or possible collisions between mobile tags 201 from this shared information. Upon detecting such issues, the mobile tags 201 may be configured to assert an alarm (audible and/or visual) and/or take further mitigation action such as slow down or otherwise disable a vehicle (e.g., a forklift, robot, automobile, etc.) that may collide with an individual carrying a mobile tag 201. The mobile tag 201 may be integrated in an identification badge or embedded in a mobile communication device (e.g., mobile phone, tablet, etc.), clipped on a shirt, integrated into an article of clothing of the individual, an accessory, such as a belt, a watch, a ring, a cap or helmet, a shoe or boot, a vest and/or otherwise carried by the individual via other suitable methods for carrying the mobile tag 201.”; Paragraph 63, “In at least some embodiments, the mobile tag 201 may be held by, attached to and/or otherwise integrated into virtually any object, such as a vehicle, construction equipment, a machine, a tool, a container, an electrical and/or electronic device, an architectural element, virtually any type of asset, such as a mechanical part or component, e.g., a part of a turbine, a metal detail, a container, e.g., a box, a rack, and so on. In other examples, the mobile tag 201 may be held by, attached to and/or otherwise integrated into a robot, e.g., a self-driving robot, a self-driving car, and the like. Examples of vehicles, operator controlled and/or autonomous, may include without limitation, a forklift, a hand truck, an automobile, a bus, a truck, a train, a boat, an airplane, a shipping trailer, and the like. Examples of machines may include without limitation, manufacturing machinery, including conventional machinery, casting machinery, chemical processing machinery, electrical processing machinery, machinery monitoring and/or control equipment, lifting, positioning and/or moving machinery, e.g., overhead cranes, robotics in manufacturing, and the like. Examples of construction equipment may include without limitation, a crane, a tower crane, an excavator, a backhoe, a bulldozer, a grader, a loader, a paver, a dump truck. Examples of a tool may include without limitation, a boring tool, a cutting tool, a drilling tool, a milling tool, a turning tool, a burning and/or welding tool. Examples of a container may include without limitation, a shipping container, a trailer, a safe, a vault, a cabinet, a garage, and the like. Examples of an architectural element may include without limitation, a building, a door, a window, a lift or elevator, a shed, and the like. Examples of an electrical and/or electronic device may include without limitation, a computing device, such as a personal computer, a laptop and/or a tablet device, a communication device, such as a smart phone, a lighting device, a display device, a user interface, a control device, such as an environmental controller, a lighting controller a security system controller, and more generally office equipment, such as computers, printers, scanners, copiers, and the like.”)
Claim(s) 5 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan further discloses the following:
wherein the electronic tag is configured to be powered by a battery. (Duan: Paragraph 72, “To detect the presence of the network 501 with anchors 204, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to monitor during the network sub-frame 528 for a beacon signal 510 generated by one or more anchors 204 in the network 501. During the network sub-frame 528, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to turn on the ultra-wideband receiver to monitor a beacon signal 510 generated by one or more anchor 204 using an ultra-wideband transmitter. Generally, a high resolution or ultra-wideband receiver of a mobile tag 201 may draw more current than a lower resolution or narrowband, e.g., Bluetooth, receiver. In at least some embodiments, e.g., to extend battery life of the mobile tag 201, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to maintain the ultra-wideband receiver on for a period 526 (depicted as Ts), which is less than the period (depicted as T) of the network sub-frame 528. The period 526 (Ts) may be chosen sufficiently large to enable the mobile tag 201 to detect a beacon signal of at least one network frame 509.”)
Claim(s) 6 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan further discloses the following:
wherein the electronic tag is a Bluetooth low-energy device. (Duan: Paragraph 72, “To detect the presence of the network 501 with anchors 204, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to monitor during the network sub-frame 528 for a beacon signal 510 generated by one or more anchors 204 in the network 501. During the network sub-frame 528, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to turn on the ultra-wideband receiver to monitor a beacon signal 510 generated by one or more anchor 204 using an ultra-wideband transmitter. Generally, a high resolution or ultra-wideband receiver of a mobile tag 201 may draw more current than a lower resolution or narrowband, e.g., Bluetooth, receiver. In at least some embodiments, e.g., to extend battery life of the mobile tag 201, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to maintain the ultra-wideband receiver on for a period 526 (depicted as Ts), which is less than the period (depicted as T) of the network sub-frame 528. The period 526 (Ts) may be chosen sufficiently large to enable the mobile tag 201 to detect a beacon signal of at least one network frame 509.”)
