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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claims 4 – 5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 4 should read “wherein the work machine is set to a non-work position when a distance from a starting point of the worked region to a starting point of a next unworked region is a predetermined distance or more when the work vehicle enters the worked region from the unworked region.” to provide clarify and to avoid ambiguity of the term “starting end”.
Claim 5 should read “wherein the work machine is set to a first position closer to a work position than the non-work position or to the work position when the distance from the starting point of the worked region to the starting point of the next unworked region is less than the predetermined distance when the work vehicle enters the worked region from the unworked region.” to provide clarify and to avoid ambiguity of the term “starting end”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because the claim recites an autonomous system without any structures for the performing the claimed functions. Therefore, the claim is directed to software per se.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 12 – 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nishii et al. (English Translation of CN116437797A; hereinafter Nishii).
Regarding to claim 1, Nishii teaches An autonomous travel method for causing a work machine to perform predetermined work while causing a work vehicle to autonomously travel along a target route in a work area, ([Par. 0031], “the work vehicle 10 can autonomously travel along a pre-generated driving path R for the field F based on the location information of the current position of the work vehicle 10 calculated by the positioning device 14.”; [Par. 0033], “the work vehicle 10 is equipped with a vehicle control device 11, a driving device 12, a work machine 13, and a positioning device 14.The vehicle control device 11 is electrically connected to the driving device 12, the work machine 13,and the positioning device 14.”; [Par. 0039], “The vehicle control device 11 can control the lifting mechanism to raise and lower the work machine 13.For example, the vehicle control device 11 lowers the work machine 13 when the work vehicle 10 is moving forward in the work area of the field F, and raises the work machine 13 when the work vehicle10 is moving backward.”) the autonomous travel method comprising
controlling an operation of the work machine based on work region information including information on an unworked region where the work has not finished in the work area and information on a worked region where the work has finished. ([Par. 0055], “the work vehicle 10 performs work in the outer work area F1 according to the travel path R, and then performs work in the inner work area F2.The driving path R includes the driving path Ra (driving path Ra1 to Ra8) in the outer peripheral work area F1, which causes the work vehicle 10 to travel in a vortex shape from the outside to the inside, and the driving path Rb (driving path Rb1 to Rb10) in the inner peripheral work area F2, which causes the work vehicle 10 to travel back and forth parallel from one side to the opposite side.”; [Par. 0056], “The work vehicle 10 performs its work while traveling along the travel paths Ra1 to Ra8 in the outer work area F1. When the work in the outer work area F1 is completed, it travels along the travel path Ra9 (empty travel) and enters the work start position Sd of the inner work area F2.”; [Par. 0105], “the work vehicle 10 is such that by mounting the work machine 13 on a left-right offset relative to the work vehicle 10 and driving it, the work machine 13 can perform a predetermined operation. For example, a tractor (operating vehicle 10) performs mowing operations by mounting a direct-mounted operating machine 13 to the left or right and traveling in the field. In addition, the work machine 13 is not limited to a direct-mounted work machine fixed to the work vehicle 10 (see Figure 2),but can also be a towed work machine towed by the work vehicle 10… when the work machine 13 is installed offset to the right relative to the work vehicle 10 and the work direction is set to be parallel to the right F1b, the work start position is set so that the inner peripheral work area F2is located on the right relative to the forward direction of the work vehicle 10.)
Regarding to claim 8, Nishii teaches the method of claim 1.
Nishii futher teaches wherein the operation of the work machine is controlled based on the work region information when the work vehicle is caused to autonomously travel along a corner reaping route generated for a corner of the work area. ([Par. 0031], “the work vehicle 10 can autonomously travel along a pre-generated driving path R for the field F based on the location information of the current position of the work vehicle 10 calculated by the positioning device 14.”; [Par. 0066], “the operation start position setting processing unit 215 sets any one of the multiple corners of the inner perimeter operation area F2 as the operation start position. For example, if the operating direction of the work vehicle 10 in the inner perimeter work area F2 is registered by the operator as parallel to the right F1b, the work start position setting processing unit 215 sets the corner where the initial travel path Rb1 (work start path) of the inner perimeter work area F2 is adjacent to the edge of the specified inner perimeter work area F2 as the work start position.”; [Par. 0067], “the operation start position setting processing unit 215 can also set the lower right corner Sc(see Figure 8) of the travel path Rb1 and the right side F2b of the specified inner perimeter operation area F2 as the operation start position. Alternatively, the operation start position setting processing unit215 can also set the corner Sb, which has the shorter moving distance (empty driving distance of driving path Ra9) from the operation end position (end of driving path Ra8) of the outer perimeter operation area F1, as the operation start position.”)
Claim 12 recites a computer-readable non-volatile medium with substantially similar scope as claim 1, thus being rejected for the same basis as claim 1 above.