Claim(s) 9 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan further discloses the following:
wherein the electronic tag is further configured to automatically transmit the communication signal to the connectivity module upon the component being positioned proximate the work machine. (Duan: Paragraph 67, “FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of environments where mobile tags may operate from in accordance with various aspects described herein. Mobile tags 201 may at certain times operate within a network 501 of anchors 204 (such as described above in FIG. 7) to obtain their location as described above. However, users (or vehicles or other mobile devices) carrying a mobile tag 201 may transition to an open space 503 that is outside of the coverage of the network 501. When this occurs, the mobile tags 204 may be configured to transition to peer-to-peer communications (i.e., tag-to-tag communications) to continue to obtain location information relative to other mobile tags in the open space 503.”; Paragraph 68, “FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a network frame 509 that may be utilized by the network 501 (FIG. 10) in accordance with various aspects described herein. The network frame 509 may include one or more of a beacon signal, e.g., during a beacon period (BP) 510, a sync period 512, a contention-free period (CFP) 514, a contention period (CP) 516, and an end period 518. A beacon signal, e.g., provided during the BP 510, may be generated by one or more of the anchors 204 to provide the anchors 204 and/or the mobile tags 201 a means for synchronization. The CFP 514 portion of the frame 509 may support downlink TDOA (DL-TDOA) ranging packets, which in turn, may also support the anchor pair scheduling depicted in FIG. 9. In the present example context, the term “downlink” signifies communications from an anchor 204 to a mobile tag 201, while the term “uplink” signifies communications from a mobile tag 201 to an anchor 204. Transmissions during the CFP 514 portion may be scheduled to avoid simultaneous transmissions that might otherwise lead to wireless signal interference. The CP 516 portion of the frame 509 may support one or more of uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA), TW-TOA ranging packets and/or additional data packets/control signaling packets that may be subject to simultaneous transmissions that in turn may interfere with each other.”; Paragraph 74, “In at least some embodiments, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to store a coverage map of the network 501. The coverage map may indicate areas in the network 501 in which access to anchors 204 may be available and not available. Alternatively or in combination with the foregoing embodiment, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to receive a message including a coverage map (or portion of the coverage map that represents a vicinity where the mobile tag 201 is located) from at least one anchor 204 after the mobile tag 201 has synchronized to the network frame 509. The mobile tag 201 may also be configured to track a history of its movements, e.g., from a time it left the network 501 to an open space 503 not inside the wireless coverage area of the network 501. The mobile tag 201 may performing this type of tracking by utilizing an accelerometer, gyroscope, and/or magnetometer (compass), e.g., according to inertial positioning techniques, to determine a history of positions from inside the network 501 to an open space 503 and back to the network 501. By tracking a history of positions, the mobile tag 201 may determine where it is in the coverage map of the network 501 and thereby determine whether it is in a communication range of one or more anchors 204 in the network 501. Alternatively, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to try to communicate with one or more anchors 204 and determine from ranging measurements whether it is located in the network 501. In yet another embodiment, the mobile tag 201 may receive messages from anchors 204 during CFP period and based on the number of messages and quality of messages received during CFP period determine if it is in the communication coverage of anchors 204 in the network 501.”; Paragraph 77, “If, on the other hand, the mobile tag 201 determines that it is in the communication range of a sufficient number of anchors 204 in the network 501 to adequately determine its location in the network 501, then the mobile tag 201 may be configured to fully transition to a network communications mode by ceasing to utilize peer-to-peer communications altogether as depicted in FIG. 12 and rely exclusively on communications with anchors 204 utilizing the network frame 509 of FIG. 11.”0
Claim(s) 10 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan further discloses the following:
wherein the electronic tag is further configured to automatically transmit the communication signal to the connectivity module upon the component being installed on the work machine during an assembly of the work machine. (Duan: Paragraph 67, “FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of environments where mobile tags may operate from in accordance with various aspects described herein. Mobile tags 201 may at certain times operate within a network 501 of anchors 204 (such as described above in FIG. 7) to obtain their location as described above. However, users (or vehicles or other mobile devices) carrying a mobile tag 201 may transition to an open space 503 that is outside of the coverage of the network 501. When this occurs, the mobile tags 204 may be configured to transition to peer-to-peer communications (i.e., tag-to-tag communications) to continue to obtain location information relative to other mobile tags in the open space 503.”; Paragraph 68, “FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a network frame 509 that may be utilized by the network 501 (FIG. 10) in accordance with various aspects described herein. The network frame 509 may include one or more of a beacon signal, e.g., during a beacon period (BP) 510, a sync period 512, a contention-free period (CFP) 514, a contention period (CP) 516, and an end period 518. A beacon signal, e.g., provided during the BP 510, may be generated by one or more of the anchors 204 to provide the anchors 204 and/or the mobile tags 201 a means for synchronization. The CFP 514 portion of the frame 509 may support downlink TDOA (DL-TDOA) ranging packets, which in turn, may also support the anchor pair scheduling depicted in FIG. 9. In the present example context, the term “downlink” signifies communications from an anchor 204 to a mobile tag 201, while the term “uplink” signifies communications from a mobile tag 201 to an anchor 204. Transmissions during the CFP 514 portion may be scheduled to avoid simultaneous transmissions that might otherwise lead to wireless signal interference. The CP 516 portion of the frame 509 may support one or more of uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA), TW-TOA ranging packets and/or additional data packets/control signaling packets that may be subject to simultaneous transmissions that in turn may interfere with each other.”; Paragraph 74, “In at least some embodiments, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to store a coverage map of the network 501. The coverage map may indicate areas in the network 501 in which access to anchors 204 may be available and not available. Alternatively or in combination with the foregoing embodiment, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to receive a message including a coverage map (or portion of the coverage map that represents a vicinity where the mobile tag 201 is located) from at least one anchor 204 after the mobile tag 201 has synchronized to the network frame 509. The mobile tag 201 may also be configured to track a history of its movements, e.g., from a time it left the network 501 to an open space 503 not inside the wireless coverage area of the network 501. The mobile tag 201 may performing this type of tracking by utilizing an accelerometer, gyroscope, and/or magnetometer (compass), e.g., according to inertial positioning techniques, to determine a history of positions from inside the network 501 to an open space 503 and back to the network 501. By tracking a history of positions, the mobile tag 201 may determine where it is in the coverage map of the network 501 and thereby determine whether it is in a communication range of one or more anchors 204 in the network 501. Alternatively, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to try to communicate with one or more anchors 204 and determine from ranging measurements whether it is located in the network 501. In yet another embodiment, the mobile tag 201 may receive messages from anchors 204 during CFP period and based on the number of messages and quality of messages received during CFP period determine if it is in the communication coverage of anchors 204 in the network 501.”; Paragraph 77, “If, on the other hand, the mobile tag 201 determines that it is in the communication range of a sufficient number of anchors 204 in the network 501 to adequately determine its location in the network 501, then the mobile tag 201 may be configured to fully transition to a network communications mode by ceasing to utilize peer-to-peer communications altogether as depicted in FIG. 12 and rely exclusively on communications with anchors 204 utilizing the network frame 509 of FIG. 11.”; Paragraph 91, “FIG. 17 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication mode transitioning process 600 for transitioning between different modes of communications. According to the particular example, the process 600 is directed to transitioning between a peer-to-peer communications mode and a network communications mode in accordance with various aspects described herein. The communication mode transitioning process 600 may begin with step 602 in which a mobile tag may be configured to monitor a beacon signal while in a first communications mode, e.g., in a peer-to-peer communications mode, utilizing, e.g., the P2P super-frame 530 (and corresponding network sub-frame 528) shown in FIG. 12. As noted earlier, the peer-to-peer communication mode may be invoked when the mobile tag 201 transitions out of a coverage area of a network 501 of anchors 204 into an open space 503 and/or when the mobile tag 201 is located in the network 501 within an area that lacks sufficient coverage from the anchors 204, which causes the mobile tag 201 to resort to the embodiment described in relation to FIG. 13.”)
Claim(s) 12 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan further discloses the following:
wherein the work machine is further configured to disable a second component's functionality upon not receiving a communication signal from the electronic tag. (Duan: Paragraph 125, “Upon the individual turning on the first vehicle carrying the first equipment mobile tag 201b via an ignition key, the LED of the first equipment mobile tag 201b may change to a different color, e.g., a brighter and darker green color. The first equipment mobile tag 201b may be configured to communicate the change in the LED illumination to the operator mobile tag 201a via a wireless message, thereby causing the operator mobile tag 201a to perform the same change with its LED illumination. This ends the example association determination process at step 710 for the mobile tags 201a-201b and enables the mobile tags 201a-201b to identify an association state at step 712. This also provides other individuals roaming the demarcated area 200 of FIG. 7, with an indication of an association between the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a and the first vehicle carrying the first equipment mobile tag 201b. To prevent a false alarm assertion, the mobile tags 201a-201bmay be configured at step 714 to disable an alarm state (e.g., audible, visual and/or tactile alarm) from being asserted based on the close proximity of mobile tags 201a-201b to each other. Although such alarm conditions may be disabled between mobile tags 201a-201b while they are collocated and associated with each other, the mobile tags 201a-201b may be configured to continue monitoring the location of other mobile tags 201 to determine if a mitigation event has occurred, e.g., as described by step 312 of FIG. 8, and assert an alarm when a mitigation event is detected (e.g., potential collision).”; Paragraph 128, “Once the mobile tags 201a-201b have been associated, one or both of the associated mobile tags 201a-201b may be configured at step 716 to establish a perimeter 810, e.g., depicted in FIGS. 21B and 21C to detect a disassociation event. At step 716, the mobile tags 201a-201b may be further configured to periodically monitor their respective locations, e.g., utilizing the TDOA and/or TW-TOA measurement techniques described earlier and share the location information with each other via an exchange of wireless messages. The perimeter 810 may serve as a distance threshold (e.g., three meters) from which the mobile tags 201a-201b may operate without invoking a disassociation event. A disassociation event may represent a circumstance in which association of the mobile tags 201a-201b may no longer desirable and/or allowable. In at least some embodiments, a disassociation event may be based on a change in an operator’s certification status and or a change in an operator’s qualification status of an operator mobile tag. Alternatively or in addition, a disassociation event may be based upon a duration of time and/or a location of the operator and/or the equipment. For example, if the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is no longer controlling or occupying the first vehicle associated with the first equipment mobile tag 201b, because the individual has decided to initiate a lunch break that is too far removed from the vehicle, then the mobile tags 201a-201b may be configured to detect this change in circumstances due to the mobile tag 201a of the individual leaving the perimeter 810 as shown in FIG. 21C. Upon detecting a distance between the associated mobile tags 201a-201b that exceeds the perimeter 810, one or both of the associated mobile tags 201a-201b may be configured to initiate a disassociation determination process. The disassociation determination process may lead to a disassociation of the associated mobile tags 201a-201b, which in turn, may enable other individuals with other operator mobile tags 201 to make use of the equipment, e.g., the vehicle associated with the disassociated first equipment mobile tag 201b; thus, increasing the overall efficiency of equipment usage in the demarcated area 200 of FIG. 7.”)