Nishii further teaches a computer-readable non-volatile medium and a plurality of processors. ([Par. 0043], “The control unit 141 is a computer system having one or more processors, non-volatile memory, and memory such as RAM. The storage unit 142 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs for enabling the control unit 141 to perform positioning processing, as well as data such as positioning information and movement information.”)
Claim 13 recites an autonomous travel system with substantially similar scope as claim 1, thus being rejected for the same basis as claim 1 above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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) 2 – 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishii in view of Shirafuji (English Translation of JP2020184973A; hereinafter Shirafuji).
Regarding to claim 2, Nishii teaches the method of claim 1.
Nishii teaches to control the work machine mounted on the work vehicle as described above, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the work machine is set to a work position before the work vehicle enters the unworked region from the worked region.
However, Shirafuji teaches wherein the work machine is set to a work position before the work vehicle enters the unworked region from the worked region. ([Par. 0048], “The predetermined tasks in work area A are performed sequentially from the outside to the inside of work area A, and the tractor 1 is configured to automatically travel along the first circular route P1, the second circular route P2, and the inner route P3 in that order. Therefore, in Figure 4, the entire work area A is an unworked area; in Figure 5, the outer perimeter of work area A is completed by traveling along the first circular path P1; and in Figure 6, the outer area A1 of work area A is completed, while the inner area A2 of work area A is unworked.”; [Par. 0085 – 0086], “the automatic driving control unit 23F transmits a work start command to the work machine control unit 23D, which instructs the offset mower 3 to switch to the working state based on the work start point included in the target path P, and a work stop command to the offset mower 3 to switch to the non-working state based on the work stop point included in the target path P. The work equipment control unit 23D controls the operation of the work clutch unit 19 and the lifting drive unit 20 in response to various control commands for the offset mower 3 transmitted from the automatic travel control unit 23F, and performs automatic work start control to lower the offset mower 3to the working height and start operation, and automatic work stop control to stop the offset mower 3and raise it to a non-working height.”; [Par. 0090], “In automatic driving along the inner path P3, the tractor 1 is automatically driven along the straight section P3a, starting a predetermined operation at the beginning point (work start point) of the straight section P3a and ending the predetermined operation at the end point (work end point) of the straight section P3a, and the tractor 1 is automatically driven along the connecting section P3b without performing the predetermined operation. This allows the vehicle to travel in a circular motion, following the outer perimeter shape of the inner area A2, while sequentially performing predetermined tasks (grass cutting) from the outside to the inside of the inner area A2.”
Wherein the work start point should be understood as an un-worked area that the machine is set to work on. Therefore, it is obvious that the work machine is set to a work position at the work start point so it can start the predetermined work.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify Nishii to incorporate the teaching of Shirafuji. The modification would have been obvious because setting the work machine to the work position upon entering an unworked region enables the work machine to perform the predetermined work at the work start point on the target path.
Regarding to claim 3, Nishii teaches the method of claim 1.
Nishii teaches to control the work machine mounted on the work vehicle as described above, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the work machine is set to a non-work position after the work vehicle enters the worked region from the unworked region.
However, Shirafuji teaches wherein the work machine is set to a non-work position after the work vehicle enters the worked region from the unworked region. ([Par. 0085 – 0086], “the automatic driving control unit 23F transmits a work start command to the work machine control unit 23D, which instructs the offset mower 3 to switch to the working state based on the work start point included in the target path P, and a work stop command to the offset mower 3 to switch to the non-working state based on the work stop point included in the target path P. The work equipment control unit 23D controls the operation of the work clutch unit 19 and the lifting drive unit 20 in response to various control commands for the offset mower 3 transmitted from the automatic travel control unit 23F, and performs automatic work start control to lower the offset mower 3to the working height and start operation, and automatic work stop control to stop the offset mower 3and raise it to a non-working height.”; [Par. 0090], “In automatic driving along the inner path P3, the tractor 1 is automatically driven along the straight section P3a, starting a predetermined operation at the beginning point (work start point) of the straight section P3a and ending the predetermined operation at the end point (work end point) of the straight section P3a, and the tractor 1 is automatically driven along the connecting section P3b without performing the predetermined operation. This allows the vehicle to travel in a circular motion, following the outer perimeter shape of the inner area A2, while sequentially performing predetermined tasks (grass cutting) from the outside to the inside of the inner area A2.”
Where the mapping is understood as on the inner path, work is started at the “start point (work start point) of the straight part P3a” and finished at the end point of that straight part. The connecting portions between straight parts are traveled without performing the predetermined work. This structure places the work-start point at the beginning of a segment that covers remaining unworked ground, while the approach to that point (the preceding connecting portion or the prior worked strip) is in already-worked ground. At the work end point, the offset mower is raised to a non-working height.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify Nishii to incorporate the teaching of Shirafuji. The modification would have been obvious because setting the work machine to the non-work position upon entering a worked region enables the work machine driving along the worked area without duplication the work.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 – 7, 9 - 11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and if the claim objections above are corrected.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN V NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-7320. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 11am - 7pm EST.
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/STEVEN VU NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3668
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