Claim(s) 13 –
Duan discloses the following:
one or more processors; and (Duan: Paragraph 164, “The processing system 906 may utilize computing technologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash, ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM, or other storage technologies for executing computer instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by the aforementioned components of the communication device 900.”)
non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps including: (Duan: Paragraph 180, “While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 722 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall also be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods of the subject disclosure. The term “non-transitory” as in a non-transitory computer-readable storage includes without limitation memories, drives, devices, and anything tangible but not a signal per se.”)
receive a first indication of the component associated with the work machine; (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”)
receive a second indication of an identifier of the component associated with the work machine; and (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”)
transmit a communication signal to a connectivity module of the work machine, wherein the communication signal is associated with the identifier. (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 111, “In at least some embodiments the communication frame 660 may include one or more supplemental information fields, e.g., including information related to one or more of the other fields, such as the object identification and/or type field 661 and/or the certification and/or qualification field(s) 662. Supplemental information may include time values, e.g., duration and/or expiration of a certificate and/or qualification and/or a rank of an operator mobile tag and/or an equipment category, make, model, restriction, and the like of an equipment mobile tag. It is further envisioned that in at least some embodiments, the tag communication frame 660 may include one or more other fields 664 that may contain other information that may be related to one or more of the object type, identity, certification, qualification. Alternatively or in addition, the other fields may be unrelated to the object and/or any of the other object and/or certification and/or qualification requirement fields 661, 662, 663.”; “Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”; Paragraph 93, “In one embodiment, the coverage determination of step 610 may be performed by the mobile tag 201 by comparing its location to a look-up table (or database) of sub-coverage areas in the network 501 (not shown in FIG. 10). If the mobile tag 201 has instrumentation to reasonably determine where it is located within the network 501, such location information may be sufficient for the mobile tag 201 to determine from a look-up table (or database) whether it is in an area of the network 501 where it has sufficient access to one or more anchors 204 to safely transition to a network communications mode, or whether it should transition to an adjusted peer-to-peer communications mode as depicted FIG. 13. The look-up table (or database) may be provided by one or more anchors at a previous time when the mobile tag 201 was located in the network 501 and operating in a network communications mode or from another source (e.g., mobile tag 201 paired with a communication device such as a smartphone that may communication with a server of the network 501 via a cellular network or other communication means). In another embodiment, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to receive one or more messages from one or more anchors 204 transmitting its location in the network 501, which the mobile tag 201 may then compare to the look-up table (or database) to determine if it is in a location that supports a safe transition to a network communications mode.”)
Claim(s) 17 -
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan further discloses the following:
wherein the electronic tag is further configured to automatically transmit the communication signal to the connectivity module upon the component being positioned proximate the work machine. (Duan: Paragraph 67, “FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of environments where mobile tags may operate from in accordance with various aspects described herein. Mobile tags 201 may at certain times operate within a network 501 of anchors 204 (such as described above in FIG. 7) to obtain their location as described above. However, users (or vehicles or other mobile devices) carrying a mobile tag 201 may transition to an open space 503 that is outside of the coverage of the network 501. When this occurs, the mobile tags 204 may be configured to transition to peer-to-peer communications (i.e., tag-to-tag communications) to continue to obtain location information relative to other mobile tags in the open space 503.”; Paragraph 68, “FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a network frame 509 that may be utilized by the network 501 (FIG. 10) in accordance with various aspects described herein. The network frame 509 may include one or more of a beacon signal, e.g., during a beacon period (BP) 510, a sync period 512, a contention-free period (CFP) 514, a contention period (CP) 516, and an end period 518. A beacon signal, e.g., provided during the BP 510, may be generated by one or more of the anchors 204 to provide the anchors 204 and/or the mobile tags 201 a means for synchronization. The CFP 514 portion of the frame 509 may support downlink TDOA (DL-TDOA) ranging packets, which in turn, may also support the anchor pair scheduling depicted in FIG. 9. In the present example context, the term “downlink” signifies communications from an anchor 204 to a mobile tag 201, while the term “uplink” signifies communications from a mobile tag 201 to an anchor 204. Transmissions during the CFP 514 portion may be scheduled to avoid simultaneous transmissions that might otherwise lead to wireless signal interference. The CP 516 portion of the frame 509 may support one or more of uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA), TW-TOA ranging packets and/or additional data packets/control signaling packets that may be subject to simultaneous transmissions that in turn may interfere with each other.”; Paragraph 74, “In at least some embodiments, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to store a coverage map of the network 501. The coverage map may indicate areas in the network 501 in which access to anchors 204 may be available and not available. Alternatively or in combination with the foregoing embodiment, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to receive a message including a coverage map (or portion of the coverage map that represents a vicinity where the mobile tag 201 is located) from at least one anchor 204 after the mobile tag 201 has synchronized to the network frame 509. The mobile tag 201 may also be configured to track a history of its movements, e.g., from a time it left the network 501 to an open space 503 not inside the wireless coverage area of the network 501. The mobile tag 201 may performing this type of tracking by utilizing an accelerometer, gyroscope, and/or magnetometer (compass), e.g., according to inertial positioning techniques, to determine a history of positions from inside the network 501 to an open space 503 and back to the network 501. By tracking a history of positions, the mobile tag 201 may determine where it is in the coverage map of the network 501 and thereby determine whether it is in a communication range of one or more anchors 204 in the network 501. Alternatively, the mobile tag 201 may be configured to try to communicate with one or more anchors 204 and determine from ranging measurements whether it is located in the network 501. In yet another embodiment, the mobile tag 201 may receive messages from anchors 204 during CFP period and based on the number of messages and quality of messages received during CFP period determine if it is in the communication coverage of anchors 204 in the network 501.”; Paragraph 77, “If, on the other hand, the mobile tag 201 determines that it is in the communication range of a sufficient number of anchors 204 in the network 501 to adequately determine its location in the network 501, then the mobile tag 201 may be configured to fully transition to a network communications mode by ceasing to utilize peer-to-peer communications altogether as depicted in FIG. 12 and rely exclusively on communications with anchors 204 utilizing the network frame 509 of FIG. 11.”0
Claim(s) 18 –
Duan discloses the following:
receiving, by one or more processors, a first indication of a component associated with a work machine; (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”)
receiving, by the one or more processors, a second indication of an identifier of the component associated with the work machine; and (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”)
transmitting, by the one or more processors, a communication signal to a connectivity module of the work machine, wherein the communication signal is associated with the identifier. (Duan: Paragraph 110, “The tag communication frame 660 may include one or more fields corresponding to one or more configuration parameters. According to the illustrative example, the tag communication frame 660 includes an object identification and/or object type fields 661. The example frame 660 may include one or more other certificate fields corresponding to certification information. The one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification(s) and/or qualification(s) of an operator for an operator mobile tag. Likewise, the one or more certificate fields 662 may include certification and/or qualification requirements as may be necessary to access and/or operate equipment of an equipment mobile tag.”; Paragraph 118, “The exchange of messages between mobile tags 201a-201c may further indicate an identity of the individual operator carrying the operator mobile tag 201a, a status of the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c such as, for example, whether the equipment, e.g., vehicles, respectively, coupled to equipment mobile tags 201b-201c are available for use. As a precautionary measure, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be further configured to communicate with another entity, such as a server (discussed in relation to FIGS. 7-8), e.g., via a wireless access terminal, such as a gateway anchor 208 to determine whether the individual identified by operator mobile tag 201a is authorized and/or certified to use the equipment, e.g., vehicles, coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, respectively. Upon receiving confirmation that the individual is authorized and/or certified, for example, to utilize either vehicle coupled to the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201cmay be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating the individual is authorized to use such vehicles. If the individual carrying the operator mobile tag 201a is not authorized to use either vehicle, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c201c may be configured to send a message to the operator mobile tag 201a indicating this determination. It will be appreciated that, alternatively or in addition, the equipment mobile tags 201b-201c may be configured with look-up tables, respectively, to track authorized users of each piece of equipment, e.g., vehicle, and perform the foregoing verification without communicating with the server.”)
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 4, 7-8, 11, 14-16, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duan (US 2023/0067130 A1) in view of
Claim(s) 4 and 14 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claims 1 and 13
Duan does not explicitly disclose the following, however, in analogous art of asset management DeBerry teaches the limitations below.
wherein the electronic tag is further configured to transmit a second communication signal to the work machine, wherein the second communication signal is associated with a notification to at least one of repair or replace the component. (DeBerry: Paragraph 145, “Once the user has logged in, the MLMS 324 may display the riser selection screen 610, which presents the user with an option to select a riser assembly. The MLMS 324 may be communicatively coupled to sensors 314, 318 on multiple riser assemblies 310 located in a particular field of subsea wells via their associated communication systems 322 as described above with reference to FIG. 11. The MLMS may be able to manage the data, maintenance schedules, and sequencing of multiple riser assemblies at a time. The information pertaining to each riser assembly is stored in the MLMS and linked with a riser identification number. As illustrated in FIG. 27A, the riser selection screen 610 may include a riser selection drop-down menu 612 that lists a riser identification number for each riser assembly, an Accept button 614 to confirm the selection of a given riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612, and an Add Riser button 616 to add a new riser assembly to the list in the drop-down menu 612. Selection of a riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612 is illustrated in FIG. 27B. As shown, the drop-down menu 612 may include one or more alerts 618 next to a given riser identification number in the drop-down menu. The alerts 618 may represent either a maintenance alert for one or more components on a particular riser assembly or an alert that one or more sensed properties in the riser assembly are outside of expected ranges.”; Paragraph 142, “From the data history collected for each riser component 520, the MLMS 324 may build a matrix used to schedule maintenance for and review the history of the riser components 520 and their times of usage. The MLMS 324 may take all the collected data, as well as additional user inputs, and enter them into dated tables that allow the system to keep track of the wear and tear of individual riser components 520 and to predict timing for future maintenance or replacement of a particular riser component 520.”; Paragraph 173, “The component information screen 730 may also include an attached documents table 746 for viewing and accessing various documents associated with the riser component that have been stored in the MLMS. The attached documents table 746 may provide the user a simple way to access records for servicing, maintenance, refurbishing, or replacement of each riser component. Selecting one of the listed attachments and pressing the Open button 748 may direct the user to an appropriate component log or maintenance log associated with the attachment.”)
Duan discloses a method for using electronic tags to monitor and tack associated equipment and components. DeBerry discloses a method for using tags to manage the lifecycle of monitored equipment and components. Before the effective filing date of Applicants’ claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have deemed it obvious to combine the methods of Duan with the teachings of DeBerry in order to improve the efficiency of equipment usage tracking for improved maintenance as disclosed by DeBerry (DeBerry: Paragraph 130, “The accurate log of historical load data stored in the database of the MLMS 324 may allow the operator to recertify the equipment assets 520 only when necessary based on the measured load data. The historical load data may also help with early identification of any potential equipment failure points.”)
Claim(s) 7, 15, and 19 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claims 1, 13, and 18
Duan does not explicitly disclose the following, however, in analogous art of asset management, DeBerry teaches the limitations below.
receive maintenance information; (DeBerry: Paragraph 142, “From the data history collected for each riser component 520, the MLMS 324 may build a matrix used to schedule maintenance for and review the history of the riser components 520 and their times of usage. The MLMS 324 may take all the collected data, as well as additional user inputs, and enter them into dated tables that allow the system to keep track of the wear and tear of individual riser components 520 and to predict timing for future maintenance or replacement of a particular riser component 520.”; Paragraph 145, “Once the user has logged in, the MLMS 324 may display the riser selection screen 610, which presents the user with an option to select a riser assembly. The MLMS 324 may be communicatively coupled to sensors 314, 318 on multiple riser assemblies 310 located in a particular field of subsea wells via their associated communication systems 322 as described above with reference to FIG. 11. The MLMS may be able to manage the data, maintenance schedules, and sequencing of multiple riser assemblies at a time. The information pertaining to each riser assembly is stored in the MLMS and linked with a riser identification number. As illustrated in FIG. 27A, the riser selection screen 610 may include a riser selection drop-down menu 612 that lists a riser identification number for each riser assembly, an Accept button 614 to confirm the selection of a given riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612, and an Add Riser button 616 to add a new riser assembly to the list in the drop-down menu 612. Selection of a riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612 is illustrated in FIG. 27B. As shown, the drop-down menu 612 may include one or more alerts 618 next to a given riser identification number in the drop-down menu. The alerts 618 may represent either a maintenance alert for one or more components on a particular riser assembly or an alert that one or more sensed properties in the riser assembly are outside of expected ranges.”)
generate a maintenance schedule; and (DeBerry: Paragraph 142, “From the data history collected for each riser component 520, the MLMS 324 may build a matrix used to schedule maintenance for and review the history of the riser components 520 and their times of usage. The MLMS 324 may take all the collected data, as well as additional user inputs, and enter them into dated tables that allow the system to keep track of the wear and tear of individual riser components 520 and to predict timing for future maintenance or replacement of a particular riser component 520.”; Paragraph 145, “Once the user has logged in, the MLMS 324 may display the riser selection screen 610, which presents the user with an option to select a riser assembly. The MLMS 324 may be communicatively coupled to sensors 314, 318 on multiple riser assemblies 310 located in a particular field of subsea wells via their associated communication systems 322 as described above with reference to FIG. 11. The MLMS may be able to manage the data, maintenance schedules, and sequencing of multiple riser assemblies at a time. The information pertaining to each riser assembly is stored in the MLMS and linked with a riser identification number. As illustrated in FIG. 27A, the riser selection screen 610 may include a riser selection drop-down menu 612 that lists a riser identification number for each riser assembly, an Accept button 614 to confirm the selection of a given riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612, and an Add Riser button 616 to add a new riser assembly to the list in the drop-down menu 612. Selection of a riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612 is illustrated in FIG. 27B. As shown, the drop-down menu 612 may include one or more alerts 618 next to a given riser identification number in the drop-down menu. The alerts 618 may represent either a maintenance alert for one or more components on a particular riser assembly or an alert that one or more sensed properties in the riser assembly are outside of expected ranges.”)
transmit the maintenance schedule to the connectivity module of the work machine. (DeBerry: Paragraph 142, “From the data history collected for each riser component 520, the MLMS 324 may build a matrix used to schedule maintenance for and review the history of the riser components 520 and their times of usage. The MLMS 324 may take all the collected data, as well as additional user inputs, and enter them into dated tables that allow the system to keep track of the wear and tear of individual riser components 520 and to predict timing for future maintenance or replacement of a particular riser component 520.”; Paragraph 145, “Once the user has logged in, the MLMS 324 may display the riser selection screen 610, which presents the user with an option to select a riser assembly. The MLMS 324 may be communicatively coupled to sensors 314, 318 on multiple riser assemblies 310 located in a particular field of subsea wells via their associated communication systems 322 as described above with reference to FIG. 11. The MLMS may be able to manage the data, maintenance schedules, and sequencing of multiple riser assemblies at a time. The information pertaining to each riser assembly is stored in the MLMS and linked with a riser identification number. As illustrated in FIG. 27A, the riser selection screen 610 may include a riser selection drop-down menu 612 that lists a riser identification number for each riser assembly, an Accept button 614 to confirm the selection of a given riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612, and an Add Riser button 616 to add a new riser assembly to the list in the drop-down menu 612. Selection of a riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612 is illustrated in FIG. 27B. As shown, the drop-down menu 612 may include one or more alerts 618 next to a given riser identification number in the drop-down menu. The alerts 618 may represent either a maintenance alert for one or more components on a particular riser assembly or an alert that one or more sensed properties in the riser assembly are outside of expected ranges.”)
Duan discloses a method for using electronic tags to monitor and tack associated equipment and components. DeBerry discloses a method for using tags to manage the lifecycle of monitored equipment and components. Before the effective filing date of Applicants’ claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have deemed it obvious to combine the methods of Duan with the teachings of DeBerry in order to improve the efficiency of equipment usage tracking for improved maintenance as disclosed by DeBerry (DeBerry: Paragraph 130, “The accurate log of historical load data stored in the database of the MLMS 324 may allow the operator to recertify the equipment assets 520 only when necessary based on the measured load data. The historical load data may also help with early identification of any potential equipment failure points.”)
Claim(s) 8, 16, and 20 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claims 1, 13, and 18
Duan does not explicitly disclose the following, however, in analogous art of asset management, DeBerry teaches the limitations below.
transmit to the connectivity module an undesirable condition notification of the work machine and the connectivity module, upon receiving the undesirable condition notification of the work machine, transmitting at least one of an emergency request or maintenance request. (DeBerry: Paragraph 145, “Once the user has logged in, the MLMS 324 may display the riser selection screen 610, which presents the user with an option to select a riser assembly. The MLMS 324 may be communicatively coupled to sensors 314, 318 on multiple riser assemblies 310 located in a particular field of subsea wells via their associated communication systems 322 as described above with reference to FIG. 11. The MLMS may be able to manage the data, maintenance schedules, and sequencing of multiple riser assemblies at a time. The information pertaining to each riser assembly is stored in the MLMS and linked with a riser identification number. As illustrated in FIG. 27A, the riser selection screen 610 may include a riser selection drop-down menu 612 that lists a riser identification number for each riser assembly, an Accept button 614 to confirm the selection of a given riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612, and an Add Riser button 616 to add a new riser assembly to the list in the drop-down menu 612. Selection of a riser assembly from the drop-down menu 612 is illustrated in FIG. 27B. As shown, the drop-down menu 612 may include one or more alerts 618 next to a given riser identification number in the drop-down menu. The alerts 618 may represent either a maintenance alert for one or more components on a particular riser assembly or an alert that one or more sensed properties in the riser assembly are outside of expected ranges.”; Paragraph 171, “The component information screen 730 may display the string number 696 associated with the selected component. The component information screen 730 may also display any current alerts 700 associated with the selected component, such as scheduled maintenance or alerts due to parameters exceeding pre-set thresholds. A brief description of the current alerts 700 may be included on the component information screen 730. The component information screen 730 may also display current information 736 associated with the component, as either read from sensors or determined by the MLMS based on readings from sensors on the component and/or smart handling tool. The current information 736 may include, for example, status of the component, pressure measurements, depth of the component relative to sea level, time in use, tension, bending stress, flow rate, temperature, original weight measurement (e.g., as taken via the smart handling tool), current weight measurement (e.g., as taken via the smart handling tool), and/or deployed usage. The weight measurements may change over time, generally increasing with an increase of time spent under water due to the riser joint slowly absorbing some of the water. As the weight of certain riser components increases over time, it may be desirable to fit the riser assembly with additional buoyant riser joints during future deployments when the heavier riser components are being re-used.”)
Duan discloses a method for using electronic tags to monitor and tack associated equipment and components. DeBerry discloses a method for using tags to manage the lifecycle of monitored equipment and components. Before the effective filing date of Applicants’ claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have deemed it obvious to combine the methods of Duan with the teachings of DeBerry in order to improve the efficiency of equipment usage tracking for improved maintenance as disclosed by DeBerry (DeBerry: Paragraph 130, “The accurate log of historical load data stored in the database of the MLMS 324 may allow the operator to recertify the equipment assets 520 only when necessary based on the measured load data. The historical load data may also help with early identification of any potential equipment failure points.”)
Claim(s) 11 –
Duan discloses the limitations of claim 1
Duan does not explicitly disclose the following, however, in analogous art of asset management, DeBerry teaches the limitations below.
wherein the electronic tag is further configured to transmit a maintenance schedule to an asset-end-of-life evaluator to improve an end-of-life evaluation of the work machine. (DeBerry: Paragraph 189, “By stacking the riser components in different stacks and/or in a particular order, the system is able to run the riser assembly in a sequence where joints subjected to high fatigue are cycled through the maintenance and recertification process as needed and the low fatigue joints are reused. This may reduce costs for maintenance and refurbishment of riser components and extend the life of a given riser assembly from five years to seven or more years. In extending the life of the riser assembly and cycling riser components through the maintenance and recertification processes on an as needed basis, fewer riser components may be needed for supporting a subsea well. This is compared to existing systems, where two full riser assemblies are needed for a well so that all the components of one riser assembly can be recertified at the same time every five years.”; Paragraph 190, “FIG. 33 is a process flow diagram of one such sequencing method 910. The method 910 may be performed via the MLMS in conjunction with sensors located on the riser components and an identification reader on the smart handling tool. The method 910 includes identifying 912 a riser component that is selected by the smart handling tool via sensors on the smart handling tool reading the component identification tag. The method 910 may include accessing 914 lifecycle information stored in the MLMS to determine 916 whether the riser component is appropriate to run in the next position of the riser sequence. This determination may be made based on the lifecycle information associated with the selected riser component, such as the load history on that component, maintenance history, date of last recertification, or the maximum stresses or other parameters recorded by the component's onboard sensors. If the selected riser component is not appropriate for that position in the running sequence, the handling tool may release the component to a particular location and select 918 a different component.”; Paragraph 186, “New maintenance entries or tickets 854 may be shown on the maintenance log screen 850. When the MLMS detects that a riser component is in need of maintenance or recertification, the system may automatically generate a new maintenance ticket 854 on this screen and output a maintenance alert on one or more of the other screens. In other instances, a user may manually generate a new maintenance ticket 854 using an Add or Remove button. Each new maintenance ticket 854 may include identification information for the riser component that is affected, a type of entry (e.g., maintenance), a status (e.g., returned to the string, sent for recertification), a date suspended, and an action description detailing what maintenance is needed on the component. In addition, the maintenance tickets 854 may include an action level (e.g., low, medium, or high) indicating the level of seriousness of the required maintenance. When a user has removed the riser component from the string and performed the requested maintenance, the user may log in to the MLMS, select “Action Completed” 856 on the maintenance ticket 854, fill out the date completed 858, and click the Save button 860 to save the completed maintenance ticket as a new entry in the maintenance log 852.”)
Duan discloses a method for using electronic tags to monitor and tack associated equipment and components. DeBerry discloses a method for using tags to manage the lifecycle of monitored equipment and components. Before the effective filing date of Applicants’ claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have deemed it obvious to combine the methods of Duan with the teachings of DeBerry in order to improve the efficiency of equipment usage tracking for improved maintenance as disclosed by DeBerry (DeBerry: Paragraph 130, “The accurate log of historical load data stored in the database of the MLMS 324 may allow the operator to recertify the equipment assets 520 only when necessary based on the measured load data. The historical load data may also help with early identification of any potential equipment failure points.”)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Blevins (US 2018/0319594 A1) discloses a method for a lifting device
Cella (US 2023/0222454 A1) discloses a method for intelligence-based preventative maintenance
Vleugels (US 2019/0236465 A1) discloses a method for ancillary sensor systems based on triggers
Breed (US 2009/0043441 A1) discloses a method for an information management and monitoring system
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Philip N Warner whose telephone number is (571)270-7407. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-4:00pm.
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/Philip N Warner/Examiner, Art Unit 3624
/Jerry O'Connor/Supervisory Patent Examiner,Group Art Unit 3624
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